Rikidōzan

Zainichi Korean professional wrestler (1924-1963)

Rikidozan (1924 - December 15, 1963), was the father of puroresu. He established the puroresu as a popular professional sport in Japan less than a decade after Japan lost the World War II. Continuously defeating Americans with his famous karate chop, he was a hero for the Japanese people who were still depressed from the war. Many of his students became big stars in the sport, including Shohei "Giant" Baba and Antonio Inoki, who are two of the greatest wrestlers in the history of puroresu, and Kintaro Ohki (Kim Il), who was also a superstar in his home country South Korea.

Kim Sin-nak
BornSouth Hamgyong, (North) Korea
DiedDecember 15, 1963(1963-12-15) (aged 39)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Rikidōzan
Mitsuhiro Momota
Billed height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Billed weight110 kg (240 lb)
Billed fromNagasaki, Japan
DebutOctober 28, 1951
Rikidōzan
Japanese name
Kanji力道山
Hiraganaりきどうざん
Katakanaリキドウザン

Because the Koreans were discriminated against in Japan, his real identity was kept secret for many years even after his death. It was always believed that he was born Mitsuhiro Momota in Ohmura, Nagasaki, Japan. Momota is the last name of his adopted parents in Nagasaki.

His 1957/10/6 sixty-minute draw with Lou Thesz for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship drew an 87.0 rating, and his 1963/5/24 sixty-minute draw with The Destroyer drew a 67.0 rating (the 4th largest viewing audience in Japanese history, since by 1963 more people had television sets, thanks to Rikidōzan's popularity).[1]

In wrestling

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  • Finishing moves
    • Mongolian chop
    • Piledriver

Championships and accomplishments

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  • Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame in 1996

Websites

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Puroresu.com

References

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  1. Weiner, Michael; Weiner, Michael (14 February 2019). Race, Ethnicity and Migration in Modern Japan. Routledge. ISBN 9780415208543.