NJPW Spotlight is a series by Walter Yeates that highlights past and present members of the New Japan Pro Wrestling roster. This article highlights Manabu Nakanishi.
Manabu Nakanishi recently retired on February 22, 2020, after a 17 year plus career spent entirely with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). Wrestling has always been a part of Nakanishi’s adulthood. He began competing in high-level freestyle wrestling tournaments in 1986, the heights of which came in 1992 when he won a bronze medal in the Asian Championships — before coming in 11th at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
He would begin his career at the NJPW Noge Dojo shortly after and would make his official in-ring debut in October of that year. Nakanishi would take his excursion to the then partner of NJPW, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), under the name Kurasawa; three years later in 1995. His most famous match during his excursion came against former World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) Intercontinental Champion, 4x WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and 2x WWF World Heavyweight Champion — “Macho Man” Randy Savage.
He would return to NJPW under his given name in 1996, which would end up being the largest revenue year in company history up to that point. While Nakanishi was not able to reach the same accolades as fellow NJPW Noge Dojo 3rd Generation graduates Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and the also recently retired Jyushin (sometimes spelled Jushin) “Thunder” Liger — he did have some bright moments during his career.
In 1999, Nakanishi would go on to win the G1 Climax defeating one of the biggest draws in NJPW history former Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion (All Japan Pro Wrestling), NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, and 3x IWGP Heavyweight — Shinya Hashimoto, former 12x IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, and 4x IWGP Heavyweight — Hiroyoshi Tenzan, 3x IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion — Kazuo Yamazaki, and 3x IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion — Shiro Koshinaka in block action. Nakanishi would defeat then IWGP Heavyweight Champion Keiji Muto (AKA The Great Muta) in the G1 Final.
On May 6, 2009, Nakanishi would win the IWGP Heavyweight Champion from Hiroshi Tanahashi. Nakanishi would drop the title back to Tanahashi 45 days later in his v1 defense. Manabu Nakanishi wouldn’t ever win the championship again during his career — however, he would have three IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships during his career, winning the title as a member of Bull Powers (w/Satoshi Kojima), Wild Child (w/Takao Omori), and alongside Yuji Nagata.
Unfortunately, Nakanishi would become an afterthought during the ‘Dark Ages’ of NJPW as Antoni Inoki’s Inokisim was leading the company into financial ruin, as the product began to fall. The creative leadership of the latter days of Riki Choshu’s first run as leader of the department and Masahiro Chono’s run in the position decided against placing Nakanishi in positions to draw — despite his consistent popularity with live audiences, sadly not taking advantage of his prime years when he was one of the best ‘powerhouse’ wrestlers on the planet.
In 2011, Manabu Nakanishi would suffer a serious spinal injury that would lead to a long recovery, and leave him much slower in the ring upon his eventual return. Despite that, Nakanishi would remain a valuable member of the roster as NJPW entered it’s current ‘Golden International Expansion’ part of their history. New fans to the product likely never had the opportunity to witness Nakanishi in his prime, yet a number of his memorable matches are on the New Japan World streaming service.
Nakanishi would retire on February 22, 2020. It is believed he continues to work at the NJPW Noge Dojo, passing on knowledge to future generations of dojo graduates.
