View source for Mariko Yoshida

{{short description|Japanese professional wrestler}}
{{for multi|the Japanese volleyball player|Mariko Yoshida (volleyball)|the comic book character|Mariko Yashida}}
{{BLP sources|date=December 2011}}
{{Infobox professional wrestler
|name=Mariko Yoshida
|birthname=Mariko Morita<ref name=Arsion/>
|image=Mariko Yoshida.JPG
|caption= Mariko Yoshida. Jungle Jack 21 June 12, 2011, Tokyo, Japan
|names=Mariko Yoshida
<!-- Please don't change the height or weight. These are the measures as officially stated and they should not be changed. -->
|height={{convert|1.63|m|ftin|abbr=on}}<!-- In Japan they measure height in meters so that should be first --><ref name=Arsion/>
|weight={{convert|63|kg|lb|abbr=on}}<!--In Japan they measure weight in kilograms so that should be first --><ref name=Arsion/>
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|2|15}}<ref name=Arsion/>
|death_date =
|birth_place = [[Mukaishima, Hiroshima|Mukaishima]], [[Hiroshima Prefecture|Hiroshima]]<ref name=Arsion/>
|death_place =
|resides=
|billed=
|trainer= [[Jaguar Yokota]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/226302-cvc-jaguar-yokota-for-greatest-womens-champion |title=CvC: Jaguar Yokota for Greatest Women's Champion |last=Triggs |first=James |date=July 29, 2009 |website=Bleacher Report |access-date=October 20, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126163521/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/226302-cvc-jaguar-yokota-for-greatest-womens-champion |archive-date=November 26, 2021}}</ref>
|debut=October 10, 1988<ref name=Arsion/>
|retired=November 19, 2017<ref name=Retirement/>
|website=
|}}
{{Nihongo|'''Mariko Morita'''|盛田 万里子|Morita Mariko|born February 15, 1970}},<ref name=Arsion>{{cite web | url = http://www.arsion.co.jp/profile/profile.html#yosida | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20021014113606/http://www.arsion.co.jp/profile/profile.html#yosida | title = Licence No.2 吉田万里子 | archivedate=October 14, 2002 | accessdate=2013-03-26 | work=[[Arsion|Hyper Visual Fighting Arsion]] | language=Japanese}}</ref> better known by her [[ring name]] {{Nihongo|'''Mariko Yoshida'''|吉田 万里子|Yoshida Mariko}}, is a Japanese retired [[professional wrestler]]. She is best known for her work with the [[ARSION]] [[professional wrestling promotion]], where she was also head trainer.

==Professional wrestling career==
Yoshida debuted for [[All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling]] (AJW or ''Zenjo'') on October 10, 1988 at Tokyo's [[Korakuen Hall]] in a match against Keiko Waki. Before her neck injury in late 1992, which would cause her to miss two years of ring time, Yoshida was easily one of the best young stars in AJW, often showcasing [[Lucha Libre]]-inspired aerial maneuvers to go along with her mat-work skills.

In 1997, she left AJW to join [[Aja Kong]]'s [[Arsion]] promotion, becoming their head trainer. There she was repackaged as a technical wrestling master, and [[push (professional wrestling)|push]]ed as a major star. She has been nicknamed ''ARSION no Shinjutsu'', or "Arsion True Heart". Forgoing the [[Professional wrestling aerial techniques|high-flying techniques]] of her run in Zenjo, her style in Arsion was centered on mat wrestling and submission holds derived from [[shoot wrestling]], along with more elaborate lucha-inspired submissions.

In June 2005, she launched ''Ibuki'', a bi-monthly event series, with her intention to provide opportunities for young, up and coming wrestlers from different promotions to compete with each other and to challenge senior wrestlers like Yoshida herself. ''Ibuki'' has now gained high reputation among joshi puroresu fans in Japan.

In 2006, Yoshida was presented with the Cauliflower Alley Club's Future Legend Award, becoming only the second female after [[Cheerleader Melissa]], to win this award.

Yoshida retired from professional wrestling on November 19, 2017, losing to her trainee [[Hiroyo Matsumoto]] in her final match.<ref name=Retirement>{{cite web | url = https://battle-news.com/?p=34773 | title = 吉田万里子が全女・アルシオン・息吹と3時代の試合を行い引退！「プロレスってホントに愛なんだなって感じました」 | date=November 19, 2017 | accessdate=November 19, 2017 | work=Battle News | language=Japanese}}</ref>

[[File:Mariko Yoshida 2008.jpg|thumb|Yoshida photographed at home in 2008.]]
==Professional wrestling style and persona==
Yoshida employed a [[submission wrestling|submission-based]] style, based on her [[shoot wrestling]] training. Yoshida is the innovator of two finishing moves, an [[Piledriver (professional wrestling)#Over-the-shoulder back-to-belly piledriver|over-the-shoulder back-to-belly piledriver]], which she calls the ''Air Raid Crash'' and a [[Professional wrestling holds#Headscissors|headscissors]] [[Crucifix position|shoulder lock]], which she has named the ''Spider Twist''. Among her signature moves are the [[Pin (professional wrestling)#La magistral|arm wrench inside cradle]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.otherarena.com/nCo/finish/finish.html|title=Finishing Moves List|publisher=Other Arena|accessdate=2009-08-28}}</ref> a [[Professional wrestling holds#Cross armbar|Cross armbar]], sometimes proceeded by an [[Pin (professional wrestling)#Oklahoma roll|Oklahoma roll]], a [[Facebuster#Lifting double underhook facebuster|lifting double underhook facebuster]], a [[Professional wrestling attacks#Big boot|running big boot]] and a [[Professional wrestling holds#Triangle choke|triangle choke]]. She uses "[[Fable (Robert Miles song)|Fable]]" by [[Robert Miles]] as her theme song.

==Championships and accomplishments==
*'''[[All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling]]'''
**[[AJW Championship]] ([[AJW Championship#Title history|1 time]])
**[[AJW Tag Team Championship]] ([[AJW Tag Team Championship#Title history|3 times]]) – with [[Takako Inoue]] (2) and Rie Tamada (1)
*'''[[Arsion]]'''
**[[Queen of Arsion Championship]] ([[Queen of Arsion Championship#Title history|3 times]])
**[[Twin Star of Arsion Championship]] ([[Twin Star of Arsion Championship#Title history|2 times]]) – with [[Aja Kong]] (1) and [[Lioness Asuka]] (1)
**Zion '98<ref name=Arsion/>
*'''[[BattlARTS]]'''
**King And Queens Tournament (2000) – with [[Alexander Otsuka]] and Yumi Fukawa
*'''[[Cauliflower Alley Club]]'''
**Future Legend Award ([[Cauliflower Alley Club#2006|2006]])<ref name="Cauliflower2006">{{cite web|last=Oliver|first=Greg|title=Race & Hennig go over at Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet|url=http://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2006/06/11/race-hennig-go-over-at-cauliflower-alley-club-banquet/|work=Slam Wrestling|date=June 11, 2006|accessdate=September 27, 2020}}</ref>
*'''[[ChickFight]]'''
**[[ChickFight#ChickFight II|ChickFight II]]
**[[ChickFight#ChickFight III|ChickFight III]]
*'''[[Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre]]'''
**[[CMLL World Women's Championship]] ([[CMLL World Women's Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref name=Arsion/>

==References==
{{Commons category}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Navboxes|
|list1=
{{AJW Championship}}
{{AJW Tag Team Championship}}
{{CMLL World Women's Championship}}
{{Twin Star of Arsion Championship}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Yoshida, Mariko}}
[[Category:1970 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1988 professional wrestling debuts]]
[[Category:20th-century female professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:20th-century Japanese professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:21st-century female professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:21st-century Japanese professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:Japanese female professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:People from Onomichi, Hiroshima]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Hiroshima Prefecture]]
[[Category:CMLL World Women's Champions]]
[[Category:AJW Champions]]
[[Category:AJW Tag Team Champions]]
[[Category:Queen of Arsion Champions]]
[[Category:Twin Star of Arsion Champions]]