Rikidozan

Last updated: April 28, 2014

NWA (San Francisco) Pacific Coast Tag Team titles w/Dennis Clary defeating Gino Garibaldi & Enrique Torres (September 30, 1952);
Japanese Heavyweight title defeating Masahiko Kimura (December 22, 1954);
NWA Hawaii Tag Team titles w/Azuma Fuji defeating Lucky Simunovich & Bobby Burns (April 17, 1955);
All Asia Heavyweight title defeating King Kong [Tournament] (November 22, 1955);
NWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/Koukichi Endoh defeating Mike & Ben Sharpe (May 4, 1956);
NWA (JWA) International Heavyweight title defeating Lou Thesz (August 27, 1958);
NWA Hawaii Tag Team titles w/Koukichi Endoh defeating Tiny Mills & Stan Kowalski (January 10, 1959);
All Japan Tag Team titles w/Toyonobori defeating ??????? (January ??, 1960);
All Asia Tag Team titles w/Toyonobori defeating Frank Valois & Dan Miller (June 7, 1960);
All Asia Tag Team titles w/Toyonobori defeating Ricky Waldo & Luther Lindsey (February 15, 1962);
WWA (Los Angeles) World Heavyweight title defeating Fred Blassie (March 28, 1962);
All Asia Tag Team titles w/Toyonobori defeating Buddy Austin & Mike Sharpe (July 1, 1962);
All Asia Tag Team titles w/Toyonobori defeating Fred Atkins & Killer Kowalski for vacant titles (May 6, 1963);

November 14, 1924: Rikidozan is born in Korea..
Rikidozan, a former sumo wrestler, is the father of the phenomenon we call Puroresu..
Rikidozan fought Lou Thesz on several occasions and even fought him to a draw in the first World Title match in Japan..
Rikidozan defeated Lou Thesz to win the NWA International Title..
Rikidozan also held the NWA World Tag Titles with Endo by defeating the Sharpe Brothers..
Rikidozan won the WWA World Title from Freddie Blassie becoming the first Japaneese wrestler to win a World Title..
1953: Rikidozan founded the JWA, which was the first prominent Japanese wrestling promotion..
December 22, 1954: Rikidozan defeated Masahiko Kimura (a sumo wrestler) at Tokyo Sumo Hall..
~~~The match was to be a draw, but Rikidozan orchestrated a double-cross, unleashing a vicious attack on Kimura!
Rikidozan also discovered both Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki, who would carry Japanese Wrestling for decades to come..
December 8, 1963: Rikidozan was stabbed at a night club that he owned and refused medical attention..
~~~As a result of those injuries he passed away shorty thereafter — He was only 39..