Gleat

Last updated
Gleat
FoundedAugust 20, 2020
Style Puroresu
Shoot style
Mixed martial arts
Headquarters Yūrakuchō, Tokyo, Japan
Founder(s)Hiroyuki Suzuki
Kiyoshi Tamura
Owner(s)Hiroyuki Suzuki
Parent Lidet Entertainment [1]
Website ent.lidet.co.jp/gleat

Gleat (stylized as GLEAT and pronounced as "great") is a Japanese professional wrestling and mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2020 by former Pro Wrestling Noah parent company Lidet Entertainment after the acquisition of Noah and DDT Pro-Wrestling by CyberAgent. The promotion is overseen by Hiroyuki Suzuki and former mixed martial artist and professional wrestler Kiyoshi Tamura. The promotion emphasizes the use of the UWFi combat sports-based wrestling style. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

History

In November 2018, Japanese advertising company Lidet Entertainment began investing in various business ventures in the professional wrestling industry including Riki Choshu's Power Hall show in December 2018. On January 29, 2019, Lidet Entertainment bought 75% shares of Pro Wrestling Noah, with the goal of transforming the promotion into the second largest promotion in Japan after New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). A year later due to Noah's financial struggles, Lidet Entertainment sold all shares of Pro Wrestling Noah to internet advertising company CyberAgent. Lidet's President Hiroyuki Suzuki wanting to continue to be involved with professional wrestling met with Kiyoshi Tamura several days after the sale of Noah. [5] Suzuki later announced the formation of a new promotion, Gleat – it was additionally revealed that Kaz Hayashi and Nosawa Rongai would become the Gleat Chief Technical Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, respectively. Gleat promotes shows via its two sub-brands – G Prowrestling, a traditional puroresu brand, and Lidet UWF, a UWFi-inspired shoot style brand.

Gleat held its inaugural event, "Gleat Ver. 0", on October 15, 2020, which aired on Fighting TV Samurai on October 22, with the main event pitting Noah's Sugiura-gun (Takashi Sugiura, Kazuyuki Fujita and Kendo Kashin) against Jun Akiyama, Shuhei Taniguchi, and Daisuke Sekimoto. [6] The participation of Noah wrestlers on Gleat events would cease after Nosawa Rongai resigned from his positions at Gleat to focus on his role as Noah booker. [7] [8] Following the end of the Noah partnership, Gleat would see the participation of wrestlers from other Japan-based wrestling promotions, such as Sho from NJPW and Shinjiro Otani and Masato Tanaka from Pro Wrestling Zero1.

In February 2021, shoot style veterans Minoru Tanaka and Daijiro Matsui were signed by the company, shortly after Tanaka was given the UWF Rule Technical Officer executive role. [9] [10] In May, it was announced that Cima, El Lindaman, T-Hawk, and Issei Onitsuka would be leaving Oriental Wrestling Entertainment and Ryuichi Kawakami would be leaving Big Japan Pro Wrestling to join Gleat. [11] [12] Gleat also operates a developmental division, with Yu Iizuka, Soma Watanabe, and Takanori Ito being the promotion's inaugural trainees. [13]

In December 2021, Gleat announced a 12-man tournament would be held from January 26 to February 22, 2022 to crown the inaugural G-Rex Champion. [14] [15] The tournament and championship were won by El Lindaman.

In July 2022, Gleat announced the creation of the G-Infinity Championship for its G Prowrestling brand. A four-team tournament was held from August 20, 2022, to August 24 to crown the inaugural champions. [16] The tournament was won by Bulk Orchestra (Kazma Sakamoto and Ryuichi Kawakami). [17] On December 14, Gleat promoted its first mixed martial arts (MMA) event, "Gleat MMA Ver. 0". [18]

Personnel

Background

Gleat divides their roster based on its two wrestling sub-brands, G Prowrestling and Lidet UWF. Gleat also recognizes a third roster division, Gleat MMA – wrestlers affiliated to Gleat MMA have legitimate martial arts experience and may wrestle on either G Prowrestling or Lidet UWF events. [19] [20]

Wrestlers

Contracted

Ring nameReal nameGUMUnitNotes
Check Shimatani Nobuhiro ShimataniYes check.svgBulk Orchestra G-Infinity Champion
Cima [22] [23] [24] Nobuhiko OshimaYes check.svg#StrongHeartsChief Strategy Officer
El Lindaman [23] [22] [25] Yuga HayashiYes check.svg#StrongHearts
Hayato Tamura [26] Hayato TamuraYes check.svgBulk Orchestra G-Infinity Champion
Issei Onitsuka [23] [22] [27] Issei OnitsukaYes check.svg#StrongHearts
Jun TonshoJun TonshoYes check.svg60 Seconds
Kaz Hayashi [23] [22] [28] Kazuhiro HayashiYes check.svgYes check.svgHome TeamChief Technical Officer [3]
Maya Fukuda Maya FukudaYes check.svgYes check.svgGLEAT Main Unit
Michiko Miyagi [29] Michiko MiyagiYes check.svgGLEAT Main Unit
Minoru Tanaka [23] [30] [31] Minoru TanakaYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgGLEAT Main UnitUWF Rule Technical Officer
Ryuichi Kawakami [23] [32] Ryuichi KawakamiYes check.svgBulk Orchestra
Soma Watanabe [23] [33] Soma WatanabeYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgGLEAT Main Unit
T-Hawk [23] [22] [34] Takuya OnoderaYes check.svg#StrongHearts G-Rex Champion
Takanori Ito [23] [35] Takanori ItoYes check.svgYes check.svgGLEAT Main Unit
Takehiro Yamamura Takehiro YamamuraYes check.svg#StrongHearts
Tetsuya Izuchi [23] [36] Tetsuya IzuchiYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg60 Seconds
Yu Iizuka [23] [37] Yu IizukaYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgGLEAT Main Unit
Yukari Hosokawa [23] [38] Yukari HosokawaYes check.svgGLEAT Main Unit

Regular outsiders

Ring nameReal nameGUMUnitNotes
Hartley Jackson Hartley JacksonYes check.svgBlack Generation InternationalFreelancer
Hideki "Shrek" SekineHideki SekineYes check.svgYes check.svgHard HitFreelancer
Hikaru Sato Hikaru SatoYes check.svgYes check.svgHard HitFreelancer
Kaito Ishida Kaito IshidaYes check.svgBlack Generation InternationalFreelancer
Kazma Sakamoto UnknownYes check.svgBulk OrchestraFreelancer
Keiichi SatoKeiichi SatoYes check.svg60 SecondsFreelancer
Kotaro Suzuki Kotaro SuzukiYes check.svgBlack Generation InternationalFreelancer
Oji Shiiba Oji ShiibaYes check.svg60 SecondsFreelancer
Independent World Junior Heavyweight Champion
Shigehiro Irie Shigehiro IrieYes check.svg#StrongHeartsFreelancer
Quiet Storm UnknownYes check.svgBulk OrchestraFreelancer
YutaniUnknownYes check.svgBlack Generation InternationalFreelancer

Other personnel

Ring nameReal nameNotes
Chiho TomiyamaChiho TomiyamaRing announcer (G Prowrestling)
Haruo MurataHaruo MurataCommentator
Freelancer
Hiroyuki SuzukiHiroyuki SuzukiOwner
President of Lidet
Katsumi TamagawaKatsumi TamagawaReferee (G Prowrestling)
Kiyoshi Tamura [23] Kiyoshi TamuraExecutive Director [3]
Commentator
Masato Yoshino [39] Masato YoshinoGleat Championship Belts Manager
G Prowrestling Commissioner
Riki Choshu [23] Mitsuo YoshidaObserver [3]
Ryogaku WadaRyogaku WadaReferee (Lidet UWF)
Soft ImaiDaisuke ImaiReferee (G Prowrestling)
Takahiro Yoshimizu Takahiro YoshimizuRing announcer (Lidet UWF)
Affiliated with Aoni Production
Takehiro YamamuraTakehiro YamamuraRing announcer (G Prowrestling)
Yoshinori UmekiYoshinori UmekiReferee (Lidet UWF)
Affiliated with Pancrase
Yoshiro YabuYoshiro YabuRing announcer (G Prowrestling)

Notable alumni/guests

Championships

ChampionshipCurrent champion(s)ReignDate wonDays
held
LocationNotesRef.
G-Rex Championship
20230823hayato.jpg
Hayato Tamura 1December 30, 202377+ Tokyo, Japan Defeated T-Hawk at Gleat Ver.7. [40]
G-Infinity Championship
20230318cima2.jpg
20230416kaz2.jpg
Coelacanths
(Cima and Kaz Hayashi)
1
(1, 1)
March 13, 20243+ Tokyo, Japan Defeated #StrongHearts (Seiki Yoshioka and T-Hawk) in a tournament final to win the vacant titles at Gleat Ver.10. [41]
Lidet UWF Championship
20230701hayato1.jpg
Fujita "Jr." Hayato 1July 1, 2023259+ Tokyo, Japan Defeated Takanori Ito at Gleat Ver.6: 2nd Anniversary Show.

Lidet UWF Championship

As of March16, 2024.

Lidet UWF Championship
Lidet UWF Championship.png
Current design of the title (2023 present)
Details
PromotionGleat
Date establishedApril 2023
Current champion(s) Fujita "Jr." Hayato
Date wonJuly 1, 2023
Statistics
First champion(s) Takanori Ito
Longest reign Fujita "Jr." Hayato (259+ days)
Shortest reign Takanori Ito (24 days)
Oldest champion Fujita "Jr." Hayato (36 years, 284 days)
Youngest champion Takanori Ito (29 years, 260 days)
Heaviest champion Takanori Ito (209 lb (95 kg))
Lightest champion Fujita "Jr." Hayato (172 lb (78 kg))

The Lidet UWF Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned and created by the Japanese company Lidet Entertainment and is currently disputed in the Gleat promotion. The main characteristic of the championship is that it can be defended and won only under UWF rules matches and in combat sports-based wrestling style bouts.

There have been a total of two reigns shared between two different champions. The current title holder is Fujita "Jr." Hayato.

Key
No.Overall reign number
ReignReign number for the specific champion
DaysNumber of days held
DefensesNumber of successful defenses
+Current reign is changing daily
No.ChampionChampionship changeReign statisticsNotesRef.
DateEventLocationReignDaysDefenses
1 Takanori Ito June 7, 2023Gleat Ver.EX "Face-Off" Access 2 TDCH Tokyo, Japan 1240Defeated Shinya Aoki in a tournament final to become the inaugural champion. [42]
2 Fujita "Jr." Hayato July 1, 2023Gleat Ver.6: 2nd Anniversary Show Tokyo, Japan 1259+1 [43]

Gleat events

Most Gleat events are separated into the three brands G Prowrestling, Lidet UWF and Gleat MMA. Numbered "Gleat Ver." events air bigger cards featuring a mix of the three brands. Specials events such as "Gleat Ver.EX", "Gleat Ver.Mega" and "Gleat Ver.&" are held in larger venues and usually feature wrestlers from other wrestling promotions such as All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) or Pro Wrestling Freedoms. All events air live on Gleat's YouTube channel.

See also

Related Research Articles

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