| Makoto | |
|---|---|
Makoto in July 2010. |
|
| Ring name(s) | Makoto |
| Billed height | 1.67 m (5 ft 5 1⁄2 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 60 kg (130 lb)[1] |
| Born | September 26, 1989 [1] Kobe, Hyōgo[1] |
| Resides | Akihabara, Tokyo |
| Trained by | Emi Sakura[1] Yoshihiro Tajiri |
| Debut | July 25, 2006[2] |
Makoto (真琴 Makoto, born September 26, 1989)[1] is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is currently working for Smash and is also known for her time in Ice Ribbon, where she held the ICE×60 Championship once and the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship twice.
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In February 2006, Makoto began training under Gatokunyan wrestler Emi Sakura.[1] Two months later Sakura left Gatokunyan to form her own promotion, Ice Ribbon, taking, among others, Makoto with her.[1] Makoto would make her wrestling debut on July 25, 2006, at Ice Ribbon's third ever show, losing to then nine year old Riho in a minute.[2][3] As is customary in Japanese professional wrestling, Makoto's first year in the business consisted of short matches and losses.[4][5][6] She would go on to win her first title on February 1, 2008, when she teamed with her idol Etsuko Mita to defeat Tanny Mouse and Yuki Miyazaki for the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship.[7][8] They would hold the title for five months, before losing it to the team of Masa Takanashi and Ryu Chokumo.[9] On December 23, Makoto made it to the finals of a tournament to crown the first ever ICE×60 Championship, before being defeated by Seina.[10] After two unsuccessful title challenges against Kyoko Ichiki, she would finally win the ICE×60 Championship on August 23, 2009, by defeating Ichiki in their third title match against each other.[11][12][13] She would go on to lose the title to Emi Sakura on October 12, 2009.[14]
Makoto's 2009 was highlighted by a feud with her former partner Etsuko Mita, which built to Mita's retirement match on November 1, 2009, where she defeated Makoto.[15][16] The feud with Mita also led to the evolution of Makoto's character, turning her from a weak and scared comedic character to a more serious competitor.[1][2] In 2010, Makoto began making appearances for other promotions such as Kaientai Dojo, Osaka Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Zero1 and Smash.[15] In January 2011, Makoto became the leader of a stable named "Heisei YTR" (Young Traditional Revolution), which also included Chii Tomiya, Hikari Minami, Kurumi, Mika Iida, Riho and Tsukushi.[17] The group mainly feuded with the quartet of Hikaru Shida, Miyako Matsumoto, Mochi Miyagi and Tsukasa Fujimoto.[17] On February 6, Makoto and Riho made it to the finals of the One Night Tag Team Tournament, before being defeated by Hikaru Shida and Tsukasa Fujimoto in a match that was also contested for the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship.[18] Makoto, who has always stated that her dream is to become a WWE Diva,[1] made her American debut on July 30, 2011, when she teamed with Daizee Haze and Sara Del Rey in a losing effort against the trio of Mima Shimoda, Portia Perez and Tsukasa Fujimoto at a Chikara event in Reading, Pennsylvania.[19] The following day, Makoto was defeated by ICE×60 Champion Fujimoto in an "Ice Ribbon Showcase" match at the Asylum Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[19][20] On August 5, it was announced that Makoto would be leaving Ice Ribbon for Smash, where she felt she had a better opportunity to reach her goal of getting to WWE.[21][22][23] After the announcement, Makoto went on to unsuccessfully challenge Tsukasa Fujimoto for the ICE×60 Championship on August 7.[24] However, six days later, Makoto and her trainer Emi Sakura defeated the Lovely Butchers (Hamuko Hoshi and Mochi Miyagi) for the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship.[25][26] On August 21, Makoto was defeated by Sakura in her Ice Ribbon farewell match, after which the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship was vacated.[26][27]
Makoto made her debut for Yoshihiro Tajiri's Smash promotion on December 24, 2010, at Happening Eve, where she teamed with Isami Kodaka and Yusuke Kodama to defeat Chii Tomiya, Hikari Minami and Kushida in a six person intergender tag team match, scoring the deciding pinfall over Tomiya.[28] In her next Smash appearance on January 29, 2011, at Smash.13, Makoto was defeated by former WWE Diva, Serena.[29] After the match, Makoto was attacked by Kana, Io Shirai and Mio Shirai, the trio known as Triple Tails, who had earlier attacked another one of Tajiri's protégés, Yusuke Kodama, after his match. The trio was eventually chased out of the ring by Tajiri.[30] On April 30 at Smash.16, Makoto teamed with Serena and Syuri to defeat the Triple Tails in a six woman tag team match.[31] On May 3 at Smash.17, Makoto teamed with Tajiri in a three-way intergender tag team ladder match, contested for possession of the new Smash Championship and Smash Diva Championship belts, which had been stolen earlier by Michael Kovac. In the match, Makoto and Tajiri defeated the teams of Kovac and Lin Bairon, and Hajime Ohara and Jessica Love to regain possession of the belts, which were then put up for grabs in separate tournaments.[32]
In preparation for the Smash Diva Championship tournament, Makoto, now a member of the Smash Sekigun ("home army"), began training with the likes of Tajiri and Funaki, the latter of whom taught her a new finishing maneuver, the spear, which he had learned from Edge during his years in the WWE.[33] Makoto entered the Smash Diva Championship tournament on July 15 at Smash.19, defeating fellow Ice Ribbon regular Chii Tomiya with the spear in just four minutes.[34] On August 11 at Smash.20, Emi Sakura accompanied Makoto in a press conference, where she officially signed to become a full time member of the Smash roster, finalizing her jump from Ice Ribbon.[23] Later that same day, Makoto was eliminated from the Smash Diva Championship tournament in the semifinal stage by Serena.[35] On September 8 at Smash.21, after Kana had defeated Serena to become the inaugural Smash Diva Champion, Makoto, along with Syuri, Ray and Tomoka Nakagawa, entered the ring to challenge the new champion to a title match.[36] The four challengers had a number one contender's match on October 28 at Smash.22, which was won by Nakagawa.[37]
On November 5, Makoto made her debut for All Japan Pro Wrestling in Taiwan, teaming with Bushi and Último Dragón to defeat Cheerleader Melissa, Black Bushi and Dark Dragon in a six person tag team match.[38] In the buildup to the match Makoto and Melissa brawled at the pre-event press conference.[39] The following day, Makoto was defeated by Melissa in what was billed as the first ever women's wrestling match in Taiwan.[40] On December 25, Makoto made an appearance at Ice Ribbon's RibbonMania 2011 event, taking part in Seina's and Minori Makiba's graduation ceremony after their final Ice Ribbon match.[41] On December 30 at Smash.24, Makoto wrestled her first hardcore match, when she teamed with Lin Bairon in a losing effort against the team of Kana and Smash Diva Champion Tomoka Nakagawa.[42][43]
Makoto names Etsuko Mita and Trish Stratus as her two biggest idols.[7] She lists cosplay and the video game Dynasty Warriors as her hobbies.[2][7]