Naoki Sano

Naoki Sano
Ring name(s) Takuma Sano
Yuhi Sano
Naoki Sano
Billed height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Billed weight 110 kg (240 lb)
Born February 2, 1965 (1965-02-02) (age 47)
Trained by New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo
Debut March 3, 1984

Naoki Sano (佐野直喜 Sano Naoki?) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He currently goes by the name Takuma Sano.

Contents

Professional wrestling career

New Japan Pro Wrestling (1984–1990)

Sano was a member of the 1984 New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) dojo class, and in his first few years, he was a jobber. In 1989, he won the Young Lions Cup and he had numerous acclaimed matches against Jushin Liger. Sano defeated Liger for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on August 10, 1989, but lost it back to Liger on January 31, 1990.[1][2]

Super World of Sports and Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi (1990–1992)

In July 1990, Sano moved to the Super World of Sports (SWS) after a big money offer from Megane Super, the company backing the promotion. In SWS he became the top junior heavyweight, feuding with native talent and outsider talent from the United States, Mexico, and outsider promotions Universal Lucha Libre and Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi. In December 1991, Sano won the tournament for the SWS Light Heavyweight Championship.[3] He was the only titleholder.[3]

After SWS collapsed in June 1992, Sano worked a few matches for Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi, but soon moved to Union of Wrestling Force International (UWFI) upon recommendation from former NJPW comrades Nobuhiko Takada and Kazuo Yamazaki, the top stars of UWFI.

UWF International (1992–1996)

In UWFI, he adopted the name Yuhi Sano. Adopting the shinguards and trunks typical of shoot style wrestlers, Sano had more opportunities to face actual heavyweights. Nevertheless, during the 1995-96 feud against NJPW, Sano participated on UWFI's side, beating old rival Liger one more time but losing to Shinya Hashimoto. In the feud against the WAR promotion, which had been born out of the ashes of SWS, Sano lost to old patron Genichiro Tenryu in a singles match. Upon UWFI's collapse later in December 1996, Sano joined its successor promotion, Kingdom.

Independent circuit (1997–2001)

He went back to wrestling, entering Battlarts and feuding with Minoru Tanaka over the Independent Junior Heavyweight Championship.[4] Sano won the belt from Tanaka in May 1999 and dropped it back to him the following year. In 2000 he participated in the third Super J Cup tournament held by Michinoku Pro Wrestling. He advanced to the final four before losing to eventual runner-up Cima.[5]

Pro Wrestling Noah (2001–present)

In 2001, he joined Pro Wrestling Noah. He became Takuma Sano, for a year wearing tights and wrestling junior heavyweights, but after fully turning heavyweight, he went back to the shinguards and trunks. As part of the faction led by Akira Taue and also composed of Daisuke Ikeda, Sano had opportunities for the GHC Heavyweight Championship held by Kenta Kobashi and later, Mitsuharu Misawa, but failed both times. In 2010, he teamed with Yoshihiro Takayama to win the Global Tag League.[6] On September 18, 2010, Sano and Takayama defeated Akitoshi Saito and Bison Smith to win the vacant GHC Tag Team Championship. They would lose the title to New Japan Pro Wrestling's Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson on June 18, 2011, in a match contested also for the IWGP Tag Team Championship.[7]

Mixed martial arts (1998–2000)

Sano was also a mixed martial artist and participated in the Pride Fighting Championships. At Pride 2, he was defeated by Royler Gracie.[8] In October of that year at Pride 4, Satoshi Honma defeated him by knockout.[9] In June 2000 at Pride 9, he was once again defeated, this time by Carlos Newton.[10] In addition, he helped train fighters at the Takada Dojo.[11]

Mixed martial arts record

Result Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 0-4 Carlos Newton Submission (armbar) PRIDE 9 02000-06-04 June 4, 2000 1 0:40
Loss 0-3 Keiichiro Yamamiya TKO (strikes) Pancrase: Breakthrough 3 01999-03-09 March 9, 1999 1 10:43
Loss 0-2 Satoshi Honma TKO (punches) PRIDE 4 01998-10-11 October 11, 1998 1 9:25
Loss 0-1 Royler Gracie Submission (armbar) PRIDE 2 01998-03-15 March 15, 1998 1 33:14

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ^ a b "IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship official title history (page 2)" (in Japanese). NJPW.co.jp. http://www.njpw.co.jp/histry/jr_main02.html. Retrieved 2007-07-08. 
  2. ^ a b Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "New Japan IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 373–374. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  3. ^ a b c Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "SWS Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 384. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  4. ^ a b Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "FMW World Junior Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 383. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  5. ^ "Super J Cup: 3rd Stage". ProWrestlingHistory.com. April 1–9, 2000. http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/newjapan/jcup.html#3. Retrieved February 16, 2010. 
  6. ^ a b "Global Tag Team Tournament 2010". Pro Wrestling NOAH. http://www.noah-usa.cc/Global%20Tag%20Team%20Tournament%202010.html. Retrieved 2010-02-15. 
  7. ^ "Dominion 6.18" (in Japanese). New Japan Pro Wrestling. http://www.njpw.co.jp/match/detail_result.php?e=230. Retrieved 2011-06-18. 
  8. ^ "Pride 2". Sherdog. http://www.sherdog.com/events/PRIDE-2-PRIDE-2-47. Retrieved 2010-02-15. 
  9. ^ "Pride 4". Sherdog. http://www.sherdog.com/events/PRIDE-4-PRIDE-4-49. Retrieved 2010-02-15. 
  10. ^ "Pride 9 - New Blood". Sherdog. http://www.sherdog.com/events/PRIDE-9-New-Blood-5. Retrieved 2010-02-15. 
  11. ^ Vargo, Keith (June 2001). "Kazushi Sakuraba and the Takada Dojo". Black Belt 39 (6): 24. 
  12. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "Districto Federal Trios Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 393. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  13. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Japan: New Japan Young Lions Cup Tournament Champions". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 375. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. 
  14. ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 385–386. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.