Genichiro Tenryu

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Genichiro Tenryu
Statistics
Ring name(s) Genichiro Tenryu
Billed height 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Billed weight 120 kg (265 lb)
Born February 2, 1950
Katsuyama, Fukui
Trained by Dory Funk, Jr.
Terry Funk
Debut November 13, 1976
vs Ted DiBiase

Genichiro Tenryu (天龍源一郎 Tenryū Gen'ichirō), real name Genichiro Shimada (嶋田源一郎 Shimada Gen'ichirō, born February 2, 1950), is a Japanese professional wrestler. At age 13, he entered sumo wrestling and stayed there for 13 years, after which he turned to Western-style professional wrestling. "Tenryu" was his sumo fighting name or "shikona".

[edit] Career

Tenryu had a reasonably successful sumo career, being ranked as a sekitori for 27 tournaments, 16 of them in the top makuuchi division. His highest rank was Maegashira 1. He retired from sumo in September 1976 at the early age of 26 after a dispute with the Japan Sumo Association over his transfer to a newly created training stable.

Scouted by Giant Baba, the All Japan Pro Wrestling owner, Tenryu was sent to the Amarillo territory to get trained by Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk, and made his debut there. After returning to Japan, he stayed in the undercard until about 1982 when he began to get a slight push in that year's Champion Carnival tournament. In 1983, following a brief stint in Jim Crockett Promotions, his push began in earnest when Jumbo Tsuruta pursued the NWA International heavyweight title, now the main title in the Triple Crown.

1984 saw Tenryu winning the NWA United National title, now also part of the Triple Crown, as well as the NWA International tag team title with Tsuruta. Their combination was called "Kakuryu" (鶴 = kaku = tsuru (the "tsuru" in Tsuruta) + 龍 = ryū in Tenryū). The team feuded with Riki Chōshū and Yoshiaki Yatsu, who were the leaders in an "invasion" angle by the Japan Pro-Wrestling promotion, an All Japan satellite made up of former New Japan Pro Wrestling talent.

In 1987, following the departure of the Japan Pro talent, Kakuryu broke up after losing the tag team titles to the Road Warriors, which led to Tenryu forming his own stable, "Revolution", with former International Pro Wrestling wrestlers Ashura Hara and Hiromichi Fuyuki, as well as All Japan rookies Toshiaki Kawada and Yoshinari Ogawa. Tenryu and Hara feuded with Tsuruta and his new partner Yatsu over the PWF (Pacific Wrestling Federation) tag team titles and later with their replacement, the Double Cup tag team titles (a combination of the PWF and International tag belts). Hara was kicked out of the promotion in late 1988, and Tenryu replaced him with Stan Hansen, with whom he held the Double Cup as well.

1989 was Tenryu's banner year. Tsuruta became the first Triple Crown champion on April 18 of that year, and just two days later Tenryu became his first challenger. The Tsuruta-Tenryu series that ensued set the standard for all Triple Crown matches and feuds to follow. When Tenryu won the belts on June 5, the match was so spectacular it was deemed Match of the Year by major Japanese publications. The same year saw him finally pin his mentor Baba, albeit in a tag match - but still a major success for a Japanese wrestler. Only Mitsuharu Misawa would follow him to that. In addition, Tenryu was chosen to be one-third of the NWA World 6-Man Tag Team Champions with the Road Warriors after the Road Warriors turned heel against their former co-holder of the title, Dusty Rhodes. However, Tenryu's increasing commitments to All Japan meant less time to wrestle in the United States, and this resulted in the six man championship being vacated and temporarily being abandoned until 1991, when it was temporarily resurrected as a World Championship Wrestling championship.

Tenryu's most high-profile North American match was for World Wrestling Entertainment in 1991 at WrestleMania VII, where he teamed with Koji Kitao to defeat Demolition. He also appeared in both the 1993 Royal Rumble and 1994 Royal Rumble, where he made it to the final five but was eliminated by eventual co-winners Lex Luger and Bret Hart. In storyline, he and The Great Kabuki had been hired as mercenaries by Yokozuna's manager, Mr. Fuji, to attack Luger.

In 1990, Tenryu left All Japan to form SWS. After its collapse in 1992, Tenryu, aided by Masatomo Takei (brother of his wife Makiyo) formed WAR. WAR became his base from where he would take on top wrestlers from other promotions, such as Atsushi Onita, Nobuhiko Takada, The Great Muta, Shinya Hashimoto and Masahiro Chono, all of whom he defeated. He also traded victories with Tatsumi Fujinami and Antonio Inoki, thus becoming the only Japanese to defeat both Inoki and Baba by pinfall.

In 1998, as WAR went into decline, Tenryu began an earnest comeback, this time in New Japan. He first allied with Shiro Koshinaka, and they won the IWGP tag team belts from Team Wolf, Masa Chono and Hiroyoshi Tenzan. In December 1999, Tenryu made history as the first native to win the top two distinctions of professional wrestling in Japan (All Japan's Triple Crown and New Japan's IWGP heavyweight title) by beating Muta for the IWGP. (The first man to win both titles was Big Van Vader, an American.)

In 2000, following the near-collapse of All Japan due to the Pro Wrestling NOAH split, Tenryu closed WAR and rejoined All Japan, eager to test his mettle against the remaining ace, his former disciple Kawada. Tenryu beat Kawada in the subsequent tournament for the vacant Triple Crown, winning the belts for a second time. In his second stay in All Japan, he would capture the belts a third time and also the Double Cup with former WAR-UWFI feud rival Yoji Anjo.

In 2003, he joined World Japan for a few matches, but as it declined rapidly, he switched back and forth aimlessly between New Japan and All Japan.

In 2005, he entered NOAH himself, and with impending feuds with Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, and other wrestlers he knew from his first All Japan stint, as well as new faces he's never met in the ring before, such as Jun Akiyama, Tenryu is sure to make a spectacular third comeback.

Tenryu was the first native Japanese to break the tradition of promotional boundaries, and to fight anyone, regardless of promotion or style. Because of this, he is often referred to by Japanese fans as "Mr. Puroresu". It's a credit to his ability that he's remained a superstar and a heavyweight title contender even past the age of 50.

[edit] In wrestling

  • Finishing and signature moves
  • Rarely used moves

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

  • Others
  • Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) ranked him #44 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
  • He was also ranked twice in the best tag teams of the "PWI Years". He was ranked # 14 with Jumbo Tsuruta and # 30 with Ashura Hara.
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