Tsuyoshi Kikuchi

Freelance (2010–2021) After leaving Noah, Kikuchi became a freelancer doing shows for All Japan and Dragon Gate. On September 20, 2010, Kikuchi challenged Kaz Hayashi for the World Junior Heavyweight Championship but lost. In November, Kikuchi returned to All Japan to participate in the 2010 World's Strongest Tag Determination League teaming up with Tamon Honda. On January 3, 2011, Kikuchi and Honda challenged Seiya Sanada and Manabu Soya for the All Asia Tag Team Championship but lost. In January 2011, Kikuchi also debuted in DDT. In the spring, Kikuchi returned to New Japan for their NEVER brand by taking part in the Road to the Super Juniors tournament where the two winners qualified for the 2011 Best of the Super Juniors. On April 7, Kikuchi defeated Ken Ohka in the first round. Then on April 8, he defeated Kazuhiro Tamura in the semifinals, but lost in the finals later that night to Daisuke Sasaki. In April, Kikuchi returned to All Japan to take part in the 2011 Jr. Tag League teaming with Masanobu Fuchi.

He defeated Craig Classic for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship on January 1, 2012, at the Korakuen Hall in a Zero1 show. On February 1, 2012, he became a double champion, teaming with Takuya Sugawara, and defeating Ikuto Hidaka and Takafumi Ito to win the NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship. However, Kikuchi lost the title to his tag-team partner Sugawara on March 2 at 11th Anniversary show. Shortly thereafter, Kikuchi and Sugawara were stripped of the NWA International Lightweight Tag Team titles.

On August 11, 2017, Kikuchi took part in a mini-tournament for the new WEW Junior Heavyweight Championship for Pro Wrestling A-Team. He defeated Takumi Sakurai to qualify for the four-way elimination-style tournament final, in which he defeated Nobutaka Moribe, Masamune, and HASEGAWA, to win the tournament and title, to become the inaugural champion.

Kikuchi had his retirement on May 3, 2021, losing to Koji Kanemoto.

Championships and accomplishments All Japan Pro Wrestling All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kenta Kobashi World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Junior Heavyweight Tournament (1993)

Apache Army Apache Opendivision Championship (1 time)

Dramatic Dream Team Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship (2 times)

New Japan Pro-Wrestling IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Yoshinobu Kanemaru

Pro Wrestling A-Team WEW Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

Pro Wrestling Zero1 NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (Zero1 version) (1 time) NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Takuya Sugawara

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards Match of the Year (1992) with Kenta Kobashi vs. Doug Furnas and Dan Kroffat, Sendai, May 25

Personal

Kikuchi owns "Kotetsu", a restaurant in Tomiya, Miyagi. It is frequented by wrestlers when in the area and the walls are adorned with wrestler photographs and autographs, pictures from Kikuchi's career, and posters for his upcoming appearances.