Yuya_Aoki_(wrestler)

Yuya Aoki (wrestler)

Yuya Aoki (wrestler)

Japanese professional wrestler

Yuya Aoki (青木優也, Aoki Yūya) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW).[1] He is a former BJW Junior Heavyweight Champion and Yokohama Shopping Street 6-Man Tag Team Champion.

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Professional wrestling career

Big Japan Pro Wrestling (2017–present)

With a background in sumo,[2] Aoki joined the Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) dojo in April 2016 after being scouted by Yuji Okabayashi whilst in high school.[2] He wrestled an exhibition match in November 2016 before making his official debut on January 17, 2017, in a losing effort against his mentor Okabayashi.[3][4] In May, he joined BJW's newly established junior heavyweight division, Strong J, and entered the tournament to crown the inaugural BJW Junior Heavyweight Championship.[5] On June 4, Aoki scored his first singles win in a shocking upset against veteran Shinobu.[6] Despite this, he would finish the tournament bottom of the standings having lost his four other matches. Having defeated the eventual champion Shinobu, he unsuccessfully challenged him to a title match on November 1.[7] In 2017, Aoki also made several appearances for major promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), including their 45th anniversary show.[8] In March 2018, Aoki entered his first Ikkitousen Strong Climb where he managed to pick up win over Yasufumi Nakanoue.[9] In August, he also entered his first Saikyo Tag League with Kazuki Hashimoto as part of the Strong Style Block; they picked up two wins and did not progress to the knockout stage. On October 8, after Hashimoto had defended his BJW Junior Heavyweight Championship against Tatsuhiko Yoshino, Aoki challenged him to a match at Ryōgokutan, BJW's annual Ryōgoku Kokugikan show, and backed up his claim when Aoki pinned Hashimoto in a six man tag on October 25.[10] At Ryōgokutan 2018, on November 11, Aoki lost to Hashimoto.[11] In Pro Wrestling Zero1 (Zero1), he participated in the 2019 Fire Festival and scored eight points in Block A with a win over Asuka and a draw against Super Tiger.[12] On September 15, Aoki defeated former WWE star Tajiri to win the BJW Junior Heavyweight Championship, the first championship of his career.[13] He made his first successful title defence at Ryōgokutan 2019, on November 4, defeating Kota Sekifuda, Tajiri and Tatsuhiko Yoshino in a four way match.[14] Aoki made three further successful title defences before entering the 2020 Ikkitousen Strong Climb. After only one win in three matches, Aoki's tournament was already over by March 23, however, the remaining tournament matches would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Aoki would finish joint last with Yasufumi Nakanoue and Takuya Nomura.[15] On October 21, Aoki lost the BJW Junior Heavyweight Championship to Tatsuhiko Yoshino.[16] After the match, Aoki declared his intentions to move up to the heavyweight division, Strong BJ.[1]

On December 26, he won the Yokohama Shopping Street 6-Man Tag Team Championship with Daichi Hashimoto and Hideyoshi Kamitani, defeating former champions Akira Hyodo, Daisuke Sekimoto and Takuho Kato.[17] On July 4, 2021, he unsuccessfully challenged Yasufumi Nakanoue for the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship.[18] On July 22, due to a brief absence of Hashimoto, the trio were forced to vacate their championship. Aoki and Kamitani attempted to regain the titles with Tatsuya Hanami but were unsuccessful.[19] On November 20, Aoki won the Exciting League, a round robin tournament featuring BJW's young talent, having gone undefeated in five matches.[20] On February 3, during a 2022 Ikkitousen Strong Climb tournament match against Daisuke Sekimoto, Aoki suffered a fractured left tibia and fibula.[21] He returned to the ring on August 7, losing a six man tag team match.[22][23]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. [1]
    "Yuya Aoki BJW profile". Big Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese).
  2. [2]
    "青木 優也さん | 大日本プロレスから初となる都筑区出身のプロレスラー | 都筑区". タウンニュース (in Japanese). 2017-05-18. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
  3. [3]
    "【大日本プロレス】1・17（火）BJウィンターバケーション2017全対戦カード発表！青木優也デビュー戦決定!". Proresu Today (in Japanese). January 10, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  4. [4]
    "「BJウィンターバケーション2017」Day1". Weekly Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). January 17, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  5. [5]
    "BJW認定ジュニアヘビー級王座新設、7・17両国大会で初代王者決定戦". bokupuro-ad.gsj.mobi. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
  6. [6]
    "初代ＢＪＷ認定ジュニアヘビー級王座決定リーグ戦". Weekly Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). June 4, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  7. [7]
    "後楽園大会". Weekly Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). November 1, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  8. [8]
    "8.27両国大会[観衆]6550人". All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  9. [9]
    "BJW Death Market 43". cagematch.net. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  10. [10]
    "「大日本プロレス･最侠タッグリーグ2018決勝戦」 東京･後楽園ホール大会". 大日本プロレス official website (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  11. [11]
    "【大日本】＜11.11両極譚＞岡林復帰！ストロングは関本が奪還！デスマッチは高橋が新王者に返り咲く！復活045邪猿気違'sをA小林&伊東組が返り討ち！！ | プロレスTODAY" (in Japanese). 2018-11-11. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  12. [12]
    Dark angel (June 27, 2019). "Zero1: "Fire Festival 2019" The fight for the sword of fire begins". superluchas.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  13. [13]
    Dark angel (September 24, 2019). "BJW: "Big Japan Death Vegas 2019" 3 individual titles up for grabs". superluchas.com. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  14. [14]
    "関本大介、デビュー２０周年記念マッチでＷＷＥＵＫ王者のウォルターに感謝「最高のパートナー。両国にビッグバンを起こしてくれた」…両国大会全成績". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  15. [15]
    Dark Angelita (April 21, 2020). "BJW: "Big Japan Hokkaido Tour 2020" Ikkitousen semi-finalists ready". Superluchas. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  16. [16]
    "BJW Death Match, Strong & Junior 3 Major Title Matches". cagematch.net. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  17. [17]
    ""Yokohama Shopping Street 6-Man Tag Team Championship history"". Big Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  18. [18]
    angel, Dark (2021-07-13). "BJW: "Osaka Surprise 52" Yasufumi Nakanoue achieves his fourth defense | Superfights". en.superluchas.com. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  19. [19]
    "BJW 22.07.2021". cagematch.net. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  20. [20]
    "【優勝は5勝0敗、全勝の青木優也！】大日本プロレス エキサイティングリーグ「goes on rock～五臓六腑～」最終結果". 大日本プロレス official website (in Japanese). 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  21. [21]
    "【大日本】関本戦で負傷アクシデントの青木優也は左脛骨、左腓骨骨折 復帰時期は未定（東スポWeb）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-02-05.
  22. [22]
    "【大日本】青木優也が8.7(日)後楽園ホール大会で復帰 | プロレスTODAY" (in Japanese). 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  23. [23]
    "【大日本】神谷とA小林が「流血無双トーナメント」決勝進出！＜8.7後楽園＞ | プロレスTODAY" (in Japanese). 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  24. [24]
    "BJW Junior Heavyweight Title History". wrestling-titles.com. December 30, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  25. [25]
    "「大日本プロレス上野大会」3日目･第3部～BJWシャッフルタッグトーナメント～東京･上野恩賜公園野外ステージ(水上音楽堂)大会". 大日本プロレス official website (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  26. [26]
    Ruth, Sondra (September 14, 2023). "Complete 2023 PWI 500 List Revealed, Top NJPW Star Absent". tjrwrestling.net. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
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