The Three Musketeers (professional wrestling)
Encyclopedia
, or The Three Musketeers, was a Japanese
professional wrestling
trio consisting of Shinya Hashimoto
, Masahiro Chono
, and Keiji Mutoh
.
Dojo, which included Jushin Liger
and Akira Nogami
. Hashimoto would be the first to make his debut in September 1984, while Chono and Mutoh face each other in their debuts a month later.
In 1988, while on an excursion in Puerto Rico
, the three formed Tokon Sanjushi or The Three Musketeers. They had one match in NJPW as a team together on July 29 against Tatsumi Fujinami
, Kengo Kimura
, and Shiro Koshinaka
, before Mutoh returned to North America for more seasoning. Hashimoto and Chono would remain a tag team for a couple years, with their most notable match against Antonio Inoki
and Seiji Sakaguchi
in February 1990 at the Tokyo Dome
.
In 1991, Tokon Sanjushi solidified their status as the next generation of NJPW, at the first-ever G1 Climax
tournament. A year later, the trio would begin to have more success, as Chono won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
, and Mutoh, as The Great Muta, won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. It temporarily left Hashimoto out in the cold, until he won the IWGP title from Muta in September 1993.
In August 1994, Tokon Sanjushi disbanded as a team, as Chono turned heel shortly after the G1 Climax.
Between 2001 and 2005, the three would reunite on special occasions, mainly press conferences, occasionally with Mitsuharu Misawa
.
Tragedy struck the group when Shinya Hashimoto died on July 11, 2005, from a brain anerysm, at the young age of 40. Hashimoto's death dashed hopes for Hashimoto's return to New Japan Pro Wrestling and the upcoming Tokon Sanjushi reunion on July 26. Chono and Mutoh were deeply affected by the loss of Hashimoto.
In January 2007, after defeating Hiroyoshi Tenzan
and Satoshi Kojima
at the Tokyo Dome
, Chono and Mutoh paid tribute to Hashimoto by wearing his trademark white headband and exiting the ring to Hashimoto's theme music.
In March 2011, Shinya's son Daichi
debuted, and Chono and Mutoh served as his first opponents.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
trio consisting of Shinya Hashimoto
Shinya Hashimoto
, was a Japanese professional wrestler. Along with Masahiro Chono and Keiji Mutoh, Hashimoto was dubbed one of the "Three Musketeers" that began competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid 1980s and dominated the promotion in the 1990s....
, Masahiro Chono
Masahiro Chono
, is a Japanese professional wrestler. He primarily wrestles for New Japan Pro Wrestling , but has also made appearances for the now defunct World Championship Wrestling, as a member of the New World Order. Chono was also known as Mister Black Jack when he first started as a villain. He is a...
, and Keiji Mutoh
Keiji Mutoh
is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he has also competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan...
.
Careers
Shinya Hashimoto, Masahiro Chono, and Keiji Mutoh were part of the Class of 1984 of the New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
Dojo, which included Jushin Liger
Jushin Liger
, better known as and later, is a Japanese professional wrestler who primarily works for New Japan Pro Wrestling.He has wrestled and beaten many of the top smaller wrestlers in both Japan and the United States, and is frequently cited as one of the greatest and most revolutionary junior...
and Akira Nogami
Akira Nogami
is a Japanese professional wrestler and actor, currently working for Yoshihiro Tajiri's Smash promotion as AKIRA.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :...
. Hashimoto would be the first to make his debut in September 1984, while Chono and Mutoh face each other in their debuts a month later.
In 1988, while on an excursion in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, the three formed Tokon Sanjushi or The Three Musketeers. They had one match in NJPW as a team together on July 29 against Tatsumi Fujinami
Tatsumi Fujinami
is a Japanese professional wrestler who is famous for his gimmick as "The Dragon." He is the one who is credited for inventing the Dragon Sleeper and the Dragon Suplex...
, Kengo Kimura
Kengo Kimura
Seiei Kimura is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Kengo Kimura and for his many years working for New Japan Pro Wrestling in Japan.-Japan Wrestling Association :...
, and Shiro Koshinaka
Shiro Koshinaka
is a Japanese professional wrestler who has competed in All Japan Pro Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling and Wrestle Association "R" during the 1980s and 1990s...
, before Mutoh returned to North America for more seasoning. Hashimoto and Chono would remain a tag team for a couple years, with their most notable match against Antonio Inoki
Antonio Inoki
is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes...
and Seiji Sakaguchi
Seiji Sakaguchi
is a retired Japanese professional wrestler who was a mainstay of New Japan Pro Wrestling and also competed for the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance....
in February 1990 at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
.
In 1991, Tokon Sanjushi solidified their status as the next generation of NJPW, at the first-ever G1 Climax
G1 Climax
The G1 Climax professional wrestling tournament is a weeklong event held each August by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. The G1 draws standing room only crowds each night, record receipt gates and generates front-page coverage on the sports sections of several of the daily newspapers in Tokyo...
tournament. A year later, the trio would begin to have more success, as Chono won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
, and Mutoh, as The Great Muta, won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. It temporarily left Hashimoto out in the cold, until he won the IWGP title from Muta in September 1993.
In August 1994, Tokon Sanjushi disbanded as a team, as Chono turned heel shortly after the G1 Climax.
Between 2001 and 2005, the three would reunite on special occasions, mainly press conferences, occasionally with Mitsuharu Misawa
Mitsuharu Misawa
was a Japanese professional wrestler. He made his professional debut on August 21, 1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling . From 1984 until 1990, Misawa wrestled as the second generation Tiger Mask, as All Japan Pro Wrestling had purchased the rights of the Tiger Mask gimmick from New Japan Pro Wrestling...
.
Tragedy struck the group when Shinya Hashimoto died on July 11, 2005, from a brain anerysm, at the young age of 40. Hashimoto's death dashed hopes for Hashimoto's return to New Japan Pro Wrestling and the upcoming Tokon Sanjushi reunion on July 26. Chono and Mutoh were deeply affected by the loss of Hashimoto.
In January 2007, after defeating Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Hiroyoshi Tenzan
is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling, and is better known by his ring name . With Satoshi Kojima, in 2008, they won the Real World Tag League in All Japan Pro Wrestling and the G1 Climax Tag League in NJPW becoming in the only tag team which has done...
and Satoshi Kojima
Satoshi Kojima
is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling. As a singles wrestler, he was the first wrestler to hold NJPW's IWGP Heavyweight Championship and All Japan Pro Wrestling's Triple Crown Championship simultaneously...
at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
, Chono and Mutoh paid tribute to Hashimoto by wearing his trademark white headband and exiting the ring to Hashimoto's theme music.
In March 2011, Shinya's son Daichi
Daichi Hashimoto (wrestler)
Daichi Hashimoto is a Japanese professional wrestler, who wrestles for Pro Wrestling Zero1. He is the son of the late Shinya Hashimoto.-Early life:...
debuted, and Chono and Mutoh served as his first opponents.
Championships and accomplishments
- AJPW Triple Crown ChampionshipAJPW Triple Crown ChampionshipThe AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship is the top professional wrestling title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling. The championship is a unification of the NWA United National Championship, the PWF Heavyweight Championship and the NWA International Heavyweight Championship....
- Mutoh (3) and Hashimoto (1) - IWGP Heavyweight Championship - Mutoh (4), Hashimoto (3), and Chono (1)
- NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
- Chono (1), Mutoh (1), and Hashimoto (1) - G1 ClimaxG1 ClimaxThe G1 Climax professional wrestling tournament is a weeklong event held each August by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. The G1 draws standing room only crowds each night, record receipt gates and generates front-page coverage on the sports sections of several of the daily newspapers in Tokyo...
- Chono (1991, 1992, 1994, 2002, 2005), Mutoh (1995), and Hashimoto (1998) - Young Lion Cup - Chono (1987)