Akira Nogami

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Akira Nogami
Statistics
Ring name(s)	AKIRA
Billed height	180cm (5 ft 11 in)
Billed weight	99 kg (218 lb)
Born	March 13, 1968(1968-03-13) Narashino, Chiba
Debut	October 12, 1984

Akira Nogami is a Japanese professional wrestler and actor who has wrestled for the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) promotion.

1 Career
2 Finishing and signature moves
3 Championships and accomplishments
- 3.1 Championship Succession
4 References

[edit] Career

After graduating from high school in 1984, Akira Nogami was initiated into the New Japan dojo. He debuted in December of that year against Keiji Mutoh, making him one of the youngest wrestlers in New Japan history. In 1990, he left on an overseas learning excursion to Europe and returned a year later. Akira scored a big win over Jushin Thunder Liger in 1991 to begin his one and only reign as IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion. After losing the title later that year, he graduated to the heavyweight division. In June 1992, he teamed up with Hiroshi Hase to participate in the NWA World Tag Team title tournament, held by WCW. They defeated the Headhunters in the first round, but Akira suffered an eye injury and was replaced by Shinya Hashimoto.

Nogami suffered a serious eye injury in 1998 and returned in February, 1999 wearing face paint, sporting blond hair, and calling himself AKIRA (a persona he had used occasionally in the past). From 2001 onward, he wrestled mainly in the junior division and engaged in some classic matches. After failing to reach a new contract agreement with New Japan in 2004, Nogami declared himself a freelancer and began competing only part-time. Since leaving NJPW, Nogami has become a regular in Keiji Mutoh's AJPW where he has been a consistent threat to the juniors. He currently has a successful acting career that consumes much of his time, but still appears on numerous events each year always bringing with him exceptional skill, speed, and charisma.

Nogami announced that he would be returning to New Japan to team up with Jushin Liger against Jado & Gedo on the C.T.U farewell show. On February 24, 2008, he and Liger won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship, Nogami's first title in over a decade.