is a Japanese

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

and former kickboxer, who competed in the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions of

K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...

. He was a one-time K-1 Cruiserweight title challenger, having challenged for the title in 2020. In 2023, he took up professional wrestling, training at the Ibushi Prowrest Lab, and made his debut for

Gleat Gleat (stylized as GLEAT and pronounced as "great") is a Japanese professional wrestling and mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2020 by former Pro Wrestling Noah parent company Lidet Entertainment after the acquisition of Noah and DDT Pr ...

on December 30, under the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...

, and later under his real name.

Kickboxing career

BigBang

Early career

Aitaka made his promotional debut with BigBang against Lin Wuzhong at Bigbang 17 on June 1, 2014. He lost the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 30–29, 30–28, 30–29. The first professional loss of his career would be followed by the first stoppage loss of his career, as Aitaka lost by a first-round knockout to Andrew Peck at HEAT 33 on September 7, 2014, who knocked him out with a head kick. Aitaka returned to BigBang for his next bout, as he was booked to face Taichi Furuta at Bigbang 19 on December 7, 2014. He won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 30–29、30–28、30–29. Aitaka was then booked to face Nangoku Chojin at SHOOT BOXING 2015 - 30th Anniversary act.1 on February 21, 2015. He lost the fight by a third-round technical knockout. Aitaka faced Atsushi Ogasawara at Bigbang 21 on June 7, 2015. He notched his first stoppage victory with the promotion, as he knocked Ogasawara with a right straight midway through the opening round. Aitaka faced Shinya Uemura, in his third fight of the year, at Bigbang 22 on September 6, 2015. He won the fight by a first-round knockout, needing just over two minutes to stop his opponent. Aitaka faced Devin Pipose at Bigbang 23 on December 6, 2015, in his final fight of the year. He won the fight by majority decision. Aitaka faced Ryo Takigawa at Bigbang 24 on February 21, 2016. He won the fight by a second-round technical knockout. Aitaka was next booked to face Xue Wu at Bigbang 25 on June 5, 2016. He won the fight by a second-round technical knockout, extending his winning streak to five consecutive fights.

BigBang Heavyweight champion

His five-fight winning streak earned Aitaka a place in the 2016 BigBang Heavyweight tournament, held to crown the promotions' inaugural champion. Aitaka faced -NORI- in the semifinal bout of the four-man tournament, which took place at Bigbang 26 on September 4, 2016. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Aitaka advanced to the final, held at Bigbang 27 on December 4, 2016, where he faced Taichi Furuta. Aitaka and Furuta previously fought at Bigbang 19 on December 7, 2014, with Aitaka winning by unanimous decision. He was equally successful in their second meeting, as he once again won by unanimous decision, with scores of 30–29、30–28、30–29. Aitaka made his first BigBang heavyweight title defense against Kousuke Jitsukata at Bigbang Isehara on October 8, 2017. He won the fight by a second-round knockout, stopping Jitsukata with a left hook in the very last second of the round. Aitaka made his

debut against Taichi Furuta at K-1 Cruiserweight Championship on November 22, 2017, in the reserve bout of the 2017 K-1 Heavyweight tournament. He won the fight by a first-round technical knockout, after he had knocked Furuta down twice by the 2:17 minute mark. Aitaka made his second BigBang heavyweight title defense against K-JEE at Bigbang 32 on February 17, 2018. The bout was a rematch of their February 12, 2017 match, which K-JEE won by a third-round technical knockout. Aitaka won the fight by majority decision, with scores of 29–29, 30–29 and 30–29. Aitaka made his third title defense against Yuki Kudo at Bigbang Isehara 2018 on November 4, 2018. He won the fight by a second-round technical knockout. Aitaka made his fourth title defense against Daiki Takase at Bigbang 34 on December 26, 2018. He won the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 30–29 in his favor. Aitaka made his fifth and final BigBang heavyweight title defense against OD-KEN at Bigbang 36 on June 6, 2019. Prior to this bout, Aitaka departed from his old gym, Riki Dojo Shizuoka, and began training at K-1 GYM SAGAMI-ONO KREST. Aitaka needed just 37 seconds to knock OD-KEN out with a right hook.

K-1

Aitaka faced the inaugural

cruiserweight champion Sina Karimian in a non-title bout at K-1 World GP 2019 ～Japan vs World～ on August 24, 2019. He won the fight by a third-round knockout. In his post-fight interview, Aitaka called for a rematch with Karimian's title on the line. Aitaka faced Jae Geun Yang at K-1 World GP 2019 Yokohamatsuri on November 24, 2019. He was awarded a technical knockout victory after just 57 seconds, as Yang was unable to continue due to a shoulder injury. Aitaka was booked to challenge the reigning K-1 Cruiserweight champion Sina Karimian at K-1: K'Festa 3 on March 22, 2020. Although Aitaka was able to knock Karimian down in the first round, he was himself knocked down with a spinning backfist in the second round. He was unable to recover in the third round and lost the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 28–27 for Karimian. Aitaka faced Animal Koji at K-1 World GP 2021: K’Festa 4 Day.2 on March 28, 2021, following a year-long absence from the sport. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. Both Aitaka and Koji suffered knockdowns in the first round, but Koji was able to edge Aitaka in the next two round to win the decision. Aitaka faced K-JEE in a trilogy match at K-1 World GP 2021 in Fukuoka on July 17, 2021. He lost the fight by a second-round knockout. Aitaka faced the debuting

Satoshi Ishii is a Japanese-Croatian retired Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional boxer and judoka who has held Croatian citizenship since 2019. Ishii won the gold medal in Judo at the Summer Olympics, Olympic Judo at the Beijing ...

at K-1 World GP 2021: Yokohamatsuri on September 20, 2021. He lost the fight by unanimous decision, after an extra round was fought. Aitaka faced Hisaki Kato at K-1: K'Festa 5 on April 3, 2022, in the reserve match of the 2022 K-1 Japan Opeweight tournament. He lost the fight by a third-round knockout. Aitaka faced Hidenori Sakamoto for the vacant BigBang heavyweight championship at Super Bigbang 2022 on November 13, 2022. He lost the fight by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 30–29 for Sakamoto. Aitaka faced Kenta Nanbara at RISE EL DORADO 2023 on March 26, 2023. He lost the fight by a first-round knockout. Aitaka stated his intention to retire during a post-fight interview. Aitaka announced his retirement from the sport of kickboxing on December 3, 2023.

Professional wrestling career

Aitaka made his professional wrestling debut for

on December 30, 2023, at Gleat Ver. 7, under the

Riki Aitaka. At the event, he defeated Tetsuya Izuchi in a Lidet UWF rules match.

Personal life

Aitaka is married to the freelance creator and former idol Sumire Satō. They have two children, a daughter named Hinano and a son named Ritsu.

Championships and accomplishments

*BigBang **BigBang Heavyweight Championship (Inaugural; One time; Former) ***Five successful title defenses

Kickboxing record

, - style="background:#fbb;" , 2023-03-26 , , Loss , , align=left, Kenta Nanbara , , RISE ELDORADO 2023 , ,

Tokyo, Japan Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, , KO (Knee to the head), , 1 , , 2:57 , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 2022-11-13 , , Loss , , align=left, Hidenori Sakamoto, , Super Bigbang 2022, ,

, , Decision (Unanimous), , 3, , 3:00 , - ! colspan="9" style="background:white" , , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2022-04-03 , , Loss , , align=left, Hisaki Kato , , K-1: K'Festa 5, Tournament Reserve Match , ,

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, , KO (Left hook) , , 3 , , 1:05 , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2021-09-20 , , Loss , , align=left,

, , K-1 World GP 2021: Yokohamatsuri , ,

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

, , Ext. R. Decision (Unanimous) , , 4 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2021-07-17, , Loss , , align=left, K-Jee , , K-1 World GP 2021 in Fukuoka , ,

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

, , KO (Low kick) , , 2 , , 1:04 , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2021-03-28, , Loss , , align="left" , Animal Koji , , K-1 World GP 2021: K’Festa 4 Day.2 , ,

Yoyogi is a neighbourhood in the northern part of Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Geography The area encompassed by Yoyogi is typically defined two ways: * Only the five Yoyogi . * The former , corresponding roughly to the area south of Japan National Route ...

, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3, , 3:00 , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2020-03-22, , Loss , , align="left" , Sina Karimian , , K-1: K'Festa 3 , ,

Saitama, Japan is the capital and largest city of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance. , the city had an estimated population of 1,324,854 ...

, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3, , 3:00 , - ! colspan="9" style="background:white" , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2019-11-24, , Win , , align="left" , Jae Geun Yang , , K-1 World GP 2019 Yokohamatsuri , ,

Osaka, Japan is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third-most populous city in Japan, following the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a populatio ...

, , KO (Shoulder injury) , , 1, , 0:57 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2019-08-24, , Win , , align="left" , Sina Karimian , , K-1 World GP 2019 ～Japan vs World～ , ,

, , KO (Right hook) , , 3, , 0:57 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2019-06-06, , Win , , align="left" , OD-KEN , , Bigbang 36 , ,

, , KO (Right hook) , , 1 , , 0:37 , - ! colspan="9" style="background:white" , , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2019-02-16, , Loss , , align="left" , Rui , , Krush 98 , ,

, , KO (Flying knee) , , 3, , 2:31 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2018-12-26, , Win , , align="left" , Daiki Takase , , Bigbang 34 , ,

, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - ! colspan="9" style="background:white" , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2018-11-04, , Win , , align="left" , Yuki Kudo , , Bigbang Isehara 2018 , ,

Isehara, Kanagawa 260px, Isehara Shibuta River 260px, Mount Oyama Afuri Jinja is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 101,415 and a population density of 1800 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geo ...

, , TKO (Right hooks) , , 2 , , 1:24 , - ! colspan="9" style="background:white" , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2018-08-05, , Win , , align="left" , Toshio , , Krush 91 , ,

, , TKO (Punches) , , 2 , , 0:53 , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2018-05-17, , Loss , , align="left" , Hitoshi Sugimoto , , Krush 88 , ,

, , KO (Right head kick) , , 3, , 2:21 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2018-02-17, , Win , , align="left" , K-Jee , , Bigbang 32, ,

, , Decision (Majority) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - ! colspan="9" style="background:white" , , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2017-11-22, , Win , , align="left" , Taichi Furuta , , K-1 Cruiserweight Championship, Tournament Reserve Match , ,

, , TKO (2 Knockdowns/Right Overhand) , , 1 , , 2:17 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2017-10-08, , Win , , align="left" , Kousuke Jitsukata , , Bigbang Isehara 2017 , ,

, , KO (Left hook) , , 2 , , 2:59 , - ! colspan="9" style="background:white" , , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2017-08-19, , Loss , , align="left" , Masahiro Iwashita , , Krush 79 , ,

Nagoya, Japan is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...

, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2017-06-04 , , Win , , align="left" , Hidenori Sakamoto , , Bigbang 29 , ,

, , TKO (Punches) , , 3 , , 2:17 , - , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2017-02-12, , Loss , , align="left" , K-Jee , , Bigbang 28 , ,

, , TKO (Low kicks) , , 3 , , 2:23 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-12-04 , , Win , , align="left" , Taichi Furuta , , Bigbang 27, Tournament Final , ,

, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - ! colspan="9" style="background:white" , , - , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-09-04 , , Win , , align="left" , -NORI- , , Bigbang 26, Tournament Semifinal , ,

, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-06-05 , , Win , , align="left" , Xue Wu , , Bigbang 25 , ,

, , TKO (Corner stoppage) , , 2 , , 0:37 , - , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2016-02-21 , , Win , , align="left" , Ryo Takigawa , , Bigbang 24 , ,

, , TKO , , 2 , , 2:08 , - , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2015-12-06, , Win , , align="left" , Devin Pipose , , Bigbang 23 , ,

, , Decision (Majority) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2015-09-06, , Win , , align="left" , Shinya Uemura , , Bigbang 22 , ,

, , KO (Right straight) , , 2 , , 2:01 , - , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2015-06-07, , Win , , align="left" , Atsushi Ogasawara , , Bigbang 21 , ,

, , KO (Right straight) , , 1 , , 1:30 , - , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2015-02-21, , Loss , , align="left" , Nangoku Chojin , , SHOOT BOXING 2015 - 30th Anniversary act.1 , ,

, , TKO (Three knockdowns) , , 3, , 1:12 , - style="background:#cfc;" , 2014-12-07, , Win , , align="left" , Taichi Furuta , , Bigbang 19 , ,

, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00 , - , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2014-09-07, , Loss , , align="left" , Andrew Peck , , HEAT 33 , ,

, , KO (Left high kick) , , 1, , 2:06 , - , - style="background:#fbb;" , 2014-06-01, , Loss , , align="left" , Lin Wuzhong , , Bigbang 17 , ,

, , Decision (Unanimous) , , 3, , 3:00 , - , colspan=9 , ''Legend'':

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aitaka, Ryo Living people Japanese male kickboxers 1989 births Martial artists from Shizuoka Prefecture Cruiserweight kickboxers Heavyweight kickboxers Sportspeople from Sagamihara Martial artists from Kanagawa Prefecture