The greatest masterpiece of the Japanese indie world

"The Indies is Masato Tanaka. I have always thought of myself as an indie wrestler, and I have lived with that pride" - Masato Tanaka -

Who will be the final wrestler in this book? As I continued my research, I realized that there was a man who was worthy of being the final subject of my interviews. His name is Masato Tanaka. Boasting a well-trained jet-black body and incredible stamina, he is one of the industry's leading match-makers, always putting on high-level matches. His wrestling has a rebellious spirit and determination that has allowed him to rise to the top with just his own body. People call Tanaka "the greatest masterpiece of the Japanese indie world." His former ally, Gedo, who now manages the scene at the major organization New Japan Pro-Wrestling, praises Tanaka, saying, "No matter what the situation, he never gives up and always gives it his all. And yet he has great guts. He is serious about training, and no matter how hard his body is, he never complains and gives it his all. He is younger than me, but he is a man I can truly respect."

This story is a record of a man who knew the times when prejudice against indie wrestlers was still strong, and made the greatness of indie wrestlers known even on the major stage. Rugby Tanaka, whom I met after entering high school, was born on February 28, 1973 in Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture. His real name is Masato Tanaka. He grew up in a single-parent household, and in elementary and junior high school, he only dabbled in judo, and played softball once a week in the neighborhood association.

He says he was a "chubby guy with good athletic ability." Tanaka first encountered professional wrestling when he was in the fourth grade of elementary school. He saw the first Tiger Mask match on TV and became addicted. After the first Tiger retired, he liked Antonio Inoki, Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami, and foreign wrestlers such as Terry Funk, Hulk Hogan, and the Road Warriors. From the time he entered junior high school, he dreamed of joining New Japan and becoming a professional wrestler in the future.

However, his mother persuaded him: "You can become a professional wrestler after you graduate. It's not too late to become one after you've experienced strict club activities and hierarchical relationships in high school." From his parents' perspective, Tanaka's desire to become a professional wrestler sounded like his child wanted to be a hero, and it seemed unrealistic.

Tanaka went on to Wakayama Prefectural Wakayama Higashi High School, which places a strong emphasis on sports, and joined the rugby club, which was known for being strict. "When the results of my high school entrance exams were announced, there were people recruiting for club activities nearby, and a senior from the rugby club asked me, 'Have you decided on a club activity when you get into high school?' I declined at the time, but after the new semester started, a senior from the rugby club invited me again, saying, 'Come join the rugby club.'

I went to take a look, and even though I was still in my school uniform, they gave me a ball and taught me how to pass it (laughs). I was already around 110 kg (242 pounds) and had a good physique, so I guess I was a good candidate for the rugby club." At the time, the TV drama "School Wars" was being rebroadcast, and the rugby club had the highest number of applicants since its founding, but Tanaka, who was big, played as a regular. His position was forward. He was a prop who formed a scrum at the front. Rugby is a very intense sport that requires constant movement. Tanaka, who weighed 110 kg, lost more than 20 kg (44 pounds) just by playing rugby.

During high school, he participated in the National Athletic Meet and was selected to represent Wakayama Prefecture. Tanaka went on to play professional rugby, but made a firm decision to enter professional wrestling. After graduating from high school, Tanaka decided to continue playing rugby instead of pursuing his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.

At the time, there were few professional wrestling organizations, and no local Kansai organizations. "I wanted to do professional wrestling, but I had to decide whether to go to college or get a job. When I consulted my rugby teacher, he said, "There are universities you can go to, but they're not at the level of a scholarship where tuition fees are waived. You come from a single-parent family, so it's tough to think about the reality. Sumitomo Metal in Wakayama is trying to make their rugby club stronger, so I got a job at Sumitomo Metal."

At the time, Sumitomo Metal was a popular company for professional sports, having won the national baseball championship, and also put a lot of effort into rugby, attracting talented people from famous high schools in Wakayama and Kansai. Tanaka was selected as a regular from his first year and played an active role on the team. However, he experienced a major setback there.

At the time, there was no top league, and the rugby world was divided into three leagues, A to C. Tanaka's Sumitomo Metals was still a "non-league" team that did not belong to the league, and was aiming to enter the C-League. The condition for entering the league was to win the annual non-league tournament and win the relegation match against a lower-ranked team in the C-League. Sumitomo Metals won the non-league tournament and advanced to the relegation match. However, the team lost in vain.

"Am I going to play rugby outside the league for another year?" Tanaka's motivation dropped significantly. He did not like the work on the field, and it was difficult to find a sense of fulfillment in his work. So Tanaka made up his mind. He decided to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler in earnest.

Tanaka made the decision and left his company one month after the relegation match. He was with the company for just under a year. Joining the indie organization FMW, inspired by Atsushi Onita.

After quitting his job and practicing on his own, Tanaka joined the indie organization FMW led by Atsushi Onita in January 1993. "I was a believer in FMW. After the electric explosion death match in Shiodome (Onita Atsushi vs. Tarzan Goto, August 4, 1990), there was an FMW event in Kainan City, Wakayama, and I went to see it because it was close to my house. When I got to the venue, there were only a few customers (laughs). But even in such a situation, FMW wrestlers don't cut corners. At the time, New Japan and All Japan matches had iron fences separating the ring from the audience, but FMW didn't have that, so you could see the wrestlers' serious fights up close. Even with few customers, Onita was bleeding and fighting desperately. As I watched that, I began to strongly want to wrestle in this organization."

At that time, there was no entrance test, and the only test was an interview. Tarzan Goto taught wrestling at the dojo. Goto, who was from All Japan, placed emphasis on basic physical training and ukemi. The instruction was strict, but I was prepared for it to be the norm, so I was able to endure it. Mr. Gannosuke, Eiji Ezaki (Hayabusa), and Koji Nakagawa (GOEMON) watched his training together. He was able to endure the training, but it seems that the baptism by his seniors was tough.

"It was tough to be forced to drink alcohol every night and perform party tricks. I can't drink alcohol, but my seniors made me drink, saying, "If you drink, you will become stronger," and I would throw up, go to sleep, and practice the next day. Gannosuke and Ezaki are talented performers, probably because they come from the student wrestling background (laughs).

Gannosuke is the type who says, "Just do it," and Ezaki is the type who does it himself and says, "Make it even more interesting." Ezaki does something really funny from the beginning, so it was really hard because it was hard to make it any more (laughs)."

Time as an assistant to the "tearful charisma" Atsushi Onita

Tanaka made his debut on July 23, 1993, in a match against Ricky Fuji at the Saga Sports Center tournament. However, his debut match was arranged at short notice. "In many cases, debut matches are arranged suddenly, but in my case, I was told, 'Your debut is coming up soon, so you should prepare your tights and ring shoes,' so I prepared them. In fact, the date of my debut match had already been decided. It was just around the time that Mr. Chin (a former member of Japan Pro-Wrestling, and the oldest active Japanese wrestler at the time) started appearing on the undercard, and when I looked at the card for one day in the series, it said, 'Masato Tanaka's debut match,' and my opponent was Mr. Chin.

To be honest, I was very worried that I wouldn't be able to show anything I had done in training. So the series started, but halfway through, Sambo Asako was injured and had to withdraw. On July 23, while I was practicing before the match, I was suddenly told, 'Today is your debut match. Your opponent is Ricky Fuji.' My debut was decided to fill Asako's gap. I feel bad for Chin-san, but at the same time, I was relieved, and at the same time, I was suddenly nervous that my debut match was decided."

Tanaka has been using elbows as a weapon in his wrestling since his debut. One of his special moves, a jumping elbow after pinning someone to the ropes, was advised by Onita to "try this move" during pre-match practice, and he started using it. When he was a rookie, Tanaka served as an attendant to Atsushi Onita. At the time, Onita was known as the "tearful charisma" and was a superstar in the wrestling world whose name was widely known to the public. By coming into contact with Onita's way of life and learning about evil wrestling, he grew rapidly and quickly showed his talent, such as being selected as Onita's partner in the main tag match.

Once he gets in the ring, it doesn't matter whether he's a senior or a junior. He was originally the type of person who didn't get nervous much, so he didn't feel intimidated even when surrounded by opponents with much more experience than him. If it weren't for Onita, he wouldn't have joined FMW. Even if he had taken the entrance test for a different organization, he doesn't know if he would have passed. That's why he is grateful to Onita, who can be said to be his father as a professional wrestler.

However, even though he was a superstar he admired, there were times when he had a hard time serving as his assistant. "When I was his assistant, we were always together on tour, except when we were sleeping. At first I was full of admiration, but as I got used to him, I started to see his unpleasant side. Onita-san often camps before a match, and even on the day of the match. For example, when we are heading to a local event, we might be driving near the sea. Then, all of a sudden, he might think, 'This is a nice beach,' and we'll park the car and start camping. We'll go fishing and cook rice in a mess kit. It's not a performance for the media, it's completely private, with just me and my manager. Onita-san is the main eventer, so even if I arrive at the venue at 6:30 p.m., I can make it, but I'm a rookie, so I have to get there early. I'm often scheduled for the first match, so if I arrive at the venue at the same pace as Onita-san, I definitely won't make it. In fact, there were many times when matches were missed because of that."

On May 5, 1995, Onita retired for the second time, because he was proud of his indies and didn't want them to make fun of him. After just under two years in the business, Tanaka became a main player in the newly reborn FMW. While the ace of the group, Hayabusa, competed with flashiness, Tanaka threw himself into the death match route, and with his rugby-trained strength and indomitable fighting spirit, he was given the nickname "Bullet Warrior," and he fought heated matches.

In particular, his high-level battles with Yukihiro Kanemura (later Kintaro Kanemura) earned him the nickname "Super Indie," an indie that went beyond indie, and he was highly praised.

"FMW had a strong image of death matches because of Onita's influence. As a group, Hayabusa had become the ace and was trying to move away from death matches. At that time, I had a match with Kanemura without death matches, and it was a great swing. Then, one day, Kanemura used the word "super indie" to describe my match with him. "Super indie" is a great word. To be honest, I thought I was beaten."

In the Japanese wrestling world in the 1990s, there was a clear difference in the quality of wrestlers and the content of matches between major and indie. The junior heavyweight class was reevaluated with the rise of Michinoku Pro-Wrestling at New Japan's "Super J Cup," but the status quo had not been broken in the heavyweight class. In an era when there was strong prejudice and criticism against indie, Riki Choshu criticized indie wrestling at the "Memorial Rikidozan" held at Yokohama Arena on June 30, 1996, saying, "Please don't see us as the same as that. Who are those guys!" Choshu was famous for hating indie wrestling. It seems that the remark was triggered by an indie wrestling group that had a mediocre match at this event, where wrestlers from various groups participated.

Tanaka, who was representing FMW at the event, responded to Choshu's remarks with a fierce "I'm not a nobody! I'm Masato Tanaka!"

"Nowadays there are a lot of good wrestlers in the indie wrestling world, but back then there were wrestlers who had terrible matches, even to my eyes. So I thought it would be a problem if everyone was lumped together as indie. I'm proud of indie wrestling, and I thought I was fighting in FMW as well as the majors. So I got mad. Well, I was young then, and now I can think, 'I'm Masato Tanaka' no matter what people say to me (laughs)."

By the way, Choshu's criticism of indie wrestling led New Japan to enter into a rivalry with the indie group Big Japan Pro- Wrestling. What would have happened if New Japan had requested a match with FMW at this time? Tanaka immediately replied, "Of course I'll do it. There's no chance like that." Tanaka, along with Hayabusa, led the group as an ace, and left behind a number of memorable matches that are hard to believe he had less than five years of experience.

At the Kawasaki Baseball Stadium event on September 28, 1997, Tanaka faced the strongest foreign wrestler in FMW, The Gladiator (Mike Awesome/commonly known as Grazi). He took on the monster Grazi's power head-on, reversed Grazi's specialty of powerbombing the table outside the ring, and won the hardcore physical battle, winning his long-cherished dream of becoming the World Brass Knuckles and Independent World Heavyweight Double Crown Champions.

After seeing Tanaka's match against Grazi at Kawasaki Baseball Stadium, where he became a top wrestler in the legendary professional wrestling organization ECW, Paul Heyman (Paul E. Dangerously), producer of the American professional wrestling organization ECW, set his sights on Tanaka. Paul, who was fascinated by Tanaka, began to move to acquire him.

ECW, now a legendary wrestling organization, was the third largest in the United States after WWF (WWE) and WCW, with a creed of hardcore wrestling. However, at first, Tanaka was not very interested in overseas wrestling.

"At that time, I didn't like overseas wrestling very much. But there is a trend that if you go overseas to train, you come back as a star. So when the company asked me if I would like to come from ECW, I immediately replied, 'I'll go.' I also thought that it would be good if I could change my mind by being exposed to a different environment."

Tanaka also put up a tough, all-out fight in ECW. American ECW fans were instantly captivated by him. Tanaka won the ECW World Tag Team Championship with Balls Mahoney, and was the only Japanese to hold the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. When he entered the top ranks, his treatment also changed. His pay, which was initially low, jumped five times by the time he became a main eventer.

Tanaka still has many matches scheduled overseas, but he attributes his success to his time in ECW. "My experience in ECW still lives on in my heart. If it weren't for those times, I wouldn't be being invited overseas to compete now. ECW is similar to FMW, but I think of it as a more hardcore version of FMW. It wasn't as glamorous, but there were a lot of fanatic fans and the venues were always lively."

For him, the most memorable match in ECW was his fierce battle with that monster. "It has to be Grazi. Even now, when I go to America, fans and people involved tell me, 'That match was amazing.' My best fight overseas was against Grazi in the WWE version of ECW "One Night Stand" (June 12, 2005). I was able to fight with him at full strength, and Grazi was able to fight with me at full strength. We were able to let our limits go. Grazi passed away, so it won't happen, but I would have liked to fight him again." The fierce fight with Grazi, which captured the hearts of fans around the world, was ranked 4th in the "Top 100 matches you should see before you die" ranking announced by WWE.

Dissatisfaction with FMW, which is moving from a super indie to an entertainment route Tanaka returned from the United States in January 1999. He declared, "I'm going to change FMW," and won consecutive matches with his overwhelming strength and steel body. However, contrary to his brilliance in the ring, Tanaka's feelings for FMW became cloudy.

"The reason was the change to the entertainment line at that time. Creating a buzz is certainly important in pro wrestling. But at that time, it seemed to me that they were placing too much emphasis on that and neglecting the important matches. If the customers were satisfied and supported it, I could still change my mind. But I didn't think so. In fact, when the entertainment line became cheap due to lack of funds, the customers gradually left. I couldn't stand that situation, so I asked the company, "Why don't you change the line?" But they said, "This is it."

I don't care if it's a death match or wrestling. I just wanted the matches to be the main focus." FMW was in turmoil while Tanaka was on ECW. Onita, who returned, clashed with the group and was eventually expelled. After that, Kodo Fuyuki, who was participating as Fuyuki Army, took charge of FMW. After Fuyuki's participation, FMW's entertainment line accelerated. Tanaka and Fuyuki clashed in a 15,000V discharge cage thunderbolt death match. Tanaka won the match and took the WEW Singles Championship.

Although the two fought as top wrestlers, they didn't have much contact outside the ring. "FMW is completely divided into babyfaces and heels, so we didn't have a chance to interact outside the ring. To be honest, I didn't like (Fuyuki) that much. Fuyuki-san was trying to take control of the entertainment line. I was against entertainment, so we were incompatible positions. In fact, Kanemura was also on this side (anti-Fuyuki) at first. But before I knew it, it was "Fuyuki-san, Fuyuki-san" (laughs). I can say this now, but the truth is that Kanemura was the one who wanted to quit FMW first. He said, 'Fuyuki-san, no.' I don't want to do this."

Even within FMW, which was moving down the entertainment route, there was an exciting rival: "The Greatest Man," Tetsuhiro Kuroda.

Although both were young wrestlers, Kuroda had always looked up to Tanaka, who was in the main event, with envy. As a result, whenever the two clashed in the ring, some great matches were born. When they teamed up, they displayed outstanding teamwork. In particular, their one-on-one match at Korakuen Hall on February 27, 1999, was a high-quality classic match where willpower and skill collided head-on.

"I've known Kuroda since we lived together in the dojo. Even when we were young wrestlers, I thought, 'I don't want to lose to Kuroda.' We were both conscious of each other, so we tried staggering our practice times at the dojo.

When I heard that Kuroda had lifted a certain amount of weight on the bench press, I would practice while thinking, "Does he really lift that much?" I was Onita's assistant, and Kuroda was Goto's assistant, so I couldn't lose there either. Kuroda is flexible, strong, and has stamina. I honestly thought he was good at getting the crowd excited." Tanaka also had many memorable matches with Hayabusa, who became the symbol of the group. However, no matter how hard he pushed himself, he was never able to beat Hayabusa. The relationship between the two was like that of Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobash, and they were allies who could improve each other whether they were teaming up or fighting.

"Of course, his charisma, his glamour, and the results of his matches were great, but ultimately I was never able to surpass him. Even if he was injured and could no longer compete, even after he passed away, the name Hayabusa will remain in the world of professional wrestling forever. Hayabusa is a true superstar."

Leaving FMW in financial difficulties, he went freelance before choosing ZERO-ONE

In February 2001, Tanaka left FMW, which was in financial difficulties, along with the members of "Complete Players," which he had formed with Jado and Gedo at the time. "Shortly before I left the group, I was told that "the wrestlers who remained in the group will be selling tickets from now on."

At first, I thought that was natural because the management was tough. But when I listened carefully, I was told that the more tickets you sell, the higher your salary as a wrestler will be. I thought that was a little different. Because if that was the case, even if you could only wrestle poor matches, you would be paid more if you sold tickets. We are professional wrestlers, not salesmen. However, even after hearing that, Tanaka still could not make up his mind to quit.

"It all started with Jado and Gedo. After the company said, 'If you want to quit, please tell us by this date,' I met them and they said, 'You said you were quitting? We told you. Let's quit together.' I was surprised and said, 'What?!' Well, I was also dissatisfied with the company, and Jado and Gedo said, 'We need you, so let's quit together and go somewhere else.' So I called the company that day and told them I was quitting.'

After leaving FMW, Tanaka became a freelancer and worked with Jado and Gedo. He went on to work in various organizations, and in July 2001, he made his first appearance in ZERO-ONE, led by Shinya Hashimoto. "When I left FMW and became a freelancer, the first person to call me was Yoshiyuki Nakamura, who was in ZERO-ONE at the time. At that time, I told Nakamura, "I left as a Complete Player, so I want to go up as a Complete Player."

However, I was the only one who received an offer. So I put my answer on hold and went up to the two consecutive matches at Zepp Tokyo in July for ZERO-ONE. On the second day, I fought Shinjiro Otani in a singles match and felt, "He's so hot." I knew Otani was a hot guy since his New Japan days. But I didn't have a chance to fight him, and when I actually faced him, I thought this wouldn't end in one go."

In March 2002, Tanaka joined ZERO-ONE. There was a story behind his decision. "I was freelance for a year, and I was able to join various organizations. I had the joy and fun of being freelance, but at the same time, I had a strong desire to settle down and wrestle somewhere. That's when ZERO-ONE asked me, "Why don't you join us soon?" I had already met Otani, and I knew Hashimoto's personality. Above all, Nakamura was the first person to ask me after I became freelance. So I thought it was ok to take a lower salary than I would have if I were freelance, but the amount offered was much lower than I expected (laughs). So I asked them to reconsider the terms."

At that time, Tanaka was competing in both ZERO-ONE and All Japan. "Actually, Motoko Baba (the president of All Japan at the time) called me. She called me to her house and asked me to join her. I told her honestly, "ZERO-ONE has asked me to join them. If they agree to the amount I offer, I will become a ZERO-ONE wrestler." Motoko asked me, "How much did they offer?" but I told her, "That's not it. It's not bargaining. If ZERO-ONE says it's impossible to join, please ask me again."

"In the end, I was convinced. I had heard a lot from the wrestlers around me, so to be honest, I didn't have a very good impression of Motoko until I joined All Japan. But she was very kind to me, and I'm only grateful." In the end, they agreed on the amount, and Tanaka became a member of ZERO-ONE.

Shinya Hashimoto and Shinjiro Otani

Just before joining ZERO-ONE, Tanaka fought Shinya Hashimoto one-on-one at the Ryogoku Kokugikan event on March 2, 2002. In this match, Hashimoto's destructive power exploded, reminiscent of his heyday as the IWGP champion. Tanaka was on the defensive, and in the second half, he was defeated as he could only endure. Tanaka can't forget Hashimoto's bold way of life both in and out of the ring.

"I was completely defeated in that match. The result was disappointing, but I was happy to hear fans say, 'It's been a while since I've seen a scary Shinya Hashimoto.' Because, that means that I'm the kind of person who doesn't break down no matter what you do, so Hashimoto was able to go all out. I'm stubborn too, so I don't want to be defeated easily. Maybe that's why Hashimoto became so serious. Hashimoto is usually a big-hearted person who loves to eat. After a hearty meal of shabu-shabu, he'll find a yakiniku restaurant on the way back to the hotel and eat yakiniku there too (laughs). He's a bossy type, and once after a match he treated me and some fellow wrestlers to a meal at Jojoen's Yugentei, and when we were paying the bill I saw the bill in the hundreds of thousands...I guess major wrestlers are different after all (laughs). Hashimoto was someone who made professional wrestlers dream."

After joining ZERO-ONE, Tanaka formed "Enbu Renmu (Emblem)" with Otani. Enbu Renmu went on a rampage beyond the boundaries of the group, winning the 2002 Pro-Wrestling Grand Prix Best Tag Team Award and becoming a famous tag team that won numerous tag championships.

However, in November 2004, ZERO-ONE ceased operations due to poor management. When Otani took the lead in founding a successor group, ZERO1-MAX (now ZERO1), with the wrestlers and staff of the group, Tanaka joined the group without hesitation. The reason was that his rival and ally Shinjiro Otani was there.

"When I parted ways with Hashimoto-san, if Shinjiro Otani and Nakamura hadn't taken action, the group would have disappeared. If he hadn't become the president, there would be no ZERO1 today. If I had been asked to become the president at that time, I would have refused. It was such a difficult and tough role. But Otani accepted it. I can only be grateful for that. Otani is also a wrestler who puts his body on the line. Although we are no longer teamed up, he is both a good partner and a rival. If I were to face him head on, I would have a strong desire not to lose to Shinjiro Otani, and I'm sure he feels the same way."

From then on, Tanaka became a regular in the entertainment-oriented pro wrestling event Hustle. He became the first HHH (Hustle Hardcore Hero) champion. During his time with FMW, he had felt a dislike for the entertainment-oriented route. However, when asked a question about Hustle, he got an unexpected answer. "I was in the hardcore division, and I was in a position to get the crowd excited during matches, but the entertainment-oriented route of Hustle was really fun. Maybe it's because my way of thinking has changed after experiencing a lot of things. I didn't mind going up to Hustle, and if I didn't like it, I would have refused.

Bullet warrior evolved through physical transformation

In 2006, Tanaka won his first championship at the passionate men's festival "Fire Festival". He also won the World Heavyweight Championship, the highest peak in ZERO1. However, after that, an old shoulder injury worsened. He needed surgery and was forced to miss six months.

So Tanaka started to transform his body. "The reason I changed my style was because of shoulder surgery. When I came back from ECW, I had gained weight to around 110kg (220 pounds) and had a lot of fat on top of my muscles. I had to take a break for about six months due to shoulder surgery, and I was worried about whether I would be able to move properly in the ring when I returned from my injury, so I changed my training to focus on stamina.

I ran for an hour, did weight training, and practiced in the ring, and I lost a lot of weight. Eventually, I saw some cuts in my muscles, and I thought that if I continued like this, I would have a good-looking body and be able to make a different impact than before."

Tanaka eventually slimmed down and returned with a built-up body. During his absence, he developed a special move called the Sliding D, in which he hits his opponent with an elbow in a sliding manner, and further evolved as a wrestler.

In his 20s, Tanaka was good at powerful and rough moves. Splash Mountain, Avalanche Reverse brainbuster, Bullet Grenade (running in Death Valley Bomb), Complete Dust (Canadian Backbreaker followed by a facebuster slammed to the side) but since he changed to a new style, he has used those moves less frequently.

"With my current style, it's hard to lift up an opponent who weighs over 100kg (220 pounds). The finishing move, the sliding D, can be done on any opponent as long as they're seated. I focused on speed and stamina, and narrowed it down to moves I was confident in." But that doesn't mean he stopped using those moves. The swing DDT and vertical drop brainbuster he'd used for a long time have become even more powerful, and he's succeeded in elevating them into refined and valuable big moves.

Tanaka has participated in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and is active as a top wrestler in ZERO1, a main eventer based on his ability, but he had no connection to New Japan. In fact, he had the feeling that by performing well in ZERO-ONE, a spinoff of New Japan, he might one day be able to move up to New Japan. It was in 2008 that Tanaka finally started competing in New Japan. New Japan and ZERO1 entered into an inter-group competition, and Tanaka was at the forefront, fighting against New Japan's top wrestlers. He produced good results and continued to compete in New Japan as a semi-regular even after the inter-group competition ended. He earned the recognition of wrestlers, fans, and people involved with his skills and talent.

What was New Japan like for him, the ring he dreamed of joining as a boy? "It's called major for a reason. When you go up to various indie organizations, there are wrestlers who can do it and wrestlers who can't do it at all. There is no one who can't do it in New Japan. In the first place, all the wrestlers were selected from those who had the ability, so it was rewarding. I think there were wrestlers and fans who didn't know me right after I went up to New Japan. But by being allowed to go up all the time, I think the idea that 'Masato Tanaka is this kind of wrestler' has spread. Including that ripple effect, New Japan had a major feel."

He won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship and the NEVER Openweight Championship, and challenged the IWGP Heavyweight Championship held by Togi Makabe and Hiroshi Tanahashi, and played the important role of a main eventer in a major organization with his ability, further increasing his reputation as a professional wrestler. During his participation in New Japan, people still say to him, "That match was amazing," during the NEVER Openweight Championship match against Tomohiro Ishii at the Korakuen Hall event on February 3, 2013. This match was scheduled as the main event. Both Tanaka and Ishii are from indie. These two people from such circumstances closed the last major event. This can only be called a miracle.

In this match, the two showed a wonderful way of life. They did not run away from any technique, but accepted it head on and fought back. Such a soulful rally continued for more than 20 minutes. After a fierce battle, Tanaka defeated Ishii with his favorite sliding D and defended his title. He shouted on the microphone after the match. "This is a fight between me and Ishii that only I and Ishii can do! If you are confident that you can do a better match than this, it doesn't matter which group or who you are! Come in front of me!"

Furthermore, in the waiting room, he said, "Even in the indie world, the ones who remain at the bottom will remain at the bottom, but the top ones have the ability to compete with the majors." Tanaka has pride in indie and rebellious spirit against the majors. Tanaka was once fiercely opposed to Riki Choshu, who criticized indie, and was later praised by Choshu when they fought one-on-one at ZERO-ONE. And Tanaka's words, who closed the main event of a major organization, were persuasive. Now that seven years have passed since that famous match, I asked Tanaka about his match with Ishii.

"We were on the same team, CHAOS, so I don't think we would have faced each other unless it was a title match. We're both originally from indies. I think it was a gamble for New Japan to put us in the main event. But I was sure that with Ishii-chan we could have an interesting match. Because I've never seen him have a bad match. He puts on a great match against any opponent and really gets the crowd excited. Ishii-chan is the best of the best."

Tanaka stopped participating in regular New Japan matches in 2013. In fact, the organization he mentioned as the one he would like to join now is the current New Japan. "The current New Japan is amazing. When I first started, there were a lot of empty seats when I went to the local areas, but towards the end, there were always customers. Once a wrestling organization goes bad, it just keeps going and never suddenly bounces back. I've seen New Japan go bad, so when I see how crazy they are now, I think they're really amazing. That's why I want to go to the current New Japan."

Tanaka formed a unit called "Dangan Yankees" with Yusaku Obata and Ikuto Hidaka in ZERO1 in 2014. A big-name wrestler joined them. Takashi Sugiura of Pro Wrestling Noah. Tanaka formed the strongest duo with Sugiura, who is called the "symbol of strength" in Noah, and won the tag championship in Noah and ZERO1, and won the 2014 Pro-Wrestling Grand Prix Best Tag Team Award. By teaming up with Sugiura, who is the same generation, he was able to experience Noah's wrestling.

"I was originally taught by Goto, so I'm from All Japan. Noah was also originally a group that was born from All Japan. So I wasn't worried at all about moving up. I've experienced a lot of things, so I was fine with any type of opponent. And having Sugiura next to me is reassuring."

Tanaka says that Sugiura is special in a different way to Otani. "I have more experience, but Sugiura is two years older. He's older, but he's in good condition and plays really good matches. He's someone to aspire to. If Sugiura has done that much, I think I can do it until that age too. So I want Sugiura to be like that no matter how old he gets. That way I'll think I can do it if I work hard." Tanaka has been active in New Japan and Noah, and has made his presence known in major organizations. For him, the majors are "the best place to sell yourself."

Always breaking his personal best... that's the bullet principle. Now, let's get to the essence of professional wrestler Masato Tanaka. What is he thinking about when he faces a wrestler for the first time? "I like matches with new opponents because I'm looking forward to seeing what they'll do. However, there are some opponents who try to force things on me. In those cases, the most important thing is to not get hurt. That's the most important thing." Sometimes you will encounter wrestlers who are bad at wrestling. There are also special cases, such as when the opponent is a fighter who is new to wrestling. "In that case, I'll try to get into the opponent's arms a little. Then I'll look at the situation and change my setup."

This is very similar to the answer he gave to Dick Togo when he asked the same question before, "I'll have a match that's favorable to my opponent." It's clear that professional wrestling only works if there is an opponent. After winning the D-O GP in 2019, Tanaka said, "Masato Tanaka is someone who fights on an equal footing, and can surpass and win with more than that."

What is the true meaning of these words? "I've experienced a lot of things, been in a lot of different organizations, and fought a lot of different wrestlers, so I'm confident as a wrestler. That's one reason, but by making those kinds of statements, I'm putting pressure on myself. I have to prove what I said in the ring. Even if people around me think, "What is this guy talking about?" I won't let them say it. To do that, I have to always be in good condition. Even if there are times when I don't like practicing, I think, "I have to get in good condition."

On the day of the interview, Tanaka fought against freelance young warrior Tsugutaka Sato at the ZERO1 Shin-Kiba show held in the evening. He developed a great match that brought out Sato's potential and won completely. It was a match in which he treated his opponent as an equal and even surpassed him. Tanaka will be 47 years old in February. Even now, with his career and experience, he is still in top condition and is currently at the forefront of the wrestling world. "The only way to keep myself in top condition is to train every day. If I have time to practice, I've decided to run for an hour so that I don't lose my stamina. I also do strength training, run, and get a tan so that I don't lose my appearance (laughs)."

His future goals are very Tanaka-like. "My goal is to improve every day. People often tell me that I'm better than I was before, so I want people to say that I'm better now than I was before, even when I'm 50 years old."

Tanaka may be the man who changed the history of Japanese wrestling by breaking through prejudice and criticism and proving the fact that "there are great wrestlers in indie wrestling." He fought against any opponent without treating them as inferior, and he beat both his opponents and himself head-on. By evolving every day, he is always updating his personal best even as he gets older. That is the bullet-like approach of Masato Tanaka, who has overcome many "hurdles" that existed in the wrestling world with his results and match content. That is why he can say this with confidence. "Indie is Masato Tanaka."

This interview was conducted for the "Independent Blues" book