- Manabu Nakanishi
-
Manabu Nakanishi 
Ring name(s) Kurasawa[1]
Manabu Nakanishi[1]Billed height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] Billed weight 125 kg (280 lb)[1] Born January 22, 1967 [1]
Kyoto, JapanTrained by Karl Gotch
Joe Malenko
Hiroshi Hase
Kensuke SasakiDebut October 13, 1992[1] with Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Scott Norton & Super Strong Machine Manabu Nakanishi (中西 学 Nakanishi Manabu, born January 22, 1967) is a Japanese professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler who competed in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling.[1] He is a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
Contents
Amateur wrestling career
Nakanishi participated in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, representing Japan in Greco-Roman wrestling. He did not place in the tournament.
Professional wrestling career
New Japan Pro Wrestling (1992–1995)
Nakanishi debuted for New Japan Pro Wrestling in October 1992. His in-ring style was very basic early in his career. After winning the Young Lions Cup in 1995, in order to hone his skills and bulk up, he went on an excursion to North America and joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW), under the name Kurasawa.
World Championship Wrestling (1995-1996)
As Kurasawa in WCW, he was a member of the Stud Stable led by Colonel Robert Parker.[2] He frequently teamed with Meng, with whom he feuded against Sting and Road Warrior Hawk. He broke the arm of Hawk using a seated armbar after their tag team match at Clash of the Champions XXXI, in which they lost.[3] He was also known there for nearly defeating "Macho Man" Randy Savage. It was here that Nakanishi learned the infamous "Road Warrior Workout" from Hawk and Animal, who also taught this routine to Kenta Kobashi and Kensuke Sasaki.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (1996–present)
When Nakanishi came back to New Japan in 1996, he appeared more confident and stronger. With his new change in attitude and in-ring style, he found instant success. He formed The Bull Powers with Satoshi Kojima, who returned from Europe. In May 1997, he and Kojima won the IWGP Tag Team Championship. He had arguably the upset win of the decade in the 1999 G-1 Climax, submitting then-IWGP Heavyweight Champion and nWo Japan leader Keiji Mutoh, to win the tournament.
As the years went by, Nakanishi was never able to capitalize on his win in the G-1 Climax as he constantly came up short in big matches, and Antonio Inoki's focus on pushing MMA fighters in 2002-2005 made matters worse for him. When the company suffered a massive exodus in main event talent (including Shinya Hashimoto, Shinjiro Otani, Sasaki, and Mutoh), it was considered that Nakanishi might finally live up to his potential, but once again he was overlooked, as New Japan started to look towards building their younger talent like Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, Togi Makabe, and Hirooki Goto. He formed the popular tag team, Wild Child, with Takao Omori in late 2006 and together they enjoyed another IWGP Tag Team title reign. In May 2009, Nakanishi finally captured the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, pinning Hiroshi Tanahashi. He went on to hold the title for nearly a month until losing it back to Tanahashi. For the 2010 G1 Climax Tag League Nakanishi formed a tag team named Muscle Orchestra with Strong Man. The team made it to the semifinals of the tournament and was at the end of the year named Tag Team of the Year by Tokyo Sports Grand Prix.[4][5] On January 4, 2011, at Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, Muscle Orchestra unsuccessfully challenged Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship in a three–way match, which also included Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert Roode).[6][7] On February 20 Muscle Orchestra received another shot at Bad Intentions and the IWGP Tag Team Championship, but were again unable to win the title.[8] On June 4 Nakanishi was injured during a six man tag team match after taking a German suplex from Wataru Inoue. The match was stopped immediately and Nakanishi was stretchered out of the arena in a neckbrace.[9] The following day it was announced that Nakanishi had suffered a spinal cord injury, which resulted in numbness and temporary paralysis, but was expected to make a full recovery.[10]
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Fujiwara armbar[11] – WCW
- Hercules Cutter (Argentine neckbreaker)
- Mana Bauer (Backbreaker rack,[12] sometimes dropped into a bridging German suplex)
- Mount Fuji Suplex (Delayed high-angle bridging German suplex)[1]
- Signature moves
- Belly to belly suplex[11]
- Brain Claw (Head vice)
- Clutch bomb
- Cobra Twist
- Double underhook suplex
- Front missile dropkick
- Headbutt
- Knee drop[1]
- Kurasawa Crush (Armbreaker)[11]
- Lariat[1]
- McEnroe (Modified chop block)
- Mountain Bomb[3]
- Multiple running big boot followed by a bicycle kick
- One-handed bulldog
- Over the shoulder single leg Boston crab
- Prison Lock (Kneeling figure four leglock)
- Reverse figure four leglock
- Seated armbar[3]
- Shoot kick[3][11]
- Spear[1]
- Superplex
- Thesz press[1]
- Yajin Hammer (Discus double axe handle)
- Entrance themes
- "Zwptune" by Bruce Kulick (NJPW, 1992–1993)
- "Naval Gun" (NJPW, 1993–1995)
- "Kurasawa" (WCW, 1995–1996)
- "Hard Shuffle" (NJPW, 1996–1998)
- "No Problem" (NJPW, 1998–2002)
- "Seize The Tatics" (NJPW, 2002–present)
Championships and accomplishments
- New Japan Pro Wrestling
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- IWGP Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Yuji Nagata (1), Satoshi Kojima (1), Takao Ōmori (1)
- G1 Climax (1999)[13]
- Young Lion Cup (1995)[14]
- Triathlon Survivor Tournament Winner (2002)- with Osamu Nishimura & Yutaka Yoshie [15]
- Naeba Cup Tag Team Tournament Winner (2003) - with Heat [15]
- Fighting Spirit Award (2000, 2002)[16][17]
- Tag Team Best Bout (2000) with Yuji Nagata vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima on October 9[16]
- Tag Team Best Bout (2002) with Osamu Nishimura vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Masahiro Chono on June 5[17]
- Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX
- NWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Takao Ōmori
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Manabu Nakanishi profile". OWOW. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/m/manabu-nakanishi.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ a b "Stud Stable". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/s/stud-stable.html. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
- ^ a b c d "Sting & Road Warrior Hawk vs Meng & Kurasawa with Col. Robert Parker". World Championship Wrestling. WCW Clash of the Champions XXXI. 1995-08-06.
- ^ "(Results) New Japan, 11/7/10". Strong Style Spirit. 2010-11-07. http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/?p=2248. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
- ^ a b "2010 Tokyo Sports awards – New Japan involvement". Strong Style Spirit. 2010-12-09. http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/?p=2343. Retrieved 2010-12-09.
- ^ "レッスルキングダムⅤ ｉｎ 東京ドーム" (in Japanese). New Japan Pro Wrestling. http://www.njpw.co.jp/match/detail_result.php?e=132. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
- ^ Gerweck, Steve (2011-01-04). "1/4 TNA-NJPW Results: Tokyo, Japan". WrestleView. http://www.wrestleview.com/viewnews.php?id=1294158810. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
- ^ "The New Beginning" (in Japanese). New Japan Pro Wrestling. 2011-02-20. http://www.njpw.co.jp/match/detail_result.php?e=142. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "(Results) New Japan, 6/4/11". Strong Style Spirit. 2011-06-04. http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/?p=2881. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
- ^ "(Results) New Japan, 6/5/11". Strong Style Spirit. 2011-06-05. http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/?p=2887. Retrieved 2011-06-05.
- ^ a b c d "Chip Minton vs Kurasawa". World Championship Wrestling. WCW Saturday Night.
- ^ "Finishing Moves List". Other Arena. http://www.otherarena.com/nCo/finish/finish.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Japan: New Japan G-1 (Grade-1) Climax Tournament Champions". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 375. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Japan: New Japan Young Lions Cup Tournament Champions". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 375. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ a b http://www.purolove.com/njpw/profiles/manabunakanishi.php
- ^ a b "2000 New Japan Awards". Strong Style Spirit. http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/2000-awards.html. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
- ^ a b "2002 New Japan Awards". Strong Style Spirit. http://www.puroresufan.com/njpw/2002-awards.html. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
- ^ ""PWI 500": 101–200". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. 2010-07-29. http://prowrestlingillustrated.blogspot.com/2010/07/pwi-500-101-200.html. Retrieved 2010-07-31.
- ^ http://www.purolove.com/tokyosports.php
External links
IWGP Heavyweight Champions Antonio Inoki · Tatsumi Fujinami · Big Van Vader · Salman Hashimikov · Riki Chōshū · The Great Muta/Keiji Mutoh · Shinya Hashimoto · Nobuhiko Takada · Kensuke Sasaki · Masahiro Chono · Scott Norton · Genichiro Tenryu · Kazuyuki Fujita · Yuji Nagata · Yoshihiro Takayama · Hiroyoshi Tenzan · Shinsuke Nakamura · Bob Sapp · Satoshi Kojima · Brock Lesnar · Hiroshi Tanahashi (current) · Manabu Nakanishi · Togi MakabeCategories:- 1967 births
- Living people
- Japanese professional wrestlers
- Olympic athletes who wrestled professionally
- Wrestlers at the 1992 Summer Olympics
- People from Kyoto (city)
- Finishing moves
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