Ikuto Hidaka
Report Last Updated - 3/06 (Winter)
Real Name - Ikuto Hidaka
Birthdate - 8/5/72
5'6" 180 lbs. - Mashita City, Shimane, Japan
Aliases - n/a
Athletic background - Mixed Martial Arts
Teachers - Sho Funaki; Animal Hamaguchi
Professional background - Indies(`97-`04), BattlARTS(`98-`01), Big Japan(`99), ECW(`99), Zero-One(`01-`04), MPro(`01), HUSTLE(`04-), MPro(`04), Zero-One MAX(`04-)
Groups - Far East Connection, SKULL & BONES
Career Highlights - n/a
Finisher(s) -
- Shawn Capture (Body Scissors into Reverse Leglock)
- Misty Flip (Ropewalk Flipping Ace Crusher)
- Solarina (arm twist jumping takedown into an inside cradle)
Favorites -
- Inokuchi Bomb (Single-Leg Liger Bomb)
- Maripoza (Slingshot Twisting Senton Plancha?)
- Spider Net (Tornado DDT into Rope-Entangled Guillotine Choke)
- Hidaka Special (german suplex float-over to kneebar)
- Springboard Knee Dropkick
- Handspring Leg Lariat in the corner
Ringwork Rating -
move set - 10
science - 8
aerial - 5
power - 7
strikes - 8
Intangible Rating -
entertainment - 7
selling - 8
bumping - 8
heat - 7
carrying - 8
push - 8
potential - 6
Outlook - From one of the best overlooked indy talents of the late 90s, since BattlARTS went down a lot of its stars struggled to find their places. Some were totally MIA, some were sacrificed in Pride, some went to bigger groups, but one has really made the most of things. Hidaka did a lot of indy work and kept improving. He was on the level with some of New Japan's best talents and has remained right there with them. Hidaka and Minoru Fujita, whose circumstances are similiar, began teaming again in 2003 and have really turned heads in recent years. They have gained mainstream recognition and are arguably the best tag team in Japan since KENTA & Marufuji split up. Hidaka is probably the better worker of the two and Zero-One MAX has jumped behind them fully and pushed them hard as a team and Hidaka as a singles wrestler. The company's indy links give them fresh competition and opportunities, which will hopefully continue to push Ikuto Hidaka through his peak years.