Katsumasa Kuroki (b. 1973) is a
Japanese Professional Wrestler and martial arts trainer, best known for his ring name
Magnum TOKYO. A regular sportsman, he fell in love with professional wrestling upon seeing
Último Dragón wrestle in
Genichiro Tenryu’s company WAR. He managed to convince Dragón to train him to be a wrestler and became the first graduate of the
Toryumon dojo, training in the style of lucha libre in Mexico and having a short run as a jobber in
World Championship Wrestling, adopting the name and gimmick of a erotic dancer called Magnum TOKYO. After his return to Japan along the rest of Dragón’s apprentices, Kuroki became the top face of their promotion, Toryumon Japan (later called
Dragon Gate), and was famous for his feud with the evil Crazy MAX stable. He garnered fame and was considered one of the great three Toryumon aces along with
CIMA and
Masaaki Mochizuki. However, when his own spot was threatened by Milano Collection A.T. after a period of injury, TOKYO turned heel and founded the stable Do FIXER, thus turning out the
Big Bad of the promotion for a time, until more injuries kept him away from the stardom. He would then indulge in a strange WAR renaissance project and became a cultist of Genichiro Tenryu, but this new direction was stopped by a grave eye injury, and TOKYO had to retire from pro wrestling. Years later, he would surface away from his own field, working for
Fighting Opera HUSTLE as Alan Kuroki, a wrestling detective who came from fighting
The Triads and the Tongs in Hong-Kong.
note and who was Magnum TOKYO all the time After HUSTLE’s folding, he became a martial arts instructor for the Daido-juku school until 2015, year in which his sucursal was closed and he moved to the Kizunakai martial artis association.
"Egoist Tropes":
- 10-Minute Retirement: He returned to the ring in just two years after annoucing it would be a long absence. However, he never returned to Toryumon/Dragon Gate, instead choosing HUSTLE - probably in search of a less exigent schedule, more payment, and less controversy.
- Aborted Arc: Renaissance was going to turn into a full fledged stable to relaunch the careers of TOKYO, Mochizuki, Don Fujii and Yasushi Kanda, but when TOKYO got injured and was forced to retire, it had to be scrapped. Only Mochizuki and Fujii would play with the idea years later.
- The Ace: Was Toryumon's first ace ever, and he mostly lived his expectatives: was a good high-flyer, knew matwork and had a lot of charisma.
- Broken Ace: Injuries and body wear were his great enemies during his career. They forced him to abandon his high-flying style and stay away from the main spot, and finally made him retire altogether. In general, out of all the aces of Toryumon, he was the one with the worst career performance.
- Aloof Ally: Even as a part of the HUSTLE Army, Kuroki was rather distant to his colleagues, other than to ladies. He ignored RG while he was keeping the ropes apart to him to get in the ring and instead entered through another side. He also annoyed HG with his suspicious questions about what the Monster Army had done to him during his kidnapping which was justified, given that what happened after.
- Alternate Company Equivalent: Some have compared him to Shawn Michaels, both in gimmick, matches and real life personality. (Though the last subject is more of a speculation and less of a proved knowledge. For the time of his career in HUSTLE, he was described as a fine worker.)
- The Apprentice: To Último Dragón and Genichiro Tenryu. He actually seemed to fluctuate between one and other, and at the end his loyalty was more with Tenryu.
- Arch-Enemy: In Toryumon and Dragon Gate, CIMA, Masaaki Mochizuki and Milano Collection AT. In HUSTLE, Generalissimo Takada.
- The Artifact: He found himself turned into one after his time out of the ring gave Milano Collection A.T. his role as the third ace. His storylines of POS. Hearts and Renaissance were attempts to avert it.
- The Atoner: His run as Alan Kuroki. As TOKYO said to his allies in HUSTLE, he chose to work as a detective against the Hong Kong mafia and aid the HUSTLE Army as a way to recover the purpose he had lost as the villain of Dragon Gate.
- Beat Them at Their Own Game: Introduced a submission move called STPheromone during a feud against Milano Collection to prove that he knew llaves as well. It was inspired from a Milanito move called STFashion.
- Big Bad: Of Toryumon Japan as the leader of Do FIXER.
- Big Good: As Toryumon Japan’s top face, until the creation of Do FIXER, and later as a member of the HUSTLE Army.
- Bridal Carry: Carried KG this way in a chivalrous fashion after saving her in the ring. No wonder she became smitten with him.
- Camp Straight/Gay Bravado: He wore pink, danced his way to the ring, and did pelvic thrusts, but was completely straight.
- Call on Me: "I'm tender to women's tears. Whenever you are in trouble, call me any time! I, Alan Kuroki, will immediately come in. Adiós!"
- Character Tics: When wrestling as Alan Kuroki, he had the impulsion to put his fingers on his frown after every move, as in a thinker pose, or perhaps as if he was adjusting his sunglasses or hat despite not wearing them.
- Challenge Seeker: After defeating Monster HG thrice, TOKYO challenged Generalissimo Takada himself, demanding that he would be handed the job of HUSTLE's chairman if he won. He had to pass first over his lieuetenant Toshiaki Kawada, who counter-demanded that his own victory would force TOKYO to work for them as "Magnum GUNMA". This was lampshaded by Bono-kun, who noted that he should be the one who challenged them.
- The Chessmaster: After hijacking M2K, he pretended to kick Darkness Dragon out so he could form another faction with Seikigun wrestlers, Do FIXER. He then revealed that the real Do FIXER was he and M2K all the time, and that all had been a ruse to take wrestlers away from the babyface side. This succeeded in making the Seikigun distrust Ryo Saito, who underwent a Then Let Me Be Evil and joined TOKYO.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Pink and black.
- Continuity Nod: Made one in HUSTLE when a dumbfounded RG recognized Kuroki after he did the save for him and KG, the same night he was introduced to them.
RG: Wait, aren't you Magnum TOKYO?
Kuroki: I went under that name a long time ago, but well, I am the Man of 100 Faces after all.
- Cool Shades: Both Magnum TOKYO and Alan Kuroki wore them.
- Dancing Is Serious Business: TOKYO used to enter the arena dancing and/or accompanied by a troupe of dancers. In the ultimate enforcing of the trope, he forced his fellow wrestlers of Do FIXER to be his private dance unit.
- Deadpan Snarker: Had his moments as Alan Kuroki, especially when he noted that despite having been doing all sorts of calculations to get the money to pay him, RG had not paid him yet. Giving his frquent status as HUSTLE Army's Only Sane Man, it comes to no surprise.
- Defeating the Undefeatable: TOKYO was the first man in defeat The Esperanza by himself alone. Other than him, the only wrestler who had managed to defeat the mighty cyborg was Wataru Sakata, and only through sheer luck and the aid of his Magical Girlfriend.
- Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: The reason of Magnum TOKYO becoming Akan Kuroki.
- Fallen Hero: When TOKYO finally turned heel and formed Do FIXER, he carried on his back several years of leading the Toryumon Seikigun in an increasingly losing war against Crazy MAX, M2K, Italian Connection and what heel stable appeared afterwards, as well as a failed tenure as a dancing entertainer in WCW. It was probably a matter of time that he would grow disenchanted with being the Big Good and became the most cynical villain of all.
- Family-Friendly Stripper: His gimmick. In fact, doing outrageous dances and gyrating his pelvis were his only strictly stripper-like traits, although at the beginning of his career he would enter through the crowd and they stuffed money into his tights.
- Fedora of Asskicking: A fedora, fitting his detective image.
- The Fighting Narcissist: Had shades of it as a heel.
- Finishing Move: AV Star Press (shooting star press) and Viagra Driver/Egoist Driver (pumphandle Michinoku Driver II). He also had the Ryuukon Lariat, which he adopted from Tenryu.
- Foe-Tossing Charge: When Alan Kuroki made it to the ring to save RG and KG from the Monster Army cronies.
- Freudian Trio: The Ego to CIMA's punkish Id and Masaaki Mochizuki's martial Superego.
- Game-Breaking Injury: Suffered one in his knee in 2002, and later one in his eye in 2006.
- Good Is Not Soft: He was with the heroic HUSTLE Army, but didn't pull his kicks with the evil guys.
- Gratuitous Spanish: "Adiós!"
- Hardboiled Detective: His gimmick as Alan Kuroki was a private detective in the style of Hong Kong action cinema.
- Headbutting Heroes: The blunt, bold TOKYO often clashed with the ever-polite Bono-kun at the lead of the HUSTLE Army.
- I Know Karate: He didn't use it has his main fighting style like Mochizuki or TARU, but he had karate training, and went to become a trainer for Daido-Juku Kudo (which, if you are interested, is a mix of judo and karate).
- "I Know You Are in There Somewhere" Fight: Tried this with the brainwashed Monster HG, but although he could defeat him several times in the ring, he couldn't snap him from his mind control. It would be RG who got it.
- It's All About Me: His character as Mr. Egoist was based around the fact that he was more handsome, intelligent and succesful than his opponents and the crowds.
- It's Personal: After failing to discover the mystery behind the kidnapping of HG until it was too late, Kuroki was hurt on his professional pride and joined forces with RG to bring back his friend.
- I Want You to Meet an Old Friend of Mine: This was how TOKYO, under his detective disguise, was introduced in HUSTLE in 2008. Apparently, Takahiro "Honkon" Kurano, who worked as a cafetería owner in HUSTLE (It Makes Sense in Context) was acquianted to him.
Honkon: Back when I lived in Hong Kong, I befriended a certain guy. He was a detective named Alan Kuroki. He was called "The Demon of Kowloon" or something. Right now I have just called him to Japan to help us.
RG: But we don't really need...
Honkon: Hey! Kuroki-kun, you have finally arrived!
- Jack of All Stats: He could fly, grapple and brawl.
- Jerkass with a Heart of Gold: Alan Kuroki could be blunt and snarky, especially towards RG, but he was solidly in their side whether they could pay him or not.
- Jobber: In WCW.
- Lightning Bruiser: Able to both high-flying and some power moves. Very much like CIMA, injuries made him adopt a more grounded offensive after having stood out as a flyer.
- Mr. Fanservice: To KG's glee.
- Negative Continuity: Initially it looked to be the Three Month Rule, but it was averted at the end. It turned out that Alan Kuroki was Magnum TOKYO, the Magnum TOKYO of Dragon Gate, all the time.
- Not with Them for the Money: When RG believed he couldn't pay him due to the recession, Kuroki replied that after all the trauma everybody had suffered with the heel turn of HG, he wasn't going to let RG bankruptcy himself.
- Odd Friendship: Was introduced in HUSTLE by mediation of Hong-Kong, the stern owner of the coffee shop Tomodachi, who claimed to be friends with him. Take in account that Hong-Kong, real name Takahiro Kurano, is a well known TV tarento.
- Only Sane Man: Next to people like RG, KG or Hong-Kong, Alan Kuroki looked pretty much as the only one who knew what was he doing in the Monster HG saga. Being secretly a pro wrestling veteran helped, of course.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Not only the audiencie, but even RG and HG acknowledged after a sole look that the guy in white suit and sunglasses was obviously Magnum TOKYO. He only got away with his new identity because he insisted that the previous was just a name and they played along, and also because other characters less knowledgeable in wrestling like Akari and Honkon probably didn't watch Toryumon or Dragon Gate.
- The Quisling: It's believed that he held a lot of the responsibility for the split between Último Dragón and the promotion, but it is not clear how or how much.
- Real Men Wear Pink: And black.
- Red Baron: As Magnum TOKYO, he was called "Odoru Judan Senshi" ("The Dancing Bullet Soldier"), "Mr. Viagra" (when face), "Mr. Egoist" (when heel) and "The Revolutionist" (as a tweener, during his Renaissanse project). As Alan Kuroki, "100 no Kao o Motsu Otoko" ("The Man with 100 Faces") and "Kowloon no Oni" ("The Demon of Kowloon").
- Retired Badass: His retirement didn't stop him from going to aid the HUSTLE Army.
- Sarcastic Clapping: While he watched one of the Monster Army guys attacking KG in the ring. Cue Kuroki entering and kicking ass for the save.
- Ship Tease: Had some suggestive photos with joshi wrestler Michiko Omukai.
- Speak of the Devil: Kuroki first appeared in HUSTLE exactly while Hong Kong was talking about him to RG and KG.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: Kuroki's way to appear and disappear without getting noticed used to startle some other wrestlers in HUSTLE, especially RG. His very introduction was one of them, appearing sitting next to RG in the cafe Kissa Tomodachi.
- Shout-Out:
- His ring name, Magnum Tokyo, was a nod to Japanese porn actor Magnum Hokuto.
- After he lost the Último Dragón Gym Championship, he left for a pilgrimage to Shikoku, in a reference to Michinoku Pro Wrestling’s Jinsei Shinzaki.
- Signature Move: Erect Smash (straight jacket side slam), Zetsuen (jumping spinning kick), and a super hurricanrana preceded by gyrating his hips.
- The Team Wannabe: During his run in WCW, a young Magnum wanted to become a part of Dancing Fools, but was rejected.
- Took a Level in Kindness: As shown in HUSTLE, Magnum TOKYO effectively returned to his good ways after his Alan Kuroki run. During his times in Dragon Gate, how many people could have imagined that the arrogant and whimsical Mr. Egoist would someday risk everything selflessly to help a brainwashed person and his friends?
- True Companions: With the HUSTLE Army members, especially HG, RG and KG.
- Villain in a White Suit: Subverted. Alan Kuroki wore a shining white suit and started out as a sort of mysterious, morally ambiguous character who was technically a mercenary, but he proved to be firmly in the side of good.
- Wild Card: When stepped down from leader of Do FIXER.
- Wrestling Doesn't Pay: Subverted in that, as mentioned above, he got his detective job not for money, but for being Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life again.
