Kazusada Higuchi

###

Monbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan

**Kazusada Higuchi** (樋口和貞, *Higuchi Kazusada*, born October 24, 1988) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former sumo wrestler, currently working for DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is a a former one-time KO-D Openwieght Champion, a former four-times KO-D Tag Team Champion and a former three-times KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion.

Higuchi was a sumo wrestler before retiring in 2013 and joining professional wrestling the following year. He then trained at the DDT Dojo and was assigned to their sub-brand DDT New Attitude (DNA), before moving to DDT's main roster on July 2017.

## Early Life

Higuchi when he was in high school, he was the captain of the judo club, and he went on winning the third prize award at all road competitions. He was then scouted to the 8th octagon (former Yokozuna and Katsuhisa) and he started a sumo career. He made his sumo debut in March 2007, he renamed his quadruped name to "Kita-dori Yamagasa" in 2009. In 2013 Higuchi ended his sumo career.

## Professional wrestling career

### Dramatic Dream Team (2014-present)

After ending his sumo career in 2013, the following year he joined DDT Pro-Wrestling as a trainee and eventually made his professional wrestling debut on November 28 defeating Kota Umeda. He was then assigned to DDT's sub-brand DDT New Attitude which was to showcase of all DDT Pro-Wrestling up and coming young talent prospects. Later in that year, Higuchi won two Right to Challenge Anytime, Anywhere contracts. The first contract he lost it to Kudo, the second he cashed in on March 29 unsuccessfully challenging HARASHIMA DDT's main title the KO-D Openweight Championship. After the match, he was praised by HARASHIMA with him stating that he had a bright future ahead of him. Following the loss, Higuchi took part ofin015 King of DDT making into the semifinals losing to the tournament winner Yukio Sakaguchi. Back in DNA Higuchi won the Wrestling Koshien defeating Ryota Nakatsu in the finals. At the end of the year, Higuchi was awarded the Newcomer Award by the Japan Indie Awards.

On February 28, 2016 Higuchi, Shunma Katsumata and Kouki Iwasaki defeated T2Hide (Kazuki Hirata, Sanshiro Takagi and Toru Owashi) to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship. Later in March, Higuchi won the Right to Challenge Anytime, Anywhere contract and he cashed in again, unsuccessfully challenging HARASHIMA for the KO-D Openweight Championship. Higuchi, Katsumata and Iwasaki lost the titles to Team Dream Futures (Keisuke Ishii, Shigehiro Irie and Soma Takao) on May 15. Then Higuchi took part of 2016 King of DDT making into the second round losing to Shigehiro Irie. On September he won a battle royal to become the 1º contender to KO-D Openweight Championship. He unsuccessfully challenged Shuji Ishikawa for the title on September 25. Then in DNA, Higuchi took part in DNA Grand Prix, finishing his block undefeated with a record of five wins, advancing to the finals. In the finals, Higuchi lost to Mike Bailey. On January 22, 2017 Higuchi, Mizuki Watase and Kouki Iwasaki defeated Shuten Doji (Kudo, Masahiro Takanashi and Yukio Sakaguchi) to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship. The match also included Happy Motel (Antonio Honda, Konosuke Takeshita and Trans Am Hiroshi). In March Higuchi won the Right to Challenge Anytime, Anywhere contract for the third time. Higuchi, Watase and Iwasaki lost the titles to Makoto Oishi, MAO and Shunma Katsumata on March 20. On April 8 Higuch lost his contract to Yoshihiro Takayama. On May 21, 2017 Higuchi and Shigehiro Irie defeated Akito and Konosuke Takeshita to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship. The two then formed YaroZ alongside Antonio Honda, Hoshitango and Ryuichi Sekine. On July 4 Higuchi made his last match for DNA in order to move to DDT's main roster, ending his affiliation with DNA. On August 20 Higuchi and Irie lost the titles to HARASHIMA and Naomichi Marufuji. On March 25, 2018 Higuchi and Daisuke Sekimoto defeated Naomichi Marufuji and HARASHIMA to win KO-D Tag Team Championship. On May 29 in the sixth episode of DDT Live! Maji Manji, Higuchi won a battle royal last eliminating Kota Umeda to win the Right to Challenge Anytime, Anywhere contract to become the 1# contender to the KO-D Openweight Championship against his former partner Shigehiro Irie. They lost the titles to Mad Paulie and Tetsuya Endo on June 20. On August 28, Higuch formed The Compliance with Danshoku Dino, Makoto Oishi, Super Sasadango Machine and Antonio Honda. From November 30 until December 15, Higuchi took part in the 2019 D-Oh Grand Prix, where he finished the tournament with a record of three wins and three losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. In June 2022, Higuchi took part in the 2022 King of DDT, which he eventually won, defeating Naomi Yoshimura in the finals on July 3, 2022, to become the new KO-D Openweight Champion winning his first his singles championship in his career. From November 1 until December 4, Higuchi took part in the 2022 D-Oh Grand Prix, where finished his block with a record of three wins, and one loss and one draw, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. In late November Higuchi and Yoshimura would vacate the titles after due to Yoshimura being sidelined with an injury. On January 29, 2023, at DDT Sweet Dreams!, Higuchi lost the KO-D Openweight Championship to Yuji Hino. From November 26 until December 24, Higuchi took part in the 2023 D-Oh Grand Prix, where he finished the tournament with a record of three wins and two losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament, due to losing to Tetsuya Endo in their head-to-head match.

### Pro Wrestling NOAH (2018)

In November, Higuchi took part in NOAH's the Global League, where he finished the tournament with three wins and four losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ Canadian backbreaker rack
	+ *Doctor Bomb* (Gutwrench sitout powerbomb)
	+ *Goten* (Canadian backbreaker rack transitioned to a chokeslam)
	+ Iron claw slam
* **Signature moves**
	+ Argentine backbreaker rack
	+ *Buchikamashi* (Running low-angle shoulder block, after an opponent has been Irish whipped off of adjacent ropes)
	+ Diving splash
	+ Dropkick
	+ Exploder suplex
	+ Iron claw
	+ Running powerslam
	+ Sitout chokeslam
	+ Snap suplex
* **Entrance themes**
	+ **"Roar Of The Young Beast"**

## Championships and accomplishments

* **Dramatic Dream Team/DDT New Attitude**
	+ KO-D Openweight Championship (1 time)
	+ KO-D Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Shigehiro Irie (1), Daisuke Sekimoto (1), Yukio Sakaguchi (1) and Naomi Yoshimura (1)
	+ KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Shunma Katsumata and Kouki Iwasaki (1), Mizuki Watase and Kouki Iwasaki (1), and Yukio Sakaguchi and Saki Akai (1)
	+ Right to Challenge Anytime, Anywhere (2015–2020)
	+ Wrestling Koshien (2015)
* **Japan Indie Awards**
	+ Newcomer Award (2015)
	+ MVP Award (2022)
* **Toshikoshi Puroresu**
	+ New Year's Eve One Day 16 Team Shuffle Tag Tournament (2016) – with Yoshihisa Uto