.jpg) Nakajima in August 2023 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Arisa Nakajima[2] (1989-04-06)April 6, 1989 (age 36)[2] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Arisa Haruyama[1] Arisa Nakajima[2] Arisanta[3] Commander Nakajima[4] Nakajima Santa[5] |
| Billed height | 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)[6][7] |
| Billed weight | 60 kg (132 lb)[6][7] |
| Debut | January 3, 2006[2] |
| Retired | August 23, 2024 |
Arisa Nakajima (中島 安里紗,Nakajima Arisa; born April 6, 1989)[2][7] is aJapanese retiredprofessional wrestler. Trained by the Major Girl's Fighting AtoZpromotion, Nakajima made her debut in January 2006, but when the promotion folded the following May, she transferred over toJWP Joshi Puroresu, where she became a two-timeJWP Junior andPrincess of Pro-Wrestling Champion. Nakajima retired from professional wrestling in June 2009, but made her return to JWP in April 2012. The following December, Nakajima won JWP's top title, theJWP Openweight Championship, for the first time. She eventually went on to become a record four-time JWP Openweight Champion, while also winning theJWP Tag Team andDaily Sports Women's Tag Team Championships twice, before quitting JWP in December 2016. The following month, Nakajima joined theSeadlinnng promotion.
Nakajima began trainingprofessional wrestling with the Major Girl's Fighting AtoZpromotion at the age of 16 in 2005 and made her debut on January 3, 2006, facing fellow rookie Mika Mizunuma inKorakuen Hall.[2][7] During her first months in the business, Nakajima wrestled several other matches against Mizunuma, including a "Best of Three" match series in February and a singles rematch on March 18 in Korakuen Hall, which Nakajima went on to win.[8][9] Nakajima and Mizunuma also wrestled against each other at a Wrestling Marvelous of the Future (WMF) event on March 27, with Nakajima picking up the win.[10] However, Nakajima's run with AtoZ ended abruptly, when the promotion folded following a May 3 event in Korakuen Hall.[11]
While still affiliated with AtoZ, Nakajima made her debut forJWP Joshi Puroresu on April 30, 2006, when she facedKaori Yoneyama in a losing effort.[12] Following the folding of AtoZ, Nakajima began working regularly for JWP, starting on May 21.[13] However, she was still officially without a home promotion, workingfreelancer for various promotions, often teaming with fellow AtoZ alum Sachie Abe as thetag team "Hysteric Babe".[14][15] In JWP, Hysteric Babe teamed only once, on July 16, when they were defeated byRan Yu-Yu andToshie Uematsu in a match to determine the number one contenders to theJWP Tag Team Championship.[16] In August, Nakajima made several appearances for the newIce Ribbon promotion.[17][18][19] During a JWP event on August 6, both Nakajima and Abe announced that they had signed with the promotion, becoming full-fledged members of its roster, with Nakajima becoming the first JWP wrestler born in theHeisei period.[14][15] Afterwards, Abe left Nakajima to reform her oldJDStar tag team "The☆Wanted!?" withKazuki.[15] After a series of losses, Nakajima finally picked up her first JWP win on September 3, when she defeated Yuri Urai.[20] On November 26, Nakajima entered a tournament for thevacantJWP Junior Championship, defeating Hanako Kobayashi in her first round match.[21] The tournament continued on December 12, when Nakajima defeatedHiroyo Matsumoto in her semifinal match.[22] Finally, on Christmas Eve, Nakajima defeatedIce Ribbon representative Aoi Kizuki in the finals to become the new JWP Junior Champion.[23] JWP's year ended with the promotion naming Nakajima the 2006 Newcomer of the Year.[24] Before the end of the year, Nakajima made her first successful defense of her newly won title, when she defeatedMai Ichii at a NEO Japan Ladies Pro Wrestling event on December 31.[25]
On April 8, 2007, Nakajima entered the Discover New Heroine Tag Tournament, teaming withJWP Openweight Champion Azumi Hyuga. In their first round match, Nakajima and Hyuga defeated the NEO Japan Ladies Pro Wrestling duo ofNagisa Nozaki andYuki Miyazaki.[26] On April 15, Nakajima and Hyuga first defeatedAyumi Kurihara andYoshiko Tamura, also representing NEO, in their second round match and then the Passion Red team ofNanae Takahashi andNatsuki☆Taiyo in the semifinals.[27] Later that same event, Nakajima and Hyuga were defeated in the finals of the tournament by the team of Aya Yuki andMisae Genki.[27] The loss led to a match on April 29 in Aya Yuki's home promotion, NEO Japan Ladies Pro Wrestling, where Nakajima successfully defended the JWP Junior Championship against her.[28] During the summer of 2007, Nakajima also took part in JDStar's League Princess tournament. The tournament concluded on June 17, when Nakajima defeated Hiroyo Matsumoto and Yuri Urai in a three-wayDogfight final to not only win the tournament, but to also become the newPrincess of Pro-Wrestling (POP) Champion.[29] As this was one of JDStar's final ever events, the POP Championship was effectively unified with the JWP Junior Championship and the two titles were defended together for the next ten years. On August 5, Nakajima made her third successful defense of the JWP Junior Championship and her first successful defense of the POP Championship by defeating Aoi Kizuki.[30] Nakajima followed that up by also successfully defending the titles againstMisaki Ohata on October 21.[31] During the second half of 2007, Nakajima started an interpromotionalstoryline rivalry withSendai Girls' Pro Wrestling'sTyrannosaurus Okuda.[32][33] One early notable match in the rivalry saw Nakajima and Okuda team up with their respective mentors, Azumi Hyuga andMeiko Satomura, in a tag team match at a Sendai Girls' event on October 5, which was won by the JWP duo.[32] On November 18, Nakajima lost the JWP Junior and POP Championship to Okuda in the main event of a Sendai Girls' event.[32] The year ended with JWP's fifth Junior All Star event, during which Nakajima teamed with Hanako Kobayashi and Hiroyo Matsumoto to defeat Okuda, Aoi Kizuki and Aya Yuki in a main event "Best of Juniors" match.[34] The year ended with Nakajima being named the MVP of JWP's Junior division, while also being given the Fighting Spirit award.[34][35]
On February 11, 2008, Nakajima entered a tournament to determine the number one contender to the JWP Openweight Championship.[36] After winning only one of her fourround-robin stage matches, Nakajima failed to advance to the finals of the tournament.[37] On June 8, Nakajima defeated Tyrannosaurus Okuda at a JWP event to regain the JWP Junior and Princess of Pro-Wrestling Championships.[38] Nakajima made her first title defense on October 12, defeating Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling representativeRyo Mizunami.[39] After a 196-day reign, she lost the titles to Hiroyo Matsumoto on December 21 at an event held by the Ibuki promotion.[40] On February 21, 2009, Nakajima, teaming withToujyuki Leon, received her first shot at the JWP Tag Team andDaily Sports Women's Tag Team Championships, but the two were defeated by the defending champions, Keito andYumiko Hotta.[41] On April 19, Nakajima was defeated by Saki Maemura in a singles match.[42] Following the match, JWP sidelined Nakajima from in-ring action due to "poor health".[43] On May 31, Nakajima officially quit JWP and three days later announced her retirement from professional wrestling, however, keeping the door open for a possible return down the road.[43][44]
After remaining inactive for two and a half years, Nakajima made a surprise return to JWP on December 23, 2011, announcing that she would be making her return the following year.[45] Nakajima wrestled her return match on April 22, 2012, at JWP's 20th anniversary event, where she teamed with her former Hysteric Babe partner Sachie Abe in a losing effort against the team of Hanako Nakamori and Misaki Ohata.[46] Nakajima then formed a tag team withManami Katsu and picked up her first win since her return on May 20, when the two defeated Leon and Rabbit Miu in a tag team match.[47] On June 17, Nakajima and Katsu received a shot at the JWP Tag Team and Daily Sports Women's Tag Team Championships, but were unable to dethrone the defending champions,Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama.[48] On June 24, Nakajima and Katsu made their debuts for the Reina X World promotion, losing to La Malcriada andZeuxis in the main event of the evening.[49] Nakajima and Katsu picked up their first Reina X World win at the following event on July 7, when they defeatedMicro and Puchi Tomato.[50] Through JWP's working relationship with Ice Ribbon, Nakajima returned to the promotion on July 11, wrestling the promotion's top champion,ICE×60 ChampionHikaru Shida, to a ten-minute time limit draw.[51] Afterwards, the two agreed to team up in the upcomingJRibbon Natsu Onna Kettei Tournament, a JWP staple, which was this time co-produced by JWP and Ice Ribbon.[52] The tournament took place over two "JRibbon" events on July 28; an afternoon Ice Ribbon event and an evening JWP event. During the Ice Ribbon event, Nakajima and Shida defeatedHamuko Hoshi andKayoko Haruyama to advance to the JWP event,[53] where they defeatedCommand Bolshoi andHikari Minami in their semifinal match, which went to an overtime after an original fifteen-minute time limit draw.[54] However, in the finals of the tournament later that same event, Nakajima and Shida were defeated by the team of Hanako Nakamori andMaki Narumiya.[54]
In August, Nakajima became one of the key members of the JWP Seikigun ("regular army"), during the promotion's storyline rivalry with Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama, representing the Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling promotion.[55] After being defeated by Sakura in a singles match August 12,[56] Nakajima and fellow Seikigun member Command Bolshoi defeated Sakura and Yoneyama on August 19 to win the JWP Tag Team and Daily Sports Women's Tag Team Championships.[57] Nakajima and Bolshoi made their first successful title defense on September 9, defeating Leon andRay.[58] On October 7, the JWP Seikigun, represented by Nakajima, Bolshoi, Kayoko Haruyama and Manami Katsu, were defeated in an eight-woman captain's fall elimination tag team main event by Emi Sakura's and Kaori Yoneyama's new Heart Move Kei Reform (HMK)stable, which in addition to the two also included Hanako Nakamori and Morii. Nakajima was the only JWP representative not eliminated from the match.[59] On October 28, Nakajima and Bolshoi successfully defended their titles against Nakamori and Morii.[60][61] Following the main event, where HMK member Emi Sakura captured the JWP Openweight Championship from Kayoko Haruyama, Nakajima entered the ring and made a challenge for the title.[62][63] On November 11, Nakajima defeated Morii and Nakamori in a four-woman tournament to become the number one contender to the JWP Openweight Championship.[64][65] En route to the title match, Nakajima was pinned for the win by Kaori Yoneyama in an eight-woman captain's fall elimination tag team main event between JWP and HMK on December 2.[66][67] On December 24, Nakajima capped off her return year by defeating Emi Sakura to win the JWP Openweight Championship for the first time.[68][69] Afterwards, the bloody champion, thirteen years younger than her opponent and the second youngest JWP Openweight Champion in history, announced that she wanted to defend the title against wrestlers from her own generation.[70][71] Three days later, Nakajima was named JWP's MVP of 2012, while her and Bolshoi's tag team title match with Sakura and Yoneyama from August 19 was named the Match of the Year.[72]
On January 6 at JWP's first event of 2013, Nakajima and Bolshoi lost the JWP Tag Team and Daily Sports Women's Tag Team Championships to Kayoko Haruyama andTsubasa Kuragaki, with Haruyama pinning Nakajima for the win.[73] On January 27, the storyline rivalry between HMK and JWP was blown off, when Hanako Nakamori, Kaori Yoneyama and Morii were defeated in a six-woman tag team match by Nakajima, Bolshoi andfreelancer and AtoZ alumKana,[74][75] whom Nakajima had invited to the promotion, much to the dismay of Bolshoi.[76] On February 17, Nakajima made her first successful defense of the JWP Openweight Championship against Kayoko Haruyama, avenging the pinfall loss from the tag team title match.[77][78] In March, Nakajima and Bolshoi took part in the2013 Tag League the Best, defeating Leon and Neko Nitta on March 3,[79] before losing to Hanako Nakamori and Morii on March 31, as a result failing to qualify for the finals.[80] On April 14, Nakajima defeated Yumiko Hotta in aNo Holds Barred match for her second successful defense of the JWP Openweight Championship, avenging a tag team match loss against the World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana representative from a month earlier.[81][82][83] On April 25, Nakajima made her debut forWrestling New Classic (WNC), taking part in a seven-way match for theWNC Women's Championship. The match, which also included Command Bolshoi, Kayoko Haruyama,Nikki Storm andSyuri, ended whenLin Byron pinned defending championMakoto to become the new champion.[84][85] On April 29, Nakajima took part in World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana's second anniversary event, teaming with Command Bolshoi in a tag team match, where they defeatedMegumi Yabushita and Piyota Mask.[86] Later in the semi-main event, Nakajima interfered in a WWWD Tag Team Championship match, helping Keiko Aono and Yumiko Hotta defeatKaoru Ito andTomoko Watanabe for the title,[86] aligning herself with Hotta's Bousou-gun stable and turningheel for the first time in her career.[87] Back in JWP on May 5, Nakajima's friendship with Kana exploded into a storyline rivalry between the two, when Kana submitted Nakajima at the end of a heated tag team match.[88][89] Post-match, Nakajima and Kana came to blows, before being separated by other JWP wrestlers.[89][90] This new rivalry also led to matches between Nakajima and Kana in other promotions, includingOsaka Pro Wrestling andPro Wrestling Wave.[91][92] In the latter promotion, Nakajima entered the2013 Catch the Wave tournament on May 15, defeatingShuu Shibutani in her first round-robin match.[93][94][95] Nakajima finished her round-robin block on June 19 with a record of two wins, three draws and one loss, suffered againstMio Shirai, and advanced to the knockout stage.[96][97] On July 15, Nakajima first defeated Shuu Shibutani in her first round match and then Syuri in her semifinal match to advance to the finals of the 2013 Catch the Wave, where she was defeated by Misaki Ohata.[98][99][100] Back in JWP on July 28, Nakajima defeated Command Bolshoi to not only make her third successful defense of the JWP Openweight Championship, but to also win theCMLL-Reina International Championship.[101][102] On August 18, Nakajima lost the JWP Openweight Championship to Kana in her third title defense, ending her reign at 237 days.[103][104]
Following the loss of her title, Nakajima began portraying a darker, brooding persona and while she talked about a possible rematch with Kana, she went on a losing streak against Kazuki and Leon.[105][106] On September 29, Nakajima returned to WNC, however, her match with Makoto had to be ended early,[107] when she dislocated her right shoulder and had to be rushed to a hospital.[108][109][110][111] Nakajima returned to the ring on October 14, wrestling Bolshoi in a three-minute exhibition match.[112][113] Nakajima wrestled her official return match on October 18 at a World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana event.[114] During a tag team match, where she andKyoko Inoue faced Yumiko Hotta and Mask de Sun, Nakajima turned on Inoue and joined Hotta's Bousou-gun stable, vowing to show her violent side in the future.[115][116] Following the turn, Nakajima began making regular appearances for Diana as a representative of Bousou-gun.[117][118][119] Back in JWP, Nakajima entered a storyline, where Kana began professing her love for her,[112][120] even naming Nakajima the next challenger to her JWP Openweight Championship.[121][122] On December 15, Nakajima defeated Kana to regain the JWP Openweight Championship.[123][124][125][126] That same evening, Nakajima won her second JWP MVP award in a row, while her match with Kana that same day was named the 2013 Match of the Year.[126][127] Prior to the title win, Nakajima had agreed to a double title match withWorld of Stardom ChampionIo Shirai on the condition that she could regain the JWP Openweight Championship.[125] The day after her title win, the match, where both titles would be on the line, was made official forWorld Wonder Ring Stardom's year-end event on December 29.[128][129][130] The match ended in a thirty-minute time limit draw, meaning that both champions retained their titles.[131][132][133] Meanwhile, Nakajima continued her rivalry with Kana, with the two forming a dysfunctional tag team for the2014 Tag League the Best.[134][135] On February 25, Nakajima wrestled her firstdeathmatch, booked by Kana as part of her independent Kana ProMania event, where she andJun Kasai were defeated byAyako Hamada andRyuji Ito.[136] Despite their issues with each other, Nakajima and Kana entered the final day of the round-robin portion of the Tag League the Best on March 2 with a chance to reach the finals. They were, however, eliminated after wrestling Command Bolshoi andKyoko Kimura to a twenty-minute time limit draw.[137] This led to a match on April 20, where Nakajima made her second successful defense of the JWP Openweight Championship against Kimura.[138][139][140] Nakajima continued her reign with successful title defenses against Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling representativeDash Chisako on July 13,[141][142] Leon on September 15,[143][144] and Hanako Nakamori on October 26.[145][146]
After her win over Nakamori, Nakajima nominated Ice Ribbon'sICE×∞ ChampionTsukasa Fujimoto as her next challenger.[145][146] Fujimoto later answered Nakajima with a nomination of her own,[147] leading to JWP and Ice Ribbon announcing a double title match for December 28 atKorakuen Hall. First atRibbon Mania 2014, Ice Ribbon's biggest annual event, Fujimoto would defend the ICE×∞ Championship against Nakajima and six hours later atJWP–Climax 2014, JWP's biggest event of the year, Nakajima would defend the JWP Openweight Championship against Fujimoto.[148][149][150] Meanwhile, the storyline between Nakajima and Kana resurfaced in the Reina Joshi Puroresu promotion, the former Reina X World, where Kana, the promotion's consultant, named Nakajima her partner for a tournament for the vacantReina World Tag Team Championship.[151] On November 20, Nakajima and Kana first defeated Eri andHaruka Kato and then Lin Byron and Syuri to win the tournament and become the new champions.[152] On December 7, Nakajima came together with Hanako Nakamori to unsuccessfully challenge Command Bolshoi and Kyoko Kimura for the JWP Tag Team and Daily Sports Women's Tag Team Championships.[153] On December 28, Nakajima first unsuccessfully challenged Fujimoto for the ICE×∞ Championship atRibbon Mania 2014,[154][155] before defeating her for her sixth successful defense of the JWP Openweight Championship atJWP–Climax 2014.[156][157] The following day, Nakajima was named JWP's MVP for the third year in a row, while her title defense against Leon was named the Match of the Year.[158] On February 25, 2015, at Kana'sKanaProMania: Advance event, Nakajima and Kana lost the Reina World Tag Team Championship to Hikaru Shida and Syuri.[159][160] On April 5, Nakajima's sixteen-month reign as the JWP Openweight Champion came to an end, when she was defeated by Kayoko Haruyama in her seventh title defense.[161][162]
In June 2015, Nakajima formed a tag team named Best Friends with Ice Ribbon wrestler Tsukasa Fujimoto,[163] with the two stating that their goal was to become the top tag team in all ofjoshi puroresu.[164] On October 17, Best Friends defeated another JWP/Ice Ribbon team ofAoi Kizuki and Kayoko Haruyama to win theInternational Ribbon Tag Team Championship.[165][166] On December 27, Best Friends won two more titles, when they defeated the Jumonji Sisters (Dash Chisako andSendai Sachiko) for the Daily Sports Women's Tag Team and JWP Tag Team Championships.[167] Following the win, Nakajima turned on JWP and Command Bolshoi and joined JWP Openweight ChampionMayumi Ozaki's villainous Seikigun stable, based in theOz Academy promotion.[168] This led to a match on January 10, 2016, where Nakajima unsuccessfully challenged Sonoko Kato for theOz Academy Openweight Championship.[169] Nakajima turned on Ozaki and Seikigun on March 20, stating that she would bring the JWP Openweight Championship back to JWP.[170] On April 3, Nakajima defeated Ozaki to win the JWP Openweight Championship for the third time.[171] On June 24, Nakajima made her American debut forShimmer Women Athletes, defeatingNicole Matthews atVolume 81.[172][173] The following day onVolume 82, Nakajima challengedMadison Eagles for theShimmer Championship, losing by disqualification when Eagles was attacked byViper.[174][175] Nakajima ended her Shimmer tour on June 26 by defeating Rhia O'Reilly onVolume 84 and Shazza McKenzie onVolume 85.[176][177] On August 14, Nakajima and Fujimoto lost the Daily Sports Women's Tag Team and JWP Tag Team Championships toHanako Nakamori and Kyoko Kimura in their fourth title defense.[178][179] After four successful title defenses, Best Friends lost the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship to Hiiragi Kurumi andTsukushi on September 19.[180][181] On October 9, Nakajima lost the JWP Openweight Championship to Kyoko Kimura in her third defense.[182] On November 3, Nakajima defeated Kimura to win the JWP Openweight Championship for a record-tying fourth time.[183] Following the win, Nakajima announced her resignation from JWP, effective December 28.[184] On December 28, Nakajima lost the JWP Openweight Championship to Hanako Nakamori in her final match under a JWP contract.[185][186]
On January 26, 2017, Nakajima wrestled her first match as a freelancer forSeadlinnng, losing to the promotion's founder Nanae Takahashi in the main event. After the match, Nakajima stated that she would not give up until she defeated Takahashi and offered to join Seadlinnng, which was accepted by Takahashi.[187][188] On October 3, 2018, Nakajima participated in an eight-womansingle-elimination tournament to crown the inauguralBeyond the Sea Single Champion,[189] as she advanced to the finals where she was defeated by Takahashi on November 1.[190] On December 13, Nakajima, alongside Ayame Sasamura, defeated Borderless (Rina Yamashita andYoshiko) to win theBeyond the Sea Tag Team Championship.[191] Nakajima and Sasamura vacated the title on February 28, 2019, after Sasamura was sidelined with a leg injury.[192]
On March 20, Nakajima and Sae defeated Himeka Arita and Miyuki Takase to win the vacant Beyond the Sea Tag Team Championship.[193] The duo held the championship until April 28, when they lost the title to Himeka Arita and Miyuki Takase.[194] On September 18, Nakajima defeatedTakumi Iroha to win the Beyond the Sea Single Championship.[195] On November 2, Nakajima successfully defended the title in aHair vs. Hair match by defeating the inaugural champion Takahashi, forcing her to shave her head.[196] On July 13, 2020, Nakajima lost the title toYoshiko, ending her reign at 299 days with four successful title defenses.[197] On October 3, Best Friends won the Beyond the Sea Tag Team Championship, when Fujimoto and Nakajima defeated Hiroyo Matsumoto and Yoshiko.[198] On November 27, Best Friends lost the title to the team ofSareee and Yoshiko.[199]
On January 23, 2021, Nakajima alongside Takahashi defeated the team of Sareee and Yoshiko to win the Beyond the Sea Tag Team Championship.[200]
On April 21, 2024, Nakajima announced her retirement set for August 23rd. On August 23, 2024, in her retirement match, Nakajima teamed withTsukasa Fujimoto losing toHiroyo Matsumoto andHanako Nakamori after being pinned by Matsumoto.
In December 2015, Nakajima and Tsukasa Fujimoto released a cover ofRebecca's songFriends, which was also their entrance theme as a tag team.[7][201]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arisa Nakajima (hair andchampionship) | Nanae Takahashi (hair) | Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan | Dynamic Show Case! ~ Kawasaki Monogatari | November 2, 2019 | [196] |
(in Japanese)| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |