Hirai Kawato

Kawato started working for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in 2016, training in their dojo for his in-ring career. He started by training as a "young lion" in NJPW's dojo, wearing simple black trunks and boots as he worked with other of NJPW "Young Lions" and experienced veterans as part of his training. On January 3, 2016, Kawato made his in-ring debut, losing to fellow "Young Lion" Yohei Komatsu.[2] Throughout 2016, Kawato spent most of the year working opening and undercard matches, and primarily fought against fellow "Young Lion" Teruaki Kanemitsu.[3] On February 9, 2016, Kawato teamed with Jyushin Thunder Liger and Yuji Nagata to defeat the team of Henare, Tomoyuki Oka and Yoshitatsu in a six-man tag team match.[4] David Finlay, Kawato, Manabu Nakanishi, and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima), Liger, and Oka in the opening match of the NJPW 45th Anniversary show in Korakuen Hall.[5]

On April 22, 2016 Kawato won his first singles match when he defeated Shota Umino.[6] Kawato and Yoshitatsu defeated Katsuya Kitamura and Oka in the dark match of the 2017 Wrestling Dontaku major show, but still did not work on the televised portion of the show.[7][8][9] On June 20, Kawato was involved in his first higher card match when he teamed with Hiroshi Tanahashi, losing to Los Ingobernables de Japon ("The Unruly from Japan"; Tetsuya Naito and Hiromu Takahashi). In October, Kawato teamed with Kushida to take part in the 2017 Super Junior Tag Tournament where they were defeated in the first round by Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh[lower-alpha 1]). On November 5, 2017, Kawato, alongside Juice Robinson, Liger, Kushida and Tiger Mask defeated Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Taichi, Taka Michinoku, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Zack Sabre Jr.) at Power Struggle.[10]

From October 12 to December 21, Kawato took part in the 2017 Young Lion Cup, where he finished second with a record of four wins (defeating Oka,[11] Shota Umino,[12] Ren Narita,[13] and Tetsuhiro Yagi[14]) and one loss, to tournament winner Katsuya Kitamura,[15] to end up in second place overall.[16] Kawato competed on all eight days of the 2018 Fantastica Mania tour, where NJPW and mexican- based Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) co-promoted a number of shows in Japan. Each night, Kawato and various tag team partners faced, and lost to, members of Los Ingobernables de Japon. His final match of the tour, and for NJPW at the time, saw him team with Mexican wrestler Atlantis as they lost to Gedo and Bárbaro Cavernario.[17]

On January 9, 2018, CMLL announced on Twitter that Kawato would begin his excursion with them at the end of the month, and would actively compete in the promotion after taking part in New Japan's Fantastica Mania events.[18] While in CMLL he would be billed as "Kawato San" (sometimes written as "Kawato-San"). For his first CMLL match, Kawato teamed up Misterioso Jr. and Virus, losing to Audaz, Pegasso, and Rey Cometa in a six-man tag team match.[19] While he was working for CMLL, they also allowed Kawato San to wrestle on the Mexican independent circuit between CMLL shows. His first independent circuit match was on March 11, where he lost to Ricky Marvin as part of a Lucha Memes show.[20]

In CMLL, he was teamed up with Okumura, CMLL's Japanese liaison, to form a team called Eje del Mal ("Axis of Evil"), presenting them as a group of "evil foreigners". Their first match as a team saw the two, and Johnny Idol, lose to Guerrero Maya Jr., Rey Cometa, and Stuka Jr..[21] Kawato San was one of twelve wrestlers competing in a torneo cibernetico elimination match to determine the challenger for CMLL's Rey del Inframundo ("King of the Underworld") championship, but was eliminated early on.[22] He was also invited to participate in the 2018 Leyenda de Plata ("Silver Legend"), one of CMLL's most prestigious tournaments. Kawato was the first man eliminated, pinned by Audaz about eight minutes into the match.[23][24][25]

He also participated in the 2019 Reyes del Aire ("King of the Air") tournament which took place on January 6 in Mexico City. He was the tenth man eliminated, as Audza pinned him after just over 20 minutes of wrestling.[26][27] Just over a year after his CMLL debut, Kawato San appeared on his first major CMLL show as he teamed up with Disturbio and Misterioso Jr. to lose to Blue Panther Jr., Black Panther and Rey Cometa on the undercard of the 2019 Juicio Final.[28][29] In June 2019, Kawato San and Audaz outlasted Eléctrico, El Hijo del Villano III, Flyer, Príncipe Diamante, Star Jr., Super Astro Jr., and Halcón Suriano Jr. to earn a match for the vacant CMLL World Super Lightweight Championship. The following week, on June 30 , 2019, Kawato San defeated Audaz to become the new champion.[30] Kawato did not wrestle any matches after July 28, 2019,[31] due to what was later revealed to be a knee injury. It was announced on November 6, 2019, that Kawato-San had returned to Mexico after recovering from his knee injury. Kawato was stripped of the CMLL World Lightweight Championship due to the injury.[32] Kawato returned to the ring on November 9, teaming with El Felino and Rey Bucanero as they lost to Atlantis Jr., Ángel de Oro, and Niebla Roja.[31]

Starting in late October, Kawato San and Dulce Gardenia became involved in a storyline feud in CMLL, with the two facing off in six-man tag team matches through out November and December.[33] Kawato and Gardenia both agreed to "bet" their hair. The Lucha de Apuestas match was the main event of the 2020 Sin Piedad ("No Mercy") CMLL show held on January 1, 2020. Gardenia won the match two-falls-to-one, followed by Kawato San being forced to shave all his hair off.[34] Kawato San was one of 12 wrestlers competing in the 2020 Reyes del Aire ("Kings of the air") tournament, but was the sixth wrestler eliminated when Rey Cometa pinned him.[35][36]

On July 3, 2020, Kawato returned to NJPW after a two-year excursion under the name Master Wato. As he was exiting, he was attacked by Suzuki-gun member Douki. It was later announced that at the New Japan Cup Finals in Osaka-Jo Hall, Wato would face Douki in a singles match where he was victorious.[37] He then embarked on a feud with another member of Suzuki-gun, Yoshinobu Kanemaru. [38] The feud ended when Kanemaru pinned Wato at Summer Struggle in Jingu Stadium in August. [39] In November 2020, he entered the Best of the Super Juniors tournament where he was scheduled for a rematch against Kanemaru, but he pulled out injured. [40] Wato finished the tournament with 4 wins and 5 losses, failing to advance to the finals. [41] At Wrestle Kingdom 15, he and Ryusuke Taguchi unsuccessfully challenged Suzuki-gun tag team El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. [42]