Takuya Sugi

Infobox Wrestler
name= Takuya Sugi (杉卓也)


names= El Blazer
Shanao
Yoshitsune
Mini CIMA
Little Dragon
HUSTLE Kamen Ranger Red
Michinoku Ranger Gold
AHII
The★ZEST (2nd generation)
Catfish Man
Rabbit Boy
Uwai # 32
NOIZ
height=165 cm (5'4")
weight=65 kg (143 lbs.)
birth_date = birth date|1983|10|6|mf=y
death_date =
birth_place = Shizuoka, Japan
resides=
billed= Hustling Nebula (as HUSTLE Kamen Ranger Red)
trainer= Último Dragón
Toryumon Wrestling School
debut= May 11, 2003 in Toryumon Mexico
retired=|

Takuya Sugi (杉卓也) is a Japanese professional wrestler from Shizuoka. He currently wrestles as a freelancer in the Japanese independent circuit; he uses many aliases, most commonly Yoshitsune and El Blazer. He is mainly known for his high-flying abilities.

Career

He has worked for many Japanese federations: immediately after graduating in the 11th Toryumon school class term, he debuted in 2003 in Toryumon Mexico and later in Toryumon X with the gimmick of "Mini CIMA" (ミニCIMA), a little version of the Japanese wrestler CIMA, teaming up with SUWAcito and Small Dandy Fuji, forming the Mini CMAX stable.In 2004 he joined Michinoku Pro Wrestling, originally as "Michinoku Ranger Gold" during the "Michinoku Pro Futuritabi Tag Team Tournament 2004", later changing his name and gimmick to "Shanao" (遮那王), gaining a major success by feuding with Kagetora.In late 2005 Sugi changed his stage name to "Yoshitsune" (義経), like the famous samurai Yoshitsune Minamoto.Yoshitsune gained a title shot for the Tohoku Jr. Heavyweight Title, losing to TAKA Michinoku, and another title match for the Tohoku Tag titles, teaming up with Rasse, losing to Great Sasuke & Dick Togo. Yoshitsune qualified to the Michinoku Pro Mask League Tournament 2007 (also known as "Fukumen League"), where he achieved the most important victory of his career by defeating Jushin Thunder Liger in the quarter finals and was later eliminated in the semifinals by Atlantis. After this strong push, he finally captuted the Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship, on November 9th 2007, by defeating GAINA; on January 14th he captured the Tohoku Tag Team Championship too, teaming with Great Sasuke and defeating Rasse and Kagetora.He also appeared as Yoshitsune in some shows of Big Mouth LOUD and several others Japanese independent promotions, including the LOCK UP NJPW brand.

He worked for Dragondoor as "Little Dragon" (リトル・ドラゴン), a character of the same lineage of Último Dragón, Dragon Kid and Darkness Dragon, who wrestled in a blue outfit, but his character remained in low-carding and never won a single match, until the promotion failed.

He wrestled also in HUSTLE, where he debuted in 2004, as "HUSTLE Kamen Ranger Red", leading the Kamen Rangers in their feud against the Monster Army; Kamen Rangers disappeared from HUSTLE after the show "HUSTLEmania'06" and it is not currently known if their character will be used again in the future.

In 2006 Sugi joined the newborn El Dorado, wrestling as "El Blazer" (エルブレイザー), a legendary bird-like creature in a blue outfit; he was proposed as one of the original characters of the promotion. He originally used an outfit with blue feathers, later abandoned because of the fact they were often lost during the matches.Sugi wrestled as El Blazer also in GPWA, and in the "Indy Summit 2006" as one of the El Dorado representatives.In February 2007, Takuya Sugi officially quit El Dorado as a full time roster member, thus becoming a freelancer, and he continues using the El Blazer gimmick as his main freelancing character.Soon after becoming a freelancer, Sugi continued appearing randomly in several japanese promotions as El Blazer, including IGF, finally joining ZERO-1 Max as a member of the Masato Tanaka stable, called "Sword".

On August 20, 2006, Sugi debuted a new character, called "AHII", in AJPW, the result of a cooperation between Sanrio Company Ltd. and the AJPW; on August 27 he wrestled his first match in AJPW, defeating Voodoo Mask and continued to work sporadically for the company during the next months, until February 2007, when the character was apparently dropped.AHII is a comedy character, whose gimmick resembles "Curry Man", the character interpreted by Christopher Daniels, since AHII is inspired to the Mexican "Habanero" pepper.

Starting from June 3, 2007, Sugi appears in Kensuke Office as "Catfish Man" (なまずマン, pronounced "Namazu Man").

On July 16, 2007, Sugi debuted a new gimmick in ZERO-1 Max during the "Fire Festival" tour: the character, named "The★ZEST", is sponsored by the omonimous japanese pachinko company and has already been used in 2006, but was interpreted by KAMIKAZE.
On July 24th, The★ZEST captured the WWA Junior Lightweight Championship by defeating Osamu Namiguchi.On April 6th, 2008 The★ZEST would lose the title in a match vs "NOIZ"; curiosly NOIZ was Takuya Sugi and, for this match only, The★ZEST was someone else.

Another gimmick he used in 2007 is "UWAI # 32", a robot character only used in UWAI Station.

In February 2008 he appeared AJPW as a one night stand character, called "Rabbit Boy"

Sugi made his North American debut (as El Blazer) for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla on May 17, 2008.

Wrestling Facts

Finishing and signature moves

As Yoshitsune:*"Shura" (Shooting star senton) – Innovated; Used as a finisher for high profile matches only:*Swan dive 450° splash:*"Koromogawa" (Twisting victory roll pin):*"Yoshitsune Tornado" (Slingshot corkscrew split-legged moonsault) As El Blazer:*"Blazing–Rana" / "Cielo Perfecto Uno" (Swan dive dragonrana):*"Lightning Strike" (Reverse 450° splash):*"Blaze Press" (Running standing step-over shooting star press off of the back of an opponent on their hands and knees):*"El Phantom" (Diving inside cradle):*"Blazing Arrow" (Ropewalk springboard dropkick)

As The★ZEST:*"Hot Passion Soul" (Corkscrew 450° splash):*"Style Z Splash" (High mounted corkscrew 450° splash from the partner's shoulders):*Corkscrew Asai moonsault

As Catfish Man:*"Fire Catfish Press" (450° splash)

As NOIZ:*"Miracle Rocket G5" (Moonsault over-rotated into a Senton)

As HUSTLE Kamen Ranger Red:*"Hustling Light Press" (Shooting star press):*"Red Flame of Justice" (Corkscrew 450° splash):*"Hustling–Rana" (High speed pinning hurricanrana)

As AHII:*"Sky High–Rana" (High speed swan dive pinning hurricanrana, also used in a standing version as a powerbomb counter):*Corkscrew Asai moonsault

As Little Dragon:*"Ultra Dragonrana" (Corkscrew dragonrana):*"Dragon Cyclone Press" (Reverse 450° splash)

As Shanao:*"Kuramahachiryuu" (Corkscrew shooting star press) – Used as a finisher for high profile matches only:*"Shanao–Rana" (High speed swan dive pinning hurricanrana, also used in a standing version as a powerbomb counter):*"Sky Twister Press" (Corkscrew moonsault)

As Michinoku Ranger Gold:*"Golden–Rana" (Electric chair twisted into a sunset flip powerbomb):*Split-legged springboard leg drop

As Mini CIMA:*"Triangle Jump Mad Splash" (Double springboard frog splash):*Iconoclasm

As any persona:*Shooting star press:*"Satellite Bodyscissors Takedown" (Déjà vu headscissors takedown):*"Satellite DDT" (Déjà vu implant DDT):*"Cyclone Elbow Strike" (Springboard moonsault into a double back elbow smash, usually performed on two standing opponents):*"741" (Tiger feint kick over the top rope):*"Swan Dive Elbow Drop" (Springboard diving elbow drop):*"Fake Dive" (Sugi runs towards the ropes, faking a suicide dive, then performs a no-handed handspring):*"Gojoh Oohashi" (No-handed cartwheel evasion from the top rope landing on feet to avoid an attacking opponent, often followed by a superkick or a "741"):*Inverted hurricanrana :*Cartwheel into a moonsault plancha

tage names

Nicknames

*"Blue Legend" (as El Blazer)
*"Legend of Eternity" (as El Blazer)
*"HUSTLE Justice" (as Kamen HUSTLE Ranger Red)
*"HUSTLE Emissary from the Stars" (as Kamen Ranger Red)
*"Mardi Gras Ninja" (as Yoshitsune)
*"Legend of Hiraizumi" (as Yoshitsune)

Tag team Partners

*Michinoku Ranger Silver (as Michinoku Ranger Gold, in Michinoku Pro Wrestling)
*Rasse (as Yoshitsune in Michinoku Pro Wrestling)
*Kagetora (as Yoshitsune in Michinoku Pro Wrestling)
*Great Sasuke (as Yoshitsune in Michinoku Pro Wrestling)
*HUSTLE Kamen Ranger Blue, HUSTLE Kamen Ranger Yellow, HUSTLE Kamen Ranger Green & HUSTLE Kamen Ranger Orange (as HUSTLE Kamen Ranger Red, in HUSTLE)
*Small Dandy Fuji & SUWAcito (as Mini CIMA, in Toryumon X)
*Green AHII (as AHII in AJPW)

Championships and accomplishments

*ZERO-1 Max
**WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship (2 Times, Current)
*Michinoku Pro Wrestling
**Tohoku Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 Time, current)
**Tohoku Tag Team Championship (1 Time, current, teaming with Great Sasuke)
**2005 Futaritabi Tag Tournament Winner (teaming with KAGETORA)
*Toryumon X
**2004 Yamaha Cup Tag Tournament winner (teaming with SUWAcito)
* Pro Wrestling Illustrated
**PWI ranked him #355 in the PWI Top 500 in 2007

Entrance Themes

*"I Like COLA" by Jesus Believes Me (as Mini CIMA)
*"Kazabayasi Volcano" (as Yoshitsune)

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/el_blazer Takuya Sugi Myspace Fan Blog (English)]
* [http://ameblo.jp/elblazer/ El Blazer official Blog (Japanese)]
* [http://yoshitune.jugem.jp/ Yoshitsune official blog (Japanese)]
* [http://dgusa.puroresufan.com/doradodata.html El Dorado Roster Page at DGUSA (English)]
* [http://www.puroresucentral.com/yoshitsune.html Yoshitsune profile at Puroresu Central (English)]
* [http://www.michipro.net/ Michinoku Pro Wrestling official website (Japanese)]
* [http://blog.livedoor.jp/dragon_door/archives/cat_50009189.html El Blazer El Dorado Blog (Japanese), no longer active]
* [http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/yumemaboroshi_nob_naga/ El Blazer official YAHOO Blog (Japanese), no longer active]