Dan Tamura (田村男児 Tamura Dan) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for the Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is a former two-time All Asia Tag Team Champion and a former one-time World Junior Heavyweight Champion.
Tamura made his debut for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) on January 2, 2019, and worked as a mid-card, in order to gain experience. In July 2020, he joined Suwama's Evolution stable and he started to became one of the prominent figures of company's the junior heavyweight division, forming a team with fellow stablemate Hikaru Sato winning the All Asia Tag Team Championship twice, the World Junior Heavyweight Championship once and also won the 2020 Jr. Tag Battle of Glory and 2023 Jr. Battle of Glory.
Early Life[]
Dan Tamura’s sports history is judo and amateur wrestling for 3 years back in junior high school, where he competed in the 96 kg (212 lb) weight class.
Professional wrestling career[]
All Japan Pro Wrestling (2019-present)[]
In August 2018, Tamura was introduced to the All Japan Pro Wrestling roster, and made his professional wrestling debut on January 2, 2019, on the first night of the AJPW New Year's Wars, where he first competed in a 15-man battle royal won by Jake Lee and also involving notable opponents such as Gianni Valletta, Atsushi Aoki, Masanobu Fuchi, Hokuto Omori, Kotaro Suzuki and Osamu Nishimura, and secondly in a tag team match, in which he teamed with Atsuki Aoyagi in a losing effort against Hikaru Sato and Atsushi Aoki. As is customary for most professional wrestlers,Tamura spent most of his matches losing to other, more experienced wrestlers, which would help put over other wrestlers while at the same time give Kodama some in-ring, televised, experience.
On July 13, 2020, Tamura won the Asunaro Cup, after defeating Atsuki Aoyagi, Rising HAYATO and Hokuto Omori in his head-to-head match. Afterwards, Tamura requested Evolution's leader Suwama to join his stable, which he accepted. He quickly repackaged himself, dyed his trademark mohawk hair to blonde, and following his new found momentum, Tamura challenged Koji Iwamoto to a title match for the World Junior Heavyweight Championship. On August 30, Tamura unsucessfully challenged Iwamoto for his title. On December 27, Tamura and Evolution stablemate Hikaru Sato took part in the 2020 Jr. Tag Battle of Glory, which they eventually won, defeating Atsuki Aoyagi and Rising HAYATO in the finals.
On May 19, 2021, Tamura and Sato unsucessfully challenged Purple Haze (Izanagi and Zeus) for the All Asia Tag Team Championship. On June 2, Tamura took part in the 2021 Jr. Battle of Glory losing in the first round to Tatsuhito Takaiwa. On August 15, Tamura took part in the 2022 Ōdō Tournament losing in the first round to Abdullah Kobayashi. On December 26, Tamura and Sato once again reached the finals of the 2021 Jr. Tag Battle of Glory, before losing to Total Eclipse (Hokuto Omori and Yusuke Kodama).
On May 25, 2022, Tamura and Sato became the sole members of Evolution, after the stable's leader Suwama turned on them to reform the Voodoo Murders, before being saved by Shotaro Ashino, who also refused their help to form his own stable. On June 16, Tamura challenged Tiger Mask to a title match for the World Junior Heavyweight Championship. He unsucessfully challenged Tiger Mask for the title on July 14. On September 18, at AJPW 50th Anniversary, Tamura and Hikaru Sato defeated Voodoo Murders (Minoru and Toshizo) to win the All Asia Tag Team Championship. This led to a match between Tamura and Toshizo, where he unsucessfully challenged Toshizo for the Gaora TV Championship on October 2. On October 30, Tamura and Sato lost the All Asia Tag Team Championship to Yoshitatsu and TAJIRI. From November to December, Tamura took part of the 2022 Jr. Battle of Glory, finishing in second place with a record of four wins and one loss, advancing to the finals. In the finals, Tamura lost to the eventual winner Atsuki Aoyagi. From April 8 and May 4, 2023, Tamura and Hikaru Sato, took part of 2023 Jr. Tag Battle of Glory, finishing the tournament with a record of two wins, and two losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. In July, Evolution began a feud with Voodoo Murders, after Suwama rejoined Evolution, after being kicked out of Voodoo Murders. At Evolution's return match on July 8, Tamura, Suwama and Sato defeated Jun Saito, Rei Saito and Toshizo, ending their feud with Voodoo Murders. On July 16, Tamura and Suwama defeated Yuma and Atsuki Aoyagi to win the Tenryu Project's United National Tag Team Championship. In November, issues began arising in Evolution, during a tag team match, where Suwama was distracted by Hokuto Omori in a tag team match, causing Tamura to question Suwama's allegiances, with him or with Mayumi Ozaki and Maya Yukihi, leading Brute Issei to try to help them come together again.
From November 12 and December 6, Tamura took part of the 2023 Jr. Battle of Glory, finishing in first place with a record of three wins, two draws and two losses, advancing to the finals. In the finals, Tamura defeated Naruki Doi to win 2023 Jr. Battle of Glory. On December 31, Tamura defeated El Lindaman to win the World Junior Heavyweight Championship for the first time. He lost the title to Rising HAYATO on March 9, 2024. On March 30, Tamura and Sato defeated Atsushi Onita and To-y in a Electric Current Blast DeathMatch to win the All Asia Tag Team Championship for the second time. They lost the titles to MUSASHI and Seiki Yoshioka on June 24.
Personal life[]
On February 22, 2020, he created a YouTube channel named "No-Taps" with fellow rookies Atsuki Aoyagi and Hokuto Omori, where he calls himself "Tackle" in his videos, based on his own finishing move the Shoulder tackle.
In wrestling[]
- Finishing moves
- Death Valley Bomb
- Dunlock (Texas cloverleaf)
- Powerbomb
- Signature moves
- Anaconda Vice
- Backdrop
- Body slam
- Brainbuster
- Lariat
- Forearm smash
- Over the Shoulder Back-to-Belly Piledriver
- Tawaragaeshi (Gutwrench powerbomb)
- Samoan drop
- Single leg boston crab
- Sleeper hold
- Snap DDT
- Shoulder tackle
- Entrance themes
- "Shiroi Matto No Komoriuta 3-M34" by Masao Yagi
- "New Naval Gun" by Osamu Suzuki
Championships and accomplishments[]
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- All Asia Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Hikaru Sato
- World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Jr. Tag Battle of Glory (2020) – with Hikaru Sato
- Jr. Battle of Glory (2023)
- Asunaro Cup (2020)
- Tenryu Project
- United National Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Suwama