While attending vocational school, Takaiwa passed the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) entry exam and began training with the promotion in 1992.

[2] During the early years of his career, Takaiwa primarily competed in opening matches, usually on the losing end as is customary for young wrestlers in Japan.

[5] Days later on December 11, Takaiwa and Otani travelled to Wrestle Association R where they defeated Masaaki Mochizuki and Masao Orihara to win the vacant International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, making themselves double champions.

[6] Their days as double champions didn't last long, however, as they would lose the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to Kendo Kashin and Dr Wagner Jr at Wrestling World 1999.

At the promotion's first show on March 2, 2001, Takaiwa teamed with Alexander Otsuka in a loss to No Fear (Yoshihiro Takayama and Takao Omori).

[31] Takaiwa returned to Noah again in 2011, taking part in the NTV G+ Cup Junior Heavyweight Tag League with his trainee Osamu Namiguchi.

[33] Originally aiming to step away from pro wrestling after leaving Zero1 and doing one last run in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Takaiwa got a job at a building maintenance company in late 2009 and began competing more sparingly on the independent scene in early 2010, primarily working for Jun Kasai's Freedoms.

He was also named head coach of Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW)'s dojo, and made occasional appearances in Kensuke Office as Black Tiger.

Takaiwa left his second job in 2012 and returned to Zero1 for the first time in four years to take part in the Tenkaichi Junior Tournament, though he was unsuccessful, losing to Jonathan Gresham in the semi-final.

[36] In September, he took part in Zero1 and Noah's joint show, briefly reviving his old team with Shinjiro Otani to beat Akitoshi Saito and Masa Kitamiya.

[37] In September 2015, they reformed for good, and captured the NWA International Lightweight Tag Team Championship from Takuya Sugawara and Brother Yasshi.