Erika Shishido (September 25, 1970) is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the stage name Aja Kong, and the founder of the ARSION all-women professional wrestling promotion. Shishido has won several championships in both singles and tag team divisions throughout her career, primarily while with All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling.
Early career[]
Shishido was trained by AJW, and graduated as part of their class of 1986. She made her debut that summer, and immediately joined Dump Matsumoto's heel stable Gokuaku Domei ("Atrocious Alliance"), along with classmate and tag team partner Nobuko Kimura. After the stable dissolved in 1988 due to Matsumoto's retirement, Shishido and Kimura went their separate ways, but re-formed in 1990 as Jungle Jack. Now called Aja Kong and Bison Kimura, they entered a two-year feud against their former allies Bull Nakano and her heel stable Gokumon-to. During their partnership they won the WWWA World Tag Team Championship twice, and participated in some memorable matches. The most famous of these was a hair versus hair match on January 11, 1991, which was lost by Jungle Jack, resulting in both women being shaved bald.
Kong herself also pursued Nakano for the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship during the early 1990s. She failed in several attempts before finally achieving her goal on November 15, 1992, ending Nakano's three-year reign.
Kong made a notable wrestling appearance in the United States. She was the sole survivor of a women's elimination match at the World Wrestling Federation pay per view Survivor Series 1995 pinning all 4 members of her opposing team, including WWF Women's Champion, Alundra Blayze. Kong also appeared on two episodes of Monday Night Raw and was victorious in both bouts, including one vicious bout where she broke the nose of Chaparita Asari. Kong was being built up as a challenger for the WWF Women's Championship, which was held at the time by Alundra Blayze. Kong was scheduled to face Blayze at the Royal Rumble pay per view in 1996, but Blayze was fired before this match up could occur.
In 1997, Kong left AJW and started the independent promotion Hyper Visual Fighting ARSION (usually referred to as simply ARSION). She led the organization until 2001, when, on February 12, she walked out of a tag team match, and announced she was quitting ARSION. This dramatic event was televised.
Shishido continues to wrestle as a freelancer for various promotions in Japan. Recently she formed a tag team with Amazing Kong, called Double Kong, and held tag team championships in Japanese women's promotions AJW, GAEA, and Ladies Legend Pro Wrestling. On June 6, 2006, wrestling as Erika and Margaret, the team defeated Wataru Sakata and Ryoji Sai for the HUSTLE Super Tag Team Championship. They lost the titles on October 9, 2006 to American tag team Bubba Ray and Devon in a three-way match which also included the team of Sodom and Gamora.
Presently, Aja wrestles for Mayumi Ozaki's promotion, Oz Academy. She has previously held the promotion's championship title and is currently leading the Jungle Jack 21 stable, which includes AKINO and Tomoka Nakagawa.
In December 2011, Kong took part in American promotion Chikara's JoshiMania weekend, losing to Sara Del Rey in the main event of night one on December 2. The following day, Kong defeated Ayako Hamada in the main event. On the third and final night of the tour, Kong teamed with Mio Shirai and Tsubasa Kuragaki to defeat Hanako Nakamori, Manami Toyota and Sawako Shimono in a six-woman tag team match.
Personal life[]
Shishido is half Japanese and half African-American. Her father served in the US military.
Wrestling facts[]
- Finishing moves
- Signature moves
Championships and accomplishments[]
- All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
- AJW Championship (1 time)
- AJW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Naboko Kimura
- All Pacific Championship (1 time)
- WWWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
- WWWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Grizzly Iwamoto (1), Bison Kimura (2), and Amazing Kong (1)
- Japan Grand Prix (1992, 1996)
- Tag League the Best (1992) – with Kyoko Inoue
- AJW Hall of Fame (1998)
- Arsion
- Queen of Arsion Championship (1 time)
- Twin Star of Arsion Championship (1 time) – with Mariko Yoshida
- Dramatic Dream Team
- KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Danshoku Dino and Makoto Oishi
- GAEA Japan
- AAAW Single Championship (3 times)
- AAAW Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Mayumi Ozaki (1), Devil Masami (1), and Amazing Kong (1)
- HUSTLE
- HUSTLE Super Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Margaret
- JWP Joshi Puroresu
- JWP Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Sachie Abe
- Ladies Legend Pro Wrestling
- LLPW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Amazing Kong
- OZ Academy
- OZ Academy Openweight Championship (3 times)
- OZ Academy Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Hiroyo Matsumoto (1), Kaoru Ito (1), Sonoko Kato (1) and Hikaru Shida (1)
- Best Bout Award (2011) vs. Mayumi Ozaki on April 10
- Best Singles Match Award (2012) vs. Ran Yu-Yu on October 14
- Best Tag Team Match Award (2012) with Sonoko Kato vs. Akino and Ayumi Kurihara on August 19
- MVP Award (2010)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- 5 Star Match (1993) with Sakie Hasegawa, Kyoko Inoue, and Takako Inoue vs. Dynamite Kansai, Cutie Suzuki, Mayumi Ozaki, and Hikari Fukuoka on July 31
- 5 Star Match (1994) vs. Manami Toyota on November 20
- 5 Star Match (1995) vs. Manami Toyota on June 27
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2006)