In his near 30-year wrestling career, Satoshi Kojima has won a bevy of championships and tournaments. The protege of Stan Hansen takes after his mentor in his effective usage of the Lariat technique. Kojima is a former All Asia Tag Team Champion, National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Tag Team Champion, 3x All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) World Tag Team Champion, 7x International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) Tag Team Champion, 2x Triple Crown Champion (AJPW), NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and 2x IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
Kojima has also won the AJPW World’s Strongest Tag Determination League four times (2002, 2003, 2006, 2008), the 2003 Fire Festival in Pro Wrestling Zero1-Max, the NJPW Super Grade/G1/World Tag League three times (1998, 2001, 2008), the 2003 Champion Carnival in AJPW, and the 2010 G1 Climax in NJPW.
On Sunday, January 19, 2020, Kojima has the opportunity to add the Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) World Heavyweight Championship to his long list of professional wrestling accomplishments as the Fantastica Mania 2020 tour enters its closing stage.
His opponent is Wrestling Observer Hall Of Famer, WWA World Tag Team Champion 6x CMLL World Tag Team Champion, and NWA World Historic Middleweight Champion — Ultimo Guerrero. Guerrero is also currently 2x CMLL World Heavyweight Champion and 5x CMLL World Trios Champion.
Guerrero has been a top draw in Mexico for 20 years and has the resume of a bonafide Hall Of Famer. Throughout the past several years, Guerrero has become more of a name to wrestling fans internationally through the IWGP Conception, especially in Japan.
Guerrero is one of the most decorated heavyweights from his generation in Mexico. While the country isn’t known for its rich history of heavyweights, Guerrero has shown himself to a top-level competitor throughout his nearly 30-year-career.
At the NJPW Presents CMLL Fantastica Mania 2020 event on January 19th, Kojima has the opportunity to capture the CMLL World Heavyweight Championship from Guererro before traveling to the United States for the New Beginning USA tour later this month. While the heavyweight title is often not the most prestigious championship in Lucha Libre promotions, being a champion in CMLL would strengthen Kojima’s case for being a future Hall Of Famer for either the Professional Wrestling, Wrestling Observer, or another respected Professional Wrestling Hall Of Fame.
Despite sharing the ring 12 times before Sunday, their championship match will be the first time Guerrero and Kojima have faced each other in singles competition. The two teamed together on CMLL’s 84th Anniversary Show in a losing effort.
The match will air live on New Japan World.