The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20090328181023/http://www.gerweck.net:80/taka.htm

Taka Michinoku

Real name: Takeo Yoshida
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 169 lbs.
Date of birth: October 26, 1973
From: Morioka, Japan
Resides: Puerto Rico
Pro debut: 1991
Trained by: The Great Sasuke
Finishing move: Michinoku driver

Biography

- Michinoku made his ring debut for the Japanese Universal Pro-Wrestling group.
- In 1993, Michinoku moved to Michinoku Pro-Wrestling.
- On May 5, 1996, Michinoku defeated Kouji Nakagawa in Kawasaki, Japan for FMW's (Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling) Independent World World Junior Heavyweight title. He held the title nearly fourteen months.
- In June 1996, Michinoku and Sho Funaki joined Dick Togo, Shiryu, and Mens Teioh in Kaientai DX, or KDX.
- The cliche often clashed with the likes of Super Delfin and the Great Sasuke.
- On April 13, 1997, Michinoku, Togo, and Terry Boy battled the Great Sasuke, Gran Hamada, and Masato Yakushiji at ECW's first PPV, Barely Legal.
- Michinoku regained the Junior Heavyweight title on August 25, 1997, relieving El Satanico of the championship in Pueblo, Mexico.
- Michinoku won the WWF Light Heavyweight tournament on December 7, 1997, defeating Brian Christopher (Grand Master Sexay) in the finals to win the newly created title.
- On December 18, 1997, Michinoku pinned Funaki for the World Junior title in Tokyo.
- At the 1998 "No Way Out," Michinoku successfully defended the WWF Light Heavyweight title against Pantera.
- At Wrestlemania XIV in Boston, Michinoku pinned Aguila (Essa Rios) to retain the WWF Light Heavyweight title.
- In March 1998, Kaientai joined the WWF. The original group consisted of Michinoku, Funaki, Togo, and Teioh. The group managed by Yamaguchi-San.
- Yamaguchi-San's wife was revealed as TAKA's sister, which was a work.
- Val Venis eventually ended up with Mrs. Yamaguchi-San, which led to the "castration" scene on "Raw."
- A short time later, Michinoku was out of the group, and feuded with his former comrades.
- At the 1998 King of the Ring, Michinoku and the Headbangers defeated Kaientai in a six-man tag match.
- The Oddities and Kaientai feuded in the summer of 1998.
- When the Kaientai cliche was dropped, Teioh and Togo requested their releases from the WWF, which were granted.
- With no plans to use TAKA, the WWF loaned Michinoku's services to ECW.
- Michinoku pinned Papi Chulo (Essa Rios) at ECW's Cyberslam '99.
- Michinoku and Funaki reunited as Kaientai later in 1999.
- On the August 29, 2000 "Smackdown" television taping, Kaientai upset the Dudley's Boyz thanks to outside interference from the Acolytes. Kaientai had paid the APA for protection.
- In November 2001, Michinoku underwent shoulder surgery with Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, AL.
- When his WWE contract expired, Michinoku returned to wrestling full time in Japan.
- On March 23, 2003, Michinoku defeated Hiroyo Mutoh in a men-vs-women's match in Yokohama, Japan.
- Michinoku, Keiji Mutoh, and Caol Uno defeated Apeman (Jimmy Yang), the Great Sasuke, and the Great Kosuke on May 10, 2003 in Tokyo.
- At Michinoku Pro's 10th Anniversary show on November 2, 2003, Michinoku, Togo, Teioh, Hanzo Nakajima, and Shiryu (Kaz Hayashi) defeated Jinsei Shinzaki, Hayate, Kesen Numa-jiro, Kazuya Yuasa and Chi-Nen Hokkai in Tokyo.
- On January 10, 2005, Michinoki defeated Hayashi in Tokyo to become the All Japan World Junior champion.
- Togo and Michinoku defeated Jado and Gedo in Tokyo on May 7, 2007 to capture the IWGP Junior Tag Team titles.


[ HOME | [ LEGENDS/FREE AGENTS | [ WWE ROSTER | [ PPV RESULTS ]