Sanada (wrestler)

Seiya Sanada (真田 聖也, Sanada Seiya; born January 28, 1988), better known by his mononymous ring name Sanada (stylized in all caps), is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of House of Torture.

As part of NJPW, Sanada is mostly known for his tag team with Evil as a part of Los Ingobernables de Japón, with whom he is a two-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, two-time World Tag League winner, and a three-time NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion (alongside Bushi). He also had a short reign as IWGP Tag Team Champion with Tetsuya Naito. He won his first NJPW singles title, the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, in early 2022, and won the 2023 New Japan Cup, which led to him winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. During his New Japan Cup run, Sanada joined Just 5 Guys, and remained with the stable until late 2024, when he betrayed them to align with Bullet Club's War Dogs sub-group. However, this would be short-lived, as he would turn on them in early 2025 to join House of Torture.

He is also known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he was the first Gaora TV Champion, a two-time All Asia Tag Team Champion, a one-time World Tag Team Champion, and the winner of the 2011 World's Strongest Tag Determination League tournament. Sanada is also known for his time in the Japanese Wrestle-1 (W-1) and American Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotions. Through the W-1/TNA working relationship, Sanada became a one time TNA X Division Champion, winning the title at the collaborative Kaisen: Outbreak.

In 2005, Sanada tried to earn a training spot in the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) dojo, but failed to pass an introductory test. Sanada took the test alongside future NJPW wrestlers Tetsuya Naito and Yoshi-Hashi. Afterwards, Sanada began looking to other promotions for a training school.

Sanada was eventually trained by Keiji Muto's All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) affiliated Mutohjuku school and turned pro on March 13, 2007, in a losing effort teaming with Ryuji Hijikata against Katsuhiko Nakajima and T28. Within a few months into his career, Sanada won his first honor when he teamed with Kensuke Sasaki and Nakajima to win the Samurai! TV Triple Arrow Tournament on May 29, 2007. Following the tournament victory, Sanada spent the next two years in opening match wrestling other up-and-comers and began teaming with Manabu Soya. By 2009, Sanada began moving up the card as he took part in his first Champion Carnival but finished last with no points. Later in the year, Sanada broke up with Soya and briefly teamed up with Osamu Nishimura with the two entering the 2009 World's Strongest Tag Determination League with Sanada even getting a pinfall victory over the tag team champions: Taiyō Kea and Minoru Suzuki but the team's run ended when Sanada suffered the flu and had to withdraw from the tournament.

In 2010, Sanada once again entered the Champion Carnival but the results were the same as he finished last in his block with no points. By the spring, Sanada helped form the New Generation Force stable with Suwama, Masayuki Kono, Ryota Hama, and Manabu Soya. On August 29, 2010 at Pro Wrestling Love in Ryogoku Vol. 10, Sanada and Soya defeated Taru and Big Daddy Voodoo to win the All Asia Tag Team Championship. Sanada and Soya entered the 2010 World's Strongest Tag Determination League in the fall where they finished in 6th place with 7 points. Sanada and Soya would lose the All Asia Tag Team Championship to Daisuke Sekimoto and Yuji Okabayashi on March 21, 2011. During the year 2011, Sanada reached his full potential by reaching the final against Yuji Nagata, but loss to him in the final. He also entered in 2011 World's Strongest Tag Determination League with Kai and won the tournament by defeating Masayuki Kono and Masakatsu Funaki in the final. They then challenged the All Japan World Tag Team Champions Dark Cuervo and Dark Ozz for a title shot but came up short. They then faced each other in a singles match, which led to Sanada winning that match. After the match they both had an interview and Sanada decided that they should part ways and move on with their Tag Team which Kai also agreed on. In 2012 he then challenged All Japan ace Suwama to a 60-minute match but also fell short in that match. He then challenged his former trainer Satoshi Kojima to match but also fell short after a Lariat by Kojima, during the Match he sustained a right knee injury but still wrestled and took a little time off to heal his knee. He then participated in 2012's Champion Carnival and lost to his former tag partner Manabu Soya. But he then won his first match against Soya's brother Takumi Soya and debuted a new finisher called "This Is It". On May 20, 2012, Sanada and Joe Doering defeated Soya and Takao Omori to win the World Tag Team Championship. Sanada and Doering lost the title back to Soya and Ōmori on June 17. On October 7, 2012, Sanada defeated Yasufumi Nakanoue in a tournament final to become the inaugural Gaora TV Champion. After reaching the semifinals of the 2013 Champion Carnival, All Japan announced on May 1, 2013, that Sanada would be leaving on a learning excursion to Moncton, Canada, where he would train under Emile Duprée. During the excursion, Sanada lost the Gaora TV Championship to René Duprée on May 27.

On July 1, while still in Canada, Sanada announced his resignation from All Japan, taking part in a mass exodus caused by Nobuo Shiraishi becoming the promotion's new president. Following his resignation, Sanada traveled to Mexico on his own expense to continue his training. Though Sanada was not announced as part of Keiji Muto's splinter promotion Wrestle-1, he did make a surprise appearance at the promotion's inaugural event on September 8, losing to Kai in a singles match. Sanada and Kai had a rematch in the main event of Wrestle-1's second show on September 15; this time Sanada was victorious. On September 24, Wrestle-1 announced that Sanada had signed a contract with the promotion. Sanada wrestled his first match under a Wrestle-1 contract on October 6, losing to Kai in the main event of the promotion's first event in Korakuen Hall. As a result, Kai won the series between him and Sanada 3–2. On November 16, Sanada unsuccessfully challenged visiting American wrestler A.J. Styles for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.

In early 2014, Sanada was offered an opportunity to earn another shot at the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, but he instead opted to go for the TNA X Division Championship. On February 15, Sanada defeated nineteen other men in a battle royal to become the number one contender to the title. On March 2 at Kaisen: Outbreak, Sanada defeated Austin Aries to become the new TNA X Division Champion. The following day, Wrestle-1 announced Sanada would be leaving Japan to work for TNA indefinitely. Sanada continued making sporadic appearances for Wrestle-1, defending his X Division Championship against Seiki Yoshioka on March 22 and against Christopher Daniels on April 17, while also losing to The Great Muta in the main event of Wrestle-1's second Ryōgoku Kokugikan event, Shōgeki: Impact, on July 6. The following day, Wrestle-1 and Sanada held a press conference to announce that he had signed a contract with TNA, giving him a dual contract between Wrestle-1 and the American promotion.