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Yuni (wrestler)

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Yuni
Yuni in January 2024
Born (2008-02-08) February 8, 2008 (age 16)[1]
Osaka, Japan
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)
  • Yuni
  • El Unicorn
Billed height160 cm (5 ft 3 in)[2]
Billed weight53 kg (117 lb)
Trained byMakoto Oishi
Debut2016

Yuni (夢虹, Yuni) is a Japanese professional wrestler working for the Japanese promotion DDT Pro-Wrestling. He is known for being one of the youngest debuting male wrestlers of all time, as well as one of the youngest recognized champions in professional wrestling.[3][4]

Professional wrestling career

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As Yuni (2016–2020)

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Yuni, aged 8, in 2016.

Yuni (written in hiragana as ゆに) made his professional wrestling debut at the early age of 8, in DDT Pro-Wrestling (DDT), at Osaka Octopus 2016 on December 4, where he teamed up with Shigehiro Irie and Yasu Urano, picking up a victory over New Wrestling Aidoru (Makoto Oishi, Mao and Shunma Katsumata). Over his debut, Yuni was compared to other early-starting wrestlers such as Ram Kaicho and Riho who also debuted under the age of ten.[5]

On March 20, 2017, at Judgement, Yuni teamed up with Jaguar Yokota, Keisuke Ishii and Masahiro Takanashi to defeat Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata, Antonio Honda and Ladybeard.[6] On August 5, at Beer Garden Fight, he fought Daiki Shimomura to a time limit draw in his first singles bout, a dark match with a 3-minute time limit.[7] Yuni is a former multiple-time Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion, having won the title for the first time at Who's Gonna Top?, on September 24, where he defeated his trainer Makoto Oishi for the belt, making him one of the youngest recognized champions in the Japanese independent scene.[8]

At Judgement 2019: DDT 22nd Anniversary on February 17, he participated in a Rumble rules match for the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship won by Saki Akai and also involving other notable opponents, both male and female such as El Lindaman, Mina Shirakawa, Gorgeous Matsuno, Asuka, Gota Ihashi, Hoshitango and Yuka Sakazaki.[9]

On January 13, 2020, at Wrestle Tororokobu!, Yuni teamed with Tetsuya Endo in a losing effort to Disaster Box (Toru Owashi and Yuki Ueno), dropping the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship to Ueno in the process.[10] He then went on a hiatus.

As El Unicorn (2021–2023)

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In July 2021, DDT unveiled their DDTeeeen!! brand, focused on younger wrestlers recruited through a talent scouting program.[11] Yuni wrestled for the brand as the masked El Unicorn, with his real identity being kept secret.[12] His first appearance as El Unicorn was on August 21, at Wrestle Peter Pan 2021, where he teamed with Harashima, Naomi Yoshimura, Raimu Imai and Yusuke Okada, and defeated the team of Ilusion, Mizuki Watase, Tamura, Yuji Okabayashi and Yuki Iino.

On March 21, 2023, in the pre-show of Judgement, El Unicorn had his DDTeeeen!! graduation match in which he teamed with Raimu Imai in a losing effort to Ilusion and Munetatsu Nakamura. After the match, he unmasked. The next day, during a press conference, he announced he would revert to his real name Yuni, written as 夢虹 (lit. 'dream rainbow').[13]

As Yuni (2023–present)

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On April 9, 2023, at April Fool 2023, Yuni re-debuted in-ring by facing Yuki Ueno in a losing effort.[14]

Championships and accomplishments

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References

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  1. ^ Saalbach, Axel. "Yuni • General Information". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  2. ^ DDT Pro-Wrestling. "DDT ProWrestling" 夢虹. ddtpro.com (in Japanese). Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  3. ^ InternetWrestling Database (IWD). "Yuni/Profile & Match Listing". profightdb.com. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  4. ^ DDT Pro-Wrestling. "DDT ProWrestling" エル・ユニコーン. ddtpro.com (in Japanese). Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  5. ^ Voices Of Wrestling (December 12, 2016). "DDT OSAKA OCTOPUS 2016 (DECEMBER 4) REVIEW". voicesofwrestling.com. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  6. ^ Justin, Dylan (March 26, 2017). "DDT JUDGEMENT 20TH ANNIVERSARY (MARCH 20) REVIEW". voicesofwrestling.com. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  7. ^ Saalbach, Axel. "DDT Fighting Beer Garden 2017 ~ DDT Day". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  8. ^ Dark Angel (September 28, 2017). "DDT: Results "Who's Gonna Top?" 24/09/2017 – Daisuke Sasaki is a double monarch". superluchas.com. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  9. ^ Fischbeck, Thomas (February 20, 2019). "DDT JUDGEMENT 2019 (FEBRUARY 17) RESULTS & REVIEW". voicesofwrestling.com. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
  10. ^ Saalbach, Axel. "DDT Wrestle Tororokobu! 2020". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  11. ^ DDT Pro-Wrestling [@ddtpro] (July 16, 2021). 「DDT10代プロジェクト」 ["DDT Teenage Project"] (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved July 22, 2021 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ Dark Angel (January 15, 2022). "DDT: "DDTeeeen!!" Los jóvenes vuelven a la acción" [DDT: "DDTeeeen!!" The youth are back in action]. superluchas.com (in Spanish). Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  13. ^ "15-year-old DDT warrior Yumi enthusiastic about taking off his mask and starting over: "I want to become the KO-D Openweight Champion while still in high school" [DDT]" 15歳のDDT戦士・夢虹がマスクを脱いでの再スタートに意気込み「高校在学中にKO-D無差別級王者になりたい」【DDT】. Tokyo Headline (in Japanese). April 5, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  14. ^ "DDT Pro-Wrestling April Fool 2023 Results (4/9/2023)". pwmania.com. April 9, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  15. ^ WrestlingTitles. "Ironman Heavymetalweight Title". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
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