30 Facts About Shinjiro Otani

Shinjiro Otani is a semi-retired Japanese professional wrestler and the current acting president of Pro Wrestling Zero1.

Shinjiro Otani is currently inactive from pro-wrestling competition due to a cervical spine injury sustained in April 2022.

Shinjiro Otani was born in Yamaguchi and was a big pro wrestling fan during his youth, specifically Antonio Inoki's New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Shinjiro Otani attended the only two events NJPW ran in Yamaguchi yearly and idolised Kengo Kimura.

Shinjiro Otani was successful in amateur wrestling during high school, and upon graduation, he planned to move almost 600 miles from Yamaguchi to Tokyo to join a professional wrestling dojo.

At the time, the only wrestling school Shinjiro Otani knew of was Animal Hamaguchi's dojo, where he would travel and introduce himself to Hamaguchi.

Shinjiro Otani made his in-ring debut on June 25,1992, losing to Hiroyoshi Yamamoto at a house show in Fukushima.

Shinjiro Otani's televised debut came a little under a month later, losing to Osamu Nishimura in Gifu.

Early in his career, Shinjiro Otani became known for his springboard dropkick, his corner face wash, and developed a reputation as a likeable underdog thanks to his sympathetic performances and his willingness to challenge senior wrestlers, in particular Jushin Thunder Liger.

Shinjiro Otani spent much of 1992 and 1993 trading wins and losses with fellow dojo classmates such as Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Tokimitsu Ishizawa and Yuji Nagata, customary for younger wrestlers in Japan as they develop and earn their place within the company.

Shinjiro Otani represented NJPW during their feud with Wrestle Association-R on January 16,1994, losing to Masao Orihara at a WAR's Super Revolution event.

Shinjiro Otani won the first championship of his career on December 13,1994, beating Norio Honaga to win the UWA World Welterweight Championship.

Shinjiro Otani would continue to solely defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship until February 1998, when he dropped the title to Jushin Thunder Liger.

Shinjiro Otani toured with All Star Wrestling in the United Kingdom and spent time training under Tokyo Joe in Canada, where he developed his new King Cobra Clutch finishing move.

In November 2000, during Shinjiro Otani's time spent overseas, it was announced by longtime associate and former ace of NJPW Shinya Hashimoto, who had recently been fired by the company, that Shinjiro Otani was one of the names that would be joining him in his new promotion, Zero-One.

At the time, Shinjiro Otani had not yet agreed to join the promotion, and in 2019, he said that this premature announcement was what led to him leaving New Japan, the promotion he had loved since his childhood, so suddenly.

Shinjiro Otani, convinced by Hashimoto's words and concerned about Hashimoto feeling alone after his firing from New Japan, agreed to join Zero1 as one of the founders.

Shinjiro Otani competed on the inaugural Zero1 card on March 2,2001, remaining a heavyweight and beginning his feud with MMA fighter turned pro-wrestler Kazunari Murakami.

Shinjiro Otani lost their first meeting by referee's decision, a wild and scrappy brawl that lasted less than five minutes.

Back in Zero1, Shinjiro Otani looked to win his third successive Fire Festival tournament and again made it to the final, though, this time, he was defeated by AJPW representative Satoshi Kojima.

Shinjiro Otani would establish a working relationship between Zero-One Max and New Japan Pro Wrestling, which led to Shinjiro Otani appearing in a New Japan ring for the first time since February 2001 on October 8,2005, in the Tokyo Dome.

On October 12,2009, at Masahiro Chono's 25th anniversary event in Ryogoku Kokugikan, Shinjiro Otani received his first opportunity at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in over nine years, challenging Shinsuke Nakamura.

In late 2009, Shinjiro Otani formed a new partnership with former sumo wrestler Akebono, prior to the upcoming Furinkazan tag tournament, dubbing themselves "Kazan".

On March 6,2011, Shinjiro Otani competed in the main event of Zero1's special 10th anniversary card in Ryogoku Kokugikan, where he would lose to Yoshihiro Takayama.

Shinjiro Otani would unite with former rivals Koji Kanemoto and Osamu Nishimura in NJPW for one night only in October 2011, where they were defeated by the reunited Okami Gundan team of Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito, in the main event of Tenzan's 20th anniversary event in Korakuen Hall.

Shinjiro Otani held the title until June 2017, when he dropped it to Masakatsu Funaki, the man he initially defeated to win the title.

Shinjiro Otani was defeated after a hard-fought 22 minute match, but earned plaudits from the crowd for the strong effort he displayed.

Shinjiro Otani again returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling on January 4,2020, taking part in one of Jushin Thunder Liger's retirement matches, where he, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Ryusuke Taguchi and Naoki Sano defeated Liger, Tatsumi Fujinami, The Great Sasuke and Tiger Mask.

At one point in the match, Shinjiro Otani became unresponsive after taking a German suplex into the turnbuckles.

Shinjiro Otani was transported to hospital, where he awoke he was unable to move his limbs; he was diagnosed with a cervical spinal injury.