Saito Brothers Explained
Article Name: | Saito Brothers |
Type: | T |
Members: | Jun Saito Rei Saito |
Heights: | Jun: [1] Rei: [2] |
Weights: | Combined: 559lbs 255lbs (Jun) 304lbs (Rei) |
Debut: | June 9, 2021[3] [4] |
Years Active: | 2021–present |
The Saito Brothers are a professional wrestling tag team composed of Japanese American twin brothers and . They were born on December 19, 1986, in Kakuda, Miyagi, Japan to an American father and Japanese mother. They are currently signed with the Japanese professional wrestling promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling, where they are aligned with the Voodoo Murders stable. They are also known for their work with various promotions of the Japanese independent scene.[5] [6] [7]
Sumo career
In September 2009, after having prowess in the United States as American football players, the Saito brothers joined the Dewanoumi stable to compete in sumo. They were given the shikona (ring name) of Fujinoumi Jun and Fujinohana Rei . Jun achieved his highest rank of makushita 47 in July 2013 and retired in May 2017;[8] Rei achieved his highest rank of sandanme 16 in July 2012 and retired in September 2017.[9] [10]
Professional wrestling career
All Japan Pro Wrestling (2021–present)
Trained by the All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) dojo from December 2020 through to June 2021, the Saito Brothers made their professional wrestling debut on the first night of the Dynamite Series on June 9, where they fell short to Ryuki Honda and Takao Omori in a tag team match.[11] On the first night of the 2022 Raising An Army Memorial Series from October 2, they joined the Voodoo Murders stable after teaming up with Yoshihiro Tajiri to defeat Hokuto Omori, Izanagi, Shuji Ishikawa and Takao Omori in eight-man tag team action.[12] They soon began chasing after tag team titles promoted by AJPW. At ManiaX In Korakuen Hall on September 19, 2022, they unsuccessfully challenged Gungnir Of Anarchy (Ryuki Honda and Shotaro Ashino) for the AJPW World Tag Team Championship.[13]
They competed in one of the promotion's signature events, the Real World Tag League, making their first appearance at the 2021 edition, where they placed themselves in the A block in which they failed to score any points after competing against the teams of Suwama and Shotaro Ashino, Abdullah Kobayashi and Drew Parker, and Jake Lee and Hokuto Omori.[14] At the 2022 edition, they scored a total of six points in a single block after going against the teams of Kento Miyahara and Takuya Nomura, Shuji Ishikawa and Cyrus, Jake Lee and Yuma Aoyagi, Suwama and Kono, Kuma Arashi and Koji Doi, Yuji Nagata and Yuma Anzai, and Shotaro Ashino and Ryuki Honda.[15] Another event in which they competed was the Champion Carnival. At the 2023 edition, they competed in separate blocks. Jun clashed into the A block with T-Hawk, Kento Miyahara, Ryuki Honda, Yuma Aoyagi, Satoshi Kojima, Cyrus and Yoshitatsu, scoring a total of six points, whilst Rei clashed into the B block against Shotaro Ashino, Shuji Ishikawa, Suwama, Manabu Soya, Hokuto Omori, Yuma Anzai and Hokuto Omori, coming out the runner up with eight points.[16]
Japanese independent scene (2022–present)
The Saito Brothers regularly appear on the Japanese independent scene. At Infinity: New Year, an event promoted by Active Advance Pro Wrestling on January 9, 2023, they picked up a victory over Kotaro Yoshino and Taishi Takizawa.[17] At Gleat's Ver. EX "Face-Off" Access 2 TDCH, on June 7, 2023, they defeated Bulk Orchestra (Check Shimatani and Hayato Tamura) to win the G-Infinity Championship, the first tag championships of their career.[18]
Overseas excursion (2022)
Jun and Rei underwent a six-month foreign excursion in the first half of 2022, with most of their work spreading towards several promotions from the American scene and European scene. The first event they competed in was the January 21, 2022, episode of Fusion, promoted by Major League Wrestling, where they defeated Budd Heavy and Gnarls Garvin.[19] At Banjaxed 3, an event promoted by Over the Top Wrestling on June 26, 2022, they fell short to The Kings of the North (Bonesaw and Damien Corvin).[20]
Championships and accomplishments
Notes and References
- Web site: http://www.all-japan.co.jp/player/%e6%96%89%e8%97%a4%e3%82%b8%e3%83%a5%e3%83%b3. ja:Profiles/斉藤 ジュン. all-japan.co.jp. All Japan Pro Wrestling. Japanese. June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005633/http://www.all-japan.co.jp/player/%E6%96%89%E8%97%A4%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A5%E3%83%B3. live.
- Web site: http://www.all-japan.co.jp/player/%e6%96%89%e8%97%a4%e3%83%ac%e3%82%a4. ja:Profiles/斉藤 レイ. all-japan.co.jp. All Japan Pro Wrestling. Japanese. June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005635/http://www.all-japan.co.jp/player/%E6%96%89%E8%97%A4%E3%83%AC%E3%82%A4. live.
- Web site: Wrestlers Database » Jun Saito. cagematch.net. Philip. Kreikenbohm. June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005642/https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=26310. live.
- Web site: Wrestlers Database » Rei Saito. cagematch.net. Philip. Kreikenbohm. June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005631/https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=26323&name=Rei+Saito. live.
- Web site: The Saito Brothers • General Information. wrestlingdata.com. Axel. Saalbach. June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005631/https://www.wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=tagteams&team=240997. live.
- Web site: Jun Saito Profile & Match Listing. profightdb.com. Internet Wrestling Database (IWD). June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005631/http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/jun-saito-18533.html. live.
- Web site: Rei Saito Profile & Match Listing. profightdb.com. Internet Wrestling Database (IWD). June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005632/http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/rei-saito-18534.html. live.
- Web site: Fujinoumi Jun Rikishi Information . June 8, 2023 . Sumo Reference . October 25, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231025014228/https://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=11806&l=e . live .
- Web site: Fujinohana Rei Rikishi Information . June 8, 2023 . Sumo Reference . October 25, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231025014230/https://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=11807&l=e . live .
- Web site: 2017 . Dewanoumi-beya Official site > Report . ja:出羽海部屋 公式サイト>リポート . June 8, 2023 . . ja . November 4, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221104090957/https://www.dewanoumi.net/report_2017.html . live .
- Web site: AJPW DYNAMITE SERIES 2021 (JUNE 9) RESULTS & REVIEW. voicesofwrestling.com. Gerard. Di Trolio. June 10, 2021. June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005632/https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2021/06/10/ajpw-dynamite-series-2021-june-9-results-review/. live.
- Web site: AJPW: “Raising an Army Memorial Series 2022” Aoyagi vence a HAYATO. superluchas.com. Dark Angelita. Spanish. October 12, 2022. June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005632/https://superluchas.com/ajpw-raising-an-army-memorial-series-2022-aoyagi-vence-a-hayato/. live.
- Web site: AJPW #AJPW MANIAX (SEPTEMBER 19) RESULTS & REVIEW. voicesofwrestling.com. Gerard. Di Trolio. September 19, 2022. June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005633/https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2022/09/19/ajpw-ajpw-maniax-september-19-results-review/. live.
- Web site: http://www.all-japan.co.jp/event/%e3%80%8c2021-%e4%b8%96%e7%95%8c%e6%9c%80%e5%bc%b7%e3%82%bf%e3%83%83%e3%82%b0%e6%b1%ba%e5%ae%9a%e3%83%aa%e3%83%bc%e3%82%b0%e6%88%a6%e3%80%8d%e3%80%90%e5%84%aa%e5%8b%9d%e6%b1%ba%e5%ae%9a%e6%88%a6. ja:「2021 世界最強タッグ決定リーグ戦 ~積田冷熱工事株式会社 presents~」【優勝決定戦】東京・後楽園ホール≪18:30開始≫. all-japan.co.jp. All Japan Pro Wrestling. Japanese. December 5, 2021. April 16, 2022. April 16, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220416113608/http://www.all-japan.co.jp/event/%E3%80%8C2021-%E4%B8%96%E7%95%8C%E6%9C%80%E5%BC%B7%E3%82%BF%E3%83%83%E3%82%B0%E6%B1%BA%E5%AE%9A%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B0%E6%88%A6%E3%80%8D%E3%80%90%E5%84%AA%E5%8B%9D%E6%B1%BA%E5%AE%9A%E6%88%A6. live.
- Web site: AJPW: The “Real World Tag League 2022” is announced. superluchas.com. Dark Angel. October 12, 2022. February 22, 2023. February 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230222205902/https://superluchas.com/en/ajpw-se-anuncia-la-real-world-tag-league-2022/. live.
- Web site: 野村直矢選手欠場に伴う「#ajpwチャンピオンカーニバル2023」 Bブロック出場者決定のお知らせ . . April 1, 2023 . Japanese . April 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230401221015/http://www.all-japan.co.jp/%E9%87%8E%E6%9D%91%E7%9B%B4%E7%9F%A2%E9%81%B8%E6%89%8B%E6%AC%A0%E5%A0%B4%E3%81%AB%E4%BC%B4%E3%81%86%E3%80%8Cajpw%E3%83%81%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%94%E3%82%AA%E3%83%B3%E3%82%AB%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8B . live .
- Web site: https://proresu-today.com/archives/209164/. ja:【2AW】メインはGLEAT井土が勝利!井戸と吉田、お互いを意識か!?<1・9 2AWスクエア大会>. proresu-today.com. マスク女子. Japanese. January 10, 2023. June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005632/https://proresu-today.com/archives/209164/. live.
- Web site: https://ent.lidet.co.jp/result/detail.php?id=134. ja:GLEAT Ver.EX “FACE-OFF” ACCESS 2 TDCH. lidet.co.jp. Lidet Entertainment. Japanese. June 7, 2023. June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005633/https://ent.lidet.co.jp/result/detail.php?id=134. live.
- Web site: Climbing the Mountains of Madness – MLW FUSION #133 – Review. wrestlingsc.com. John. Dinsdale. February 18, 2022. June 7, 2023. October 25, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231025014229/https://wrestlingsc.com/2022/02/18/mlw-fusion-133-review/. live.
- Web site: OTT Banjaxed 3. cagematch.net. Philip. Kreikenbohm. June 26, 2022. June 7, 2023. June 9, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609005631/https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=348622. live.
- Web site: Tetsuya Naito wins 2023 Tokyo Sports MVP Award. Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Joseph. Currier. December 12, 2023. December 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231212221628/https://www.f4wonline.com/news/new-japan/tetsuya-naito-wins-tokyo-sports-mvp-award-for-2023. December 12, 2023. live.
- Web site: Tokyo Sports premia a Tetsuya Naito como el mejor luchador del 2023. Solowrestling. Nicolas. Lafferriere. Spanish. December 12, 2023. December 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231212220921/https://solowrestling.mundodeportivo.com/new/125876-njpw-tetsuya-naito-tokyo-sports-awards-2023. December 12, 2023. live.