Ryuji Ito

Ryuji Ito (伊東 竜二) (born April 8, 1976) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently competing in Big Japan Pro Wrestling. He is well known for his death match style of wrestling.

Big Japan Pro Wrestling (1999-present)
Ito’s started his major sports background with boxing during his days in high school. He would drop out of university and join the Big Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo in 1998. He would successfully complete the training regiment and be allowed to make his pro-debut on April 29, 1999 against Jun Kasai.

He would begin competing in deathmatches in the Spring of 2003. Ito, whose gimmick is reminiscent of the Mortal Kombat icon Liu Kang, has been known for competing in many deathmatches over the span of his career. This would lead him to defeating Kintaro Kanemura on August 24, 2003 to win the BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Championship. He would go on to make 6 successful defenses with the belt until he lost to Abdullah Kobayashi in December of 2005, this marked Ito as the longest reigning BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Champion, which he still holds to this day as 850 days.

After his title reign he would form a team with Takashi Sasaki as he began competing in other promotions as well. From Apache Pro Wrestling Army to even the USA in IWA Mid South and IWA East Coast, where he lost to Thumbtack Jack in the finals after defeating Drake Younger and Danny Havoc..

Ito would challenge Takashi Sasaki for the BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Championship on September 10, 2006. This would lead him to capturing the belt for the second time in his career. Though the win was bitter sweet as he suffered multiple injuries, dislocations and fractures, after taking 4 meter drop during the match. Even though he won the match he lost the long-time was as he was forced to relinquish the belt due to the injuries. Ito stated at the time that he gave it his all in the match, but he disgusted that he was not able to withstand the damage that deathmatch wrestlers are expected of taking.

He would make his return in March of 2007, as he immediately got back into the deathmatch style of matches. He would recapture the BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Champion on December 14, 2007 defeating Jaki Numazawa. He would hold the BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Champion until May of the following year, as he lost to Shadow WX. Something of note in this match is that he suffered one of the nastier cuts from a fluorecent light-tube match. As he would end up having a shard of glass dig deep into his back. He would be forced to seek medical attention for the issue. He would return quickly from the injury, and the following month he would take on Jun Kasai in a Razor Cross Board Death Match. During the match, Kasai would take one of the bloodier bumps as he landed directly on the razors slicing him up. This match would garner much attention for BJW even going on to win the match of the year. This being one of the first deathmatches in 19 years to win the award.

On May 4, 2010, he would defeat Yuko Miyamoto to once more recapture the BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Champion. He would go on to make six successful defenses as champion before falling to Abdullah Kobayashi in December of 2011.

In April of 2013, he would win the “Ikkitosen ~ DeathMatch Survivor” with a win over Isami Kodaka in the final match. He would suffer a minor fracture in his back that he would eventually put him out of action for the month July. Then a little of a year later he would defeat Isami, once again, this time for the BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Champion effectively holding his fifth reign as champion. He would hold the title for one year until July 24, 2016 losing to Kankuro Hoshino.

Other media
Ito appears as himself in the video game Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood, and also appears as himself alongside Daisuke Sekimoto, Abdullah Kobayashi, Takashi Sasaki and Jaki Numazawa in the 2006 movie Dirty Sanchez: The Movie. Ito and the other wrestlers perform wrestling moves on the three main cast members.

In wrestling

 * Finishing moves
 * Argentine Coaster (Backbreaker rack dropped into a sitout facebuster)
 * Dragon Splash (Frog splash)
 * Signature moves
 * 450° splash
 * Axe or scissors kick, sometime with light tubes on the opponent's back
 * Dragon Kick (Shining wizard)
 * Lariat
 * Moonsault
 * Multiple suplex variations
 * Dragon
 * German
 * Half nelson
 * Northern Lights


 * Rope hung Boston crab
 * Roundhouse kick, sometimes with light tubes on the opponent's face
 * Sitout scoop slam piledriver
 * Spear


 * Nicknames
 * "The Death Match Dragon"


 * Entrance themes
 * "Halcyon + On + On" by Orbital (IWA MS)
 * "Dragon Road" by Eigenkreation (BJW)

Championships and accomplishments

 * Big Japan Pro Wrestling
 * BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
 * BJW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with BADBOY Hido
 * WEW Hardcore Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Daisaku Shimoda
 * Yokohama Shopping Street 6-Man Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Kankuro Guy and Tiger Ten (1), and Daisuke Sekimoto and Jaki Numazawa (1)


 * Combat Zone Wrestling
 * Triangle of Ultraviolence (2011)


 * Dramatic Dream Team
 * KO-D Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Sanshiro Takagi


 * Japan Indie Awards
 * Best Bout Award (2016) vs. Kankuro Hoshino on July 24