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Mr. Hito
(April 25, 1942 – April 21, 2010), better known as Mr. Hito, was a Japanese professional wrestler who competed in North American and Japanese regional promotions from the 1950s until the mid-1980s. Most notably, he was the tag team partner of Mr. Moto (who was one of the earliest Japanese "heels") while wrestling in National Wrestling Alliance regional territories during the late 1950s. He is perhaps best known for his work in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling, where he won multiple championship titles. He is also highly regarded by Bret Hart as his most significant trainer alongside Kazuo Sakurada (a.k.a. Mr. Sakurada), who he trained with extensively in Stu Hart's "Dungeon." Sumo wrestling career Katsuji Adachi debuted in sumo wrestling in 1956 at the age of 14. He was part of the Dewanoumi stable under the shikona Naniwakai. His highest rank was ''Makushita'' 17. He retired from sumo in January 1967. Professional wrestling career Japan (1967–1973) Katsuji Adachi debu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tennōji-ku, Osaka
is one of 24 wards of Osaka, Japan. It is named after the ''Shitennō-ji'' (Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings), which is located in the ward. General information Tennōji Station is the city's main southeastern rail terminal with Osaka Municipal Subway's Tennōji Station Midōsuji Line and Tanimachi Line, JR Tennōji as the terminus of the JR Hanwa Line (and a major stop on the Kyoto Line, Osaka Loop Line, Yamatoji Line and Kansai Airport Line) and the Kintetsu Abenobashi Station, directly across the street from Tennōji station is the terminus of the Minami Osaka Line. As a result of its being a major railway hub, it has become a major built up area in southern Osaka. The buildings around the station include, the Kintetsu department store, Mio, Station Plaza, and Hoop shopping malls, Apollo Movie Theater and Lucias shopping mall, as well as the more recent Q's Mall. In addition, there are several shopping streets in the area including Abenobashisuji. The Kintetsu Abeno H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Japan Wrestling Association
The was the first professional wrestling promotion to be based in Japan. It operated from 1953 to 1973. History JWA under Rikidōzan (1953–1963) Rikidōzan, a former ''rikishi'' ( sumo wrestling practitioner) who had debuted as a Western-style professional wrestler in 1951, decided in 1953 to establish a territory that would represent the National Wrestling Alliance in Japan. In those early days, Japanese professional wrestlers came from out of the sumo or judo ranks; former sumotori usually used their shikona (Rikidōzan, Azumafuji, Toyonobori, etc.) while former judokas usually used their real names or modifications of them ( Masahiko Kimura, Michiaki Yoshimura, etc.) Rikidōzan pushed himself as the top star of the promotion, first battling other Japanese wrestlers such as Kimura and Toshio Yamaguchi, but found a strong niche in feuds with American wrestlers such as Lou Thesz, The Destroyer and Bobo Brazil. In 1957 he defeated Thesz to win the title that would be the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Red Lyons
Willem Snip (17 May 1932 – 22 June 2009) was a Canadian professional wrestler, who wrestled under the ring name Billy Red Lyons. He was an active wrestler between 1956 and 1985, and won numerous championships throughout his career. He worked for promotions in both Canada and the United States, particularly in Ontario, California, Minneapolis, Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma. Lyons won numerous tag team championships throughout his career, including with Dick Beyer, who was his real-life brother-in-law, as well as Fritz Von Erich, Bill Watts, and Ray Gunkel. He also won singles championships, including the NWA Texas Heavyweight Championship. Lyons also wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) at various times between 1976 and 1985. After his retirement from in-ring competition, he would work for Maple Leaf Wrestling in Toronto and the World Wrestling Federation. Career Snip made his debut in 1956, under the name Billy Lyons, but soon became known as Billy Red Lyons, du ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Miller (wrestler)
William M. Miller (June 5, 1927 – March 24, 1997) was an American professional wrestler. He is a one time American Wrestling Association world champion and also wrestled in the National Wrestling Alliance, the World Wrestling Association in Indianapolis and the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Professional wrestling career Prior to his professional wrestling career, Miller was a Nine-letterman at Ohio State University in wrestling, football and track. He was an All-American heavyweight wrestler, a two-time Big Ten heavyweight champion, and Conference MVP his senior year. He was also an All-American shot-put and discus track star. He was voted into the Ohio State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997 for both wrestling and track. Miller then began to wrestle professionally in Columbus, Ohio under the promoter, Al Haft. He became a Veterinarian while starting his wrestling career, hence, the "Dr." in his name. He wrestled as "Mr. M" in the Minneapolis-St.Paul are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bobo Brazil
Houston Harris (July 10, 1924 – January 20, 1998) was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Bobo Brazil. Credited with breaking down barriers of racial segregation in professional wrestling, Harris is considered one of the first successful African-American professional wrestlers. Early life Houston Harris was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, but later lived in East St. Louis, Illinois, and Benton Harbor, Michigan. His father died when he was seven years old, which resulted in him doing odd jobs such as working on a local fruit farm for fifty cents a container. He played baseball in the Negro leagues for The House of David, where he was discovered to become a wrestler at a steel mill. Professional wrestling career Harris was trained by Joe Savoldi after meeting him at matches at the Naval Armory. Savoldi originally named Harris, BuBu Brasil, "The South American Giant," where he wrestled using a sequined satin cape stitched together by his wife, b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
André The Giant
André René Roussimoff (; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess growth hormone. It also led to him being called "The Eighth Wonder of the World". Beginning his career in 1966, Roussimoff relocated to North America in 1971. From 1973 to the mid-1980s, Roussimoff was booked by World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) promoter Vincent J. McMahon as a roving "special attraction" who wrestled for promotions throughout the United States, as well as in Japan for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. During the 1980s wrestling boom, Roussimoff became a mainstay of the WWWF (by then renamed the World Wrestling Federation), being paired with the villainous manager Bobby Heenan and feuding with Hulk Hogan. The two headlined WrestleMania III in 1987, and in 1988, he defeated Hogan to win the WWF Championship, his so ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kiel Auditorium
Kiel Auditorium was an indoor arena located in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the home of the St. Louis University basketball team and hosted the NBA's St. Louis Hawks, from 1955 to 1968. The site was home to Charles H. Turpin's Booker T. Washington Theater where performers included his brother Tom Turpin. The new municipal arena that replaced it was completed in 1934, at a cost of $6 million, seated 9,300 and was built by Fruin-Colnon Construction. It was originally named the Municipal Auditorium, but was renamed in honor of former St. Louis Mayor Henry Kiel in 1943. A unique feature of the auditorium was that it was split into two; the front of the building was the Kiel Opera House. It was possible to use both sides at once as the stages were back to back. President Harry Truman gave a speech there in which both sides were opened to see his speech. The Kiel Auditorium replaced the St. Louis Coliseum as the city's main indoor arena. In 1955, the auditorium was also t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jumbo Tsuruta
, better known by his ring name , was a Japanese professional wrestler who wrestled for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) for most of his career, and is well known for being the first ever Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, having won the PWF Heavyweight Championship, the NWA United National Championship, and the NWA International Heavyweight Championship, and unifying the three titles. He is also known for being one-half of the first World Tag Team Champions with Yoshiaki Yatsu, having won the NWA International Tag Team Championship and the PWF Tag Team Championship, and unifying the two titles. Early life Tsuruta participated in many sports, such as swimming, basketball, and sumo, while attending Hikawa Senior High School in Yamanashi-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture. Amateur wrestling career While at Chuo University, he began an amateur wrestling career. He won the All Japan Amateur Wrestling Championship in freestyle and Greco-Roman as a superheavyweight (at the time, an un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shinya Kojika
, known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. He co-founded the promotion Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW). Kojika is the oldest active Japanese wrestler as well as the one with the longest career, having debuted in 1963. He is also the oldest active wrestler in the world. Career Early career (1963–1967) Kojika made his debut on October 13, 1963 for Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance (JWA) against Kakutaro Koma (future NWA World Middleweight Champion Mashio Koma). In 1967, he left Japan to wrestle in North America. North America (1967-1970) In 1967, Kojika made his debut in North America for NWA Mid-America in Tennessee. He teamed with Motoshi Okuma and they also worked for Georgia Championship Wrestling. They disbanded in 1968 and Kojika went to Florida, Detroit and St. Louis. In 1969, Kojika went to Los Angeles and won the NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship by defeating Pepper Martin on November 19. A month later he dropped the title back to Martin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
NWA Central States
Heart of America Sports Attractions, also known as the Midwest Wrestling Association, Central States Wrestling and the World Wrestling Alliance, was an American professional wrestling promotion that ran shows mainly in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. Due to the promotion's main office and base of operations being in Kansas City, Missouri the territory was often referred to simply as "Kansas City". The promotion existed from July 1948 until it closed in 1988. The territory was one of the original territories of the National Wrestling Alliance with two of the six "founding fathers" of the NWA (Paul "Pinkie" George and Orville Brown) promoting in it. History Midwest Wrestling Association Originally known as the "Midwest Wrestling Association" before the formation of the National Wrestling Alliance it controlled and booked shows territories in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa and was seen as a cornerstone of the NWA. It joined the NWA in October 1948. The territory was prom ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Percival A
Percival (, also spelled Perceval, Parzival), alternatively called Peredur (), was one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. First mentioned by the French author Chrétien de Troyes in the tale ''Perceval, the Story of the Grail'', he is best known for being the original hero in the quest for the Grail, before being replaced in later English and French literature by Galahad. Etymology and origin The earliest reference to Perceval is in Chrétien de Troyes's first Arthurian romance ''Erec et Enide'', where, as "Percevaus li Galois" (Percevaus of Wales), he appears in a list of Arthur's knights; in another of Chrétien's romances, '' Cligés'', he is a "renowned vassal" who is defeated by the knight Cligés in a tournament. He then becomes the protagonist in Chrétien's final romance, ''Perceval, the Story of the Grail''. In the Welsh romance '' Peredur son of Efrawg'', the figure goes by the name Peredur. The name "Peredur" may derive from Welsh ''par'' (sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great Kojika
, known by his ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestler. He co-founded the promotion Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW). Kojika is the oldest active Japanese wrestler as well as the one with the longest career, having debuted in 1963. He is also the oldest active wrestler in the world. Career Early career (1963–1967) Kojika made his debut on October 13, 1963 for Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance (JWA) against Kakutaro Koma (future NWA World Middleweight Champion Mashio Koma). In 1967, he left Japan to wrestle in North America. North America (1967-1970) In 1967, Kojika made his debut in North America for NWA Mid-America in Tennessee. He teamed with Motoshi Okuma and they also worked for Georgia Championship Wrestling. They disbanded in 1968 and Kojika went to Florida, Detroit and St. Louis. In 1969, Kojika went to Los Angeles and won the NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship by defeating Pepper Martin on November 19. A month later he dropped the title back to Martin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
