Shinjiro Ohtani

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Shinjirō Ōhtani
Statistics
Ring name(s) Mr. Otani (Europe)
Shinjirō Ōtani
Billed height 5 ft 11 in (181 cm)
Billed weight 236 lbs (107 kg)
Born July 21, 1972
Yamaguchi
Resides Houston, Texas
Trained by Animal Hamaguchi
Debut June 25, 1992


Shinjirō Ōtani (大谷晋二郎, born 21 July 1972 in Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi) is a Japanese professional wrestler.

Contents

Career

Ōtani was the first WCW Cruiserweight Champion, defeating The Pegasus Kid in a tournament final to be crowned champion on March 20, 1996. This was the start of his push as a legitimate junior heavyweight contender. Over the years, Ōtani earned the J-Crown and was also part of the first IWGP junior tag team champions with Tatsuhito Takaiwa.

In 2000, New Japan booker Riki Chōshū, eager to push his protege Kensuke Sasaki above everyone else, downgraded the junior heavyweight members to mere jobbers for the heavyweights. Ōtani protested and was sent abroad to bulk up. Returning in 2001 as a full-fledged heavyweight, Ōtani challenged Sasaki for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, but failed. He then joined Shinya Hashimoto in creating their own promotion, Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, where he became one of the top stars after Hashimoto's departure in 2004 and subsequent death. In ZERO-ONE he formed a tag team with Masato Tanaka called Emblem; Team Emblem (as they were later known) would appear in the US promotion Ultimate Pro Wrestling, and include Keiji Sakoda but they later split. On January 22, 2006, Ōtani defeated Steve Corino for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship.

Wrestling facts

Finishing and signature moves

Shinjiro Ohtani & Koji Kanemoto dropkick each other
Shinjiro Ohtani & Koji Kanemoto dropkick each other

Managers

Trivia

  • Ōtani was Yokozuna's last opponent before his death.

Championships and accomplishments

  • Premier Wrestling Federation
  • PWF Universal Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Masato Tanaka
  • UWA World Welterweight Championship (1 time)
  • PWI ranked him # 125 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
  • PWI also ranked him # 42 of the best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Tatsuhito Takaiwa.
  • 1998 Tag Team of the Year (with Tatsuhito Takaiwa)
  • 1999 Best Technical Wrestler
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