Masahiro Chono

Career

Masahiro Chono (born September 17 1963 in Mitaka, Tokyo) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He debuted in 1984 against Keiji Mutoh at an event in Saitama, Japan. He soon came to the United States and wrestled in the Kansas City and Alabama areas.

He primarily wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), but he has also made appearances for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling as a member of the nWo. Chono, called "Mister Black Jack" when he first started as a heel, is one of the top heels in Japan wrestling history. Originally a clean cut face during his NWA title reign, he turned heel beginning in 1995. His team with Hiroyoshi Tenzan was called "Team Wolf" and it was the core for the formation of the stables nWo Japan in NJPW when the nWo was huge in WCW, and its successor stable, Team 2000 which eventually was restructured again. In a match against WCW's Bill Goldberg, Chono supposedly "shot the match" (actually hurting the opponent) and dislocated his shoulder. Given Goldberg's temperment and abuse of other wrestlers, it would stand to reason his actions and personality would conflict with NJPW employees seeing as how Japanese pro-wrestling puts more emphasis on the match instead of the "gimmick."

Championships/Accomplishments

• 1-Time NWA World Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time NJPW IWGP Heavyweight Champion
• 5-Time NJPW IWGP Tag Team Champion (with Keiji Mutoh once, Mutoh as Great Muta once and Hiroyoshi Tenzan three times)
• 1-Time NWA Central States Television Champion
• 1-Time WWA Heavyweight Champion
• 1-Time CWF Tag Team Champion (with Mike Davis)
• 1-Time Hawaiian Kamehameha Heritage Champion

• Winner 1991 NJPW G1 Climax Tournament (with Keiji Mutoh)
• Winner 1992 NJPW G1 Climax Tournament (with Rick Rude)
• Winner 1994 NJPW G1 Climax Tournament (with Kensuke Sasaki)
• Winner 2002 NJPW G1 Climax Tournament (with Yoshihiro Takayama)
• Winner 1987 NJPW Young Lions Cup (with Shinya Hashimoto)
• Winner 1990 NJPW Japan/China Friendship Tournament (with Kensuke Sasaki)

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him # 70 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003.

External links

• http://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/chono.html – Biography
• http://www.puroresu.com/wrestlers/chono_masahiro.html – Biographical information
• http://www.aristrist.com/