(March 23, 1956–October 18, 2009) was a Japanese

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

who worked for

All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Bab ...

New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority sh ...

Wrestle Association-R Wrestle Association R (formerly known as Wrestle and Romance and abbreviated as WAR) was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded and run by Genichiro Tenryu as the successor to Super World of Sports, and which lasted from 1992 to 200 ...

and the

National Wrestling Alliance The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) is an American professional wrestling promotion and former professional wrestling governing body operated by its parent company Lightning One, Inc. Founded in 1948, the NWA began as a governing body for a ...

. He won the

WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship The WWWF/WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World (Wide) Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro-Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985. History In April 1994, ...

defeating

Tatsumi Fujinami (born December 28, 1953) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to WWE on a legend's contract. Fujinami is most well known for his long tenure with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a six-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. ...

in 1979.

Career

Ryuma Go began his wrestling training in 1971 at age 15. A year later, he made his professional wrestling debut on September 9, 1972 for

International Wrestling Enterprise International Wrestling Enterprise (国際プロレス興行;, ''Kokusai Puroresu Kogyō'') was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1966 to 1981. Founded by Isao Yoshihara, it was affiliated with the American Wrestling Association ...

. Also in 1972 both

and

started where he would work for both companies for years. In 1974, Go made his debut in North America where he worked in Canada for

Stampede Wrestling Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the pr ...

in Calgary and

NWA All-Star Wrestling NWA All Star Wrestling (sometimes referred to as NWA Vancouver) is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. All-Star Wrestling folded in 1989 but returned in 2007 no longer affiliated with the National Wr ...

in Vancouver under his real name. In 1978, he made his debut in the United States working for NWA Hollywood where he won the NWA Americas tag team titles with

Black Gordman Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white h ...

. On October 2, 1979, Go won the

defeating

in Osaka, two days later he dropped the title back to Fujinami in Tokyo for New Japan. In 1979, he returned to both Calgary and Vancouver. Then in 1980, Go wrestled his last match for

as the company folded in 1981 where Go became a full time worked for New Japan.

UWFi Union of Professional Wrestling Force International, better known as UWF International, U-Inter, or simply UWFi, was a shoot style professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1991 to 1996. The UWF international was the successor to the ''New ...

was formed in 1984 by

Akira Maeda (born Go Il-myeong (Hangul: 고일명, Hanja: 高日明), January 24, 1959) is a Japanese mixed martial arts promoter, writer and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist of Korean descent. Maeda was also known by the ring name ...

Yoshiaki Fujiwara is a Japanese Professional Wrestler and trainer. He is famous for his long career in wrestling, having worked in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE (ZERO-ONE), and the two incarnations of shoot style promotion Universal Wr ...

and other New Japan defectors where Go would team with

Rusher Kimura was a Japanese professional wrestler, best known by his ring name . He was a five-time IWA World Heavyweight Champion, making him a five-time world champion. Sumo wrestling career He was a sumo wrestler under the ''shikona'' Kinomura, a di ...

. Later that same year, Go work in Mexico and work full time for All Japan. Go would return to the States in 1986 working for

American Wrestling Association The American Wrestling Association (AWA) was an American professional wrestling promotion based in Minneapolis, Minnesota that ran from 1960 until 1991. It was owned and founded by Verne Gagne and Wally Karbo. The territory was originally part o ...

(AWA) as the Super Ninja. In 1987, he worked for

UWF Mid-South The Universal Wrestling Federation was a 1986 re-branding of wrestler-turned-owner Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling promotion. Watts' goal was to elevate his promotion from a relatively smaller, regional-level business, to a national-level riva ...

as feduing with Steve Cox. Later that year in the AWA, he changed his name to Mister Go teaming with

Shunji Takano Shunji Takano (高野俊二 ''Takano Shunji'') (born February 16, 1964) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. Early life Takano was born on February 16, 1964. His father was a black American Marine who belonged to the Iwakuni base, and h ...

as the Super Ninja. In 1988, he left AWA and returned to Japan. In 1989, Go started his Pioneer Senshi, the first independent Japanese promotion. In the 1990s he worked for Oriental Pro Wrestling,

Pacific Northwest Wrestling Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW) (also known as Big Time Wrestling and Portland Wrestling) is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. T ...

, and

. Later in his career he worked for more independent Japanese promotions until his retirement in 2000. In 2006, he returned to wrestle for

DDT Pro Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...

and other Japanese promotions. He wrestled his last match on September 3, 2009.

Personal life

On October 18, 2009, Go died he was 53. He suffered a wrist injury while bicycling which got infected and died from blood poisoning.

Championships and accomplishments

* Championship Wrestling USA ** Championship Wrestling USA International Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Jesse Barr * NWA Hollywood ** NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (1 time) **

NWA Americas Tag Team Championship The NWA Americas Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Hollywood Wrestling based out of Los Angeles, California. The championship began as the WWA World Tag Team Championship ...

(2 times) - with Black Gordman and Mr. Toyo *

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

**PWI ranked Ryuma Go # 242 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the

PWI 500 ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publis ...

in 1993 **PWI ranked Ryuma Go # 304 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the

in 1994 **PWI ranked Ryuma Go # 290 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the

in 1995 *''Ring Around The Northwest Newsletter'' **Tag Team of the Year (1993) with Jesse Barr *

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...

(1 time)

References

External links

Ryuma Go (1956-2009) at WrestlingScout
{{DEFAULTSORT:Go, Ryuma 1956 births 2009 deaths 20th-century professional wrestlers 21st-century professional wrestlers Japanese catch wrestlers Japanese male professional wrestlers Deaths from sepsis NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Champions