Yoshihito Sasaki (佐々木 義人 Sasaki Yoshihito, born March 12, 1982) is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with Pro Wrestling Zero1 and in Big Japan Pro Wrestling.
Professional wrestling career[]
Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (2000–2002)[]
After Sasaki graduating from the high school Sasaki would join FMW. Sasaki is one of the 3 trainees who debuted on September 7th, 2000. But the promotion would close in 2002.
Pro Wrestling ZERO1 (2002–2008)[]
After the collapse of FMW, Sasaki moved to Pro Wrestling ZERO-1, where he slowly climbed the rankings. During his rookie days he would win the 2005 Tenkaichi Jr. but he later unssucessfully challenged Ikuto Hidaka for the AWA/ZERO1-MAX/UPW/WORLD-1 Junior Heavyweight Championship. On November 13, 2007 Sasaki defeated Daisuke Sekimoto for the NWA United National Heavyweight Championship, winning his first professional wrestling title. He lost the title to Sandy Beach on Febuary 11, 2008. However h would regain in back on March 29. He vacated the title due to injury and apparently he had got some issues with Masato Tanaka, once healed he moved to Big Japan Pro Wrestling in November 2008.
Big Japan Pro Wrestling (2008–2013)[]
Before his official BJW debut he would made sppordic apperances until November 21 He would made his Big Japan Pro Wrestling debut teaming with Shinya Ishikawa losing to Hiroyuki Kondo and Katsumasa Inoue. Sasaki joined the promotion's non-deathmatch division, Strong BJ, eventually becoming one of its cornerstones alongside the likes of Daisuke Sekimoto and Yuji Okabayashi. Six months after his BJW debut Sasaki made his American debut, when he, along with several other BJW wrestlers, took part in the Global Gauntlet events held by the Chikara promotion.
Back in BJW, Sasaki formed a tag team with Shinya Ishikawa, which led to them on December 13, 2009, to defeat Daisuke Sekimoto and Yuji Okabayashi to win the BJW Tag Team Championship. After a thirty one days reign, they would vacated the titles due to Ishikawa sufering a leg injury. After that, he began teaming with Daisuke Sekimoto, this led both defeating Jun Kasai and Jaki Numazawa the BJW Tag Team Championship on October 10, 2010. They would drop the titles back to Kasai and Numazawa on November 22, 2010. In 2012 Sasaki would participate in the Ikkitousen ~ Strong Climb ~ tournament finishing with 8 points. On March 26, 2012, Sasaki defeated Daisuke Sekimoto to win the tournament. After the match Sasaki requested that BJW establish a new championship that would symbolize the "strong" side of the promotion. This would led to Sasaki defeated Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) representative and the reigning wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion Big van Walter in a decision match to become the inaugural BJW World Strong Heavyweight Champion. Sasaki held the title for the rest of the year, successfully defending it four times. He lost his championship to Manabu Soya ending his reign at 242 days. In September 2013 Sasaki would have suffer a meniscus and cruciate ligament in his right knee and he made second operation to his injury in 2014. However BJW didn't extend his contract expiring at the end of the year and he would retire from professional wrestling.
Other media[]
Sasaki, appears as a playable character in the video games Fire Pro Wrestling 2, King Of Colosseum Green, King Of Colosseum II and Fire Pro Wrestling Returns.
Personal life[]
Sasaki is married to Ace Crew Entertainment Inc. worker Minako. Sasaki currently work as Truck Driver.
In wrestling[]
- Finishing moves
- Argentine backbreaker
- Argentine Coaster
- German Suplex
- Signature moves
- Hurricane Driver (Modifited Pilledriver)
- Lariat
- Spear
- Samoan Driver
- Vertical suplex
- Entrance themes
- "FMW Theme" by Eigenkreation (BJW/Independent Circuit)
Championships and accomplishments[]
- Big Japan Pro Wrestling
- BJW Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Daisuke Sekimoto (2), Shinya Ishikawa (1) and Shinobu (1)
- BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- 8-Man 1 Day Tournament (2009) – with Daisuke Sekimoto, Yuji Okabayashi and Shinya Ishikawa
- Ikkitousen ~ Strong Climb ~ (2012)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #242 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2012
- Pro Wrestling Zero1
- NWA United National Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- WORLD-1 Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Tenkaichi Jr. (2005)
- Lion King Cup (2003)