Katsuhiko Nakajima

Infobox Wrestler
name= Katsuhiko Nakajima
names= Katsuhiko Nakajima


img_capt=
height=
weight=
real_height= height|m=1.75
real_weight= convert|82|kg|lb|abbr=on
birth_date= birth date and age|mf=yes|1988|3|11
birth_place= Fukuoka, Fukuoka
death_date=
death_place=
resides=
billed=
trainer=
debut= January 5, 2004
vs. Tomohiro Ishii
retired=

nihongo|Katsuhiko Nakajima|中嶋 勝彦|Nakajima Katsuhiko|born March 11, 1988 is a Japanese professional wrestler, represented as a freelancer by his mentor Kensuke Sasaki's Kensuke Office dojo and agency. He along with Sasaki and other Kensuke Office graduates currently most frequently wrestle in Pro Wrestling NOAH (or simply NOAH), as well as sporadic self-produced independent shows. Prior to that Nakajima participated in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he is a former AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion.

Having made his professional debut aged 15, Nakajima has already made a significant impact on puroresu, earning the nickname "Supernova" and facing Hall of Famerscite web |url=http://www.pwi-online.com/pages/hallofame.html |title=Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame listing |accessdate=2007-04-09 |publisher=Pro Wrestling Illustrated] such as Kenta Kobashi, Satoru Sayama, Jushin Liger, and Tatsumi Fujinami. He has competed in several notable Japanese promotions, including New Japan Pro Wrestling, AJPW, Pro Wrestling ZERO1, Michinoku Pro, Dragon Gate, and currently, NOAH.

He has set several age records over his short career, including being the youngest wrestler to compete in AJPW's Champion's Carnival tournament and the youngest to hold the AJPW Junior Heavyweight Championship. He won the Tokyo Sports Grand Prix "Rookie of the Year" award in 2004 and the Fighting Spirit award in 2005.

Career

2002-2004

An accomplished jūdōka, Nakajima was hired by Riki Chōshū's World Japan promotion in December 2002 at the age of 14. He debuted for World Japan (WJ) in September 2003, facing American fighter Jason Leigh in a steel cage vale tudo match, winning via knockout in one minute and thirty-five seconds.cite web |url=http://puroresufan.com/roster/nakajima.php |title=Profile on PuroresuFan.com |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Strong Style Spirit |quote=His pro debut came in September, 2003, but not in a pro wrestling match; instead, in a steel cage and under vale tudo rules against Jason Rey, (sic) an American fighter, who 15-year-old Nakajima KO'd in 95 seconds! ] His true professional wrestling debut came on the main event of World Japan's "RESOLUTION" card on January 5, 2004, losing via submission to Tomohiro Ishii.cite web |url=http://puroresufan.com/other/wj.php |title=World Japan results, 2004 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Strong Style Spirit |quote=Tomohiro Ishii beat Katsuhiko Nakajima (debut) (12:11) with a single-leg crab hold"; "Original Tiger Mask beat Katsuhiko Nakajima (11:44) with a Japanese leg roll clutch hold.]

Nakajima continued to wrestle for WJ for a short time, even wrestling the original Tiger Mask Satoru Sayama before signing with Kensuke Office in April.cite web |url=http://sports.livedoor.com/battle/kensuke/profile1.html |title=Kensuke Office profile |accessdate=2007-03-14 |language=Japanese] This led to his debut with New Japan Pro Wrestling, facing legendary junior heavyweight Jushin Liger in the Tokyo Dome on May 3, 2004.cite web |url=http://puroresufan.com/njpw/results04.php |title=NJPW results, 2004 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Strong Style Spirit |quote=Jushin Thunder Liger beat Katsuhiko Nakajima (7:27) with a crab hold"; "Young Lion Toukon Tournament - Final: Ryusuke Taguchi beat Katsuhiko Nakajima (9:41) with a crab hold.] He made his debut with All Japan Pro Wrestling the next day, successfully teaming with Toshiaki Kawada in a six-man tag team match.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results/zepp04.php |title= AJPW BAPE STA!! 2004 results |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote=Toshiaki Kawada, Ryuji Hijikata & Katsuhiko Nakajima beat TAKA Michinoku, Takehiro Murahama & Miracle Man (14:10) when Kawada used a single-leg crab hold on Miracle.] He continued to wrestle for both promotions extensively throughout 2004, even competing in Block B of NJPW's Best of the Super Juniors tournament, finishing with two points by defeating Curry Mancite web |url=http://puroresufan.com/njpw/history/bosj04.php |title=Best of the Super Juniors results, 2004 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Strong Style Spirit |quote=Katsuhiko Nakajima [2] beat Curry Man [1] (8:20) by referee stop.] and reaching the finals of the Young Lion "Toukon" ("fighting spirit") tournament, losing to Ryusuke Taguchi.

On June 12, 2004 in AJPW, Nakajima received the first championship match of his career, teaming with Kensuke Sasaki to unsuccessfully challenge Masanobu Fuchi & Genichiro Tenryu for the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results/crossover04.php |title=AJPW Crossover results, 2004 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote=All Asia Tag Team Title: Genichiro Tenryu & Masanobu Fuchi (c) beat Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima (14:04) when Fuchi used an inside cradle on Nakajima (1st defense).] On September 17, 2004, Nakajima made his debut in Dragon Gate on their pay-per-view "Gate of Sanctuary", losing to Masaaki Mochizuki.cite web |url= http://www.purolove.com/dragongate/results/results04.php |title=Dragon Gate results, 2004 |accessdate=2007-09-23 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] The following month, Nakajima entered the Osaka Pro Tenno-zan single-elimination tournament, losing to eventual winner Big Boss MA-G-MA in the first round.cite web |url=http://www.purolove.com/misc/osaka/results/results04.php |title=Osaka Pro results, 2004 |accessdate=2008-06-13 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] Nakajima and Sasaki teamed up in the World's Strongest Tag Team League in November and December 2004, finishing with four points in Block B.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/history/rwtl04.php |title=World's Strongest Tag Team League results, 2004 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road]

2005

Nakajima received his first opportunity at a singles championship on April 20, 2005, losing to AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion TAKA Michinoku.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results/carnival05.php |title= Champion's Carnival results, 2005 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote= AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Title: TAKA Michinoku (c) beat Katsuhiko Nakajima (17:04) with the Michinoku Driver II (5th defense). ] His appearances in NJPW became much more sporadic around this time, with his final match to date taking place on April 24, 2005, a loss to 6-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Tatsumi Fujinami.cite web |url=http://puroresufan.com/njpw/results/njcup05.php |title=New Japan Cup results, 2005 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Strong Style Spirit |quote=Tatsumi Fujinami beat Katsuhiko Nakajima (3:59) with a Dragon sleeper.]

On May 7, 2005, Katsuhiko participated in the 2005 Differ Cup, a biennial cross-promotional junior heavyweight tag team tournament, teaming with Osaka Pro's Takehiro Murahama; the two lost to Super Shisa and Tiger Emperor in the first round.cite web |url=http://zerooneusa.com/differ05.shtml |title=Differ Cup results, 2005 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=ZEROONEUSA.com] He also teamed with Tomoaki Honma in a tournament throughout June 2005 to decide the vacant All Asia Tag Team Championship, making it to the finals before losing to Shuji Kondo & "brother" YASSHI.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results/crossover05.php |title=AJPW Crossover results, 2005 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote=Shuji Kondo & "brother YASSHI" (sic) beat Tomoaki Honma & Katsuhiko Nakajima (16:30) when YASSHI pinned Nakajima after Kondo used a King Kong lariat to become the 79th champions.] Just over one month later on July 26, 2005, Nakajima and Kensuke Sasaki defeated Kondo and YASSHI for the titles in their second defense, giving Nakajima his first championship.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results/summer05.php |title=AJPW Summer Action Series results, 2005 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote=Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima beat Shuji Kondo & "brother" YASSHI (c) (12:23) when Nakajima used a German suplex hold on YASSHI to become the 80th champions.] They would continue to defend the titles through 2005, against such teams as Arashi & Ryuji Hijikatacite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results/impact05.php |title=AJPW Summer Impact results, 2005 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote=All Asia Tag Team Title: Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima (c) beat Arashi & Ryuji Hijikata (20:30) when Sasaki used a lariat on Hijikata (1st defense).] and Buchanan & D'Lo Brown.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results/flashing05.php |title=AJPW Flashing Tour results, 2005 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote=All Asia Tag Team Title: Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima (c) beat Buchanan & D-Lo Brown (21:24) when Sasaki used a Northern Light bomb on Buchanan (2nd defense).]

On July 18, 2005, Nakajima made his debut in Pro Wrestling NOAH, wrestling in a six-man tag team match in the Tokyo Dome. He would continue by teaming with Kensuke Sasaki against Kenta Kobashi and his own protege Go Shiozaki in an inter-generation tag team match on November 5, 2005, with Sasaki pinning Shiozaki after a lariat.cite web |url=http://noah.puroresufan.com/results05.php |title=NOAH results, 2005 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Green Destiny |quote=Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima beat Kenta Kobashi & Go Shiosaki (24:58) when Sasaki used a lariat on Shiosaki.] This match was rated 4 3/4 out of 5 stars by wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, one of only eight NOAH matches to receive that or a higher rating.cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/mfoy18/noahstarlist.html |title=Observer Star Ratings List |accessdate=2007-03-14 |quote= 11/5/05 Kenta Kobashi/Go Shiozaki vs. Kensuke Sasaki/Katsuhiko Nakajima ****3/4]

Nakajima made his debut for Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX on July 9, 2005, winning a six-man junior tag team match.cite web |url=http://zerooneusa.com/decideit.shtml |title= ZERO1-MAX Decide it Again results |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=ZEROONEUSA.com] He went on to defeat Osamu Namiguchi on August 31 for his first singles title, the WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship, though whether this can be considered part of the title's official lineage is disputed.cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/mexico/wwa/mx-wwa-jlh.html |title=WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship History |accessdate=2007-04-09 |publisher=Wrestling-Titles.com] He held it until June 24, 2006, losing the title to premier ZERO1-MAX junior Tatsuhito Takaiwa.cite web |url=http://zerooneusa.com/results.shtml |title=ZERO1-MAX Rights results |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=ZEROONEUSA.com] This is to date Nakajima's last appearance with the promotion.

2006

On February 11, 2006 at a Kensuke Office show celebrating Kensuke Sasaki's 20th career anniversary, Nakajima teamed with Genichiro Tenryu against the "dream team" of Kenta Kobashi and Kensuke Sasaki, falling to a Sasaki lariat.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results06.php |title=AJPW results, 2006 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote= Kensuke Sasaki 20th Anniversary: Kensuke Sasaki & Kenta Kobashi beat Genichiro Tenryu & Katsuhiko Nakajima (26:36) when Sasaki used a lariat on Nakajima.] On March 21, 2006, Nakajima won a three-way elimination match in AJPW, defeating both Tomoaki Honma and NOSAWA Rongai to earn a spot in Block B of the prestigious 2006 Champion's Carnival,cite web |url= http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/script/show_archives.php?archive=1143108596&subaction=list-archive& |title=AJPW news, February 21 to March 22, 2006 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road ] becoming the youngest man to participate in the tournament.cite web |url= http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/script/show_archives.php?archive=1145354267&subaction=list-archive& |title=AJPW news, March 23 to April 17, 2006 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote= Katsuhiko Nakajima became the youngest person to wrestle in the Champion Carnival at the age of 18.] Nakajima finished in last place in the block with two points by defeating D'Lo Brown. On April 19, 2006, Nakajima entered Big Mouth Loud (BML), losing to company ace Katsuyori Shibata.cite web |url=http://www.purolove.com/misc/bigmouth/results.php |title=BML results |accessdate=2008-06-13 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] The following month, Nakajima and Kensuke Sasaki battled in Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW), defeating Big Japan's Daisuke Sekimoto and Dramatic Dream Team's (DDT) Daichi Kakimoto in a tag team match when Nakajima pinned Kakimoto.cite web |url= http://www.purolove.com/misc/bjw/results/results06.php |title=BJW results, 2006 |accessdate= 2008-06-13 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ]

Nakajima then participated in the 2006 Junior League tournament from June 25, 2006 to July 3, 2006, to decide a challenger for the Junior Heavyweight Championship; Katsuhiko won his block with five points, before losing in the final to Kaz Hayashi.cite web |url= http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/history/06junior.php |title=AJPW Junior League results |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote=Final: Kaz Hayashi beat Katsuhiko Nakajima (20:58) with the Final Cut] On July 2, 2006, Nakajima's partner Kensuke Sasaki suffered a left eye fracture in a match against Katsuyori Shibata in BML, taking him out of action for the foreseeable future and forcing the team to vacate the All Asia Tag Team Championship on October 29, 2006 after holding the titles since July 2005.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/script/show_archives.php?archive=1165253385&subaction=list-archive& |title=AJPW news, October 14 to November 25, 2006 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote=During Kensuke's talk show, it seems that he and Nakajima returned the All-Asia Tag Titles after one year and 3 months of holding them since Kensuke will not make his return in December.]

On October 15, 2006, Katsuhiko Nakajima and Kaz Hayashi were announced as one of seven teams in the 2006 World's Strongest Tag Team League, to take place in December 2006. They had a strong showing in the tournament, defeating such teams as NOSAWA Rongai & Triple Crown Champion Minoru Suzuki and RO'Z & Suwama and drawing with Taiyō Kea & TAKA Michinoku, finishing with 5 points overall.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/script/show_archives.php?archive=1171295296&subaction=list-archive& |title=AJPW news, December 4, 2006 to February 9, 2007 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road] On November 14, 2006, Nakajima wrestled in the main event of the debut show of the Global Professional Wrestling Alliance, a cooperation of several different promotions, teaming with NOAH's Go Shiozaki and El Dorado's Takuya Sugawara to defeat ZERO1-MAX's Ryouji Sai, Dramatic Dream Team's HARASHIMA and Kaientai Dojo's KAZMA.cite web |url=http://www.purolove.com/noah/gpwa.php |title=GPWA results |accessdate= 2007-09-23 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ]

2007

Kensuke Sasaki made his return from injury on January 2, 2007, teaming with Nakajima to defeat TARU & "brother" YASSHI. The following day Nakajima faced YASSHI in a match to determine Shuji Kondo's next challenger for the Junior Heavyweight Championship, winning via disqualification when Kondo himself interfered. He made his challenge on February 17, 2007, defeating Kondo to end his 16-month reign, and becoming the youngest junior heavyweight champion in history.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/script/show_archives.php?archive=1173712166&subaction=list-archive& |title=AJPW news, February 12 to March 9, 2007 |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Shining Road |quote=AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Title: Katsuhiko Nakajima beat Shuji Kondo (c) (24:25) with a German Suplex hold (Nakajima becomes the 24th champion).] Nakajima made his first defense of the title on April 30, 2007, defeating Kondo's Voodoo Murders partner "brother" YASSHI,cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results/holdout07.php |title=Hold Out Tour 2007|accessdate=2008-01-16 |publisher=Shining Road] as well as Ryuji Hijikata on May 27, 2007.cite web |url= http://www.purolove.com/ajpw/results/07riseup.php |title=AJPW Rise Up 2007 tour results |accessdate=2007-07-01 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German |quote=6. AJPW World Jr. Heavyweight Title: Katsuhiko Nakajima (c) besiegt Ryuji Hijikata (19:21) mit einem German Suplex Hold (2nd defense).]

Nakajima once again participated in the Junior League in June 2007, finishing in third place for his block with four points, behind Hijikata and Kondo.cite web |url= http://www.purolove.com/ajpw/results/07crossover.php |title=AJPW Crossover 2007 tour results |accessdate=2007-07-01 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German] The league was won by American wrestler Chris Sabin,cite web |url= http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/alljapan/junior.html#jr2007 |title=Junior Champion Carnival 2007 |accessdate=2008-01-16 |publisher=Pro Wrestling History] setting up a title match between Sabin and Nakajima on August 26, 2007, in which Nakajima was victorious.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results/impact07.php|title=Summer Impact 2007|accessdate=2008-01-16 |publisher=Shining Road ] On September 1, 2007, Nakajima challenged Pro Wrestling NOAH's Takeshi Morishima for his ROH World Championship in the main event of a Kensuke Office show, putting up a good fight but losing in the end.cite web |url= http://sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp/fight/other/live/2007/2007090101/index.html |title=Kensuke Office Take the Dream Vol. 2 ~ A New Dream report |accessdate=2007-09-01 |publisher=SportsNavi |language=Japanese ] On September 19, 2007, Nakajima was pinned in a tag team match by visiting luchador Silver King,cite web |url= http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results/flashing07.php |title=AJPW Flashing Tour results |accessdate= 2007-11-21 |publisher=Shining Road ] who then challenged Nakajima to a future junior heavyweight title match. The match was made official for October 18, 2007 at All Japan's 35th anniversary show; on October 8, 2007, Nakajima suffered a fractured navicular bone in his right hand, forcing him off of several shows on the tour,cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/script/show_archives.php?archive=1196198140&subaction=list-archive& |title=AJPW news, October 8 2007 to November 22 2007|accessdate=2008-06-13|work=Shining Road] though he defended the title as scheduled. When the match came, Nakajima and Silver King fought to a no contest, forcing PWF commissioner Hiroshi Hase to hold up the title belt, although Nakajima remained the official champion.cite web |url= http://titlehistories.com/AJPW_Junior_Heavyweight_Title.htm |title=AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship title history |accessdate=2008-06-13 |publisher=TitleHistories.com ] Katsuhiko then took time off to nurse his injured hand.

2008

Nakajima returned from injury on February 11, 2008 at Kensuke Office's first anniversary show, defeating fellow Kensuke Sasaki protege Ryuji Yamaguchi; he would follow this up with victories over two more Kensuke trainees in Kento Miyahara and Takashi Okita on February 16, 2008 and March 9, 2008 respectively, held in the Kensuke Office exercise hall.cite web |url=http://www.purolove.com/misc/kensuke/results.php |title=Kensuke Office results |accessdate=2008-03-31 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] On March 1, 2008, in a rematch from their October encounter, Nakajima lost to Silver King in a match to decide the vacant junior heavyweight title.cite web |url= http://www.purolove.com/ajpw/results/08exciteseries.php |title=AJPW Excite Series tour results |accessdate=2008-03-23 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] Later that month, Nakajima teamed with Ryuji Hijikata to participate in the six-team junior tag league, winning the tournament with six points by defeating the teams of Silver King and Shuji Kondo, MAZADA and NOSAWA Rongai, and T28 and KUSHIDA, as well as Kaz Hayashi and El Samurai in the final, who had defeated them in the group stage.cite web |url= http://www.purolove.com/ajpw/results/08holdout.php |title=AJPW Hold Out 2008 tour results |accessdate=2008-03-31 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] On March 28, 2008, Nakajima faced and defeated Osaka Pro and Dragon Gate wrestler Magnitude Kishiwada on Kensuke Office's first event in the Fukuoka region.

In March and April 2008, Nakajima and Sasaki participated in Pro Wrestling NOAH's Global Tag League, a 9-team round-robin tag team tournament. The two finished tied in 5th place with 8 points, defeating the teams of Jun Akiyama and Takeshi Rikio, D'Lo Brown and Buchanan, and Go Shiozaki and Akira Taue, and drawing with Takeshi Morishima and Mohammed Yone, and GHC Tag Team Champions Naomichi Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura.cite web |url=http://www.purolove.com/noah/results/08globaltag.php |title=NOAH Global Tag League tour results |accessdate=2008-06-13 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] On May 25, 2008 in AJPW, Nakajima and Sasaki lost to Taiyō Kea and Minoru Suzuki in a match to determine the #1 contenders to the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship.cite web |url=http://www.purolove.com/ajpw/results/08riseup.php |title=AJPW Rise Up 2008 tour results |accessdate=2008-06-13 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] On June 13, 2008 at Kensuke Office's "Take the Dream Vol. 5", Nakajima faced NOAH's KENTA, losing the contest after 27 minutes. The following night in NOAH, Sasaki and Nakajima faced Kenta Kobashi and KENTA, wrestling to a 30-minute time limit draw.cite web |url= http://www.purolove.com/noah/results/results08.php |title=NOAH results, 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-08 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] On June 29, 2008, Nakajima wrestled what would be his last match in AJPW for the time being, teaming with Kaz Hayashi to defeat Ryuji Hijikata and T28.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/results08.php |title=AJPW results, 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-08 |publisher=Shining Road ] Nakajima began to wrestle consistently with NOAH starting July 2, 2008, and it was announced the following week that he and the rest of Kensuke Office would be lending their support to NOAH instead of All Japan for the foreseeable future.cite web |url=http://ajpw.puroresufan.com/script/show_archives.php?archive=1216540618&subaction=list-archive& |title=AJPW news, June 10 to July 18 2008 |accessdate=2008-08-08 |publisher=Shining Road ] Among Nakajima's first matches in NOAH were singles contests against former GHC Heavyweight Champions Jun Akiyama and Mitsuharu Misawa on July 5, 2008 and July 13, 2008 respectively, losing both matches.cite web |url=http://www.purolove.com/noah/results/08summernavi.php |title=NOAH Summer Navigation 2008 tour results |accessdate= 2008-08-08 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ]

In August and September 2008, Nakajima entered NOAH's annual NTV Cup junior heavyweight tag team league, teaming with DDT's Kota Ibushi in the 8-team tournament. The two finished in fifth place with eight points, including a victory over 2007 winners, as well as the eventual 2008 winners, KENTA and Taiji Ishimori.cite web |url=http://www.purolove.com/noah/results/08shinynavi.php |title=NOAH Shiny Navigation tour results |accessdate=2008-09-09 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] Nakajima and Ibushi would team once more on September 8, 2008 on a co-production between DDT and SEM, NOAH's offshoot promotion for younger wrestlers, against DDT's HARASHIMA and Antonio Honda. The match originally went to a 20-minute time limit draw, but was restarted and Nakajima pinned Honda shortly thereafter.cite web |url=http://www.purolove.com/noah/results/sem.php |title=SEM results |accessdate=2008-09-14 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] On September 14, 2008, Nakajima participated in American promotion Ring of Honor's second annual Japanese event, teaming with Naomichi Marufuji against KENTA and Kota Ibushi in a special tag match. The two teams went to a 30-minute time limit draw; the match was restarted, but ended once more in a draw after an additional five minutes expired.cite web |url= http://www.purolove.com/misc/indyresults.php |title=Miscellaneous independent results |accessdate= 2008-09-21 |publisher=PuroLove.com |language=German ] The following week on September 20, 2008, Nakajima wrestled his first match in the United States, challenging GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion Bryan Danielson. Danielson would retain his title, making Nakajima submit to the Cattle Mutilation.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves:*German suplex, sometimes while trapping the opponent's leg for extra leverage:*"R-15" (High-angle reverse roundhouse kick, sometimes to the back of the opponent's head):*Scoop brainbuster:*Moonsault:*Over the shoulder belly to back piledriver:*Big boot:*X-Plex:*Dropkick:*Jumping high kick:*Lariat

Championships and accomplishments

*All Japan Pro Wrestling:*AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Kensuke Sasaki:*AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time):*Junior Tag League (2008) - with Ryuji Hijikata

*Michinoku Pro Wrestling:*Tohoku Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Kensuke Sasakicite web |url=http://wrestling-titles.com/japan/michinoku/tohoku-t.html |title=Tohoku Tag Team Championship History |accessdate=2007-03-29 |publisher=Wrestling-Titles.com ]

*Pro Wrestling ZERO1-MAX:*WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship "(Disputed Branch)" (1 time)

*Pro Wrestling Illustrated:*PWI ranked him # 49 of the 500 best singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2006cite web |url=http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwi50006.htm |title=PWI 500 2006 listing |accessdate=2007-04-22 |publisher=Wrestling Information Archive ]

*Tokyo Sports Grand Prix:*Rookie of the Year (2004):*Fighting Spirit Award (2005)cite web |url=http://puroresu.com/awards/2000s.html |title=Tokyo Sports Grand Prix Awards, 2000s |accessdate=2007-03-14 |publisher=Puroresu.com]

References

External links

*ja icon [http://www.all-japan.co.jp/fighter/katsuhiko.html Profile at All-Japan.co.jp]
*ja icon [http://sports.livedoor.com/battle/kensuke/profile1.html Official profile at Kensuke-Office.com]
*ja icon [http://kensuke.livedoor.biz/ Kensuke Office blog]
*en icon [http://puroresufan.com/roster/nakajima.php Nakajima on Strong Style Spirit]

Persondata
NAME = Nakajima, Katsuhiko
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Professional wrestler
DATE OF BIRTH = March 11, 1988
PLACE OF BIRTH = Fukuoka, Fukuoka
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =