is a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
. She started her career in 1995, working for the
Gaea Japan
Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. GAEA's name comes from the Greek mythological goddess of the Earth, Gaea or Gaia.
History
GAEA was founded in 1995 by Chigusa Nagayo, a professiona ...
promotion, where she became a one-time
AAAW Single Champion and a record five-time
AAAW Tag Team Champion. She was also notably one of the four founding members of the
Oz Academy
is a Japanese ''joshi puroresu'' or women's professional wrestling promotion founded by Mayumi Ozaki. The promotion's full official name is . In addition to the contracted members of the roster, Oz Academy has also employed some of the top fre ...
stable. Following the folding of Gaea Japan in 2005, Nagashima affiliated herself with Oz Academy, now a full-time promotion, where she has become a three-time
Oz Academy Tag Team Champion
The Oz Academy Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the Oz Academy professional wrestling promotion. The championship was introduced on July 13, 2008, when Carlos Amano and Dynamite Kansai defeated Chik ...
and a one-time
Oz Academy Openweight Champion, holding the record for the longest reign in the title's history. Nagashima remained with Oz Academy until August 2015, after which she became a
freelancer.
Early life
Nagashima grew up a fan of
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
and began practising
judo
is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...
in
junior high school
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school ...
and
amateur wrestling
Amateur wrestling is a variant of wrestling practiced in collegiate, school, or other amateur level competitions. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games: freestyle and Greco-Roman. Both styles are under the ...
in
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
, finishing third at the class of the All Japan Women's Open Championship games.
[
]
Professional wrestling career
Gaea Japan (1995–2005)
Instead of continuing her amateur wrestling career in a university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...
, Nagashima took part in an audition held by professional wrestling promotion, Gaea Japan
Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. GAEA's name comes from the Greek mythological goddess of the Earth, Gaea or Gaia.
History
GAEA was founded in 1995 by Chigusa Nagayo, a professiona ...
, which she passed with flying colors.[ Nagashima eventually made her in-ring debut at Gaea Japan's inaugural event on April 15, 1995, wrestling ]Toshie Uematsu
is a female Japanese retired professional wrestler best known for her popularity in the 1990s and 2000s. She was one of the members of the first class of wrestlers trained by Chigusa Nagayo when Nagayo formed the GAEA Japan promotion. Uematsu fi ...
to a twenty-one-minute draw.[ On April 29, 1996, Nagashima defeated Sonoko Kato in the finals of a tournament contested between Gaea Japan's rookies.] On July 31, Nagashima turned on the Gaea Japan Seikigun ("regular army") and joined forces with Mayumi Ozaki
(born October 28, 1968) is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is currently working for Oz Academy.
Career
Ozaki debuted in a tag team match in August, 1986.
In her career, she held the WWWA tag titles with Dynamite Kansai from April 11, 1 ...
, Carlos Amano
is a Japanese retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name . Amano made her debut for JWP Joshi Puroresu in December 1994 and early on began also making appearances for the Gaea Japan promotion, where she most notably became o ...
and Sugar Sato, forming a stable, which later became known as Oz Academy
is a Japanese ''joshi puroresu'' or women's professional wrestling promotion founded by Mayumi Ozaki. The promotion's full official name is . In addition to the contracted members of the roster, Oz Academy has also employed some of the top fre ...
.[ As a result, Nagashima began working as a villainous character for the first time in her career. Nagashima also made guest appearances for the ]All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
, nicknamed Zenjo (全女: 全 meaning "All", 女 meaning "Woman") was a '' joshi puroresu'' ( women's professional wrestling) promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held their first card on June 4 of tha ...
promotion, where she and Sato won the AJW Tag Team Championship
The AJW Tag Team Championship was the secondary tag team title in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling. The title was introduced in 1986 and was retired in April 2005 when the promotion closed.
Title his ...
, Nagashima's first title in professional wrestling, on September 1, 1996.[ From 1998 to 2001, Nagashima and Sato also won Gaea Japan's tag team championship, the ]AAAW Tag Team Championship
The AAAW Tag Team Championship is a women's professional wrestling championship formerly contested in the Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion Gaea Japan. The title which was originally known as the AAAW Junior Heavyweight Tag Team C ...
, three times. In May 2000, Nagashima and Sato ended their longtime partnership with Mayumi Ozaki by quitting her Himiko stable, the most recent incarnation of Oz Academy, and returning to Gaea Japan Seikigun.[ On June 2, 2002, Nagashima first won a tournament during an afternoon show to become the number one contender to Gaea Japan's top title, the AAAW Single Championship,] and later that same day, during an evening show, defeated Meiko Satomura
Meiko Satomura (里村 明衣子, Satomura Meiko, born November 11, 1979) is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is currently signed to the American promotion WWE performing on the NXT brand and the Japanese promotion Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestl ...
to become the new champion, while also becoming the lightest champion in the title's history.[ She lost the title to ]Manami Toyota
is a retired professional wrestler, best known for her work with the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) promotion. She is considered to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
Following AJW's closure, she continued to work ...
on October 20.[ During the next two years, Nagashima went on to win the AAAW Tag Team Championship two more times, once with Meiko Satomura and once with old partner Sugar Sato.][ Nagashima's five tag team title reigns are a Gaea Japan record.][ On April 10, 2005, Gaea Japan held its final event before going out of business, during which Nagashima and Sato defeated ]Ran Yu-Yu
Ran, RaN and ran may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Ran'' (film), a 1985 film directed by Akira Kurosawa
* "Ran" (song), a 2013 Japanese song by Luna Sea
* ''Ran Online'', a 2004 MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game)
*' ...
and Toshie Uematsu, the final AAAW Tag Team Champions, in a non-title match.
Oz Academy (2005–2015)
Following the folding of Gaea Japan, Nagashima affiliated herself with Mayumi Ozaki's Oz Academy promotion, which she now had turned into a full promotion.[ During 2005, Nagashima also made several appearances for the ]Hustle
Hustle or The Hustle may refer to:
Film
* ''Hustle'' (1975 film), an American crime film starring Burt Reynolds
* ''Hustle'' (2004 film), an American television film about Pete Rose
* ''Hustle'' (2008 film), a film starring Bai Ling
* ''The H ...
promotion, working under a mask
A mask is an object normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance, or entertainment and often they have been employed for rituals and rights. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and pra ...
as "Blanca X". In early 2006, Nagashima, along with several other Oz Academy workers, made her first trip to Mexico
Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...
, taking part in events held by AAA
AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to:
Airports
* Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA)
* Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA)
Arts, entertainment, and ...
. Back in Oz Academy, as representatives of the Oz Seikigun, Nagashima and fellow Gaea Japan alum Sonoko Kato became three-time Oz Academy Tag Team Champions. In early 2008, Nagashima returned to Mexico's AAA, taking part in the Reina de Reinas Universal Tournament, from which she was eliminated by Mari Apache. On September 23, 2011, Nagashima turned on the Oz Seikigun (正規軍) and joined the villainous Seikigun (正危軍), another incarnation of the original Oz Academy stable, after the stable's leader Mayumi Ozaki had announced that she was only going to be defending the Oz Academy Openweight Championship
The Oz Academy Openweight Championship is a women's professional wrestling championship owned by the Oz Academy promotion. The reigning champion is referred to as the " Wizard of Oz". The championship, which is situated at the top of Oz Academy's ...
against her stablemates. On February 26, 2012, Nagashima defeated Seikigun stablemates Hiroyo Matsumoto
(born November 6, 1985) is Japanese professional wrestler, currently working as a freelancer. Emi Sakura gave her the nickname of because Matsumoto broke a wall in the Ichigaya arena during her Ice Ribbon debut. She is best known with other w ...
, Ran Yu-Yu and Yumi Ohka
, better known by her ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. Originally trained by the now defunct JDStar promotion, Ohka now works for Oz Academy and Pro Wrestling Wave. She is a former two-time Wave Single Champion, while also be ...
to become the number one contender to the Oz Academy Openweight Championship. On March 25, Nagashima defeated Ozaki in a Dress Up Wild Fight 30 minute Time of the Trial match to become the new Oz Academy Openweight Championship. Initially a reluctant member of Seikigun, Nagashima embraced her "dark side" only after cheating to successfully defend the Oz Academy Openweight Championship against Hiroyo Matsumoto on August 19. Nagashima made her second successful title defense on January 13, 2013, against Seikigun's newest member, Mio Shirai
is a Japanese former professional wrestler and current professional wrestling referee. She started her career in March 2007, working alongside her sister Io Shirai on the Japanese independent circuit for promotions such as Ice Ribbon, JWP J ...
. On April 24, Nagashima lost the Oz Academy Openweight Championship to Akino in her third defense, ending her reign at 395 days, the longest in the title's history. Afterwards, Nagashima came to odds with her Seikigun stablemates, which led to a Hair vs. Hair match on September 15, where Maymi Ozaki, waging both her own and the stable's manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities ...
Mika Nishio's hairs, defeated Nagashima, forcing her to have her head shaved. Nagashima finally turned on Ozaki and the Seikigun on January 12, 2014. On February 9, Nagashima suffered a cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments (also cruciform ligaments) are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee joint and the atlanto-axial joint. In a fashion similar to the cords in a toy Jacob's ...
rupture in her left knee, forcing her to undergo surgery on February 18.
After a full year of being sidelined, Nagashima returned to the ring on March 1, 2015, in a match, where she was defeated by Hikaru Shida
is a Japanese professional wrestler, martial artist, actress, and model, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she is a former and the longest-reigning AEW Women's World Champion. On February 25, 2021, she became the longest reig ...
. On July 19, Nagashima announced she was leaving Oz Academy and becoming a freelancer following August 23. In her final match under an Oz Academy contract, Nagashima defeated Ayako Hamada
is a Mexican professional wrestler. During her 20-year career, Hamada wrestled for various promotions, including All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, Gaea Japan and Pro Wrestling Wave in Japan, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) and Lucha Libr ...
.
Freelancing (2015–present)
Nagashima's first major match since becoming a freelancer took place on September 23, 2015, when she unsuccessfully challenged Ayako Hamada for Pro Wrestling Wave
, is a women's professional wrestling, or Joshi Puroresu, promotion created in 2007 after the dissolution and closure of JDStar. The company was formed by Mikiko Futagami, or Gami, former JDStar wrestler Yumi Ohka, and former JDStar booker T ...
's Single Championship. On September 19, 2016, Nagashima and Megumi Yabushita, representing the Crysis stable, defeated Keiko Aono and Kyoko Inoue
is a Japanese female professional wrestler. She has held the WWWA World Single Championship three times, and is the first woman to win a men's title in Japan.
Inoue performed in the World Wrestling Federation at Survivor Series 1995 in an ...
to win World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana's vacant
Within the context of building construction and building codes, "occupancy" refers to the use, or intended use, of a building, or portion of a building, for the shelter or support of persons, animals or property. A closely related meaning is th ...
World Tag Team Championship.
Championships and accomplishments
*All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
, nicknamed Zenjo (全女: 全 meaning "All", 女 meaning "Woman") was a '' joshi puroresu'' ( women's professional wrestling) promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held their first card on June 4 of tha ...
**AJW Tag Team Championship
The AJW Tag Team Championship was the secondary tag team title in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling. The title was introduced in 1986 and was retired in April 2005 when the promotion closed.
Title his ...
( 1 time) – with Sugar Sato[
*]Gaea Japan
Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. GAEA's name comes from the Greek mythological goddess of the Earth, Gaea or Gaia.
History
GAEA was founded in 1995 by Chigusa Nagayo, a professiona ...
** AAAW Single Championship ( 1 time)[
** AAAW Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship / AAAW Tag Team Championship ( 6 times) – with Sugar Sato (4), ]Meiko Satomura
Meiko Satomura (里村 明衣子, Satomura Meiko, born November 11, 1979) is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is currently signed to the American promotion WWE performing on the NXT brand and the Japanese promotion Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestl ...
(1) and Takumi Iroha
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Marvelous That's Women Pro Wrestling. She also competes in Seadlinnng, where she is a former Beyond the Sea Champion.
Iroha was trained by Fuka Kakimoto and made her debut in April 2013 f ...
(1, current)[
**AAAW Single Championship Next Challenger Tournament (2002)][
**Rookie League (1996)][
**Tag Team Tournament (1996) – with Sugar Sato
*]Oz Academy
is a Japanese ''joshi puroresu'' or women's professional wrestling promotion founded by Mayumi Ozaki. The promotion's full official name is . In addition to the contracted members of the roster, Oz Academy has also employed some of the top fre ...
**Oz Academy Openweight Championship
The Oz Academy Openweight Championship is a women's professional wrestling championship owned by the Oz Academy promotion. The reigning champion is referred to as the " Wizard of Oz". The championship, which is situated at the top of Oz Academy's ...
( 1 time)[
**]Oz Academy Tag Team Championship
The Oz Academy Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team championship owned by the Oz Academy professional wrestling promotion. The championship was introduced on July 13, 2008, when Carlos Amano and Dynamite Kansai defeate ...
( 3 times) – with Sonoko Kato[
**Iron Woman Tag Tournament (2004) – with ]Amazing Kong
Kia Stevens (born September 4, 1977) is an American actress and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA)/Impact Wrestling under the ring name Awesome Kong. She also worked with Ring ...
**Best Bout Award (2013) vs. Mayumi Ozaki
(born October 28, 1968) is a Japanese professional wrestler. She is currently working for Oz Academy.
Career
Ozaki debuted in a tag team match in August, 1986.
In her career, she held the WWWA tag titles with Dynamite Kansai from April 11, 1 ...
on September 15
**Best Tag Team Match Award (2011) with Sonoko Kato vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto
(born November 6, 1985) is Japanese professional wrestler, currently working as a freelancer. Emi Sakura gave her the nickname of because Matsumoto broke a wall in the Ichigaya arena during her Ice Ribbon debut. She is best known with other w ...
and Tomoka Nakagawa
is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. After being trained by Taka Michinoku, she started her career in his Kaientai Dojo promotion in September 2004. After leaving Kaientai Dojo in 2007, Nakagawa briefly joined Ibuki, where she underw ...
on January 9
*Pro Wrestling Wave
, is a women's professional wrestling, or Joshi Puroresu, promotion created in 2007 after the dissolution and closure of JDStar. The company was formed by Mikiko Futagami, or Gami, former JDStar wrestler Yumi Ohka, and former JDStar booker T ...
** Catch the Wave Best Performance Award (2015) As part of the Wonderful World Fairy Family
*World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana
**WWWD World Tag Team Championship (1 time, current) – with Megumi Yabushita[
1During Nagashima's first reign with Sugar Sato, the title's name was changed from AAAW Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship to AAAW Tag Team Championship.]
Luchas de Apuestas record
Footnotes
References
External links
Oz Academy profile
Hustle profile
Official blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nagashima, Chikayo
1976 births
20th-century professional wrestlers
21st-century professional wrestlers
Japanese female professional wrestlers
Living people
People from Matsudo
Sportspeople from Chiba Prefecture
Oz Academy Openweight Champions
Oz Academy Tag Team Champions
AAAW Single Champions
AAAW Tag Team Champions