Masayuki Naruse

{{Infobox martial artist

| name = Masayuki Naruse
成瀬昌由

| other_names = Kyo Senshi ("Mad Soldier"), Ultra Soul, Berserker (MMA)

| image =

| image_size = 200px

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|03|15}}

| birth_place = Tokyo, Japan{{cite web|url=http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/masayuki-naruse-3989.html?prom_id=27&res=2000|title=Masayuki Naruse Profile & Match Listing |publisher=The Internet Wrestling Database}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| residence =

| nationality = Japanese

| height = {{convert|1.73|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|87.5|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

| weight_class = Heavyweight
Light Heavyweight

| reach_in =

| style =

| stance =

| fighting_out_of = Japan

| team = Rings Japan

| teacher = Akira Maeda

| rank =

| wrestling =

| years_active = 1995–2004, 2013–present (MMA)

| mma_kowin = 1

| mma_subwin = 7

| mma_decwin =

| mma_otherwin = 1

| mma_koloss = 2

| mma_subloss = 6

| mma_decloss = 3

| mma_otherloss = 3

| mma_draw =

| mma_nc =

| university =

| school =

| url =

| sherdog = 1529

| footnotes =

| updated =

}}

{{Nihongo|Masayuki Naruse|成瀬昌由|Naruse Masayuki|lead=yes}} (born March 15, 1973) is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler, competing in the light heavyweight division who fought most of his career in Fighting Network RINGS (RINGS). As a professional wrestler, he notably competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). In MMA, Naruse was the first and only RINGS Light-Heavyweight Champion and a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion in professional wrestling.

Mixed martial arts career

Naruse started practising shotokan karate in high school before turning his attention to puroresu. He was eventually accepted in Fighting Network RINGS and trained under his chairman Akira Maeda.

=Fighting Network RINGS=

A longtime competitor in RINGS before the organization began hosting true MMA bouts, Naruse had his first taste of MMA during his early career in mixed-style fights. He had his first shoot fight against submission wrestler Koichiro Kimura which he won via ankle lock. He then had another special shoot fight against kickboxer Atsushi Tamaki which went on for 24 minutes before Naruse emerged the winner via TKO due to lost points. They then had a rematch two months later which Naruse won again, this time via arm triangle choke.

Naruse experienced little success early in his mixed martial arts career, dropping six of his first seven mixed martial arts bouts, including fights against Valentijn Overeem and Magomedkhan Gamzatkhanov (commonly referred to by his nickname Volk Han).{{cite web|url=http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Masayuki-Naruse-1529|title=Masayuki Naruse bio on Sherdog.com|publisher=Sherdog.com}}

He turned things around as a participant in the eight-man Light-Heavyweight title tournament in 1997, defeating Lee Hasdell, Wataru Sakata and Chris Haseman en route to becoming the first RINGS Light-Heavyweight Champion. He then went 3–6 over his next nine fights before RINGS dissolved in 2002.

=After RINGS=

After wrestling for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Naruse decided to go back to competing in MMA. On December 31, 2003, he defeated Jan Nortje by rear-naked choke at K-1 PREMIUM 2003 Dynamite!!. He then defeated Tommy Williams via armbar at Jungle Fight 3 in Brazil.

=Return to MMA=

Nine years after retiring in 2004, Naruse returned to MMA on October 27, 2013, as he lost to Sanae Kikuta via armbar at Grabaka Live! 3.{{cite web|url=http://www.sherdog.com/events/Grabaka-Grabaka-Live-3-31631|title=Grabaka – Grabaka Live! 3|publisher=Sherdog.com|date=October 27, 2013}} Naruse then faced Japanese MMA legend Yuki Kondo at Pancrase: 257 on March 30, 2014.{{cite web|url=http://fightsportasia.com/2014/03/06/former-king-of-pancrase-yuki-kondo-meets-masayuki-naruse-at-pancrase-257/|title=Former King of Pancrase Yuki Kondo meets RINGS veteran Masayuki Naruse at PANCRASE 257|publisher=fightsportasia.com|date=March 6, 2014}} He lost the fight via majority decision.{{cite web|url=http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=stats.fightcard&eid=1CA43FD0-7098-47DE-8224-FBCF56C1D787|title=Pancrase 257 Official Results|publisher=mixedmartialarts.com|date=March 30, 2014}}

Professional wrestling career

=Fighting Network RINGS=

Naruse debuted for Fighting Network RINGS in 1992 where he was billed as a scrappy junior heavyweight. Among the wrestlers he took on during the organization's puroresu days include Heavyweight wrestler Yoshihisa Yamomoto, kickboxer Nobuaki Kakuta, UFC 10 participant Dieseul Berto, Volk Han, MMA veteran Satoshi Honma and future tag team partner Mitsuya Nagai.{{cite web|url=http://www.puroresucentral.com/naruse.html|title=Masayuki Naruse|publisher=Puroresu Central}}

Naruse and other RINGS wrestlers made the transition to mixed martial arts with the promotion in 1995.

=New Japan Pro-Wrestling=

In 2001 with RINGS on the verge of collapse, he moved to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. It was a well timed move as owner Antonio Inoki was giving former MMA fighters immediate pushes & he was immediately placed into a feud with Minoru Tanaka, who used to work for BattlARTS, RINGS' rival promotion. Within 4 months of his debut, Naruse captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from his rival Tanaka.{{cite web|url=http://www.profightdb.com/cards/njpw/dome-quake-4761.html|title=NJPW Dome Quake|publisher=The Internet Wrestling Database}}

He fought for NJPW from 2001 to 2006, defending his Junior Heavyweight title against Shinya Makabe and El Samurai before losing his belt to Tokimitsu Ishizawa, later Kendo Kashin. His next chance at the title was as one of 11 competitors in a Battle Royal on October 13, 2003 which as won by Jado.

Naruse paired with Mitsuya Nagai to win the All Asia Tag Team Championship on July 26, 2004 against Genichiro Tenryu and Masanobu Fuchi. They defended the belt three times before losing to Barry Buchanan and Rico Constantino on February 2, 2005.{{cite web |url=http://www.profightdb.com/wrestlers/masayuki-naruse-3989.html?prom_id=37&res=2000|title=AJPW Excite Series '05 – Day 1|publisher=The Internet Wrestling Database}}

His last bout came on January 8, 2006 against Takashi Iizuka, his 375th career match for New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Championships and accomplishments

=Professional wrestling=

All Japan Pro Wrestling

:*All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mitsuya Nagai

New Japan Pro-Wrestling

:*IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

:*G1 Jr. Six Man Tag Team Tournament (2001) – with Minoru Tanaka and Masahito Kakihara

=Mixed martial arts=

Mixed martial arts record

{{MMArecordbox

| draws=

| nc=

| ko-wins= 1

| ko-losses= 2

| sub-wins= 7

| sub-losses= 6

| dec-wins=

| dec-losses= 3

| dq-wins=

| dq-losses=

| other-wins= 1

| other-losses= 3

}}

| {{no2}}Loss

| align=center| 9–14

| Yuki Kondo

| Decision (majority)

| Pancrase: 257

| {{dts|2014|03|30}}

| align=center| 2

| align=center| 5:00

| Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

| {{no2}}Loss

| align=center| 9–13

| Sanae Kikuta

| Submission (armbar)

| Grabaka: Grabaka Live! 3

| {{dts|2013|10|27}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 2:25

| Tokyo, Japan

| {{yes2}}Win

| align=center| 9–12

| Tony Williams

| Submission (armbar){{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiqqJBTg0sI |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/iiqqJBTg0sI |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Jungle fight 3|via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}

| Jungle Fight 3

| {{dts|2004|10|23}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 3:21

| Manaus, Brazil

| {{yes2}}Win

| align=center| 8–12

| Jan Nortje

| Submission (rear-naked choke)

| K-1 PREMIUM 2003 Dynamite!!

| {{dts|2003|12|31}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 4:40

| Nagoya, Japan

| {{yes2}}Win

| align=center| 7–12

| Ricardo Fyeet

| Submission (toe hold)

| Rings: Battle Genesis Vol. 7

| {{dts|2001|3|20}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 3:46

| Tokyo, Japan

| {{no2}}Loss

| align=center| 6–12

| Hiromitsu Kanehara

| Decision (unanimous)

| Rings: Rise 4th

| {{dts|1999|6|24}}

| align=center| 3

| align=center| 10:00

| Tokyo, Japan

| {{no2}}Loss

| align=center| 6–11

| Magomedkhan Gamzatkhanov

| Submission (armbar)

| Rings: Rise 3rd

| {{dts|1999|5|22}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 4:26

| Tokyo, Japan

| {{no2}}Loss

| align=center| 6–10

| Chris Haseman

| Submission (kimura)

| Rings: Rise 2nd

| {{dts|1999|4|23}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 8:18

| Osaka, Japan

| {{yes2}}Win

| align=center| 6–9

| Dave van der Veen

| Submission (achilles lock)

| Rings: Rise 1st

| {{dts|1999|3|20}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 7:36

| Tokyo, Japan

| {{no2}}Loss

| align=center| 5–9

| Joop Kasteel

| TKO

| Rings: World Mega Battle Tournament

| {{dts|1998|12|23}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 8:33

| Fukuoka, Japan

| {{yes2}}Win

| align=center| 5–8

| Kenichi Yamamoto

| Submission

| Rings: Fourth Fighting Integration

| {{dts|1998|6|27}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 11:07

| Tokyo, Japan

| Defends RINGS Light-Heavyweight Title

| {{no2}}Loss

| align=center| 4–8

| Mikhail Ilyukhin

| Submission (ankle lock){{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5PpWkAe7b8|title=- YouTube|website=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}

| Rings: Third Fighting Integration

| {{dts|1998|5|28}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 13:52

| Tokyo, Japan

| {{no2}}Loss

| align=center| 4–7

| Mikhail Ilyukhin

| Submission (ankle lock)

| Rings – Mega Battle Tournament 1997 Semifinal 1

| {{dts|1997|10|25}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 12:28

| Tokyo, Japan

| {{yes2}}Win

| align=center| 4–6

| Chris Haseman

| TKO

| Rings: Extension Fighting 6

| {{dts|1997|8|13}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 14:26

| Kagoshima, Japan

| Wins Rings Light-Heavyweight Title. Title later dissolved.

| {{yes2}}Win

| align=center| 3–6

| Wataru Sakata

| Submission

| Rings: Extension Fighting 5

| {{dts|1997|7|22}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 5:55

| Osaka, Japan

| Semifinals of Light-Heavyweight Title Tournament.{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/|title=RINGS Events|publisher=Pro Wrestling History}}

| {{yes2}}Win

| align=center| 2–6

| Lee Hasdell

| Submission (North/South Choke)

| Rings – Extension Fighting 4

| {{dts|1997|6|21}}

| align=center| 1

| align=center| 12:58

| Tokyo, Japan

| Quarterfinals of Light-Heavyweight Title Tournament.

| {{no2}}Loss

| align=center| 1–6