Kazusada Higuchi (樋口和貞, Higuchi Kazusada, born October 24, 1988)[3] is a former Japanese sumo wrestler and professional wrestler, working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), where he is a former KO-D Openweight Champion.[4]
| Kazusada Higuchi | |
|---|---|
 Higuchi in December 2023 | |
| Born | October 24, 1988[1] Monbetsu, Japan |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) |
|
| Billed height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2] |
| Billed weight | 110 kg (243 lb) |
| Debut | 2014 |
Sumo career
edit| Hokudōzan Kazusada | |
|---|---|
| 北道山 和貞 | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | Kazusada Higuchi 24 October 1988 Monbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan |
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Weight | 106 kg (234 lb) |
| Career | |
| Stable | Hakkaku |
| Record | 140-128-12 |
| Debut | March, 2007 |
| Highest rank | Makushita 45 (May, 2013) |
| Retired | January, 2014 |
| * Up to date as of April 1, 2023. | |
At Hokkaido Monbetsukita High School, he was the captain of the judo club. After winning third place in both the individual and team competitions at the 2006 All-Hokkaido High School Athletic Federation Tournament, he was scouted by the 8th Hakkaku oyakata (former yokozuna Hokutoumi) and started training in sumo wrestling at the Hakkaku stable.[5]
He made his professional debut in the March 2007 tournament (honbasho). He struggled for two years in the jonidan division before changing his ring name (shikona) from his real name to Hokudōzan (北道山), after the character Hokudōzan Tsuyoshi from the manga series Aah! Harimanada.[5] He then started to produce stronger results, was promoted to sandanme in July 2009, and eventually to makushita in November 2011. He reached his highest rank of makushita 45 in May 2013 and retired in January 2014.
According to a 2020 interview, he initially joined sumo as a way of preparing for a professional wrestling career.[6]
Professional wrestling career
editIndependent circuit (2014–present)
editHiguchi made his professional wrestling debut at DDT Pro-Wrestling's DDT Dramatic Fanclub Vol. 1, event from October 18, 2014, where he defeated Kota Umeda.[7] He worked a match at BJW/DDT/K-DOJO Toshikoshi Pro-Wrestling 2015, a cross-over event held between Big Japan Pro-Wrestling, DDT, and Kaientai Dojo from December 31, where he teamed up with Yoshihisa Uto, falling short to Harashima and Yuko Miyamoto in the Shuffle Tag Tournament.[8] Higuchi participated in the Block B of the Pro Wrestling Noah 2018 Global League, where he scored 6 points after facing Go Shiozaki, Kaito Kiyomiya, Muhammad Yone, Takashi Sugiura, Atsushi Kotoge, Maybach Taniguchi and Cody Hall.[9] At TJP The God Of Pro Wrestling - My Arms Fell! event of Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling from December 27, 2018, Higuchi teamed up with Antonio Honda in a losing effort to Disaster Box (Harashima and Yuki Ueno).[10] He worked a match for Evolve/WWN, at EVOLVE 125, from April 4, 2019, where he defeated Curt Stallion.[11] One day later, at WWNLive SuperShow - Mercury Rising 2019, on April 5, he challenged JD Drake for the WWN Championship but unsuccessfully.[12]
DDT Pro-Wrestling (2014–present)
editHiguchi is a multiple-time KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion, title which he won on different occasions. His first title reign began at Into The Fight 2016, where he teamed up with Kouki Iwasaki and Shunma Katsumata to defeat T2Hii (Kazuki Hirata, Sanshiro Takagi and Toru Owashi).[13] In the second reign, he held the titles with Kouki Iwasaki and Mizuki Watase, winning them at Best Western Lariat Series 2017 on January 22, by defeating Shuten-dōji (Kudo, Masahiro Takanashi and Yukio Sakaguchi) in a three-way tag team match also involving Antonio Honda, Konosuke Takeshita and Trans-Am★Hiroshi.[14] In the third reign, he won the titles alongside fellow Eruption stablemates Yukio Sakaguchi and Saki Akai at DDT TV Show! #7 from June 20, 2020.[15] Higuchi is also a KO-D Tag Team Champion, title which he won with Yukio Sakaguchi again under the Eruption banner, at Road to Ultimate Party 2020 on October 25.[16] At Judgement 2018: DDT 21st Anniversary, Higuchi teamed up with Daisuke Sekimoto as SekiGuchi to defeat Harashima and Naomichi Marufuji for the KO-D Tag Team Championship.[17]
On July 3, 2022, Higuchi won the 2022 King of DDT Tournament by defeating Naomi Yoshimura in the final, and consequently won the KO-D Openweight Championship.[18] He defended the title five times before eventually losing it to Yuji Hino on January 29, 2023, at Sweet Dreams! 2023.
Sumo career record
edit| Year | January Hatsu basho, Tokyo |
March Haru basho, Osaka |
May Natsu basho, Tokyo |
July Nagoya basho, Nagoya |
September Aki basho, Tokyo |
November Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | x | (Maezumo) | West Jonokuchi #25 5–2 |
East Jonidan #105 4–3 |
East Jonidan #77 5–2 |
West Jonidan #34 4–3 |
| 2008 | East Jonidan #11 3–4 |
East Jonidan #31 4–3 |
West Jonidan #6 3–4 |
West Jonidan #25 3–4 |
East Jonidan #48 3–4 |
West Jonidan #70 4–3 |
| 2009 | West Jonidan #47 3–4 |
West Jonidan #69 5–2 |
East Jonidan #25 5–2 |
East Sandanme #88 3–4 |
East Jonidan #7 3–4 |
West Jonidan #21 5–2 |
| 2010 | West Sandanme #84 3–4 |
West Sandanme #96 2–5 |
East Jonidan #26 5–2 |
West Sandanme #87 3–4 |
East Jonidan #5 4–3 |
West Sandanme #87 5–2 |
| 2011 | East Sandanme #53 4–3 |
West Sandanme #37 Tournament Cancelled –– |
West Sandanme #37 1–1–5 |
East Sandanme #61 4–3 |
West Sandanme #42 6–1 |
East Makushita #55 2–5 |
| 2012 | West Sandanme #21 1–6 |
East Sandanme #60 4–3 |
East Sandanme #44 4–3 |
West Sandanme #27 5–2 |
East Sandanme #2 4–3 |
East Makushita #55 4–3 |
| 2013 | West Makushita #46 3–4 |
East Makushita #56 4–3 |
West Makushita #45 1–6 |
West Sandanme #10 5–2 |
East Makushita #51 3–4 |
East Sandanme #5 1–6 |
| 2014 | East Sandanme #35 Retired 0–0–7 |
x | x | x | x | x |
| Record given as wins–losses–absences Top division champion Top division runner-up Retired Lower divisions Non-participation Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique Also shown: ★=Kinboshi; P=Playoff(s) |
||||||
Championships and accomplishments
edit- KO-D Openweight Championship (1 time)[18]
- KO-D Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Shigehiro Irie (1), Daisuke Sekimoto (1), Yukio Sakaguchi (1) and Naomi Yoshimura (1)[20]
- KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Shunma Katsumata and Kouki Iwasaki (1), Kouki Iwasaki and Mizuki Watase (1), Saki Akai and Yukio Sakaguchi (1), and Ryota Nakatsu and Yuki Ishida (1)[21]
- King of DDT Tournament (2022)[18]
- MVP Award (2022)
- Newcomer Award (2014)
- Ranked No. 4 on the top 10 of the 2015 Rookie Of The Year[23]
References
edit- ^ Saalbach, Axel. "Kazusada Higuchi/General Information". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Kazusada Higuchi-Personal Data". cagematch.de (in German). Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ 樋口和貞. DDT Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ Internet Wrestling Database (IWD). "Kazusada Higuchi • Profile & Match Listing". profightdb.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ a b "Kazusada Higuchi changed his name to "Hokudozan" - "I will make a fresh start and aim for the top"" 樋口和貞さん「北道山」に改名～「心機一転、上を目指します」 (in Japanese). Hokkai Minyu Newspaper. March 8, 2009. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ Shibata, Soichi (August 18, 2020). "Wrestler from Sumo wrestling background has reduced his consumption of rice from 6 cups to 1 cup, and is on his way to the top by losing weight and improving his diet" 米6合が1合に激減 相撲出身レスラーが減量と食事改善で頂点へ王手. Encount (in Japanese). Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ homura_keo (October 18, 2014). "10.18 DDT "DRAMATIC FANCLUB Limited Entertainment vol.1 ~ Shaking Hands with Us at Hanayashikiza ❤︎ ~" (Asakusa Hanayashiki Uchihanayashikiza Tournament) Summary". togetter.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ Dark angel (January 2, 2016). "BJW / DDT / K-Dojo: Results «Toshikoshi Pro Wrestling 2015» - 31/12/2015 - Daisuke Sekimoto and Konosuke Takeshita win the couples tournament". superluchas.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ Dark angel (October 12, 2018). "NOAH: Calendar of meetings for the «Global League 2018»". superluchas.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ Gascó, Carlos (December 31, 2018). "Resultados de Tokyo Joshi Pro del mes de diciembre". planetawrestling.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ Rev. Claire Elizabeth (April 4, 2019). "Evolve 125 live results: Theory vs. O'Reilly, Henry vs. Allin, and more!". cagesideseats.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ World Wrestling Network Inc. (April 5, 2019). "WWN Supershow: Mercury Rising 2019 – On Demand". wwnlive.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ [試合結果]《DDT》《Into The Fight 2016》《東京・後楽園ホール》[2016/02/28]｜週刊プロレス. Weekly Pro-Wrestling Mobile Premium (in Japanese). Retrieved February 9, 2021.
- ^ Dramatic Dream Team. ベストウェスタンラリアットシリーズ2017開幕戦 in レンブラントホテル東京町田. DDT Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved January 22, 2017.
- ^ Dramatic Dream Team (June 20, 2020). DDT TV SHOW！#7. DDT Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved June 20, 2020.
- ^ "Dramatic Dream Team Results". ddtpro.com (in Japanese). Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ Voices of Wrestling (March 22, 2018). "DDT JUDGEMENT 2018 (DDT 21ST ANNIVERSARY) PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS". voicesofwrestling.com. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c "DDT no tsuyosa no shōchō o seou Higuchi Kazusada ga KING OF DDT hatsuyūshō & KO-D Musabetsu-kyū Ōza hatsu taikan!" “DDTの強さの象徴”を背負う樋口和貞がKING OF DDT初優勝＆KO-D無差別級王座初戴冠！ [Kazusada Higuchi, the symbol of DDT's strength, wins the King of DDT for the first time and is crowned the KO-D Openweight Champion for the first time!]. battle-news.com (in Japanese). July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ "Hokudozan Kazusada Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ^ "KO-D (King Of DDT) Tag Team Title (Japan)". wrestling-titles.com. October 25, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ "KO-D (King Of DDT) 6-man Tag Team Title (Japan)". wrestling-titles.com. March 14, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ "The 33rd Annual PWI 500". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. 2023. ISSN 1043-7576.
- ^ -@mookieghana. "Wrestling Observer Awards (WON) 1980 - 2019 (and runner-ups)". sites.google.com. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
External links
edit- Kazusada Higuchi on Twitter
- Kazusada Higuchi's profile at Cagematch.net , Wrestlingdata.com , Internet Wrestling Database
