Ryoji Sai Explained

Ryoji Sai
Birth Date:3 June 1980[1]
Birth Place:Osaka, Japan[2]
Names:Ryoji Sai
Weight:231abbr=onNaNabbr=on
Trainer:Gerard Gordeau
Zero1 Dojo
Debut:September 1, 2001[3]

(born Choi Young-ii June 3, 1980) is a Korean professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and promoter who currently owns and operates Pro Wrestling Land's End, where he is a former All Asia Heavyweight Champion. He is best known for working for Pro Wrestling Zero1, where he is a former two-time World Heavyweight Champion.

He is the older brother of mixed martial artist Young Choi.

Career

Ryoji Sai is a 3rd Generation Zainichi Korean that was born in Osaka, Japan. His parents own a restaurant near Tsuruhashi Station in Osaka. At 15 years old, Ryouji attended the Sidmouth International School in Sidmouth, England. He then attended Bloxham School in Oxfordshire between 1996 and 1999. While in Europe he studied martial arts under Gerard Gordeau in the Netherlands.

When he returned to Japan he joined Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, debuting on September 1, 2001 at the ZERO-ONE "FIRE FESTIVAL 2001" versus Igor Meindert. in a non-tournament match. From 2002 to 2004, he would be out of pro wrestling with an unknown ailment. Returning in 2004, he would begin to regularly team with Kohei Sato winning the NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship in 2005 and 2006.

Ryoji twice finished as the runner-up in ZERO1 Fire Festival tournaments in both 2007 and 2006, losing to Masato Tanaka. He also regularly appeared for the HUSTLE wrestling promotion during Pro Wrestling ZERO1's working agreement with them. In late 2008 and early 2009, Sai took part on the popular Japan Fuji TV show Ainori (あいのり) under the name of "Wrestler" (レスラー).

Championships and accomplishments

MMA record

|-| Loss| align="center"| 1-1-1 (1)| Kenichi Serizawa| TKO (Punches)| Titan Fighting Championship 2| | align='center'| 2| align='center'| 3:32| Tokyo, Japan| |-| Win| align="center"| 1-0-1 (1)| Koichi Sato| TKO (Punches)| Titan Fighting Championship 2| | align='center'| 1| align='center'| 2:54| Tokyo, Japan| |-| NC| align="center"| 0-0-1 (1)| Koichi Sato| No contest (illegal knees)| Titan Fighting Championship 2| | align="center"| 1| align="center"| 0:26| Tokyo, Japan| |-| Draw| align=center| 0–0–1| Masakazu Imanari| Technical Draw| Titan Fighting Championship 1| | align=center| 1| align=center| 1:29| Tokyo, Japan| |}

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ZERO1-MAX fighters page . 2007-07-18 . ZEROONEUSA.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070630003117/http://www.zerooneusa.com/profiles.shtml . 2007-06-30 .
  2. Web site: Ryouji Sai profile. 2007-07-18. ZERO-ONE-MAX.com. ja.
  3. Web site: ZERO-ONE Fire Festival 2001 tour results . 2007-07-18 . Strong Style Spirit . https://web.archive.org/web/20070926234250/http://puroresufan.com/other/zero-one/results/fire01.php . 2007-09-26.
  4. Web site: Hustle Super Tag Team Championship history.
  5. Web site: Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2014. September 13, 2018. internet wrestling database.
  6. Web site: NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship title history . 2007-07-18 . ZEROONEUSA.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20060514234337/http://zerooneusa.com/title_ictag.shtml . 2006-05-14 .
  7. Web site: NWA United National Heavyweight Championship title history . 2007-07-18 . ZEROONEUSA.com .
  8. Web site: Zero1 World Heavyweight Championship history.
  9. Web site: Tournaments.