| Seiji Sakaguchi | |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) | Seiji Sakaguchi |
| Billed height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) |
| Billed weight | 130 kg (290 lb) |
| Born | February 17, 1942 Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan |
| Debut | August 5, 1967 |
| Retired | March 15, 1990 |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for Japan | ||
| Men's Judo | ||
| World Championships | ||
| Bronze | 1965 Rio de Janiero | +80 kg |
Seiji Sakaguchi (坂口征二 Sakaguchi Seiji, born February 17, 1942) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler who was a mainstay of New Japan Pro Wrestling and also competed for the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance.
Before becoming a professional wrestler, he was a judo ka with a fifth degree black belt and won the 1965 All Japan Judo Championship. Coach Koji Sone was accused by Geesink's teammates in the 1965 World Judo Championships of having Sakaguchi throw the match against the more rested Matsunaga in order to allow Matsunaga take on the weary Anton Geesink in the final round.[1]
He debuted in August 1967 for the Japan Wrestling Association. He would later join Antonio Inoki in forming New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1972. He retired from the ring in March 1990. He was the president of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1992 to 1993.
At age 61, Seiji Sakaguchi came out of retirement to team up with Masahiro Chono against Yoshihiro Takayama and Shinya Makabe on September 14, 2003.
Sakaguchi had a minor role in the 1982 American film Forced Vengeance.
|
||||||||
| Preceded by Jim Herd |
President of the National Wrestling Alliance 1992–1993 |
Succeeded by Howard Brody, Dennis Coralluzzo, Jim Crockett, Jr. and Steve Rickard |