Minoru Tanaka: Profile, Career Stats, Face/Heel Turns, Titles Won & Gimmicks

On this page, you find the full wrestling profile of Minoru Tanaka, with his Career History, real name, age, height and weight, the Promotions he worked for, all the Face/Heel turns, the Championship Titles he won, his Finishers, Theme Songs, Tag Teams and Stables, his appearance changes through the years, and more.

Minoru Tanaka (田中稔) was born in Komaki, Aichi, Japan on November 29, 1972, and he is currently 52 years old.

He is currently working for Independent Circuit under the ring name of Minoru Tanaka.

Currently, he is a member of the teams of Coelacanths (with CIMA) and Junior Stars (with Koji Kanemoto).

Minoru Tanaka Profile Index

Profile Info

Gender Male
Real Name Minoru Tanaka (田中稔)
Ring Names
- Minoru Tanaka ( November 6, 2011 - Present)
- Heat ( December 12, 2010 - Present)
- Minoru ( May 29, 2022 - October 23, 2022)
- Trans Am★Tanaka ( April 29, 2017 - September 21, 2018)
- Dragon Heat ( May 3, 2017 - May 3, 2017)
- Minoru ( April 19, 2005 - November 5, 2011)
- Tanaka ( July 23, 2006 - May 1, 2007)
- Masked CTU-M ( April 24, 2005 - March 21, 2006)
- Masked CTU-T ( March 13, 2005 - March 26, 2005)
- Heat ( October 12, 2002 - January 4, 2005)
- Minoru Tanaka ( September 21, 2004 - April 18, 2005)
- Minoru Tanaka ( January 24, 1994 - October 11, 2002)
Born November 29, 1972 (age 52)
Nationality Japan
Birth Place Komaki, Aichi, Japan
Billed From
- Komaki, Aichi, Japan
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight
- 187 lbs (85 kg) ( September 8, 2013 - Present)
- 167 lbs (76 kg) ( January 24, 1994 - June 30, 2013)
Nicknames Black Prince; The Special One

Career History

Roles
- Wrestler ( January 24, 1994 - Present)
- MMA Fighter ( December 14, 2022 - December 14, 2022)

Promotions History

Promotion	from	to
Promotion INDY	April 23, 2006	Present
Promotion AJPWBrand Junior Heavyweight	May 29, 2022	January 2, 2024
Promotion NOAHBrand Junior Heavyweight	October 1, 2017	April 19, 2020
Promotion DDT	February 20, 2017	November 4, 2018
Promotion AJPWBrand Junior Heavyweight	January 2, 2017	September 19, 2017
Promotion IGF	April 15, 2017	July 15, 2017
Promotion ZERO1	October 17, 2014	May 21, 2017
Promotion FMW	September 22, 2016	November 24, 2016
Promotion W 1	September 8, 2013	September 8, 2016
Promotion AJPWBrand Junior Heavyweight	February 6, 2009	June 30, 2013
Promotion BATTLARTS	May 16, 2010	November 27, 2011
Promotion ZERO1	October 30, 2008	October 10, 2009
Promotion NJPWBrand Junior Heavyweight	October 11, 1999	January 31, 2009
Promotion TNA	April 23, 2006	May 14, 2006
Promotion INDY	February 6, 1994	September 11, 2004
Promotion BATTLARTS	April 13, 1996	November 3, 2000
Promotion ARSION	April 5, 2000	June 7, 2000
Promotion FMW	May 5, 1999	May 14, 1999
Promotion MPW	September 14, 1997	May 1, 1998
Promotion RINGS	March 28, 1997	March 3, 1998
Promotion PWFG	January 24, 1994	November 19, 1995
Promotion RINGS	February 6, 1994	December 16, 1994

Images History

May 2022
Oct 2017
Sep 2013
Jul 2011
Feb 2009
Jan 2007
Sep 2004
Oct 2002
Sep 1997
Jan 1994
Face / Heel Turns

Alignment from to
Tweener November 5, 2011 Present
Heel October 10, 2004 June 30, 2011
Tweener January 24, 1994 October 9, 2004

Alignment	from	to
Tweener	November 5, 2011	Present
Heel	October 10, 2004	June 30, 2011
Tweener	January 24, 1994	October 9, 2004

Finishers
- Minoru Special - Flying Cross Armbreaker ( January 24, 1994 - Present)
- Minoru Special II - Northern Lights Suplex floated over into a mount transitioned over into a Cross Armbreaker ( January 24, 1994 - Present)
- HEAT Clutch - Leg-feed Flying Cross Armbreaker transitioned into a Cradle ( October 12, 2002 - Present)
- Santa Monica Pier - Leg Hook Death Valley Driver ( January 24, 1994 - Present)
- Tornado Kaki Cutter - STO ( January 1, 2015 - Present)
- Fireball Splash - 450° Splash ( June 26, 2008 - Present)
- Roundhouse kick ( January 24, 1994 - Present)
Theme Songs
- Theme Song “Silence” by Tsutomu Totani - Single ( January 1, 2010 - Present)
- Theme Song “Silence” by Satoshi Suzuki - AJPW - Single
- Theme Song “Silence” by Tsutomu Totani - NJPW - Single
- Theme Song “Runway of Loneliness” by B'z - NJPW - Single
- Theme Song “Zero” by B'z - NJPW - Single
- Theme Song “Jap the Ripper” by B'z - NJPW - Single
- Theme Song “Real Thing Shakes” by B'z - NJPW - Single
- Theme Song “Atsuku Fight!” by N.J.P. Unit - NJPW - Single
- Theme Song “Atsuku Fight! (Karaoke)” by N.J.P. Unit - Michinoku Pro - Single

Titles & Accomplishments

New Japan Pro Wrestling
- 4 IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
- 5 IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (2 with Finn Bálor, 1 with Hirooki Goto, 1 with Jushin Thunder Liger, 1 with Koji Kanemoto)
- 1 NJPW Best of the Super Juniors (2006)
All Japan Pro Wrestling
- 3 All Asia Tag Team Championship (2 with Koji Kanemoto, 1 with Toshizo)
- 1 Gaora TV Championship
- 1 World Junior Heavyweight Championship
Pro Wrestling Noah
- 1 GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 with Yoshinari Ogawa, 1 with Hi69)
- 1 GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship
European Wrestling Promotion
- 2 EWP Intercontinental Championship
Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling / Battlarts
- 1 FMW World Junior Heavyweight/Independent World Junior Heavyweight Championship
- 1 UWA World Middleweight Championship
Pro Wrestling Zero1
- 1 International Junior Heavyweight Championship (with Minoru Tanaka)
- 1 NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship (with Koji Kanemoto)
Wrestle-1
- 1 UWA World Trios Championship (with Kaz Hayashi & Tajiri)
- 1 Wrestle-1 Cruiser Division Championship
Other Accomplishments
- NJPW G1 Junior Six Man Tag Team Tournament Winner (2001 - with Masayuki Naruse & Masahito Kakihara)
- NJPW Naeba Cup Tag Tournament Winner (2003 - with Manabu Nakanishi)
- NJPW Junior Heavyweight Tag MVP Award (2005 - with Hirooki Goto)
- AJPW Junior Tag League Winner (2009 - with Toshizo)
- Battlarts Japanese Junior Crown League Winner (1999)
- Wrestle-1 Cruiser Festival Winner (2020)
- WON Best Technical Wrestler (2001)
- 12° in PWI 500 (2002)

Teams & Relations

Tag Teams & Stables
- Coelacanths - CIMA, Kaz Hayashi ( October 23, 2021 - Present)
- Junior Stars - Koji Kanemoto ( November 6, 2011 - Present)
- Voodoo Murders - TARU / Yoshikazu Taru , Chris Vice, Yoshikazu Yokohama, Shogun Okamoto, Suwama, Voodoo Mask, Masayuki Kono, Ryuji Hijikata / Toshizo, Jun Saito, Rei Saito ( May 25, 2022 - October 23, 2022)
- Stack of Arms - Koji Kanemoto, Masakatsu Funaki , Masayuki Kono ( January 3, 2012 - June 26, 2013)
- Voodoo Murders - TARU / Yoshikazu Taru, Nobukazu Hirai, Joe Doering, Lance Archer, Lance Cade, Kenzo Suzuki, René Duprée, Charlie Haas, Viscera / Mabel / Big Daddy V , Michael Faith, MAZADA, Masayuki Kono, Ryuji Hijikata / Toshizo ( February 6, 2009 - June 1, 2011)
- RISE - Milano Collection A.T., Hirooki Goto, Shinsuke Nakamura, Finn Bálor, Albert / Tensai, Tyson Tomko , Rick Fuller ( November 23, 2007 - January 4, 2009)
- Italy Brothers - Milano Collection A.T. ( October 16, 2006 - January 4, 2009)
- C.T.U. - Jushin Thunder Liger, Jado, Gedo, Hirooki Goto, Finn Bálor, Super Strong Machine / Junji Hirata , Katsushi Takemura ( October 10, 2004 - August 11, 2007)
- Junior Stars - Koji Kanemoto ( October 11, 1999 - March 6, 2001)