Taichi

Taichiro Maki (牧 太一郎) (born March 19, 1980) is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Taichi (タイチ), shortened from his previous ring name Taichi Ishikari (石狩太一).

He is currently working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the Just 5 Guys stable.

Taichi is a former 2 time NEVER Openweight Champion, a former 2 time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, and a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion (alongside Zack Sabre Jr.).

Wanting to be a pro-wrestler since high school he competed in amateur wrestling while in high school, and was ranked second in the 63 kg class in the 1997 Hokkaido high school championship conference.

In December 2002, Ishikari made his debut for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW).

He would pick up his first singles victory over heavyweight prospect Masayuki Kono about six months into his career on May 12, 2003.

He got a huge opportunity by representing AJPW in the 4th Stage Super J-Cup hosted by Osaka Pro Wrestling in 2004, but came up short after losing to Osaka Pro ace Takehiro Murahama in the first round.

Teaming with Toshiaki Kawada in the Autumn Festival Tag Tournament, he earned both victories in their finals matches to win his first tournament.

He was AJPW's first junior heavyweight prospect in a long while, being a very quick and fiery youngster who was coming along well.

On May 26, 2004, Taichi Ishikari appeared as a member of Team Japan in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's 2004 World X Cup, competing in both a battle royal and a ladder match.

Ishikari began 2005 by challenging for the World Junior Heavyweight Championship against champion Taka Michinoku in a losing effort, then continued wrestling in the lower mid-card.

In early February 2005 Ishikari followed his mentor, Toshiaki Kawada and ended his affiliation with AJPW to become a freelance wrestler.

Ishikari bounced around trying to find a new permanent home, competing for Hustle and the short lived Kings Road promotion.

In mid 2006 Ishikari started to appear on New Japan Pro-Wrestling shows and his activity with the company then increased in 2006 and 2007 and finally in 2009 he became an official member of the NJPW roster.

He would find himself a tag team partner in Milano Collection A.T. and together they would challenge for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship held by Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi but were unable to win the title.

He was rumored to be a part of 2008's Team Japan, but the spot was filled by Puma.

After Milano Collection A.T. announced his retirement in January 2010, New Japan announced that Taichi would be leaving for Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) to seek a new direction in his career.

The plan was for him to remain with CMLL for at least five months.

Taichi made his CMLL debut on February 19, 2010, in Arena México, Mexico City where he teamed up with Naito and Ray Mendoza, Jr. to defeat Strong Man, Mr. Niebla and Máximo in two straight falls.

On May 7, 2010 Taichi and Okumura teamed up with former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi to defeat El Hijo del Fantasma, La Máscara and Héctor Garza to win the CMLL World Trios Championship in the main event of the weekly Friday night Super Viernes show.

La Ola Amarilla's reign as Trios champions only lasted two weeks as they were defeated by La Máscara, La Sombra and Máscara Dorada on May 21, 2010.

Through the trios matches Taichi has developed a rivalry with La Máscara who challenged Taichi to a Lucha de Apuesta match where Taichi would put his hair on the line against La Máscara's mask.

Taichi later announced that he accepted the challenge, making it the main event of CMLL's 2010 Sin Salida show.

On June 6, 2010 Máximo defeated Taichi two falls to one and had his hair shaved off after the match.

Afterwards Taichi returned to New Japan, before returning to CMLL for a two-month stint in early October 2010.

On December 11, 2010, Taichi returned from his latest stint in CMLL and aligned himself with IWGP Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima as part of Kojima-gun, which would later also come to include MVP, Nosawa Rongai and Taka Michinoku.

Taichi was a founding member of the villainous Suzuki-gun stable from 2011 till the faction's disbandment in 2022.

Taichi is a former KOPW Provisional Champion, winning the title in 2022 and 2023.

Throughout his career he has competed in various promotions including All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), Hustle, Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).

On April 8, 2011, Taichi defeated Madoka in the finals of a two-day tournament to earn a spot in the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors tournament.

On May 3, Taichi and Taka Michinoku turned on Kojima and revealed the returning Minoru Suzuki as their new leader.

After losing his first six-round robin stage matches in the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors, Taichi came back to win his last two matches and finish eighth out of the nine wrestlers in his block.

Since then, Taichi has formed a regular partnership with Taka Michinoku, with the two unsuccessfully challenging Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on September 11, 2011.

On June 16, 2012, at Dominion 6.16, Taichi and Michinoku received another opportunity to wrestle for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship but were defeated by Jyushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask, after Taichi unmasked Liger and unintentionally turned him into "Kishin Liger", a more violent version of himself.

In August, Taichi began blaming Michinoku for his recent losses, which led to the two agreeing to a match, where the loser would be expelled from Suzuki-gun.

The match took place on August 22 at Michinoku's Kaientai Dojo promotion, but ended without a winner as Minoru Suzuki interrupted the match and got the two men to make peace with each other.

On September 5, Taichi returned to Mexico for another tour with CMLL and instantly turned down an offer to rejoin La Ola Amarilla, pledging his loyalty to Minoru Suzuki and Suzuki-gun.

In his first match back in CMLL on September 7, Taichi teamed with Hiroshi Tanahashi, Namajague and Okumura in a Japan vs. Mexico torneo cibernetico, where they faced Black Warrior, La Máscara, Negro Casas and Valiente.

After being eliminated by La Máscara, Taichi interfered in the match and helped Tanahashi pick up the win for the Japanese.

Taichi returned to Japan on October 14.