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

kickboxer Kickboxing ( ) is a full-contact hybrid martial art and boxing type based on punching and kicking. Kickboxing originated in the 1950s to 1970s. The fight takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouth guards, shorts, and ...

signed to

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 ...

where he is the former G-Rex Champion . He is also known for competing in

Wrestle-1 was a Japanese ''puroresu'' or professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion, founded in July 2013 by Keiji Mutoh following his resignation from All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). The core of the promotion's roster was formed b ...

and Pro Wrestling Heat Up.

Professional wrestling career

Wrestle-1 (2017–2020)

Watanabe made his

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 in

as part of the sub-promotion Pro-Wrestling A.C.E. on February 25, 2017, at the

house show A house show (also commonly called a live event) is a professional wrestling event produced by a major Professional wrestling promotion, promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in o ...

of ''Pro-Wrestling ACE Vol. 3'' where he went into a time-limit draw against Tatsuro Kami. During his entire tenure with Wrestle-1, Watanabe competed under the gimmick of "Pegaso Iluminar", a masked wrestler. At ''W-1 Wrestle Wars'' on March 21, 2019, Watanbe teamed up with Kaz Hayashi and unsuccessfully fought

Alejandro Alejandro is the Spanish form of the name Alexander. Alejandro has multiple variations in different languages, including Aleksander ( Czech, Polish), Alexandre ( French), Alexandros ( Greek), Alsander ( Irish), Alessandro ( Italian), Aleksand ...

and

Masayuki Kono is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. He is working as a freelancer. He is best known for his time in Wrestle-1, where he is a former two-time Wrestle-1 Champion. Career All Japan Pro Wrestling (2003–2005) Kon ...

for the vacant

Wrestle-1 Tag Team Championship The was a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the Wrestle-1 (W-1) promotion. The title was announced on September 22, 2014, in conjunction with the start of a tournament to crown the first Wrestle-1 Champion. In Japanese th ...

. Watanabe took part into various signature tournaments of the promotion. He made his only appearance in the

Wrestle-1 Grand Prix Wrestle-1 Grand Prix was a professional wrestling tournament run by the Wrestle-1 promotion in Japan. It was inaugurated in 2015. The tournament takes its name from a similar tournament done by the Wrestle-1 joint venture cards in 2005; however t ...

at the 2019 edition of the event where he fell short to Kumaarashi in the first rounds. As for the

Wrestle-1 Tag League The Wrestle-1 Tag League was a professional wrestling round-robin tag team tournament held by Wrestle-1. It was created in 2014. Originally known as the Tag League Greatest in 2014. The tournament was given its current name in June 2017. The inau ...

, he made his first appearance at the 2017 edition where he teamed up with Kaz Hayashi and competed in the A Block where they scored a total of four points after going against the teams of

Manabu Soya is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Pro Wrestling NOAH. He is best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling, and he previously lived in Canada training at the Can-Am Wrestling School under Scott D'Amore, working ...

and

Daiki Inaba is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler who currently competes as a freelancer, majorly for Pro Wrestling Noah. He's best known for his time in Wrestle-1, where he was a two-time Wrestle-1 Championship, Wrestle-1 Champion, and ...

Andy Wu Andy Qu may refer to: * Andy Wu (actor), a Taiwanese actor * Andy Wu (wrestler), a Japanese wrestler {{hndis, Wu, Andy ...

and

El Hijo del Pantera El Hijo del Pantera (born December 18, 1991) is a Mexican lucha libre, luchador (professional wrestler). He currently wrestles on the Mexican independent circuit and has also wrestled in Japan for promotions such as Pro Wrestling Noah and Wrestle ...

, and Shotaro Ashino and Kumaarashi, failing to qualify for the finals. At the 2019 and final edition, he teamed up with Jun Tonsho, failing to score any points in the A Block against the teams of T-Hawk and

Shigehiro Irie is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist best known for his work in DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT). Irie has also competed for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW), and a number of North American inde ...

, Shotaro Ashino and

Yusuke Kodama is a Japanese professional wrestler and currently wrestlers for All Japan Pro Wrestling as a freelancer. Kodama is best known for his time with Wrestle-1 (W-1), where he is a former two time UWA World Trios Champion, two time Wrestle-1 Cruiser ...

, and Masayuki Kono and Alejandro. On April 1, 2020, at ''W-1 WRESTLE-1 Tour 2020 Trans Magic'',

has held its last event before closure. Watanabe competed two times. First in a winning effort against

Takanori Ito is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently wrestles for Gleat. He is best known for working for Wrestle-1, where he is a two-time Wrestle-1 Result Champion and a one-time Wrestle-1 Tag Team Champion, alongside Masayuki Kono. He also won ...

, and secondly, in a

battle royal Battle royal (, also battle royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules, where the winner is the one who registers the most wins. In recent times, the term has been ...

won by

and featuring various other members of the roster such as

Cima Cima may refer to: Acronyms *The Center for International Media Assistance, a media development organization in Washington, DC * Center for Italian Modern Art * Centre International de la Mécanique d'Art (International centre for Art Mechanics), ...

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 ...

Hiroshi Yamato , better known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler who works as a freelancer. Trained by the All Japan Pro Wrestling promotion, he started his career in February 2007 working in Mexico for the International Wrestling Revolution ...

Jiro Kuroshio , best known as and known as , is a Japanese professional wrestler and internet personality. Kuroshio is known for his work in the Wrestle-1 promotion, where he was a former Wrestle-1 Result Champion and Wrestle-1 Tag Team Champion before l ...

Ryota Hama (born November 21, 1979) is a retired Japanese sumo wrestler and current professional wrestler, signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) in the Strong BJ division. Sumo career Hama joined sumo in July 1995, and he fought for the Hakkaku stable r ...

Yasufumi Nakanoue is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name , currently signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) in the Strong BJ division, where he was the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Champion. He started his career in All Japan Pro Wre ...

and many others.

Gleat (2020–present)

After Wrestle-1's closure, Watanabe made his debut in

at the promotion's very first promoted event of '' Gleat Ver. 0'' on April 1, 2020, where he fell short to

Kenoh (born January 1, 1985) is a Japanese professional wrestler and martial artist, better known by the ring name . He currently wrestles in Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is a 3-time GHC Heavyweight Champion. He is also a former GHC National Championsh ...

in singles competition. During his tenure with the promotion, he chased for various championships. At '' Gleat Ver. 33'' on September 10, 2022, Watanabe teamed up with Yu Iizuka to unsuccessfully challenge

Voodoo Murders Voodoo Murders (stylised in all capital letters, also stylised as VDM) were a professional wrestling stable who were best known as the main heel group in All Japan Pro Wrestling between 2005 and 2011, and 2022 to 2023. In 2013, the group was ref ...

( Minoru Tanaka and Toshizo) for the

All Asia Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). Originally, it was the top tag team title in the JWA, but its status became secondary once the NWA International Tag Team Championship was brou ...

, titles promoted by

AJPW (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on October 21, 1972, by Giant Baba after he left the Japanese Wrestling Association to create his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba, with many m ...

. At At '' Gleat Ver. 47'' on March 21, 2023, Watanabe teamed up with El Lindaman to unsuccessfully challenge Bulk Orchestra ( Check Shimatani and

Hayato Tamura (born September 13, 1995) is a Japanese professional wrestler working for Gleat, where he is the former longest reign one-time G-Rex Champion. He is best known for his time in Pro Wrestling Zero1, where he is a former World Heavyweight Champions ...

) for the G-Infinity Championship. At ''Gleat Ver. 14'' on December 30, 2024, Watanabe defeated Hayato Tamura to win the

G-Rex Championship The is a professional wrestling championship in the Japanese promotion Gleat. The title is the first to be created by the promotion. The inaugural champion is El Lindaman, who was crowned at G Prowrestling Ver. 18, on February 22, 2022, after w ...

. Watanabe competes in both professional wrestling and Mixed martial arts bouts, as Gleat promotes both types of sports. At

Gleat MMA Ver.0 ''Gleat MMA Ver.0'' was the first combat sport event produced by Lidet Entertainment via the Gleat promotion. It took place on December 14, 2022, at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Background Gleat MMA Ver.0 was the first mixed martial arts e ...

on December 14, 2022, he fell short to Shuya Arimura in a kickboxing bout.

Pro Wrestling Heat Up (2021–present)

Another promotion in which Watanabe often competes is Pro Wrestling Heat Up, where he is a former one-time Heat Up Universal Tag Team Champion.

New Japan Pro Wrestling (2023)

Watanabe participated at the All Star Junior Festival 2023 promoted by

New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional-wrestling promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV Asahi and Amuse Inc. owning minority shar ...

where he teamed up with Yoh and Kazuma Sumi to defeat

Fuminori Abe is a Japanese people, Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and qualified Bhikkhu, Buddhist priest, currently working as a freelancer and is best known for his tenure with the Japanese professional wrestling promotion, promotions ...

, Ryo Hoshino and Akira Jumonji in a six-man tag team match.

Championships and accomplishments

( 1 time) **G PROWRESTLING Tournament (2021) *Pro Wrestling Heat Up **Heat Up Universal Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with

Kaz Hayashi , best known by the ring name , is a Japanese business executive and retired professional wrestler who last competed in Gleat and serves as the company's chief technical officer (CTO). He is best known for his work in World Championship Wrestlin ...

Kickboxing record

, - , - style="background:#FFBBBB" , 2022-12-14 , , Loss , , align=left, Shuya Arimura , ,

, ,

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 ...

, , Decision (unanimous) , , 3 , , 3:00

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watanabe, Soma 1998 births Living people Japanese male kickboxers 21st-century male professional wrestlers 21st-century Japanese professional wrestlers Japanese male professional wrestlers Japanese professional wrestlers 21st-century Japanese sportsmen People from Kawagoe, Saitama Professional wrestlers from Saitama Prefecture G-Rex Champions