Kaori Yoneyama

  Kaori Yoneyama (米山 香織 Yoneyama Kaori, born February 26, 1981) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working as a freelancer on the Japanese independent circuit. Yoneyama started her career in 1999, working with the Japanese Women Pro-Wrestling (JWP) Project promotion.   During the following years, she became a one-time JWP Openweight Champion, a one-time JWP Junior Champion, a five-time JWP Tag Team Champion and a three-time Daily Sports Women's Tag Team Champion. Notable titles she has held outside of JWP include All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling's AJW Championship and AJW Tag Team Championship, Ice Ribbon's International Ribbon Tag Team Championship and NEO Japan Ladies Pro Wrestling's High Speed Championship. In July 2011, Yoneyama announced that she would be ending her twelve year career the following December. After a retirement tour, which took Yoneyama not only across the Japanese independent circuit, but also to the United States, she announced during her retirement ceremony that she had changed her mind and decided to continue her career. In January 2013, Yoneyama quit JWP to become a freelancer. On February 3, 2013, Yoneyama made a surprise appearance for the World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion, affiliating herself with Nanae Takahashi's Nanae Gundan stable and challenging Natsuki☆Taiyo to a match for the High Speed Championship.  The title match was made official on February 12. The following day, Yoneyama earned the right to name and designUnion Pro's women's title by pinning Cherry in a tag team match, where she and Masako Takanashi defeated Cherry and Mio Shirai. Despite her big sendoff from JWP, Yoneyama continued making appearances for the promotion as a freelancer, making her first appearance just three weeks after her farewell match on February 17, when she teamed with Leon to defeat Hanako Nakamori and Morii in a tag team match. On March 3, Yoneyama failed to capture the High Speed Championship from Natsuki☆Taiyo, when their title match ended in a thirty-minute time limit draw.  On March 10, Yoneyama defeated Cherry to become the inaugural Union Fly to Everywhere World Champion.