Profile[]
The legendary Tadiyuki Kikkawa has been the most brutally dominant wrestler in Japan for many years and is widely regarded as probably the best heavyweight in history - he is certainly one of the most successful, having a glittering array of honours to his name. He is well known for his punishing, extremely physical style of attack, complimenting his raw power with agility and technique that no other wrestler his size can match. He is most closely associated with BHOTWG, where he has worked since 1991 except for a controversial three year spell with INSPIRE, the MMA-influenced group that he formed in 2006.
History[]
Tadiyuki Kikkawa exploded onto the BHOTWG scene in 1990 and started setting the stage for one of the most impressive and destructive runs in the company's long history. After legends Master Kitozon and Hooded Kudo, it could be argued that Kikkawa was the greatest BHOTWG champion ever. It took him a little under five years to first taste championship gold, but when he did, it was the Burning World Championship itself, which he wrested from the worldwide legend Sam Strong in August 1995. While it signaled the end of Strong's Japanese wrestling career, it also was the beginning of one of the most epic reigns in the title's long and storied history.
Kikkawa beat off all challengers, until he met up with Hooded Kudo. Kudo chased and chased Kikkawa, but always came up short. Kikkawa brutalized Kudo on numerous occasions, and bloodied him more times than one can count. Still, Kudo kept coming, and eventually took the title from Kikkawa at Quest of Heart 1997. Kikkawa didn't forget this affront, and went after Kudo for the next year with the same fervor Kudo went after him. Kikkawa regained the title at a special July event in 1998.
When Kikkawa regained his title, he had a large shadow behind him. That shadow was the biggest Australian in the world, Bruce The Giant. It isn't often that Kikkawa isn't the biggest man in a match, but that definitely wasn't the case when Bruce and Tadiyuki locked up. Kikkawa tried to stand up to Bruce's might, but eventually fell to him after nearly two years of battles at a special show on New Year's Day 2000. Kikkawa was so battered by his battles with Bruce that he took a few months off after losing the Burning World Championship and didn't return until Night of the Burning Hammer in October, where he reestablished his reign of destruction.
His destruction was unfortunately for him limited to semi-main events though. While Kikkawa was gone, a change had started in BHOTWG. Owner Kaneie Komine had started to bring in an MMA influence to the company, and Kikkawa was a bit behind the times. In order to regain his spot at the top, Kikkawa dedicated himself to a regimen on physical conditioning and sparring with some of the greats from the leading Japanese MMA company, ALPHA-1. Kikkawa was defintely not used to using much mat work, but knew he had to increase his skills in that area in order to get back his championship. After months and months of diligent training, Kikkawa finally felt confident enough in his skills to challenge Bruce The Giant and get his title back, which he did at the first show of 2003's touring season.
Even with his new skills, Kikkawa was not completely prepared for his next challenger. When he was training in the ALPHA-1 gyms, one of his trainers was Raul Hughes, the self-proclaimed "Demolition Expert". After seeing what Kikkawa could do with a combination of wrestling and MMA skills, Hughes started training in wrestling. After a few months picking up some mat wrestling basics, Hughes made his BHOTWG debut in June of 2003. Hughes started gunning right for Kikkawa, and on numerous occasions nearly caught Kikkawa with his legendary left hook. At Quest of Honor 2005, just like Quest of Honor 1997, Kikkawa dropped the Burning World Championship, but this time to Hughes.
After that championship loss, Kikkawa went back to the semi-main event, always nipping at the heels of Raul Hughes, but never actually coming close to winning. That fact, combined with the death of two MMA fighters in the ring in early 2006, led to his leaving BHOTWG and forming Inspire Diversity Group International, more commonly known as INSPIRE.
He stayed with INSPIRE throughout their short life, and went back to BHOTWG when INSPIRE closed. He has continued to win belts in BHOTWG.
Employment History[]
- Burning Hammer of the Wrestling Gods (May 1991 - May 2006)
- Inspire Diversity Group International (May 2006 - April 2009)
- Burning Hammer of the Wrestling Gods (April 2009 - Present)
Title History[]
- Burning World Championship (August 1995 - September 1997)
- 1996 Wrestler Of The Year
- Burning World Championship (2) (July 1998 - January 2000)
- Burning World Championship (3) (February 2003 - September 2005)
- King Of Fighters (February 2007 - December 2007)
- King Of Fighters (2) (February 2009 - June 2011)
- Burning World Tag Team Championships (June 2010 - April 2011) (With Tasuku Iesada)
- Burning World Championship (4) (April 2012 - September 2013)
- King Of Fighters (3) (October 2014 - October 2014) (Final Champion) (Title Retired)
- Burning World Championship (5) (October 2014 - Present)