Wrestler Profile

Hirooki Goto

Hirooki Goto is New Japan's great nearly-man made good — a samurai-styled bruiser who spent 15 years as the promotion's most reliable big-match loser before authoring one of its best redemption stories. His ushigoroshi and GTR have ended hundreds of nights; heartbreak in IWGP title matches defined a career's worth of others.

A multiple-time NEVER Openweight Champion and New Japan Cup winner, Goto's Bishamon tag team with Yoshi-Hashi became one of the world's best, collecting tag championships and critical acclaim. Then, in 2025, the impossible: Goto won the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at last, and Korakuen Hall wept with him.

Twenty years of loyalty, finally paid in gold. WrestleRanks voters rank Goto with the affection reserved for wrestling's most patient men — proof that persistence is its own main event.

Promotions

Hirooki Goto is associated with NJPW (2024–2026).

Championship history

PWI rankings history

Hirooki Goto has been ranked in the PWI 500 13 times, first at No. 243 in 2006 and most recently at No. 5 in 2025. The highest placement is No. 5, reached in 2025.

Placements by year: 2006 (No. 243), 2009 (No. 82), 2010 (No. 35), 2011 (No. 127), 2012 (No. 128), 2013 (No. 178), 2014 (No. 252), 2018 (No. 68), 2020 (No. 107), 2021 (No. 194), 2022 (No. 210), 2024 (No. 125), 2025 (No. 5).

Compiled from the annual rankings published by Pro Wrestling Illustrated. See the 2025 edition.

Teams and factions

Hirooki Goto has competed as part of the tag team Bishamon.

Hirooki Goto in the WrestleRanks rankings

Hirooki Goto is tracked as a respected veteran on WrestleRanks. WrestleRanks standings are decided one week at a time, from fan voting and editor input. Read more about how our rankings work, or see the live, interactive profile with weekly rank history and voting on the Hirooki Goto ranking page.

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