Masato Yoshino

Masato Yoshino (吉野正人) 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 the Dream Gate Champion and two-time King of Gate winner, Yoshino was one of the most decorated and longest-tenured wrestlers in Dragon Gate.

He made his debut in 2000 as part of Toryumon's Toryumon 2000 Project, where he graduated as part of the 7th term.

In his nearly 21-year professional wrestling career, he notably also wrestled for Ring of Honor, Pro Wrestling NOAH and Dragon Gate USA (Dragon Gate's United States expansion).

He also was influential on many professional wrestlers, both in Japan and the rest of the world due to his high-flying technique and advanced move-set.

He retired on August 1, 2021, where he and Naruki Doi were defeated by Eita and long-time rival BxB Hulk.

Masato Yoshino was part of the T2P class, tied with Stevie "brother" Tsujimoto for the second highest rank of the students, although far behind top ranked Milano Collection A.T. He was noted early on for his incredible speed in the ring, earning him the nickname Speed Star.

He patterned his look after Tarzan in a homage to Mexican wrestler Tarzan Boy, which involved tights fringed in a pattern to imitate a grass skirt, and the names of several of his moves centered around a jungle theme.

He was nicknamed Sexy Tarzan at times by female fans, due to his outfit and muscular physique.

He also adopted a "pet gorilla" (actually midget wrestler Tzuki in a monkey suit) named Venezia.

Yoshino and Tsujimoto joined Milano Collection A.T.'s Italian Connection stable when it was formed on March 3, 2002, and renamed to YOSSINO and "brother" YASSINI, respectively.

While in the Italian Connection, he would hold the UWA World Trios Championship twice, with Milano/YASSINI, and with Milano/Condotti Shuji, and would also hold the NWA World Welterweight Championship once.

He would also have several highly acclaimed matches with Darkness Dragon/K-ness that would increase his standing within the federation.

The Italian Connection began splintering in 2003 when Milano and Yossino wished to take the stable in a face direction, while Shuji, YASSINI, Berlinetta Boxer and Bakery Yagi wanted to remain heel.

The ItaCon split when Kondo and YASSINI attacked Venezia, then Yossino for trying to stop them, and finally Milano.

Kondo and the others went on to form Aagan Iisou, and ItaCon would settle as a face stable, adding Anthony W. Mori as a third member after his former partner Takuya Sugawara joined Aagan Iisou.

ItaCon would feud with Aagan Iisou into the birth of Dragon Gate in July 2004.

During the early days of Dragon Gate, Yossino continued to team with his fellow Italian Connection members.

Together they would become the first Dragon Gate Open the Triangle Gate Champions.

The ItaCon would dissolve in 2005 when Milano left the promotion.

Alone as Mori went to create PosHearts with Magnum Tokyo, Super Shisa and the debuting BxB Hulk, Yossino prepared for the tournament to crown the first Dragon Gate Open The Brave Gate champion, which was won by Doi.

He also briefly teamed with his respected rival K-Ness, but shortly afterwards backstabbed him to join the newly formed Blood Generation stable.

He also did away with his Tarzan gimmick, cutting his hair short and switching from fringed tights to a singlet, and he returned to using his given name, Masato Yoshino, in the ring.

On April 12, 2006, when CIMA kicked Gamma out of the group due to their constantly butting heads, Yoshino - along with Naruki Doi and Naoki Tanisaki - followed Gamma.

Eleven days later, after Doi & Gamma won full rights to the Blood Generation name from CIMA & Don Fujii in a tag match, they refused the name and became the Muscle Outlaw'z.

Yoshino began to gain rank within Dragon Gate rapidly in 2007.

He began teaming with stable leader Naruki Doi as Speed Muscle, and together they would win the I-J Heavyweight Tag Team Championship and the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, as well as become the first Open the Twin Gate Champions and Summer Adventure Tag League Tournament winners.

He also captured the Open the Brave Gate Championship twice that year.

On January 7, 2008, he made his debut in Hawaii for Action Zone Wrestling at Battleclash III, teaming with Naruki Doi in a Four-Way Elimination Tag Team match for the AZW Tag Team Championships.

During 2008, Yoshino continued to gain rank.

In March, he faced CIMA for the Open the Dream Gate Title, losing in just under 30 minutes when Doi threw in the towel.

His performance was praised by stablemates and rivals alike, and his team with Doi - which looked for a while like it was going to come apart - was reconciled.

By this time, Doi & Yoshino were leaning towards becoming faces again, thus causing tensions to start stirring in MO'z, and the tensions grew more and more as the weeks went on.

Finally, on May 5, Doi & Yoshino turned on the other members of MO'z when they attacked stablemate Yasushi Kanda and cost him his hair in a Mascara contra Cabellera (Mask vs. Hair) Cage Survival Six-Way Match.

Nine days later, soon after the mega-group Real Hazard was formed, Doi and Yoshino - along with BxB Hulk, Naoki Tanisaki, and m.c.KZ - formed the group WORLD-1.

On June 29, he wrestled Gamma for the Open the Brave Gate title (which Gamma had renamed to the "Open the Gamma Gate" title) under the mask of Dr. Muscle, defeating him and restoring the Brave Gate's faceplate to the belt.

He then had it vacated, only winning it to see its restoration and for a proper decision match to take place.

In August, he and Doi won their second straight Summer Adventure Tag League Tournament, and then the next month, on September 26, they beat Ryo Saito and Susumu Yokosuka to become the Open the Twin Gate Champions for the second time.

Though their second reign would only last nine days, for they lost the belts to YAMATO & Cyber Kong, Yoshino rebounded a week later when he captured the Open the Brave Gate Title for a fourth time, besting Genki Horiguchi.

He defended it twice before losing it to CIMA on March 22 in another great match between the two.