Sumie Sakai

Infobox Wrestler
name=Sumie Sakai


names=Sumie Sakai
Yellow Michinoku Ranger (CZW)
height=height|m=1.55
weight=convert|54|kg|lb st|abbr=on|lk=on
birth_date =birth date and age|1971|11|24
death_date =
birth_place =Suzuka, Mie, Japan
resides=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
billed=Osaka
Tokyo
Yokkaichi
trainer=Japan
Jaguar Yokota
Lioness Asuka
Cooga
Bison Kimura
United States
Steve Bradley
Killer Kowalski
Slyck Wagner Brown
debut=April 20, 1997
retired=|nihongo|Sumie Sakai|坂井澄江|Sakai Sumie born November 24, 1971) is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. She currently resides in the United States of America, appearing with professional wrestling promotions in the northeastern United States such as Women's Extreme Wrestling and CHIKARA.

Career

As a young women, Sakai practised judo. From 1995 to 1997, she halted her practice of judo to work with senior citizens at the Kasugamachi Care Center in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.

Sakai became involved in wrestling when her friend and fellow judo practitioner, Megumi Yabushita, invited her to join the wrestling industry. Sakai trained under Jaguar Yokota and made her debut on April 20, 1997 with the Yoshimoto Ladies Pro Wrestling promotion, facing Yabushita in the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. She went on to form a tag team with Yabushita named nihongo|YABUSAKA|ヤブサカ.

Later in 1997, Sakai began wrestling for Yokota's JDStar promotion. Whilst competing for JDStar, Sakai won both the JDStar Junior Championship and the JDStar Queen of the Ring Championship. She also won the Women's Championship of the affiliated American Wrestling Federation, the North American Women's Championship of the affiliated New England Championship Wrestling promotion and the Tag Team Championship of the affiliated Trans-World Wrestling Federation. In 1999, she suffered a broken leg while wrestling Lioness Asuka. While rehabilitating, Sakai became enamoured of American professional wrestling, and resolved to one day wrestle in the United States of America.

While in Japan, Sakai faced several prominent male Japanese wrestlers, including Dick Togo, The Great Sasuke and Jinsei Shinzaki. She furthered her training under Bison Kimura, Cooga and Lioness Asuka.

Sakai wrestled her first match in the United States in 2002. In 2003, she left JDStar and relocated to the United States.

In December 2003 and January 2004, Sakai appeared with Ring of Honor, defeating Alison Danger and losing to April Hunter. She returned to Ring of Honor on August 20, 2005, losing to Lacey at "Do or Die 5".

On April 17, 2005, Sakai organised "WE LOVE SABU", a pair of shows held at the Differ Ariake Arena in Tokyo. "WE LOVE SABU" was organised in support of Terry "Sabu" Brunk, an American wrestler who had been afflicted with a serious virus in the summer of 2004, with the proceeds of the show going towards paying Sabu's medical bills. The show featured Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling alumni such as Masato Tanaka and Extreme Championship Wrestling alumni such as The Sandman. A similar benefit show entitled "A Night of Appreciation for Sabu" had taken place in the United States on December 12, 2004. Sabu eventually made a complete recovery, returning to the ring on May 21, 2005.

In 2005 and 2006, Sakai appeared with the French Queens of Chaos promotion.

Sakai made her mixed martial arts debut on October 14, 2006, fighting American kickboxer Amy Davis in a bout promoted by the Primal Tribe Fighting Club as part of the "Xtreme Fight Series II" event. The bout ended in a no contest at the end of the first three-minute long round after Davis suffered an arm injury and was unable to continue as a result of an armbar applied by Sakai.

Wrestling facts

*Finishing and signature moves:*Fisherman buster:*Second rope seated senton:*Camel clutch:*Hurricanrana:*Moonsault:*Sambo suplex
*Managers:*Tara Bush
*Nicknames:*"Pune Tang" (WEW)

Championships and accomplishments

*All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling:*AJW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Yuko Kosugi
*American Wrestling Federation:*AWF Women's Championship (2 times)
*JDStar:*JDStar Junior Championship (1 time):*JDStar Queen of the Ring Championship (1 time)
*New England Championship Wrestling:*NECW North American Women's Championship (1 time) [cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/other/2002-06.html | title=Independent Wrestling Results - June 2002 | accessdate=2008-07-06|publisher=onlineworldofwrestling.com]
*Pro Wrestling Illustrated:*PWI ranked her # 20 of the best 50 female singles wrestlers in the PWI Female 50 in 2008. [cite web|url=http://www.pwpix.net/pwpixnews/headlines/223777233.php|accessdate=2008-09-19|date=2008-09-18|publisher=PWPix.net|title=The PWI Female 50 Rankings: Who Is The Top Women's Wrestler In The World?]
*Pro Wrestling Unplugged:*PWU Women's Championship (1 time)
*Pro Wrestling WORLD-1
**Pro Wrestling WORLD-1 Women's Championship (1 time, first) [cite web|url=http://www.titlehistories.com/Pro_Wrestling_World_1.htm | title=Pro Wrestling WORLD-1 Women's Championship| accessdate=2008-07-15|publisher=titlehistories.com]
*Trans-World Wrestling Federation:*TWWF Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Cooga (1), Hiroyo Mutoh (1) and Megumi Yabushita (1)
*Women Extreme Wrestling:*WEW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Annie Social [cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/other/2007-05.html | title=Independent Wrestling Results - May 2007 | accessdate=2008-07-04|publisher=onlineworldofwrestling.com]

Notes

References

* [http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles.asp?n_id=5907 "Bobish, Seguin Win at XFS II"]
* [http://www.bodyslamming.com/other/sumiesakai.html Sumie Sakai at Bodyslamming.com]
* [http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=00000645 Sumie Sakai at Cagematch.net]
* [http://www.glorywrestling.com/gg/SumieSakai/SS.asp Sumie Sakai at GloryWrestling.com]
* [http://www.puroresuya.com/sumie1.html Sumie Sakai at Puroresuya.com]
* [http://www.necwwrestling.com/sakai-interview.htm "Sumie Sakai Debuts in America"]
* [http://www.fmwwrestling.us/Sabu417.html "WE LOVE SABU 4/17/05 Shows"]

External links

* [http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=19412 Sumie Sakai at Sherdog.com]
* [http://www.wextremew.com/talent.asp?id=95 Sumie Sakai at WExtremeW.com]
* [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=36014471 Sumie's Myspace Page]