Yuma Anzai (安齊勇馬 Anzai Yuma, born February 11, 2000) is a Japanese professional wrestler who works currently for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is currently one-half of the All Asia Tag Team Champions in his first reign, while also being a former one-time Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion. He is the youngest Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion in history, having won the title at 24 years old.
Anzai was trained by AJPW and made his debut in September 2022. Anzai then worked as a rookie on the mid-card, in order to gain in-ring experience, earning the nickname of "Super Rookie", impressing both AJPW officials and fans. At the end of the year, the Tokyo Sports magazine named him the 2022 Rookie of the Year in all of Japanese professional wrestling.
Over the following months, Anzai began rising up to main event picture, becoming one of AJPW's top wrestlers and challenging for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship on multiple occasions, before winning the title in March 2024. Anzai would set the record for becoming the youngest Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion in AJPW's history, at 24 years old and the fastest to win it, after a year and a half of in-ring experience following his professional wrestling debut.
Early life[]
Anzai started wrestling in high school. He also played baseball, football and karate during his elementary and middle school years. After entering Chuo University, he continued wrestling, winning the East Japan Student Wrestling Championship Spring Tournament and placing fifth in the All Japan University Greco-Roman Championship. Yuma became aware of professional wrestling while in junior high school. Soon after, he became interested and realized that wrestling was something he wanted to pursue a career.
Professional wrestling career[]
All Japan Pro Wrestling (2022–present)[]
On December 28, 2021, it was announced that Anzai would be joining the All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), after being scouted by Suwama. Anzai was introduced to the AJPW roster, on January 2, 2022, and officially signed with the promotion on April 1. Anzai made his professional wrestling debut on September 18, 2022, at AJPW 50th Anniversary show, losing to New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Yuji Nagata. In his second professional wrestling match, Anzai faced former Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Minoru Suzuki in a losing effort. From November 13 until December 7, Anzai and Nagata took part in the 2022 World's Strongest Tag Determination League, finishing the tournament with a record of three wins and four losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. Having earned the nickname "Super Rookie", Anzai impressed both AJPW officials and fans with an excellent combination of strength, and technical skill. At the end of the year, Tokyo Sports named Anzai Japanese professional wrestling's Rookie of the Year.
On February 4, 2023, Anzai, Shuji Ishikawa, Ryo Inoue alongside former Nextream members Rising HAYATO, Yuma Aoyagi, Kento Miyahara, and Atsuki Aoyagi formed a stable dubbed "Zennichi Shin Jidai" (New Age of All Japan in English), as a reaction against the influence of wrestlers from other promotions, who appeared or held titles in AJPW making them an anti-invader stable. From April 8 and May 7, Anzai took part in the 2023 Champion Carnival, finishing the tournament with a record of three wins and four losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament. Afterwards, due to Champion Carnival winner Shotaro Ashino being unable to receive his Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship match, due to an arm injury, Ashino nominated Anzai to face Nagata in his place, however, AJPW decided that Anzai would face Ryuki Honda instead. On May 29 at AJPW Super Power Series, after defeating the top contender to the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship Ryuki Honda, Anzai confronted and challenged Yuji Nagata to a title match, after he successfully defended the title against Champion Carnival runner-up T-Hawk, with Nagata accepting the challenge. Afterwards, it was announced that Anzai would receive his title shot against Nagata on June 17. Where he to win the title, Anzai would have become the youngest Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion in history at 24 years old. At June 17 event, Anzai unsucessfully challenged Nagata for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. In August, Anzai took part in Pro Wrestling NOAH's 2023 N-1 Victory, finishing the tournament with a record of two wins and five losses, failing to advance to the finals of the tournament.
In November, Anzai formed a team with Ryuki Honda named "New Period". They took part in the 2023 World's Strongest Tag Determination League, finishing the tournament with a record of four wins, one draw and four losses, failing to win the tournament. On January 14, 2024, Anzai and Honda challenged The Saito Brothers (Jun and Rei Saito) to a title match for the World Tag Team Championship, which they failed to win on January 27. On February 7, Anzai and Honda made their debut in DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), facing Takeshi Masada and Rukiya in a winning effort. Later that night, New Period challenged Tetsuya Endo and Yuki Iino, who had just won the KO-D Tag Team Championship to a title match. Endo accepted, setting up their title match Judgment on March 17.
On February 20, Anzai challenged reigning Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Katsuhiko Nakajima to a title match, in a effort to bring back everyone's smile by capturing the title belt from the outsider. At DDT's Judgement, New Period failed to win the KO-D Tag Team Championship. On March 30 in second night of AJPW Dream Power Series, Anzai defeated Nakajima to win the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, with this victory, Anzai became the youngest Triple Crown Champion in history at 24 years and 48 days old, breaking Kento Miyahara's record at 26 years and 350 days old. He also became the fastest wrestler to win the title, with a year and a half of in-ring experience, following his professional wrestling debut. From April 18 and May 4, Anzai took part in the 2024 Champion Carnival, his first Champion Carnival. He finished the tournament with a record of four wins and two losses, failing to advance to finals of the tournament, after losing to Hideki Suzuki on the final day. On May 29, Anzai made his first successful title defense of the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship against Champion Carnival winner Kento Miyahara. Following the match, Anzai, and Ryuki Honda aligned themselves with Rising HAYATO and Ren Ayabe to form a stable. On June 24 at AJPW Dynamite Series, Anzai's new stable was named "ELPIDA" (meaning Hope in Greek). Shortly after, he avenged a loss suffered during the 2024 Champion Carnival by making his second successful title defense against Hideki Suzuki. He made his third title defense against Suwama on July 13. His fourth title defense saw him defeat ELPIDA stablemate Ryuki Honda on July 20 and his fifth title defense featured him defeating Rei Saito. He lost the title to Yuma Aoyagi on August 17, in his sixth title defense, ending his reign at 140 days. On September 14, Anzai took part in the 2024 Ōdō Tournament, being eliminated from the tournament in the first round by ELPIDA stablemate and eventual winner, Ren Ayabe. On October 13, Anzai and ELPIDA stablemate Rising HAYATO defeated MUSASHI and Seiki Yoshioka to win the All Asia Tag Team Championship. From November 13 until December 1, Anzai and HAYATO took part in the 2024 World's Strongest Tag Determination League, finishing the tournament, with a record of four wins and two losses, advancing to the semifinals of the tournament. On December 8, Anzai and HAYATO were defeated by Kento Miyahara and Davey Boy Smith Jr. in the semifinals.
In Wrestling[]
- Finishing moves
- Backdrop
- Arm-Trap Facelock - As a tribute to Mitsuharu Misawa
- German Suplex
- Gimlet (Wristlock single-arm side electric chair lift dropped into a sit-out powerbomb)
- Kneeling leghook cobra clutch
- Signature moves
- Body slam
- Boston crab
- Dropkick
- Moonsault
- Multiple suplex variations
- Belly-to-belly
- Butterfly
- Double Arm
- Dragon
- Exploder
- Snap
- Forearm smash
- Jumping bicycle knee strike
- Sleeper hold
- Nicknames
- "Mirai no Ace" ("Ace of the Future")
- Entrance themes
- "Root On" by Osamu Suzuki
Championships and accomplishments[]
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Rising HAYATO
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 284 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 of 2023
- Tokyo Sports
- Newcomer Award (2022)
- Special Award (2024)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Rookie of the Year (2023)