Takeshi Minamino

###

Tanabe, Kyoto, Japan

**Takeshi Yamamoto** (山本タケシ, *Yamamoto Takeshi*), better known with the alias **Takeshi Minamino** (南野タケシ, *Minamino Takeshi*), is a Japanese professional wrestler. He wrestles in Michinoku Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling.

## Professional wrestling career

Yamamoto made his pro wrestling debut in Toryumon Mexico at only sixteen, making him the youngest debutant out of the Último Dragón Gym. He changed his ring name to **Takeshi Minamino** (南野タケシ, *Minamino Takeshi*) and joined Pineapple Hanai and Mango Fukuda to found Los Salseros Japoneses, a salsa themed heel stable led by him. Minamino established himself as a major heel and went to feud with top face Taiji Ishimori and his Sailor Boys (Kei and Shu Sato). They had their first bout in Toryumon X, where Minamino unsuccessfully challenged Ishimori for UWA World Welterweight Championship. On August 29, 2004 Minamino got a rematch in Mexico and won the title, retaining it against Taiji on October, 10 with aid from Fukuda and Hanai. The title was vacated after the match.

After the Toryumon X demise, Minamino and his colleagues were moved to Michinoku Pro Wrestling, where Takeshi dissociated himself from Los Salseros and formed a tag team with Como Leopardo, using a mask and the name **Esthetic Jaguar**. The team fell after the *Futaritabi Tag Team League 2004* and Minamino returned to Los Salseros Japoneses, posing as the top heel team in Michinoku Pro. The trio won the UWA World Trios Championship from Solar, Ultraman and Ultraman, Jr. in a Toryumon Mexico show, and Minamino captured the Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship in a tournament final against Rasse, becoming double champion. His individual reign lasted until May, when he lost his title against Super Delfín. Later, Los Salseros Japoneses lost the UWA World Trios title against STONED (Maguro Ooma, Kei Sato and Shu Sato) after a misaimed attack from Minamino to Hanai. Shortly after, Los Salseros Japoneses broke up when Hanai turned on him. Minamino went solo and turned face, adopting a traditional Japanese attire with a black hakama. He also played **HAPPY MAN**, an alien character dressed in a Superman-like pink attire, and had a title hot against the Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Champion Yoshitsune, but he failed.

In 2008, Minamino turned heel again and became a member of the Kowloon stable, directed by Fujita Hayato. He formed a tag team with Maguro Ooma, which was called Toneri Family. Minamino and Ooma won the *Futaritabi Tag Team League 2009* and beat Kesen Numajiro & Kinya Oyanagi to win the Tohoku Tag Team Championship. They retained the title during months, until they dropped it to Yapper Men (Yapper Man #1 & Yapper Man #2). After the dissension of Kowloon, Tonery Family and Ken45º turned tweener and followed Hayato to his new stable, Bad Boy.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ **As Takeshi Minamino**
		- High-angle senton bomb
		- *Loco Cutter* (Straight jacket shoulder neckbreaker) – 2003
		- *NENJY* (Death Valley driver, sometimes from an elevated position)
		- *Shikahama Dynamite* (Stepover abdominal stretch) – 2013–present
		- *Sore Ha NENJY* (Wrist-clutch Death Valley driver, sometimes from an elevated position)
	+ **As HAPPY Man**
		- *HAPPY Press* (Diving splash, with theatrics)
	+ **As Como Leopard**
		- *El Nudo* (Over–rotated Delfin clutch)
		- *Hug Clutch* (Gory bomb followed into a figure four leglock)
	+ **As Masked Tree-Planting Man**
		- *Tree-Planting Driver* (Death Valley driver)
		- *Tree-Planting Press* (Diving splash)

* **Signature moves**
	+ Arm drag
	+ *B-BLUE* (Super Death Valley driver onto a table)
	+ Bridging German suplex
	+ Camel clutch
	+ Chokeslam
	+ Cross armbreaker
	+ Cross kneelock
	+ Diving double foot stomp
	+ Diving headbutt
	+ Enzuigiri
	+ Eye rake
	+ Fist drop, with theatrics
	+ Full nelson slam
	+ Jumping knee drop
	+ Kip-up
	+ Knee strike
	+ Kneeling reverse piledriver
	+ Lariat
	+ Running jumping high kick
	+ Samoan drop, sometimes from the top rope
	+ Scoop powerslam
	+ Second rope high-angle senton bomb, with theatrics
	+ Shining wizard to a standing opponent
	+ Sitout powerbomb
	+ Snap DDT
	+ Snapmare transitioned into a basement dropkick to the head of an opponent
	+ STF
	+ Suicide dive

* **With Pineapple Hanai and Mango Fukuda**
	+ **Finishing moves**
		- *WE ARE Bomb* (Aided powerbomb)

* **With Maguro Ooma/Manjimaru**
	+ **Finishing moves**
		- *Toneri Thunder* (Bridging German suplex (Maguro) / chokeslam (Minamino) combination)
* **Nicknames**
	+ "Hissatsu Death Valley" (Japanese for "Deadly Death Valley")
	+ "Oryoku no Yosei" (Japanese for "Bewitching Stress Spirit")
* **Entrance themes**
	+ "STARLIGHT EXPRESS" by Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (used as HAPPY MAN)
	+ "Bury in the Death Valley" by HAYATO

## Championships and accomplishments

* **All Japan Pro Wrestling**
	+ All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mitsuya Nagai
	+ Gaora TV Championship (1 time)

* **Apache Pro-Wrestling Army**
	+ WEW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Maguro Ooma

* **Michinoku Pro Wrestling**
	+ Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ Tohoku Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Manjimaru
	+ Futaritabi Tag Team League (2009) – with Manjimaru

* **Toryumon X**
	+ UWA World Trios Championship (1 time) – with Mango Fukuda and Pineapple Hanai
	+ UWA World Welterweight Championship (1 time)
	+ Young Dragons Cup Tournament (2003)

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Profile at Puroresu Central . Puroresu Central. Retrieved on 2013-03-21.
2. ↑ Pro Wrestling SEM Results: 2008  (in German). PuroLove.com. Retrieved on 2013-03-21.
3. ↑ Kent, Peter 2005-03-11. VIOLENT PANDA Wrestling Digest 03.11.05 . 411mania.com. Retrieved on 2013-03-21.
4. ↑ August 2006 News and Report Archive . *iHeartDG*. Retrieved on 2013-03-21.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Michinoku Pro Wrestling: "Michinoku Tag League 2004"  (in German). PuroLove.com. Retrieved on 2013-03-21.
6. ↑ Michinoku Pro Wrestling Results: 2005  (in German). PuroLove.com. Retrieved on 2013-03-21.
7. ↑ Michinoku Pro Wrestling Results: 2007  (in German). PuroLove.com. Retrieved on 2013-03-21.
8. ↑ Toryumon Mexico Results . *iHeartDG*. Retrieved on 2013-03-21.
9. ↑ Michinoku Pro Wrestling: "Michinoku Autumn Festival Event Pro Wrestling Series"  (in German). PuroLove.com. Retrieved on 2013-03-21.
10. ↑ Michinoku Pro Wrestling – "Michinoku Trios League 2005"  (in German). PuroLove.com. Retrieved on 2012-12-25.
11. ↑ Michinoku Pro Wrestling Results: 2011  (in German). PuroLove.com. Retrieved on 2013-03-21.
12. ↑ 7.14東京・後楽園ホール大会[観衆 1163人 ] (in Japanese). *All Japan Pro Wrestling* (2016-07-15). Retrieved on 2016-07-15.