is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

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 ...

idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a human-made object that is venerated or worshipped for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a devotional image of a deity or saint used during puja ...

, model, and

tarento Television personalities in Japan, known as in Japanese, are celebrities who regularly appear in mass media in Japan, especially as panelists on variety shows. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, bankable stars in the United States were descri ...

, currently working for the Japanese

professional wrestling promotion A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event. Within ...

DDT Pro-Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name is an initialism of Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's original name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the p ...

(DDT) and its sister joshi promotion

Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling is a Japanese joshi puroresu or women's professional wrestling, women's professional wrestling promotion founded in 2012 as a sister promotion of DDT Pro-Wrestling. Initially running alongside other shows such as live music and other Japanese id ...

(TJPW). Her father is former professional boxer Hidekazu Akai.

Professional wrestling career

Independent circuit (2011–2023)

Akai made her

professional wrestling 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, real- ...

debut at the

Ice Ribbon is a ''joshi puroresu'' (women's professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion established in 2006 by Emi Sakura, after her split with Gatokunyan. History Ice Ribbon was founded by Emi Sakura, a professional wrestler wh ...

1st Anniversary Show on June 1, 2011, where she teamed up with

Hikaru Shida is a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, actress, and model. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is a former three-time AEW Women's World Champion, with her first reign being the longest in the title's history. She ...

and wrestled Tsukasa Fujimoto and Makoto in a time limit draw. She is known for tenures with various

professional wrestling promotions A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. "Promotion" also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event. Within ...

such as

, and at the TJP Tokyo Joshi Pro '17 show on January 4, she defeated Miyu Yamashita. She also worked for

World Wonder Ring Stardom , is a Japanese ''joshi puroresu'' or women's professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo, Japan. Stardom was founded in September 2010 by former All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) co-producer Ross ...

, and on the Year End Climax on December 23, 2014, she unsuccessfully challenged Yoshiko for the

World of Stardom Championship The is a women's professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#World championship, world championship owned by the World Wonder Ring Stardom professional wrestling promotion, promotion. The title, which is situated at the top of Sta ...

. During her time with

Seadlinnng Seadlinnng (stylised as SEAdLINNNG) is a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion founded in 2015 by former World Wonder Ring Stardom, Stardom wrestler and founder Nanae Takahashi. Their roster is predominantly made up of outside talent ...

, she worked with various wrestlers such as in the SEAdLINNNG/Yoshiko Produce show on July 26, 2020 where she teamed up with Aja Kong and Asuka to defeat

Ayame Sasamura is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for her tenure with the Japanese promotions Seadlinnng and Active Advance Pro Wrestling. Professional wrestling career Independent circuit (2017–present) ...

Hiroyo Matsumoto is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, currently working as a freelancer. Emi Sakura gave her the nickname of because Matsumoto broke a wall in the Ichigaya arena during her Ice Ribbon debut. She is best known with other ...

and Yoshiko in a six-woman tag team match. While competing for

Pro Wrestling Wave is a women's professional wrestling, or Joshi Puroresu, promotion created in 2007 after the dissolution and closure of JDStar. The company was formed by Mikiko Futagami, or Mikiko Futagami, Gami, former JDStar wrestler Yumi Ohka, and former JDS ...

, she scored a victory against

Syuri , better known simply as , is a Japanese professional wrestler, shoot boxer, kickboxer and mixed martial artist. She is signed to World Wonder Ring Stardom, where she is the leader of God's Eye as well as the current IWGP Women's Champion in ...

and Sakura Hirota while teaming up with

Yumi Ohka , better known by her ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. Originally trained by the now defunct JDStar Professional wrestling promotion, promotion, Ohka now works for Oz Academy and Pro Wrestling Wave. She is a former two-time Wave S ...

at Sunday WAVE vol.37 on February 23, 2020. At the Wizard of OZ 2017 show of

Oz Academy is a Japanese '' joshi puroresu'' or women's professional wrestling promotion founded by Mayumi Ozaki. The promotion's full official name is . In addition to the contracted members of the roster, Oz Academy has also employed some of the top f ...

on January 25, 2017, she teamed up with Aja Kong and Rina Yamashita to defeat Ozaki-gun (

Maya Yukihi is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently competing as a freelancer. She is a former two-time ICE×60 Championship, five-time International Ribbon Tag Team Champion and one-time Triangle Ribbon Champion, making her the promotion's four ...

, Mayumi Ozaki and

in another six-woman tag team match.

DDT Pro-Wrestling and Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (2013–2023)

Saki Akai worked most of her career for

(DDT) and

(TJPW). In TJPW, she was a former Princess Tag Team Champion under the name of Sakisama and teaming up with Azusa Christie as NEO Biishiki-gun to defeat MiraClians ( Shoko Nakajima and

Yuka Sakazaki is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). She is known for her tenure with Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, where she is a three-time Princess of Princess Champion, and a record-tying four-time Princess Tag Team ...

) for the titles at "Let's Go! Go! If You Go! When You Go! If You Get Lost You Just Go To Nerima!" on February 3, 2018. In DDT, she worked as a part of the Eruption stable and paired with her stablemates Yukio Sakaguchi and Kazusada Higuchi to become

KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions The is a professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling), championship owned by the DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT) professional wrestling promotion, promotion. The current champions are Damnation T.A (Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani and Ilu ...

by defeating #DamnHearts ( Tetsuya Endo, T-Hawk and

El Lindaman , better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently working for Gleat, where he was the inaugural G-Rex Champion. He also makes appearances for American Promotions All Elite Wrestling, DEFY Wrestling and Japanes ...

) in a six-person intergender tag team match at "DDT TV Show! #7" on June 20, 2020. She is a former multiple time Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion, last time winning it at DDT New Year Special 2020 on January 3, in a gauntlet battle royal also involving the champion, Omochi,

Antonio Honda is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name . He is working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). He is the son of actor Tetsu Watanabe. Professional wrestling career Independent circu ...

, Gorgeous Matsuno, Kazuki Hirata,

Keigo Nakamura is a Japanese people, Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler working for the Japanese professional wrestling promotion, promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling where he is a former KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Championship, KO-D 8-Man Tag Team Champio ...

, Mizuki Watase,

Toru Owashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name . He is best known for his work in DDT Pro-Wrestling, where he is a former KO-D Openweight Champion and two-time KO-D Tag Team Champion. Sumo career Initially aspiring to b ...

and Yuki Iino.

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 ...

ranked her No. 478 in the top 500 singles wrestlers of 2020. At ''TJPW Still Incomplete'' on April 17, 2021, Akai won the Princess Tag Team Championship alongside Mei Suruga as Neo Biishiki-gun after defeating Bakuretsu Sisters (

Nodoka Tenma also known as Nodoka-Oneesan is a retired Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler best known for her time in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion, promotion Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling. Professional wrestling career Tokyo J ...

and Yuki Aino). Akai and Suruga lost the Princess Tag Team Championship to the team of the Magical Sugar Rabbits (Yuka Sakazaki and Mizuki) on October 10, 2021 at Wrestle Princess II. On November 12, 2023 at DDT Ultimate Party 2023 event, Saki Akai officially wrapped up her in-ring career. Dating back to May, Akai has been on her retirement tour and that concluded with a six-person tag that featured herself and fellow members of Eruption, Yukio Sakaguchi and Hideki Okatani taking on

Naomichi Marufuji (born September 26, 1979) is a Japanese professional wrestler signed to Pro Wrestling Noah. Marufuji is a four-time GHC Heavyweight Champion, as well as the first of two men to win Junior Heavyweight Championships in all three major Japanese ...

, Miyu Yamashita and Kazusada Higuchi and her team losing. After the bout concluded, she received a retirement ceremony where various superstars such as

Hiroshi Tanahashi is a Japanese professional wrestler, sports executive and Podcast, podcaster. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he serves as the president and representative director of the promotion, and is also an active wrestler. Widel ...

Togi Makabe , better known by his ring name is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, trained by and performing for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former one-time IWGP Heavyweight Championship, IWGP Heavyweight Champion, L ...

Genichiro Tenryu , better known as is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and professional wrestling promoter. At age 13, he entered sumo wrestling and stayed there for 13 years, after which he turned to Western-style professional wrestling. "Tenryu" was h ...

and

Shinsuke Nakamura is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Nakamura is known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former 3-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, with his first rei ...

reached out via video to pay homage for her career. Upon Akai's retirement, the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship were subsequently vacated by herself, Yukio Sakaguchi and Hideki Okatani.

Acting career

Akai is signed to the Japanese

talent agency A talent agency is a company that represents actors, authors, musicians, model (person), models, professional athlete, athletes, writers, dancers, and other professionals in various industries. Talent agencies specialize, either by creating dep ...

Platinum Production. She appeared in several movies such as the 2018 film ''Lady Ninja:Blue Shadow'', in which she played the role of Konatsu Kujo, and ''Gianto Monster Mono'' (2016) in which portrayed Lisa. She also played a fictionalized version of herself working as a hostess in the 2016 video game Yakuza 6: The Song of Life.

Championships and accomplishments

All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Puroresu, Japanese professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on October 21, 1972, by Giant Baba after he left the Japanese Wrestling Association to create his own promotion. Ma ...

AJPW TV Six-Man Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling tag team match types#Multiple man teamed matches, six-man tag team Championship (professional wrestling), championship owned by the All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) professional wrestling prom ...

( 1 time) – with Yukio Sakaguchi and Hideki Okatani *Best Body Japan Pro-Wrestling **BBW Women's Championship (1 time) *

** KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship (

2 times "2 Times" is the debut single of English singer Ann Lee. It was released in Italy in December 1998 by X-Energy as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999), and was issued worldwide the following year. The single peaked at number tw ...

) – with Yukio Sakaguchi and Kazusada Higuchi (1) and Yukio Sakaguchi and Hideki Okatani (1) ** Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship ( 24 times) *

** Princess Tag Team Championship ( 4 times) – with Azusa Christie (1), Misao (1), Mei Saint-Michel (1) and Yuki Arai (1) **"Futari wa Princess" Max Heart Tournament (2021) – with Mei Saint-Michel * ''

Tokyo Sports is a Japanese daily sports newspaper founded in 1960. See also * Tokyo Sports Film Award * Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards References External links

* http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp Official website 1960 establishments in Japan Da ...

'' ** Newcomer Award (2014) * ''

'' ** Ranked No. 394 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 2022

Footnotes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akai, Saki 1987 births 21st-century female professional wrestlers 21st-century Japanese professional wrestlers Living people Japanese female professional wrestlers Sportspeople from Kyoto Professional wrestlers from Kyoto Prefecture Ironman Heavymetalweight Champions KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champions Princess Tag Team Champions AJPW TV Six-Man Tag Team Champions