Taka Michinoku

Takao Yoshida (吉田 貴男, Yoshida Takao) (born October 26, 1973), better known by his ring name Taka Michinoku (TAKAみちのく) (stylized as TAKA Michinoku), is a Japanese professional wrestler, trainer, and former mixed martial artist. He primarily appears for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He was a member of Suzuki-gun from 2011 until its disbandment in 2022. He was then a member of Just 5 Guys from 2023 until its disbandment in 2025. He established the promotion JTO in 2019.

Michinoku became known in North America for his work for the WWF (now WWE), where he was the inaugaral WWF Light Heavyweight Champion. He is the founder and former head of Kaientai Dojo (now Active Advance Pro Wrestling), where he also primarily wrestled until 2019. Having held championship titles all aroud Asia, Europe, and North America, he is known for his long title reigns.

Michinoku held the FMW Independent World Junior Heavyweight Title for a combined duration of more than 15 months, the WWF Light Heavyweight Title for a record-setting 10 months, and the WEW Six-Man Tag Team Title for almost a year. He held the World Junior Heavyweight Championship, Michinoku Pro Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship, and Kaientai Dojo Strongest-K Championship simultaneously for almost 10 months.

Takao Yoshida was born in Morioka on October 26, 1973.

Yoshida was trained by The Great Sasuke and Gran Hamada. He adopted the ring name Taka Michinoku out of respect for The Great Sasuke, who was the owner of Michinoku Pro Wrestling and had also used "Michinoku" as part of his ring name. He debuted at a Wrestling International New Generations and Michinoku Pro Wrestling joint event on September 4, 1992, teaming up with The Great Sasuke in a losing effort against Super Delfin and Terry Boy. He would later move to Federacion Universal De Lucha Libre and debuted by teaming with Buffalo Chohe to defeat Mongolian Yuga and Shiryu. He debuted for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling in a six-man tag team match at Summer Spectacular in 1993 and would primarily compete at MPW, UWF, and FMW in his early career.

His debut for New Japan Pro-Wrestling came during Super J-Cup 1994 and was eliminated from the competition in the first round by Black Tiger. He competed in Best of the Super Juniors 1994 and only gained two points therefore losing the tournament. He also went up against Super Delfin for the CMLL World Welterweight Championship and had a J-Crown Title #1 Contendership match with Koji Kanemoto, both of which he lost.

Michinoku's first title reign came in the form of the FMW Independent Junior Heavyweight Championship, which he won by defeating Koji Nakagawa on May 5, 1996. He would lose the title to El Satanico after holding the title for one year and one month and defeating fellow young wrestlers Minoru Tanaka, Naohiro Hoshikawa and Hayato Nanjyo, he would later regain the championship two months later. He would vacate the championship to focus on the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship.

Michinoku made his ECW and American debut on February 14, 1997, in a match where he teamed with Dick Togo & Terry Boy to defeat Gran Hamada, Gran Naniwa & The Great Sasuke. This three on three feud lasted until ECW Barely Legal 1997 Gran Hamada, Masato Yakushiji & The Great Sasuke would defeat the trio. This was also Michinoku's first pay per view appearance. After this Michinoku left the company to join the World Wrestling Federation.