Ryoji Sai

###

Osaka, Osaka, Japan

**Ryoji Sai** (崔領二, *Sai Ryōji*) (born June 3, 1980) is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist best known for his work for Pro Wrestling Zero1, where he was a former two-time World Heavyweight Champion, and former three times NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship and a former NWA United National Heavyweight Championship and a former two times Fire Festival. Currently, Sai has a company named Land's End Pro Wrestling, where he is a former All Asia Heavyweight Champion and he also wrestles in All Japan Pro Wrestling where he has a working agreement, where he is a current two-times World Tag Team Champion.

## Professional Wrestling Career

### Early Carrer

Ryoji Sai is a 3rd Generation Zainichi Korean that was born in Osaka, Japan. His parents own a restaurant near Tsuruhashi Station in Osaka. At 15 years old, Ryouji attended the Sidmouth International School in Sidmouth, England. While in Europe he studied martial arts under Gerard Gordeau in the Netherlands.

### Pro Wrestling Zero1, Hustle and Independent Circuit (2001-2015)

When he returned to Japan he joined Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, debuting on September 1, 2001 at the ZERO-ONE "FIRE FESTIVAL 2001" versus Igor Meindert. in a non-tournament match. From 2002 to 2004, he would be out of pro wrestling with an unknown ailment. Returning in 2004, he would begin to regularly team with Kohei Sato winning the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship in 2005 and 2006.

Ryoji twice finished as the runner-up in ZERO1 Fire Festival tournaments in both 2007 and 2006, losing to Masato Tanaka. He also regularly appeared for the HUSTLE wrestling promotion during Pro Wrestling ZERO1's working agreement with them. In late 2008 and early 2009, Sai took part on the popular Japan Fuji TV show Ainori (あいのり) under the name of "Wrestler" (レスラー).He would also in 2009 win the Fire Festival. Sai in Pro Wrestling Zero1 would win the NWA United National Heavyweight Championship, the World Heavyweight Championship, the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship one more time with Osamu Namiguchi while holding the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship he would also hold the World Heavyweight Championship again. Sai also wrestle in the Japanese independent circuit where he won the WEW World Tag Team Championship with Tetsuhiro Kuroda and he would wrestle in Hustle where he held theHustle Super Tag Team Championship with Wataru Sakata. Sai stopped competed in Zero1 until 2015.

### Pro Wrestling Noah (2012-2013)

On October 8 2012 Sai made his debut in Pro Wrestling Noah losing to Go Shiozaki. One year later Sai participated it the 2013 Global League Tournament at block B. Sai finished his block with 6 points (three wins and three losses) failed to advance to the finals.

### Wrestle-1 (2013-2015)

Sai in 2013 made his debut in Wrestle-1. On September 8, 2013, Masayuki Kono teamed with Masakatsu Funaki in a tag team match, where they were defeated by Katsuyori Shibata and Kazushi Sakuraba. Following the match, Kono turned on Funaki, hitting his mentor with a steel chair and beating him down with help from Kohei Sato and Sai. Kono and Funaki faced off in a singles match at Wrestle 1's second show on September 15, where Kono was victorious with help from Sai and Kazma Sakamoto. Sai, Kono and Sakamoto, replacing an injured Kohei Sato, formed a stable named Desperado. On September 21, Kono entered the Wrestle-1 Championship tournament, defeating Jiro Kuroshio in his first round match. The following day, Kono handed Wrestle-1 founder Keiji Mutoh his first loss since March 2012 by submitting him in a three-on-four handicap match, where Kono, Kazma Sakamoto and Sai faced Mutoh and the Novus stable (Jiro Kuroshio, Koji Doi and Rionne Fujiwara). On May 30 Sai made a last appearance in Wrestle-1 when he and Kono defeated KAI and Shotaro Ashino after that Sai left Desperado.

### All Japan Pro Wrestling and Land's End Pro Wrestling (2013- Present)

In 2013 Sai would wrestle in Zero1 was Freelancer and later that year he found Land's End Pro Wrestling but the company stayed inactive until 2016.

In 2016 Sai started to compete in All Japan Pro Wrestling where he participated at the Champion Carnival later he would re-debut of Land's End Pro Wrestling and also have a working agreement with All Japan. Later Sai would unsuccessfully challenge Kento Miyahara for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. On January 21, 2018, Sai defeated The Bodyguard in the finals of an eight-man tournament to revive All Asia Heavyweight Championship. On March 25 Sai and Dylan James defeated Zeus and The Bodyguard to win the World Tag Team Championship, becoming a triple crown champion in the process. On June 13, Sai and James formed a new stable named Sweeper alongside Jake Lee, Keiichi Sato, and Koji Iwamoto. Sai and James lost the titles to Suwama and Shuji Ishikawa on June 30. Sai lost the All Asia Heavyweight Championship to The Bodyguard on July 29. From November 13 to December 11, Sai and Lee took part in the World's Strongest Tag Determination League, finishing the tournament with a record of four wins and six losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. On September 3, Sai and Zeus defeated Suwama and Ishikawa to win the World Tag Team Champions.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ *Akagawa Bridge/Yodogawa Bridge* (Running knee strike to an opponent seated in the corner) – 2017–present
	+ *Everest Crusher* (Gorilla press dropped into a double knee gutbuster) – 2021–present
	+ *Nachi Waterfall* (Diving double foot stomp)
	+ *Sidmouth* (Bridging wrist-clutch belly to back suplex)
	+ *Sky Kick* (Running punt to a seated opponent's head)
* **Signature moves**
	+ Capture suplex
	+ Cross armbreaker
	+ Dragon screw
	+ High knee
* **Nicknames**
	+ "Super Cyborg"
* **Entrance themes**
	+ "The Kids Aren't Alright" by The Offspring (ZERO1)
	+ "Eldest" (ZERO1; 2011-2015; used occasionally)

## Championships and accomplishments

* **All Japan Pro Wrestling**
	+ World Tag Team Championship (2 times, current) – with Dylan James (1) and Zeus (1)
* **Apache Pro-Wrestling Army**
	+ WEW World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tetsuhiro Kuroda
* **HUSTLE**
	+ Hustle Super Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Wataru Sakata
* **Land's End Pro Wrestling**
	+ All Asia Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* **Pro Wrestling Zero1**
	+ NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Kohei Sato (2) and Osamu Namiguchi (1)
	+ NWA United National Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
	+ Fire Festival (2009, 2014)
	+ Passion Cup Tag Tournament (2008) – with Kohei Sato

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 ZERO1-MAX fighters page . ZEROONEUSA.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hustle Super Tag Team Championship history .
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Ryouji Sai profile . Puroresu Central. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Cagematch profile .
5. ↑ Pro Wrestling ZERO1 Results: 2009  (in German). PuroLove.com. Retrieved on 2013-03-21.
6. ↑ NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship title history . ZEROONEUSA.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
7. ↑ NWA United National Heavyweight Championship title history . ZEROONEUSA.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-18.
8. ↑ Zero1 World Heavyweight Championship history .
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Tournaments .