Strong Hearts

The current members of Strong Hearts

**Strong Hearts** (ストロング・ハーツ, *Sutorongu Hātsu*, stylized as *#STRONGHEARTS*) is a professional wrestling group, primarily appearing in the Japanese promotions GLEAT and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The group was formed on June 13, 2018 after El Lindaman, Takehiro Yamamura, and T-Hawk left Dragon Gate to wrestle for CIMA's Oriental Wrestling Entertainment (OWE). The group was later joined by Dezmond Xavier, Gao Jingjia, Zachary Wentz, Duan Yingnan and Seiki Yoshioka.

The group adopted the concept of not being part of a specific promotion but also working on different promotions across the world such as Australasian Wrestling Federation, AAA Worldwide, All Elite Wrestling, Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, The Crash Lucha Libre, Fight Club: Pro and Major League Wrestling, GLEAT and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Strong Hearts also served as a platform for CIMA's students in OWE, gain experience on international bases such as an excursion, performing in countries such as Australia, Japan, the United States, Mexico and Europe, before Strong Hearts left OWE.

## Background

On November 3, 2017, Ricochet made his last match in Dragon Gate. He would then suggest to his former tag team partner CIMA new foreign talents to him. The new talent was revealed to be Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz, who started touring for Dragon Gate in January. Xavier would finish his tour at the end of January, while Wentz finished his tour at the end of March. For most of the tour, Xavier and Wentz teamed with CIMA.

During this time, CIMA established his own wrestling promotion the Oriental Wrestling Entertainment (OWE), where Xavier and Wentz also competed in the promotion. CIMA would bring one of his students, who turned out to be Gao Jingjia to compete in Dragon Gate.

On May 7, 2018, it was announced that CIMA would take over the role of president for Dragon Gate after the former president Takashi Okamura left due to health issues. He also announced that be would focus on the international expansion of Oriental Wrestling Entertainment (OWE), which he also operates. CIMA would be followed by El Lindaman, Takehiro Yamamura, and T-Hawk to start working exclusively for OWE.

## History

### Formation and Wrestle-1 (2018–2020)

Shortly after, in OWE CIMA, T-Hawk, El Lindaman, Takehiro Yamamura, Gao Jingjia, Zackery Wentz and Dezmond Xavier formed a stable named Strong Hearts. On June 13, Strong Hearts appeared in Wrestle-1, declaring an all-out war against the promotion, after being called by CIMA's friend Nosawa Rongai. CIMA announced that Xavier and Wentz would do an exhibition match on June 17, which was won by Wentz. Also, Strong Hearts, would start feuding with Shuji Kondo, Masayuki Kono, Kaz Hayashi and his protege Jun Tonsho representing Wrestle-1. In their first official match in Wrestle-1, Lindaman, Jingjia and T-Hawk would defeat Andy Wu, Manabu Soya and Shuji Kondo. The feud between Strong Hearts and Wrestle-1 escalated into an eight-man tag team match, where Strong Hearts represented by CIMA, Lindaman, Jingjia, and T-Hawk lost to Tonsho, Hayashi, Kono, and Kondo. Despite losing, T-Hawk swore revenge on them and their feud wasn't over. On August 11, after Kondo and Koji Doi won the Wrestle-1 Tag Team Championship, Lindaman and T-Hawk challenged them to a match at Pro-Wrestling Love In Yokohama on September 2. At the September 2 event, brought Big Money Crunch and Big Money Strong from OWE to join them at their Captain's Fall eight-man tag team match, where CIMA, Crunch, Strong, and Jingjia defeated Wrestle-1 side of Daiki Inaba, Jiro Kuroshio, Jun Tonsho and Seigo Tachibana. Later that night, Lindaman and T-Hawk unsuccessfully challenged Doi and Kondo for the Wrestle-1 Tag Team Championship. Strong Hearts feud with Wrestle-1 would end on October 24 after CIMA and Jun Tonsho faced off in a singles match, where CIMA was victorious. After the match, CIMA asked Tonsho to team up in a match on November 23. Shortly after, Strong Hearts started a feud with heel stable Enfants Terribles. On November 23, CIMA and Tonsho faced Kaz Hayashi and Pegasso Iluminar. The match ended in a no contest, when Seiki Yoshioka (disguised as Alejandro) interfered in the match and CIMA and Yoshioka turned on Tonsho. CIMA would reveal Yoshioka as a spy in Wrestle-1 and the newest member of Strong Hearts. Afterwards, Lindaman called out Enfants Terribles before their match scheduled later that night. In the main event, Lindaman, T-Hawk and Yoshioka defeated Enfants Terribles team of Shotaro Ashino, Kenichiro Arai and Kuma Arashi. After the match, Ashino challenged CIMA to match, but CIMA refused. Tonsho would return and attack CIMA and side with Enfants Terribles, it was then agreed that Strong Hearts would face Enfants Terribles and Tonsho on December 26, which Strong Hearts with another new member Roger lost to Enfants Terribles and Jun Tondokoro after CIMA was submitted by Enfants Terribles leader and Wrestle-1 Championship Shotaro Ashino. After the match, T-Hawk challenged Ashino for his title and Enfant Terribles turned pn Tondokoro, leading Lindaman to offer Tondokoro a spot for the stable, but Strong Hearts ended up turning on him promoting a save from Andy Wu, Jiro Kuroshio and Kaz Hayashi with Kuroshio challenging Strong Hearts for a match, which CIMA nominated Lindaman, Yoshioka and Yingnan as his partners. On January 5, 2019 T-Hawk defeated Ashino to win Wrestle-1 Championship. Later that year, Shigehiro Irie joined the stable. T-Hawk lost the title on September 1 to Daiki Inaba. On December 26, Yoshioka defeated El Hijo de Pantera to win the Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Championship.

On February 29, Wrestle-1 president, Kaz Hayashi announced that all activities of the promotion would be suspended indefinitely after April 1 with all of the contracted wrestlers being released on March 31, leading Strong Hearts to end their run with the promotion.

### DDT Pro-Wrestling (2018–2021)

On September 23, Strong Hearts made their surprise debut on DDT Pro-Wrestling, where CIMA on behalf of Strong Hearts challenged Konosuke Takeshita stable All Out to a match. But Takeshita challenged instead CIMA to a match, which he accepted. T-Hawk would then demand that the remaining wrestlers in the two units face off in a six-man tag team match. Interim General Manager Tetsuya Koda would make the matches official for the Ryogoku Peter Pan on October 21. On September 25 at episode 18 of DDT LIVE! MAJI MANJI, Strong Hearts made their debut match in DDT defeating All Out. On October 21 at Ryogoku Peter Pan, Lindaman, T-Hawk and Yingnan defeated Akito, Shunma Katsumata and Yuki Iino of All Out. Following the match, Strong Hearts attacked All Out. Later that night, CIMA defeated Takeshita in their head-to-head match. Afterwards, CIMA demanded an opportunity for the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship, leading to on October 28 at DDT LIVE! MAJI MANJI Korakuen Hall Special!!, CIMA, Yingnan, and T-Hawk defeating DAMNATION (Soma Takao, Tetsuya Endo and Mad Paulie) to win the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship. They lost the titles to All Out (Akito, Konosuke Takeshita and Yuki Iino) in their first title defense on January 3. In late 2020 Strong Hearts would return to DDT to from an alliance with DAMNATION called DAMNHEARTS.

### International appearances (2018–2020)

During this time, Strong Hearts have appeared in promotions in Europe, Australia, Mexico and North America. On September 8, CIMA and T-Hawk appeared on Mexican lucha libre promotion The Crash, defeating El Soberano Jr. and Rey Horus. From September 14 until September 16, CIMA and T-Hawk took part of American promotion Pro Wrestling Guerrilla's Battle Of Los Angeles tournament, where T-Hawk was knocked out in the first round by Bandido, while CIMA lost in the semifinals to Joey Janela. On September 28, Strong Hearts made their debut in British wrestling promotion Fight Club: Pro, with CIMA and T-Hawk facing Xavier and Wentz in a tag team match, won by CIMA and T-Hawk.

## Championships and accomplishments

* **All Japan Pro Wrestling**
	+ World Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times) – CIMA (1) and Lindaman (1)
	+ All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – T-Hawk and Lindaman
* **Australasian Wrestling Federation**
	+ AWF Australasian Championship (1 time) – T-Hawk
* **Combat Zone Wrestling**
	+ CZW Wired Championship (1 time) – Wentz
* **DDT Pro-Wrestling**
	+ KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – CIMA, Yingnan and T-Hawk
* **GLEAT**
	+ G-REX Championship (1 time, inaugural) – Lindaman
	+ Provisional G-INFINITY Championship (1 time) – with T-Hawk and Irie
* **Pro Wrestling Guerrilla**
	+ PWG World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Wentz and Xavier
* **Japan Indie Awards**
	+ Best Unit Award (2018, 2019)
* **New Japan Pro Wrestling**
	+ New Japan Rambo (2022) – CIMA
* **Oriental Wrestling Entertainment**
	+ OWE Openweight Championship (1 time) – Irie
* ***Tokyo Sports***
	+ Technique Award (2022) – Lindaman
* **Wrestle-1**
	+ Wrestle-1 Championship (1 time) – T-Hawk
	+ Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Championship (1 time) – Yoshioka
	+ Wrestle-1 Cruiser Festival (2019) – Yoshioka
	+ Wrestle-1 Tag League (2019) – T-Hawk and Irie
* **Pro Wrestling Zero1**
	+ International Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – Lindaman
	+ NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – Lindaman