"Dragon's Heart" Megumi Takasugi

HOMETOWN: Nashville, Tennessee (originally Kyoto, Japan)

HAIR COLOR: Dark Red

EYE COLOR: Brown

ENTRANCE THEME: "Time to Rock & Roll" by Lil' Kim

ALLIES: Hitomi Sakai (as The Rising Sun Express)

FAN ALIGNMENT: face

HEIGHT: 5'5"

WEIGHT: 115 pounds

AGE: 20

RIVALS: Star; The Starlight Express

OFFENSIVE

Level 1:
1 = standing side kick (1)
2 = backhand right (1)
3 = knife-edged chop (1)
4 = "into the turnbuckle"
5 = hurricanrana (2) ch a
6 = rolling cradle armbar (2) ag

Level 2:
1 = Spicolli Driver (2) pw
2 = spinning heel kick (2)
3 = axe kick (2) ch d
4 = Express Double-Shot (2) tag
5 = Shining Wizard (3)
6 = scissors kick (3)

Level 3:
1 = Borealis Bomb (3)
2 = Tajiri Elbow (3)
3 = "deathjump" c
4 = “out of the ring” c
5 = RISING SUN SUPLEX (+1)
6 = AURORA BOREALIS (+4) tag

Into the ropes = B
Into the turnbuckle = B
Out of the ring = B
Deathjump = A

DEFENSIVE

Level 1:
1 = dazed (1) tag
2 = hurt (2)
3 = MEGUMI (1)
4 = MEGUMI (1)
5 = hurt (2)
6 = dazed (1) tag

Level 2:
1 = MEGUMI (2)
2 = hurt (2) tag
3 = down (3)
4 = hurt (2)
5 = hurt (2) tag
6 = dazed (1)

Level 3:
1 = hurt (2)
2 = hurt (2)
3 = PIN 6 (3)
4 = down (3) tag
5 = down (3) tag lv
6 = hurt (2)

Agility = -3
Power = +1
Cage = 5
Disqualification = 5

CHARACTER NOTES:

Megumi Takasugi had the world of women's wrestling at her feet. A student at one of Japan's most pretigous wrestling dojos, she had a long and promising career ahead of her. Skilled in techincal, aerial, and striking maneuvers equally well, she was among those chosen for an American tour just after her grauduation. That's when her took her career in her own hands.

During a tour stop in Memphis, Tennessee, Megumi met a young lady that dropped out of the same dojo she graduated from, Hitomi Sakai. The two quickly became friends, with Hitomi helping Megumi adjust to the American style and Megumi showing Hitomi what she missed in the dojos. Working closely and studying tapes of some of America's more legendary tag teams, they were struck with the idea of teaming together. Using one team in particular as inspiration, The Rising Sun Express was born.

Completing additional training in the UWE Madhouse, The Rising Sun Express went back to the mid-south area to iron out their teamwork, but their opponents on one card no-showed. The promoter put two rookies that had never teamed before against them. The Express won easily, but were stunned more than once. Little did anyone realize then, that one match would spark a feud in UWE months later... The Rising Sun Express against The Starlight Express.

SIGNATURE MOVES:

• SPICOLLI DRIVER: a death valley driver, named for the late Louie Spicolli who was one of the early American users of the move.

• EXPRESS DOUBLE-SHOT: Both wrestlers do a front roll past the legal opponent, punch the opponent's partner off the apron, then turn and punch the legal opponent.

• SHINING WIZARD: a running knee smash to the side of the head, springboarding off the opponent's knee for additional height.

• BOREALIS BOMB: a front roll into a jumping senton backsplash onto a downed opponent, sometimes called the Rolling Thunder.

• TAJIRI ELBOW: a handstand, rebounding off the ropes, back into a jumping back elbow.

• RISING SUN SUPLEX: a frankensteiner into a pinning cradle. (NOTE: this is NOT a hurricarana, as it drops the opponent on her head, not her shoulders and back.)

• AURORA BOREALIS: a double-team finisher used by The Rising Sun Express where Hitomi Sakai hits the AURORA THUNDER-DRIVER and Megumi Takasugi comes off the top rope in the adjacent corner with a top rope version the BOREALIS BOMB (Swan-ton Bomb).