Hirooki Goto

Hirooki Goto (後藤洋央紀) is a Japanese professional wrestler.

Since his debut, he has wrestled primarily for New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

He returned to NJPW in November 2002 after healing and began training in the NJPW dojo.

He debuted on July 6, 2003, in Gifu, Gifu, wrestling Ryusuke Taguchi.

The two men competed in the junior heavyweight division, and teamed together the same year to try to take the vacant IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship in a tournament, but were defeated in the final by veterans Gedo and Jado.

In early 2005, he won the NJPW Young Lion Cup, defeating Hiroyuki Itō in the tournament final.

After turning heel and joining Jyushin Thunder Liger's "Control Terrorism Unit" ("C.T.U.") stable, Goto adopted the ring name "C.T.U Ranger Red".

He won his first championship on May 15, 2005, teaming with Minoru to defeat Koji Kanemoto and Wataru Inoue in the Tokyo Dome for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.

The duo held the titles for nine months, losing to El Samurai and Ryusuke Taguchi on February 19, 2006 in Tokyo.

In 2006, Goto joined the American Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion as a member of Team Japan (consisting of CTU members Goto, Jyushin Thunder Liger, Black Tiger and Minoru), one of the four teams competing in the TNA 2006 World X Cup Tournament.

He debuted in TNA on April 23, 2006 at Lockdown, where he teamed with Black Tiger and Minoru against Team USA members Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal and Alex Shelley.

Team Japan defeated USA when Black Tiger pinned Lethal.

On the April 27, 2006, episode of TNA Impact!, Goto and Minoru lost to Dutt and Shelley, giving a first round victory and two points to Team USA.

On May 14, 2006 at Sacrifice, Goto and the other members of Team Japan accompanied Liger to ringside, assisting him in his victory over Team Canada captain Petey Williams.

Later that night, all four members of Team Japan took part in a gauntlet match that was won by Team Canada captain Petey Williams.

The 2006 World X Cup was won by Team USA (with five points), with Team Japan coming last with three points.

On August 1, 2006, Goto left for a lengthy learning excursion to Mexico after losing in a farewell match at the CTU 2nd Anniversary Show.

While in Mexico he wrestled primarily for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre and for Último Dragón's Toryumon Mexico.

During his time in Mexico, he formed a rudo unit with Hajime Ohara and Shigeo Okumura in CMLL.

Goto showed a great deal of promise and skill since last seen in July 2006.

He showcased a whole new moveset and he quickly tried to establish himself as one of the top Heavyweights in New Japan.

Not that far into his return Goto join the Stable "R.I.S.E" with Shinsuke Nakamura, Travis Tomko, Giant Bernard, and fellow former CTU teammates Minoru, Milano Collection AT, and Prince Devitt.

On November 11, he challenged Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but after a long and hard-fought match, Tanahashi would win with the Texas Cloverleaf.

In August 2007, Goto returned to New Japan after his almost one-year stay in Mexico.

Upon his return, the now much more muscular Goto graduated from a Jr. heavyweight to a Heavyweight.

Shortly after that Goto entered the 2007 G1 Tag League with Milano Collection AT, but the pair would finish in third place.

He is known for being the longest reigning NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion with his Chaos stablemates, Tomohiro Ishii and Yoshi-Hashi, a two-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, four-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, one-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, five-time NEVER Openweight Champion, one-time winner of the G1 Climax (2008), five-time winner of the World Tag League (2012, 2014, and 2021, 2022, 2023), and a record three-time winner of the New Japan Cup (2009, 2010, and 2012).

Goto attended Kuwana Kogyo High School in Kuwana, Mie, where he was classmates with Katsuyori Shibata.

Goto later attended Kokushikan University, where he took part in freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling.

Goto's first approach to pro wrestling was Fire pro Wrestling videogame.

Then, he started watching JPW, NJPW, AJPW, and Michinoku Pro.

Upon graduating, Goto qualified to join New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), but left the promotion after incurring a shoulder injury.

In 2008 Goto wrestled one of his childhood idols, The Great Muta at New Japan's annual January 4 Tokyo Dome Show.

Although having a good showing, Goto would fall to Muta.

Goto's progress was good through 2008 but a surprise victory in New Japan's prestigious G1 Climax in August surpassed everyone's expectations.

Goto earned 8 points in Block B, tied for first with Nakamura, but he advanced to the final due to a direct win over the former IWGP champion and RISE leader.

Meeting Togi Makabe in the final, Goto overcame outside interference and blood loss to defeat the leader of the Great Bash Heel (G.B.H.) faction, pinning him with the Shouten.

In March 2009 Goto defeated Karl Anderson, Shinsuke Nakamura, Yuji Nagata and Giant Bernard to win the 2009 New Japan Cup and earn a shot at Hiroshi Tanahashi's IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

On May 3, 2009, at Wrestling Dontaku 2009, Tanahashi defeated Goto to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

On January 4, 2010, at Wrestle Kingdom IV in Tokyo Dome, Takashi Sugiura successfully defended his GHC Heavyweight Championship against Goto.