Rikidozan's Victory Whirlwind

Weekly Pro

15th September 1955

Katsut*

Tokyo Tournament Day 2.

As soon as the gong rang, he leapt out and threw Orton* with strength amazing enough to rival Rikidozan.

On the left is Kruskamp

The Japan-US Pro Wrestling International Tournament, which welcomed world-class wrestlers such as "Ambling Alps" Carnera*, Krukamp*, ​​Orton, Curtis*, and Ortega*, and excited the hearts of Japanese pro wrestling fans, wondering what kind of matches Japan's hopes Rikidozan, Azumafuji*, Endo*, Surugaumi*, and Toyonobori* would put up, began with the first match in Tokyo on July 15th, and then saw thrilling, heated battles all over the country, sometimes resulting in bloodshed, which made fans go wild.

Notes

Katsut: For the linguists, this means "small illustration"

Kruskamp: Harold William "Hardy" Kruskamp

Orton: Bob Orton, the grandfather of Randy Orton

Primo Carnera: Italian boxer and wrestler

Ortega: Bull Ortega

Curtis: Bud Curtis

Azumafuji (Kinichi): Sumo wrestler. Crossed over to pro wrestling in 1955 and after one week was a tag team champion with Rikidozan, however, the two of them never faced each other for a title match, and after being used by Rikidozan as a bit player he retired from pro wrestling in 1958 (interestingly, Rikidozan was in Brazil at the time). He never returned to wrestling or sumo, although he did work as a sumo commentator at times. Sadly (and like most sumo) he died at the young age of 51 in 1973 of colon cancer.

Kokichi Endo: Born March 1926 (the article does not give a date of death for him, but it is unlikely he is still alive). He is the founder of Japanese professional wrestling together with Rikidozan, but Rikidozan is the only one remembered these days. Unlike the majority of the others, he was not a sumo, but a judoka. After the collapse of Japan Pro, he worked for New Japan, being the first wrestler to become a commentator.

Surugaumi: Surugaumi Mitsuo. He retired from sumo in 1945, but entered wrestling after being approached by Rikidozan in the early 1950s. He left wrestling in 1956, after disagreements with Rikidozan, the same year as Azumafuji. He died at the ripe old age of ninety in November 2010. 

Toyonobori: Michiharu Toyonobori, a former sumo wrestler, he had wanted to join the Imperial Japanese Navy, but being born in 1931 meant that by 1947 when he was old enough, the war was over an Japan's army was disbanded. He joined Japan Pro, but fell into the murky world of gambling. Appointed a director after Rikidozan's death, and after spending a period of time as the ace, he left the running of the company (which he had no interest in) to others. He was finally fired, and given the 20 million yen he had gambled away as a severance pay, which means he didn't receive it, it was just used as it. Out of revenge, he persuaded Antonio Inoki not to return to Japan Pro, where he would be second to Baba, but to join his Tokyo Pro Wrestling, but the company collapsed within three months due to a lack of television coverage, weak marketing, and of course, his compulsive gambling with all the proceeds at the Bicycle track, which he basically snatched. His gambling debts grew, he was fired from International Pro Wrestling too, and while Rikidozan might have protected his gambling problem in the 1950s, this was now the 1970s and his creditors were after him, and he had to take jobs in manual labor just to escape them. After leaving wrestling in 1974 (seemingly following a reconciliation with Inoki) he vanished and no one knew what had become of him, saying that he was either a Yakuza bodyguard or was homeless. The sad truth was that he had developed diabetes, and was being cared for by monks at a temple. He died in 1988 of myocardial infarction at the age of 67. The funeral was private, and the general public did not know of his death until a couple of months later. 

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Powerful Friendship: The story of friendship between Rikidozan and Azumafuji