Masanobu Fuchi

Masanobu Fuchi
Ring name(s)	Masanobu Fuchi Masa Fuchi Akaoni
Billed height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Billed weight	100 kg (220 lb)
Born	Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
Resides	Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
Debut	August 22, 1974

Masanobu Fuchi (渕 正信, Fuchi Masanobu^?, born January 14, 1954) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for All Japan Pro Wrestling as a full-time wrestler, as well as a director. Fuchi holds the record for the longest AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship reign and has competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling longer than any wrestler on the current roster.

Career

All Japan Pro Wrestling (1974-present)

Early years (1974-1986)

With a background in amateur wrestling, Fuchi debuted as a professional wrestler on August 22, 1974 for AJPW, facing future Death Match innovator Atsushi Onita. For the next couple of years, Fuchi and Onita alternated between teaming and feuding on the opening bouts. In 1979, the two went on an excursion to Memphis, Tennessee to season their careers. Fuchi briefly worked for the NWA's Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling as a jobber who always showed a good account of himself.

Junior Heavyweight Ace (1986-1996)

Following Onita's retirement in 1985 and Tiger Mask II's graduation to the heavyweight division in 1986, Fuchi became the top junior heavyweight star, holding the AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship on 5 different occasions spanning over 11 years. Fuchi's third reign spanned 4 years (1989-1993), but the fact that AJPW was relatively closed off to outside competition factored heavily in his lengthy third reign.

All Japan's Last Hope (1996-2002)

After losing the belt for the last time in 1996, Fuchi was relegated to the opening "legends" bouts, mostly in teams opposing AJPW founder Giant Baba. In 2000, when Mitsuharu Misawa defected from AJPW to form Pro Wrestling Noah, Fuchi was one of two (the other being Toshiaki Kawada) native wrestlers who remained with the promotion. As a result, Fuchi was pushed for a while into the upper regions of the card, teaming with Toshiaki Kawada and becoming a top contender for the AJPW Double Cup Tag Team Championship. Fuchi's last title was the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship with fellow veteran Genichiro Tenryu.

Wrestler and Director (2002-present)

Fuchi became a director for the promotion soon after the arrival of Keiji Mutoh, a position that Fuchi still holds to this day. Fuchi still competes on a full-time basis for All-Japan Pro Wrestling, but usually in comedic preliminary bouts against rookie heavyweights and junior heavyweights. On August 20, 2006, Fuchi became a member of the Voodoo Murders stable, competing under a red mask as Akaoni. His tenure as Akaoni and with the stable only lasted for that evening, as Fuchi unmasked and helped fellow All Japan competitors attack the stable following the main event. From November 23 to December 9, 2007, Fuchi teamed with Osamu Nishimura to compete in the Real World Tag League, finishing the league with 7 points (2 wins, 2 losses and 3 draws) and placing 5th overall.

In wrestling

• Finishing
  • Bridging Back Drop
  • STF

• Signature moves
  • Enzuigiri
  • Facelock
  • Inside cradle

• Entrance themes
  • "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins

Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Pro Wrestling
  • AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Genichiro Tenryu
  • AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship (5 times)

• Continental Wrestling Association
  • AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Mr. Onita

• New Japan Pro Wrestling
  • NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #323 of the 500 best singles wrestler during the PWI Years in 2003^[1]

• Tokyo Sports Grand Prix
  • Effort Prize (1976, 1983)^[2]

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
  • 5 Star Match (1990) with Jumbo Tsuruta and Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi on October 19
  • 5 Star Match (1991) with Jumbo Tsuruta and Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi on April 20
  • 5 Star Match (1992) with Jumbo Tsuruta and Akira Taue vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, Toshiaki Kawada & Kenta Kobashi on May 22
  • 5 Star Match (1992) with Yoshinari Ogawa vs. Kenta Kobashi and Tsuyoshi Kikuchi on July 5
  • 5 Star Match (1994) with Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue vs. Kenta Kobashi, Mitsuharu Misawa & Giant Baba on February 13

References

1. ^ http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwi500yr.htm
2. ^ http://www.purolove.com/tokyosports.php

Sources

• Fuchi's profile on Puroresu Central
• Fuchi's profile on Shining Road
• Fuchi's profile at Bodyslamming

Persondata
Name	Fuchi, Masanobu
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1954
Place of birth	Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
Date of death
Place of death