Menso-re Oyaji

Menso～re Oyaji
Born August 22, 1985
Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan[1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) AJ Ranger Red[2]
Menso～re Oyaji[3]
Yohei Nakajima
Billed height 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[4]
Billed weight 82 kg (181 lb)[5]
Trained by Okinawa Pro Wrestling
Debut July 5, 2008[3]

Yohei Nakajima (中島洋平, Nakajima Yōhei, born August 22, 1985) is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is a former four-time Gaora TV Champion. He is best known as the masked character Menso～re Oyaji (めんそ～れ親父, Menso～re Oyaji), under which he performed for several Japanese independent promotions, most notably Okinawa Pro Wrestling, a promotion spun off of Osaka Pro Wrestling.[6]

Professional wrestling career

Menso-re Oyaji made his professional wrestling debut on July 5, 2008 for Okinawa Pro Wrestling. He portrays a unique character, wearing a kariyushi shirt to the ring, wearing a mask that has a cartoonish bowl of ramen noodles on top of it, and drinking a brand of beer (Orion) which is brewed in Okinawa.[7] Oyaji's character has been described as comedic as well as "mellow" and "drunk," in some cases forgetting to put down his can of beer before wrestling a match.[7] Essentially, Oyaji's character is a compilation of several stereotypes of Okinawan people held by those from elsewhere in Japan.[8]

In addition to wrestling on Okinawa Pro Wrestling cards, Oyaji will occasionally sing for audiences who have gathered to watch the company's wrestling shows.[9] Oyaji has received multiple title shots thus far in his wrestling career. He has challenged for the Okinawa Pro Wrestling Singles Championship on two separate occasion, though he has not succeeded in winning the title.[10][11] Additionally, Oyaji has unsuccessfully challenged for the MWF World Junior Heavyweight Championship.[12] Oyaji is typically featured when Okinawa Pro wrestlers compete in larger companies, including three matches on New Japan Pro Wrestling's annual "Exciting Battle in Okinawa" shows between 2009 and 2011.[13] Oyaji revealed his true identity by unmasking at an All Japan Pro Wrestling event on July 27, 2014, and announcing he would be working under his real name in the future.[14]

On September 12, 2014, All Japan announced that Nakajima had signed a contract to become officially affiliated with the promotion. On August 16, 2015, Nakajima defeated Billyken Kid to win the vacant Gaora TV Championship.[15] On May 28, 2016, Nakajima took part in Toryumon Mexico's Dragonmanía XI event in Mexico City, where he was defeated by Jun Akiyama.[16] After three successful title defenses, Nakajima lost the Gaora TV Championship to Kazuhiro Tamura on June 9, 2016.[17] Nakajima regained the title six days later,[18] before losing it to Takeshi Minamino on July 14.[19] On August 11, Nakajima defeated Minamino in a rematch to win the Gaora TV Championship for the third time.[20] After a nine-day reign, Nakajima lost the title to Billyken Kid.[21] On September 19, Nakajima again regained the title from Billyken Kid.[22] On November 27, Nakajima lost the title to Jiro Kuroshio.[23]

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. ↑ http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=6976&page=4
  2. ↑ "AJPW Super Power Series 2016 - Tag 4". Cagematch. Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Puroresu Central". Retrieved 2011-08-16.
  4. ↑ http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=6976&page=4
  5. ↑ http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=6976&page=4
  6. ↑ "Move On Arena". Osaka Holiday Paradise. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
  7. 1 2 Gottlieb, Matthew (2008-10-28). "Is It Nationalism? History's Effect on Okinawan Identity" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-08-16.
  8. ↑ Gottlieb, Matthew (2010-09-07). "Orion: The National Beer of Okinawa". The Beer Connoisseur Online. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
  9. ↑ Byers, Ryan (2009-09-22). "Into the Indies 09.22.09: Okinawa Pro Wrestling!". 411mania. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
  10. ↑ Byers, Ryan (2010-01-05). "Into the Indies 01.05.10: Okinawa Pro Redux". 411mania. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
  11. ↑ Byers, Ryan (2010-05-01). "Into the Indies 05.10.11: Okinawa Pro Three-dux!". 411mania. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
  12. ↑ "MWF World Jr Heavyweight Title". Osaka Holiday Paradise. Retrieved 2011-08-16.
  13. ↑ "Menso-re Oyaji: Profile and Match Listing". Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  14. ↑ "【全日本プロレス】諏訪魔vsドーリングの三冠戦、青木vs光留の世界Jr戦". Battle News (in Japanese). 2014-07-28. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  15. 1 2 "【8.16】 2015サマーエクスプロージョン　神戸大会". All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). 2015-08-17. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
  16. ↑ Dark Angelita (2016-05-30). "Toryumon México: Resultados “Dragonmanía XI” – 28/05/2016 – El equipo de Último Dragón se impone al de Tiger Ali en trepidante encuentro". Superluchas (in Spanish). Retrieved 2016-05-30.
  17. ↑ "6月9日(木)【チャリティープロレス伊勢崎69（ロック）】群馬・伊勢崎市第二市民体育館［観衆］450人(満員)". All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  18. 1 2 "6月15日(水)【2016 ダイナマイトシリーズ[開幕戦]】 東京・後楽園ホール ［観衆］1227人". All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). 2016-06-15. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  19. ↑ "7.14東京・後楽園ホール大会[観衆] 1163人". All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). 2016-07-15. Retrieved 2016-07-15.
  20. 1 2 "8.11長野・上田創造館 [観衆]299人(満員)". All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). 2016-08-11. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  21. ↑ "8.20兵庫・神戸サンボーホール大会［観衆］551人（満員）". All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  22. 1 2 "9.19後楽園ホール大会[観衆]1183人". All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). 2016-09-19. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
  23. ↑ "11.27東京・両国国技館大会試合結果②". All Japan Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). 2016-11-27. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  24. ↑ "Wrestling Title Histories". Retrieved 2011-08-16.
  25. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) 500 for 2016". The Internet Wrestling Database. Retrieved 2016-09-01.
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