is an American-born Japanese-American 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 his 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 of 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. Professional wrestling career New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1984–2010) Early years (1984–1989) Chōno debuted in 1984 against Keiji Mutoh at a New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) event in Saitama, Japan. In 1987, he defeated Shinya Hashimoto to win the Young Lions Cup. After winning the tournament, he went on an excursion that started in Europe, wrestling for Otto Wanz's Catch Wrestling Association. After a while in Europe, Chono went on an excursion to North America, starting in the United States for Central States Wrestling in Kansas City, which by then broke away from the National Wrestling Alliance to form the World Wrestling Alliance. He would also later wrestle in the Canadian Maritimes for Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling and in Puerto Rico, where he, Hashimoto, and Mutoh formed The Three Musketeers. Chono returned to NJPW part-time in July 1988. He came back to the United States in October 1988 and teamed with Mike Davis in Continental Championship Wrestling (CCW), by then renamed the Continental Wrestling Federation (CWF), and won that company's tag titles as the Japanese Connection. In April 1989, he took part in the IWGP Heavyweight Championship tournament, held at New Japan's very first show at the Tokyo Dome; he lost to eventual winner of the tournament and new champion Big Van Vader in the quarterfinals. During this time, he would return to the United States and have a brief run in Australia. Rise to superstardom (1989–1994) Upon Chono's return to New Japan in October 1989, he reinvented himself. On October 15, 1989 during