Rikidōzan

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Kim Sin-nak
Statistics
Ring name(s) Rikidōzan
Mitsuhiro Momota
Billed height 5 ft 9½ in (177 cm)
Billed weight 240 lb (108 kg)
Born November 14, 1924 (1924-11-14)
South Hamgyong, Korea
Died December 15, 1963 (aged 39)
Billed from Nagasaki, Japan
Debut October 28, 1951

Kim Sin-nak, better known as Rikidōzan (Japanese: 力道山, Korean: 역도산, November 14, 1924 - December 15, 1963), was a Korean professional wrestler, known as the "Father of Puroresu" and one of the most influential men in wrestling history.[citation needed] He was credited with bringing the sport of professional wrestling to Japan at a time when the Japanese needed a local hero to look up to and was lauded as a Japanese hero - although ironically was not Japanese at all, but Korean. Rikidōzan is of similar professional wrestling fame in Japan as Santo in Mexico, or Hulk Hogan in the United States.

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] Early years

Born Kim Sin-nak (or Kim Sin-rak) (Hangul: 김신락; Hanja: 金信洛) in South Hamgyong, Korea on November 14, 1924), he travelled to Japan and trained to be a sumo wrestler. He joined Nishonoseki stable and made his debut in May 1940. Due to the discrimination against Koreans by the Japanese at the time, Shin-rak claimed that his name was Mitsuhiro Momota (Momota being the surname of the family which adopted, but later disowned, him) and listed his birthplace as Omura, Nagasaki. He was given the shikona of Rikidozan. He reached the top makuuchi division in 1946 and was runner-up to yokozuna Haguroyama in the tournament of June 1947. He fought in 23 tournaments in total, with a win-loss record of 135-82. His highest rank was sekiwake.

[edit] Professional wrestling

Rikidozan gave up sumo in 1950. Although he claimed it was for financial reasons, discrimination against Koreans may have been a contributory factor.[1] He made his professional wrestling debut in 1951 with a ten minute draw against Bobby Bruns. He established himself as Japan's biggest wrestling star by defeating one American wrestler after another. This was shortly after World War II, and the Japanese needed someone who could stand up to the Americans. Rikidōzan thus became immensely popular in Japan. His American opponents assisted him by portraying themselves as villains who cheated in their matches. Ironically, Rikidōzan himself was always booked as a villain when he wrestled in America.

Rikidōzan gained worldwide renown when he defeated Lou Thesz for the NWA International Heavyweight Championship on August 27, 1958. In another match, Thesz willingly agreed to put over Rikidōzan at the expense of his own reputation. This built up mutual respect between the two wrestlers, and Rikidōzan never forgot what Thesz did. He would go on to capture several NWA titles in matches both in Japan and overseas. Rikidōzan also trained professional wrestling students, including soon-to-be wrestling legends Kanji "Antonio" Inoki, Ooki Kintaro, and Shohei "Giant" Baba.

Riki MansionRikidōzan's expensive apartment in Japan, called the Mansion.As it existed in October, 2007
Riki Mansion
Rikidōzan's expensive apartment in Japan, called the Mansion.
As it existed in October, 2007

His signature move was the karate chop, which was actually based on sumo's harite, rather than actual karate. It is rumoured that he had been coached by fellow Korean Masutatsu Oyama, but he is more likely to have been coached by another Korean karateka, Nakamura Hideo.

With his success in pro wrestling, Rikidōzan began acquiring properties such as nightclubs, hotels, condominium and boxing promotions. He established the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance (JWA), Japan's first professional wrestling promotion, in 1953. His first major feud was against Masahiko Kimura, the famous judoka who had been invited by Rikidōzan to compete as a professional wrestler. Other famous feuds included those against Thesz in 1957-58, against Freddie Blassie in 1962, and against The Destroyer in 1963. Two of his matches are still (as of 2002) in the top ten rated television programs of all time in Japan.[2] His October 6, 1957 sixty-minute draw with Lou Thesz for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship drew an 87.0 rating, and his May 24, 1963 sixty-minute two out of three falls draw with The Destroyer drew a 67.0 rating, but a larger viewing audience (the largest in Japanese history) than the previous match, since by 1963 more people had television sets.

[edit] Death

Sannoh HospitalRikidōzan entered this hospital after being fatally injured.
Sannoh Hospital
Rikidōzan entered this hospital after being fatally injured.

On December 8, 1963, while partying in a Tokyo nightclub, Rikidōzan was stabbed with a urine-soaked blade by gangster Katsuji Murata. Reportedly, Rikidōzan threw Murata out of the club and continued to party, refusing to seek medical help.[3] Another report states that Rikidōzan did indeed see his physician shortly after the incident, and was told the wound was not serious. He died a week later of peritonitis on December 15.

One of his sons, Mitsuo Momota, followed his father into the ring in 1970 and still competes in Pro Wrestling NOAH, but was never able to earn the recognition that once made his father famous.

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

  • NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Bobby Bruns (1), Azumafuji (1) and Koukichi Endoh (1)
  • North American Wrestling Alliance

[edit] Sumo Top Division Record

Rikidozan Mitsuhiro[4]
January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 March
Haru basho, Osaka		 May
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya		 September
Aki basho, Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1946 x x x x West Maegashira #17
9–4
 		 x
1947 x x East Maegashira #8
9–1
 		 x East Maegashira #3
6–5
 		 x
1948 x x East Maegashira #2
8–3
O★		 x East Komusubi
6–5
 		 x
1949 West Komusubi
8–5
 		 x West Sekiwake
3–12
 		 x West Maegashira #2
8–7
★		 x
1950 West Komusubi
10–5
 		 x West Sekiwake
8–7
 		 x West Sekiwake
Retired
0–0–15		 x
Record given as win-loss-absent    Championship Retired Demoted from makuuchi

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

[edit] Popular culture

In 2004, A South Korean film, Rikidōzan was made about the life of the wrestler, with Sol Kyung-gu playing the titular role.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Weiner, Michael (2004). Race, Ethnicity and Migration in Modern Japan. Routledge, 166. 0-415-20854-8. 
  2. ^ Mollinaro, J.F: The Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time, p. 19, Winding Stair Press, 2002
  3. ^ Mollinaro, p. 19
  4. ^ Rikidozan Mitsuhiro Rikishi Information (English). Sumo Reference. Retrieved on 2007-10-15.

[edit] Further reading

Li, Ho In (1989). I Am a Korean The story of the world professional wrestling champion Rikidozan (in English). Pyongyang, (North) Korea: Foreign Languages Pub. House. OCLC 25966342. “Biography of Rikidozan” 

Whiting, Robert (1999). Tokyo Underworld The fast times and hard life of an American gangster in Japan. New York: Pantheon Books. ISBN 0679419764. OCLC 39169916. “Discusses Rikidozan's impact on Japanese pop-culture and the Yakuza underworld during the American occupation of Japan, and also includes a small photo collection of Rikidozan, and his killer, Katsuji Murata” 

[edit] External links