Japanese professional wrestler
Makoto Saitō |
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Born | (1974-04-16) April 16, 1974 (age 49) Nerima, Tokyo |
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Ring name(s) | Darkness Dragon Jimmy K-ness J.K.S. K-ness. Makoto Sumo K-ness S.K.S Turbo-ness |
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Billed height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) |
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Billed weight | 77 kg (170 lb) |
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Trained by | Animal Hamaguchi Wrestle Yume Factory Último Dragón |
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Debut | April 23, 1996 |
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Retired | April 7, 2022 |
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Makoto Saitō (斎藤 誠, born April 16, 1974 in Nerima, Tokyo, Japan), better known by his ring name K-ness. (クネス, Kunesu), is a retired Japanese professional wrestler for Dragon Gate. He is also known for working under the ring name Jimmy K-ness J.K.S. (ジミークネスJ.K.S., Jimīkunesu J.K.S.)
Career
Early years
Saitō debuted in Michinoku Pro around the same time as Yoshito Sugamoto, and then went on to wrestle on the Japanese indy circuit.
Toryumon
He joined Tōryūmon in 1999 as MAKOTO, with a vampire style gimmick. As MAKOTO he was a member of the legendary Crazy Max stable. However, he did not get along with TARU, and eventually was kicked out of the stable after losing to TARU in a loser leaves match.
He returned to Tōryūmon as Darkness Dragon, a takeoff on the Ultimo Dragon lineage, joining heel stable M2K. With the help of his stablemates he became a main event performer. He had a bitter feud with Dragon Kid that ended in 2002 with Kid winning the feud after winning a best of 3 falls mask vs mask match. Darkness Dragon unmasked and briefly went face, forming a face stable called Do FIXER with Kid and Ryō Saitō. His face turn, however, was a ruse designed to cause dissention between the faces. He would soon turn heel again, joining the remnants of M2K and revealing that they were the real Do FIXER. He remasked and reinvented himself as K-ness, and engaged in a major feud and rivalry with YOSSINO.
In November 2003 he suffered a major shoulder injury which caused him to miss out on the majority of 2004, and the switch from Tōryūmon to Dragon Gate.
Dragon Gate
By the time K-ness returned, Ultimo Dragon had left the promotion and taken the Tōryūmon trademark with him.
On returning, K-ness re-united members from the various M2K factions that had split up over the past few years and created Final M2K. He had a relatively quiet 2005. He faced long term rival YOSSINO for the Open the Brave Gate title, but was defeated.
In 2006, he spent a lot of time on the shelf again, recovering from nagging injuries. When he returned at the end of the year, he was no longer himself in terms of his health, and began to wrestle in the opening matches on Dragon Gate cards to reduce the possibility of re-injuring himself. He then held an office position as field manager and booker.
In late 2007 he began to take matches in the upper card again. Teaming with Masaaki Mochizuki and Don Fujii, he ended up with a reign as one third of the Open the Triangle Gate champions. After dropping the titles, K-ness primarily returned to his background role. During that time, he unofficially allied with the "Over 30" veterans of Mochizuki, Fujii and Magnitude Kishiwada, and occasionally took upper card matches with them.
In 2009, K-ness began wrestling as 'X' although no one knew who exactly X was. Genki Horiguchi eventually called out X, who turned out to be K-ness. He stopped teaming with the other veterans and joined Real Hazard, reuniting the K-neSuka team with Susumu Yokosuka. On January 11, 2010, he defeated Naoki Tanisaki to become the Open the Brave Gate Champion.
On January 10, 2010, Genki Horiguchi announced that Real Hazard would start winning matches through teamwork rather than illegal tactics. He initially started out alone on this mission, but six days later, Yokosuka and K-ness decided to help him in his pursuit of clean fights. However, they all found themselves on the losing end of trios matches, with Horiguchi taking the fall every time, and a divide formed in Real Hazard over the clean fights issue, with them on one side and Yasushi Kanda, Kzy, and Takuya Sugawara - who wanted to win through illegal methods - on the other. On February 10, after KAGETORA accidentally cost Sugawara a shot at becoming the next challenger for the Open the Dream Gate Title, tensions boiled over. Yokosuka and K-ness left Real Hazard, along with Horiguchi. K-neSuka also agreed to stop teaming with Horiguchi, since they all did not like how Horiguchi was losing constantly, and they all felt that that was preventing K-neSuka from getting to the top of the tag team division.
On February 27, K-ness dropped the Brave Gate title to Super Shisa. On May 13, 2010, K-ness and Susumu Yokosuka defeated Cyber Kong and Shingo Takagi to win the Dragon Gate Open the Twin Gate Championship. After the longest reign in the title's history, with four successful defenses, K-ness and Yokosuka lost the Open the Twin Gate Championship to Gamma and Naruki Doi on November 23, 2010. On December 4 K-ness and Susumu Yokosuka joined World-1. In a match on February 6, 2011, K-ness suffered a dislocated right shoulder and took time off to heal. On April 14, 2011, World-1 was forced to disband after losing a match to the Blood Warriors. On September 9, 2015, upon joining the Jimmyz stable, he was renamed Jimmy K-ness J.K.S. On September 18, 2017, the Jimmyz were forced to disband after losing a match to VerserK.
In December 2021, K-Ness announced that he would be retiring in April 2022 due to a lingering neck injury.
Championships and accomplishments
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D'courage | |
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Gold Class | |
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High-End | |
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Kung-Fu Masters | |
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M3K | |
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Natural Vibes | |
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Los Perros del Mal de Japón | |
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Z-Brats | |
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Unaffiliated | |
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Other talent | |
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Past units | |
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Other personnel | |
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1940s | |
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1950s | |
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1960s | |
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1970s | |
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1980s | |
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1990s | |
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2000s | |
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2010s | |
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2000s |
- Italian Connection (Milano Collection A. T., Anthony W. Mori and Yossino)
- Do Fixer (Dragon Kid, Genki Horiguchi and Ryo Saito)
- Blood Generation (Cima, Don Fujii and Naruki Doi)
- Blood Generation (Cima, Magnitude Kishiwada and Masato Yoshino)
- BxB Hulk, Cima and Jack Evans
- Muscle Outlaw'z (Naruki Doi, Gamma and Masato Yoshino)
- Pos.Hearts (BxB Hulk, Anthony W. Mori and Super Shisa)
- Typhoon (Cima, Ryo Saito and Susumu Yokosuka)
- Muscle Outlaw'z (Naruki Doi, Gamma and Magnitude Kishiwada)
- New Hazard (BxB Hulk, Cyber Kong and Shingo Takagi)
- Muscle Outlaw'z (Magnitude Kishiwada, Masato Yoshino and Naruki Doi)
- Mushozoku (Don Fujii, K-ness. and Masaaki Mochizuki)
- Real Hazard (Gamma, Shingo Takagi and Yamato)
- Tozawa-juku (Kenichiro Arai, Taku Iwasa and Shinobu)
- Real Hazard (Gamma, Yasushi Kanda and Yamato)
- Zetsurins (Don Fujii, Magnitude Kishiwada and Masaaki Mochizuki)
- Kamikaze (Dragon Kid, Shingo Takagi and Taku Iwasa)
- Warriors-5 (Cima, Gamma and Kagetora)
- World-1 (BxB Hulk, Masato Yoshino and Pac)
- Zetsurins (Akebono, Don Fujii and Masaaki Mochizuki)
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2010s |
- Deep Drunkers (Kzy, Takuya Sugawara and Yasushi Kanda)
- Warriors (Cima, Gamma and Genki Horiguchi)
- World-1 (Naoki Tanizaki, Naruki Doi and Pac)
- Naoki Tanizaki, Takuya Sugawara and Yasushi Kanda
- Blood Warriors (Cima, Dragon Kid and Ricochet)
- Junction Three (Gamma, Masato Yoshino and Yamato)
- Blood Warriors (Kzy, Naoki Tanizaki and Naruki Doi)
- Jimmyz (Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Jimmy Kanda and Ryo "Jimmy" Saito)
- World-1 International (Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi and Pac)
- Mad Blankey (Akira Tozawa, BxB Hulk and Naoki Tanisaki)
- Kaettekita Veteran-gun (Gamma, HUB and Magnitude Kishiwada)
- World-1 International (Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi and Shachihoko Boy)
- Jimmyz (Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Mr. Kyu Kyu Toyonaka Dolphin/Naoki Tanizaki and Ryo "Jimmy" Saito)
- World-1 International (Naruki Doi, Rich Swann and Shachihoko Boy)
- M2K (Masaaki Mochizuki, Jimmy Susumu and K-ness.)
- Oretachi Veteran-gun (Dragon Kid, K-ness. and Masaaki Mochizuki)
- Mad Blankey (BxB Hulk, Cyber Kong and Yamato)
- Millennials (Eita, Flamita and T-Hawk)
- Jimmyz (Jimmy Susumu, Mr. Kyu Kyu Naoki Tanizaki Toyonaka Dolphin and Ryo "Jimmy" Saito)
- Jimmyz (Jimmy Kanda, Jimmy Susumu and Mr. Kyu Kyu Naoki Tanizaki Toyonaka Dolphin)
- Millennials (Eita, T-Hawk and U-T)
- Mad Blankey (Cyber Kong, Kzy and Naruki Doi)
- Oretachi Veteran-gun (Cima, Don Fujii and Gamma)
- Jimmyz (Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Jimmy Susumu and Ryo "Jimmy" Saito)
- Dia.Hearts (Big R Shimizu, Dragon Kid and Masaaki Mochizuki)
- Jimmyz (Genki Horiguchi H.A.Gee.Mee!!, Jimmy Kagetora and Jimmy Susumu)
- Monster Express (Akira Tozawa, Masato Yoshino and T-Hawk)
- Jimmyz (Jimmy Kanda, Jimmy Susumu and Ryo "Jimmy" Saito)
- VerserK (Cyber Kong, Shingo Takagi and T-Hawk)
- MaxiMuM (Ben-K, Big R Shimizu and Naruki Doi)
- VerserK (El Lindaman, Shingo Takagi and Takashi Yoshida)
- Tribe Vanguard (BxB Hulk, Kzy and Yamato)
- MaxiMuM (Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi and Jason Lee)
- Natural Vibes (Kzy, Genki Horiguchi and Susumu Yokosuka)
- R.E.D (Kazma Sakamoto, Takashi Yoshida and Yasushi Kanda)
- Strong Machine Gundan (Strong Machine J, Strong Machine F and Strong Machine G)
- R.E.D. (Diamante, H.Y.O and Takashi Yoshida)
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2020s |
- Team Toryumon (Dragon Kid, Kenichiro Arai and Ryo Saito)
- Team Dragon Gate (Ben-K, Dragon Dia and Strong Machine J)
- R.E.D. (Diamante, Kazma Sakamoto and Takashi Yoshida)
- R.E.D. (Kazma Sakamoto, SB Kento and Takashi Yoshida)
- Masquerade (Dragon Dia, Jason Lee and La Estrella)
- R.E.D. (Eita, Kaito Ishida and H.Y.O)
- Masquerade (Jason Lee, Kota Minoura and Shun Skywalker)
- Natural Vibes (Kzy, U-T and Jacky "Funky" Kamei)
- Gold Class (Naruki Doi, Kaito Ishida and Kota Minoura)
- Los Perros del Mal de Japón (Eita, Nosawa Rongai and Kotaro Suzuki)
- Stinger (Yoshinari Ogawa, Seiki Yoshioka and Yuya Susumu)
- Momo No Seishun Tag (Daisuke Harada and Atsushi Kotoge) and Yo-Hey
- M3K (Masaaki Mochizuki, Susumu Mochizuki and Mochizuki Junior)
- Z-Brats (Ishin Iihashi, Kai and Shun Skywalker)
- Gold Class (Ben-K, BxB Hulk and Kota Minoura)
- Natural Vibes (Kzy, Big Boss Shimizu and Jacky "Funky" Kamei)
- Gold Class (Naruki Doi, Kota Minoura and Minorita)
- Dragon Kid, Punch Tominaga and Yamato
- Z-Brats (Ishin, Kai and Yoshiki Kato) (current)
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1980s | |
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1990s | |
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2000s |
- Crazy-Max (Cima, Suwa and Big Fuji)
- M2K (Darkness Dragon, Yasushi Kanda and Susumu Mochizuki)
- Dragon Kid, Magnum Tokyo and Ryo Saito
- M2K (Darkness Dragon, Masaaki Mochizuki and Susumu Mochizuki)
- Italian Connection (Milano Collection A. T., Yossino and "brother" Yasshi)
- Do Fixer (Genki Horiguchi, Ryo Saito and Susumu Yokosuka)
- Shin M2K (Kenichiro Arai, Dragon Kid and Masaaki Mochizuki)
- Italian Connection (Milano Collection A. T., Condotti Shuji and Yossino)
- Hagure Gundam/Aagan Iisou (Toru Owashi, Condotti Shuji and Yassini)
- Kenichiro Arai, Dragon Kid and Second Doi
- Gedo, Jado and Katsushi Takemura
- Los Salseros Japoneses (Takayasu Fukuda, Pineapple Hanai and Takeshi Minamino)
- Hell's Demons (Takuya Sugawara, Brahman Shu and Brahman Kei)
- Nobutaka Araya, Toru Owashi and Takuya Sugawara
- The Italian Four Horsemen (Francesco Togo, Piza Michinoku and Antonio Honda)
- Belt Hunter×Hunter (Danshoku Dino, Hikaru Sato and Masa Takanashi)
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2010s |
- Tokyo Gurentai (Fujita, Mazada and Nosawa Rongai)
- Atsushi Kotoge, Daisuke Harada and Takoyakida
- Ebessan (III), Kanjyuro Matsuyama and Kuishinbo Kamen
- Hikaru Sato, Keisuke Ishii and Yoshihiko
- Great Kojika, Mr. #6 and Riho
- Shit Heart♥Foundation (Hikaru Sato, Michael Nakazawa and Tomomitsu Matsunaga)
- Disaster-Box (Harashima, Toru Owashi and Yukihiro Abe)
- Jackets (Jiro Kuroshio, Seiki Yoshioka and Yasufumi Nakanoue)
- Real Desperado (Kazma Sakamoto, Koji Doi and Nosawa Rongai)
- Kaz Hayashi, Minoru Tanaka and Tajiri
- Andy Wu, Daiki Inaba and Seiki Yoshioka
- Jun Kasai, Nosawa Rongai and Shuji Kondo
- New Era (Daiki Inaba, Kohei Fujimura and Yusuke Kodama)
- Kaz Hayashi, Masayuki Kono and Shuji Kondo
- New Era (Andy Wu, Koji Doi and Kumagoro)
- Kaz Hayashi, Manabu Soya and Shuji Kondo
- Jay Freddie, Jiro Kuroshio and Kumagoro
- Ganseki Tanaka, Manabu Soya and Nosawa Rongai
- New Era (Jiro Kuroshio, Koji Doi and Kumagoro)
- Enfants Terribles (Seigo Tachibana, Shotaro Ashino and Yusuke Kodama)
- New Era (Koji Doi, Kumagoro and Takanori Ito)
- Sento Minzoku (Daiki Shimomura, Isami Kodaka and Ryuichi Sekine)
- Takato Nakano, Takumi Tsukamoto and Yasu Urano
- Sparky (Ryota Nakatsu, Naoki Tanizaki and Akiyori Takizawa)
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2020s | |
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