Title History
- 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);
Career Highlights
- 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..