Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Real Name: Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 190 lbs.
Date of Birth: September 23, 1976
Hometown: Kōfu, Yamanashi (Japan)
Pro Debut: January 20, 1996
Trained By: AJPW Dojo
Finishing Move: Touch Out
Biography
– Kanemaru wrestled his first match in January 1996, contesting a battle royal at an All Japan event in Kofu
– As is tradition, Kanemaru served most of the first year of his career in Japan as an enhancement talent
– Kanemaru won his first match on January 3, 1997, teaming with Mighty Inoue to defeat Kentaro Shiga & Satoru Asako
– Kanemaru won the 2000 AJPW Asunaro Cup, defeating Naomichi Marufuji in the final
– On July 28, 2000, Kanemaru & Masao Inoue defeated Gedo & Jado to win the WEW Tag Team Titles
– Kanemaru joined the exodus from All Japan to form Pro Wrestling NOAH in August 2000
– At NOAH’s Great Voyage 2000 PPV, Kanemaru, Takeshi Morishima & Kentaro Shiga defeated Masao Inoue, Takeshi Rikio & Takashi Sugiura
– Kanemaru became the first GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion, defeating Juventud Guerrera in the final of a tournament on June 24, 2001
– On July 27, Kanemaru defeated Donovan Morgan to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On September 5, Kanemaru defeated Satoru Asako to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On May 26, 2002, Kanemaru defeated KENTA in the final of a tournament to regain the vacant GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On July 26, Kanemaru defeated Takashi Sugiura to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On August 29, Kanemaru & Tsuyoshi Kikuchi defeated Jushin Liger & Minoru Tanaka to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On September 23, Kanemaru & Kikuchi defeated Masayuki Naruse & El Samurai to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On October 12, Kanemaru & Kikuchi defeated Takashi Sugiura & KENTA to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On October 19, Kanemaru defeated Kikuchi to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On November 24, Kanemaru & Kikuchi defeated Michael Modest & Donovan Morgan to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On December 1, Kanemaru defeated KENTA to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On December 7, Kanemaru & Kikuchi defeated TEAM2000 (Gedo & Jado) to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On July 10, 2004, Kanemaru defeated Jushin Liger to regain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On September 10, Kanemaru defeated Low Ki to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On October 24, Kanemaru defeated TAKA Michinoku to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On December 4, Kanemaru defeated Takashi Sugiura to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On January 8, 2005, Kanemaru defeated Tatushito Takaiwa to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On May 17, Kanemaru defeated Kotaro Suzuki to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On June 5, Kanemaru & Takashi Sugiura defeated Naomichi Marufuji & KENTA to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On August 27, Kanemaru & Sugiura defeated Richard Slinger & Low Ki to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On December 14, Kanemaru & Sugiura defeated Ricky Marvin & Kotaro Suzuki to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On August 13, 2006, Kanemaru & Takashi Sugiura defeated Ikuto Hidaka & Minoru Fujita to regain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On December 10, Kanemaru & Sugiura defeated Tokyo Gurentai (NOSAWA Rongai & MAZADA) to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On October 27, 2007, Kanemaru defeated Mushiking Terry to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On November 19, Kanemaru defeated Ricky Marvin to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On January 6, 2008, Kanemaru defeated Rocky Romero to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On May 17, Kanemaru defeated Magnitude Kishiwada to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On June 21, Kanemaru defeated Jay Briscoe to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On July 13, Kanemaru & Kotaro Suzuki defeated Taiji Ishimori & KENTA to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On July 18, Kanemaru defeated Taiji Ishimori to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On September 27, Kanemaru & Kotaro Suzuki defeated NO LIMIT (Tetsuya Naito & Yujiro) to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On December 7, Kanemaru & Suzuki defeated Taiji Ishimori & KENTA to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On April 25, Kanemaru & Suzuki (now named ‘Disobey’) defeated Atsushi Aoki & Akihiko Ito to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– Disobey won the 2009 Nippon TV Junior Heavyweight Tag League, defeating Kota Ibushi & Atsushi Aoki in the final
– On September 12, Disobey defeated Kensuke Office (Katsuhiko Nakajima & Kento Miyahara) to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On October 3, Disobey defeated Gedo & Jado to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– Kanemaru won the 2009 NOAH Junior Heavyweight League, defeating Jushin Liger in the final, and with it, the vacant GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On December 6, Disobey (Kanemaru & Kotaro Suzuki) defeated Taiji Ishimori & Ricky Marvin to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On March 28, 2010, Kanemaru defeated Taiji Ishimori to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On April 25, Kanemaru defeated Delirious to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On July 10, Kanemaru defeated Naomichi Marufuji to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– At NOAH’s 10th Anniversary Show, Disobey (Kanemaru, Mohammed Yone & Genba Hirayanagi) defeated Akitoshi Saito, Takuma Sano & Masashi Aoyagi
– On July 30, Kanemaru defeated Emil Sitoci at a wXw show in Germany to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– At IPW:UK’s 6th Anniversary Show, Kanemaru defeated Zack Sabre Jr to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On September 26, Kanemaru defeated KENTA to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On May 25, 2011, No Mercy (Kanemaru & KENTA) defeated ANMU (Atsushi Aoki & Kotaro Suzuki) to win the vacant GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On August 24, No Mercy defeated ANMU to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– At the NJPW/AJPW/NOAH All Together 2012 event, Kanemaru, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Shuji Kondo & Kaz Hayashi defeated Jushin Liger, Kotaro Suzuki, Minoru Tanaka & KAI
– On May 9, 2012, Kanemaru defeated Katsuhiko Nakajima to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title for a sixth time
– On June 3, Kanemaru defeated Atsushi Kotoge to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On July 22, Kanemaru defeated Christopher Daniels to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On August 25, Kanemaru defeated Super Crazy to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– Kanemaru’s NOAH contract expired at the end of 2012 and he announced that he would be leaving the promotion in protest at their treatment of Kenta Kobashi
– In January 2013, Kanemaru announced that he would be rejoining All Japan, forming the ‘Burning’ stable alongside fellow ex-NOAH wrestlers Jun Akiyama & Kotaro Suzuki
– On February 23, 2013, Kanemaru defeated Shuji Kondo to win the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Title
– On March 17, Kanemaru defeated Kaz Hayashi to retain the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Title
– On April 26, Kanemaru defeated SUSHI to retain the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Title
– On June 2, Kanemaru defeated Hiroshi Yamato to retain the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Title
– On June 30, Kanemaru defeated Minoru Tanaka to retain the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Title
– On August 25, Kanemaru defeated Hikaru Sato to retain the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Title
– On October 27, Kanemaru defeated SUSHI to retain the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Title
– On November 24, Kanemaru defeated Kotaro Suzuki to retain the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Title
– On January 26, 2014, Burning (Kanemaru & Jun Akiyama) defeated Xceed (Atsushi Aoki & Kotaro Suzuki) to win the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles
– On February 23, Burning defeated Menso-re Oyaji & SUSHI to retain the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles
– On March 18, Burning defeated Team Dream Futures (Keisuke Ishii & Soma Takao) to retain the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles
– On March 29, Burning defeated Dark Kingdom (Mitsuya Nagai & Takeshi Minamino) to retain the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles
– On March 22, 2015, Kanemaru & Ultimo Dragon defeated Dark Kingdom (Mitsuya Nagai & Takeshi Minamino) to win the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles
– On May 6, Kanemaru & Dragon defeated Jun Akiyama & SUSHI to retain the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles
– In October 2015, Kanemaru & Dragon vacated the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Titles, with Kanemaru announcing his intention to become a freelancer at the end of the year
– In January 2016, Kanemaru rejoined Pro Wrestling NOAH, joining up with the invading Suzuki-gun stable
– On February 24, 2016, Kanemaru defeated Taiji Ishimori to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On March 19, Kanemaru defeated Taiji Ishimori to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On May 4, Kanemaru defeated Hajime Ohara to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– On May 28, Kanemaru defeated Hitoshi Kumano to retain the GHC Junior Heavyweight Title
– The Suzuki-gun invasion of NOAH ended in December 2016 and Kanemaru followed the stable back to NJPW
– At NJPW’s 45th Anniversary Show, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru & Taichi) defeated Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero & Beretta) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– At Sakura Genesis 2017, Suzuki-gun defeated World Class Tag Team (Gedo & Jado) to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– At New Year Dash 2018, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru, El Desperado, TAKA Michinoku, Takashi Iizuka & Taichi) defeated Jushin Liger, Togi Makabe, Tiger Mask, Toa Henare & Hirai Kawato
– At The New Beginning in Osaka 2018, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru & El Desperado) defeated Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH)
– At NJPW’s 46th Anniversary Show, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru & El Desperado) defeated Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) and Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– At Sakura Genesis 2018, Suzuki-gun defeated Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) and Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– At Dominion 2018, Suzuki-gun defeated Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– At Destruction in Beppu 2018, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru, El Desperado & Zack Sabre Jr) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, EVIL & SANADA)
– At King Of Pro Wrestling 2018, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru & El Desperado) defeated Jushin Liger & Tiger Mask to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– At New Year Dash 2019, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr, El Desperado & Taichi) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, EVIL & SANADA)
– At The New Beginning in Sapporo 2019, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru, El Desperado & Taichi) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI)
– At Abdullah The Butcher’s Japanese retirement show, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru, TAKA Michinoku & Taichi) defeated Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Masanobu Fuchi & Yuma Aoyagi
– At Wrestling Dontaku 2019 day 1, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru, El Desperado, TAKA Michinoku & Minoru Suzuki) defeated Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & YOSHI-HASHI
– At Wrestling Dontaku 2019 day 2, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru, El Desperado, TAKA Michinoku, Minoru Suzuki & Taichi) defeated Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi, Jeff Cobb, Toa Henare & YOSHI-HASHI
– At Destruction in Kobe 2019, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr & DOUKI) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask & Rocky Romero
– At King Of Pro Wrestling 2019, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru & El Desperado) defeated Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH)
– At New Year Dash 2020, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru & El Desperado) defeated Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH), BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo) and Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI)
– At Dominion 2020, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru, El Desperado & DOUKI) defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Yuya Uemura & Master Wato
– On September 11, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru & El Desperado) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) in the final of a tournament to win the vacant IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On November 1, Suzuki-gun defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– At Wrestle Kingdom 15, Suzuki-gun defeated Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– On February 25, 2021, Suzuki-gun defeated BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo) to regain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles, having lost them barely a month earlier, but would lose them to Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) in March
– At Wrestle Grand Slam in Saitama 2021, Suzuki-gun defeated BULLET CLUB (Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo) to regain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
– At Power Struggle 2021, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru & DOUKI) defeated Kosei Fujita & Ryohei Oiwa
– At TAKA Michinoku’s 30th Anniversary Show, Suzuki-gun (Kanemaru, TAKA Michinoku, Minoru Suzuki & DOUKI) defeated Hikaru Sato, Genta Yubari, Akira Jumonji & Hideki Sekine
– At Jun Akiyama’s 30th Anniversary Show, Kanemaru, Jun Akiyama & Tetsuya Endo defeated Yuji Nagata, Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata
– At the 2022 NJPW/Stardom X-Over event, Kanemaru, Taichi, Natsupoi & Tam Nakano defeated El Desperado, DOUKI, Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid
– Suzuki-gun disbanded at the end of 2022, though Kanemaru, Taichi, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku would continue as a unit, now named ‘Just 4 Guyz’
– At New Year Dash 2023, Just 4 Guyz (Kanemaru, Taichi & DOUKI) defeated The United Empire (Will Ospreay, Francesco Akira & TJP)
– In late-March 2023, Just 4 Guys added SANADA to their ranks, becoming Just 5 Guys
– At Sakura Genesis 2023, Just 5 Guys (DOUKI, Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI)
– At Capital Collision 2023, Just 5 Guys (Kanemaru & SANADA) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi)
– At Collision in Philadelphia, Just 5 Guys (Kanemaru & SANADA) defeated Rocky Romero & Homicide
– At Wrestling Dontaku 2023, Just 5 Guys (Kanemaru, Taichi & DOUKI) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI)
