Toryumon Japan

***Toryumon Japan***
 **Sister** | Toryumon Mexico

**Toryumon Japan** was the primary promotion the Ultimo Dragon Gym would run in Japan. Originally conceived as merely a means for the Ultimo Dragon Gym students to gain in-ring experience, it developed a major following and grew into becoming one of the hottest independent promotions in the country. The promotion would run for five years until folding due to Ultimo Dragon leaving the promotion and taking the Toryumon name with him as he owned the rights. The promotion would immediately be reborn as Dragon Gate.

## History

As the Ultimo Dragon Gym students were developing their own reputations within Mexico, Japan, and to an extent the United States, it was decided for a promotion to be developed in Japan. Through it, the students would be able to gain some more in-ring experience. The Japan-based Toryumon promotion ran its first show on January 31, 1999 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.

The names of the shows for Toryumon Japan remained true to its Mexican origins. This included pay-per-view shows being called "Vamonos Amigos" and "Revolucion." In addition, the promotion held an annual Numero Uno League tournament and later Rey De Parejas League tournament and recognized two championships that originated from Mexico, the NWA World Welterweight Championship and the UWA World Trios Championship.

In the beginning, Toryumon Japan comprised of the first class of Ultimo Dragon Gym graduates and a number of journeymen wrestlers such as Masaaki Mochizuki, Takashi Okamura, and Yoshikazu Taru. In 2002, they would begin a feud with the Toryumon 2000 Project wrestlers, or second class graduates. This led to a highly acclaimed and successful pay-per-view on September 8, 2002, which also saw the in-ring return of Ultimo Dragon. After T2P closed on January 27, 2003, all of its talent was absorbed into Toryumon Japan. That same year, Ultimo Dragon stepped down as President and Director of the Toryumon promotion, handing the reigns over to business partner Okamura and then leaving Japan to sign with World Wrestling Entertainment.

After his one-year stint in the WWE, Ultimo Dragon returned to Japan in mid-2004. However, in early June, a press conference was held in which it was announced that Ultimo Dragon was pulling out of the promotion all together and take the Toryumon name with him since he owned the rights. The last show to be promoted under the Toryumon name would be at the fifth anniversary show "Vo Aniversario" at Kobe World Hall in Hyogo on July 4, 2004. Immediately afterward, the promotion would continue on independently as Dragon Gate.

## Unit History

The unit history since the start of Toryumon Japan until the Dragon Gate split the unit were formed until the split. The others unit are since thier formation until their disbanding.

* ■ Founding member
* ▲ Left the unit
* ▼ joined the unit
* ● rejoined the unit

## Championships Promoted

Toryumon Japan recognized a number of championships with origins primarily from Mexico and Japan. Only one championship was originated specifically for the promotion, the Ultimo Dragon Gym Championship. Following the split in 2004, a number of the championships would become inactive while others would be adopted by other promotions.

 NWA World Welterweight Championship | 1999–2004
 NWA World Middleweight Championship | 1994–2003
 Ultimo Dragon Gym Championship | 2003–2004
 UWA World Trios Championship | 2001–2004

## Events

* Toryumon Japan Events
* King of Dragon
* El Numero Uno
* Rey De Parejas