Masahiro Chono
| Masahiro Chono | |
|---|---|
Chono in November 2010 | |
| Born | September 17, 1963 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Kamikaze Chono Masahiro Chono Masa Chono Tokyo Chono |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Billed weight | 238 lb (108 kg) |
| Billed from | Tokyo, Japan (WCW) Mitaka, Tokyo (NJPW) |
| Trained by | Stu Hart Lou Thesz Antonio Inoki Kotetsu Yamamoto |
| Debut | October 5, 1984 |
| Retired | February 21, 2023 |
Masahiro Chono (蝶野正洋, Chōno Masahiro, born September 17, 1963) is an American-born Japanese retired professional wrestler and actor best known for his 26-year stint with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). As the leader of nWo Japan, Team 2000 and Black New Japan, he was the promotion's top heel for much of his career, beginning in 1994 when he adopted a yakuza inspired gimmick.
Aside from his work in NJPW, Chono has also made appearances for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), as a member of the New World Order, as well as occasional appearances in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), Pro Wrestling Noah and Pro Wrestling Zero1. Chono holds the record for most wins at the G1 Climax at 5, which has earned him the nicknames "Mr. August" and "Mr. G1". Overall, he is a two-time world champion, with one reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion and NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion each. He is also a seven-time IWGP Tag Team Champion.