Reiji Takenaga

General Information

Name: Reiji Takenaga
Nicknames: "The Phoenix"
Hometown: Nagasaki, Japan



Physical Information

Pic Base: Kazushi Sakuraba



Height: 6'2
Weight: 241 lbs.
Appearance and Outfit of Choice: Reiji is known for wearing nothing elaborate to the ring. He only wears a set of black vale tudo shorts, footwraps around his feet and ankles, gloves around his fists, and a large sleeve that completely covers his left arm all the way up to his shoulder.



Gimmick Information

Alignment: Neutral
Tendency to Cheat: Never
Brief Biography: Little is known about the life of Reiji Takenaga. It's well known that he's an MMA icon around Japan, having racked up an impressive 28-4 record, but his private life is a closely guarded secret. Reiji began his martial arts career as an expert Taekwondo practitoner, becoming a third-degree black belt by the time he began bringing himself into the world of MMA. As his record would indicate, Reiji became a legend in the ring, and there are few people who are on the same level of being such a stone-cold killer as Reiji.

That all changed five years ago, however, when Reiji's house suddenly burned down with him and his brother inside. Reiji's brother didn't survive the fire, and Reiji sacrificed much of the use of his left arm in his failed attempts to save him, suffering numerous third-degree burns that severely damaged his nerves. To this day, his arm remains injured, and Reiji keeps it covered at all times with a protective arm sleeve. This injury forced him to prematurely retire from the world of MMA.

Now, however, Reiji is back, in an all new sport - Pro Wrestling. Why is it? The money? The matches? Something else entirely? Fans can only guess what it is. But they're still inately drawn to Reiji, and are cheering him on through his injuries, even giving him the nickname known as "The Phoenix," a name Reiji isn't exactly fond of for obvious reasons.
Motivations: Unknown



Wrestling Information

Entrance Theme: Smell of the Game - Daisuke Ishiwatari (Guilty Gear Strive Main Theme)



Entrance Description: As the guitar in the opening riffs of Smell of the Game begins to rev up, the fans perk up as they realize who is about to come out.

"REI-JI! REI-JI!"

The chants are deafening, threatening to blow the roof off as they reverberate around the building. The fans came here and paid to see a bloodbath, and they're about to see the one man who always delivers on that front.

"I KNOW WHO I AM!"

As the lyrics finally kick in, the man himself, Reiji Takenaga, comes out to a thunderous ovation. The chants threaten to drown out even the music, but somehow, Reiji keeps a straight face and allows the music to travel in one ear, and out the other; He has a job to do, after all. Bouncing on his feet, he walks to the ring swiftly, and with purpose, not even daring to let his mind wander from what he has to do for even a second. He rolls in the ring, and after throwing his branded t-shirt off to the side, went to settle at one of the ring corners, using the ring ropes to stretch his legs out.

Strengths: Being a former top MMA star, Reiji Takenaga is one of the most feared men to enter the squared circle, bar none. With his black belt in Taekwondo, his kicks specifically are akin to shotgun blasts - getting hit by one WILL hurt you to your core, and there is no man who will pose as an exception to this. And, with the incredible amount of training Reiji has performed with them, it is also incredibly difficult to injure them specifically during a match, as Reiji is used to having them suffer immense amounts of damage.

Reiji's kicks aren't the only thing to be worried about though - his speed and intensity in the ring are second to none. At all times he runs like a freight train, threatening to decapitate any and all of his opponents should they make any sort of wrong move against him. In addition, though in his current state the quantity of his arsenal may be limited, Reiji is also a fearsome submission artist, having picked up numerous tips from his BJJ lessons when training for the jump to MMA. In particular, his Triangle Choke has netted him a fair few wins, and he won't hesitate to bust it out in the ring if needed. To top it all off, there's no one better at preparing for a match than he is. His analytical skills are almost savant-level, able to figure out even the slightest of flaws in his opponents' game plan and exploit them masterfully during a match.

Weaknesses: Though Reiji is a man to be feared at all times, that does not mean he is invincible in the ring. Indeed, every man has flaws, and he is no exception. In fact, he has a glaring Achilles heel that can be exploited easily - his left arm, the nerves of which were severely damaged in a house fire earlier in his 30s that forced him to retire early from MMA. This has forced him to radically change his style, now having him use almost exclusively his legs, feet and knees throughout matches. Indeed, even when his legs aren't enough to do the job, you will NEVER see him use his injured left arm, ever. While this prevents him from aggravating it further, it also places a major target on it, allowing people to exploit it throughout matches.

Favorite Match Type(s): N/A
Favorite Weapon(s): The only weapon Reiji is well-versed in are his devastating feet. That is to say, his body is the only weapon he needs.



Moveset Information

Common Moves (7 Max)
1. Leg/Shin Kicks
2. Roundhouse Torso Kicks
3. Spinning Heel Kick
4. Dropkick/Dropsault
5. Leg Lariat
6. Hook Kick
7. Single Leg Takedown (w/ Inside Trip, no usage of left arm)

Signature Moves (3-5)
1. Oblique Kick
2. Crescent Kick
3. Axe Kick
4. Jumping Switch Kick
5. Ground and Pound (Right Arm only from Full Mount, Side Mount variant w/ knees)

Finishing Moves (2-3)
1. 360° Tornado Kick



2. Triangle Choke



3. Showtime Kick (From the ropes/corner, Super Finisher)





Handler Information

Name: Joshua
Age: 19
Twitter (if applicable): @Maver1ck___
Discord (if applicable): Maver1ck#7763