Shinya Aoki adds pro wrestling flair to ONE X presser

Shinya Aoki attended the ONE X press conference in Japan in an unconventional manner, as he wore a wrestling mask while on stage.

Aoki shared a clip of the event on his Instagram page:

Apart from showcasing his talents in the grappling and MMA world, Aoki also dabbles in the pro wrestling scene in Japan. In 2013, ‘Tobikan Judan’ competed in the Inoki Genome Foundation (IGF), which was founded by a legend of the sport in Japan, Antonio Inoki. The promotion folded in 2017.

In 2018, Aoki returned to the Japanese pro wrestling scene by joining a top local indie promotion called DDT Pro Wrestling. DDT, which stands for Dramatic Dream Team, is known to parody American promotions by using over-the-top gimmicks and combining them with high-flying Lucha Libre and traditional Japanese flair.

In February 2021, Aoki won the KO-D 8-man tag team championship together with wrestlers Antonio Honda, Kazuki Hirata and the owner of the mask he wore to the presser, Super Sasadango Machine. Their reign didn’t last long, as they relinquished their title in their first defense a month after winning it.

In paying homage to his teammate, Aoki expands his desire to not only promote Japanese martial arts to a bigger audience, but also the colorful world of pro wrestling.

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Shinya Aoki faces Yoshihiro Akiyama at ONE X

Shinya Aoki and Yoshihiro Akiyama are set to clash at ONE X on March 26 in a battle of Japanese martial arts legends.

Both men have outstanding lists of accomplishments over the past two decades, making them a couple of easily recognizable names in the country's martial arts scene.

Aoki has showcased his talents through grappling, MMA and pro-wrestling, both in Japan and other parts of the world. Meanwhile, Akiyama has won medals in international competitions for judo and is an accomplished MMA fighter in his own right, competing in various promotions across Asia and North America.

In October 2021, Shinya Aoki called out Akiyama for allegedly refusing to fight him. Aoki claimed that if Akiyama really wanted to hype up martial arts in Japan, then he should just take the fight against him. Akiyama revealed that an injury had prevented him from taking the fight.

Aoki targeted the original date of ONE X in December 2021, but the event has since been moved to March 26. With months passing and injuries healing up, they will finally put their words into action at the historic 10-year anniversary show.