 Bushi in February 2016 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tetsuya Shimizu (1983-04-05)April 5, 1983 (age 42)[1][2] Adachi, Tokyo, Japan[2] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring names |
|
| Billed height | 1.72 m (5 ft7+1⁄2 in)[1][2] |
| Billed weight | 83 kg (183 lb)[1][2] |
| Trained by | |
| Debut | March 12, 2007[1] |
Tetsuya Shimizu (清水 哲也,Shimizu Tetsuya; born April 5, 1983), better known by thering nameBushi (stylized inall caps), is a Japaneseprofessional wrestler. He is working as afreelancer. He is best known for his 13-year tenure inNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a member ofLos Ingobernables de Japón.
Prior to adopting his current persona, Shimizu worked under thering namesT28 (pronounced 'Tetsuya'),Tetsuya, andTetsuya Bushi inAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). While in AJPW, together withSuper Crazy, Bushi won the2010 Junior Tag League and won the U-30 Tag Team Tournament in 2008 withKushida. Bushi spent 2009 working in Mexico forInternational Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), gaining international experience before returning to AJPW in 2010. Having worked for AJPW for most of his career, Bushi transferred to NJPW in April 2012 initially temporarily, with the move becoming permanent in January 2013. In NJPW, he is a one-timeIWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, a one-timeIWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion withShingo Takagi and a record-tying five-timeNEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion, holding the belt three times withEvil andSanada, once with Evil and Takagi and once withYota Tsuji andHiromu Takahashi. Through NJPW’s working relationship with the MexicanConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) promotion, Bushi has held theCMLL World Welterweight Championship.
Tetsuya Shimizu trained in theAJPW Dojo underAnimal Hamaguchi as well as receiving extra training byKaz Hayashi andKeiji Muto for his professional wrestling debut. Upon his debut he adopted thering name T28, inspired by the JapanesemangaTetsujin 28-go.[1] Shimizu, as T28 wrestled his first match on March 12, 2007, losing toNobukazu Hirai in the opening match of anAll Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) show inGunma,Japan.[3] Only two months after making his debut, T28 participated in the "Tag Team Samurai! TV Cup Triple Arrow Tournament", teaming up with veteransSatoshi Kojima andTaiyō Kea. In the first round they defeated a team known as Grappler, Susumu, and Hanzo, before losing toKatsuhiko Nakajima,Kensuke Sasaki andSanada in the second round.[4][5] In February 2008, T28 teamed up withKushida to participate in the U-30 Tag Team Tournament, a one night tournament that featured AJPW's top young wrestlers. The team defeated CJ Otis and Mototsugu Shimizu in the first round, Kaji Yamato and Taishi Takizawa in the second round and the team of Daichi Kakimoto andManabu Soya in the final to win the U30 Tag Team tournament.[6] The team would go on to compete in AJPW's2008 Junior Tag League, the team ended up tied for last place with only four points for two victories and three losses.[7] He also competed in the2008 AJPW Junior League, earning three points for one win and one time limit draw.[8] In late 2008 it was announced that T28 would undertake a "learning excursion" to Mexico to help him gain international experience, a tradition for many young Japanese wrestlers. He wrestled his last match for AJPW on September 19 before travelling to Mexico.
In Mexico, Tetsuya Shimizu began learning thelucha libre style underSkayde.[1] On January 29, 2009, he made his debut for theNaucalpan,State of Mexico basedInternational Wrestling Revolution Group (IWRG), working as amaskedrudo (bad guy) character called Tetsuya.[1] In only his second match in IWRG he defeated reigningIWRG Intercontinental Lightweight Champion Freelance, which earned him a chance at the title only 10 days after making his IWRG debut. Tetsuya defeated Freelance to win the title, in a match that also includedDr. Cerebro.[9] His run with the title lasted for more than a month and did not feature any successful title defenses before he lost the belt to Zatura.[10] He spent the next several months teaming with other heels for random trios matches. He participated in IWRG's 2009 Rey del Ring tournament but was eliminated as number 14 out of 30.[11] Over the summer of 2009 he began wrestling as Tetsuya Bushi, or at times just Bushi after the Japanese termBushido, theSamurai code. After losing a tag team match he was attacked by his partner Fantasma de la Opera and Tetsuya Bushi was turnedtechnico (good guy). On November 11, 2009, Tetsuya Bushi became a two time IWRG Intercontinental Lightweight Champion as he defeated Avisman to win the title, becoming the only wrestler to hold the title two times up to that point.[12] After the success of the title victory Bushi tasted the sting of defeat as he was beaten byOficial 911 in aLucha de Apuesta, mask vs. mask match and had to unmask.[13] Traditionally foreign wrestlers who travel to Mexico to learn lose anApuesta match and either unmask or have their hair shaved before their tour ends.[13] Tetsuya Bushi's tour of Mexico ended in January 2010 when he lost the IWRG Intercontinental Lightweight Championship to Dr. Cerebro. After the matchEl Hijo del Diablo used atombstone piledriver on Bushi, which in storyline terms injured Bushi, explaining his absence.[14]
When Shimizu returned to All Japan, he used the name Bushi instead of T28 and resumed wearing the mask he had lost toOficial 911, since Japan are not subject to the strict mask rules of Mexico. After returning Bushi teamed with AJPW's top starKeiji Mutoh as well asluchadorSuper Crazy. The team with Super Crazy became a semi-regular feature, at times even as a six-man team withKiyoshi who himself had recently returned from his own "learning excursion". On April 11, 2010, Bushi received his first shot at theWorld Junior Heavyweight Championship, but championKaz Hayashi successfully defended the title against Bushi in a very close match, a testament to the improvements he had made in Mexico[15] He teamed up with Super Crazy to win the2010 Junior Tag League, defeatingHiroshi Yamato andShuji Kondo in the final.[16] In August 2011, All Japan introduced a new character named Black Bushi, portrayed by Canadian Adam Filangeri, who started a rivalry with the original Bushi, imitating the famous rivalry between theTiger Mask andBlack Tiger characters.[17]
On April 16, 2012,New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced it had reached an agreement with AJPW, which would see Bushi switch promotions in what was referred to as a "one year rental transfer".[18] Bushi debuted as a NJPW wrestler in the2012 Best of the Super Juniors tournament, where he won three out of his eight round-robin stage matches and finished second to last in his block.[19] On October 21, Bushi and Mexican wrestlerNegro Casas entered the2012 Super Jr. Tag Tournament as "Grupo Cibernetico".[20] However, the team was eliminated from the tournament in the first round bySuzuki-gun (Taichi andTaka Michinoku).[21] On November 15, Bushi participated in theNEVER Openweight Championship tournament, but was eliminated in his first round match byKengo Mashimo.[22] On January 18, 2013, New Japan and Bushi held a press conference to announce that he had signed a contract to make his move from All Japan permanent.[23] On June 7, MexicanConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) promotion, with which New Japan Pro-Wrestling had a working relationship, announced that Bushi, working under the ring name "Bushiroad", would start his first tour with the promotion the following week.[24] In his Mexican return match on June 14, Bushiroad teamed withGuerrero Maya Jr. andTritón to defeatBobby Zavala,Namajague andPuma in a six-man tag team match.[25][26] In an unusual role for Japanese wrestlers in CMLL, Bushiroad was positioned as atechnico, leading toOkumura ofLa Fiebre Amarilla branding him a traitor for going against his own people.[27] Bushi returned to New Japan on September 5.[28] From May 30 to June 6, Bushi took part in the2014 Best of the Super Juniors tournament, where he finished with a record of four wins and three losses, with a loss againstRicochet on the final day costing him a spot in the semifinals.[29][30] On October 13 atKing of Pro-Wrestling, Bushi unsuccessfully challenged the visitingChase Owens for theNational Wrestling Alliance (NWA)World Junior Heavyweight Championship.[31] On December 19, Bushi suffered anepidural hematoma,cervical cord neurapraxia and athoracic vertebrae fracture, which were estimated to sideline him for six months.[32]
Bushi was set to wrestle his return match on August 16, 2015, but the match had to be postponed, after he broke the orbital floor in his right eye while training.[33] Bushi's comeback was postponed until November 21, 2015.[34] However, on November 20, New Japan announced they had pulled Bushi from his return match due to being unable to get into contact with him.[35] However, the following day this was revealed to be a storyline as Bushi accompaniedTetsuya Naito andEvil to their match, joining their villainousLos Ingobernables de Japón (L.I.J.) stable in the process.[36] On December 9, Bushi attackedMáscara Dorada after he refused to join L.I.J., ripped off his mask and stole theCMLL World Welterweight Championship belt, setting up a future title match between the two.[37] On December 19, Bushi defeated Dorada with help from Evil to become the new CMLL World Welterweight Champion.[38]
On January 22, 2016, atFantastica Mania 2016, Bushi lost the title back to Dorada.[39] On February 14 atThe New Beginning in Niigata, Bushi unsuccessfully challengedKushida for theIWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.[40] In May, Bushi entered the2016 Best of the Super Juniors. Though he failed to advance from his block with a record of four wins and three losses, he scored a big win over Kushida in his final match, eliminating the reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion from the tournament in the process.[41] On July 20, Bushi entered the2016 Super J-Cup, but was eliminated in his first round match byYoshinobu Kanemaru.[42] On September 17 atDestruction in Tokyo, Bushi defeated Kushida to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship for the first time.[43] He lost the title back to Kushida on November 5 atPower Struggle.[44]
On January 4, 2017, atWrestle Kingdom 11 in Tokyo Dome, Bushi, Evil andSanada won a four-teamgauntlet match to become the newNEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions.[45] They lost the title toTaguchi Japan (Hiroshi Tanahashi,Manabu Nakanishi andRyusuke Taguchi) the next day,[46] before regaining it on February 11 atThe New Beginning in Osaka.[47] They lost the title to Taguchi Japan (Tanahashi, Taguchi and Ricochet) in their second defense on April 4,[48] before regaining it on May 3 atWrestling Dontaku 2017.[49] Bushi then entered the2017 Best of the Super Juniors, where he finished with a record of four wins and three losses, same as block winner Kushida, but failed to advance to the final due to losing to Kushida in their head-to-head match.[50] Kushida would win the tournament and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, and Bushi was his first challenger. Bushi unsuccessfully challenged for the belt on June 27.[51][52] In late 2017, Bushi started teaming with L.I.J. stablemateHiromu Takahashi in NJPW's junior tag team division, participating in the2017 Super Junior Tag Tournament.[53][54] They were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winnersRoppongi 3K (Sho andYoh).[55] On December 17, Bushi, Evil and Sanada lost the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship toBullet Club'sBad Luck Fale,Tama Tonga andTanga Loa in their fourth defense.[56]
On January 4 atWrestle Kingdom 12, Bushi competed in the New Japan Rumble to a losing effort.[57] In May 2018, he entered the 2018 Best of the Super Juniors. He finished the tournament with three wins and four losses, failing to advance to the final.[58] After Hiromu Takahashi was injured at theG1 Special in San Francisco, tournament for a vacated IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship was announced. AtDestruction in Kobe, in the first semifinal match, Bushi lost to Kushida. Bushi and the newest member ofLos Ingobernables de Japón,Shingo Takagi, took part in2018 Super Junior Tag Tournament. They qualified to the final, where they lost in athree-way tag team match toRoppongi 3K, also involvingEl Desperado andYoshinobu Kanemaru. A rematch was set onWrestle Kingdom 13, where they won theIWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.[59] At the New Beginning In Sapporo, they retained their titles against Kanemaru and Desperado.[60] They lost their titles in their second defense at NJPW's 47th anniversary against Roppongi 3K. Bushi would enter the 2019 Best of the Super Juniors with an improved and positive score of six wins and three losses, although still failing to make the final. After the G1 Climax, Takagi moved up to the heavyweight division. With Takahashi still injured, Bushi had no one to team with for the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship or the forthcoming Super Junior Tag League.
On January 5, 2020, atWrestle Kingdom 14, Bushi, Evil and Takagi defeated four other teams in agauntlet match for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship, making both Bushi and Evil record-tying four time holders of the title.[61] On February 6, the trio defended their belts against theChaos trio ofHirooki Goto,Tomohiro Ishii andRobbie Eagles, with Bushi scoring the pinfall victory on Eagles with theMX (divingdouble knee facebreaker).[62] Fifteen days later, the trio were again successful in defending their titles, defeating the Taguchi Japan trio ofToru Yano,Colt Cabana and Ryusuke Taguchi. Bushi again scored the win, this time on Taguchi with theBushi roll (backslide with a bridge).[63] TheCOVID-19 pandemic forced NJPW, after their show five days later, to cancel all further shows, and the upcoming2020 New Japan Cup was cancelled.[64][65][66] The pandemic also meant that NJPW was not able to fly in talent that were outside of Japan at the time, so the New Japan Cup featured junior heavyweight and 'young lion' wrestlers to make up numbers.[67] This gave Bushi an opportunity to win the Cup, and in his first round match, he defeated Yoh, who injured his ACL in the process.[68][69] Bushi went on to lose his second round match againstYoshi-Hashi.[70] On August 1, NJPW vacated the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship due to Evil having turned onLos Ingobernables de Japón during the final of the New Japan Cup and claiming he had "no interest" in defending the title.[71][72] In November 2020, he entered the Best of the Super Juniors tournament. He finished the tournament with four wins and five losses, failing to advance to the final. On Night 1 ofWrestle Kingdom 15, Bushi competed in theNew Japan Rumble, where he finished in the final four, along with Toru Yano, Bad Luck Fale andChase Owens, therefore advancing to a four-way match on Night 2, for theKOPW Championship.[73] The following night Bushi failed to win the title, which was won by Yano.[74]
In February atCastle Attack, Bushi competed in a three-way match against El Desperado andEl Phantasmo for the vacant IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, though the match was won by Desperado. In June, Bushi, Sanada and Naito failed to capture the NEVER Openweight 6-man tag-team championships fromChaos. In November, Bushi competed in theBest of the Super Juniors tournament, but finished with 10 points (5 wins and 6 losses), failing to advance to the finals.[75] AtWrestle Kingdom 16, Bushi teamed with his L.I.J teammates againstUnited Empire, losing on night one, but winning on night 2.[76][77] On night 3, L.I.J defeatedPro Wrestling Noah's Kongo stable in a ten-man tag-team match.[78] In March, Bushi competed in theNew Japan Cup, but lost in the first round toWill Ospreay.[79] In May, Bushi competed in theBest of the Super Juniors tournament, competing in the B Block.[80] Bushi finished his tournament campaign with 8 points, failing to advance to the finals.[81] In November, Bushi teamed with new LIJ stablemate,Titán, and the duo challengedCatch 2/2 (Francesco Akira andTJP) for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships, however the duo were unsuccessful in capturing the titles.[82] Later in the month, the duo teamed in theSuper Junior Tag League, finishing with 12 points, thus failing to advance to the finals.[83]
On January 4 atWrestle Kingdom 17, Bushi teamed with Tetsuya Naito and Sanada, losing toShota Umino, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Bushi's trainerKeiji Muto, in Muto's NJPW final retirement match.[84] Later in the month, at Night 2 of Wrestle Kingdom 17 inYokohama Arena, Bushi lost to Pro Wrestling Noah'sTadasuke.[85] In May, Bushi competed in the 2023Best of the Super Juniors tournament, fighting in the B Block.[86] Bushi scored just 4 points, thus finishing bottom of his block and failing to advance to the semi-finals.[87]
On April 16, 2025, it was announced that NJPW had granted Bushi his release from the promotion and would be finishing up with NJPW at theWrestling Dontaku series the next month.[88] Bushi's final match as an NJPW talent took place atWrestling Dontaku: Night 2 on May 4 where he teamed with Tetsuya Naito Shingo Takagi, and Hiromu Takahashi to defeatShota Umino,Tomohiro Ishii and Just 4 Guys' Taichi and Taka Michinoku.[89][90]
On July 25, 2025, Bushi andTetsuya Naito made their first post-NJPW appearance atRevolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro)'s event Summer Sizzler asLos Tranquilos de Japon, where they defeated Kieron Lacey and Mark Trew.[91]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oficial 911 (mask) | Tetsuya Bushi (mask) | Naucalpan, Mexico State | IWRG show | December 3, 2009 | [13] |
,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling DatabaseLinks to related articles | |
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