MAO

###

Osaki, Miyagi, Japan

**Mao Inoue** (井上 麻生, *Inoue Mao*, born January 28, 1997) is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name **MAO** (stylised in all capital letters). He currently works for Dramatic Dream Team (DDT), where he is the current DDT Universal Champion in his second reign, while also being a three-time KO-D Tag Team Champion, and a former one-time KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion and Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion.

## Professional wrestling Career

Inoue was a backyard wrestler in high school and he filmed his pro wrestling matches and posted them to Youtube. The videos caught the attention of Dramatic Dream Team president Sanshiro Takagi.

### DDT Pro-Wrestling (2015-present)

On August 2, 2015 DDT's president Sanshiro Takagi announced that Inoue would make his debut match on August 23 at DDT's most important pay-per-view event Ryogoku Peter Pan. After the announcement, Inoue was assigned to DDT's sub-brand DDT New Attitude (DNA) which was to showcase of all DDT Pro-Wrestling up and coming young talent prospects. On August 23 at the Ryogoku Peter Pan Inoue teamed up with another who was also going to make his debut Mizuki Watase and Kota Umeda in a losing effort against Yasu Urano, Akito and Ryota Nakatsu. As is customary for most professional wrestlers, Inoue spent most of his matches losing to other, more experienced wrestlers, which would help put over other wrestlers while at the same time give Inoue some in-ring, televised, experience. Inoue got is first win almost one month after his debut defeating Shunma Katsumata.

On May 29 Inoue formed NωA alongside Katsumata and Makoto Oishi. Following the formation of NωA, Inoue renamed himself only to his first name **MAO** (stylised in all capital letters). The three then took part in a tournament for the vacant KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions, losing in the semifinals to the eventual winners' DAMNATION (Daisuke Sasaki, Mad Paulie and Tetsuya Endo). In October MAO took part of the DNA Grand Prix, finishing the tournament with a record of three wins and two losses, failing to advance to the finals. NωA ended up winning the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions defeating Kazusada Higuchi, Kouki Iwasaki and Mizuki Watase to win the titles on March 20. The match also involved Smile Squash (Akito, Soma Takao and Yasu Urano). On June 25, they lost the titles to Shuten Doji (Kudo, Masahiro Takanashi and Yukio Sakaguchi). In July, MAO and Katsumata took part in Pro Wrestling Noah's 2017 Global Junior Heavyweight Tag League, finishing the tournament with three wins and four losses. Following the tournament, MAO and Katsumata challenged Global Junior Heavyweight Tag League winners and newly won GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions HAYATA and YO-HEY into a title match. The two received their title match on October 1 at The Great Voyage 2017 In Yokohama Vol. 2 losing to HAYATA and YO-HEY in a rematch. On January 28, 2018 NωA made their last match together defeating T2Hide (Sanshiro Takagi, Toru Owashi and Kazuki Hirata).

Shortly after NωA disbanded MAO formed a team with Mike Bailey, called Moonlight Express. On March 10, MAO defeated Super Sasadango Machine to win the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship, but quickly lost it to Sanshiro Takagi. On May 29 in the sixth episode of DDT Live! Maji Manji, MAO won the Right to Challenge Anytime, Anywhere contract to receive an opportunity to the KO-D Openweight Championship. On June 11, it was announced that DNA would be suspended, leading to MAO being transferred to the DDT main roster. On July 22 MAO and Mike Bailey defeated Tetsuya Endo and Mad Paulie to win KO-D Tag Team Champions. From November 30 until December 15, MAO took part in the 2019 D-Oh Grand Prix, where he finished the tournament with a record of two wins and four losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. On January 5, 2019 MAO and Bailey defeated Shiori Ashai and Oishi to win Strongest-K Tag Team Championship, becoming double crown champions in the process. On March 21, 2019 MAO and Bailey lost the titles to Daisuke Sasaki and Tetsuya Endo. On October 10, 2019 MAO wrestled his last match in DDT before his UK excursion teaming with Yukio Sakaguchi to defeat Kemeno Mask and Yuki Ueno.

After MAO left DDT he would travel to various independent promotions like Evolve, Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) and Over The Top Wrestling (OTT) in the United States, England, and Ireland where he would continue his tag team with Mike Bailey. On November 11, 2019 MAO and Bailey defeated Deadly Sins (JK Moody and Kane Khan to win SWE Tag Team Championships. Twenty days later the would lose the title in a unification match for the British Tag Team Championships where they lost to Rampage Brown and The Great O-Kharn. On January 3, 2020 MAO made his return to DDT after defeating his old NωA stablemate Katsumata. On February 23, 2020 MAO unsuccesfully challenged Masato Tanaka for his KO-D Openweight Championship.

After the COVID-19 Pandemic, Moonlight Express disbanded. MAO joined the DDT Sauna Club with Konosuke Takeshita, Shunma Katsumata and Yuki Ueno. The stable would later be renamed The37KAMIINA (Sauna Kamiina), and MAO's tag team with Katsumata would be reignited. From November 3 until December 5, MAO took part in the 2021 D-Oh Grand Prix II, where finished his block with a record of two wins, and three losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. On March 20, 2022, at Judgement 2022, MAO defeated Daisuke Sasaki and Jun Kasai in a three-way hardcore match to win the DDT Universal Championship. On May 22, MAO and ASUKA defeated Chris Brookes and Masahiro Takanashi to win KO-D Tag Team Championships. On June 1, 2022, at What Are You Doing? 2022, MAO lost the DDT Universal Championship to Masahiro Takanashi. On July 24, MAO and ASUKA lost the KO-D Tag Team Championships to Kazusada Higuchi and Naomi Yoshimura. From November 1 until December 4, MAO took part in the 2022 D-Oh Grand Prix, where finished his block with a record of one win, and four losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. On January 3, 2023, MAO and Shuma Katsumata defeated Chris Brookes and Masahiro Takanashi to win KO-D Tag Team Championship. They vacated the titles on May 22, after Katsumata fractured his foot. In August, MAO was caught in the middle of a feud between The37KAMIINA stablemates Konosuke Takeshita and Yuki Ueno, after Takeshita left The37KAMIINA, allign with DAMNATION and tried to convince Ueno to join him. On September 9, after Ueno refused to join him, MAO challenged Takeshita to a match, which he accepted on September 24. At the event, MAO was defeated by Takeshita. Shortly after, following his defeat to Takeshita, in a post-match interview, MAO confronted and challenged Matt Cardona to a title match for the DDT Universal Championship, after he had successfully defended the title against Maki Itoh. Cardona accepted his challenge with a handshake, but then attacked MAO with a belt strike from behind. On November 12 at Ultimate Party, MAO defeated Cardona to win the DDT Universal Championship for the second time. From November 26 until December 24, MAO took part in the 2023 D-Oh Grand Prix, where he finished the tournament with a record of three wins and two losses, with a loss against Yukio Naya on the final day, costing him a spot in the finals of the tournament.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ *Cannonball 450º* (450*º* splash)
	+ *Marines Tornado Splash* (Springboard corkscrew 450*º* splash)
	+ Legscissors takedown transitioned into a pin
	+ *Michinoku Driver* (Cross-arm sitout powerbomb)
	+ *Michinoku Driver II* (Sitout scoop slam piledriver)
	+ *Osaka Rinkai Upper* (Running uppercut to an oncoming opponent)
* **Signature moves**
	+ *Chile Driver* (Headscissors driver to a standing opponent)
	+ Dropkick
	+ Harai goshi
	+ Modified crucifix driver
	+ *Momo☆Latch* (Hurricanrana transitioned into a victory roll)
	+ Sitout side slam
	+ Standing leg drop
	+ Split-legged moonsault
	+ *Uchubito Plancha* (Tope con hilo)
	+ Waist-lift side slam
* **Nicknames**
	+ "Idol Wrestler"
	+ **"Michinoku Tornado"**
* **Entrance Themes**
	+ “a pipe hope” (feat. CCO) by HOTVOX
	+ "The Downfall of Us All" by A Day to Remember
	+ **"HOTVOX"** by HOTVOX (2020-present)

## Championships and accomplishments

* **Dramatic Dream Team**
	+ DDT Universal Championship (2 times, current)
	+ KO-D Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Mike Bailey (1), ASUKA (1) and Shunma Katsumata (1)
	+ KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Shunma Katsumata and Makoto Oishi
	+ KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Shunma Katsumata, Yuki Ueno, Toi Kojima and Shinya Aoki
	+ Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (7 times)
	+ Right to Challenge Anytime, Anywhere (2018)
* **Kaientai Dojo**
	+ Strongest-K Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mike Bailey
* **Southside Wrestling/Revolution Pro Wrestling**
	+ SWE Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mike Bailey