::Mitsuya Nagai::

::Bio::
Real Name: Mitsuya Nagai
Weight: 232 lbs (estimate, can't be 216...)
Height: 6'2"
Date Of Birth: 11/10/68
Birthplace: Hokkaido, Japan
Debut: 8/1/1991
Promotion: HUSTLE
Signature Moves:
Hyper Knee Tiger (springboard knee smash, see pic 9)
Stretch Plum (see p14/15)
Makai Driver (Michinoku Driver II)
Arm Arrangement Front Sleeper
Hyper Knee Kuga (diving knee smash)
Capture Suplex
Texas Cloverleaf
Corner Jumping Knee + Double-arm Suplex
Kneel Kick (see pic 7)
Corner Jumping Knee
Release German Suplex
German Suplex Hold
Heel Hook
High Kick
Low Kick (see p17)
Titles Won:
All Asia Tag Team Titles (2) (1, w/ Masahito Kakihara) (1, w/ Masayuki Naruse)
Tournaments Won:
Giant Baba Cup 2002
Notable Facts:

  • Wanted to join Giant Baba's All Japan Pro-Wrestling in 1984, but Baba asked him to finish school first. After graduating high school, he changed his ambition, and joined Akira Maeda's second United Pro-Wrestling Force promotion. But, he got injured before he could debut, and UWF 2 closed in December 1990.
  • Keeping to the shoot-style, he naturally followed Akira Maeda to start up Fighting Network RINGS, a realistic worked shoot promotion.
  • Nagai mainly was a high mid-carder there from the start, always showing tremendous determination, toughness, technqiue, and will in his fights for RINGS.
  • Was taken in by Yuki Ishikawa as a BattlARTS trainee, which is a mostly minor-sized promotion combining aspects of pro-style and shoot-style. He debuted on 11/16/1999 for them, defeating young boy Mach Junji. He was a high ranked heel/tweener there, his biggest feat being vs. ace and founder Yuki Ishikawa, winning that in 13:57.
  • Showed a terrific adaptation from shoot-style to pro-style in a short period of time.
  • Entered his original promotion he aimed to start his combat career in All Japan. Starting up on the Real World Tag League 2000 tour, teaming with ex-UWF (2) & UWFI fighter Masahito Kakihara and called themselves Team Strongs.
  • Got the biggest victory of his career so far, by defeating Yuji Nagata & Shinya Makabe on 6/8/01 for the vacant All Asia Tag Titles.
  • Was brought in and revealed as Makai #5 on 1/4/2003 when he did a Springboard Knee Smash to the man he KO'ed legit on 6/6/2001, Takashi Iizuka.
  • Was a top member of the anti-New Japan heel faction called the Makai Club from January 2003-September 2004.
  • Formed the Harimao'z tag team with Makai #4 (Katsuyori Shibata) on 1/4/2003. The masked tandem lasting from Nagai's New Japan debut date till the Makai Club's official demise on 9/15/2004.
  • Scored a huge upset victory on 12/7/2003, beating top wrestler Osamu Nishimura in 14:23 with the Hyper Knee Kuga in a six-man tag.
  • Picked up a big win for himself, even if it was a flash win, over New Japan top guy Hiroyoshi Tenzan and 2003 Grand Slam holder in 12:51 with a small package cradle on 7/14/2004.
  • Started getting much deserved focus and a solid push starting in July 2004, having a handful of strong performances against top wrestlers in the company.
  • Has regular credible tandems with fellow ex-RINGS fighter Masayuki Naruse and Katsuyori Shibata. The deal with Naruse all starting back on 8/24/2004 post-singles-match where Naruse defeated Nagai, and asked Nagai to form an alliance. From then on it was an on and off thing between the two, Nagai having doubts and not liking some of Naruse's nice ways. Then came July 2004 when Nagai finally accepted Naruse and became a regular team.
  • Won deserved gold for the first time in years with friend Masayuki Naruse in the second challenge that he and Naruse so desperately wanted vs. Tenryu & Fuchi for the All Asian Tag Titles on 11/3/2004. The same title he and friend Masahito Kakihara won on 6/8/2001, but got cut short when Kakihara got injured in August, and never got to defend the title. The alliance of the two ex-RINGS fighters paying off after inconsistent cooperation before July, and a failed first attempt to win the championship mentioned.
  • Following the All Asia Tag Title loss to RO&D's Rico & Buchanan in early Feb. 2005, his team with Naruse broke up on bad terms because of different feelings and paths.
  • Resigned from New Japan in January 2006 to go and work for Nobuhiko Takada in the HUSTLE promotion.
  • Very agressive, tough, intense, and strong fighter; having great ability, and fierce impactful striking, powerful suplexes, and a trio of reliable submissions.
    Greatest Matches:
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Dick Vrij (RINGS 5/16/92)
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Serguei Sousserov (RINGS 12/19/92)
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Volk Han (RINGS 4/24/93)
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Masayuki Naruse (RINGS 12/16/94)
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Yuki Ishikawa (BattlARTS 3/11/00)
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Mohammed Yone (BattlARTS 8/20/00)
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Mohammed Yone (BattlARTS 11/26/00)
    Mitsuya Nagai & Masahito Kakihara vs. Yuji Nagata & Takashi Iizuka (NJPW 2/18/01)
    Mitsuya Nagai & Masahito Kakihara vs. Yuji Nagata & Shinya Makabe (AJPW 6/8/01)
    Mitsuya Nagai & Toshiaki Kawada vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (NJPW 9/16/01)
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Satoshi Kojima (AJPW 3/24/02)
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Satoshi Kojima (AJPW 10/19/02)
    Makai #5 & Makai #4 vs. Takashi Iizuka & Masahito Kakihara (NJPW 1/4/03)
    Makai #5 & Makai #4 vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yutaka Yoshie (NJPW 7/9/03)
    Mitsuya Nagai & Masayuki Naruse vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tiger Mask 4 (NJPW 4/9/04)
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Yuji Nagata (NJPW 7/4/04)
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Masayuki Naruse (NJPW 7/19/04)
    Mitsuya Nagai vs. Toshiaki Kawada (AJPW 7/22/04)
    Mitsuya Nagai & Masayuki Naruse vs. Genichiro Tenryu & Masanobu Fuchi (NJPW 7/26/04)
    Mitsuya Nagai & Masayuki Naruse vs. Genichiro Tenryu & Masanobu Fuchi (NJPW 11/3/04)

    ::Pictures::
    Mitsuya Nagai
    Mitsuya Nagai 2
    Mitsuya Nagai 3
    Mitsuya Nagai 4
    Mitsuya Nagai 5
    Mitsuya Nagai 6
    Mitsuya Nagai 7
    Mitsuya Nagai 8
    Mitsuya Nagai 9
    Mitsuya Nagai 10
    Mitsuya Nagai 11
    Mitsuya Nagai 12
    Mitsuya Nagai 13
    Mitsuya Nagai 14
    Mitsuya Nagai 15
    Mitsuya Nagai 16
    Mitsuya Nagai 17
    Makai #5
    Mitsuya Nagai & Toshiaki Kawada
    Mitsuya Nagai & Toshiaki Kawada 2
    Mitsuya Nagai & Toshiaki Kawada 3
    Mitsuya Nagai & Masayuki Naruse
    Mitsuya Nagai & Masayuki Naruse 2

    (Credit to: SportsNavi images 12-14, 16-17, Makai #5, Nagai/Kawada-Nagai/Naruse 2.)

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