Keiji Takayama

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Keiji Takayama, born on February 20, 1969, better known as Gedo, is a long time professional wrestler. He formed a long-lasting tag team with fellow wrestler Shoji Akiyoshi, better known as Jado.

[edit] Career

Gedo debuted in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) in the parody of WWF's Rock 'n Wrestling, Takeshi Puroresu Gundan (TPG). His debut match was against Hiroto Wakita, who would later be known as Super Delfin, on March 19, 1989. After TPG died out, Gedo, Wakita, and TPG comrade Jado left NJPW. Jado and Gedo went on to become one of the premiere tag teams in Japan.

Jado and Gedo headed to the Universal Wrestling Association (UWA) in Mexico as Punish (Jado) and Crush (Gedo), and defeated Silver King and El Texano for the Intercontinental Tag Team titles on November 8, 1991. They would win these belts on two more occasions in 1992. Jado and Gedo headed to WAR in 1994 and became one of the top tag teams there, winning the WAR World Six-Man Tag Team Championship with Kodo Fuyuki, defeating Tenryu, Animal Hamaguchi & Koki Kitahara on June 6, 1994. Gedo would win this belt four more times throughout 1994, 1995 and 1996.

Gedo, with the addition of being a great tag team wrestler, was also one of the top junior heavyweights in Japan. Gedo reached the semi finals of the 1994 Super J Cup where he would lose to Wild Pegasus (Chris Benoit). Gedo was in the 1995 Super J Cup and reached the finals, losing to Jushin Liger in his fourth match of the night. Gedo won his first singles title when he defeated Lionheart (Chris Jericho) for the WAR International Junior Heavyweight Championship on March 26, 1995. Gedo would win this belt again later down the year, defeating Ultimo Dragon for it.

Jado and Gedo left WAR, which was declining, and headed to Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW), one of Japan's top independent promotions. Gedo, with Jado and Kodo Fuyuki, won the FMW World Street Fight 6 Man Tag Team Championship, defeating the Headhunters and Hisakatsu Oya on March 21, 1997. It was also in 1997 that Gedo toured North America, appearing in WCW Halloween Havoc wrestling Chris Jericho, and winning the Rocky Mountain North American Mid-Heavyweight Championship defeating Ricky Fuji on August 31, 1997.

Gedo won the FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship not with Jado but with Koji Nakagawa when they defeated Masato Tanaka and Tetsuhiro Kuroda on June 13, 1999. Shortly after, Gedo left the declining FMW and wrestled in independent promotion World Entertainment Wrestling (WEW) where he would win their 6 man tag team titles once with Fuyuki and Nakagawa and again with Jado and Nakagawa, both in 1999. Gedo had many tag team title reigns in WEW before he headed back to NJPW in 2001 and won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship with Jado when they defeated Jushin Liger and El Samurai on July 20, 2001. Gedo had a fierece rivalry with Liger after Jado and Gedo made a surprise appearance in NJPW when both unmasked Liger.

Jado and Gedo won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight belts again in 2003, beating Liger and Samurai again. Gedo has received a lot of criticsm for being a poor wrestler during the 1990s. A lot of this was fueled by the fact that Gedo advanced far in the Super J Cups, a tournament featuring Japan's best Junior Heavyweights. Many felt that Gedo should have lost very early as there were better wrestlers competing. Gedo was also flabby in the 90's and was mocked heavily in the internet for that. Gedo is in much better shape today and is a very entertaining wrestler, being able to play a face and a heel well. Gedo is scheduled to wrestle in TNA's 2006 X World Cup as a part of Team Japan along with Jushin Liger, Black Tiger and Minoru Tanaka.

Debut: March 19, 1989

[edit] Championships and Accomplishments

  • 1-time BJW Tag Team Champion - with Jado
  • 4-time UWA Intercontinental Tag Team Champion (Two times w/Punish, one time w/Pat Tanaka, and one time w/Dick Togo)
  • World Entertainment Wrestling
  • Other
  • 1-time Rocky Mountain North American Mid-Heavyweight

[edit] External links

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