Ryuichi Kawakami (河上隆一 Kawakami Ryuichi, born November 29, 1988) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to GLEAT. He also works for Pro Wrestling BASARA as Trans Am ★ Ryuji where his a former one-time Union MAX Champion and also won the 2017 Itadaki League. Kawakami is best known for his work in Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW) where is a former two-times Yokohama Shopping Street 6-Man Tag Team Champion and one time BJW Tag Team Champion.
Professional wrestling career[]
Big Japan Pro Wrestling (2008-2021)[]
Kawakami studied karate before becoming a pro-wrestler. He would join the BJW Dojo in 2007 as he would make his debut on December 4 of that year against his head teacher Daisuke Sekimoto. Even though as a debuting heavyweight he was still met with an uphill beginning as he suffered many losses throughout the following years. His first main series of singles matches would start in February of 2010 as he took on many notable heavyweights and veterans over this time. From Shuji Ishikawa, Mitsuya Nagai, Magnitude Kishiwada, and Yuki Ishikawa. He would ultimately end with 7 losses in total from the series of bouts. He would go on to compete in All Japan Pro Wrestling on May 15, 2011 along with Sekimoto and Yuji Okabayashi. Though he would suffer the direct loss against the team of Seiya Sanada, Manabu Soya, and Yasufumi Nakanoue. In 2012 he had his first major setback in the form a left knee injury that would take him out of action for the remainder of the year. In 2013 he would return as he would also become a regular of Genichiro Tenryu’s promotion Tenryu Project. He would also win the Strong Style Tournament RISING defeating in the finals Yuji Okabayashi.
In August 2015 he would suffer another injury to his left knee which would take him out of action for nearly a year, though he would compete in Genichiro Tenryu’s final show on November 2015. After which he would undergo surgery for the repeated injuries that he has sustained. He would return in July 2016 as he took on Daisuke Sekimoto in a singles match. In 2017 he and Hideki Suzuki would begin a feud as both aimed for the contention of the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Champion, which Suzuki would later won. Three days later, they lost the back the titles to Nakanoue, Hama and Uto. On May 5, 2019, Kawakami and Kazumi Kikuta won the All Asia Tag Team Champions to Koji Iwamoto and Jake Lee.
Pro Wrestling Basara (2016-present)[]
In September 2016, he would compete in Pro Wrestling BASARA as he and Trans Am ★ Hiroshi would begin to team together fairly regular. He would also dub his own name as Trans Am ★ Ryuichi. On March 22, 2017 Ryuichi defeated FUMA to win the Union Pro MAX Championship. Ryuichi would make his first title defense defeating Ryota Nakatsu. Ryuichi and Hiroshi would also be joined by Trans Am ★ Shinya. On July 5 Ryuchi defeated FUMA to win the Itadaki League and making his second defense of the Union Pro MAX Championship. On October 1, he lost the title to Isami Kodaka in his fourth title defense. In July 2018 Kawakami would later feud with Ryuichi Sekine where the loser had to change his Kanji in his first name changed from 龍一 to 龍二. On July 12 Kawakami lost to Sekine forcing to change his name in the process.
GLEAT (2021-present)[]
On March 17, 2021 it was anounnced that Kawakami signed with GLEAT after the promotion reportedly paid BJW his release clause to sign him for the promotion.
In wrestling[]
- Finishing moves
- As Ryuichi Kawakami
- Hurricane Driver (Snap spinning Samoan driver)
- Thunderbolt (Fireman's carry dropped into a snap sitout scoop slam piledriver) - 2021-present
- Tiger Driver (Sitout double underhook powerbomb)
- As Trans Am ★ Ryuji
- Perfect Five (Fireman's carry facebuster)
- As Ryuichi Kawakami
- Signature moves
- Brainbuster
- Butterfly lock
- Knife edge chop
- Multiple suplex variations
- German
- Wrist-clutch exploder, sometimes from the second or top rope
- Scarlet Flowsion (Sitout side powerslam)
- Suisha otoshi
Championships and accomplishments[]
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kazumi Kikuta
- Big Japan Pro Wrestling
- Yokohama Shopping Street 6-Man Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Yuji Okabayashi and Shinya Ishikawa (1) and Hideyoshi Kamitani and Daichi Hashimoto (1)
- BJW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kazumi Kikuta
- Strong Style Tournament RISING (2013)
- Tenryu Project
- Tenryu Project Six Man Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with BUKI and Classic Kid
- Pro Wrestling BASARA
- Union Max Championship (1 time)
- Itadaki League (2017)
- GLEAT
- G-INFINITY Championship (1 time) – with Kazma Sakamoto