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Tetsuya Naito

Tetsuya Naito

Acting

Biography

Tetsuya Naito is a Japanese professional wrestler best known for his 21-year run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) from 2004 to 2025, where he led Los Ingobernables de Japón and is widely seen as one of the greatest and most popular wrestlers in the company’s history. He now works as a freelancer, primarily appearing for Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw) and Pro Wrestling NOAH (NOAH) alongside BUSHI, where the pair are one-time GHC Tag Team Champions. He started training in 2000 under Animal Hamaguchi and joined NJPW in 2004 as a Young Lion in the company’s dojo. In NJPW, he built a decorated career as a five-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and eight-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, while also holding the NEVER Openweight Championship. As part of No Limit with Yujiro Takahashi, he held the IWGP Tag Team Championship and the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. He later added two more IWGP Tag Team Championship reigns with SANADA and Hiromu Takahashi. In tournament competition, he won the G1 Climax three times (2013, 2017, 2023), the New Japan Cup in 2016, and later the World Tag League in 2023 with Hiromu Takahashi. Over time, Naito grew into one of NJPW’s most accomplished and decorated figures, earning Tokyo Sports MVP honors (2016, 2017, 2020, 2023), the Technique Award (2018), the Best Bout Award in 2020 for his match against Kazuchika Okada on January 5 at Wrestle Kingdom 14, and was ranked No. 5 in the PWI 500 in both 2020 and 2024.

Known For

All Elite Wrestling: Collision
7.7

An in-ring show featuring more wrestlers, more stories and more action to super-serve fans.

All Elite Wrestling: Collision

2023
New Japan Pro Wrestling
8.0

New Japan Pro Wrestling is a Japanese promotion founded by Antonio Inoki in 1972. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it is the largest wrestling promotion in Japan and one of the largest in the world.

New Japan Pro Wrestling

1972
NJPW New Japan Cup
N/A

The NJPW New Japan Cup is an annual single-elimination professional wrestling tournament held by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) since 2005. It is considered the second most prominent heavyweight tournament in NJPW, after the G1 Climax which follows a round-robin format.

NJPW New Japan Cup

2005
My Dad Is a Heel Wrestler
7.3

Takashi Omura was once a popular professional wrestler, but he isn't popular anymore. He now wears a cockroach mask and wrestles as a villain. He is married to Shiori and they have an elementary school aged son named Shota. Takashi and Shiori have not yet told their son what Takashi does for a living. One day, Shota finds out that Takashi is a professional wrestler and a villain with a cockroach mask. Shota is shocked and tells a lie to his classmate that his dad is a popular professional wrestler.

My Dad Is a Heel Wrestler

2018
NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2024
N/A

King of Pro-Wrestling 2024 was a New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) pay-per-view held on October 14, 2024, at Ryōgoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, headlined by Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2024

2024
ROH & NJPW: War of the Worlds - Night 3
N/A

The third night of ROH & NJPW: War of the Worlds 2016 was a professional wrestling event co-produced by Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, held on May 14, 2016, at Terminal 5 in New York City, and headlined by Jay Lethal & Roderick Strong vs. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii) vs. Bullet Club (Adam Cole & Matt Jackson).

ROH & NJPW: War of the Worlds - Night 3

2016
NJPW Road To The New Beginning 2020 - Night 5
3.5

NJPW Road To The New Beginning 2020 - Night 5 was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on February 4, 2020 in Tokyo at the Korakuen Hall. It was broadcast on NJPWWorld.com

NJPW Road To The New Beginning 2020 - Night 5

2020
NJPW G1 Climax 26: Day 19 (Final)
N/A

The nineteenth and final night of the tournament, featuring the match to crown the G1 Climax 26 winner, took place at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on August 14, 2016.

NJPW G1 Climax 26: Day 19 (Final)

2016
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2015
N/A

Wrestling Dontaku 2015 was a New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) pay-per-view held on May 3, 2015, at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Fukuoka, Japan, headlined by Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Hirooki Goto for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2015

2015
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14: Night 2
9.0

The second night of Wrestle Kingdom 14 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), which took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on January 5, 2020, headlined by Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito (c) in a dual title match for the IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14: Night 2

2020
NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2015
N/A

The New Beginning in Osaka 2015 was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling, held on February 11, 2015, at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan, and headlined by Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. AJ Styles for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

NJPW The New Beginning in Osaka 2015

2015
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022
8.0

Wrestling Dontaku 2022 was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) that took place on May 1, 2022, at the Fukuoka PayPay Dome in Fukuoka, Japan, headlined by Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022

2022
NJPW 45th Anniversary Show
N/A

NJPW 45th Anniversary Event took place on March 6, 2017 from the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan. NJPW Anniversary Event celebrates the anniversary of the first event held by NJPW on March 6, 1972. The main event for the 45th Anniversary show was Kazuchika Okada taking on Tiger Mask W.

NJPW 45th Anniversary Show

2017
NJPW Dominion 7.12 in Osaka-Jo Hall
N/A

Dominion 7.12 in Osaka-jo Hall was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling on July 12, 2020, at Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka, Japan, and was headlined by Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. EVIL for the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships.

NJPW Dominion 7.12 in Osaka-Jo Hall

2020
NJPW G1 Special In San Francisco
8.0

NJPW G1 Special in San Francisco was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place on July 7, 2018, at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California, USA, featuring top NJPW stars in major singles and championship matches as part of the promotion’s U.S. expansion.

NJPW G1 Special In San Francisco

2018
AEW x NJPW Present Forbidden Door 2023
7.9

The 2023 Forbidden Door was the second annual Forbidden Door professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and supershow co-produced by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and the Japan-based New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place on June 25, 2023, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

AEW x NJPW Present Forbidden Door 2023

2023
NJPW Dominion 6.9 In Osaka-Jo Hall ~ Best of the Super Junior 31 Final ~
N/A

NJPW Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-Jo Hall was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place on June 9, 2024, at Osaka-Jo Hall in Osaka, Japan, and was headlined by the Best of the Super Junior 31 Final Match between El Desperado and Taiji Ishimori.

NJPW Dominion 6.9 In Osaka-Jo Hall ~ Best of the Super Junior 31 Final ~

2024
NJPW Power Struggle 2014
N/A

Power Struggle 2014 was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling, held on November 8, 2014, at the Bodymaker Colosseum in Osaka, Japan, and headlined by Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

NJPW Power Struggle 2014

2014
NJPW The New Beginning In Sapporo 2023 - Day 2
N/A

The New Beginning in Sapporo 2023 - Night 2 was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). The event took place at the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, on February 5, 2023.

NJPW The New Beginning In Sapporo 2023 - Day 2

2023
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2019 - Day 1
N/A

The first night of Wrestling Dontaku 2019 was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro-Wrestling that took place on May 3, 2019, at Fukuoka Kokusai Center in Fukuoka, Japan, and was headlined by Dragon Lee (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2019 - Day 1

2019