Keisuke Okuda (奥田啓介 Okuda Keisuke, born June 5, 1991, in Tsu, Mie, Japan) is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently working for the Japanese wrestling promotion Dragon Gate (DG) as a freelancer, where he is a member of Mochizuki Dojo.
Before starting his professional wrestling career, Okuda competed in mixed martial arts at Inoki Genome Federation (IGF) lightweight division. Okuda transitioned is mixed martial arts career to a professional wrestling career continuing to work on IGF and later in its sub-brand NEW in 2017, where he was supposed to become one of the aces of the promotion. However, after three months, the promotion closed due to ongoing disputes and Okuda quit the promotion. He would start working as a freelancer most notably in DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) but later began working for Dragon Gate in 2019.
Early life
Okuda started to watch wrestling during elementary school and also practiced karate. At junior high school, Okuda alongside his friend Akira Jo were recruited by Inoki Genome Federation and later made his professional wrestling debut in a sparring match against Jo for just ten minutes. After graduating Okuda practiced wrestling, but mixed martial artist Genki Sudo convinced him on persuing a mixed martial artist. He would work in a pharmaceutical company after graduating but quit the job after one month and later worked for a restaurant before quitting to pursue his professional wrestling career.
Professional wrestling career
Inoki Genome Federation and NEW (2009–2013)
Okuda began working for Inoki Genome Federation in 2009, making a sparring match against Akira Jo on November 3, 2019, which ended in a time limit draw after ten minutes. After finishing his mixed martial arts career, Okuda started his training to become a professional wrestler making his official debut on December 31, 2013, in a rematch against Akira Jo, that ended in a time limit draw for a second time. Okuda worked regularly for the promotion mostly in tag team and six-man tag team matches. In 2017, Okuda began working for IGF's sub-brand New Exciting Wrestling (NEW). Okuda returned to the promotion on April 20 facing Shinya Aoki in a time limit draw. The two faced each other in a rematch on April 30, which Aoki won. Later that year, Okuda was part of the feud between Kazunari Murakami and NEW, in which Okuda was supposed to be pushed as one of the aces of the promotion. However, after three months, the promotion closed due to ongoing disputes Antonio Inoki and Simon Inoki, leading Okuda, Akira Jo, Mitsuyoshi Nakai ,and Shinya Aoki to leave the promotion.
DDT Pro-Wrestling and DDT New Attitude (2017–2019)
On September 7, 2017, Okuda made his debut in DDT Pro-Wrestling sub-brand, DDT New Attitude (DNA) teaming with Mizuki Watase in a winning effort Kouki Iwasaki and Nobuhiro Shimatani, with Okuda pinning Iwasaki. After the match, Okuda and Iwasaki started to attack each other, with Okuda later started to berating DNA wrestlers. Watase and Shimatani challenged him to a match, leading on October 12 Okuda and Akira Jo defeating Watase and Shimatani. After the match, in a backstage interview, Okuda complained about DNA wrestlers being weak. Shimatani would challenge Okuda to a rematch on November 9, which Okuda won. Later that night, Okuda and Jo attacked Kota Umeda and MAO, and aligned themselves with Naomi Yoshimura and Kengo, claiming that this was his plan from the beginning. On December 13, Okuda along with Yoshimura and Jo attacked Iwasaki, MAO, and Umeda, afterwards the two teams faced each other in a match, which Iwasaki, MAO, and Umeda won. Okuda, Yoshimura, and Jo faced Iwasaki, MAO, and Umeda in a rematch on January 21, 2018, which Okuda, Yoshimura, and Jo won. Afterwards, Iwasaki challenged Okuda to a match, which Okuda accepted. Three days later, Okuda, Yoshimura, Jo and Kengo formed a stable named Naomi Kingdom. On February 14, Okuda lost to Iwasaki. In March, Okuda and Kengo took part of the DNA Super Tag Tournament, losing to Yuki Ueno and Koju Takeda in the quarter-finals, after Okuda attacked the referee. In June, Naomi Kingdom ended their feud with DNA after Yoshimura lost to Kota Umeda. On August 10, Naomi Kingdom faced each other for the last time, with Okuda teaming with Jo in a losing effort against Kengo and Yoshimura. Afterwards, Yoshimura disbanded the Naomi Kingdom, after DNA ended was suspended and stopped promoting shows.
On September 23, Okuda announced that he had signed with DDT for a full-time deal. In February 2018, Okuda started a short feud with HARASHIMA, after Okuda started to provoke him, the two would start to attack each other, leading Tetsuya Koda to book a match between them on February 10 at the 20th episode of DDT Live! Maji Manji. At the episode on February 10, Okuda lost to HARASHIMA. In November Okuda started another feud this time with Yuki Iino after defeating him in their match. In January 2019, Okuda and Shinya Aoki were involved in a Twitter feud, leading the two to agree to a Falls Count Anywhere match on January 23, which Aoki won. Okuda remained with the promotion until April. On April 28 at Max Bump, Okuda teamed with Yuki Ueno and Naomi Yoshimura in his Farewell match defeating Kota Umeda, Mizuki Watase, and Yuki Iino. The following day, Okuda made his last match for the promotion teaming with Makoto Oishi in a winning effort against Mizuki Watase and Yuki Iino.
Dragon Gate (2018, 2019–Present)
Since 2018, Okuda began making sporadic appearances in Dragon Gate teaming with his friend Ben-K on two occasions, while also being aligned with R.E.D due to his friendship with Ben-K. In May 2019, Okuda began making more appearances for the promotion, but this he was not aligned with R.E.D. In June, Okuda started feuding with Masaaki Mochizuki, with Mochizuki challenging him to a match on July 4, which he accepted. Leading to the match, Mochizuki mocked Okuda for taking a long time for his first win. Meanwhile, Okuda tried to break Hyou Watanabe's arm. At the event on July 4, Mochizuki defeated Okuda. Afterwards, Mochizuki offered him to join the Mochizuki Dojo. Initially, Okuda was reluctant, but ended he accepting, becoming the newest member of the stable. Despite joining the stable, there were some tensions between Okuda and Watanabe, and on September 11, after Okuda accidentally attacked Watanabe, which cost him his match against Kaito Ishida, the two were involved in a heated confrontation until Mochizuki proposed a match between the two, which Ishida later asked to part of it, leading Mochizuki to accept. At the match, on October 8, Watanabe turned on Okuda and joined R.E.D. In December, after Mochizuki Dojo was temporarily suspended, he entered the Dragon Gate stable in order to unite all Dragon Gate generation of wrestlers against Toryumon and R.E.D in a "Generation War".
Personal life
He is the nephew of wrestling and lucha libre legend Último Dragón. He is also a friend of Futa Nakamura who also works for Dragon Gate under the ring name Ben-K.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Cross Armbreaker
- German Suplex
- Lights Out (Fireman's Carry dropped into a Knee Lift to the opponents' stomach)
- Space Tornado Okuda (STO)
- Signature moves
- Backdrop
- Dropkick
- Fireman's carry dropped into a roundhouse kick
- Gutwrench sitout powerbomb
- Octopus hold
- PK – Penalty Kick (Soccer kick to the chest of a seated opponent)
- Roundhouse Kick
- Sleeper hold
- Entrance themes
- "Neva Enuff" by ZEEBRA feat. AKTION
Championships and Accomplishments
- Apache Pro-Wrestling Army
- WEW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tomohiko Hashimoto