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Taiji Ishimori (2018)

141 Pts.



In March, Ishimori mutually parted ways with Pro Wrestling NOAH after 12 years with the promotion as the (sometimes, especially in later years) junior ace, citing a desire to wrestle full time in America. After spending April working PWG and Impact Wrestling, Ishimori showed up at Wrestling Dontaku on May 4 and attacked Will Ospreay, revealing himself as the new BONE SOLDIER.

If he indeed hustled NOAH into letting him go mid-contract in order to jump to New Japan, it wouldn’t be the first time Ishimori bounced a promotion. By puro standards, outside of his 12-year NOAH stint, he qualifies as a vagabond. Toryumon to Toryumon X (failed ace) to New Japan, to All Japan, to dragondoor (failed ace, again), to El Dorado, to NOAH, and back to New Japan again. You have to wonder if he cut a deal with New Japan while working tours as a guest in 2016. There is history with Gedo, who he crossed paths with in Mexico around 2002.

The new BONER was pushed strong right out of the gate, losing to Hiromu in the BOSJ final. At the G1 Final, he won his first NJPW championship, defeating Young Bucks & Marty Scurll for the NEVER trios titles along with Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa. They’d end the year as champions. Ishimori closed the year with momentum, as a titleholder, and set to face KUSHIDA for the IWGP junior heavyweight title at Wrestle Kingdom 13.