Ryo Saito
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(born August 15, 1979) is a Japanese professional wrestling personality and semi-retired
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 ...
primarily working in
Dragongate Dragongate Japan Pro-Wrestling, often referred to simply as Dragongate or Dragon Gate (, ''Doragongēto''), is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded and headquartered in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Hyōgo, Japan. Most of the promotion ...
, where he is their general manager. He is a former member of numerous stables within Dragongate as both a
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exerted ...
and a
face The face is the front of the head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may affect th ...
, including Jimmyz (where he adopted "''Jimmy''" as a nickname), Real Hazard and Blood WARRIORS; he served as the second leader of Do FIXER (replacing Magnum TOKYO) from 2004 until its dissolution in February 2007. His name is sometimes abbreviated as ''SaiRyo'', so as not to confuse him with Yoshiyuki Saito, who primarily wrestles as ''Super Shisa''.


Professional wrestling career


Toryumon (1999–2004)

Ryo Saito debuted in 1999 as a fourth term student. He fought in that year's Young Dragons Cup, but lost in the finals to the newly-heel Yasushi Kanda. In 2000, he divided his time between Japan and Mexico, and in Japan he adopted the gimmick of a bicycling enthusiast, wearing a professional bicycler's outfit, helmet, and glasses and coming to the ring on a bicycle. He became something of a jobber, losing nearly 20 opening matches in a row to
Kenichiro Arai is a Japanese professional wrestler best known for his time with the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. Biography Kenichiro Arai, also known as AraKen, is a second term graduate of Último Dragón's Toryumon Japan group, and has been a mainstay on ...
. He also participated in that year's Young Dragons Cup, and made it to the finals again, but lost to the man who became his greatest foil, Milano Collection A.T. When he returned to Japan, his bicycle was stolen by Sumo "Dandy" Fuji 2000, starting up a feud between them that led into 2001. Saito eventually managed to win his bicycle back, and he and the now-renamed Big Fuji started teaming on and off as the Bicycle Brothers for the next couple of years. 2001 was also the year when Saito finally broke out of his small role and achieved some championship success. On August 14, he teamed with Magnum TOKYO and
Dragon Kid is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Dragon Gate as . Nakamura initially broke into the wrestling business with Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW), but was not allowed to be a wrestler by owner Atsushi Onita and instead ...
to win the UWA World Trios Championship from CIMA, SUWA, and Big Fuji of Crazy MAX, and on September 30, he beat
Susumu Mochizuki , better known by his ring name is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Dragon Gate. He is not related to fellow Dragon Gate wrestler and long-term ally/rival Masaaki Mochizuki, who debuted much earlier for WAR. Professional ...
for the NWA World Welterweight Title. His momentum came to a halt in late 2001 when the T2P class arrived in Japan, and he spent the next few months losing to Milano Collection A.T. and feuding with the newly-heel
Genki Horiguchi is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . He is currently a full-time wrestler for Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate. He has also competed in Wrestling Society X and Ring of Honor. When Horiguchi's hairline began re ...
. It was during this time that he formed a close friendship with T2P student
Anthony W. Mori is a retired Japanese people, Japanese professional wrestler. He is best known for working for Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate, under the ring name , where he is a one-time Open the Brave Gate Championship, Open the Brave Gate Champion, one ...
. In 2002, Saito began to make a heel turn. He, along with Dragon Kid, aligned with Darkness Dragon after he lost a mask vs. mask match to Dragon Kid on September 8 and was booted out of M2K, joining the Do Fixer unit that Darkness created. On October 28, Magnum Tokyo sealed M2K after Yasushi Kanda retired, and later that night he revealed that he and the other members were the real Do Fixer, along with the newly renamed K-ness. K-ness had been sent into the home army as a spy to cause problems within it, and it worked in that Saito was not welcomed back into the home army. Because of this, he decided to actively pursue gaining membership into Do Fixer. He abandoned his bicyclist character, smashing up his bike with a chair, but he could not pass leader Magnum Tokyo's dance test and was denied entrance. That all changed in December when he debuted his own personal and bizarre dance called the "SaiRyo Dance", and Magnum Tokyo, pleased with it, allowed him to join should he pass one more test, which was a match on December 20 where he and the other Do Fixer members faced
Masaaki Mochizuki is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Dragon Gate and Pro Wrestling Noah. Mochizuki is a former FIP World Champion and three-time Open the Dream Gate Champion. Professional wrestling career Early years A former karat ...
, Kenichiro Arai, Raimu Mishima, Takamichi Iwasa, and Anthony W. Mori in an elimination match. Towards the end, Magnum eliminated himself, leaving just Ryo and his friend Mori as the final two. Saito proved his allegiance to Do Fixer by betraying Mori, smacking him with a black box and winning the match. 2003 went by quite uneventfully for Saito. He acted as the main H-A-G-E call cheerleader for stablemate Genki Horiguchi, and he was derailed by injuries.


Dragon Gate (2004–present)

2004 was also another injury-plagued year, but he began to turn face again, aiding his old friend Mori in his feud with
Takuya Sugawara is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently wrestling for Pro Wrestling Zero1. Career Toryumon/Dragon Gate (2001–2004) He debuted in the 9th term of Toryumon 2000 Project as Henry III Sugawara, an English prince character. He joined wit ...
. He helped him overcome the shock of Sugawara's betrayal, and when Mori lost a hair vs. hair match, Saito took the haircut for him. 2005 brought about a major resurgence in his career. He opened the first show of the year on January 9 by pinning CIMA in a six-man tag match. Then, when he appealed for a shot at the Open the Dream Gate title, held by Masaaki Mochizuki, he was given a January 14 singles match with Milano Collection A.T. as a hurdle, and he defeated Milano after four years of losses to him. He failed to win the Open the Dream Gate title in the February 6 match. He spent the remainder of the year garnering high-profile victories, as well as two
Open the Triangle Gate Championship The Open the Triangle Gate Championship is a professional wrestling Tag team, trios Championship (professional wrestling), title in Japanese Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate. It was created on Novem ...
reigns with Genki Horiguchi and Dragon Kid, and when Magnum began to move down a different path with his Renaissance project, he named Saito the new leader of Do Fixer. Saito then won a feud with CIMA, and in December he won the inaugural
King of Gate __NOTOC__ King of Gate is an annual single-elimination professional wrestling singles tournament held in the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. It is the successor to El Numero Uno, previously held in Dragon Gate and Toryumon, although Uno was a rou ...
Tournament. His momentum continued right into February 2006, when he beat
Magnitude Kishiwada , better known under his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. Career During high school, Fujita trained in artistic gymnastics, mixed martial arts and powerlifting, and years later, he showed interest in professional wrestling. For m ...
to win the Open the Dream Gate Championship and became the ace of the promotion. His quick ascent to the top was not entirely accepted by the fans, and thus his career went downhill after his title victory. He dropped the championship to Susumu Yokosuka in his first defense, and though he had a third Open the Triangle Gate title reign with Genki and Dragon Kid, things were quiet for him for the rest of the year. He made it to the finals of that year's King of Gate Tournament again, but lost to Masaaki Mochizuki. In February 2007, Genki Horiguchi betrayed Do Fixer to join the Muscle Outlaw'z, so Ryo decided to end Do Fixer activity and follow the only other remaining member Dragon Kid into CIMA's Typhoon stable. In Typhoon, he reunited with Susumu Yokosuka to form the RyoSuka team. Despite achieving some success in the tag ranks, most notably winning the WAR I-J Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in July from
Jado (born September 28, 1968) is a Japanese professional wrestler, manager and booker better known by the ring name . He is best known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as part of a tag team with his partner Gedo. Jado and Gedo's care ...
and
Gedo Gedo (, , , or ''Ghedu'') is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in Jubaland, southern Somalia. Its regional capital is Garbahaarreey. The region was formed during 1974 and is bordered by the Ogaden in Ethiopia, the North Eastern Province ...
and two more reigns as Open the Triangle Gate champion with CIMA and Susumu, Ryo continued to slide further in rank. In 2008, Ryo began to regain rank in the promotion. He took offense to CIMA putting down the Open the Brave Gate title after he challenged for it, causing some strife within Typhoon. It resulted in Ryo challenging CIMA for the Open the Dream Gate title on April 27, and though Ryo lost, their issues were reconciled afterwards. On May 5, Ryo and Susumu achieved further success with their team when they won the Open the Twin Gate titles from Kenichiro Arai and Taku Iwasa of Tozawa-juku. They dropped the championship to inaugural champions Speed Muscle (
Naruki Doi is a Japanese professional wrestler currently performing for Dragon Gate, DDT Pro-Wrestling and All Japan Pro-Wrestling as a freelancer. He also wrestled for Ring of Honor (ROH) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA); in the former promotio ...
and
Masato Yoshino is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, best known for working in Dragon Gate, where he was known as ''Speed Star''. Dragon Gate's second Grand Slam champion, having been a record six-time Open the Brave Gate Champion, four-time Open ...
) on September 26. On December 28, he was without a unit after he, Dragon Kid, and Susumu Yokosuka lost a Unit Split survival three-way six-man tag team match to teams from WORLD-1 and Real Hazard, ending Typhoon. He continued to team with Susumu, and also made attempts to form his own unit. On February 15, 2009, he ended up joining a unit instead, turning heel and aligning with Real Hazard after turning on Susumu during an attempt on the Open the Twin Gate titles held by
YAMATO was originally the area around today's Sakurai, Nara, Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a Names of Japan, name for the whole of Japan. Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial ...
and Cyber Kong. Upon joining Real Hazard he reformed his tag team with Genki Horiguchi, and they won the
Open the Twin Gate Championship The is a professional wrestling tag team title created and promoted by the Japanese promotion Dragongate. The title was introduced on August 26, 2007, as an interim title for the winners of the first Summer Adventure Tag League tournament. It ...
on May 5, 2009, in a three-way match, which included Real Hazard stablemates Kenichiro Arai and Yasushi Kanda. On June 26, when YAMATO defected from Real Hazard, he assumed the leadership role in the stable. His title reign with Horiguchi ended on September 17, when they lost the belts to Shingo Takagi and YAMATO. On December 3, Susumu Yokosuka turned heel and joined Real Hazard, and they reformed their team, but their reunion plans were quickly derailed when Saito sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon, sidelining him. On February 27, 2010, Genki Horiguchi joined up with the Warriors stable after leaving Real Hazard two weeks earlier, and as a condition of him joining, Saito was brought out of Real Hazard and into Warriors. Saito turned heel on January 14, 2011, along with the rest of Warriors, when they attacked Masato Yoshino and World-1, and joined forces with Naruki Doi's group. On January 18 the new group was named Blood Warriors. On February 6, 2011, Saito and his Blood Warriors stablemate Genki Horiguchi defeated Don Fujii and Masaaki Mochizuki to win the Open the Twin Gate Championship. They lost the title to rival group Junction Three representatives Dragon Kid and
PAC Pac or PAC may refer to: Aviation * IATA code PAC Albrook "Marcos A. Gelabert" International Airport in Panama City, Panama * Pacific Aerospace Corporation, New Zealand, manufacturer of aircraft: ** PAC 750XL ** PAC Cresco ** PAC CT/4 ** PA ...
on June 19, 2011. On February 9, 2012, new Blood Warriors leader
Akira Tozawa Akira Tozawa (戸澤 陽, ''Tozawa Akira'', born July 22, 1985) is a Japanese professional wrestler. As of 2016, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand and is a member of the Alpha Academy St ...
kicked Saito and Horiguchi out of the group. On March 3, after Saito teamed with Genki Horiuchi and Yasushi Kanda to win the vacant Open the Triangle Gate Championship, he renamed himself Ryo "Jimmy" Saito and formed the Jimmyz stable with H-A-Gee-Mee, Jimmy KAGETORA, Jimmy Kanda and Jimmy Susumu. The Jimmyz lost the Open the Triangle Gate Championship to World-1 International (Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi and Pac) on May 6.


Championships and accomplishments

* Dragon Gate ** I-J Heavyweight Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Susumu Yokosuka **
Open the Dream Gate Championship The is a professional wrestling World championship, championship created and promoted by the Japan, Japanese Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate. The wrestler who holds it is considered the top singles ...
( 1 time) ** Open the Owarai Gate Championship ( 2 times) **
Open the Triangle Gate Championship The Open the Triangle Gate Championship is a professional wrestling Tag team, trios Championship (professional wrestling), title in Japanese Professional wrestling promotion, promotion Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate. It was created on Novem ...
( 11 times) – with
Dragon Kid is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Dragon Gate as . Nakamura initially broke into the wrestling business with Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW), but was not allowed to be a wrestler by owner Atsushi Onita and instead ...
and
Genki Horiguchi is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . He is currently a full-time wrestler for Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate. He has also competed in Wrestling Society X and Ring of Honor. When Horiguchi's hairline began re ...
(3) and CIMA, Susumu Yokosuka (2), Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!! and Jimmy Kanda (3), Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!! and Mr. Kyu Kyu Toyonaka Dolphin (1), Jimmy Susumu and Mr. Kyu Kyu Naoki Tanizaki Toyonaka Dolphin (1), and Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!! and Jimmy Susumu (1) **
Open the Twin Gate Championship The is a professional wrestling tag team title created and promoted by the Japanese promotion Dragongate. The title was introduced on August 26, 2007, as an interim title for the winners of the first Summer Adventure Tag League tournament. It ...
( 3 times) – with Susumu Yokosuka (1) and Genki Horiguchi (2) **
King of Gate __NOTOC__ King of Gate is an annual single-elimination professional wrestling singles tournament held in the Japanese promotion Dragon Gate. It is the successor to El Numero Uno, previously held in Dragon Gate and Toryumon, although Uno was a rou ...
(
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
) *
International Wrestling Revolution Group International Wrestling Revolution Group (Grupo Internacional Revolución in Spanish language, Spanish; the Spanish name is used for the promotion while the English initials are used for the title governing body) is a Lucha Libre professional wres ...
** Copa Higher Power (1998) - with
Último Dragón , better known by his ring name , is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler signed to Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate, where he acts as an in-ring talent, trainer and senior advisor. In addition to having trained in Japan, ...
, Magnum Tokyo, Shiima Nobunaga, Judo Suwa, Sumo Fujii & Lyguila *''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
'' **PWI ranked him #170 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the
PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...
in 2012 * Toryumon Japan **
NWA World Welterweight Championship The NWA World Welterweight Championship () is an inactive professional wrestling championship governed by the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and most recently promoted by NWA Mexico. The championship was originally created in 1946 by the Mexica ...
( 1 time) **
UWA World Trios Championship The UWA World Trios Championship is a tag team professional wrestling championship created by the Mexican Universal Wrestling Association and defended there until the UWA closed in 1995. Since then, the championship has been defended in various p ...
( 2 times) – with Magnum Tokyo and
Dragon Kid is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Dragon Gate as . Nakamura initially broke into the wrestling business with Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW), but was not allowed to be a wrestler by owner Atsushi Onita and instead ...
(1) and Susumu Yokosuka and
Genki Horiguchi is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name . He is currently a full-time wrestler for Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate. He has also competed in Wrestling Society X and Ring of Honor. When Horiguchi's hairline began re ...
(1) *
Westside Xtreme Wrestling Westside Xtreme Wrestling, commonly shortened to wXw, is a German professional wrestling promotion based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. wXw has been one of the leading professional wrestling promotions in Germany, and most of its event ...
**Golden Pineapple Tournament (2007) – with
Matt Sydal Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983), better known by the ring name Matt Sydal, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is also known for his tenure with WWE from 2008 to 2014 under the ring nam ...
*
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four Wee ...
** Match of the Year (2006)


References


External links


Dragon Gate USA profileRyo Saito official blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saito, Ryo 1978 births Japanese male professional wrestlers Living people 20th-century male professional wrestlers 20th-century Japanese professional wrestlers 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century Japanese professional wrestlers NWA World Welterweight Champions UWA World Trios Champions Open the Dream Gate Champions Open the Twin Gate Champions Open the Triangle Gate Champions Open the Owarai Gate Champions Tenryu Project International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions King of Gate winners