is a Japanese retired

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

and

judoka is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

, Sakaguchi holds a 7th dan red and white belt in judo. Sakaguchi was a mainstay of

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) is a Puroresu, Japanese professional-wrestling Professional wrestling promotion, promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV As ...

(NJPW) and also competed for the

World Wide Wrestling Federation Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) was an American sports promotion company. Run by Vincent J. McMahon from the 1950s until the 1980s, the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing promotion and later became the holding company ...

and the

National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, promotion and governing body owned by Billy Corgan and operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA be ...

. His sons are

and

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...

fighter Yukio Sakaguchi and television actor Kenji Sakaguchi. Sakaguchi currently works for New Japan as an advisor.

Judo career

Before becoming a professional wrestler, Sakaguchi was a

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

ka with a fifth degree black belt and won the 1965 All Japan Judo Championship. Coach Koji Sone was accused by Anton Geesink's teammates in the 1965 World Judo Championships of having Sakaguchi throw the match against the more rested Matsunaga in order to allow Matsunaga take on the weary Geesink in the final round.

Professional wrestling career

Sakaguchi debuted in August 1967 for the Japan Wrestling Association. When JWA closed down in 1973, he joined

. He retired from the ring in March 1990. He was the president of the

from 1992 to 1993. At age 61, Seiji Sakaguchi came out of retirement to team up with

Masahiro Chono is an American-born Japanese retired Professional wrestling in Japan, professional wrestler and actor best known for his 26-year stint with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). As the leader of New World Order (professional wrestling), nWo Japan, Tea ...

against

Yoshihiro Takayama is a Japanese former professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Debuting for UWF International (UWFI) in the 1990s, Takayama joined All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in 1997 after UWF-i folded. In 2000, he joined Pro Wrestling Noah (Noah), an ...

and Shinya Makabe on September 14, 2003.

Acting career

Sakaguchi appeared in the 1982 American film '' Forced Vengeance''. His role was a minor one, though he did appear in the film's climactic

fight scene Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet ...

, battling star

Chuck Norris Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist and actor. Born in Oklahoma, Norris first gained fame when he won the amateur Middleweight Karate champion title in 1968, which he held for six consecutive years. H ...

Championships and accomplishments

Cauliflower Alley Club The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America. Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Ab ...

**Other honoree (

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

) *European Wrestling Union **EWU World Super Heavyweight Championship (1 time) * Japan Wrestling Association **

All Asia Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). Originally, it was the top tag team title in the JWA, but its status became secondary once the NWA International Tag Team Championship was brou ...

( 1 time) - with Michiaki Yoshimura **

NWA International Tag Team Championship ''This was a regional NWA championship based in Japan. For the version of this title that was promoted in NWA All Star Wrestling in Canada, see NWA International Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version).'' The NWA International Tag Team Champio ...

( 2 time) - with

Giant Baba , best known by his ring name , was a Japanese professional wrestler, promoter, and professional baseball player. He is best known as a co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), a promotion he founded in 1972 along with Mitsuo Momota ...

(1 time) and

Kintarō Ōki Kim Tae-sik (February 24, 1929 – October 26, 2006) was a South Korean professional wrestler and ''ssireum'' player, better known by the ring names Kintarō Ōki () and Kim Il (). His professional wrestling career spanned from the late-1950s ...

(1 time) ** NWA United National Championship ( 1 time) *

** Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with

Strong Kobayashi Shozo "Strong" Kobayashi (, 25 December 1940 – 31 December 2021), also known by the stage name Strong Kongô, was a Japanese professional wrestler and actor. He is known for his appearances with International Wrestling Enterprise and New Japan ...

** NWA North American Tag Team Championship ''(Los Angeles/Japan version)'' ( 3 times) - with

Antonio Inoki (born ; 20 February 1943 – 1 October 2022) was a Japanese professional wrestler, Glossary of professional wrestling terms#school, professional wrestling trainer, martial arts, martial artist, politician, and Promoter (entertainment), promot ...

(1 time) and Strong Kobayashi (2 times) ** NWF North American Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time) ** WWF North American Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time, final) ** World League (

1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...

1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...

) ** Greatest 18 Club inductee ** Greatest Wrestlers (Class of 2007) *

NWA Hollywood Wrestling NWA Hollywood Wrestling (sometimes referred to as NWA Los Angeles) was a professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Los Angeles, California in the United States that promoted professional wrestling matches throughout Southern California. It ...

** NWA North American Tag Team Championship ''(Los Angeles/Japan version)'' ( 2 times) - with

(1 time) and

Riki Choshu , better known by his ring name , is a South Korean-Japanese retirement, retired Puroresu, professional wrestler who is best known for his longtime work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) as both a wrestler and a Booker (professional wrestling), bo ...

(1 time) ** NWA United National Championship ( 1 time) **

World Tag League The World Tag League may refer to any of the following professional wrestling tournaments held in Japan: * World Tag League (JWA), 1970 to 1972, hosted by Japanese Wrestling Association * World Tag League (NJPW), annually since 1991, hosted by New ...

(1971) - with

**World Tag League (1972) - with Akihisa Takachiho * NWA Polynesian Wrestling **NWA Polynesian Pacific Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Lars Anderson *''

Pro Wrestling Illustrated ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publishing Group. The maga ...

'' **PWI ranked him # 146 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003 *''

Tokyo Sports is a Japanese daily sports newspaper founded in 1960. See also * Tokyo Sports Film Award * Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards References External links

* http://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp Official website 1960 establishments in Japan Da ...

'' ** Best Tag Team Award (1975) with

**Best Tag Team Award (1976) with Strong Kobayashi ** Fighting Spirit Award (1977) **

Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...

(1990, 2012) ** Outstanding Performance Award (1976) ** Special Award (2003)

References

External links

*
Seiji Sakaguchi at Puroresu.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sakaguchi, Seiji 1942 births 20th-century male professional wrestlers 20th-century Japanese professional wrestlers Living people Japanese male actors Japanese male judoka Japanese male professional wrestlers Japanese catch wrestlers Japanese male mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing judo Judoka trainers People from Kurume Professional wrestling promoters Japanese professional wrestling trainers Stampede Wrestling alumni All Asia Tag Team Champions NWF North American Heavyweight Champions NWA North American Tag Team Champions (Los Angeles/Japan version) NWA United National Champions NWA International Tag Team Champions G1 Climax winners WWF North American Heavyweight Champions 20th-century Japanese sportsmen