Masahiro Chono

Masahiro Chono
Chono in November 2010
Born (1963-09-17) September 17, 1963 (age 61)[1]
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Kamikaze Chono[2]
Masahiro Chono[2]
Masa Chono[2]
Tokyo Chono[2]
Billed height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)[3]
Billed weight238 lb (108 kg)[3]
Billed fromTokyo, Japan (WCW)
Mitaka, Tokyo (NJPW)
Trained byStu Hart
Lou Thesz
Antonio Inoki
Kotetsu Yamamoto[4]
DebutOctober 5, 1984
RetiredFebruary 21, 2023

Masahiro Chono (蝶野正洋, Chōno Masahiro, born September 17, 1963) is a Japanese-American retired professional wrestler and actor best known for his 26-year stint with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). As the leader of nWo Japan, Team 2000 and Black New Japan, he was the promotion's top heel for much of his career, beginning in 1994 when he adopted a yakuza inspired gimmick.

Aside from his work in NJPW, Chono has also made appearances for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), as a member of the New World Order, as well as occasional appearances in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Pro Wrestling Noah and Pro Wrestling Zero1. Chono holds the record for most wins of the G1 Climax at 5, which has earned him the nicknames "Mr. August" and "Mr. G1". Overall, he is a two-time world champion, with one reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion and NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion each. He is also a seven-time IWGP Tag Team Champion.

  1. ^ "プロフィール - MASAHIRO CHONO OFFICIAL SITE". Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "Masahiro Chono". wrestlingdata.net. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Masahiro Chono OWW profile". OnlineWorldofWrestling. May 22, 2023.
  4. ^ "Masahiro Chono " Wrestlers Database " CAGEMATCH – The Internet Wrestling Database". Cagematch.net. Retrieved October 3, 2013.