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 Title History:
IWGP Heavyweight Title (1):
IWGP Tag Team Title (7):
HCW Kamehameha Heritage Title (1):
NWA Heavyweight Title (1):
NWA Central States Television Title (1):
Tournament History:
- Young Lion Cup 1987: Masahiro Chono beat Shinya Hashimoto (14:11) with an inside cradle.
Signature Moves:
- Butterfly Lock
Profile: Masahiro Chono joined New Japan in April, 1984, part of a famous dojo class that included his eternal rivals, Keiji Muto and Shinya Hashimoto. He became a disciple of the great Antonio Inoki, learning skills from the master of Strong Style to help him become a stronger fighter. A few months after defeating Hashimoto to win the 1987 Young Lion Cup, he left on a long overseas excursion to North America, where he gained much knowledge and won his first title. He returned home in October, 1989, and quickly found success with Muto, the two defeating Masa Saito & Hashimoto to win the IWGP Tag Team Title in April, 1990. Chono defeated Muto to win the first ever G1 Climax in 1991, the two having one of the greatest matches in history, one that made both men superstars. Following the match, Chono, Muto, and Hashimoto stood in the ring and roared Inoki's famous "1-2-3-DA!" catchphrase, and a new era was born, with the "Three Musketeers" taking charge. Chono became known as Mr. G1 because of his dominance of the tournament in it's early days, and a fourth victory in the 2002 installment furthered the legitimacy of that billing. In the latter stages of 1994, Chono began to wear black and developed a bad attitude, showing an aggressive and devious side and shedding the "good boy" image he had previously. In February, 1995, he formed a fighting faction with Hiro Saito and new disciple, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, the three rebelling against New Japan's internal structure. Chono later joined the world famous nWo (New World Order) after appearing on the 12/16/96 edition of WCW Nitro and crushing Chris Jericho. With the endorsement of one of his biggest fans, Eric Bischoff, Chono created and led nWo Japan, a revolutionary force in New Japan that brought the company to it's knees, and almost took over completely. After bickering with co-member and rival, Keiji Muto, Chono split from the nWo and formed Team 2000, but would later absorb every nWo Japan member besides Muto into his army. In more recent times, Chono has continued to rebel against authority with several heel armies, but his anti-New Japan stance is not as fierce as it once was, and he defended the company in both the 2002 and 2005 G1 Climax tournaments, beating foreign enemies Yoshihiro Takayama and Kazuyuki Fujita respectively to continue the Mr. G1 tradition. Chono is an icon in Japan, a name recognizable in the mainstream, and the main lifeforce behind New Japan. The master of the STF and a true legend, Chono is still one of the strongest wrestlers in Japan, and also remains one of the most popular.
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