| Takayuki Iizuka | |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) | Takayuki Iizuka Takashi Iizuka Sambo Iizuka[1] |
| Billed height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Billed weight | 101 kg (220 lb) |
| Born | August 2, 1966 [2] Muroran, Hokkaidō |
| Trained by | New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo |
| Debut | November 2, 1986 |
Takayuki Iizuka (飯塚 孝之 Iizuka Takayuki), better known by his stage name Takashi Iizuka (飯塚 高史 Iizuka Takashi), is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for New Japan Pro Wrestling.
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Takayuki Iizuka made his debut for New Japan Pro Wrestling in November 1986, wrestling against Akira Nogami. In June 1989, Iizuka and Hiroshi Hase went to the Soviet Union to be trained in sambo. A month later, he won his first championship, the IWGP Tag Team Championship, with veteran Riki Chōshū.[3] After losing the titles two months later to Shinya Hashimoto and Masa Saito, he floundered in the mid-card. In 1991, he wrestled in Europe, mainly in Germany for Catch Wrestling Association[4] and in England for All Star Wrestling. He competed only twice in the United States, for the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance on September 21, 1991 against Owen Hart,[5] and for World Championship Wrestling on May 17, 1992, teaming with the legendary Tatsumi Fujinami in a losing effort against The Steiner Brothers at WrestleWar. He formed the Japanese Jollyjacks with Akira Nogami in 1993, before disbanding in 1996.
In October 1995, he changed his ring name from Takayuki to Takashi. In June 1996, he won his second IWGP Tag Team title, this time with another veteran, Kazuo Yamazaki.[6] After losing the titles in July 1996 to Masahiro Chono and Hiroyoshi Tenzan, he was back in the mid-card. 2000 proved to be a great year for Iizuka: on January 4, he teamed with Shinya Hashimoto in a victorious match against Naoya Ogawa and Kazunari Murakami.[7] On July 20, he finally received a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, despite a losing effort against Kensuke Sasaki.[8] His successful year was capped off by winning the G1 Climax Tag League tournament with Yuji Nagata in November.
After that, Iizuka would suffer a concussion in a match against Mitsuya Nagai on June 6, 2001,[9] the injury would keep him out until October 6, 2002.[10] Upon his return, he began a feud with Nagai who by that point joined the Makai Club as Makai #5.[11] The feud with go through the first quarter of 2003 with Iizuka eventually winning two three match series against Nagai to end the feud.[12] After the feud, he spent the next few years in the mid-card, as well as helping young talent in the New Japan Dojo.
Iizuka's career would make a radical change in April 2008. During a tag team match with Hiroyoshi Tenzan against then-IWGP Tag Team Champions, Togi Makabe and Toru Yano, Iizuka turned on Tenzan with his trademark sleeper hold, turning heel and joining GBH as their newest member and their insider in the New Japan Sekigun.[13][14] Upon his heel turn, Iizuka did a total 180 and completely changed his look and wrestling style, shaving his head bald, growing a sinister beard, and adapting a hardcore wrestling style. He was also given the gimmick of an uncontrollable madman, often making his entrances through crowds, violently pushing fans and announcers around. He also began frequently using an iron glove on opponents as his main weapon of choice. For a brief period, Iizuka was also given the nickname: "The Great Traitor" for his betrayal of the New Japan Sekigun.[15]
His first major feud after turning was with the man he betrayed, Tenzan. The two first fought on July 8, 2008 in a Lumberjack Death Match which Tenzan won.[16] The two fought again on October 13, 2008 at DESTURCTION '08 in a Chain Death Match which Iizuka won. Since then Iizuka has gone on to feud with Yuji Nagata, again defeating him in a Chain Death Match on April 5, 2009 but would lose the rematch on May 3, 2009 at Wrestling Dontaku 2009.[17] Now, Iizuka is a part of Shinsuke Nakamura's group, CHAOS, and in mid 2009 he rekindled his feud with the returning Tenzan. The two would have a third match on July 20, 2009 which would be another Chain Death Match, this time though Tenzan would defeat Iizuka by knockout to end the feud.[18]
During the G1 Climax tournament in 2009, Iizuka lost five out of his six matches, mostly by disqualification, due to the use of his iron glove and his new weapon, a steel toothguard. His only non-disqualification loss was to Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall. And, his only win came against his former tag team partner, Yuji Nagata, who got himself disqualified by throwing the referee out of the ring, whilst he was making his comeback, following Iizuka's repeated use of the steel toothguard and interference from Tomohiro Ishii.[19]
On January 4, 2010, Iizuka teamed with fellow CHAOS members Yano and Ishii and Abdullah the Butcher against Riki Chōshū, Masahiro Chono, Manabu Nakanishi, and Terry Funk. Iizuka's team lost when tension between Abdullah and Iizuka led to their loss. On December 11, 2010, Iizuka restarted his feud with Hiroyoshi Tenzan, who had just returned after being sidelined for fifteen months due to an injury.[20] On January 4, 2011, at Wrestle Kingdom V in Tokyo Dome, Tenzan defeated Iizuka in a Deep Sleep to Lose match, a match that could only be won by choking the opponent unconscious.[21][22]