In September 2009, after having prowess in the United States as American football players, the Saito brothers joined the Dewanoumi stable to compete in sumo. They were given the shikona (ring name) of Fujinoumi Jun (藤の海 順) and Fujinohana Rei (藤の花 礼). Jun achieved his highest rank of makushita 47 in July 2013 and retired in May 2017;[10] Rei achieved his highest rank of sandanme 16 in July 2012 and retired in September 2017.[11][12]
Professional wrestling career
All Japan Pro Wrestling (2021–present)
Jun and Rei in 2021
Trained by the All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) dojo from December 2020 through to June 2021, the Saito Brothers made their professional wrestling debut on the first night of the Dynamite Series on June 9, where they fell short to Ryuki Honda and Takao Omori in a tag team match.[13] On the first night of the 2022 Raising An Army Memorial Series from October 2, they joined the Voodoo Murders stable after teaming up with Yoshihiro Tajiri to defeat Hokuto Omori, Izanagi, Shuji Ishikawa and Takao Omori in eight-man tag team action.[14] They soon began chasing after tag team titles promoted by AJPW. At ManiaX In Korakuen Hall on September 19, 2022, they unsuccessfully challenged Gungnir Of Anarchy (Ryuki Honda and Shotaro Ashino) for the AJPW World Tag Team Championship.[15]
They competed in one of the promotion's signature events, the Real World Tag League, making their first appearance at the 2021 edition, where they placed themselves in the A block in which they failed to score any points after competing against the teams of Suwama and Shotaro Ashino, Abdullah Kobayashi and Drew Parker, and Jake Lee and Hokuto Omori.[16] At the 2022 edition, they scored a total of six points in a single block after going against the teams of Kento Miyahara and Takuya Nomura, Shuji Ishikawa and Cyrus, Jake Lee and Yuma Aoyagi, Suwama and Kono, Kuma Arashi and Koji Doi, Yuji Nagata and Yuma Anzai, and Shotaro Ashino and Ryuki Honda.[17] Another event in which they competed was the Champion Carnival. At the 2023 edition, they competed in separate blocks. Jun clashed into the A block with T-Hawk, Kento Miyahara, Ryuki Honda, Yuma Aoyagi, Satoshi Kojima, Cyrus and Yoshitatsu, scoring a total of six points, whilst Rei clashed into the B block against Shotaro Ashino, Shuji Ishikawa, Suwama, Manabu Soya, Hokuto Omori, Yuma Anzai, and Hokuto Omori, coming out the runner up with eight points.[18]
In October 2023, they competed in their first-ever hometown event in Kakuda, Miyagi, where they defeated Kento Miyahara and Yuma Aoyagi to win the World Tag Team Championship for the first time. They went on to successfully defend the titles four times.
In December 2023, though they narrowly missed winning the Best Tag Team Award presented by Tokyo Sports by just one vote, they were honored with the Newcomer Award(2023). The award review highlighted their achievements, including capturing the World Tag Team Championship, as well as their contributions outside the ring, such as their appearances on Miyagi Television's TAXI Meshi Returns.[19] In this program, they visit local restaurants recommended by taxi drivers, showcasing unique dishes from Miyagi Prefecture.[20]
On February 9, 2024, Rei suffered a dislocated right shoulder, forcing the team to vacate the championship.[21]
After his two-month absence, they regained the World Tag Team Championship on March 30, 2024, by defeating Hideki Suzuki and Suwama.
Jun and Rei underwent a six-month foreign excursion in the first half of 2022, with most of their work spreading towards several promotions from the American scene and European scene. The first event they competed in was the January 21, 2022, episode of Fusion, promoted by Major League Wrestling, where they defeated Budd Heavy and Gnarls Garvin.[24] At Banjaxed 3, an event promoted by Over the Top Wrestling on June 26, 2022, they fell short to The Kings of the North (Bonesaw and Damien Corvin).[25]