Dick Togo

Togo in August 2021

###

Odate, Akita, Japan

**Shigeki Sato** (佐藤 茂樹, *Satō Shigeki*) (born August 17, 1969) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), better known by his ring name, **Dick Togo** (ディック 東郷, *Dikku Tōgō*).

Togo has been one of the main bookers of New Japan Pro-Wrestling since the COVID-19 Pandemic in early 2020. Alongside his backstage work, Togo is also an on-screen character in NJPW, working as a manager for EVIL and the villainous House of Torture's Bullet Club sub-unit.

## Professional wrestling career

Sato has performed for numerous Japanese promotions as well as American promotions such as Extreme Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation and Ring of Honor. While in Michinoku Pro he formed a stable called Kai En Tai DX with Taka Michinoku, Funaki, Men's Teioh and Shiryu.

He was briefly a member of The Blue World Order in Extreme Championship Wrestling. Throughout his career, Togo has been a part of several stables in the Japanese independent circuit: the original "Kaientai" in Michinoku Pro Wrestling with Taka, Shiryu, and; "LOV (Legion of Violence)" in Osaka Pro Wrestling, with Black Buffalo and Daio Quallt (Masaru Seno), the "Far East Connection" with Gedo, Jado, Masao Orihara, and Ikuto Hidaka as a freelancer stable; and now the "Super Crew", with Hayate, Tsubo Genjin, Nobutaka Moribe and Osamu Inoue.

In early 2011 Togo announced the start of his retirement tour as part of which he returned to the United States in April to take part in Chikara's 2011 King of Trios tournament, where he would team with The Great Sasuke and Jinsei Shinzaki as Team Michinoku Pro. On April 15, Team Michinoku Pro defeated Team Minnesota (1-2-3 Kid, Arik Cannon and Darin Corbin) in their first round match and followed that up by defeating Jigsaw, Manami Toyota and Mike Quackenbush in the following day's quarterfinals. On April 17, Team Michinoku Pro was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinal stage by F.I.S.T. (Chuck Taylor, Icarus and Johnny Gargano).

Dramatic Dream Team held the *Dick Togo Japanese Retirement Show* at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo on June 30, 2011. In the main event Togo defeated Gedo in his final match in Japan. Afterwards he embarked on a retirement world tour, wrestling in countries such as Australia, Finland, Germany, Belgium, England, Spain, and Italy. On December 3, Togo returned to the United States for the final leg of his tour, losing to Kudo in a three-way match, which also included Masahiro Takanashi at Combat Zone Wrestling's (CZW) *Indie Summit* event. On December 10, Togo wrestled for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) in Reseda, Los Angeles, losing to PWG World Champion El Generico in a non-title match. On January 1, 2012, Togo returned to Mexico, wrestling at an independent event in Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, where he, El Alebrije and El Hijo de Dr. Wagner, Jr. defeated Golden Bull, Histeria II and Puma in a six-man tag team match. The following July, Togo took his retirement tour to Bolivia. While working in Bolivia, Togo found his way back into a DDT storyline, when Yuki Sato arrived in the country with the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship, which he then proceeded to lose to Togo. During the following week, Togo first lost the title to local wrestler Ajayu, before regaining it from a Bolivian child and then finally losing it back to Sato. Togo finished his retirement tour on September 9, 2012, in La Paz, Bolivia. In the final match of his career, Togo teamed with Antonio Honda, Daisuke Sasaki and Yasu Urano in an eight-man elimination tag team match, where they were defeated by Ajayu, Apocalipsis, Guerrero Ayar and Halcon Dorado, with Ajayu pinning Togo for the win.

On May 29, 2015, Togo announced he was opening a wrestling school in Vietnam, named Vietnam Pro-Wrestling Academy. The school is affiliated with Vietnam's first professional wrestling promotion, New Vietnam Pro-Wrestling (NVP), which held its first event in August 2015.

On June 5, 2016, Togo announced he was coming out of retirement. His return match took place at a DDT show on July 3. On January 17, 2018 Togo signed with Michinoku Pro Wrestling.

On July 12, at Dominion in Osaka-jo Hall, Togo made his NJPW debut helping EVIL defeating Tetsuya Naito to win the IWGP Intercontinental and IWGP Heavyweight Championships. Afterwards, since the COVID-19 Pandemic, Togo became one of the primary bookers of New Japan. On September 4, 2021, at Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome, Togo, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi and Sho formed their own subgroup within the stable, called "House of Torture".

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ Seated crossface
	+ Diving senton
* **Signature moves**
	+ Arm drag
	+ Ankle lock
	+ Brainbuster
	+ *Complete Shot* (Reverse STO)
	+ *Diamond Dust* (Somersault stunner)
	+ Double underhook facebuster
	+ Hurricanrana
	+ *Italian Fist*​ (Running fist drop)
	+ Kip-up
	+ Lariat
	+ Lifting spinning DDT
	+ Multiple kick variations
		- Backflip
		- Drop
		- Running big boot
	+ Multiple senton variations
		- Bomb
		- Over the top rope somersault
		- *Silver Bullet* (Slingshot somersault)
		- Suicide springboard somersault
	+ Oklahoma roll
	+ Standing moonsault
	+ Sitout back to belly piledriver
	+ Sitout powerbomb
	+ Spinning spinebuster
	+ Tornado DDT
* **With The Italian Four Horsemen**
	+ **Double-team finishing moves**
		- *Italian Driver* (Double inverted brainbuster)
		- *Italian Impact* (Diving clothesline / Electric chair combination)
* **With Yasu Urano**
	+ **Double-team finishing moves**
		- *Chinese Impact* (Diving clothesline / Electric chair drop combination)
* **Managers**
	+ Yamaguchi-san
* **Nicknames**
	+ "The Master of Wrestling"
	+ "The Master of the Senton"
	+ **"The Spoiler"**
* **Entrance themes**
	+ "Mama Said Knock You Out" LL Cool J (Independent)
	+ "Entre Dos Tierras" by Heroes Del Silencio (NJPW)
	+ **"Insane In The Brain"** by Cypress Hill (NJPW, AJPW, Michinoku Pro, Independent)

## Championships and accomplishments

* **100% Lucha**
	+ 100 % Lucha Champ of Champions (Desafío Mundial / *Global Challenge*), Argentina (1 time)
* **Dramatic Dream Team**
	+ Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (4 times)
	+ KO-D Openweight Championship (3 times)
	+ KO-D Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Nobutaka Moribe (1) and Antonio Honda (1) PIZA Michinoku (1)
* **El Dorado Wrestling**
	+ Treasure Hunters Tag Team Tournament (2006) - with Shuji Kondo
	+ UWA World Trios Championship (1 time) with PIZA Michinoku and Antonio Honda
* **Michinoku Pro Wrestling**
	+ British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ Tohoku Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with The Great Sasuke
	+ UWA/UWF Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Gedo
	+ Futaritabi Tag Team League (2003) - with Masao Orihara
* **New Japan Pro Wrestling**
	+ IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Taka Michinoku
* **Osaka Pro Wrestling**
	+ Osaka Pro Wrestling Championship (1 time)
* **Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX**
	+ AWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
	+ NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ikuto Hidaka
* **Tokyo Gurentai**
	+ Tokyo Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Shiryu (1) and Mazada (1)
* **Universal Lucha Libre**
	+ UWF Super Welterweight Championship (1 time)
* **World Entertainment Wrestling**
	+ WEW Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Kintaro Kanemura and Masao Orihara

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Dick Togo . wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved on 2016-11-05.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dick Togo «Wrestlers Database» . cagematch.net. Retrieved on 2016-11-06.
3. ↑ "Val Venis talks wrestling again and politics". CANOE. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
4. ↑ Radican, Sean 2011-05-04. Radican's Chikara KoT Night 1 DVD Review 4/15 - Team Michinoku Pro vs. Team 1-2-3 Kid, Quackenbush & Toyota & Jigsaw vs. SAT's . *Pro Wrestling Torch*. Retrieved on 2011-05-14.
5. ↑ Radican, Sean 2011-05-13. Radican's Chikara DVD review series - "King of Trios 2011 Night 2" 4/16: F.I.S.T. vs. Osaka Pro, RDV tournament, Quackenbush & Toyota & Jigsaw vs. Michinoku Pro . *Pro Wrestling Torch*. Retrieved on 2011-05-14.
6. ↑ Radican, Sean 2011-06-05. Radican's Chikara DVD review series: "KOT 2011: Night 3 4/17 - Kid vs. Generico, Toyota vs. Eagles, KOT tournament Finals . *Pro Wrestling Torch*. Retrieved on 2011-06-05.
7. ↑ Dick Togo retires against New Japan’s Gedo . *Strong Style Spirit* (2011-07-01). Retrieved on 2011-07-01.
8. ↑ Results for BBBII feat. Dick Togo (JPN) vs Robby Heart (AUS) . *NWA Australia* (2011-08-22). Retrieved on 2011-10-07.
9. ↑ Kristian Kurki vastaan Dick Togo DOMination 3:ssa.  (in Finnish). *Fight Club Finland* (2011-09-07). Retrieved on 2011-10-07.
10. ↑ wXw & CZW & BJW in Deutschland - 30.9. - 3.10. - Results  (in German). *Westside Xtreme Wrestling* (2011-10-04). Retrieved on 2011-10-07.
11. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTQ3l1crvsk
12. ↑ Martin, Adam 2011-10-15. Indy News #2: Dick Togo, NWA Smoky Mountain . *WrestleView*. Retrieved on 2011-10-25.
13. ↑ 4FW Halloween Spectacular 2011 . *4 Front Wrestling*. Retrieved on 2011-10-07.
14. ↑ RealMiguel 2011-11-06. Super Wrestling Alliance (6/11/2011) desde el City Hall de Barcelona. ¡Dick Togo se despide!  (in Spanish). *SuperLuchas*. Retrieved on 2011-12-05.
15. ↑ Milani, Emmanuele 2011-11-13. ICW Pandemonium X: è già Leggenda! Tutti i risultati!  (in Italian). *Italian Championship Wrestling*. Retrieved on 2011-12-05.
16. ↑ Wood, Darren 2011-11-04. After 20 years, Dick Togo calling it quits . *Slam! Sports*. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved on 2011-12-05.
17. ↑ Magee, Bob 2011-12-05. As I See It 12/5: Cage of Death 13 weekend . *WrestleView*. Retrieved on 2011-12-05.
18. ↑ Massingham, Matt 2011-12-11. 12/10 PWG "Fear" results Reseda, Calif.: Hero surprise return, new PWG tag champs, Generico vs. Dick Togo, American Wolves . *Pro Wrestling Torch*. Retrieved on 2011-12-11.
19. ↑ Lázaro Rodríguez, José 2012-01-02. Oriental pierde la cabellera por el Tirantes  (in Spanish). *The Gladiatores*. Retrieved on 2012-01-02.
20. ↑ Dick Togo en Bolivia - 2012  (in Spanish). *Lucha Libre Boliviana* (2012-07-04). Retrieved on 2012-07-05.
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Ironman Heavymetalweight Title . *Puroresu Dojo*. Retrieved on 2012-07-20.
22. ↑ Dick Togo se despidió de Bolivia con lágrimas en los ojos  (in Spanish). *Lucha Libre Boliviana* (2012-09-11). Retrieved on 2012-09-11.
23. ↑ *ja:ボリビアの地に沈む…ディック東郷引退試合興行詳報* (in Japanese). *Dramatic Dream Team* (2012-09-11). Retrieved on 2012-09-11.
24. ↑ *ja:【記者会見】ベトナム初のプロレス団体「New Vietnam Prowrestling」設立、現地でディック東郷氏のプロレススクールも開校。「プロレス文化のない国でプロレスをやってみたい」（東郷）* (in Japanese). *Dramatic Dream Team* (2015-05-29). Retrieved on 2015-05-29.
25. ↑ *ja:一年くらい前からもう一度リングに上がりたいと思い始めました* (in Japanese). Twitter (2016-06-05). Retrieved on 2016-06-05.
26. ↑ *ja:DDTスーパースターレーン2016* (in Japanese). *Dramatic Dream Team*. Retrieved on 2016-07-03.
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 27.6 27.7 Dick Togo profile . *Online World of Wrestling*. Retrieved on 2014-09-21.
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 Profile at Puroresu Central . Puroresu Central. Retrieved on 2014-09-21.