Taka Michinoku

Takao Yoshida (October 26, 1973), better known by his ring name TAKA Michinoku, is a Japanese professional wrestler who has wrestled all over the world as well he was a former Mixed Martial Artist. Michinoku is known in North America for his work for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) where he had the first ever WWF Light Heavyweight Championship reign recognized by the North-American promotion.
==Professional wrestling career==
===Early career===
Taka Michinoku took his name as a sign of respect for his mentor The Great Sasuke, who was the owner of Michinoku Pro Wrestling and had been the first to use Michinoku as part of his ring name. He debuted in North America with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) in a six-man tag team match at ECW's debut pay-per-view Barely Legal.
===World Wrestling Federation===
====First WWF Light Heavyweight Champion====
He made his World Wrestling Federation (WWF) debut on July 6, 1997 at a WWF pay-per-view entitled "Canadian Stampede." losing to The Great Sasuke but getting a huge reaction from the crowd. He lost a rematch to Sasuke the following night on Raw. On December 7, 1997, Michinoku defeated Brian Christopher at D-Generation X: In Your House to become the first WWF Light Heavyweight Champion recognized by the WWF. Taka successfully defended the WWF Light Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania XIV against Aguila. After holding the title for more than 10 months, Michinoku lost the title to Christian on October 18, 1998.
====Kai En Tai====
Taka began a feud with Kai En Tai, a faction he was once a part of during his Michinoku Pro days. He remained at odds with his former colleagues by defending their rival Val Venis until turning against Venis in a tag team match to which they attempted to castrate him with a sword. Taka joined Kai En Tai and remained with the group until Teioh, Togo, and their managers, The Yamaguchis, left the WWF and returned to Japan. Taka and Funaki, the two remaining members in WWF, continued as a team under the Kai En Tai name in mostly jobber matches with a comedy gimmick.
Taka's biggest venture in WWF came when he challenged Triple H for the WWF Championship on the April 10, 2000 edition of Raw, coming up short despite interference on his behalf from Funaki and the Acolytes Protection Agency.
===Return to Japan, Kainentai Dojo===
After departing from the WWF (by now renamed World Wrestling Entertainment) in early 2002, Michinoku returned to Japan to rehabilitate a serious shoulder injury. He then began promoting his own promotion, Kaientai Dojo (often shortened to K-DOJO) in small venues around the Tokyo area and often appears in All Japan Pro Wrestling cards, where he and Taiyō Kea lead the foreign-oriented faction Roughly Obsess & Destroy.
===Hawaii===
Michinoku made his Hawaii debut in 2004 when he appeared for Hawai'i Championship Wrestling defeating Nightmare.
===AJPW: Mexico Amigos stable===
Pepe Michinoku (Taka Michinoku), El Nosawa Mendoza (Nosawa-Rongai), and Miguel Hayashi Jr (Kaz Hayashi) formed a team during the AJPW Champion's Carnival called Mexico Amigos. El Hijo del Araya Segundo (Nobutaka Araya) joined the team after Six-Man Action between Mexico Amigos and Araya/Fuchi/Hirai at the Carnival's final show. After multiple bouts against Minoru Suzuki, Nosawa (NOSAWA Rongai) offered Suzuki an invitation into Mexico Amigos, to which he declined. This resulted in the group changing multiple assets. Their name was changed to Mexico Amigos Black, the previous worn Mexican Flag attire became Black and Gold attire, and Nobutaka Araya was kicked out of the group. The groups is currently in a heated rivalry with Mazada's Samurai New Japan group, Minoru Suzuki, and Voodoo Murders.
At the AJPW's December 16, 2007 "Fan Appreciation Day" show, The Mexico Amigos teamed with "Ray Suzuki" and defeated Ryuji Hijikata, Kikutaro, T28 and Ryuji Yamaguchi. After the match, Ray Suzuki reveled himself as Minoru Suzuki and stated the starting next year he would throw his Amigos tights away and return to Nosawa Rongai, then kidnapped him to start early training. This led to Pepe and Miguel stating they would return to Mexico, but Kaz and Taka would return come the new year. After one last "Viva Mexico" Mexico Amigos disbanded.
===Dramatic Dream Team===
TAKA, renamed PIZA Michinoku, joined with Antonio Honda to form The Italian Four Horsemen in the Japan-based DDT promotion, competing in several comedic matches against opponents such as "The Gay Wrestler" Danshoku Dino and an inflatable "love doll" impersonating various iconic wrestlers named YOSHIHIKO.
===Michinoku Pro===
TAKA returned to Michinoku Pro and reformed Kai En Tai with Funaki. Their most recent match as a team was against Great Sasuke and Dick Togo on the 20th anniversary of Michinoku Pro. Kai En Tai would lose the match with Funaki taking the pin.
==Wrestling facts==
*Finishing moves
**Michinoku Driver
**Michinoku Driver II-B
**Just Facelock (Crossface)
*Signature moves
**Super Pump Kick
**Super-K
**Diving moonsault
**Eye poke
*Tag teams and stables
**Handsome
**Italian Four Horsemen
**Just 4 Guys
**Kai En Tai
**Kaientai DX
**Kojima Army
**Mexico Amigos
**Michinoku Brothers
**RO&D
**Suzuki-gun
**TEAM69ROLL
**TKG48
*Nicknames
**"Blue Playmaker"
**"Cunning Fox"
**"Smartest Man In The World"
**"Suzuki gun's No.1 Microphone"
**"Swift Technician"
*Manager
**Yamaguchi-san
*Wrestlers trained
*Entrance music
**“Over The Top” by Michinoku Pro (ECW)
**“YAMATO Suite Part 4" (ECW, WWF, NJPW)
==Championships and accomplishments==
*All Japan Pro Wrestling
**AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Black Tiger (1)
**AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*DDT Pro Wrestling
**DDT KO-D Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Francis Togo
**UWA World Trios Championship (1 time) with Antonio Honda & Francis Togo (1)
*Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling
**FMW Independent Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
*JDStar
**TWF World Women's Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Hiroyo Muto (1)
*JUST TAP OUT Professional Wrestling
**King Of JTO Championship (1 time)
*KAIENTAI DOJO
**Chiba Six Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Isami Kodaka & Kengo Mashimo (1)
**Independent Junior Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
**Strongest-K Championship (2 times)
**STRONGEST-K Tag Team Championship (6 times) with JOE (2), Kengo Mashimo (1), Kaji Tomato (2), & MEN's Teioh (1)
**UWA World Middleweight Championship (2 times)
**WEW Hardcore Tag Team Championship (1 time) with TOMO Michinoku (1)
**Strongest-K Tournament (2007)
**Tag Team Match of the Year (2013)
*Michinoku Pro Wrestling
**MPW Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**UWA/UWF Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Ryota Chikuzen (1)
*New Japan Pro Wrestling
**IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (2 times) with Dick Togo (1) & Taichi (1)
*Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI ranked him #191 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003
*Pro Wrestling NOAH
**GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) with El Desperado (1)
*Tokyo Sports
**Technique Award (2005)
*World Entertainment Wrestling
**WEW Six Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) with Gosaku Goshogawara & Tetsuhiro Kuroda (1)
*World Wrestling Federation
**WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**WWF Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament (1997)
*Wrestling Observer Newsletter
**5 Star Match (1996) with Shoichi Funaki, Dick Togo, Men's Teioh and Shiryu vs Tiger Mask IV, Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa, Super Delfin and Masato Yakushiji
==External links==
* Profile
* Profile
Category:Japanese wrestlers
Category:WWF Light Heavyweight Champions
Category:1973 births
Category:1992 debuts
Category:All Japan Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:Apache Pro-Wrestling alumni
Category:Asistencia Asesoría y Administración alumni
Category:Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre alumni
Category:Dradition Pro-Wrestling alumni
Category:Extreme Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:Fighting Investigation Team Battlarts alumni
Category:Fighting Of World Japan alumni
Category:FREEDOMS alumni
Category:Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling alumni
Category:Fu-Ten Promotion alumni
Category:Global Pro-Wrestling Alliance alumni
Category:Hawaii Championship Wrestling alumni
Category:HUSTLE alumni
Category:Ice Ribbon alumni
Category:Independent Wrestling World alumni
Category:IWA Puerto Rico alumni
Category:Kaientai Dojo alumni
Category:M's Style - New Style System alumni
Category:Michinoku Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:New Japan Pro Wrestling current roster
Category:Pro Wrestling El Dorado ~ The Next DOOR Project alumni
Category:Pro Wrestling Fujiwara Gumi alumni
Category:Pro Wrestling NOAH alumni
Category:Pro Wrestling WAVE alumni
Category:Pro Wrestling ZERO1 alumni
Category:REINA X World alumni
Category:Riki Pro alumni
Category:SMASH alumni
Category:Toryumon Japan alumni
Category:Ultimate Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:W*ING alumni
Category:World Entertainment Wrestling alumni
Category:World Wrestling Entertainment alumni
Category:World Xtreme Wrestling alumni
Category:Wrestling Marvelous Future alumni
Category:Xtreme Wrestling Force alumni
Category:Century Wrestling Alliance alumni
Category:Guts World Prowrestling alumni
Category:Kyushu Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:Pro Wrestling KAGEKI alumni
Category:Pro Wrestling Secret Base alumni
Category:Wrestling New Classic alumni
Category:Living people
Category:Mixed martial artists
Category:Asuka Project alumni
Category:Fukumen MANIA alumni
Category:Fuyuki Army Promotion alumni
Category:Onita Pro alumni
Category:Tokyo Gurentai alumni
Category:Union Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:Universal Wrestling Federation (Japan) alumni
Category:Male wrestlers
Category:Big Japan Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:Diamond Ring alumni
Category:Dragon Gate alumni
Category:Dramatic Dream Team alumni
Category:Osaka Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions
Category:Promoters
Category:Former basketball players
Category:Professional wrestling trainers
Category:Bookers
Category:Active Advance Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:American Wrestling Association Superstars Of Wrestling alumni
Category:Federacion Universal De Lucha Libre alumni
Category:Game Changer Wrestling alumni
Category:JUST TAP OUT Professional Wrestling alumni
Category:Kaientai Dojo alumni
Category:Michinoku Pro Wrestling alumni
Category:Kirakira Taiyo Project alumni
Category:All Asia Tag Team Champions