Masa Takanashi

Masahiro Takanashi (高梨 将弘) is a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Masa Takanashi (マサ 高梨).

Takanashi was trained by Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) and has worked for the promotion since his debut in September 2003, becoming a one-time KO-D Openweight Champion, a two-time KO-D Tag Team Champion, a seven-time KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Champion, a two-time DDT Extreme Champion, an 18-time Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion and a one-time UWA World Trios Champion.

Takanashi is also known for his work in women's wrestling promotion Ice Ribbon, where he performed under the ring name Ribbon Takanashi (リボン高梨) and became a one-time International Ribbon Tag Team and Triangle Ribbon Champion.

Takanashi was first trained in professional wrestling by Último Dragón at his Último Dragón Gym.

After failing to graduate from his class, Takanashi moved to the training dojo of the Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) promotion.

From August 19 to September 6, 2003, Takanashi wrestled several exhibition matches for DDT, before making his official debut for the promotion on September 14, where he, now working under the shortened ring name Masa Takanashi (spelled in western naming order [given name first]), was defeated by Super Uchu Power.

For the rest of the year, Takanashi wrestled mostly opening matches, picking up his first win on December 29, when he pinned Daichi Kakimoto in a six-man tag team match.

In early 2004, Takanashi began regularly teaming with Danshoku Dino.

On May 29, Takanashi defeated Shoichi Ichimiya in the first round for the inaugural King of DDT tournament.

The following day, he was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals by Danshoku Dino.

From April to May 2005, Takanashi represented DDT in Kaientai Dojo's K-Metal League, where he failed to make it to the finals.

Upon his return to DDT, Takanashi began wrestling as a representative of DDT's Cruiser's Game project.

In January 2006, Takanashi was, in storyline, brought under the spell of Poison Sawada Julie and turned into a human snake.

Takanashi would wrestle as a member of Julie's Snake Corps, before managing to break away from the group in May, along with Seiya Morohashi.

On June 25, Takanashi won his first championship, when he, working as Masahiro Mekanashi, a character inspired by the Mecha Mummy, defeated Mecha Stanley for the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship.

Takanashi then entered a battle royal, where he lost the title to Natsuki☆Head, before regaining it from Mikami and then losing it to Mecha Mummy.

Also in 2006, Takanashi made his debut for El Dorado Wrestling, where he worked alongside his Último Dragón Gym training partners as King Pocota.

The character then moved to DDT, where he was renamed Poco Takanashi and won the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship two more times, each time holding the title less than a day.

On November 23, Takanashi won his first major title, when he and Seiya Morohashi defeated Francesco Togo and Mori Bernard for the KO-D Tag Team Championship.

After a five-month reign, Takanashi and Morohashi lost the title to Michael Nakazawa and Tomomitsu Matsunaga on April 1, 2007.

After returning to performing as Masa Takanashi, he defeated Danshoku Dino and Kudo in a three-way match on February 20, 2008, to win the DDT Extreme Championship.

He would go on to lose the title to Francoise Takagi on July 6.

During the summer of 2008, Takanashi formed the "Belt Hunter×Hunter" stable with Danshoku Dino, Hikaru Sato, Keisuke Ishii and Tigers Mask.

The stable's storyline rivalry with the Italian Four Horsemen stable built to an eight-man tag team match on December 28, 2008, where the loser of the fall would be banished from DDT.

The match ended with Horsemen member Antonio Honda pinning Takanashi for the win; as a result, Takanashi was, in storyline, forced to leave DDT.

Despite the storyline, Takanashi did not miss a single event held by DDT as in January 2009, he began making appearances for the promotion as Louis Takanashi XIV.

On May 21, Takanashi earned his way back into DDT by defeating Sanshiro Takagi in a singles match.

During the summer of 2009, Takanashi won four different titles, the DJ Nira World and History's Strongest Championship, the GAY World Anal Championship, the J.E.T. World Jet Championship and the World Mid Breath Championship, all made up by different DDT wrestlers and none of which were officially recognized by the promotion.

This built to a nine championship match between Takanashi and Danshoku Dino on August 23, which Dino won to retain his five titles and win Takanashi's four titles.

Before the end of the year, Takanashi and Dino reformed the Belt Hunter×Hunter stable.

On November 29, Takanashi, Dino and Hikaru Sato defeated the Italian Four Horsemen (Antonio Honda, Francesco Togo and Piza Michinoku) to become the first DDT-promoted UWA World Trios Champions.

On January 24, 2010, they lost the title to Tokyo Gurentai (Fujita, Mazada and Nosawa Rongai).

On March 14, Takanashi won a fifteen-man battle royal to become the number one contender to DDT's top title, the KO-D Openweight Championship.

At the following event on March 21, Takanashi defeated Munenori Sawa to win the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship for the fifth time.

He would lose the title to Danshoku Dino six days later in a four-way match, which also included fellow Belt Hunter×Hunter members Hikaru Sato and Keisuke Ishii.

Takanashi received his shot at the KO-D Openweight Championship on April 4, but was defeated by defending champion Daisuke Sekimoto, who outweighed him by 50 kg. The match was recognized as one of the best matches on the Japanese independent circuit in all of 2010 and is considered Takanashi's breakthrough performance.

On May 12, DDT announced that Takanashi would be sidelined from in-ring action indefinitely after dislocating his right knee, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and damaging his medial collateral ligament.

Though still unable to wrestle due to his injury, Takanashi resumed working storylines around the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship in May 2011.

Takanashi wrestled his return match on June 19, 2011, and before the end of the month, won the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship for the eleventh time.

On July 24, Takanashi recruited former opponent, Daisuke Sekimoto, as his tag team partner and together the two of them defeated Harashima and Hero!, Gentaro and Yasu Urano, and Kenny Omega and Michael Nakazawa in a four-way match to become the new KO-D Tag Team Champions.