Shinya Hashimoto

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Hashimoto grew up in Toki City in Gifu and began training in judo and karate in his late teens. He joined the NJPW Dojo in April 1984 and made his debut in September 1984 at age 19, wrestling Tatsutoshi Goto. He traveled to the United States (Continental Wrestling Association), Canada (Stampede Wrestling), and Puerto Rico (World Wrestling Council) for seasoning. In Puerto Rico in 1988, he formed The Three Musketeers with Masahiro Chono and Keiji Mutoh. Upon returning to NJPW in July 1988, he adopted a martial artist gimmick with a hachimaki and a style based on shoot kicks, karate strikes, and submissions. He won the IWGP Tag Team Championship with Masa Saito in September 1989, and later won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship from the Great Muta in September 1993. He held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship three times, with a record-breaking 489-day reign ending on August 31, 1997. He also won the G1 Climax in 1998. After a rivalry with Naoya Ogawa, Hashimoto left NJPW in 2000. He founded Pro Wrestling Zero-One in 2001, winning the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in December 2001 and the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship in February 2003. He died of a brain aneurysm on July 11, 2005.

In Their Own Story

Between 1990 and 1998, Hashimoto took part in various worked mixed martial arts-like bouts in NJPW called "Different Style Fights," where he defeated Tony Halme, Ramzan Shibiev, and Dennis Lane. Most bouts lasted from 3 to 14 minutes and usually ended via submission or knockout. Due to his success, Hashimoto was scouted by K-1 executive Kazuyoshi Ishii to compete in their '93 GP tournament, but he declined. He was also invited to a 1994 all-star shoot wrestling tournament in Union of Wrestling Forces International, NJPW's rival promotion, with a hundred million yen prize, but he refused again. After being fired from NJPW, Hashimoto registered the Pro Wrestling Zero-One name on November 13, 2000, and the promotion had its first show on March 2, 2001. In December 2001, Hashimoto faced Steve Corino and Gary Steele in a Triple Threat Match, winning the vacated NWA World Heavyweight Title. His NWA World Title reign ended in March 2002 when a crooked referee gave a fast count, allowing Dan Severn to win the title. In October 2002, Hashimoto teamed with his old rival Naoya Ogawa to win the NWA Intercontinental Tag-Team Title from John Heidenreich and Nathan Jones. On February 23, 2003, Hashimoto defeated the Great Muta to win All Japan Pro Wrestling's Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, becoming only the second man to have held the NJPW, AJPW, and NWA World Titles (as Keiji Mutoh was the first). Hashimoto suffered a shoulder injury in July 2003 and had to vacate the Triple Crown. In June 2004, Hashimoto teamed with Yoshiaki Fujiwara to win the NWA Intercontinental Tag-Team Titles for a third time, defeating Takao Omori and Shiro Koshinaka. Going into 2005, Hashimoto left Zero-One and placed Shinjiro Otani in charge, citing financial problems as the reason for his departure. Hashimoto suddenly died of a brain aneurysm on July 11, 2005; he was pronounced dead at 10:36 a.m. while en route to the hospital. Hashimoto's sister Masanari claimed Hashimoto had been complaining about chest pains and thought his heart was beating too fast a week prior to his death, but refused to contact his doctor. Hashimoto had a heart problem in 2004 and was put on medicine, but had to stop taking it after having shoulder surgery. His doctor claimed high blood pressure was the most likely cause for his brain hemorrhage and proposed that other stress over the years led to these problems.

Reader's Guide

Hashimoto's career is marked by his status as one of NJPW's "Three Musketeers" and his dominance in the 1990s. He held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship three times, not four. The second-generation IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt was introduced in 1997, but the source does not state that it was retired as a tribute to Hashimoto. He is one of three wrestlers to have held the NWA World Heavyweight, Triple Crown, and IWGP Heavyweight Championships, but the source does not clarify the nature of the Triple Crown as a combination of titles.

Did You Know?

• Hashimoto is one of three wrestlers (along with Keiji Mutoh and Satoshi Kojima) to have held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
• He held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship three times, with a record-breaking 489-day reign.
• Hashimoto founded Pro Wrestling Zero-One in 2001 after leaving NJPW.
• He died of a brain aneurysm on July 11, 2005, at age 40.