(NOAH) PAST ROSTER SPOTLIGHT: Yoshihiro Takayama

Born: September 19th 1966, Sumida, Tokyo
Height: 6'5
Trained by: Giant Baba, Nobuhiko Takada
Debut: June 28 1992
Signed with Noah: 2000 (walked out with Mitsuharu Misawa in 2000, left in 2001 to compete in MMA, freelanced in Noah afterwards)
Nicknames: "Taka-chan" (Kensuke Sasaki), "Giant girl with blonde hair" (Minoru Suzuki)
Fan Nicknames: The Emperor
Special move(s): N\A
Style: Kickboxing, MMA
Gimmick: N\A

Tragically on May 4th 2017, Takayama was injured at a DDT show when he landed on his head after attempting a sunset flip. Rushed to hospital he was diagnosed with "cervical spinal cord injury due to degenerative cervical spondylosis". It was announced on September 4th that he was paralyzed from the shoulders down, and was not expected to recover.
When Minoru Suzuki was allowed to visit his old friend, and he was asked what they talked about, he said "wrestling." The first thing Takayama asked was "Who won the G1?"

"TAKAYAMANIA" has been set up by close friend Minoru Suzuki to cover medical costs and help his family, there will be an event in August 2018 (which Takayama is personally overseeing, although his "crazy ideas" are causing a headache for Minoru Suzuki who is saying that Takayama has no concept of what it means for him, the booker). In addition to the show, promotions across Japan (and a Twitter drive) set up boxes at venues for money being raised.

As of June 2018, it has been reported that Takayama has some slight movement and\or sensation in his shoulders.

TRIVIA
Suffered bad pediatric asthma as a toddler, his parents were advised that he should do sports and they enrolled him in Kendo at nine years old and he competed in rugby in High School. He suffered a recurrence of the condition in adulthood during his wrestling career. He inspired a fan who wrote a letter to him that he too would try his best and follow his example in fighting against the condition.

Takayama and Takashi Sugiura appeared together as bodyguards in a drama in 2003 for TBS

KENTA & Yoshihiro Takayama played the Noah card game. In it, Takayama clapped loudly to introduce the normally quiet KENTA, and KENTA revealed how crap he is at Arts & Crafts. He took so long to open his box, that Takayama told him to tear it open with his teeth. He ripped it when he opened it. Couldn't repair it, and Takayama had to do it for him.

Takayama's most famous MMA fight took place in at Pride 21 on June 23, 2002, against Don Frye. The match went to ref stoppage.

He nicknamed Eddie Edwards "Big Boy" and according to Eddie Edwards he called him this all the time, even in e-mails. He said that Edwards looked like the Burger mascot from the burger chain "Big Boys"

ARTICLES
Eddie Edwards first GHC Heavyweight defense, and thoughts of "Emperor Takayama"
Minoru Suzuki's picture, and an intense outcry from fans