Taiji Ishimori

Taiji Ishimori (石森 太二) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he wrestles as part of the Bullet Club.

Ishimori is a three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, and is also a one-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion alongside former Bullet Club teammates Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa.

Ishimori is best known for his 12-year stint with Pro Wrestling Noah, where he became one of the most decorated junior heavyweights in the promotion's history, holding the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship three times, while also setting the record for the longest reign with the championship at 405 days during his first reign.

Ishimori also held the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship a record six times, and won the promotion's Nippon TV Cup Jr. Heavyweight Tag League a record four times.

He is also known for his work in Impact Wrestling, where he is a one-time Impact X Division Champion.

When he was an amateur wrestler, Taiji Ishimori was trained in Toryumon Mexico and debuted against Fumiyuki Hashimoto in 2002.

He went to compete in the Young Dragons Cup and won after beating Jun Ogawauchi, Henry III Sugawara and lastly Condotti Shuji.

Shortly after, he was given a pop idol gimmick and formed a boy band-like faction with Kei and Shu Sato, calling themselves the Sailor Boys.

Ishimori was intended to become the "ace" (the top student) of his graduating class, even going so far as to release an album, "Keep on Journey", to support their gimmick.

However, the fan interest never matched his hype, and Ishimori became one of Toryumon's bigger failures.

Sailor Boys' rival faction, Los Salseros Japoneses (Takeshi Minamino, Pineapple Hanai and Mango Fukuda) was in turn more successful with the fans.

While in the Toryumon X brand, Sailor Boys also feuded with Mini Crazy Max (Mini Cima, Suwacito and Small Dandy Fujii), defeating them in X's debut show.

Unlike the rest of his class, Taiji did his Japanese debut for All Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle-1 project.

Returning to Mexico, he won the UWA World Welterweight Championship on May 11, 2003, defeating Super Crazy to win the belt.

Ishimori defended the UWA World Welterweight Championship 2 times, against Fuerza Guerrera on August 31, 2003 and against Yossino on December 7, 2003.

He dropped the UWA championship to Takeshi Minamino on August 29, 2004.

He tried to regain the title in the Dragon Fire The Final Challenge event, but it was unsuccessful.

Also, at the last Toryumon X show, Sailor Boys challenged Gedo, Jado and Katsushi Takemura for the UWA World Trios Championship, but they were defeated.

Following the title loss, Ishimori began working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as one of their "Young Lions" prospects.

Very early in his NJPW run he was teamed up with Hiroshi Tanahashi for a one night U-30 (Under 30) tag team tournament.

In the first round the team defeated Blue Wolf and Katsuhiko Nakajima and in the finals they defeated Ryusuke Taguchi and Shinsuke Nakamura to win the tournament.

At one point he teamed up with his mentor Último Dragón for an unsuccessful shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, held by Jado & Gedo at the time.

By mid-2005, Ishimori had left NJPW and begun working for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW).

In August 2005, Ishimori debuted in AJPW teaming with Keiji Muto.

They, along with Kaz Hayashi, Satoshi Kojima and other face wrestlers, feuded with the villainous Voodoo Murders group.

Ishimori also started teaming with another former NJPW rookie, Katsuhiko Nakajima, eventually taking part in the AJPW 2006 Junior Tag League.

Together they defeated Kikujiro (Nobutaka Araya) & Kikutaro and Akira & Ryuji Hijikata, but they passed without achieving much success.

Ended the league, Ishimori left All Japan.

During his time in AJPW, Ishimori also worked for the short lived promotion dragondoor as the top face (good guy), and once again failed to be accepted in that role by fans.

He formed a high-flying faction with Kota Ibushi, Little Dragon and Milanito Collection a.t., but they were beaten by the stable Aagan Iisou led by Shuji Kondo.

Ishimori also was in the El Dorado Wrestling debut show, leaving the promotion right after.

Ishimori began working as a freelance wrestler for Pro Wrestling Noah in March, 2006 and often worked as part of the SEM promotion that was considered the developmental territory for Noah.

He began teaming up with Kenta, wrestling on many shows together, trying to earn a match for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.

The team failed to win the title on their initial chance.

Due to being trained in Mexico Ishimori often wrestled against Mexican Luchadores who toured with Noah, facing such opponents as Charly Manson or Abismo Negro.

He also wrestled on the Noah / AAA co-promoted show TripleSEM on September 3, 2007 teaming with El Elegido and Kenta to lose to the Mexican Powers (Crazy Boy, Joe Líder and Juventud Guerrera).

In 2007 Ishimori became a full-time Noah wrestler and shortly after Ishimori and Kenta won the Tag Champions.

The team went to Dragon Gate and defeated the team of BxB Hulk and Shingo Takagi on March 20, 2008.

to bring the Noah Junior Heavyweight Tag Title back to Noah.

Ishimori and Kenta successfully defended the title against Ricky Marvin and Kotaro Suzuki and also the team of Bryan Danielson and Eddie Edwards from Ring of Honor.