Taichi (wrestler)
A villainous maestro in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, blending arrogant showmanship with unexpectedly sharp technical skill and a killer microphone.
Born 1980 (age 46)·Japanese professional wrestler·Birthday: March 19·Generation X
Biography
Taichi has cultivated one of the most uniquely entertaining personas in modern puroresu. He enters the ring in flamboyant, sequined robes, often accompanied by a vocalist for a live musical performance, projecting an aura of cowardly arrogance. But this theatrical facade hides a seriously capable and vicious wrestler. A student of the hard-hitting King's Road style, he can switch from cheating and eye-rakes to delivering brutal kicks and sophisticated submission holds in an instant. His career, primarily in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, has seen him evolve from a junior heavyweight tag specialist to a legitimate heavyweight contender, capturing several championships and proving that his act is backed by substantial in-ring substance.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Taichi was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Taichi Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Taichi's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- A former two-time NEVER Openweight Champion in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
- A former four-time IWGP Tag Team Champion across both heavyweight and junior heavyweight divisions.
- Held the KOPW Championship, a trophy designed for stipulation-based matches.
- A former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion.
Did You Know?
He performs his own entrance music, often singing live on his way to the ring.
His signature move is called the Black Mephisto, a devastating sitout crucifix powerbomb.
He was a high school classmate and close friend of fellow wrestler Tetsuya Naito.
He uses a microphone as a weapon, which fans have nicknamed the 'Mic-chan.'
“True strength is making them hate you before you even throw a punch.”
