52 Facts About Satoshi Kojima

Satoshi Kojima is a Japanese professional wrestler.

Satoshi Kojima is signed to both New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Major League Wrestling, where he is a former two-time MLW World Heavyweight Champion and current one half of the MLW World Tag Team Champions in his second reign.

Satoshi Kojima makes appearances for All Japan Pro Wrestling.

Between the NWA, AJPW, NJPW, and Noah, Kojima has held 20 total championships.

Satoshi Kojima got his start loading trucks for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and after some months of persuasion finally convinced head trainer Animal Hamaguchi to accept him into the dojo.

Satoshi Kojima debuted as a wrestler on July 16,1991 in a match against future tag team partner Hiroyoshi Yamamoto where Yamamoto won.

On September 26,2002, Satoshi Kojima defeated Jerry Lynn to win the vacant MLW World Heavyweight Championship in New York.

Satoshi Kojima successfully defended the title five times in both MLW and All Japan Pro Wrestling.

Satoshi Kojima held the championship for a then record 267 days, before losing the title to Mike Awesome on June 20,2003.

In January 2002, in opposition to Antonio Inoki focusing the IWGP title on unreliable shoot style wrestlers such as Kazuyuki Fujita and Tadao Yasuda, as well as Inoki debuting his controversial "Inokiism" era where NJPW relied heavily on MMA shoot match crossovers, Satoshi Kojima left NJPW with his mentor Keiji Mutoh, and joined All Japan Pro Wrestling where he was finally able to receive the push of a top star.

Satoshi Kojima fought against Genichiro Tenryu at this time, who would become an AJPW loyalist.

Satoshi Kojima later turned babyface by December 2002, where on the December 6,2002 pay-per-view Satoshi Kojima and Taiyo Kea won the Real World Tag League of that year.

Williams would watch the celebration somewhat jealously while reluctantly shaking Satoshi Kojima's hand, looking down at the title on his shoulder.

However, with just seconds before the match would be declared a time limit draw, Tenzan, who was known to have a legitimate back injury, could not continue, resulting in Satoshi Kojima being declared the winner and becoming the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

NJPW officials had come up with the finish, which was designed to look like a "mistake", having agreed with AJPW that it would be better if Satoshi Kojima won the match, but not wanting the match to end in a standard pinfall or submission.

On July 3,2006, Satoshi Kojima lost the Triple Crown to Taiyo Kea.

On December 2,2006, the reformed Tencozy won the World's Strongest Tag Determination League defeating Kohei Suwama and RO'Z in the finals when Satoshi Kojima used a lariat on RO'Z.

In July 2007, Satoshi Kojima shocked the All-Japan Army when he betrayed them and joined the Voodoo Murders, where he was quickly made the group's co-leader along with TARU.

Satoshi Kojima left the group in 2008 after returning from injury to side with his sworn friend Hiroyoshi Tenzan and to feud with the alliance of Great Bash Heel and the VooDoo Murders.

In 2008, Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima became the first tag team to ever win G1 Tag League and World's Strongest Tag Determination League in the same year.

On September 26,2009, a few days after his 39th birthday Satoshi Kojima lifted the All-Japan Triple Crown off of Yoshihiro Takayama, returning the titles to All-Japan and winning them for the 2nd time.

Satoshi Kojima lost the title on March 21,2010, to Ryota Hama.

Satoshi Kojima returned to New Japan in August 2010 to take part in the 2010 G1 Climax tournament.

On January 4,2011, at Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, Satoshi Kojima lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Tanahashi.

Meanwhile, the newly renamed Satoshi Kojima-gun expanded to include Taka Michinoku and Nosawa Rongai, who in turn used his connections to get MVP to join the group.

Satoshi Kojima managed to win five more matches in the tournament, but a loss to former partner Hiroyoshi Tenzan on the final day eliminated him from the running for a spot in the finals.

From August 1 to 11, Satoshi Kojima took part in the 2013 G1 Climax.

However, a victory over reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada on the final day of the tournament earned Satoshi Kojima a shot at the title.

On January 4,2014, at Wrestle Kingdom 8 in Tokyo Dome, Satoshi Kojima defeated Conway to become the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Six days later, during New Japan's trip to Taiwan, Satoshi Kojima made his second successful defense of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Rob Conway.

On May 3 at Wrestling Dontaku 2014, Satoshi Kojima defeated Wes Brisco for his third successful defense of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

In late 2014, Satoshi Kojima began making appearances for Pro Wrestling Noah, which culminated in him unsuccessfully challenging Naomichi Marufuji for the GHC Heavyweight Championship on January 10,2015.

From July 23 to August 15, Satoshi Kojima took part in the 2015 G1 Climax, where he finished with a record of three wins and six losses.

On March 19,2016, Satoshi Kojima unsuccessfully challenged Katsuyori Shibata for the NEVER Openweight Championship.

Satoshi Kojima defeated Suwama in the match, but was left with a bad aftertaste due to the win coming as a result of a pre-match attack on Suwama by Joe Doering.

Satoshi Kojima would enter the 2020 New Japan Cup, however was eliminated in the first round by eventual winner EVIL.

In December 2020, after Juice Robinson sustained an eye injury, Satoshi Kojima would replace him and challenge KENTA for his IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Right to Challenge briefcase at Wrestle Kingdom 15.

Satoshi Kojima then began a feud with Will Ospreay culminating in a No Disqualification Match at The New Beginning in Nagoya, where Ospreay would defeat Satoshi Kojima.

Satoshi Kojima entered the 2021 New Japan Cup, but was eliminated in the first round by Jeff Cobb.

On June 28,2017, Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre announced that Satoshi Kojima would be making his debut for the promotion in the 2017 International Gran Prix.

On June 25,2023 at Forbidden Door, Satoshi Kojima competed in the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament, losing to CM Punk in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Satoshi Kojima then challenged Go Shiozaki for the GHC Heavyweight Championship after Shiozaki won the vacant title after defeating Kaito Kiyomiya in the main event.

At CyberFight Festival 2022, Satoshi Kojima defeated Shiozaki to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship for the first time and became the fourth Japanese wrestler to win all the major Heavyweight titles in Japan, having won the IWGP Heavyweight and Triple Crown Heavyweight Championships in his career.

In January 2024, Satoshi Kojima returned to MLW to challenge World Heavyweight Champion, Alex Kane to a title match.

At SuperFight 2024, Satoshi Kojima defeated Kane to win the MLW World Heavyweight Championship, 22 years after first winning the title.

Satoshi Kojima became the first 2-time World Heavyweight Champion in the promotions history.

At Intimidation Games, Satoshi Kojima successfully defended his title against Minoru Suzuki.

At War Chamber II, Satoshi Kojima successfully defended his title against Bad Dude Tito.

At Aztecha Lucha, Satoshi Kojima teamed up with Shigeo Okumura, calling their team, CozyMax.

Satoshi Kojima became a double champion in the process, the first to hold both the World Heavyweight and World Tag Team titles at the same time.

Satoshi Kojima lost the title to Matt Riddle at Kings of Colisseum 2025.

Satoshi Kojima appears in the game Fire Pro Wrestling World as a playable character.