Quick Facts
Biography
Mariko Morita (盛田 万里子, Morita Mariko, born February 15, 1970) is a Japanese professional wrestler better known by the ring name Mariko Yoshida (吉田 万里子, Yoshida Mariko). She is best known for her work with the ARSION professional wrestling promotion, where she was also head trainer.
Professional wrestling career
Yoshida debuted for All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW or Zenjo) on October 10, 1988 at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall in a match against Keiko Waki. Before her neck injury in late 1992, which would cause her to miss two years of ring time, Yoshida was easily one of the best young stars in AJW, often showcasing Lucha Libre inspired aerial maneuvers to go along with her matwork skills.
In 1997, she left AJW to join Aja Kong's ARSION promotion, becoming their head trainer. There she was repackaged as a technical wrestling master, and was pushed as a major star. She has been nicknamed ARSION no Shinjutsu, or "ARSION True Heart". Forgoing the high-flying techniques of her run in Zenjo, her style in ARSION was centered on mat wrestling and submission holds derived from shoot wrestling, along with more elaborate lucha-inspired submissions.
In June 2005, she launched Ibuki, a bi-monthly event series, with her intention to provide opportunities for young, up and coming wrestlers from different promotions to compete with each other and to challenge senior wrestlers like Yoshida herself. Ibuki has now gained high reputation among joshi puroresu fans in Japan.
In 2006, Yoshida was presented with the Cauliflower Alley Club's Future Legend Award, becoming only the second female after Cheerleader Melissa, to win this award.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Air Raid Crash – Innovated
- Spider Twist (Headscissors shoulder lock) – Innovated
- Signature moves
- Arm wrench inside cradle
- Cross armbar, sometimes proceeded by an Oklahoma roll
- Lifting double underhook facebuster
- Running big boot
- Triangle choke
- Entrance themes
- "Fable (Message Version)" by Robert Miles
- ^
- "Finishing Moves List". Other Arena. Retrieved 2009-08-28.
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
- AJW Championship (1 time)
- AJW Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Takako Inoue (2) and Rie Tamada (1)
- Arsion
- Queen of Arsion Championship (3 times)
- Twin Star of Arsion Championship (2 times) – with Aja Kong (1) and Lioness Asuka (1)
- Zion '98
- BattlARTS
- King And Queens Tournament (2000) – with Alexander Otsuka & Yumi Fukawa
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Future Legend Award (2006)
- ChickFight
- ChickFight II
- ChickFight III
- Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
- CMLL World Women's Championship (1 time)
- ^