Mitsunobu Kikuzawa

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Mitsunobu Kikuzawa
Statistics
Ring name(s)	Mitsunobu Kikuzawa Ebessan Keiji Ebitoh Jyushin Thunder Ebesga Kikutasu Jack Ebestan Hansen Ebetaro Kikutaro Kiku-Kiku-Kiku Kikustan Hansen Kiku Flair Kiku H Kiku Angle Killer Kiku
Billed height	5 ft 7 in (171 cm)
Billed weight	209 lb (95 kg)
Born	January 10, 1977 Unknown
Resides	Japan
Debut	May 14, 1994

Mitsunobu Kikuzawa, better known by his wrestling persona Kikutaro, is a freelance Japanese professional wrestler primarily competing for All Japan Pro Wrestling. Kikuzawa also makes occasional appearances in North America, competing in promotions such as Ring of Honor and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla.

1 Career
2 Tributes
3 Wrestling facts
4 Championships and accomplishments
5 References

[edit] Career

Kikuzawa started his wrestling career in 1994, wrestling under his birth name for Japanese hardcore wrestling promotions including FMW and W*ING. He was only a jobber and never made much of a name for himself at this stage in his career. Kikuzawa eventually signed with Osaka Pro Wrestling and Dramatic Dream Team (DDT), where he continued to use his real name while competing for DDT, but began wearing a mask while wrestling for Osaka Pro as a character named Ebessan (based on Ebisu, the Japanese god of good fortune); using comedic spots to get over with the crowd, Kikuzawa was immediately accepted by the Osaka Pro crowd. Moving up the ranks quickly in the comedic promotion, he soon made Osaka Pro his full-time home in 2001.

In 2006, he began competing for All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he continues to work primarily to this day. He often wrestles in the opening match, but occasionally teams with Keiji Mutoh.

[edit] Tributes

Kikuzawa has been known to do tributes to many wrestlers throughout his career, either through subtle imitations or by doing full imitations of their gimmick. He typically includes a tribute to Keiji Mutoh in his matches by performing Mutoh's signature elbow drop, as well as using Mutoh's "love" pose. Kikuzawa has also done many tributes to wrestlers in "borrowing" their gimmicks by dressing in similar attire and performing their signature moves. Kikuzawa has famously imitated Stan Hansen, Abdullah the Butcher, Jushin Liger, Triple H, Cactus Jack, Bill Goldberg, Kurt Angle, Ric Flair and Yuji Nagata.