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Hisao Tanaka
Martin Hisao Tanaka (April 22, 1921 – June 30, 1991) was an American professional wrestler better known as Duke Keomuka. He is the father of wrestler Pat Tanaka and referee Jimmy Tanaka. Biography Because he was a Japanese American in California during World War II, Tanaka was interned at Manzanar following the signing of Executive Order 9066. In the 1950s, Keomuka formed a very successful tag team with Hiro Matsuda. Keomuka was also a top wrestler in the 1950s and the 1960s while competing in Texas before settling in Florida. Keomuka died on June 30, 1991, at the age of 70. His son was scheduled for a match teaming up with Paul Diamond (who at the time worked as Kato of the Orient Express tag team) to take on Haku and The Barbarian but didn't arrive as his father died the day before the match, so his manager Mr. Fuji took his place. Championships and achievements *50th State Big Time Wrestling **NWA Hawaii Heavyweight Championship ( 1 time) *Championship Wrestling from Flo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pat Tanaka
Patrick Tanaka (born August 5, 1961) is an American professional wrestler best known for his work in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) as one half of Badd Company and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) as one half of The Orient Express. He is the son of Duke Keomuka. In his career, which has spanned more than three decades, Tanaka has worked for the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Professional wrestling career Early career (1984-1986) Trained by his father, Duke Keomuka, Hiro Matsuda, and the New Japan Pro-Wrestling Dojo, Pat Tanaka debuted in 1984 for NJPW. During his time there, he wrestled the likes of Keiichi Yamada, Shunji Kosugi, Black Cat, Naoki Sano, Tatsutoshi Goto, Shinichi Nakano, and Hirokazu Hata. After a year in New Japan, Tanaka started wrestling as a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Class Championship Wrestling
World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), later known as the World Class Wrestling Association (WCWA), was an American professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich.Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.129) Beginning as a territory of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), it went independent in 1986 in a bid to become a major national promotion, but was unsuccessful in its attempts and eventually went out of business in 1990. Rights to the pre-1989 WCCW tape library belong to WWE (the post-1988 rights are owned by International World Class Championship Wrestling) and select episodes from 1982 to 1988 are available on the WWE Network. World Class Championship Wrestling experienced tremendous success from 1981–1985, shattering attendance records and ac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1991 Deaths
This is a list of lists of deaths of notable people, organized by year. New deaths articles are added to their respective month (e.g., Deaths in ) and then linked below. 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 Earlier years ''Deaths in years earlier than this can usually be found in the main articles of the years.'' See also * Lists of deaths by day * Deaths by year (category) {{DEFAULTSORT:deaths by year ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1921 Births
Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish liner ''Santa Isabel'' breaks in two and sinks off Villa Garcia, Mexico, with the loss of 244 of the 300 people on board. * January 16 – The Marxist Left in Slovakia and the Transcarpathian Ukraine holds its founding congress in Ľubochňa. * January 17 – The first recorded public performance of the illusion of "sawing a woman in half" is given by English stage magician P. T. Selbit at the Finsbury Park Empire variety theatre in London. * January 20 – British K-class submarine HMS K5, HMS ''K5'' sinks in the English Channel; all 57 on board are lost. * January 21 – The full-length Silent film, silent comedy drama film ''The Kid (1921 film), The Kid'', written, produced, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin (in his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fritz Von Erich
Jack Barton Adkisson Sr. (August 16, 1929 – September 10, 1997), better known by his ring name Fritz Von Erich, was an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, wrestling promoter, and the patriarch of the Von Erich family. He was a 3-time World Heavyweight Championship (professional wrestling), world champion and a 6-time WCWA World Heavyweight Championship, NWA United States Champion. He was the owner of World Class Championship Wrestling. Football career Adkisson attended Southern Methodist University, where he threw discus and played football. He has been reported to have played with the now defunct Dallas Texans (NFL), Dallas Texans of the NFL (not the American Football League, AFL team which became the Kansas City Chiefs), but this is not true. He was signed as a guard but was cut. He then tried the Canadian Football League (CFL). Professional wrestling career Early career and training While in Edmonton, he met wrestler and trainer Stu Hart, and Hart deci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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), promoter of professional wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA). He is best known as the founder and 33-year owner of New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is considered to be one of the most influential professional wrestlers of all time, and one of the biggest key influences on MMA in Japan and internationally. After spending his adolescence in Brazil, Inoki began his professional wrestling career in the 1960s for the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance (JWA) under the tutelage of Rikidōzan. After he changed his in-ring moniker to Antonio Inoki in 1963, a Homage (arts), homage to accomplished Italian wrestler Antonino Rocca, Inoki became one of the most popular stars in Professional wrestling in Japan, Japanese professional wrestling. He is credited wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NWA Texas World Tag Team Championship
The Texas version (or East Texas version) of the NWA World Tag Team Championship was the main tag team professional wrestling championship in the Dallas/Houston-based Southwest Sports territory of the National Wrestling Alliance. While the name indicates that it was defended worldwide, this version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship was mainly defended in the eastern part of Texas. The championship was created in 1957 and actively promoted by Southwest Sports until 1968, when it was abandoned. The championship was later brought back by the Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) promotion in 1981, and was used until 1982 when WCCW decided to use the NWA American Tag Team Championship as their top tag team championship. As it is a professional wrestling championship, it is won not by actual competition, but by a scripted ending to a match. The NWA Board of Directors allowed any member of the NWA to create a version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship, which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Texas Version)
The Texas version (or East Texas version) of the NWA World Tag Team Championship was the main tag team professional wrestling championship in the Dallas/Houston-based Southwest Sports territory of the National Wrestling Alliance. While the name indicates that it was defended worldwide, this version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship was mainly defended in the eastern part of Texas. The championship was created in 1957 and actively promoted by Southwest Sports until 1968, when it was abandoned. The championship was later brought back by the Dallas-based World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) promotion in 1981, and was used until 1982 when WCCW decided to use the WCWA World Tag Team Championship, NWA American Tag Team Championship as their top tag team championship. As it is a professional wrestling championship, it is won not by actual competition, but by a kayfabe, scripted ending to a match. The NWA Board of Directors allowed any member of the NWA to create a version of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Tolos
John Tolos, nicknamed "The Golden Greek", (April 5, 1931 – May 28, 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler, and professional wrestling manager. Professional wrestling career Tolos was born on April 5, 1931, in Hamilton, Ontario to Greek parents, Nicolaos and Evangelia (Evangeline) Tolos. During the 1950s and 60s, he was part of The Canadian Wrecking Crew with his brother Chris Tolos. On December 28, 1963, they captured the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship in Teaneck, New Jersey in two straight falls from Gorilla Monsoon and Killer Kowalski. While both teams were heels at the time, the Tolos Brothers did a television interview prior to the title match, "looking forward" to seeing all of their fans in Teaneck. That night, they were cheered throughout. As a vicious heel known as the "Golden Greek", Tolos also engaged in a long time rivalry with "Classy" Freddie Blassie in the LeBell family's World Wrestling Association, often feuding over the Americas Champ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kinji Shibuya
Robert "Kinji" Shibuya (May 16, 1921 – May 3, 2010) was an American professional wrestler and actor. Early life, family and education Shibuya was born in Utah. He and his four brothers were raised in California. He attended Belmont High School in Los Angeles. He attended college at Los Angeles City College and University of Hawaiʻi, playing football at both Career After college, Shibuya played semi-professional football for the Honolulu Polar Bears and Honolulu Warriors. He performed sumo and jiu-jitsu as well. In 1952, promoter Al Karasick suggested Shibuya try professional wrestling. He was originally given a gimmick of a Japanese heel, leveraging anti-Japanese sentiment stemming from World War II. He wrestled in the US and Canada's Stampede Wrestling and All-Star Wrestling. Shibuya credited Verne Gagne for first making him popular as a villain in 1955. Shibuya was a frequent tag team partner of Mitsu Arakawa, who was billed as his cousin. In 1957, they held the M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tiny Mills
Henry W. Mittlestadt (December 7, 1912 to June 24, 1987), best known by his ring name, Tiny Mills, was a Canadian professional wrestler. He often teamed with his brother Al Mills as the tag team Murder Incorporated (Murder Inc.). Later on Stan "Krusher" Kowalski would replace Al Mills as part of Murder Incorporated. Professional wrestling career Mills started his wrestling career at the Maple Leaf Gardens in 1953. Teaming with his elder brother Al Mills, who had been wrestling since the 1930s, they were billed as "Murder Incorporated." Al and Tiny won Toronto's NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship in the debut year, defeating the Canadian dream team of Whipper Billy Watson and Yvon Robert. They drew huge houses at Maple Leaf Gardens that year. They traded the Championship with Watson and Hombre Montana as well as Ernie and Emil Dusek in 1954 and won the Championship once more in 1955, which was also the year Al made his final wrestling appearance in Toronto. After the death ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Kalmikoffs
The Kalmikoffs were a professional wrestling group of fictitious Soviet brothers. It began as a tag team consisting of Ivan (Edward Bogucki) and Karol (Karol Piwoworczyk) who were later joined by "brothers" Nikita (Nikita Mulkovitch) and Stan (or Igor) ( Eric Pomeroy). They were very successful in the mid-1950s to early 1960s, especially the original tag team of Ivan and Karol. History The original two members debuted on October 28, 1953 in Amarillo, Texas as Ivan Kalmikoff and Karol Krauser against George and Jack Curtis. Already known as the Kalmikoffs, they later became fictional brothers; they also became a successful tag team in the Minneapolis territory (future American Wrestling Association) and in Canada winning several titles. In 1962, after the formation of the AWA, Karol shortly left the promotion and Ivan begun teaming with another brother, Nikita with some success. After Karol returned to the AWA, the original duo won the AWA World Tag Team Championships. By 1963 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
