AXIZ

Katsuhiko Nakajima (left) and Go Shiozaki (right)

**AXIZ** (アクシズ, *Akushizu*) is a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Go Shiozaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima, signed to Pro Wrestling Noah (NOAH), where they are a former three-time GHC Tag Team Champions.

The team was formed by Go Shiozaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima in December 2018 and the duo subsequently won the GHC Tag Team Championship, before losing the titles later that month. Shortly after, Shiozaki and Nakajima named their team **AXIZ** and quickly regained the GHC Tag Team Championship in February 2019, defeating the 50 Funky Powers. During their three-month reign, AXIZ reached the finals of the 2019 Global Tag League losing to Sugiura-gun (Takashi Sugiura and Kazma Sakamoto), leading AXIZ to lose their titles to Sugiura-gun in June. Later that month, AXIZ regained the GHC Tag Team Championship for the third time, breaking the record for most reigns as the GHC Tag Team Champions. After holding the titles for five months, AXIZ lost the GHC Tag Team Championship in January 2020.

Later that year, AXIZ reach its second consecutive Global Tag League final in the 2020 tournament losing in the finals of the tournament to Sugiura-gun International (Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Rene Dupree). During this time, Nakajima and Shiozaki began focusing on their singles careers with Shiozaki holding the GHC Heavyweight Championship and Nakajima the GHC National Championship. After Nakajima lost the GHC National Championship in August, AXIZ began being further divided due to Shiozaki holding the GHC Heavyweight Championship, leading Nakajima to turn on Shiozaki to join KONGOH, to effectively disband the team. They reunited in May 2023 for a short time, until Nakajima left NOAH in October.

## History

### Background

Go Shiozaki and Katsuhiko Nakajima were initially rivals, in which Shiozaki was trained by Kenta Kobashi, while Nakajima was trained by Kensuke Sasaki and the two stood as seconds during a match between their mentors on July 18, 2005. Afterwards, Shiozaki and Nakajima went on their separate ways. Afterwards, both Nakajima and Shiozaki would achieve individual success in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), before Shiozaki returned to Noah in 2015. Shiozaki and Nakajima would face each other on March 12, 2017, at Great Voyage in Yokohama for the GHC Heavyweight Championship, in which Nakajima won the match.

### Formation and first reign as GHC Tag Team Champions (2018)

In November 2018, Shiozaki began looking for a new partner, after disbanding its team with Kaito Kiyomiya, after managing Katsuhiko Nakajima in the finals of the 2018 Global League on November 25. In December, Shiozaki and Nakajima took part in a tournament for the vacant GHC Tag Team Championship. On December 7, Shiozaki and Nakajima defeated Kenoh and Masa Kitamiya in a tournament final to win the vacant GHC Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, Shiozaki and Nakajima were challenged by Hooligans (Maybach Taniguchi and Yuji Hino) to a match for their titles. On December 16 at The Great Voyage 2018 in Yokohama vol.2, Shiozaki and Nakajima lost the GHC Tag Team Championship to Hooligans. On January 6, 2019, Shiozaki and Nakajima received their rematch for GHC Tag Team Championship losing to Taniguchi and Hino, after their Hooligans stablemates interfered in the match.

### Second and record breaking third reign as GHC Tag Team Champions (2019–2020)

Later in January, Shiozaki and Nakajima named their team "AXIZ". Afterwards, on February 12, AXIZ faced GHC Tag Team Champions 50 Funky Powers Muhammad Yone and Quiet Storm in a non-title match. Nakajima would scored the victory for AXIZ, after Nakajima pinned Storm. After Atsushi Kotoge and Eddie Edwards couldn't challenge for the GHC Tag Team Championship, due to Kotoge's shoulder injury, Noah announced AXIZ as the next challengers to the GHC Tag Team Championship. On February 24, 2019, AXIZ defeated 50 Funky Powers Muhammad Yone and Quiet Storm to win the GHC Tag Team Championship for the second time. In March, after Eddie Edwards returned to Pro Wrestling Noah, Edwards and Masa Kitamiya became AXIZ's first challengers, leading AXIZ to make their first successful title defense against Edwards and Kitamiya on March 10.

From April 7 until April 30, AXIZ took part in the 2019 Global Tag League, finishing the tournament with a record of five wins, one loss, and one draw, advancing to the finals of the tournament. On May 4, AXIZ was defeated in the finals by Sugiura-gun (Takashi Sugiura and Kazma Sakamoto). On June 13, AXIZ lost the GHC Tag Team Championship to Sugiura-gun. Afterwards, AXIZ challenged Sugiura-gun to a rematch, leading Takashi Sugiura to accept. On June 27, AXIZ defeated Sugiura-gun to win the GHC Tag Team Championship for the record-breaking third time. Afterwards, AXIZ were challenged by Kaito Kiyomiya and Shuhei Taniguchi to match for their titles. Nakajima accepted Kiyomiya and Taniguchi's challenge for their titles on the condition that Kiyomiya would defend the GHC Heavyweight Championship against him. On July 21, AXIZ defeated Kiyomiya and Taniguchi to make their first successful of the GHC Tag Team Championship. After the match, Akitoshi Saito and Masao Inoue challenged AXIZ to a match for the GHC Tag Team Championship in a rematch from the 2019 Global Tag League. Six days later, Nakajima unsuccessfully challenged Kaito Kiyomiya for the GHC Heavyweight Championship. On August 4 at Departure, AXIZ defeated Akitoshi Saito and Masao Inoue to make their second successful of the GHC Tag Team Championship.

On October 3, AXIZ faced The Tough (Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura) in a six-man tag team match, where AXIZ teamed with Kaito Kiyomiya, while The Tough teamed with their KONGOH stablemate Kenoh. Kitamiya scored the win for his team after pinning Nakajima. Afterwards, AXIZ were challenged by The Tough to a title match for the GHC Tag Team Championship on November 2, which they accepted. On October 11, in the built to their matches, AXIZ saved Kiyomiya from an attacked by KONGOH. On November 2, at Noah the Best, AXIZ defeated The Tough (Masa Kitamiya and Yoshiki Inamura) to make their third successful of the GHC Tag Team Championship. In December, Shiozaki and Nakajima celebrated their 15th-anniversary debut match, leading on December 3, Shiozaki defeating Nakajima in their anniversary debut match. Afterwards, Shiozaki challenged Kaito Kiyomiya to a match for the GHC Heavyweight Championship on January 4, 2020. Things started civilly between the champion and the challenger. However, Kiyomiya began showing an egotistical attitude leading to the match, stating that would take the "leading role" at Noah's 20th anniversary year in 2020. Shiozaki didn't appreciate his attitude, leading the two to be separated twice after their match on December 7. On December 12, AXIZ teamed with Hitoshi Kumano in a winning effort against Kiyomiya, Shuhei Taniguchi, and Masao Inoue, after Shiozaki scored the win for his team, after pinning Kiyomiya. Afterwards, Kiyomiya found the loss regrettable and his arrogance began growing. In their final confrontation, AXIZ defeated Kiyomiya and Taniguchi, with Shiozaki scoring the win for his team, pinning Kiyomiya for the second time. After the match, Shiozaki loomed over Kiyomiya and placed a finger very firmly on his chest before leaving the ring.

### Single Careers and disbanding (2020)

On January 4, 2020, at New Sunrise, Shiozaki defeated Kaito Kiyomiya to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship. The following day at Reboot, AXIZ lost the GHC Tag Team Championship to Masaaki Mochizuki and Naomichi Marufuji. Afterwards, AXIZ began focusing on their singles careers, after Nakajima defeated Daiki Inaba to win the Wrestle-1 Championship on January 12 as part of a working relationship between Noah and Wrestle-1. Nakajima lost the title to Kaz Hayashi on March 15. The following month, AXIZ took part in the 2020 Global Tag League, making to their second consecutive Global Tag League final by winning their block in the 2020 tournament with a record of two wins and one loss. On April 18, they were defeated in the finals of the tournament by Sugiura-gun International (Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. and Rene Dupree). On May 9, Nakajima defeated Takashi Sugiura to win the GHC National Championship, meaning that AXIZ held both Noah's singles championships. On August 4, on the first night of Departure, Nakajima lost the GHC National Championship to Kenoh. The following day, on the second night of Departure, after Shiozaki successfully defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Naomichi Marufuji, Kenoh challenged Shiozaki to a double-title match for the GHC National and Heavyweight Championships, stating that there could only be one strong champion in Noah. On August 10 at NOAH The Chronicle Vol. 3, Shiozaki faced Kenoh in a 60-minute time limit draw to retain the GHC Heavyweight Championship and unsuccessfully challenging Kenoh for the GHC National Championship.

On August 20, AXIZ faced Sugiura-gun (Kazushi Sakuraba and Takashi Sugiura) in a losing effort for the vacant GHC Tag Team Championship. Afterwards, Nakajima turned on Shiozaki in order to join KONGOH, effectively disbanding AXIZ.

### Short reunion (2023)

In September 2022, Shiozaki was sidelined with an shoulder injury, which led to him return on April 16, 2023 at Green Journey in Sendai, announcing the would make his in-ring return on May 4 at Majestic. At Majestic, Shiozaki teamed with Kaito Kiyomiya and Yoshiki Inamura in a losing effort to KONGOH (Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakajima and Manabu Soya). Afterwards, Nakajima decided to leave KONGOH to reform AXIZ with Shiozaki, which he accepted. AXIZ made their return match on May 14, losing to Kenoh and Soya. Nakajima's exit of KONGOH led to a singles match against Kenoh on May 31, which ended in a draw. Following the match, Shiozaki challenged Kenoh to a match, which he lost on June 22. Two days later, AXIZ challenged Real (Timothy Thatcher and Saxon Huxley) to a title match for the GHC Tag Team Championship. In August, Nakajima and Shiozaki took part in the 2023 N-1 Victory. Both entered the final day needing a win to advance to the finals of the tournament. In their head-to-head match on August 27, Shiozaki defeated Nakajima, leading him to finish leveled on points with Manabu Soya in their block. This lead to NOAH setting up a rematch between them to decide, who would advance to the finals, which Shiozaki won. On September 3, Shiozaki defeated Kenoh in the finals to win the N-1 Victory. On September 24 at Grand Ship In Nagoya, Shiozaki unsucessfully challenged Jake Lee for the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Two days later, in a press release, it was announced that Nakajima would be terminating his contract with the promotion at the end of September, with his last match being on October 28. On October 28 at Demolition Stage In Fukuoka, AXIZ made their last match facing Naomichi Marufuji and Takashi Sugiura in a losing effort.

## In wrestling

* **Nakajima's finishing moves**
	+ *Vertical Spike* (Brainbuster)
* **Shiozaki's finishing moves**
	+ *Go Flasher* (Vertical suplex lifted and dropped into a headlock elbow drop)
	+ *Gowan Lariat* (Lariat)
	+ *Limit Break* (Wrist-clutch inverted scoop brainbuster)

## Championships and accomplishments

* **Pro Wrestling NOAH**
	+ GHC Heavyweight Championship (1 time) – Shiozaki
	+ GHC National Championship (1 time) – Nakajima
	+ GHC Tag Team Championship (3 times)
	+ N-1 Victory (2023) – Shiozaki
	+ GHC Tag Team Championship Tournament (2018)
	+ Best Tag Team Award (2019)
* **Wrestle-1**
	+ Wrestle-1 Championship (1 time) – Nakajima