| Minoru Suzuki | |
|---|---|
_(52292653626)_(cropped).jpg) Suzuki in 2022 | |
| Born | (1968-06-17)June 17, 1968 (age 56)[1][2][3][4] Yokohama,Kanagawa,Japan[1][2][3][4] |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1][2][3][4] |
| Weight | 102 kg (225 lb)[1][2][3][4] |
| Style | Wrestling |
| Team | Pancrase Mission[1][4] |
| Teacher(s) | Karl Gotch Kotetsu Yamamoto NJPW Dojo Yoshiaki Fujiwara |
| Years active | 1988–1993, 2003–present (professional wrestling) 1993–2003, 2013 (MMA) |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 50 |
| Wins | 30 |
| By knockout | 3 |
| By submission | 22 |
| By decision | 4 |
| By disqualification | 1 |
| Losses | 20 |
| By knockout | 8 |
| By submission | 7 |
| By decision | 5 |
| Other information | |
| Website | Official blog |
| Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog | |
Last updated on: December 23, 2012 (2012-12-23) | |
Minoru Suzuki (鈴木 実,Suzuki Minoru,ring name:鈴木 みのる)[1][2][3][4] (born June 17, 1968) is a Japaneseprofessional wrestler and formermixed martial artist, known for his tenure inNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former one-timeIWGP Intercontinental Champion, former two-timeNEVER Openweight Champion, former one-timeIWGP Tag Team Champion, former one-timeNEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champion (with formerSuzuki-gun stablematesEl Desperado andRen Narita) and a formerProvisional KOPW Champion. He also makes appearances forMajor League Wrestling (MLW), where he is a member ofContra Unit and is a formerMLW World Tag Team Champion, with Ikuro Kwon.
Suzuki was the co-founder ofPancrase, one of the first mixed martial arts organizations in the world. During the 1990s, he was widely considered one of the best fighters in the world and was the secondKing of Pancrase world champion. Suzuki returned topuroresu in 2003, when he has become a perennial top contender for all major Japaneseheavyweight championships. He is also known for his time inAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he istwo-timeTriple Crown Heavyweight Champion, and Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a formerGHC Heavyweight Champion and a formerGHC Tag Team Champion along withNaomichi Marufuji.
A mixed martial arts pioneer, Suzuki is well noted for his excellence incatch wrestling, and has been praised many times by elite fighters such asJosh Barnett,Bas Rutten, andKen Shamrock for his outstanding grappling and submission skills.[5]
Suzuki trained inwrestling since high school, in part inspired byAntonio Inoki and other professional wrestlers, in part to paliate his own physical condition.[6] He won a statesidewrestling championship in Kanagawa Prefecture, and also finished second nationwide. He has a background inkendo as well.[6] As an amateur wrestler, Suzuki first met future professional wrestling rivalYuji Nagata. In 1986, when they both were seniors, Suzuki beat Nagata first in a Tokyo high school tournament and again at the Japanese sectionals.[7]
Suzuki trained at theNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) dojo and made his pro wrestling debut on June 23, 1988, losing toTakayuki Iizuka,[2][4] but soon after left with catch wrestling mentorYoshiaki Fujiwara for the newbornUniversal Wrestling Federation (UWF). He joined Fujiwara'sPro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi but then left the organization to formPancrase, one of the firstmixed martial arts organizations in the world, in 1993 withMasakatsu Funaki.
Suzuki's career in MMA originated after his departure from thePro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi promotion along with Masakatsu Funaki and other wrestlers to found the Pancrase promotion. He had his debut in professional fighting on the very first card of the company, facing Katsuomi Inagaki in a bout which showed Suzuki's top grappling prowess, with Minoru winning byrear naked choke in 3:25. He continued his beginnings with a victory overLion's Den traineeVernon White, in which Suzuki made him submit to a catch wrestling-inspired crooked headscissors.[8]
At the third Pancrase event in November 1993, Suzuki had his debut inkickboxing rules against American championMaurice Smith, in a rematch of a "different style fight" celebrated back in UWF where Smith defeated Suzuki. Naturally outclassed, Minoru was knocked down several times and finished shortly after. He had a third match with Smith in May 1994, this time under a special ruleset: the first and the third round would be fought wearing kickboxing gloves, the second and fourth without them and the fifth under a combination of the two. Suzuki finally got his revenge, submitting Smith at the third round with an armbar despite the disadvantage of the gloves.[6]
Despite his significant size disadvantage against most competitors, Suzuki became one of the most successful fighters in Pancrase. He amassed a 7-0 winning streak, including a huge upset win over Pancrase's top fighterKen Shamrock, who had already defeatedMasakatsu Funaki in the first main event of the company. During the match, celebrated in January 1994, the two fighters traded positions, with Suzuki getting overpowered by the stronger Shamrock, but he was able to turn Ken over and initiate a leglock attack. The Japanese fighter locked aheel hook, which Ken looked to reverse, but at that moment Suzuki transitioned it into akneebar and extended his leg further. Shamrock reached for a rope escape as the Pancrase ruleset stipulated, but he was gravely injured by the hold and couldn't continue, thus losing the match.[8] However, the bout was not without controversy. Ken Shamrock would claim years after that he had been asked not to injure Suzuki during the match, as he was already affected by a back injury, and that he had accepted only to find himself deliberately injured himself by Suzuki in return.[9]
Suzuki did not lose a match until he lost toBas Rutten viaLiver shot KO due to a knee to the body. In 1995, he won theKing of Pancrase (now KOP Open-Weight) title to become the second ever King of Pancrase. Suzuki twice defeated Shamrock and is the only man to hold two wins over Shamrock in the Pancrase era.
Over time, Suzuki's body became damaged and worn down from various injuries and resulted in his skills diminishing. He then decided to focus on the business and training side of Pancrase. He collaborated with theTekken series offighting video games as a motionactor for the characterKing. His last non-worked fight for Pancrase was against a professional wrestler,Jushin Thunder Liger (who replaced his original opponent,Kensuke Sasaki, due to injury), whom Suzuki had known under his real name Keiichi Yamada in his first NJPW stint. At the time he competed in grappling matches almost exclusively. Suzuki witnessed the transition Pancrase made from the so-called "hybrid wrestling" style to that of regular MMA and was instrumental in paving the way formixed martial arts in Japan.
In 2003, Suzuki andYusuke Fuke announced their plan to return topuroresu and invade promotions under the stable name Pancrase Mission. Suzuki began competing for NJPW as a freelancer, where he aligned himself withYoshihiro Takayama and won theIWGP Tag Team Championship fromHiroyoshi Tenzan andOsamu Nishimura on February 1, 2004. They were stripped of the title later in the year, following Takayama's mounting injuries. In 2005, Suzuki began competing inPro Wrestling Noah, and would receive aGHC Heavyweight Championship shot against then ChampionKenta Kobashi, but he was defeated. After this, he found an unlikely ally inNaomichi Marufuji, whose style wasLucha Libre (rather than shoot-style). Nonetheless, Suzuki taught Marufuji some of what he knew and they clicked, winning theGHC Tag Team Championship from2 Cold Scorpio andDoug Williams on June 18, 2005. After losing the belts to Muhammad Yone and Takeshi Morishima in October, Suzuki challenged for theGHC Heavyweight Championship shot against championJun Akiyama on March 5, 2006, but he was once again unsuccessful.
On March 10, 2006, Suzuki made a surprise appearance inAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), attacking thenTriple Crown Heavyweight ChampionSatoshi Kojima after he had just defended his title againstThe Great Muta. Suzuki participated in the 2006Champion Carnival, and made it to the semifinals where he was eliminated byTaiyō Kea, the eventual winner. On September 3, Suzuki defeated Kea, who had won the Triple Crown from Kojima in July to become the new Triple Crown Champion. Suzuki went on to successfully defend the belts againstRO'Z, Yuji Nagata, Kojima,Tajiri andKeiji Mutoh. After holding the Triple Crown for just short of a year, he lost the title toKensuke Sasaki on August 26, 2007, at AJPW's Pro Wrestling Love in Ryogoku.
At the All Japan Fan Appreciation Day on December 16, 2007, the Mexico Amigos teamed with "Ray Suzuki" and defeated Ryuji Hijikata, Kikutaro,T28 and Ryuji Yamaguchi. After the match, Ray Suzuki revealed himself as Minoru Suzuki and vowed that El Nosawa Mendoza would throw his Amigos tights away and return asNosawa Rongai, and then kidnapped him to start early training.
On March 1, 2008, Minoru Suzuki made an appearance at theDory Funk Jr. retirement show, providing commentary for the Triple Crown Championship main event (between Kensuke Sasaki and Satoshi Kojima), as well as pledging to participate in the upcoming Champion Carnival. From April 5 to 9, Suzuki competed in Block B of All Japan's annual Champion Carnival, finishing the league with 2 wins (over Kensuke Sasaki andSuwama) and 2 losses (toOsamu Nishimura andJoe Doering), as well as teaming with Takemura to defeatToshiaki Kawada and Nobutaka Araya on Day 2 (April 6) of the Carnival. During the Hold Out tour, Suzuki confronted a Taiyo Kea, who was on a losing streak at the time, about joining Suzuki's stable Gurentai (alongside Nosawa, Mazada and Takemura), which resulted in Kea joining and focusing on winning the tag titles with Suzuki. On June 28, 2008, Suzuki and Kea won theWorld Tag Team Championship from Joe Doering and Keiji Mutoh. On September 28, 2008, he attacked The Great Muta after Muta had successfully defeated Suwama for the Triple Crown Championship, setting up a match between the two in which he lost on November 3, 2008.
On January 3, 2009, Suzuki and stablemate Nosawa Rongai won the restoredAll Asia Tag Team Championship, over the course of a two-day tournament. Later in the year, Suzuki won the 2009 Champion Carnival beatingKaz Hayashi in the finals. He would end up challenging the then Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, Yoshihiro Takayama, on May 30, 2009, albeit in a losing effort. On September 23, 2009, Suzuki and NOSAWA lost the All Asia Tag Team Championship at the hands ofAkebono and Ryota Hama. On January 3, 2010, Suzuki and Kea lost the World Tag Team Championship at the hands ofMasakatsu Funaki and Keiji Mutoh.
On March 21, 2010, Suzuki lost to long-time rival Masakatsu Funaki in All Japan's first cage match. Suzuki then entered the Champion Carnival and won it for the second straight year, being the third man to do so by beating Funaki in the final – weeks removed from their cage match. After the final, Suzuki buried the hatchet with Funaki by shaking his hand, thus ending the decade-long rivalry. Suzuki then declared his Gurentai stable on hiatus. As a result of his Champion Carnival victory, Suzuki earned a Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship match versusRyota Hama on May 2. In the match, Suzuki defeated Hama to claim his second Triple Crown championship. He would go on to lose the title to Suwama on August 29, 2010.
In May 2007, he embarked on his first tour ofMexico withConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) along with Takayama.
On December 12, 2010, Suzuki returned to NJPW, attacking old rival Yuji Nagata.[10] On January 4, 2011, atWrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, Suzuki faced Nagata in a losing effort.[11][12] Suzuki made another return to New Japan on May 3, 2011, when he took over theKojima-gun, after its membersTaichi andTaka Michinoku had turned on their leader Satoshi Kojima.[13] Later that same month, during New Japan's tour of the United States, the newly renamedSuzuki-gun was joined byLance Archer.[14] On July 18, Suzuki defeated Kojima in a singles match.[15] The two had a rematch on August 1 during the first day of the2011 G1 Climax, where Kojima managed to pick up the win.[16] Suzuki then went on a six match win streak, but losses toStrong Man andShinsuke Nakamura on the last two days of the tournament, caused him to narrowly miss advancing to the finals.[17] On October 10 atDestruction '11, Suzuki defeated Kojima's number one ally,Togi Makabe, in a grudge match.[18] In the2011 G1 Tag League, Suzuki teamed with Lance Archer and, after four wins and one loss, the team finished second in their block, advancing to the semifinals of the tournament.[19] On November 6, Suzuki and Archer first defeated theChaos Top Team (Shinsuke Nakamura andToru Yano) in the semifinals and then IWGP Tag Team ChampionsBad Intentions (Giant Bernard andKarl Anderson) in the finals to win the 2011 G1 Tag League.[20] On November 12 atPower Struggle, Suzuki and Archer failed in their attempt to capture the IWGP Tag Team Championship from Bad Intentions.[21] After defeating Giant Bernard in a singles match on December 4, Suzuki challengedIWGP Heavyweight ChampionHiroshi Tanahashi to a title match atWrestle Kingdom VI in Tokyo Dome.[22] At the event on January 4, 2012, Suzuki was unsuccessful in his title challenge.[23]
On February 12 atThe New Beginning, Suzuki led Lance Archer, Taichi, Taka Michinoku and Yoshihiro Takayama of the Suzuki-gun to a dominant 5–1 win overKushida,Tiger Mask, Togi Makabe,Wataru Inoue and Yuji Nagata in a ten-man elimination tag team match.[24] On May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2012, Suzuki pinned Makabe in a tag team match, where he and Takayama faced Makabe and Yuji Nagata.[25] The feud between Suzuki and Makabe ended on June 16 atDominion 6.16, where Suzuki was defeated in a singles match.[26] In August, Suzuki took part in the2012 G1 Climax tournament, where he picked up big wins over IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi and former tag team partner Naomichi Marufuji, but was eliminated after losing to Yuji Nagata in his final round-robin match on August 12.[27][28][29] On October 8 atKing of Pro-Wrestling, Suzuki received a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but was defeated by Tanahashi.[30][31] The match received rave reviews,[32] including a five-star rating fromWrestling Observer Newsletter'sDave Meltzer.[33] From November 20 to December 1, Suzuki took part in theround-robin portion of the2012 World Tag League, alongside Suzuki-gun's newest memberKengo Mashimo. The team finished with a record of three wins and three losses, failing to advance from their block.[34][35] On January 4, 2013, atWrestle Kingdom 7 in Tokyo Dome, Suzuki and Yuji Nagata once again reignited their old rivalry in a singles match, where Nagata was victorious.[36] Afterwards, Suzuki led Suzuki-gun to a war with New Japan's othervillainousstable, Chaos, which built to a singles match on February 10 atThe New Beginning, where he defeatedKazuchika Okada.[37][38] On March 11, Suzuki entered the2013 New Japan Cup, defeating Yuji Nagata in yet another match between the old rivals.[39][40] Six days later, Suzuki was eliminated from the tournament in the second round by Chaos member Toru Yano.[41] Suzuki avenged his loss to Yano by defeating him in a rematch on April 7 atInvasion Attack and, later that same event, confronted new IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, accepting a title shot offered to him by Okada's mouthpiece,Gedo.[42][43] On May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2013, Suzuki unsuccessfully challenged Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[44] Suzuki then got involved in a heated rivalry with Chaos memberTomohiro Ishii,[45][46] which built to a singles match between the two on July 20 at the Kizuna Road 2013pay-per-view, where Suzuki was victorious.[47][48][49]
From August 1 to 11, Suzuki took part in the2013 G1 Climax.[50] After five wins and three losses, Suzuki went into the final day leading his block, but a loss to Toru Yano cost him a spot in the finals of the tournament.[51] This led to a feud between Suzuki and Yano, however, Suzuki's attempt to avenge the loss led to another defeat on September 29, when he was counted out after being handcuffed to a ringside guard rail by Yano.[52] Suzuki finally gained his revenge on Yano by defeating him on October 14 atKing of Pro-Wrestling.[53] Afterwards, Suzuki set his sights on theIWGP Intercontinental Championship, while also trying to convince champion Shinsuke Nakamura to leave Chaos and join Suzuki-gun.[54][55] The match between Suzuki and Nakamura took place on November 9 atPower Struggle and saw Nakamura retain his title.[56] From November 24 to December 7, Suzuki teamed with Suzuki-gun's newest member,Shelton X Benjamin, in the2013 World Tag League, where they finished with a record of three wins and three losses, with a loss against Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano on the final day costing them a spot in the semifinals.[57][58] The rivalry between Suzuki and Yano led to a match on January 4, 2014, atWrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome, where Suzuki and Benjamin were defeated by Yano and The Great Muta, with Yano pinning Suzuki, after he was blinded by agreen mist from Muta.[59][60] Suzuki finally got his win over Yano on March 15 in the first round of the2014 New Japan Cup.[61] Suzuki eventually made it to the semifinals of the tournament, before losing to Shinsuke Nakamura.[62] On May 25 atBack to the Yokohama Arena, Suzuki got another win over Yano, when Takashi Iizuka turned on him during a tag team match and joined Suzuki-gun.[63][64] From July 21 to August 8, Suzuki took part in the2014 G1 Climax, where he finished fourth in his block with a record of five wins and five losses.[65][66] Following the tournament, Suzuki transitioned into a new rivalry withKazushi Sakuraba, who had come to Yano's aid after Iizuka had turned on him.[67] The rivalry culminated in a match on January 4, 2015, atWrestle Kingdom 9 in Tokyo Dome, where Suzuki defeated Sakuraba.[68]
On January 10, 2015, Suzuki made a surprise return to Noah, leading his Suzuki-gun stable to attack GHC Heavyweight Champion Naomichi Marufuji and GHC Tag Team ChampionsTMDK (Mikey Nicholls andShane Haste).[69] On March 15, Suzuki defeated Marufuji to become the new GHC Heavyweight Champion.[70] Over the next months, Suzuki successfully defended the title against Marufuji,[71]Maybach Taniguchi,[72] Yoshihiro Takayama,[73] andTakashi Sugiura.[74] On December 23, Suzuki lost the title back to Marufuji.[75] On November 23, 2016, Suzuki defeatedMasa Kitamiya in the finals to win the2016 Global League.[76] On December 2, Suzuki unsuccessfully challengedKatsuhiko Nakajima for the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Three days later, it was announced that Suzuki-gun was out of Noah, concluding the invasion storyline.[77]
The entire Suzuki-gun returned to NJPW on January 5, 2017, attacking theChaos stable with Suzuki laying out IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada.[78][79] In his return match on January 27, Suzuki, Michinoku and Taichi defeated Okada,Rocky Romero andBeretta.[80] On February 5 atThe New Beginning in Sapporo, Suzuki unsuccessfully challenged Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.[81] On April 27, Suzuki defeatedHirooki Goto to win theNEVER Openweight Championship for the first time, winning his first ever singles title in NJPW.[82][83] During the following summer, Suzuki took part in the2017 G1 Climax, where he finished with a record of four wins, four losses and one draw,[84] wrestled against IWGP Heavyweight Champion Okada.[85]
Through a partnership between NJPW and the AmericanRing of Honor (ROH) promotion, Suzuki made his first appearance in the United States for 25 years on September 22, 2017,[86] when he unsuccessfully challengedCody for theROH World Championship atDeath Before Dishonor XV.[87] At the following day'sRing of Honor Wrestling tapings, Suzuki teamed with the Beer City Bruiser andSilas Young to unsuccessfully challengeThe Hung Bucks (Hangman Page,Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) for theROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship.[88]
On January 4, 2018, atWrestle Kingdom 12, Suzuki lost the NEVER Openweight Championship to Hirooki Goto in aHair vs. Hair match and had to have his head shaved bald as a result, choosing to shave his own hair in front of the live audience; his reign ended at 252 days with four successful defenses.[89] Suzuki would quickly rebound from the loss, defeatingHiroshi Tanahashi at the New Beginning in Sapporo on January 27 to win theIWGP Intercontinental Championship. On April 29, at Wrestling Hi no Kuni in Kumamoto, Suzuki would lose the Intercontinental Championship toTetsuya Naito. Suzuki then competed in the 2018 G1 Climax, where he finished with a record of five wins and four losses with an upset loss toHangman Page costing him a chance to make it to the finals. between November and December 2018, Suzuki andTakashi Iizuka entered the 2018World Tag League, where they finished with a record of 5 wins and 8 losses, failing to advance to the finals.
On January 5, 2019, Suzuki andSuzuki-Gun StablemateZack Sabre Jr challenged newly crowned IWGP tag team championsEvil andSanada[90] to a match for their titles at New Beginning in Sapporo, which they were unsuccessful in doing so.[91] Suzuki entered the 2019 New Japan Cup, where he defeatedSatoshi Kojima in the first round, but was eliminated by Sanada in the second round. On August 31, 2019, Suzuki facedKazuchika Okada at New Japan'sRoyal Quest event, where he lost in the main event. Suzuki and IWGP United States ChampionLance Archer entered the 2019 World Tag League, where they finished with a record of 9 wins and 6 losses, failing to advance to the finals.
AtWrestle Kingdom 14 on January 5, 2020, Suzuki confrontedJon Moxley who had just successfully retained theIWGP United States Championship againstJuice Robinson and would incapacitate Moxley with the "Gotch-Style Piledriver".[92] On January 7, a match was arranged for the United States Championship between Suzuki and Moxley atThe New Beginning in Osaka on February 9, where Suzuki lost.[93]
On August 29, 2020, atSummer Struggle in Jingu, Suzuki defeatedShingo Takagi to win theNEVER Openweight Championship for a second time.[94] From September 19 until October 13, Suzuki took part in theG1 Climax 30, finishing the tournament with a record of three wins and six losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament.[95] On November 7 atPower Struggle (2020), Suzuki lost the NEVER Openweight Championship back toShingo Takagi. AtWrestle Kingdom 15 on January 4, 2021, Suzuki competed in theNew Japan Rambo, but failed to last til the final 4.[96]
In March, Suzuki competed in theNew Japan Cup, defeatingTomoaki Honma in the first round, but was eliminated byKenta in round 2.[97][98] In July atWrestle Grand Slam in Tokyo Dome, Suzuki competed for theProvisional KOPW 2021 trophy, in a22 Man New Japan Rambo match, but the match was won byChase Owens.[99] On September 25, Suzuki made his debut for NJPW's American show,NJPW Strong, defeatingFred Rosser.[100] The following month on NJPW Strong, Suzuki reunited with Lance Archer to defeat the team of Jon Moxley andEddie Kingston in aPhiladelphia street fight.[101] In November, Suzuki reunited with Taka Michinoku to team for theWorld Tag League, although the team finished bottom of the block with 0 points, failing to win a single match. On January 4, 2022, on night 1 ofWrestle Kingdom 16, Suzuki once again competed in theNew Japan Rambo, this time lasting till the final 4.[102] On Night 2, Suzuki defeatedToru Yano, Chase Owens andCima, to win theProvisional 2022 KOPW trophy.[103] On Night 3, Suzuki-gun lost toPro Wrestling Noah's Sugiura-gun (Takashi Sugiura andKazushi Sakuraba) and Toru Yano.[104]
In February during the NJPW New Years Golden Series, Suzuki lost the Provisional KOPW 2022 trophy to Toru Yano in aDog Cage match.[105] The following month, Suzuki competed in theNew Japan Cup, receiving abye to the second round, but lost toHiromu Takahashi.[106] On April 1 atLonestar Shootout, Suzuki defeatedKiller Kross.[107] In April atWindy City Riot, Suzuki faced Tomohiro Ishii in a losing effort.[108] The following month atCapital Collision, Suzuki lost toBrody King.[109] In June atAEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door, Suzuki teamed withJericho Appreciation Society members,Chris Jericho andSammy Guevara to defeat the team ofWheeler Yuta,Shota Umino and Eddie Kingston.[110] In November, Suzuki teamed with Lance Archer for the 2022World Tag League, finishing with 8 points, failing to advance to the finals. At the World Tag League andSuper Junior Tag League finals, Suzuki announced that Suzuki-gun will disband at the end of 2022.[111] The factions final match took place on December 23, where the team of Douki, Kanemaru, Sabre, and Taichi defeated Archer, Desperado, Michinoku, and Suzuki.[112] After the match, all members spoke about their memories as a part of the group and thanked Suzuki. The night ended with all members posing with the Suzuki-gun flag, only to be interrupted by former member Takashi Iizuka, causing all 9 men to pose in the ring, behind the Suzuki-gun flag.[113]
Starting in September 2021, Suzuki spent one month in the United States, working most notably forAll Elite Wrestling andImpact Wrestling. On September 5, at AEW'sAll Out pay-per-view event, Suzuki made his debut by confronting and attackingJon Moxley. Both face each other in the September 8 episode ofAEW Dynamite, where Suzuki was defeated.[114] He also reunited with his former tag team partnerLance Archer. On October 15, Suzuki lost toBryan Danielson on theAEW Rampage Buy-In pre-show.
On the October 14, 2021 episode ofImpact!, avignette aired promoting Suzuki arriving toImpact Wrestling as part of a partnership between Impact and NJPW.[115][116] Suzuki made his debut on the October 28 episode ofImpact!, brawling withJosh Alexander before security pulled them apart.[117][118] The following week onImpact!, Suzuki made his in-ring debut, teaming withMoose andW. Morrissey to defeat Alexander,Eddie Edwards, andMatt Cardona.[119] Suzuki then defeatedKaleb with a K on the November 11 episode ofImpact!,[120][121] but lost to Alexander the following week onImpact!, in what would be his final match in the company.[122][123]
On April 5, Suzuki made his debut atGame Changer WrestlingGCW Bloodsport, defeatingMatt Riddle. He would return to Bloodsport the following year to face off withJosh Barnett. Suzuki was set to return to faceOrange Cassidy at their annual "Spring Break" event in 2020 until that was cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Suzuki would return to GCW in 2021 having matches withJonathan Gresham,Homicide,Joey Janela,Chris Dickinson andNick Gage. Suzuki would return to GCW in 2022, taking on Dickinson in a rematch at Bloodsport. This time losing the match by referee stoppage, his first loss in the promotion. He would return to GCW with victories overEffy,Blake Christian,Mike Bailey and2 Cold Scorpio.
AtRing of Honor'sSupercard of Honor XV on April 1, 2022, Suzuki won theROH World Television Championship after defeatingRhett Titus, winning his first championship in the United States.[124] On the April 13, 2022 episode of AEW Dynamite, Suzuki's reign ended after he lost the title toSamoa Joe.[125]
On October 14, 2023, atSlaughterhouse, Suzuki made hisMajor League Wrestling debut, in a winning effort againstJacob Fatu. On February 29, 2024, atIntimidation Games, Suzuki unsuccessfully challengedSatoshi Kojima for theMLW World Heavyweight Championship.
On June 1, 2024, atBattle Riot VI, Suzuki joined theContra Unit teaming withMads Krule Krügger and Ikuro Kwon to defeatSatoshi Kojima,Matt Riddle, andAkira in asix-man tag team match.[126] Suzuki and Kwon would then defeat CozyMax to win theMLW World Tag Team Championships atSummer of the Beasts on August 29.[127]
Endowed with excellent wrestling ability, Suzuki was primarily a grappler on the MMA game, completing his amateur wrestling positional advancements with devastatingcatch wrestling submissions and hooks. He compensates his average size with a highly mobile, position-switching style of freestyle wrestling, specialized in capturing top position and flowing incessantly around his opponent in the search of an opening.[8] Suzuki uses catch moves likeheadscissors,neck cranks andnelson hold variations to force openings, which he capitalized on with sharp submissions.[8] The only lack in his game was striking, which, as noted byKen Shamrock, he never quite developed.[9][128] Though Shamrock may look down at his striking,[8] Suzuki is known to be able to go blow for blow with some of the toughest wrestlers in the world. He is known for his scowling face, which is usually used to strikekayfabe fear in the eyes of his opponents.
| 50 matches | 30 wins | 20 losses |
| By knockout | 3 | 8 |
| By submission | 22 | 7 |
| By decision | 4 | 5 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 30–20 | Hans Nijman | Submission (kneebar) | U-Spirits Again | March 9, 2013 | 1 | 1:52 | Tokyo, Japan | [129] |
| Win | 29–20 | Jushin Thunder Liger | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Pancrase: Spirit 8 | November 30, 2002 | 1 | 1:48 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Win | 28–20 | El Solar | DQ (groin strikes) | Deep: 4th Impact | March 30, 2002 | 1 | 2:26 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Win | 27–20 | Takaku Fuke | Submission (kneebar) | Pancrase: 2001 Anniversary Show | September 30, 2001 | 1 | 5:09 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Loss | 26–20 | Denis Kang | TKO (back injury) | Pancrase: 2000 Anniversary Show | September 24, 2000 | 1 | 3:43 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Win | 26–19 | Sean Daugherty | Submission (kimura) | Pancrase: Trans 3 | April 30, 2000 | 1 | 1:01 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Loss | 25–19 | Sanae Kikuta | Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) | Pancrase: Breakthrough 11 | December 18, 1999 | 1 | 2:39 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Loss | 25–18 | Osami Shibuya | TKO (hip injury) | Pancrase: Advance 12 | December 19, 1998 | 1 | 2:31 | Urayasu, Japan | |
| Loss | 25–17 | Omar Bouiche | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Pancrase: Advance 10 | October 26, 1998 | 1 | 0:45 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 25–16 | Kazuo Takahashi | TKO (palm strikes) | Pancrase: 1998 Anniversary Show | September 14, 1998 | 1 | 8:06 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 25–15 | Takaku Fuke | Decision (lost points) | Pancrase: Advance 8 | June 21, 1998 | 1 | 10:00 | Kobe, Japan | |
| Win | 25–14 | John Lober | Decision (lost points) | Pancrase: Advance 7 | June 2, 1998 | 1 | 15:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 24–14 | Tony Rojo | Decision (unanimous) | Pancrase: Advance 5 | April 26, 1998 | 2 | 3:00 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Win | 23–14 | Kosei Kubota | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Pancrase: Advance 4 | March 18, 1998 | 1 | 3:38 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 22–14 | Keiichiro Yamamiya | Decision (majority) | Pancrase: Advance 3 | March 1, 1998 | 1 | 20:00 | Kobe, Japan | |
| Loss | 22–13 | Semmy Schilt | KO (knee) | Pancrase: Advance 1 | January 16, 1998 | 1 | 9:52 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 22–12 | Keiichiro Yamamiya | Decision (lost points) | Pancrase: 1997 Anniversary Show | September 6, 1997 | 1 | 20:00 | Urayasu, Japan | |
| Win | 22–11 | Jagjit Singh | KO (palm strike) | Pancrase: Alive 6 | June 18, 1997 | 1 | 0:21 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 21–11 | Joel Sutton | Submission (keylock) | Pancrase: Alive 5 | May 24, 1997 | 1 | 0:48 | Kobe, Japan | |
| Win | 20–11 | Takafumi Ito | Decision (majority) | Pancrase: Truth 7 | October 8, 1996 | 1 | 10:00 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Loss | 19–11 | Jason DeLucia | KO (palm strike) | Pancrase: 1996 Anniversary Show | September 7, 1996 | 1 | 4:58 | Urayasu, Japan | |
| Loss | 19–10 | Vernon White | Decision (majority) | Pancrase: 1996 Neo-Blood Tournament, Round 2 | July 23, 1996 | 1 | 15:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 19–9 | Yuki Kondo | Decision (lost points) | Pancrase: Truth 6 | June 25, 1996 | 1 | 15:00 | Fukuoka, Japan | |
| Loss | 19–8 | Guy Mezger | TKO (palm strikes) | Pancrase: Truth 5 | May 16, 1996 | 1 | 7:59 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 19–7 | Takaku Fuke | Submission (armbar) | Pancrase: Truth 2 | March 2, 1996 | 1 | 4:15 | Kobe, Japan | |
| Loss | 18–7 | Frank Shamrock | Submission (kneebar) | Pancrase: Truth 1 | January 28, 1996 | 1 | 22:53 | Yokohama, Japan | For the interimPancrase Openweight Championship. |
| Win | 18–6 | Guy Mezger | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 7 | December 14, 1995 | 1 | 7:15 | Sapporo, Japan | |
| Win | 17–6 | Todd Medina | Submission (armbar) | Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 6 | November 4, 1995 | 1 | 1:39 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Loss | 16–6 | Bas Rutten | Submission (guillotine choke) | Pancrase: 1995 Anniversary Show | September 1, 1995 | 1 | 15:35 | Tokyo, Japan | Lost thePancrase Openweight Championship. |
| Win | 16–5 | Jason DeLucia | Submission (guillotine choke) | Pancrase: 1995 Neo-Blood Tournament Opening Round | July 22, 1995 | 1 | 9:23 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 15–5 | Larry Papadopoulos | Submission (kneebar) | Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 5 | June 13, 1995 | 1 | 8:34 | Sapporo, Japan | |
| Win | 14–5 | Ken Shamrock | Submission (kneebar) | Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 4 | May 13, 1995 | 1 | 2:14 | Urayasu, Japan | Won thePancrase Openweight Championship. |
| Loss | 13–5 | Frank Shamrock | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 3 | April 8, 1995 | 1 | 3:23 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Win | 13–4 | Christopher DeWeaver | Submission (heel hook) | BMSWP: Dome Spring Full Bloom | April 2, 1995 | 1 | 1:50 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 12–4 | Gregory Smit | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Pancrase: Eyes of Beast 2 | March 10, 1995 | 1 | 9:10 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Loss | 11–4 | Manabu Yamada | Submission (armbar) | Pancrase: King of Pancrase Tournament Second Round | December 17, 1994 | 1 | 14:46 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 11–3 | Jason DeLucia | Submission (heel hook) | Pancrase: King of Pancrase Tournament Opening Round | December 16, 1994 | 1 | 2:04 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 10–3 | Matt Hume | Decision (lost points) | Pancrase: King of Pancrase Tournament Opening Round | December 16, 1994 | 1 | 10:00 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 9–3 | Masakatsu Funaki | Technical submission (rear-naked choke) | Pancrase: Road to the Championship 5 | October 15, 1994 | 1 | 1:51 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 9–2 | Todd Bjornethun | Submission (armbar) | Pancrase: Road to the Championship 4 | September 1, 1994 | 1 | 3:11 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Win | 8–2 | Remco Pardoel | KO (palm strike) | Pancrase: Road to the Championship 3 | July 26, 1994 | 1 | 7:16 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Loss | 7–2 | Bas Rutten | KO (knee to the body) | Pancrase: Road to the Championship 2 | July 6, 1994 | 1 | 3:43 | Amagasaki, Japan | |
| Win | 7–1 | Maurice Smith | Submission (armbar) | Pancrase: Road to the Championship 1 | May 31, 1994 | 3 | 0:36 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 6–1 | Thomas Puckett | Submission (armbar) | Pancrase: Pancrash! 3 | April 21, 1994 | 1 | 1:43 | Osaka, Japan | |
| Win | 5–1 | Takaku Fuke | Submission (bulldog choke) | Pancrase: Pancrash! 2 | March 12, 1994 | 1 | 6:31 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Win | 4–1 | Ken Shamrock | Submission (kneebar) | Pancrase: Pancrash! 1 | January 19, 1994 | 1 | 7:37 | Yokohama, Japan | |
| Win | 3–1 | James Mathews | Submission (keylock) | Pancrase: Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 4 | December 8, 1993 | 1 | 0:58 | Hakata, Japan | |
| Win | 2–1 | Vernon White | Submission (leg scissor choke) | Pancrase: Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 2 | October 14, 1993 | 1 | 2:36 | Nagoya, Japan | |
| Win | 1–1 | Katsuomi Inagaki | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Pancrase: Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 1 | September 21, 1993 | 1 | 3:25 | Urayasu, Japan | |
| Loss | 0–1 | Maurice Smith | KO (punch) | UWF U-Cosmos | November 29, 1989 | 4 | 1:05 | Tokyo, Japan |
| Exhibition record breakdown | ||
| 1 match | 0 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 0 | 0 |
| By submission | 0 | 0 |
| By decision | 0 | 0 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | 0-0-1 | Yuki Kondo | Technical Draw | Pancrase 2000 Trans Tour | April 12, 2001 | 1 | 3:00 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 1 match | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 0 | 0 |
| By submission | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 0 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Lawi Nabataya | Submission (armbar) | PWFG Hataage Dai-yonsen | August 23, 1991 | 1 | N/A | Tokyo, Japan |
| 0 wins (0 KOs), 1 loss | ||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 8, 1993 | Loss |  Maurice Smith | Pancrase: Yes, We Are Hybrid Wrestlers 3 | Kobe, Hyogo, Japan | KO (right punch) | 1 | 2:36 | 0-1 |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest | ||||||||
| Result | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Notes |
| Win |  Takashi Iizuka | Decision (unanimous) | Pancrase: 10th Anniversary Show | August 31, 2003 | 2 | 5:00 | Catch wrestling rules |
| Win | Caol Uno and Osami Shibuya | Submission | The Contenders X-Rage Vol.2 | October 3, 2002 | 1 | 14:39 | Partnered withTsuyoshi Kohsaka |
| Win | Katsuomi Inagaki | Decision (unanimous) | Pancrase: 2002 Spirit Tour | February 17, 2002 | 2 | 5:00 | Catch wrestling rules |
| Draw | Sanae Kikuta and Takeshi Yamazaki | Draw | The Contenders X-Rage Vol.1 | December 14, 2001 | 1 | 10:00 | Partnered withDaiju Takase |
| Draw | Caol Uno andDaiju Takase | Draw | The Contenders 5 Prospective M-1 | October 6, 2001 | 1 | 10:00 | Partnered with Takafumi Ito |
| Draw | Keiichiro Yamamiya | Draw | Pancrase: Proof 5 | August 25, 2001 | 1 | 5:00 | Catch wrestling rules |
| Draw | Eiji Ishikawa | Draw | Pancrase: Proof 4 | June 26, 2001 | 1 | 5:00 | Catch wrestling rules |
| Win | Junichi Yanai | Submission (kneebar) | Pancrase: Proof 3 | May 13, 2001 | 1 | 2:46 | Catch wrestling rules |
| Loss | Jason DeLucia | Submission (triangle choke) | Pancrase: Proof 1 | February 4, 2001 | 1 | 2:49 | Catch wrestling rules |
| Win | Takafumi Ito | Decision (unanimous) | Pancrase: Trans Tour | September 12, 2001 | 1 | 5:00 | Catch wrestling rules |
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hirooki Goto (hair) | Minoru Suzuki (hair &championship) | Tokyo, Japan | Wrestle Kingdom 12 | January 4, 2018 |
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