Shinjiro Otani

Shinjiro Otani
Ring name(s)	Mr. Otani (Europe) Shinjiro Otani ACHICHI
Billed height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Billed weight	102 kg (220 lb)[1]
Born	July 21, 1972 (1972-07-21) (age 39) Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
Resides	Tokyo, Japan
Trained by	Animal Hamaguchi Hiroshi Hase Kensuke Sasaki
Debut	June 25, 1992

Shinjiro Otani (大谷晋二郎, born July 21, 1972) is a Japanese professional wrestler contracted to Pro Wrestling ZERO1. Otani is also the acting President of the company.

Career

New Japan Pro Wrestling (1992-2001)

Otani was the fifth WCW World Cruiserweight Champion, defeating Wild Pegasus in a tournament final to be crowned champion on March 20, 1996. This was the start of his push as a legitimate junior heavyweight contender. Over the years, Otani earned the J-Crown^[1] and was also part of the first IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions with Tatsuhito Takaiwa.

In 2000, New Japan booker Riki Chōshū, eager to push his protege Kensuke Sasaki above everyone else, downgraded the junior heavyweight members to mere jobbers for the heavyweights. Otani protested and was sent abroad to bulk up. Returning in 2001 as a full-fledged heavyweight, Otani challenged Sasaki for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but failed.^[1]

Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE (2001-present)

He then joined Shinya Hashimoto in creating their own promotion, Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, where he became one of the top stars after Hashimoto's departure in 2004 and subsequent death. During the company's relaunch following Hashimoto's death it was re-named to Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX. In ZERO1 he formed a tag team with Masato Tanaka called Emblem;^[1] Team Emblem (as they were later known) would appear in the US promotion Ultimate Pro Wrestling, and include Keiji Sakoda. This tag team has formed, disbanded, and reformed numerous times during Otani's time in ZERO1. EMBLEM would go on to win the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (ZERO1's top Tag Team Title Belt) two times. (Otani has held that title 4 times) Otani has won ZERO1's annual round-robin tournament the Fire Festival three separate times (2001, 2002, 2005). On January 22, 2006, Otani defeated Steve Corino for the AWA Superstars of Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship.^[2] On December 24th, 2007 it was announced by ZERO1's parent company FIRST ON STAGE that Otani would become the President of ZERO1. Otani took office officially on January 23, 2007, replacing previous President Yoshiyuki Nakamura who became Director of FIRST ON STAGE. He defeated Yuji Nagata on February 27, 2009 to win the ZERO1 World Heavyweight Championship.

In wrestling

Otani in a HUSTLE match with Monster C

• Finishing moves
  • Bridging dragon suplex
  • King Cobra Clutch (Bridging cobra clutch or a cobra clutch with bodyscissors)^[1]
  • Spiral Bomb (Spinning sitout powerbomb pin)
  • Springboard dropkick

• Signature moves
  • Facewash
  • Kneebar
  • Rolling savate kick
  • Springboard leap into either a DDT, a spinning wheel kick or a plancha

Championships and accomplishments

Otani stomping on Tajiri.

• New Japan Pro Wrestling
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Tatsuhito Takaiwa
  • J-Crown (1 time)
  • NWA World Welterweight Championship (2 times)
  • UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • UWA World Welterweight Championship (1 time)
  • WCW Cruiserweight Championship (1 time)
  • WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Pro Wrestling Zero1
  • AWA Superstars of Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Yuki Ishikawa (1), Masato Tanaka (2), Akebono (1) and Takao Ōmori (1)
  • Zero1 World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • Fire Festival (2001, 2002, 2005, 2010^[3])
  • Furinkazan (2009) - with Akebono (2009)

• Premier Wrestling Federation
  • PWF Universal Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Masato Tanaka^[4]

• PREMIUM
  • Yuke's Cup Tag Tournament (2008) – with Hiroyoshi Tenzan

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI also ranked him #42 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Tatsuhito Takaiwa in 2003

• Wrestle Association "R"
  • WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tatsuhito Takaiwa

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • Best Technical Wrestler (1999)
  • Tag Team of the Year (1998) with Tatsuhito Takaiwa

¹The championship was won in Tokyo, Japan as part of an interpromotional card between New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling.

External links

• ZERO1 USA English language website
• ZERO1 Japanese language website

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f} PWI Staff (October, 2004). "Pro Wrestling llustrated 500 - 2004 :87 Shinjiro Ohtani". Pro Wrestling Illustrated (Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, USA: Sports and Entertainment publications LLC): p. 27. December 2004. 
2. ^ Brady, Hicks. "2006: The year in wrestling" (in English). 2007 Edition (Kappa Publications): p. 17. 
3. ^ http://www.puroresumission.com/tournaments/zero1_firefestival.html
4. ^ "Independent Wrestling Results - November 2002". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/other/2002-11.html. Retrieved 2008-07-06. 

Persondata
Name	Otani, Shinjiro
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 21, 1972
Place of birth	Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
Date of death
Place of death