Shinsuke Takahashi

Name: Shinsuke Takahashi
Height: 5'10 (178 cm)
Weight: 230lbs (105 kg)
Place of Birth: Sakai-shi, Osaka
Theme "Go the Distance!"
Birthday: 03/27/81
Debut: 10/10/03

Signature Moves:
Japanese Leg-Roll Clutch
Blazing Cyclone - Swinging Sleeper Drop
White Flash - Shining Wizard
Clutching Knee

Titles Won:
C-1 Tag Team Championships (1)
(/w Kenjiro Amagawa) Takayuki Ariwa & Hiroyuki Takano (9/27/09) / Mikio Tsuruya & Akahito Yamada (06/01/10)

Tournaments Won:
None.

Profile:
Shinsuke Takahashi was a part of the "Project [F]" class of wrestlers coming out of the Kazuma Fujita Dojo. Touted as arguably the strongest of all the other young wrestlers in the class, Takahashi was praised as having great technical abilities, strength, and courage in the professional ring. Some even said that he was the greatest raw talent to come out of the system since Hiroaki Nakata. The Project [F] class's training was different from the other Fujita trainees, staying in America for an extended period of time, before coming back to Japan. However, Kazuma Fujita made the decision to not use the Project [F] class in FURY, instead using them to help build Real Japan Pro-Wrestling, Fujita's new promotion. Real Japan Pro-Wrestling fell through, leaving the Project [F] graduates without anywhere to go. Eventually, Jun Kobayashi who was Takahashi's rival would end up in Pro-Wrestling DYNAMITE. Naoki Fukuda would wind up in Pro-Wrestling FURY, and eventually adopt the persona "Mastodon" Fukuda. However, Takahashi was no where to be seen. In truth, seeing no where for his career to go, Shinsuke Takahashi had quietly retired from the wrestling business. He worked at a Shimano Bicycling plant, earning a better living than he had as a pro-wrestler, but a less fulfilling life...

Shinsuke Takahashi would sit on the sidelines of pro-wrestling for almost two years. However, watching his classmates Kobayashi and Fukuda both attain new levels of success and strength caused Takahashi to turn back to his old life. Takahashi, ashamed of himself for retiring instead of fighting through like Kobayashi and Fukuda had done, refused to go to his mentor Kazuma Fujita for help and instead was directed to the Ryo Suzuki Dojo by rival Jun Kobayashi. Takahashi begged Ryo Suzuki to accept him, and give him new training as a pro-wrestler. It wasn't hard to reteach Takahashi, as the twenty seven year old easily relearned pro-wrestling, and displayed all the raw talent that he had always had. Seeing his potential, Ryo Suzuki approached Yuki Nomura, and advised him to look into Takahashi. Yuki Nomura, taking a keen interest in Takahashi's story has given him what may be Takahashi's most stable contract in Takahashi's pro-wrestling career, and has given the young man a second chance at his dream.

Nomura's interest sparked a place in Nomura's AVENIR faction where Takahashi has found his home. Takahashi's natural brilliance in the ring has led to success as he formed the popular "TakaGawa" team with Kenjiro Amagawa, capturing the C-1 Tag Team Championships in September 2009. They were finally dethroned by the KYOURUI 6 team of Mikio Tsuruya and Akahito Yamada in June 2010.

Along with Amagawa, Kuroki & Tiger, Takahashi graduated from AVENIR in July 2010. Takahashi followed his friends in joining the STRONGEST CRIMSON ARMY.

STRONGEST CRIMSON ARMY

Nobuyori Shimizu ~ C-1 Heavyweight Champion
Toshiro Noguchi
Takayuki Ariwa
Hayato Saigo
Kenjiro Amagawa
Shinsuke Takahashi
Hiroshi Kuroki
Kaisen Tiger

Theme: "Shining Strongest"

Profile:
Originally created by Nobuyori Shimizu and Akuma Toyota as "STRONGEST" to unite the "strongest" Ryo Suzuki disciples under one name, STRONGEST evolved into the STRONGEST CRIMSON ARMY to create a formal "seikigun" for Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON. Differences in philosophy between Nobuyori Shimizu and Akuma Toyota led to the departure of Toyota from the group. Toyota wanted to keep the SCA closed off from those he considered "traitors", while Shimizu strongly believes in redemption. The SCA now contains many wrestlers who once fought against the SCA but have now redeemed themselves to fight for CRIMSON rather than against it.

Takayuki Ariwa

Name: Takayuki Ariwa
Height: 5'10 (177.8 cm)
Weight: 264 lb (120 kg)
Place of Birth: Kurihara-shi, Miyagi
Theme "Rival to the Light"
Birthday: 02/14/85
Debut: 6/14/04 (vs. Kazuki Takagi)

Signature Moves:
Splash Mountain
Hammerfall - Canadian Backbreaker Powerslam
Maiagaru (To fly high) - Whirlybird Throw
Angelos - Rolling Lariat
Release German Suplex
Spear

Titles Won:
C-1 Tag Team Championships (1)
(w/ Hiroyuki Takano) Akuma Toyota & Nobuyori Shimizu (01/25/09) / Kenjiro Amagawa & Shinsuke Takahashi (9/27/09)

Tournaments Won:
2009 FUSION League: Takayuki Ariwa & Hiroyuki Takano defeated Akuma Toyota & Nobuyori Shimizu at 9'23 when Takano pinned Toyota with a Moonsault Press

Profile:
Takayuki Ariwa, like most of the Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON roster was a graduate of the Ryo Suzuki Dojo, who also happens to have amateur wrestling experience from high school. Instead of following a scholarship, Ariwa dropped out of school and entered the Suzuki Dojo. Ironically, Ariwa completes the "trio" of Amateur stars in CRIMSON as he was a rival of both Kenjiro Amagawa and Mikio Tsuruya in their high school days. Ariwa debuted for Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON in 2005.. Ariwa is one of the strongest and thickest wrestlers in CRIMSON, and has often shown off incredible feats of power. In 2007, after the injury to Nobuyori Shimizu, Takayuki Ariwa was granted entry into the Neo Generation Idealists (or N.G.I. for short) to gain polish. Since then he has improved dramatically by debuting new moves, making the semi finals of Pro-Wrestling DYNAMITE's "FREEDOM ROAD" tournament, making the semi finals of the 2008 Power Source tournament, and even pinning Seiji Ebisawa. Ariwa has become friends with Hiroyuki Takano with the two forming a team often which fans have dubbed the "A+T Club". Ariwa betrayed his mentors Nobuyori Shimizu and Toshiro Noguchi aligning himself with the militant MOUJA faction who have embraced his violent style. MOUJA morphed into Yankizoku, and after the banishment of Seiji Ebisawa, Takayuki Ariwa became the leader of Yankizoku and won the 2009 FUSION League with Hiroyuki Takano and the C-1 Tag Team Championships. When Yankizoku disbanded, Ariwa found himself turned on by his former allies. In his moment of weakness, Nobuyori Shimizu recruited his former student. Now Ariwa is a loyal ally of the STRONGEST CRIMSON ARMY and looks poised to enter a new chapter of his career.

Hayato Saigo

Name: Hayato Saigo

Height: 5'7 (170 cm)
Weight: 195 lbs (88 kg)
Place of Birth: Naha, Okinawa
Theme: "Burn, Burn"
Birthday Date: 12/09/85
Debut: 2003 (vs. Keoni Murata)

Signature Moves:
Moonsault Double Footstomp
Matsukasa - Wrist Clutch Inside Cradle
Brainbuster Suplex
Phoenix Splash
Firebird Splash
Moonsault Press
Saigo Special - Cartwheel double footstomp into a standing moonsault press

Titles won:
C-1 Junior-Heavyweight Championship (3)
Naoki Daishi (04/25/07) / Naoki Daishi (07/27/07)
Akahito Yamada (4/20/08) / Keoni Murata (03/01/09)
Ikuji Royama (05/18/10) / Kenta Arakiki (07/27/10)

PWC Junior-Heavyweight Tag Championship (1)
(/w Keoni Murata) Fumihiko Shirai & Kotaro Ota (8/23/07) / Millennium S.K. & Ryoma Inoue (10/13/07)

Tournaments won:
C-1 Junior Heavyweight Championship Tournament (2007): Hayato Saigo defeated Naoki Daishi at 23:45 with a moonsault press to become the 6th champion
2007 FUSION J-LEAGUE: Hayato Saigo & Keoni Murata defeated Kotaro Ota & Fumihiko Shirai at 22:48 when Murata pinned Ota with a Backdrop Hold

Profile:
Hayato Saigo was a standout gymnastics athlete during high school before entering the Ryo Suzuki Dojo in 2002. Hayato Saigo spent nearly a year training before joining Project: BETA as a young wrestler in the Junior division. Saigo was "adopted" by Keoni Murata and the two formed a Mentor/Student relationship. Over the years, Saigo has slowly improved until in 2007, Saigo captured the C-1 Junior-Heavyweight Championship to cement himself as one of the top juniors in all of Pro-wrestling. Hayato Saigo finally broke past the three walls that had hindered him, as he defeated Keoni Murata, Millennium S.K., and Shin Kaiju back to back in three successful defenses. Hayato Saigo's storybook C-1 Junior-Heavyweight Championship reign came to an end on 7/27/07 when he fell to Naoki Daishi, and his Northern Lights Bomb. Hayato Saigo proved why he was one of the elite Junior's in all of Japan, as he captured the PWC Junior-Heavyweight Tag Championships with his mentor Keoni Murata in the 2007 FUSION J-LEAGUE. Their reign didn't last long, as they lost the titles to Millennium S.K. and Ryoma Inoue less then two months after winning the titles. Saigo re-cemented his status as Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON's top junior-heavyweight when he beat Akahito Yamada for the C-1 Junior-Heavyweight Championship in April of 2008. Saigo's second reign as C-1 Heavyweight Champion would last eleven months and cement Saigo as a top flight Junior. Keoni Murata's betrayal ended Saigo's mammoth reign and since then Saigo has desperately chased the championship. In May 2010, Hayato Saigo claimed his third C-1 Junior-Heavyweight Championship, making Saigo the most successful champion in the championship's history. In C-1 Jr. Title matches, Saigo has a record of 14-6.

Millennium S.K.

Name: Millennium S.K.
Height: 5'8 (173 cm)
Weight: 205lbs (93 kg)
Place of Birth: Sawara-ku, Fukuoka
Theme: "MILLENNIUM STAR ~ Highway Mix"
Birthday: 05/12/81
Debut: 2003 (vs. Hayato Saigo)

Signature Moves:
Millennium Driver - Exploder Suplex
Millennium Exodus Driver - Wrist Clutch Exploder Suplex
Kamachi Big Bang - Frog Splash
Dementia Crash - Devil Windmill DDT

Titles Won:
C-1 Junior-Heavyweight Championship (1)
Shin Kaiju (12/24/03) / Shin Kaiju (04/23/05)

PWC Junior-Heavyweight Tag Championship (1)
(/w Ryoma Inoue) Hayato Saigo & Keoni Murata (10/13/07) / ATSUKA & YAKUTA (4/22/08)

Tournaments Won:
None.

Profile:
Sorai Kamachi, or better known as Millennium S.K. debuted for Project: BETA at the beginning of 2003 and much like Hayato Saigo was "adopted" by Keoni Murata to form a mentor/student relationship. However, as Kamachi's experience grew, so did he ego until finally breaking off from Murata and renamed himself to Millennium S.K, or Millennium Sorai Kamachi. The C-1 Junior-Heavyweight Championship was soon his as he shocked everyone by defeating Shin Kaiju for the championship. S.K. would have a questionable reign with the championship before losing it back to Shin Kaiju. Millennium S.K. reformed the MILLENNIUM STARS in 2007, and has since set about presenting the most effective, yet visually appealing heel stable in wrestling history which includes a movie serial killer character (SLAYER), a sex symbol idol (Inoue) and a movie star (S.K.). S.K. justifies his status of "leader" of the MILLENNIUM STARS, by saying that his character is that of a movie star, which of course, trumps all over forms of entertainment...S.K. and his former partners Hayato Saigo and Keoni Murata continue to wage war against each other, even after all this time...S.K. scored the last personal blow when he convinced Ryoma Inoue, Keoni Murata's newest student to convert to the MILLENNIUM STARS adopting the character of a sex symbol of all Japan. S.K.'s ego is only matched by his talent and while he is prone to being distracted by other issues (such as the Tomizaki character scandal), S.K. may have the most talent of anyone in the CRIMSON Juniors. S.K. finally found gold again, this time teaming with Ryoma Inoue to defeat their hated enemies Hayato Saigo and Keoni Murata for the PWC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Championships, however, SK and Inoue lost the championships four months after capturing them to Pro-Wrestling FURY's ATSUKA and YAKUTA. S.K. would seal the "Millennium S.K." identity for several months after Ryoma Inoue forced the disbanding of the MILLENNIUM STARS...However, S.K. was able to get revenge on Inoue, and since has fully revived his trademark persona, but as a member of STRONGEST. S.K. suffered a horrific neck injury in May 2009 which kept S.K. out of action until DUE TIME in December. Since then S.K. has been on fire with a renewed sense of being.

Kenjiro Amagawa

Name: Kenjiro Amagawa
Height: 6'0" (181 cm)
Weight: 230 lb (104 kg)
Place of Birth: Edogawa, Tokyo
Theme "Silent Voyage"
Birthday: 04/29/84
Debut: 08/24/06 (vs. Keiji Hirano)

Signature Moves:
Burning Cataclysm - Head and Leg Clasped Backdrop Hold
Figure-Four Leglock
High Speed Backdrop Suplex
Argentine Backbreaker
Spear

Titles Won:
C-1 Tag Team Championships (2)
(/w Mikio Tsuruya) Nobuyori Shimizu & Toshiro Noguchi (6/10/08) / Akuma Toyota & Goro Iijima (6/16/08)
(/w Shinsuke Takahashi) Takayuki Ariwa & Hiroyuki Takano (9/27/09) / Mikio Tsuruya & Akahito Yamada (06/01/10)

Tournaments Won:
None.

Profile:
Kenjiro Amagawa was a standout amateur wrestler during high school and college, and in a perfect world would have been a highly touted prospect, but due to the collapse of Pro-Wrestling universally over Japan, Amagawa was forced to compete on smaller scale shows. Amagawa finally got his big break when he was brought into the PROMO * JAPAN promotion, where he was touted as a "Super Rookie" due to his lack of experience, and his glut of natural wrestling abilities. Amagawa carried over to the Pro-Wrestling ZION transfer, and began to work Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON shows on the side. ZION closed it's doors in April 2007, and Amagawa immediately signed with Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON. Amagawa has had some success in CRIMSON, but when Mikio Tsuruya joined CRIMSON later in the year, the two reformed their "Backdrop Brothers" team in CRIMSON. The two have had some success, including a C-1 Tag Championship challenge, but they have yet to really establish themselves due to their relative inexperience. After months of relatively poor performances, Kenjiro Amagawa has pulled himself off the ground, and has seemingly rededicated himself to becoming a top star...Amagawa adopted the Figure-Four Leglock as a tribute to his mentor in ZION, Jason Ramsey. After instigating a "Weight Loss Challenge" to help Mikio Tsuruya with his weight, Tsuruya viciously turned on his best friend Amagawa, breaking up one of the most beloved teams in CRIMSON. Amagawa immediately turned to Yuki Nomura and begged Nomura to help him improve his career. Nomura accepted, and formed AVENIR around the two of them. AVENIR's forming has proven to be the catalyst of Amagawa's evolution. Amagawa formed the popular "TakaGawa" team with Shinsuke Takahashi and the two claimed the C-1 Tag Team Championships in the later half of 2009. TakaGawa were dethroned in June 2010 by the KYOURUI 6 team of Mikio Tsuruya and Akahito Yamada.

Kenjiro Amagawa and the other original three members of AVENIR graduated from the group in July 2010. Amagawa has joined up with the STRONGEST CRIMSON ARMY to continue his career's momentium.

Kaisen Tiger

Name: Kaisen Tiger
Height: 5'9 (175 cm)
Weight: 201 (91 kg)
Place of Birth: Mexico City, Mexico
Theme "ROAR!"
Birthday: ???
Debut: ???

Signature Moves:
Tsuki Hikari - Inverted 450 Splash
Bullet Wrath - Running double knee strike to the chest of a downed opponent into a cradle
Kaisen Tiger Suplex
Shotei
Northern Lights Suplex

Titles Won:
PWC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championships (1)
(/w Hiroshi Kuroki) RYUJI & Manabe Tsuji (8/14/09) / Keoni Murata & PHOENIX (03/02/10)

Tournaments Won:
2009 FUSION J-LEAGUE: Hiroshi Kuroki & Kaisen Tiger defeated Naoki Daishi & Akahito Yamada at 18'31 when Tiger pinned Yamada with the Tsuki Hikari

Profile:
In early 2008, Sojiro Sayuki left Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON to travel to Mexico to learn Lucha Libre for an excursion...When the time came for Sojiro to return, a video was sent that said that Sayuki would be staying in Mexico indefinately...However, Sayuki had sent a gifted wrestler he had met to fill his role in Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON: Kaisen Tiger. The masked man debuted in the C-2 Openweight Championship tournament, but fell in the opening round to Naoki Daishi, who took Kaisen under his wing in place of Sojiro Sayuki. Kaisen Tiger joined up with Yuki Nomura's youth movement, AVENIR, forming the highly popular team of PREDATORS with Hiroshi Kuroki who sports a "Lion" image. In 2009, the two emerged as the top junior tag team in the world as they captured the PWC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Championships and even won the FUSION J-LEAGUE later that year.

Kaisen Tiger graduated from AVENIR in July 2010 to join the STRONGEST CRIMSON ARMY.

Kaisen Tiger looks like someone previously seen in Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON, but no one seems to be able to correctly identify who he is...

Hiroshi Kuroki

Name: Hiroshi Kuroki
Height: 5'10 (178 cm)
Weight: 210lbs (95 kg)
Place of Birth: Hirado-shi, Nagasaki
Theme "CHAINS"
Birthday: 08/29/84
Debut: 01/17/04

Signature Moves:
Reverse Rolling DDT
PRISM - Springboard Thesz Press

Titles Won:
PWC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championships (1)
(/w Kaisen Tiger) RYUJI & Manabe Tsuji (8/14/09) / Keoni Murata & PHOENIX (03/02/10)

Tournaments Won:
2009 FUSION J-LEAGUE: Hiroshi Kuroki & Kaisen Tiger defeated Naoki Daishi & Akahito Yamada at 18'31 when Tiger pinned Yamada with the Tsuki Hikari

Profile:
Hiroshi Kuroki is a newcomer to Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON. A Ryo Suzuki graduate from 2004, Kuroki has floated around the independent scene for four years without anything of note. Kuroki made his Pro-Wrestling CRIMSON debut in 2008, and immediately caught attention for his flashy entrances. Kuroki wears a lion patterned head-dress with a flowing mane, and sprints to the ring before perching on the top rope of every match. Hiroshi Kuroki hooked up with Yuki Nomura's AVENIR movement and formed the highly popular PREDATORS team with Kaisen Tiger. The two have emerged as the predominant junior tag team in the world, winning the PWC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Championships and the FUSION J-LEAGUE later that year. In the ring, Kuroki is completely fearless and never backs down from an opponent with fearless animal spirit.

Kuroki, along with the other three AVENIR first generation wrestlers graduated from AVENIR in July 2010 to the STRONGEST CRIMSON ARMY.

Toshiro Noguchi

Name: Toshiro Noguchi
Height: 6'1 (185 cm)
Weight: 258 (117 kg)
Place of Birth: Hino, Tokyo
Theme: "CHERRY BLOSSOM"
Birthday: 03/10/1979
Debut: 1999

Signature Moves:
Thunder Hammer - Axe Bomber
Tokkan - "Lightning Attack". Noguchi's evolved form of the Thunder Hammer. Can take the form of sliding, flying, hold, practically any variation Noguchi needs, and usually hit in a combination.
Powerbomb Whip
(/w/ Shimizu) Tsuyosa Thunder Hammer - Shimizu hooks the opponent for the Tsuyosa German Suplex, and Noguchi hits the Thunder Hammer for extra impact.
(/w Shimizu) Neo Crush - Thunder-Fire Powerbomb Thunder Hammer

Titles Won:
C-1 Tag Championships (2)
(w/ Nobuyori Shimizu) Shane Johnston & El Halcon (10/13/03) / Tenshin Komatsu & Makoto Saito (03/19/07)
(w/ Nobuyori Shimizu) Tatsumichi Akamatsu & Akuma Toyota (3/25/08) / Kenjiro Amagawa & Mikio Tsuruya (6/10/08)

Tournaments Won:
None.

Profile:
Toshiro Noguchi joined Project: BETA in 2003 as a freelancer. However, he quickly impressed to the point of being given a fulltime deal, and invited to the 2003 Power Source Tournament. Noguchi preformed well in the tournament, and nearly made the finals, but more importantly he faced Nobuyori Shimizu. Noguchi pinned Shimizu in a non-tournament match, but struck up a friendship with the young heavyweight and formed the "Neo Generation Idealists" group with him. While they had a variety of third partners, the main two proved to be a formidible team and the two won the C-1 Tag Championships in 2003, holding onto them for almost four years. Noguchi is often put behind Shimizu, but Noguchi has proven more then once that he is the equal, if not superior of his partner. In May 2007, Nobuyori Shimizu suffered a major shoulder injury in the 2007 Power Source, forcing Noguchi to take the leadership role in N.G.I. Noguchi brought in Takayuki Ariwa to be the third member of the group and attempted to hide his anger at Shimizu's injury. However, Noguchi's patience snapped, causing Noguchi to launch into a crusade against Shimizu's attackers, Rouzeki-GUN. This resulted in the peak of Noguchi's career, but in the end, he failed to take the C-1 Heavyweight Championship from Goro Iijima...Toshiro Noguchi hit a new level of success when he teamed with Nobuyori Shimizu to recapture the C-1 Tag Team Championships from Tatsumichi Akamatsu and Akuma Toyota in a match which no one thought they could win. Their title reign would last three months before the Backdrop Brothers scored the huge upset, defeating the champion team to capture the titles.

Nobuyori Shimizu

Name: Nobuyori Shimizu
Height: 5'9 (175 cm)
Weight: 224lbs (102 kg)
Place of Birth: Morioka-shi, Iwate
Theme: "Ikiru Koto to Mitsuketari"
Birthday: 07/19/82
Debut: 10/13/02 (vs. Ryo Suzuki)

Signature Moves:
"Tsuyosa" German Suplex [Power, Strength] - powerful German suplex
Running Elbow
Thunder-Fire Powerbomb
(/w Noguchi) Tsuyosa Thunder Hammer - Shimizu hooks the opponent for the Tsuyosa German Suplex, and Noguchi hits the Thunder Hammer for extra impact
(/w Noguchi) Neo Crush - Thunder-Fire Powerbomb Thunder Hammer

Titles Won:
C-1 Tag Championships (2)
(w/ Toshiro Noguchi) Shane Johnston & El Halcon (10/13/03) / Tenshin Komatsu & Makoto Saito (03/19/07)
(w/ Toshiro Noguchi) Tatsumichi Akamatsu & Akuma Toyota (3/25/08) / Kenjiro Amagawa & Mikio Tsuruya (6/10/08)

C-1 Heavyweight Championship (1)
Toshiro Noguchi (10/13/09) / Current

Tournaments Won:
None.

Profile:
Nobuyori Shimizu was the first wrestler to graduate from the Ryo Suzuki Dojo to enter Project: BETA. Nobu Shimizu had a trial by fire immediately as he was thrust in the first Junior-Heavyweight tournament to crown the first champion. Shimizu went win less and continued to suffer defeat until in late 2002 Shimizu was sent off for a short excursion to England. There, Shimizu went through a remarkable transformation and put on many pounds of muscle before returning as a heavyweight under his full name for the first ever Power Source tournament in 2003. While he didn't win the tournament, Shimizu shown as a potential star for the promotion. Newcomer Toshiro Noguchi barely defeated Shimizu in a non-tournament match, and formed a bond with Shimizu, and the two formed a tag team and stable under the name the "Neo Generation Idealists" in order to show their arrival as a "new generation" in the wrestling world. While they had a variety of third members, the two remained consistant before defeating long time tag champions Shane Johnston and El Halcon for the tag championships at the one year anniversary of Project: BETA. The two had a whirlwind reign with the championships, massing seven defenses before falling to their new rivals of Tenshin Komatsu and Makoto Saito in February of 2007. Nobuyori Shimizu suffered a horrific shoulder injury during the 2007 Power Source tournament, but still fought through it and made it to the finals against Tenshin Komatsu. Shimizu fought, but was beaten by Komatsu's Iron Cross hold. Shimizu returned at the tail end of 2007, and quickly found himself as a major player in the BLACKHEARTS saga, coming to the defense of his home promotion CRIMSON. The young career of Nobuyori Shimizu hit a new level when he teamed with best friend Toshiro Noguchi to recapture the C-1 Tag Team Championships from Akamatsu and Toyota in the defining moment of his career. 2009 was a whirlwind year for Shimizu, capped off by finally winning the C-1 Heavyweight Championship, the culmination of his entire seven year career.