Photo of Takao Yoshida
Acting

Takao Yoshida

Profession
Acting
Born
October 26, 1973 · Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

Biography

Takao Yoshida, better known by his ring name TAKA Michinoku, is a Japanese professional wrestler, trainer, former mixed martial artist, and the founder of Just Tap Out (JTO). Trained by The Great Sasuke, he debuted in 1992 and became one of the most influential junior heavyweights of his generation, finding international fame during his time in the WWF (now WWE), where he became the inaugural WWF Light Heavyweight Champion. He has also enjoyed championship success across Japan, Mexico, Europe, and North America, including lengthy reigns as the FMW Independent World Junior Heavyweight Champion and WEW Six-Man Tag Team Champion, while simultaneously holding the World Junior Heavyweight Championship, Michinoku Pro Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship, and Kaientai Dojo Strongest-K Championship for nearly ten months. He founded Kaientai Dojo in 2002 before launching JTO in 2019, received the Tokyo Sports Technique Award in 2005, and was ranked No. 22 in the 1998 PWI 500. Since 2007, Michinoku has been a regular competitor for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship while also spending more than a decade as a member of Suzuki-gun before joining Just 5 Guys. Widely respected as both a wrestler and trainer, his influence extends far beyond his own accomplishments, helping shape generations of wrestlers through Kaientai Dojo and JTO while remaining an active competitor well into his 50s.

Known for

Raw poster
Raw
Series · 1993 · ★ 6.8
WWE Friday Night SmackDown poster
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
Series · 1999 · ★ 7.4
WWE WrestleMania 2000 poster
WWE WrestleMania 2000
Film · 2000 · ★ 7.3
WWE WrestleMania XIV poster
WWE WrestleMania XIV
Film · 1998 · ★ 7.7
WWE Survivor Series 1999 poster
WWE Survivor Series 1999
Film · 1999 · ★ 8.5
WWE Royal Rumble 2001 poster
WWE Royal Rumble 2001
Film · 2001 · ★ 7.5
ECW Hardcore TV poster
ECW Hardcore TV
Series · 1993 · ★ 7.2
WWE Judgment Day: In Your House poster
WWE Judgment Day: In Your House
Film · 1998 · ★ 8.7
WWE No Way Out of Texas: In Your House poster
WWE No Way Out of Texas: In Your House
Film · 1998 · ★ 7.3
WWE Heat poster
WWE Heat
Series · 1998
WWE D-Generation X: In Your House poster
WWE D-Generation X: In Your House
Film · 1997
WWE King of the Ring 1998 poster
WWE King of the Ring 1998
Film · 1998

Filmography