 Sasaki asGHC Heavyweight Champion in 2008 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1966-08-04)August 4, 1966 (age 59) |
Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relative | Rin Kadokura (daughter-in-law) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Benkei Sasaki Kendo Sasaki Kensuke Sasaki Kensuki Sasaki Masked Volcano Power Warrior |
| Billed height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 115 kg (254 lb)[1] |
| Trained by | Tokyo Joe[2] |
| Debut | February 16, 1986 |
| Retired | February 13, 2014[3] |
Kensuke Sasaki (Japanese:佐々木 健介,Sasaki Kensuke; born August 4, 1966) is a Japanese retiredprofessional wrestler. He is best known for his numerous runs in the top three Japanese wrestling promotions;New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW),All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), andPro Wrestling Noah. He was the founder and owner of the now-defunct wrestling promotionDiamond Ring, which was also named Kensuke Office.
Sasaki is the first of five men ever to hold all three ofpuroresu's major heavyweight titles (theIWGP Heavyweight Championship, theTriple Crown Heavyweight Championship, and theGHC Heavyweight Championship), the others beingYoshihiro Takayama,Keiji Muto,Satoshi Kojima, andYuji Nagata - totaling seven world championship reigns. Sasaki also competed in MMA and won both fights bysubmission, remaining undefeated in mixed martial arts competition.
Sasaki debuted inRiki Choshu'sJapan Pro-Wrestling, a satellite ofAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), in February 1986. On February 16, 1986, he made his debut against Shinji Sasazaki in a losing effort. Shortly afterwards, Sasaki became a regular in AJPW for over a year.
He defected to rival promotionNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), following Choshu, who returned to NJPW in 1987. During his time with NJPW, Sasaki teamed up with the likes ofOsamu Matsuda andKenichi Oya.
In January 1989, Sasaki embarked on an excursion to North America. He first started wrestling there inPuerto Rico inWorld Wrestling Council (WWC), where he held his very first championship, theWWC Caribbean Tag Team Championship, withMr. Pogo twice between January 14, 1989, and April 1, 1989.
He also wrestled forStu Hart'sStampede Wrestling promotion in Canada, where he wrestled under the name Benkei Sasaki and was trained by Hart in theHart Dungeon. During his time in Canada, he won theStampede International Tag Team Championship in August 1989, with All Japan loyalistSumo Hara.
He also wrestled forOtto Wanz'sCatch Wrestling Association (CWA) in tours ofAustria andGermany under the name Kendo Sasaki from October to December 1989.
In December 1989, Stampede Wrestling closed its doors, and Sasaki wrestled for the Canadian National Wrestling Alliance (CNWA), until March 1990 when he was fired byEd Whalen for kickingMike Lozanski too stiff.[clarification needed][citation needed]
Sasaki returned to NJPW in March 1990, and formed a populartag team withHiroshi Hase, with whom he would have a long on-off tag team partnership. They quickly won theIWGP Tag Team Championships on November 11, 1990, defeating the team ofKeiji Muto andMasahiro Chono. Holding the titles for only a month facing teams likeSuper Strong Machine andTatsutoshi Goto, The Dragon Bombers (Shiro Koshinaka andTakayuki Iizuka) before eventually falling toHiro Saito and Super Strong Machine on December 26 that same year. He would only win one more title with Hiroshi Hase a few months later; however, that was very brief, lasting only 15 days. The pair would have two reigns asIWGP Tag Team Champions, and had memorable matches withThe Steiner Brothers.
Two more tag title reigns followed when in late 1992, Sasaki assumed the name "Power Warrior" and teamed withRoad Warrior Hawk. AsThe Hell Raisers, they dominated the tag team scene in New Japan. In October 1992, he also started wrestling periodically forWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW), and would wrestle there on and off until December 1996.
Sasaki dropped the Power Warrior persona in 1995 (as he only revived the persona on special occasions, such as teaming with Hawk and Animal in six-man tag team matches) and began climbing the ranks in singles competition. He won his first major title, theWCW United States Heavyweight Championship on November 13, 1995, defeatingSting at a NJPW Event. This was the title's first title change outside of the United States. He soon lost the title to dubious circumstances however, losing to One Man Gang which was later claimed to be an official title match.
August 1997 skyrocketed Sasaki's rise to superstardom. On August 3, he won theG1 Climax tournament by defeatingHiroyoshi Tenzan in the final. A week later, he captured theIWGP Tag Team Championship withKazuo Yamazaki. Finally at the end of the month, he captured theIWGP Heavyweight Championship by defeating long reigning championShinya Hashimoto, winning three major honors in a one-month span. Sasaki solidified his dominance in the heavyweight division by defeating bothMasahiro Chono andKeiji Mutoh in his first two title defenses, thus defeating The Three Musketeers in three straight title matches. In April 1998, he lost the title toTatsumi Fujinami. In March 1999, he won another IWGP Tag Team Championship withShiro Koshinaka.
Sasaki won his second IWGP Heavyweight Championship fromGenichiro Tenryu while wrestling with a 39 °C (102.2 °F) fever. He won theG1 Climax for the second time in August 2000 with a victory over last year's winnerManabu Nakanishi in the final, now holding both of New Japan's two heavyweight singles crowns. On October 9, 2000, Sasaki surrendered the IWGP title after he lost toToshiaki Kawada in a non-title match at an All Japan vs. New Japan event calledDo Judge. In a tournament final, Sasaki regained the title, defeating Kawada, at the January 4, 2001,Tokyo Dome show. In March 2001, Sasaki lost the IWGP Heavyweight Title toScott Norton and in late 2002 he resigned from the promotion after a falling out with company management.
In the beginning of 2003, Sasaki joined his mentor, Riki Choshu, in his newFighting of World Japan Pro Wrestling (World Japan) promotion. He became the only WMG Heavyweight Champion; however, tensions between him and Choshu over financial issues caused Sasaki to withdraw and the company to die a slow death.[1]
After leaving World Japan, Sasaki initially returned to NJPW in 2004 as a heel freelancer, with the New Japan roster, specificallyYuji Nagata unwelcoming of his return in kayfabe.[1] In his return match, Sasaki lost to Nagata atWrestling World 2004 by referee's decision in an extremely bloody contest.[4] He later aligned himself withManabu Nakanishi, who had recently begun his "lone wolf" character. The two formed a tag team known as Pirates Gundan (Pirates Army), and regularly teamed with the likes ofScott Norton andGenichiro Tenryu. On March 12, he won back theIWGP Heavyweight Championship, defeatingHiroyoshi Tenzan in Tokyo.[5] Sasaki dropped the title toBob Sapp a little over two weeks later. After introducing his studentKatsuhiko Nakajima and forming the Kensuke Family group, Sasaki began a redemption storyline where he attempted to win back the support of both the wrestlers and fans in NJPW. In August, he entered his first G1 Climax since 2002, but was prevented from reaching the finals by losing to Tenryu on the final day.[6] By October, Sasaki was once again a firm fan favourite, and regained the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in controversial fashion, beatingKazuyuki Fujita in just 2:29 after reversing a sleeper into a pinfall.[7] This win was legitimately protested by Sasaki and his wife Akira Hokuto, who destroyed the trophy given to Sasaki backstage and criticised Fujita for purposely dropping the championship so he could focus on MMA. Nevertheless, Kensuke successfully defended the belt twice againstHiroshi Tanahashi andMinoru Suzuki, before dropping it to Tenzan in December.[8][9][10] After dropping the IWGP Title again, ally turned enemyRiki Choshu returned to NJPW in a backstage role which led to Sasaki's appearances became more sporadic, and he stopped wrestling for NJPW once again in early 2005.
After returning to NJPW, Sasaki once again started wrestling for AJPW too as a freelancer, entering the 2004Champion Carnival and making it to the final where he lost toKeiji Mutoh.[11] After making occasional appearances throughout 2004, Sasaki went over to AJPW full-time in early 2005. On January 16, he unsuccessfully challengedToshiaki Kawada for theTriple Crown Heavyweight Championship,[12] but saw success throughout the year, first winning theChampion Carnival by beatingJamal in the final.[13] On July 26, Sasaki and his studentKatsuhiko Nakajima then beat theVoodoo Murders ("brother" Yasshi andShuji Kondo) to win theAll Asia Tag Team Championship.[14] Kensuke (as his old "Power Warrior" character) andRoad Warrior Animal teamed up on September 1 at the Differ Ariake to defeat Yasshi and Kondo. On November 19, Sasaki got another shot at the Triple Crown, this time losing toSatoshi Kojima.[15] In July 2006, Sasaki suffered an injury and required time off, meaning he and Nakajima had to vacate the All Asia Tag Titles.
After five months away from the ring, Sasaki returned to All Japan in January 2007. In May, Sasaki and Nakajima teamed up with rookieSeiya Sanada to win the Samurai! TV Triple Arrow Six Man Tag Team Cup, beating the Voodoo Murders (Kondo, Yasshi andTaru) in the final.[16] On August 26, 2007, Sasaki defeated Minoru Suzuki to become theTriple Crown Heavyweight Champion. Sasaki made his first defense against Toshiaki Kawada on October 18, 2007, and would go on to team with Kawada afterKatsuhiko Nakajima suffered an injury on October 18 in the 2007World's Strongest Tag Determination League. Sasaki and Kawada would lose a Finals Decision match againstSatoshi Kojima andSuwama on December 9; both teams were tied, and opponents were needed for Keiji Muto andJoe Doering in the final of the League.
Sasaki successfully defended the Triple Crown Championship against Satoshi Kojima (on March 1, 2008). Sasaki participated in the 2008 Champion Carnival over five straight shows in theKorakuen Hall from April 5 to April 9, scoring 4 points after 1 win (overJoe Doering), 1 loss (to Minoru Suzuki) and 2 draws (with Suwama andOsamu Nishimura). Sasaki lost the Triple Crown Championship to Carnival Winner Suwama on April 29, 2008, and left the promotion in June.
Sasaki debuted forPro Wrestling Noah in 2005, losing toKenta Kobashi atDestiny 2005. After losing the Triple Crown titles in 2008, he jumped to Pro Wrestling Noah and announced he would make it his full-time home promotion, while still operating theKensuke Office. On September 6, 2008, he defeatedTakeshi Morishima for the GHC Heavyweight Title, becoming the first person to hold the Heavyweight title in all three major Japanese promotions. On March 1, 2009, he lost the GHC Heavyweight title toJun Akiyama. On September 21, 2009, he teamed with Morishima to win the GHC Tag Team titles fromAkitoshi Saito andBison Smith. They lost the titles on December 6, 2009, toTakeshi Rikio andMuhammad Yone.
Sasaki teamed up with regular tag partner Takeshi Morishima to participate in theGlobal Tag League of 2010, which ran from January 9 to January 24. Sasaki and Morishima finished the league with a total of four points, losing out to A-Block winnersYoshihiro Takayama andTakuma Sano. Sasaki also participated in Pro-Wrestling NOAH'sGlobal League of 2010 from March 28 to May 2. During the league, he defeatedJun Akiyama in a highly acclaimed contest. Sasaki finished with a total of seven points, losing out to eventual winnerYoshihiro Takayama.
In 2005, Sasaki established his own agency, Kensuke Office. The agency is run by Sasaki's wife (formerjoshi wrestler),Akira Hokuto. Under the Kensuke Office agency, Sasaki and pupil Katsuhiko Nakajima toured other promotions, particularly All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Noah (PWN).
In September 2006, Kensuke Office was announced as a member of theGlobal Professional Wrestling Alliance (GPWA). Beginning in 2007, Kensuke Office has organised its own shows, and some of the talent featured on the shows includeMinoru Suzuki,Jun Akiyama, Genichiro Tenryu,Yoshihiro Takayama,Kikutaro, Takeshi Morishima,KENTA andCatfish Man. In January 2012, Kensuke Office was renamed Diamond Ring. Currently, Diamond Ring serves as developmental territory of Pro Wrestling NOAH, featuring several of its superstars.
On February 11, 2014, Sasaki suffered his first loss to Katsuhiko Nakajima in the main event of a Diamond Ring event.[3] Two days later, Sasaki held a press conference to announce his retirement from professional wrestling.[3][17] Following Sasaki's retirement, Diamond Ring was left with only one remaining wrestler, Katsuhiko Nakajima, with Satoshi Kajiwara resigning andMitsuhiro Kitamiya joining Pro Wrestling Noah.[18]
| Kensuke Sasaki | |
|---|---|
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Style | Wrestling |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Years active | 2001–2003 (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 2 |
| Wins | 2 |
| By submission | 2 |
| Losses | 0 |
Between 2001 and 2003, Sasaki took a couple hiatuses from pro-wrestling and focused onmixed martial arts. He has two fights under his belt, winning both by submission in the first round beating Dan Chase in 2001 and futureUFC fighterChristian Wellisch in 2003.[19] In November 2002, he was originally scheduled to fightMinoru Suzuki, but due to injury, he pulled out and was replaced byJushin Thunder Liger.
During this period, he would alter his look, cutting his signature mullet (he would occasionally dye his hair different colors), wearing ring gear bearing the word, "Volcano", and adapting moves he learned in MMA training to expand his pro wrestling moveset.[1]
In March 2004, Sasaki defeatedFrancisco Filho in a sumo-style match forK-1.
| 2 matches | 2 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 0 | 0 |
| By submission | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 0 | 0 |
| Draws | 0 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2–0 | Christian Wellisch | Submission (guillotine choke) | X-1 | September 6, 2003 | 1 | 2:35 | Yokohama, Kanagawa,Japan | |
| Win | 1–0 | Dan Chase | Submission (armbar) | GC5: Rumble in the Rockies | August 19, 2001 | 1 | 0:36 | Denver, Colorado,United States |
Kensuke Sasaki marriedAkira Hokuto on October 1, 1995, after proposing to her on their first date.[20] Together, they have two sons: Kennosuke (born November 1998) and Seinnosuke (born March 2003).[21] Kennosuke marriedprofessional wrestlerRin Kadokura in 2022.[22]
,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database
