No edit summary |
|||
| Line 47: | Line 47: | ||
* Junction Three (2011-2012) |
* Junction Three (2011-2012) |
||
| − | == |
+ | ==Arsenal== |
| − | * ''' |
+ | * '''Finishing moves''' |
** ''Shisa Clutch'' (Handstand taunt transitioned into a modified arm trap somersault cradle) |
** ''Shisa Clutch'' (Handstand taunt transitioned into a modified arm trap somersault cradle) |
||
** ''Yoshi Tonic'' (Leg trap sunset flip powerbomb) - ''Innovated'' |
** ''Yoshi Tonic'' (Leg trap sunset flip powerbomb) - ''Innovated'' |
||
| − | * ''' |
+ | * '''Signature moves''' |
** ''Alejandro Lock'' (Cross-legged STF) |
** ''Alejandro Lock'' (Cross-legged STF) |
||
** ''Doshanko Tiara'' (Baseball slide transitioned into a headscissors takedown to an opponent outside the ring) |
** ''Doshanko Tiara'' (Baseball slide transitioned into a headscissors takedown to an opponent outside the ring) |
||
Revision as of 16:02, 10 May 2012
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Yoshiyuki Saito, better known as Super Shisa, is a 1st Term graduate of the Ultimo Dragon Gym. He actively wrestles in Dragon Gate Pro Wrestling.
Career
SAITO
Saito was the first student of the Ultimo Dragon Gym to wrestle, making his debut on June 30, 1996. He officially graduated the following year and, competing as simply SAITO, would become an integral part in the development of Toryumon. He was a top line player through the early years of the promotion, culminating in a trip to Pro Wrestling Kageki in 2000 along with Chocoball KOBE. During the trip, SAITO would enter a tournament for the Hakata City Junior Heavyweight Championship, which he would win after defeating Daiyu Kawuchi in the final round.
SAITO is recognized as being the innovator of the Yoshi Tonic finisher, which is better known to most wrestling fans as the Canadian Destroyer or simply the Flip Piledriver. It is commonly believed that the Yoshi Tonic name was inspired from the Yoshi character in the Super Mario Bros. video games, though it could also be loosely taken from part of SAITO's real first name.
In late 2001, SAITO made the sudden announcement that he was retiring. He added that his place in Toryumon would be filled by his first student, Super Shisa. Not commonly known is that he had tested the Super Shisa gimmick early in Mexico. A Sayonara SAITO series of matches was held, during which he did not win a single match and ended up with five loses and a double countout against Yasushi Kanda. He would compete in his last match as SAITO in a loss against Shuji Kondon on October 28, 2001.
Super Shisa
Super Shisa would make his debut on November 8, 2001 in a ten minute draw against Keni'chiro Arai. For several months, fans would constantly harass him into admitting that he really was SAITO. He steadfastly refused. While the fans stopped their harassing him, they still believed he was SAITO, but accepted him as Super Shisa.
Shisa would spend the majority of his career near the bottom of the card in Toryumon and then Dragon Gate. At first, he had no intention of joining a unit until he hooked up with the short lived Waku Waku Fujii Land group led by Don Fujii. The group would end up being designed to bridge the gap between Crazy MAX and the soon-to-form Blood Generation. When Blood Generation came to be, the initial basis was for a clean face concept, meaning no masks. Fujii gave Shisa the ultimatum of unmasking or leave the group. Fans began chanting SAITO's name, but Shisa declined and left.
Shisa would later hook up with the Magnum TOKYO developed Pos.HEARTS unit. However, Pos.HEARTS would enter a hiatus due to TOKYO getting injured not long after it began and appointed leader Anthony W. Mori briefly joining Tozawajuku for polishing. In the meantime, the Shisa lineage would be introduced as King Shisa and Shisa BOY appeared in 2006. This group ended up being short lived when the Muscle Outlaw'z outed King Shisa as the devious Mexican heel Pentagon Black. He would revert to the gimmick and join up with the heel group for the remainder of his stay.
Pos.HEARTS would reunite shortly thereafter and end up winning the Open The Triangle Gate Championship, the first title Shisa held in the promotion dating back to its beginnings. Their reign with the belts and their stay as a unit would not last. Towards the end of 2006, they lost the titles to the Muscle Outlaw'z under an added stipulation that the group would disband if they lost. During the match, Shisa took a great deal of damage to the head that it caused his mask to tear and left him bleeding. With little choice, Shisa voluntarily unmasked in the middle of the match and outed himself as being SAITO, much to the delight of fans. Nevertheless, he would continue being Super Shisa afterward.
Following the dissolution of Pos.HEARTS, Shisa continued wrestling low on the card. He has primarily focused on his duties as a trainer at the Dragon Gate dojo. When on the main roster, he was generally aligned with the thirty-and-over group that included fellow veterans Masaaki Mochizuki, Don Fujii, K-ness, and Magnitude Kishiwada for a short time. Shisa has also ventured into smaller Japanese independent promotions to compete and acting as an ambassador on behalf of Dragon Gate.
On Februrary 27, 2010, Shisa stunned everyone by defeating K-ness for the Open The Brave Gate Championship. It improved his rank slightly and he began to wrestle higher on the cards. His reign lasted for just under two months before losing it to Tigers Mask of Osaka Pro Wrestling as part of a storyline feud between the two promotions. Once again, Shisa would fall back into his previous position on the card.
In April 2011, Shisa made a rare United States appearance, participating in the CHIKARA King of Trios Tournament with Akira Tozawa and KAGETORA as Team Dragon Gate. They defeated The Spectral Envoy (Frightmare, Hallowicked, and UltraMantis Black) in the first round on April 15, but lost to The Osirian Portal (Amasis, Hieracon, and Ophidian) in the second round on April 16. On April 17, Shisa and KAGETORA were the last entrants in a Tag Team Gauntlet of teams that had been eliminated from the tournament. They lost to Atsushi Kotoge and Daisuke Harada, who were representing Osaka Pro Wrestling.
Shisa was recently part of the Blood WARRIORS-Junction Three war, accepting Mochizuki's invitation to join JIII on May 14, 2011. Nevertheless, he was still generally found on the undercard. This has remained the case even after the group was forced to disband on February 9, 2012.
Unit History
- Waku Waku Fuji Land (2004-2005)
- Pos.HEARTS (2005-2006)
- Junction Three (2011-2012)
Arsenal
- Finishing moves
- Shisa Clutch (Handstand taunt transitioned into a modified arm trap somersault cradle)
- Yoshi Tonic (Leg trap sunset flip powerbomb) - Innovated
- Signature moves
- Alejandro Lock (Cross-legged STF)
- Doshanko Tiara (Baseball slide transitioned into a headscissors takedown to an opponent outside the ring)
Other Wrestling Information
- Entrance Themes
- "Shisa Calling" by Youji Kubota
Championships and Accomplishments
- Dragon Gate
- Open The Triangle Gate Championship (1 Time) - with Anthony W. Mori and BxB Hulk
- Open The Brave Gate Championship (1 Time)
- Other Titles
- Hakata City Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 Time)