Yoshihiro Takayama

Infobox Wrestler
name=Yoshihiro Takayama


names=Yoshihiro Takayama
height=196 cm (6 ft 5 in)
weight=125 kg (280 lb)
birth_date = birth date|1966|9|19|mf=y
death_date =
birth_place = Sumida, Tokyo
death_place=
resides=
billed=
trainer=
debut=June 28 1992
retired=

Yoshihiro Takayama is a free lance Japanese professional wrestler and a mixed martial arts fighter. Takayama is well-known for his ability to endure massive amounts of punishment; at PRIDE 21 he fought Don Frye and took one of the more brutal beatings in PRIDE history, and while Frye won the match, Takayama managed to continue for over six minutes and was able to land some heavy punches of his own.

Career

Takayama started in UWF International, but due to the focus of the promotion on star Nobuhiko Takada, he wasn't able to go past the mid-card level. In 1995-96, with the interpromotional feuds with New Japan Pro Wrestling and WAR, he formed the "Golden Cups" stable with Yoji Anjo and Kenichi Yamamoto to compete in tag team and six-man matches. In New Japan he and Anjo assumed masks as the "200% Machines" to mock "Super Strong Machine" Junji Hirata. In WAR, they feuded with Gedo, Jado and Hiromichi Fuyuki.

After UWFI's subsequent collapse, he joined Kingdom, but after it also collapsed, he joined All Japan Pro Wrestling as a free agent along with former UWFI comrade Masahito Kakihara. In the beginning, Takayama was put in a feud with Toshiaki Kawada (against whom he had lost once in an interpromotional match before the UWFI's collapse), but as he lost matches often, he was back in the undercard. He joined former UWFI foreigner Gary Albright and native Takao Ōmori in a new version of the "Triangle of Power" stable Albright had formed with Steve Williams before he briefly went back to the United States.

In 1999, upon Shohei Baba's death, Mitsuharu Misawa made him and Kakihara full-time members of All Japan. Pushed as the "NO FEAR" team with Ōmori, Takayama found instant success, first winning the Asian tag team title from Hayabusa and Jinsei Shinzaki and then the Double Cup from Johnny Ace and Bart Gunn. However, they were eventually defeated by the combination of Misawa and Yoshinari Ogawa. In 2000, when Misawa announced plans for his new promotion, Pro Wrestling NOAH, Takayama followed him. In NOAH, he found continued success, winning the new GHC tag team title with Ōmori, as well. It was around 2001 that, spurred by his old UWFI comrades' success in the PRIDE fighting circuit, decided to try his hand at mixed martial arts competition. Although defeated by Kazuyuki Fujita, he impressed "real-fight" pundits enough to warrant more fight offers. In what many PRIDE fans consider to be one of the organizations most exciting matches ever, Takayama faced Don Frye in a slugfest at PRIDE 21, and although he lost the match, Takayama solidified his reputation as one of the toughest Japanese fighters in PRIDE. Also his battle with Frye appeared at number one on Fox Sports Network's "Best Damn 50 Beatdowns".

Takayama declared free agency from NOAH so he could pursue mixed martial arts, as well as matches in New Japan Pro Wrestling, where he began challenging the top stars, such as Yuji Nagata, Masa Chono, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan. In 2003 and 2004 he participated in New Japan's annual G-1 Climax tournament. In mid-2004 he affiliated himself with former Pancrase wrestler Minoru Suzuki, and they won the IWGP tag team title, but he suffered a stroke later in the year following a match with Kensuke Sasaki. During his time away from the ring, Takayama provided occasional colour commentary for Pro Wrestling NOAH, famously saying, "I hope this never ends" during a chop exchange between Kenta Kobashi and Kensuke Sasaki on the July 18, 2005 "Destiny" show. In June 2006, Pro Wrestling NOAH announced that Takayama would return July 16 Nippon Budokan show teaming with Kenta Kobashi to take on Jun Akiyama and Mitsuharu Misawa. The match was later changed due to Kobashi needing surgery to remove a tumor, leading to Takayama teaming with Kensuke Sasaki against Akiyama and Misawa. However, when Kenta Kobashi returned, it would be in the same match, team with yoshihrio takayama against jun akiyama and mitsuhara misawa.

He recently started teaming with old UWFI comrade Takuma Sano in a tournament for the GHC Tag Team Championship vacated by Kenta Kobashi & Tamon Honda due to Kobashi's kidney tumor (Takayama and Sano woud reach the final where they would lose to Mohammed Yone and Takeshi Morishima). On December 27, he showed up at a Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX show, attacked former partner Takao Ōmori, and promised to return at the next show.

When he is not wrestling, he also works as a color commentator for Pro Wrestling NOAH.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves
**"Everest Suplex" (Delayed bridging high-angle German suplex)
**Multiple knee lifts to a cornered opponent
**Bridging tiger suplex
**Release full nelson suplex
**Running high knee strike
**Snap belly to belly suplex
**Bridging double underhook suplex
**Cross armbar
**Big boot
**Straight punch to jaw

Championships and accomplishments

*All Japan Pro Wrestling
**AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Takao Ōmori
**AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Takao Ōmori
*New Japan Pro Wrestling
**IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**IWGP Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Minoru Suzuki
**NWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
*Pro Wrestling NOAH
**GHC Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
**GHC Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Takao Ōmori
*Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX
**NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kohei Sato
*Wrestle Association "R"
**WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Yoji Anjo & Kenichi Yamamoto
*Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
**Best Brawler (2002)
**Fight of the Year (2002) – vs. Don Frye

Trivia

*Is the only one to hold both the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the GHC Heavyweight Championship.

References

* [http://www.accelerator3359.com/Wrestling/bios/takayama.html Profile at accelerator3359.com]
* [http://noah.puroresufan.com/roster/takayama.php Profile at Green Destiny]