Hirooki Goto

Hirooki Goto

Birthdate: June 25th, 1979
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 227 lbs.
Debut: July 6th, 2003
Background: Amateur Wrestling
Promotion History: New Japan (2003 to present)
Alliances: RISE
Ring Attire: Black trunks
Card Position: Mid-Card
Major Tournaments Won: None
Current Title Held: None

Championship History:

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship with Minoru:
- Defeated Koji Kanemoto and Inoue on 5/14/05 and lost to El Samurai and Taguchi on 2/19/06

NWA International Jr. Heavyweight Championship:
- Defeated Shocker on 3/4/07 and was Vacated on 9/8/07

Biggest Matches:
- May 14th, 2005 with Minoru vs. Koji Kanemoto and Wataru Inoue (title win)
- March 4th, 2007 vs. Shocker (title win)
- November 11th, 2007 vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (title challenge)
- January 4th, 2008 vs. Great Muta

Pictures:
- At the 2008 Tokyo Dome, Goto hits Muta with a Shining Wizard
- Goto after his return from Mexico
- Goto with the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship

Signature Moves:
- Avalanche Neck Breaker
- Avalanche Yoshi Tonic
- Brainbuster
- Firemans Carry Slam to Knee
- Firemans Carry Slam to Knee (Slow Motion)
- German Suplex Hold
- Lariat
- Shining Wizard
- Shouten (HQ)
- Spinning Heel Kick, Catapulted
- Top Rope Elbow Drop

Pre-Excursion Signature Moves:
- Go To Heaven
- Jigoku Kuruma

2005 Recap:
Still a junior heavyweight at the moment, Goto has found the most success of all the young lions. Teaming with Minoru, in 2005 Goto won the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, a belt that he held from May until the end of 2005. He was also successful at the Best of the Super Jr. Tournament, finishing third in his block. Goto is one of the most promising of all the younger wrestlers.

2006 Recap:
It wasn't a strong year for Goto in Japan, as he lost the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on February 16th and then came in sixth in his bracket at the Best of the Super Jr. Tournament. After a difficult July, Goto left for Mexico on August 1st, losing in his farewell match at the CTU 2nd Anniversary Show. No time table has been set for his return.

2007 Recap:
Goto spent most of the year in Mexico, transforming himself from a vanilla Jr. Heavyweight to a powerful Heavyweight. When he returned on August 26th, he returned with a vengeance and proved that his time in Mexico was not wasted. After going through Yamamoto, Uwano, and Honma, Goto proved that he was a force to be reckoned with when he defeated Tenzan on October 8th. On November 11th he challenged Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but after a long and hard fought match Tanahashi would win with the Texas Cloverleaf. In the G1 Tag League he teamed with Milano Collection AT, but the pair would come in 3rd place. On November 25th, Goto lost in a singles match to Makabe, showing that even though he grew tremendously in the last year he still needed some work before breaking the highest tier in New Japan.

2008 Recap:
2008 had some notable highs and lows for Goto as he continued to try to establish himself as a star in New Japan. The year started slow, as he lost to the Great Muta at the Tokyo Dome. At the New Japan Cup he lost to eventual winner Tanahashi in the first round. In the G1 Climax, Goto had the highlight of his career when he beat Makabe in the finals to win the tournament. Winning the G1 Climax earned him a title shot and he challenged Keiji Mutoh in All Japan for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, but Mutoh would defeat the young star for the second time that year. On September 5th, Goto with Nakamura challenged Togi Makabe and Toru Yano for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, but Goto would be defeated. In the G1 Tag League Goto teamed with Shinsuke Nakamura and they would reach the semi-finals before falling again to Togi Makabe and Toru Yano.

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