Nanae Takahashi

Nanae Takahashi
Billed height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Billed weight	76 kg (170 lb)
Born	December 23, 1978 (1978-12-23) (age 32)
Resides	Saitama, Saitama
Trained by	All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW)
Debut	July 14, 1996 vs. Momoe Nakanishi, in Korakuen Hall, Tokyo

Nanae Takahashi (高橋奈苗) is a Japanese professional wrestler from Japan. She has wrestled for prominent Japanese promotions All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling and Pro Wrestling SUN, and has held multiple world championships. Currently she belongs to Stardom as the playing manager.

Career

Nanae Takahashi graduated from All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling's (AJW) training class of 1996, and rose to prominence at a time when AJW was beginning its decline. Early on, she achieved the most fame as part of the tag team Nanamomo with classmate Momoe Nakanishi. Together, Nanamomo won four tag team championships, the AJW Tag Team Championship twice (on November 23, 1997 and August 23, 1998) and the WWWA World Tag Team Championship twice (on July 16, 2000 and July 6, 2002). Concurrently, Takahashi was making a name for herself as a singles competitor, winning the AJW Championship on March 1, 2000, and the junior division competition at that year's Japan Grand Prix. Having established herself as a major competitor, Takahashi won the 2002 Japan Grand Prix, and won her first WWWA World Heavyweight Championship on December 12, 2004. During AJW's final years she won the WWWA World Tag Team Championship three more times (each time with a different partner), and the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship once more. She was the last WWWA champion, handing over the belt to promoter Takashi Matsunaga immediately after winning it on March 26, 2006.

At an independent show held on July 14, 2006 to celebrate her tenth anniversary in professional wrestling, Takahashi announced her intention to start her own promotion. Her stable, the Dream Catchers, held their final show on the following September 3.

On October 1, 2006, Takahashi defeated Africa 55 for the resurrected AWA World Women's Championship at the debut of her new promotion, Pro Wrestling SUN. The promotion is a sister promotion to Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX, and at the time an affiliate of the revived American Wrestling Association. On January 14, 2007, Takahashi lost her world championship to Amazing Kong, but regained it again on May 13 of the same year, in Los Angeles, California. She became recognized as the first AWA Japan Women's Champion on June 19, 2007, after the AWA World Women's title was retired out of respect for four-time former champion Sherri Martel, who had died on June 15.

After SUN closed on March 3, 2008, Takahashi formed a unit called "Passion Red" with Natsuki*Taiyo and Kana. They were active mainly with NEO Japan Ladie's Pro Wrestling.

On October 4, 2008, Takahashi beat Kyoko Inoue to win NWA Pacific Women's/NEO Singles Championship. On October 10, 2009, she won NEO Tag Team Championship with Kana.

From January 25, 2009 to December 29, 2010, Takahashi was also aktive with Ice Ribbon and held International Ribbon Tag Team Championship three times (with Minori Makiba, Kazumi Shimouma and Emi Sakura) and Triangle Ribbon Championship once.

On April 18, 2010, Takahashi beat Kayoko Haruyama to win JWP Openweight Championship. She became the second champion from outside since Manami Toyota in 2006.

On September 7, 2010, Takahashi announced with Fuka and Rossy Ogawa that they founded a new promotion called Stardom. They had their first card on January 23, 2011.

On December 15, 2010, Takahashi won Women's Award of Tokyo Sports Grand Prix.

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • Corner slingshot splash
  • Nana Racker (Sitout suplex slam)

• Signature moves
  • Belly to back suplex
  • Elbow smash
  • Lariat
  • Scoop lift spun out into a stunner
  • Shining wizard
  • Superplex
  • Wheelbarrow lifted and dropped into a spin–out powerbomb

Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling

• AJW Championship (1 time)
• AJW Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Momoe Nakanishi
• WWWA World Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
• WWWA World Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Momoe Nakanishi (2), Tomoko Watanabe (1), Etsuko Mita (1), and Ayako Hamada (1)
• Japan Grand Prix (2000¹, 2002)

• AWA Superstars of Wrestling

• AWA World Women's Championship (3 times)

• Ice Ribbon

• International Ribbon Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Minori Makiba (1), Kazumi Shimouma (1) and Emi Sakura (1)
• Triangle Ribbon Championship (1 time)

• JDStar

• BSJ Queen of the Ring (1 time)

• JWP

• JWP Openweight Championship (1 time)

• NEO Japan Ladies' Pro Wrestling

• NWA Pacific Women's/NEO Singles Championship (1 time)
• NEO Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Kana

• Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX

• AWA Japan Women's Championship (1 time)

• Stardom

• Queen of Stardom Championship (1 time, current)

• Tokyo Sports Grand Prix

• Women's Award (2010)

¹Takahashi won the Junior Division of the tournament, not the Main League, in 2000.

External links/Sources

Professional wrestling portal

• Nanae Takahashi Official Web Site - mostly in Japanese
• A brief profile to 2004
• PWInsider story about 10th anniversary show
• ZERO1 USA English language website
• Stardom official website - in Japanese

Persondata
Name	Takahashi Nanae
Alternative names
Short description	Japanese professional wrestler
Date of birth	December 23, 1978
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death