Koji Kanemoto (b. Kim Il Sung on October 31, 1966) is a
Japanese Professional Wrestler. He first started as a highschool judoka before joining
New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where his promising junior status, enthusiasm and skill granted him the honor of being the third wrestler to wear the
Tiger Mask (the second in NJPW) after an excursion to learn lucha libre in México. He played the character until losing a máscara contra máscara against
Jushin Thunder Liger in 1994, after which he reverted to his true name and gained his long awaited freedom to choose his own wrestling style. Kanemoto became the junior division's young punk, combining high-flying with
shoot-style learned under Kazuo Yamazaki and a lot of violence, and embarked in a prestigious and cosmopolite career. He eventually switched to
All Japan Pro Wrestling in 2013, later following
Keiji Mutoh to WRESTLE-1 shortly after, until becoming a freelancer. He currently works mostly in
Pro Wrestling NOAH.
"Junior Tropes"
- Alliterative Name
- Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: His gimmick is that of an arrogant brawler. Also has this reputation in real life, as there was a time where he like to legitimately brutalize every wrestler from a different company he wrestled against in NJPW.
- Bash Brothers: With Minoru Tanaka (as Junior Stars).
- Cool Mask: As Tiger Mask III.
- Expy: During their tenure together in NJPW, Kanemoto and Tanaka were officially considered the second coming of the old tag team of Akira Maeda and Nobuhiko Takada. Of the two, Kanemoto was the equivalent of Maeda, another Zainichi shoot-stylist with an attitude and fearsome stiff kicks.
- Finishing Move: Ankle hold and variations, tiger suplex, moonsault and falcon arrow.
- I Know Judo: Practiced it during his high school days and won a few championships as a professional before being recruited by the NJPW Dojo. He also trained in shoot style with Kazuo Yamazaki and also trained in Kickboxing.
- Kick the Dog:
- When he was booked to lose to WAR's Yuji Yasuraoka in 1998, Kanemoto decided he didn't like to to job to a guest wrestler, so he shot on Yuji to teach him a lesson. He broke his jaw with a kick, thrashed him around the ring while Yuji cried, and even forced him to do a clearly unscripted tiger superplex that injured Yuji's shoulder, before actually allowing Yasuraoka to win with a roll-up. The match was so infamous that angry WAR fans damaged Kanemoto's car in revenge, and it might have also played a part in the injuries that forced Yasuraoka to retire the following year. (Kanemoto claims had no intention of injuring him, as he was aiming to throw Yasuraoku in way that he would land on his front, and has also apologized to Yasuraoka if the match really led to his retirement.)
- In 2000, the previous situation almost repeated when CIMA and Sumo Dandy Fujii were brought from Toryumon to work a star eight-man match in NJPW. Kanemoto claimed openly that he would send them to the hospital, so CIMA and Fujii refused to work with him and tagged out everytime Kanemoto tagged in. He would criticize them further in the press conference after the bout, calling them gutless and phonies.
- Legacy Character: Was the third Tiger Mask after Satoru Sayama and Mitsuharu Misawa.
- Mr. Fanservice: He is a good-looking guy and was apparently great with the female crowd, who sent him flowers and gifts often.
- Non-Indicative Name: Contrary to popular belief, Kanemoto has never used the Koji clutch in the ring and might not even be its creator. The move was first used by Christopher Daniels in Total Nonstop Action, where Mike Tenay randomly claimed it was named Koji clutch because it was invented by Koji Kanemoto, and from there the notion became part of the independent circuit lore.
- Power Stable: Team 2000
- Red Baron: "The Junior Star", "Junior Charisma", "Kenka Bancho" ("The Brawling Gangleader"), "Puroresu Kai no Aniki" ("The Big Brother of the Pro Wrestling World").
- Signature Move: IV Kneelock (figure four kneebar) since 2007. Also the facewash.
- Ur-Example:
- The first New Japan junior heavyweight wrestler to battle for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship (the first was MMA legend Bas Rutten).
- He supposedly innovated the Koji Clutch and passed it to Christopher Daniels in his Curry Man Days in NJPW.
- Wrestling Family: Was once married to Joshi wrestler Hikaru.
