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 Title History:
All Asia Tag Team Title (1):
WAR 6 Man Tag Team Title (1):
Tournament History:
- WAR 6 Man Tag Team Title Tournament (1996): Nobuhiko Takada, Naoki Sano & Masahito Kakihara beat Hiromichi Fuyuki, Jado & Gedo (12:35) when Takada used a cross armbreaker on Gedo.
Signature Moves:
- Inazuma leg lariat
Profile: Throughout his boyhood, Masahito Kakihara was absorbed in track and field events. He passed the third newcomer test of Akira Maeda's UWF and made his professional wrestling debut in August, 1990. UWF quickly collapsed though, and he joined it's successor, UWF International, in 1991. He rose up the ranks there and became a top prospect, even defeating Kensuke Sasaki in a singles match during the New Japan vs. UWF-I series. When UWF-I collapsed at the end of 1996, he joined Nobuhiko Takada's Kingdom group, but soon moved on to All Japan, where he wrestled as a freelancer from February, 1998. He formally joined All Japan in 1999, and became an ally of Mitsuharu Misawa, following Misawa to form Pro Wrestling NOAH in mid-2000. He surprisingly left the promotion after one show, soon returning to All Japan, where he formed a team with Mitsuya Nagai named Team Strongs. Once again though, he was soon on the move, entering New Japan in October, 2001. In January, 2002, he signed a New Japan contract, and became a prominent wrestler in the junior division. After several failed challenges for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title, Kakihara seemed to be stuck in a never-changing role, but he surprised many by winning the 2003 Best of the Super Jr. tournament. After being dogged by injuries for several years, Kakihara decided to call it a day in 2006, retiring in May against Koji Kanemoto and receiving a big send-off involving New Japan and former UWF/UWF-I wrestlers. After a rollercoaster career, Kakihara settled down in New Japan, where he ended his days as a pro wrestler. A skilled technician, Kakihara used lightning fast kicks and a diverse range of submissions to great effect.
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