Hirooki Goto

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Hirooki Goto
Statistics
Ring name(s)	Hirooki Goto, Masked CTU-H
Billed height	180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Billed weight	90 kg (198 lbs)
Born	June 25, 1979 (1979-06-25) (age 28) Kuwana, Mie
Trained by	NJPW Dojo
Debut	July 6, 2003

Hirooki Gotō (後藤洋央紀, Gotō Hirooki^?, born June 25, 1979 in Kuwana, Mie) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He has wrestled primarily for New Japan Pro Wrestling since his debut.

1 Career
2 In wrestling
3 Championships and accomplishments
4 References

[edit] Career

Goto attended Kokushikan University, where he took part in freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling. Upon graduating, Goto qualified to join New Japan Pro Wrestling, but left the promotion after incurring a shoulder injury. He returned to NJPW in November 2002 after healing and began training in the New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo. He debuted on July 6, 2003 in Gifu, Gifu, wrestling Ryusuke Taguchi. The two men competed in the junior heavyweight division, and teamed together the same year to try to take the vacant IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in a tournament, but were defeated in the final by veterans Gedo and Jado, who had debuted in 1989.

In early 2005, he won the NJPW Young Lions Cup, defeating Hiroyuki Itō in the tournament final. After turning heel and joining Jushin Liger's Control Terrorism Unit (C.T.U.) stable, Goto adopted the ring name Masked CTU-H. He won his first championship on May 15, 2005, teaming with Minoru to defeat Koji Kanemoto and Wataru Inoue in the Tokyo Dome for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. The duo held the titles for nine months, finally losing to El Samurai and Ryusuke Taguchi on February 19, 2006 in Tokyo.

In 2006, Goto joined the American Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion as a member of Team Japan (consisting of CTU members Goto, Jushin Liger, Black Tiger and Minoru), one of the four teams competing in the TNA 2006 World X Cup Tournament. He debuted in TNA on April 23, 2006 at TNA Lockdown 2006, where he teamed with Black Tiger and Minoru against Team USA members Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal and Alex Shelley. Team Japan defeated USA when Black Tiger pinned Lethal. On the April 27, 2006 episode of TNA iMPACT!, Goto and Minoru lost to Dutt and Shelley, giving a first round victory and two points to Team USA. On May 14, 2006 at TNA Sacrifice 2006, Goto and the other members of Team Japan accompanied Liger to ringside, assisting him in his victory over Team Canada captain Petey Williams. Later that night, all four members of Team Japan took part in a gauntlet match that was won by Team Canada captain Petey Williams. The 2006 World X Cup was won by Team USA (with five points), with Team Japan coming last with three points.

on August 1, 2006, Goto left for a lengthy learning excursion to Mexico after losing in a farewell match at the CTU 2nd Anniversary Show. While in Mexico he wrestled primarily for CMLL and for Ultimo Dragon's Toryumon Mexico. During his time in Mexico he formed a rudo unit Hajime Ohara and Shigeo Okumura in CMLL.

In August 2007, Goto returned to New Japan after his almost 1-year stay in Mexico. Upon his return, the now much more muscular Goto graduated from a Jr. heavyeight to a Heavyweight. Goto showed a great deal of promise and skill since last seen in July 2006. He showcased whole new moveset and he quickly tried to establish himself as one of the top Heavyweights in New Japan. Not that far into his return Goto join the Stable "R.I.S.E" with Shinsuke Nakamura, Travis Tomko, Giant Bernard and fellow former CTU team mates Minoru, Milano Collection AT, & Prince Devitt. On November 11th he challenged Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but after a long and hard fought match, Tanahashi would win with the Texas Cloverleaf. Shortly after that Goto entered the G1 Tag League with Milano Collection AT, but the pair would come in 3rd place.

In 2008 Goto wrestled one of his child hood idols, The Great Muta at New Japan's annual January 4th Tokyo Dome show. Although having a good showing, Goto would fall to Muta.