| Ring name(s) | Gran Naniwa The Claw |
|---|---|
| Billed height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Billed weight | 98 kg (220 lb) |
| Born | February 15, 1977 Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Died | October 6, 2010 (aged 33) |
| Trained by | Great Sasuke |
| Debut | June 2, 1993 |
Gran Naniwa (愚乱・浪花) (February 15, 1977 - October 6, 2010)[1] was a Japanese professional wrestler. Naniwa was known for his comedic gimmick, in which he performed mannerisms of crabs.[2] This was also reflected upon in the design of his wrestling mask.
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Naniwa debuted professionally in 1993 in Michinoku Pro Wrestling, immediately making an impact as one of the most popular faces within the company. His first major attempt at becoming a top performer saw him compete in the 1995 Super J Cup. Naniwa managed to get to the quarterfinals, but he was later eliminated by Jushin Liger, who later went on to win the Super J Cup.[1] In the late 1990s, Naniwa competed in the United States for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he wrestled Gran Hamada in January 1998 at the ECW House Party event.[2] After this, Naniwa took a brief hiatus for a few years but made his return in 2006, again under his Gran Naniwa ring name, competing in a match for New Japan Pro Wrestling's now defunct WRESTLE LAND "brand".
Naniwa died on October 6, 2010 due to a heart attack at the age of 33, although many wrestling news outlets mistakenly stated that Naniwa was 34.