Minoru Fujita
Fujita in February 2020
Born (1977-09-05) September 5, 1977
Onoda, Yamaguchi, Japan
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Minoru Fujita
Great Minoru Fujita
Mitaro Fujita
Mr. X
Red Onigumo
HERO!
Billed height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Billed weight80 kg (176 lb)
Trained byKazuo Sakurada
Yoshihiro Tajiri
DebutApril 11, 1997

Minoru Fujita (藤田 穣, Fujita Minoru, ring name: 藤田 ミノル)[1][2] (born September 5, 1977) is a Japanese professional wrestler who works as a freelancer. He is known for working at Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling. He is the current Super Asia Champion in his first reign.[3]

Career

Japanese independent scene (1997-present)

Fujita started in Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) as a protégé of its top junior heavyweight, Yoshihiro Tajiri. When Tajiri, who was Big Japan junior heavyweight champion, quit the company and gave up the title, Fujita had a decision match against Katsumi Usuda from the Battlarts promotion but ended up losing.

Fujita spent his time leaving Big Japan to venture into other Japanese independents, meeting Ikuto Hidaka of Battlarts along the way and making memorable tag team matches with him. The combination, however, despite their combined talent, could not have a future due to their separate schedules; Fujita tried a move to Michinoku Pro Wrestling in 2000, but despite the higher exposure, it did little for him financially and did not raise his stock as a viable junior heavyweight contender.

He thus headed for Mexico and Puerto Rico, where he won his first major title, the International Wrestling Association junior heavyweight title. Returning to Japan in 2002, he entered New Japan Pro-Wrestling (to which he had been once before, in a Best of the Super Junior tournament), to challenge the heavyweight division, but nothing came out of it. He then headed to Taka Michinoku's Kaientai Dojo promotion, but despite being promoted as a tough-to beat heel, he was never able to win titles there.

A change of pace came in 2004 when he joined Pro Wrestling Zero-One (Zero-One), where old friend Hidaka awaited. The two began teaming more frequently and this time they clicked, collecting several tag team titles along the way. Their greatest victory came in March 2006, when they defeated Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah) stars Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Takashi Sugiura to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. Since then Fujita has been a rising star in Japan and has finally shed the "underachiever" tag he was saddled with by foreign observers of puroresu.

Fujita defeated Baliyan Akki on the day 2 of the 100th Anniversary of Chocopro on March 28, 2021 to win the Super Asia Championship.[3]

Championships and accomplishments

Fujita with one of the Tohoku Tag Team Championship belts.
Fujita in 2010.
  • Kohaku Wrestling Wars
  • Premier Wrestling Federation
  • PWF Unified Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ikuto Hidaka

References

  1. ↑ "Minoru Fujita profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2012-11-06.
  2. ↑ "Profile at Puroresu Central". Puroresu Central. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
  3. 1 2 3 "New Champion Crowned on Day 2 of Chocopro #100!". TDE Wrestling Twitter.
  4. ↑ "H27.7.29 東京・新木場1stRing大会". Pro Wrestling Freedoms (in Japanese). 2015-07-29. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
  5. ↑ 2021.2.9 東京・後楽園ホール. pw-freedoms.co.jp (in Japanese). February 9, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2006". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  7. ↑ 【試合結果】9･27 東京愚連隊興行新宿Face大会 【東京世界ヘビー級】望月成晃vsNosawa論外 【東京インターコンチネンタルタッグ】ディック東郷＆獅龍vsMazada＆Fujita. Battle News (in Japanese). 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2017-09-29.
  8. ↑ "Fujitaが高木に、論外＆Mazadが大阪06に勝利し、ベルトが愚連隊に勢揃い！世界一性格の悪い神の子が降臨！". Battle News (in Japanese). 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2013-01-16.
  9. ↑ 東京スポーツ プロレス大賞. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-01-20.
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