MAX-J Fighters

One of the most venerated masked wrestlers of his generation, he has set the standard for the junior heavyweight division. He uses a judo and karate background to combine head-busting drivers with some of the most powerful chops in the industry. At an advanced age, he does not ascend to the top rope with the same frequency of yesteryear, but on occasion will go back to the high-flying well to turn the tide of a match. His primary finishers are the Thunder MAX Driver (spinning Tombstone Piledriver), Erasing Driver (vertical-drop suplex into piledriver), and a shotei palm-strike with an exaggerated wind-up.

He has held the GPWS Jr. Heavyweight title on a record five occasions and most notably defended the title in New York City at the FUSION mega-show co-organized by Shining Road, Lion’s Road, and SKYFIRE Wrestling. With the closure of Shining Road/SEKAI Pro-Wrestling, he briefly retired and opening his own pro-wrestling training academy, Kaminari Dojo, which has proven to be one of the most successful schools in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area.

With the announcement of CRUISERWORLD! he has reemerged, ending his retirement to put his school on the map and also show that he continues to be more than a legend of the game. Many observers report that not only has he not lost a step but could be in some of the best condition of his career.

An intellectual savant who graduated from Tokyo University at the age of 19 and shunned a prestigious position in the Ministry of Finance to attempt a run at professional baseball, he is an explosive athlete. His unique blend of brains and athleticism gives him an instinctive feel for the ring and an opponent and has allowed him to cross-train in Judo and mixed martial arts to complement his innate gifts. His finishing maneuvers include the Diamond Yari Drop (sambo-style STO) and the Titanic Clutch (chicken-wing sleeper camel clutch).

Once the top trainee in Shining Road/SEKAI Pro-Wrestling’s NOVA division, Katsu’s career culminated in winning the GPWS Jr. Heavyweight Championship from the legendary Thunder Mask, though he would lose the title to the same wrestler a month later.

Since the closure of Shining Road/SEKAI Pro-Wrestling, Himura continues to wrestle in a freelance capacity while also maintaining a role as an assistant coach in Thunder Mask’s Kaminari Dojo. Since the announcement of CRUISERWORLD! he has trained hard alongside his mentor and hopes to represent their dojo with pride and honor.

Allegedly hailing from the demonic plains, he has a furious and punishing style of fighting that favors brawn over brains. For many years he was widely regarded as the physically strongest junior heavyweight in the world, which has at times caused critics to question his status as a junior heavyweight. However, he has never failed a weigh-in and attributes his strength to the cosmic intervention of ancient gods. He will not hesitate to attempt high-risk maneuvers as well and will bend the rules to secure victory, though he will rarely outright cheat unless inhabited by a “violent spirit”, which is not an impossibility. His finishers include the Zenki Bomb (Gutwrench running high-angle sitout powerbomb), the Zenki Suplex (Bridging wrist-clutch leg hook belly-to-back suplex), and the Zanbato (high-impact diving shoulder-block).

He is considered by most analysts to be the most important wrestler of MAXIMUM Japan Pro-Wrestling’s history, defending the MAX-J Heavyweight Championship on a record-number of occasions and leading the fanatically pro-Japan Demon Brigade that revived national interest in the pro-wrestling scene. After the closure of MAX, he disappeared and has only recently resurfaced with the announcement of the MAX-J sponsored CRUISERWORLD! event. Many wonder about his motivations, uncertain whether he seeks to rebuild his army to defend Japan against gaijin aggression or fade into mystery once more.

Toyama does a terrific job of incorporating a mixed martial arts background with lucha libre from years spent on an excursion in Mexico. Palm strikes, knees and kicks are a majority of the offense, but Toyama will use quick Judo-style throws or moves like headscissors or hurracanranas to bring his opponent to the mat and try to submit them. His signature moves include the Starboy Special (a La Magistral into a cross armbreaker), Starboy Special II (Leapfrog victory roll into a heel hook) and a flying knee strike.

He is a two-time former GPWS Jr. Heavyweight Champion and once was one of the top junior heavyweights in Japan. After the closure of Shining Road, he competed in MAX-J and finished as a runner-up both in the Tomorrow League and Toukon Tag Tournament in what was widely regarded as competent performances. He has since wrestled sporadically, remaining in good shape, and is both eager yet nervous to be teaming with Demon Lord ZENKI for CRUISERWORLD! given his partner’s significant stature in the lore of pro-wrestling. The pair have both fought against one another and even teamed together on occasion during MAX, but do not have extensive familiarity as a duo.

Rumored to be the product of Manhattan Project experiments during World War II, his abilities seem to defy age. The “Atomic Assassin” relies on his shootboxing skills, seemingly cerebral plans of attacks targeting opponents’ weaknesses, and a killer instinct that strikes fear into opponents. His finishers include the Metallic Kick (running heavy Yakuza kick) and the Kujira Blaster (running vertical-drop brainbuster) in addition to various kicks.

He suddenly emerged as a figure late in Shining Road/SEKAI Pro-Wrestling to win the GPWS Heavyweight Championship and joined MAXIMUM Japan and briefly held the MAX Jr. Heavyweight Championship, making him one of the top cruiserweight superstars of the late 2010s. He disappeared and abruptly as he appeared once MJPW closed its doors and has not been seen until a few weeks ago. He claims that he only appears when the Earth is in mortal danger and he is required to save its inhabitants from themselves as the iron-fisted guardian of the planet.

“Earth Warrior” Jiichiro Kagami

An environmental activist and former gymnast, he initially pursued a career in pro-wrestling to bring attention to climate change, donating all his winnings to a non-profit organization. His finishers include a diving leg drop into cross armbreaker, senton bomb, various hurricanranas.

After a year-long excursion to Mexico, he joined MJPW as one of the most promising high-flyers of his class. While many believed his elite-level athleticism would forge a successful career, he was often defeated at the hands of superior opponents with many pundits alleging that he lacked focus on his craft due to trying to balance his pro-wrestling training with his activism. With MAX’s closure, he returned to protesting over-fishing and joined the tournament in order to raise awareness for environmental causes. He has mixed feelings regarding his teammate METAL HERO, who claims to be powered by a nuclear reactor, a technology that has a mixed sentiment among environmental activists. When asked by a member of the media, he reportedly claimed, “at least he isn’t powered by coal”.

A Muay Thai kickboxer who traveled to Thailand at the age of 16 and has traveled the world over in competitive formats. With a sterling 17-1 record, Sniper Izumi uses his impressive reach to control opponents and his knockout skills are second to none. While he is not highly cross-trained in grappling or pro-wrestling, his size and weight combined with his excellent striking are often enough for him to win matches. This fact gives him a high degree of arrogance as he believes that Muay Thai is the strongest art and tends to let his opponents know before, during, and after the match. He tends to finish matches with repeated successions of kicks.

Izumi signed a contract as a MAX-J ambassador due to his association with the All-Japan Sports and Wrestling Commission, with many believing that he was brought in to provide an MMA presence to the brand.

Fukudome is significantly cross-trained as a kickboxer and has a freestyle wrestling background from his university days while he studied abroad in Italy. He is quoted saying that he could “beat any opponent with blocks and knees” and has a proven track record of doing just that. He became good friends with Takeda Izumi when both of them trained in Bangkok. However, he has a much deeper affinity for pro-wrestling and tends to be the "good cop" in the duo's friendship. His finishers include the Tuscan Laser (spinning Yakuza kick) and a Dragon suplex hold.

After Shining Road's closure, Fukudome stepped away from the pro-wrestling scene and up north to Sapporo where he became mostly a commentator. However, he kept his skills sharp and with the return of the MAX-J brand is excited to compete once again as he is still young.

A competitive swimmer in his youth, studying Karate and Jiu-jitsu during his university days gives him a complete background in both striking and grappling. Graduating from Fujiyama dojo in May 2017, he soon thereafter began fighting in Shining Road Pro-Wrestling where he developed a rivalry with Katsuhiko Himura from their days in Shining Road's NOVA division for young fighters, finishing as the runner-up in the first annual NOVA Cup. He is known for his fluid wrestling style and his seemingly infinite endurance. His primary finisher is the Kappa Lock (sitting arm triangle chokehold; often transitioned from a standing hold a/l/a Anaconda Vise) but also makes use of various strikes and submissions.

After Shining Road's closure, Nakamura continued to wrestle in the Hokkaido-based promotion Pro-Wrestling BLIZZARD where he teamed with former NOVA alumnus Shinzo Takamori, winning the GPWS Tag Team Championship from Hajime Tanaka and Zen Hayashi, becoming the 26th champions and solidifying their spot as one of the top tag teams in Japan.

Fiercely competitive, Nakamura is not afraid to let his emotions display during a match and is the type of wrestler who believes he should win every match and has a tendency to become combative and complain to referees when things don't go his way. He was pursued by MAX-J to become a brand ambassador along with his tag team partner Takamori shortly after the company established the World Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.

Getting somewhat of a late start in his pro-wrestling career has not deterred this former professional ice hockey standout. While not as technically proficient as his tag team partner Akira Nakamura, his toughness and ability to absorb punishment makes him highly respected. His primary finishers include the Titanic Duster (wrist-clutch Olympic slam) and a high-angle reverse German suplex.

Along with Nakamura, after Shining Road he became a top tag team competitor. Despite being the older of the two, he plays more of an equal role due to switching careers later in life. He became a MAX-J ambassador so that he could pursue the World Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship alongside his friend and teammate.

Born in Okinawa, Japan to a Japanese father and American mother. His father worked as a contractor on the base there where he met Hayato's mother, who happened to be serving at the time in the United States Marine Corps. At the age of 17 he enlisted early in the United States Navy for the S.E.A.L. program, renouncing his Japanese citizenship. After being honorably discharged, he fought a few years in the MMA circuit before opting for a turn to pro-wrestling. Eventually he returned to Japan and became a citizen again while training at Fujiyama Dojo. During Shining Road he formed the heel MMA-influenced group known as A.R.M.B.A.R.. After Shining Road's closure, he returned to MMA without losing a step to further his record to 11-4-2. In addition to MMA moves, his finishers are the Trident Cutter (Samoan drop into sit-out diamond cutter), Stealth Katana DDT (reverse sit-out DDT) and an Anaconda Vise.

He was signed by MAX-J as a brand ambassador due in part to his crossover appeal as a Japanese-American as well as an MMA-professional wrestling hybrid. Many believe that he represents the future of a hybrid form of pro-wrestling, though he seems uninterested in this proclamation and continues to fight in a workman-like capacity.