Masahiro Chono Masahiro Chono ( September 17 , 1963 ) is an American born - Japan ese professional wrestler . He primarily wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling ( NJPW ) , but has also made appearances for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling , as a member of the New World Order . Chono was also known as Mister Black Jack when he first started as a villain . He is a former NWA World Champion and IWGP Heavyweight Champion . For those less familiar with wrestling , he has become well known for his appearances on the new year ' s specials of Downtown ' s Gaki no Tsukai No - Laughing batsu games . His ritual appearance always involves slapping Hōsei Tsukitei in the face . Professional wrestling career . New Japan Pro Wrestling ( 1984 – 2010 ) . Early years ( 1984 – 1989 ) . Chōno debuted in 1984 against Keiji Mutoh at a New Japan Pro Wrestling ( NJPW ) event in Saitama , Japan . In 1987 , he defeated Shinya Hashimoto to win the Young Lions Cup . After winning the tournament , he went on an excursion that started in Europe , wrestling for Otto Wanz ' s Catch Wrestling Association . After a while in Europe , Chono went on an excursion to North America , starting in the United States , where he wrestled in NWA territories in the Kansas City and Alabama areas . He would also later wrestle in the Canadian Maritimes and in Puerto Rico , where he , Hashimoto , and Mutoh formed The The Three Musketeers . Chono returned to NJPW part - time in July 1988 . In April 1989 , he took part in the IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament , held at New Japan ' s very first show at the Tokyo Dome ; he lost to eventual winner of the tournament and new champion Big Van Vader in the quarterfinals . During this time , he would return to the United States and have a brief run in Australia . Rise to superstardom ( 1989 – 1994 ) . Upon Chono ' s return to New Japan in October 1989 , on February 10 , 1990 , he wrestled in the main - event of NJPW ' s second Tokyo Dome show , teaming with Shinya Hashimoto against Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi , on April 27 he won the IWGP Tag Team Championship with Mutoh , and on December 26 he defeated his mentor , wrestling legend Lou Thesz , when Thesz came out of retirement for one last match . The next year , Chono solidified his main - event status with an amazing performance in the first G1 Climax tournament , winning the tournament in a thirty - minute final over Mutoh . He won the tournament again in 1992 , winning the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in the process . Since then , he has won the tournament on three more occasions . On September 23 , 1992 , Chono suffered a serious neck injury while defending the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Steve Austin . On January 4 , 1993 , he lost the NWA World title to IWGP Heavyweight champion The Great Muta in a Title vs . Title match . Around 1993 , he participated in his third G1 Climax tournament , but he did not win , like he did the last two years , losing to Hiroshi Hase in the semi - finals . In January 1994 , he received a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Shinya Hashimoto ; he would ultimately lose the match . In August 1994 , he won his third G1 Climax tournament , defeating Power Warrior in the finals . Heel turn , nWo , and Team 2000 ( 1994 – 2004 ) . A short time after winning his third G1 Climax , Chono underwent a change in attitude . Originally a clean - cut fan favorite during his NWA World title reign , he turned heel . Chono ' s partnering with Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Hiro Saito as " Team Wolf " provided a foundation to NJPW ' s nWo Japan . Establishing himself as leader of its Japanese sister stable , Chono joined the American nWo in December 1996 as it was gaining momentum in World Championship Wrestling ( WCW ) . He would also join its successor , Team 2000 , which would eventually restructure again . In a match against WCW ' s Bill Goldberg , Chono supposedly " shot " the match ( actually employing legitimate combat ) and dislocated his shoulder . Upon returning to Japan , Chono rejoined NJPW , where he achieved much success . He won the IWGP Tag Team Titles on six occasions and also won the very prestigious IWGP Heavyweight Title in 1998 . In 2002 , Chono won his fourth G1 Climax tournament . He also became a booker for NJPW around this time . In 2003 , Chono briefly joined Pro Wrestling NOAH for a handful of matches and was defeated by GHC Champion Kenta Kobashi on May 2 of that year . On October 13 , he lost to Hulk Hogan . Black New Japan and ChoTen ( 2004 – 2007 ) . In early 2004 , Chono became the leader of the Black New Japan stable , which was the most dominating heel stable in NJPW until it was disbanded by Riki Chōshū . As a reaction to this , Chono lead an " Anti - Chōshū Army " with Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Black Strong Machine . Chono won the 2005 G1 Climax tournament , thus having achieved a record - setting five G1 victories . His success in the G1 has given him the nickname Mr . August . On October 30 , 2005 , Masahiro Chono and Tenzan defeated the team of Shinsuke Nakamura and Hiroshi Tanahashi to win their fifth IWGP Tag Team Championship . The team went on to rename themselves Cho - Ten , a portmanteau of the members ' names . They were stripped of the titles in late 2006 after they split up , and refused to defend them together . Masahiro Chono formed a stable with Shinsuke Nakamura in 2006 called Chono and Nakamura - gun , which began feuding with Tenzan ' s new group , GBH . Legend ( 2007 – 2010 ) . Chono continued to wrestle full - time in 2007 , but also began working as a promoter , with New Japan permitting him to set up cards in different areas of Japan . Following the 2007 G1 Climax , it appears that Chono may be breaking away from his BLACK faction and forming a legends stable , having asked in wrestlers such as Riki Chōshū , Jushin " Thunder " Liger , Shiro Koshinaka , and AKIRA . Outside of wrestling , he has appeared on Gaki no Tsukai " No Laughing Batsu Game " as one of the attackers , usually giving Hosei Yamazaki a trademark slap to the face . He has since continued to appear in the yearly No Laughing Batsu games , and has not only slapped Hosei , but also comedians Tanaka Noike and Hamada Mashatoshi . In January 2010 it was reported that Chono would be leaving New Japan and becoming a freelancer , after spending most of his career with the company . Freelance ( 2010 – 2013 ) . In March 2010 , Chono wrestled two matches since leaving New Japan , during a Samurai Festival . For the special occasion , Chono portrayed Nobunaga Oda . On both days , he wrestled AKIRA , who portrayed Mitsuhide Akechi . On the first day , he won , but lost the next day . On July 31 , 2010 , Chono announced he is heading to All - Japan and wrestle in the Taiwan tour in November . On August 15 , 2010 , Chono returned to New Japan to serve as the special ring announcer for the G1 Climax final match between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Satoshi Kojima . On November 5 and 6 , Chono appeared in All Japan ' s Taiwan shows . On November 5 , Chono and Mutoh defeated the Voodoo Murders ( TARU and Rene Dupree ) . The following day , Chono teamed with Mutoh and Masakatsu Funaki to defeat the Voodoo Murders ( Dupree , KENSO , and Joe Doering ) . In December 2010 , Chono began working for Antonio Inoki ' s Inoki Genome Federation as a booker . On March 6 , 2011 , Chono entered Pro Wrestling ZERO1 for their 10th Anniversary Show . There he defeated Daichi Hashimoto in his debut match . On April 17 , Chono wrestled for Osaka Pro where he teamed with Kuuga and Orochi in a losing effort against Shodai Tiger Mask , Billyken Kid , and Tsubasa . On August 14 , Chono will return to Osaka Pro , this time teaming with TAJIRI and Zeus against Kuuga , Orochi , and Tadasuke . On October 3 , he will return home to NJPW , for a Team Wolf reunion match , teaming with Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Hiro Saito against Osamu Nishimura , Koji Kanemoto , and Shinjiro Otani . All Japan Pro Wrestling ( 2013 – present ) . In January 2013 , Chono signed with All Japan Pro Wrestling as an advisor . On August 25 , 2013 , Chono teamed with Joe Doering and defeated KENSO and AJPW President Nobuo Shiraishi in an exhibition tag team match . Personal life . On December 28 , 1991 , Chono married his wife , Martina Carlsbad , whom he met while on an excursion in Germany in 1987 . Together they have one son ( born July 4 , 2006 ) and one daughter ( born August 2009 ) . In late - June 1995 , Chono ' s father passed away . His death forced Chono to miss an IWGP Tag Team title defense and take a hiatus , which forced him and Hiroyoshi Tenzan to vacate the titles on July 7 , 1995 .