Chigusa Nagayo
Encyclopedia
is a retired Japanese
female professional wrestler
best known for her mainstream popularity in the 1980s as a member of the tag team
The Crush Gals with long-time partner Lioness Asuka
. She was the founder of the GAEA
Women's Professional Wrestling organization (known simply as GAEA). She briefly competed as alter-ego Lady Zero in GAEA. Nagayo appears in the 2000 documentary Gaea Girls made for the BBC by Kim Longinotto
and Jano Williams.
of all time. During the mid-'80s they had four runs as WWWA World Tag Team Champions
at All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
(AJW), and were pop culture sensations. They had several top 10 pop singles, and their main event feud against Dump Matsumoto's heel
stable, the Atrocious Alliance, drew consistent ratings over 12.0 for AJW's weekly television program on Fuji TV. The feud was highlighted by events such as the first women's hair vs. hair match in Japan between Nagayo and Matsumoto on August 28, 1985, and a vicious run-in on September 10, 1986, when Matsumoto and her gang interrupted as the Crush Gals performed a concert in the ring, and proceeded to cut up Nagayo's clothes, leading to a second hair vs. hair match. The success and popularity of the Crush Gals inspired many young Japanese women to enter professional wrestling. Later in the decade, Nagayo achieved the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship
, finishing Yukari Omori with a moonsault
, on August 22, 1988. Nagayo lost the belt to her best friend and Crush Gals partner, Lioness Asuka
, on January 22, 1989, after a historic and emotional feud.
In 1989, Nagayo reached age 26, the mandatory retirement age for female wrestlers in Japan at the time; however, she came out of retirement in 1995 to form GAEA Japan
.
. In December 1998, Asuka debuted in GAEA and played a heel, allying with Nagayo's rivals and winning the presidency of GAEA from Nagayo in their first match together in ten years, on April 4, 1999. Eventually, however, on December 27, 1999, the Crush Gals were re-united, and went on to win their fourth tag team championship together in spring 2004.
On April 3, 2005, Nagayo and Asuka teamed up for the last time, defeating Chikayo Nagashima and Sugar Sato on GAEA's 10th Anniversary Show; Asuka retired afterwards because of neck injuries. Nagayo retired a week later after losing to her protégée, Meiko Satomura in the main event of GAEA's Eternal Last Gong Show, the promotion's farewell card.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
female professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
best known for her mainstream popularity in the 1980s as a member of the tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
The Crush Gals with long-time partner Lioness Asuka
Lioness Asuka
is a Japanese professional wrestler from Tokyo. Along with long-time tag team partner Chigusa Nagayo she formed The Crush Gals, known for their mainstream popularity in the 1980s, and the most successful women's tag team of all time.-Career:...
. She was the founder of the GAEA
GAEA Japan
Gaea Japan was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. (Japanese female professional...
Women's Professional Wrestling organization (known simply as GAEA). She briefly competed as alter-ego Lady Zero in GAEA. Nagayo appears in the 2000 documentary Gaea Girls made for the BBC by Kim Longinotto
Kim Longinotto
Kim Longinotto is a British documentary film maker, well known for making films which highlight the plight of female victims of oppression or discrimination...
and Jano Williams.
AJW (1980-1989)
Formed in the early 1980s, the Crush Gals were possibly the most famous and beloved women's tag teamTag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
of all time. During the mid-'80s they had four runs as WWWA World Tag Team Champions
WWWA World Tag Team Championship
The World Women's Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was the top doubles championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling from 1970 until it closed in 2005...
at All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
, nicknamed Zenjo was a joshi puroresu promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held their first card on June 4 of that year...
(AJW), and were pop culture sensations. They had several top 10 pop singles, and their main event feud against Dump Matsumoto's heel
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
stable, the Atrocious Alliance, drew consistent ratings over 12.0 for AJW's weekly television program on Fuji TV. The feud was highlighted by events such as the first women's hair vs. hair match in Japan between Nagayo and Matsumoto on August 28, 1985, and a vicious run-in on September 10, 1986, when Matsumoto and her gang interrupted as the Crush Gals performed a concert in the ring, and proceeded to cut up Nagayo's clothes, leading to a second hair vs. hair match. The success and popularity of the Crush Gals inspired many young Japanese women to enter professional wrestling. Later in the decade, Nagayo achieved the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship
WWWA World Heavyweight Championship
The WWWA World Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling from 1970 until it closed in 2005. It was also known in Pro Wrestling Illustrated and other London Publishing wrestling magazines as the All-Japan Women's International Championship...
, finishing Yukari Omori with a moonsault
Moonsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. Much of its popularity in American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being used in North America by "Leaping" Lanny Poffo years before Muta came from Japan.In a standard moonsault,...
, on August 22, 1988. Nagayo lost the belt to her best friend and Crush Gals partner, Lioness Asuka
Lioness Asuka
is a Japanese professional wrestler from Tokyo. Along with long-time tag team partner Chigusa Nagayo she formed The Crush Gals, known for their mainstream popularity in the 1980s, and the most successful women's tag team of all time.-Career:...
, on January 22, 1989, after a historic and emotional feud.
In 1989, Nagayo reached age 26, the mandatory retirement age for female wrestlers in Japan at the time; however, she came out of retirement in 1995 to form GAEA Japan
GAEA Japan
Gaea Japan was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. (Japanese female professional...
.
GAEA (1995-2005)
She wrestled as one of GAEA's main eventers and top facesFace (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a babyface or face or in simple words, a fan favorite is a character who is portrayed as a heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analogous to villains...
. In December 1998, Asuka debuted in GAEA and played a heel, allying with Nagayo's rivals and winning the presidency of GAEA from Nagayo in their first match together in ten years, on April 4, 1999. Eventually, however, on December 27, 1999, the Crush Gals were re-united, and went on to win their fourth tag team championship together in spring 2004.
On April 3, 2005, Nagayo and Asuka teamed up for the last time, defeating Chikayo Nagashima and Sugar Sato on GAEA's 10th Anniversary Show; Asuka retired afterwards because of neck injuries. Nagayo retired a week later after losing to her protégée, Meiko Satomura in the main event of GAEA's Eternal Last Gong Show, the promotion's farewell card.
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Women's Pro-WrestlingAll Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, nicknamed Zenjo was a joshi puroresu promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held their first card on June 4 of that year...
- AJW Junior ChampionshipAJW Junior ChampionshipThe AJW Junior Championship was a secondary singles title in the Japanese professional wrestling promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling. The title started in 1980 and was retired in April 2005 when the promotion closed.-Title history:...
(2 times) - All Pacific ChampionshipAll Pacific ChampionshipThe All Pacific Women's Championship was the secondary singles title in the wrestling promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, or AJW. The belt was started as the Hawaiian Pacific Championship in 1977, and was renamed the All Pacific Championship in 1978.-History:...
(2 times) - IWA World Women's ChampionshipIWA World Women's ChampionshipThe IWA World Women's Championship was a major title in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling. It had its origins with Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, Alberta in 1987.-History:-External links:*...
(2 times) - WWWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipWWWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWWA World Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling from 1970 until it closed in 2005. It was also known in Pro Wrestling Illustrated and other London Publishing wrestling magazines as the All-Japan Women's International Championship...
(1 time) - WWWA World Tag Team ChampionshipWWWA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe World Women's Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was the top doubles championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling from 1970 until it closed in 2005...
(4 times) - with Lioness AsukaLioness Asukais a Japanese professional wrestler from Tokyo. Along with long-time tag team partner Chigusa Nagayo she formed The Crush Gals, known for their mainstream popularity in the 1980s, and the most successful women's tag team of all time.-Career:... - Japan Grand PrixJapan Grand PrixThe Japan Grand Prix was an annual professional wrestling tournament held by the promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling to determine the number one contender for the promotion's highest achievement, the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship. The tournament was held in the summer every year from...
(1987) - AJW Hall of Fame (Class of 1998)
- Cauliflower Alley ClubCauliflower Alley ClubThe Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America....
- Other honoree (1996)
- GAEA JapanGAEA JapanGaea Japan was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. (Japanese female professional...
- AAAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- AAAW Singles ChampionshipAAAW Singles ChampionshipThe GAEA AAAW Athletic Singles Championship or AAAW Championship was a championship belt contested in the Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion GAEA Japan The belt was abandoned in 2005, after GAEA was closed down.-History:...
(1 time) - AAAW Tag Team ChampionshipAAAW Tag Team ChampionshipThe AAAW Tag Team Championship was a title in the GAEA Japan promotion. The title was abandoned when GAEA closed in 2005.-Title history:-External links:*...
(1 time) - with Lioness Asuka
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1997)