(March 23, 1956–October 18, 2009)
was a Japanese
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
who worked for
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba ...
,
New Japan Pro Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares o ...
,
Wrestle Association-R and the
National Wrestling Alliance. He won the
WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
The WWWF/WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World (Wide) Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro-Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985.
History
In April 1994, ...
defeating
Tatsumi Fujinami
(born December 28, 1953) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to WWE on a legend's contract. Fujinami is most well known for his long tenure with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a six-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. ...
in 1979.
Career
Ryuma Go began his wrestling training in 1971 at age 15. A year later, he made his professional wrestling debut on September 9, 1972 for
International Wrestling Enterprise
International Wrestling Enterprise (国際プロレス興行;, ''Kokusai Puroresu Kogyō'') was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1966 to 1981. Founded by Isao Yoshihara, it was affiliated with the American Wrestling Association ...
. Also in 1972 both
New Japan Pro Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares o ...
and
All Japan Pro Wrestling
(AJPW/AJP) or simply All Japan is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established on October 21, 1972 when Giant Baba split away from the Japanese Wrestling Association and created his own promotion. Many wrestlers had left with Baba ...
started where he would work for both companies for years. In 1974, Go made his debut in North America where he worked in Canada for
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the pro ...
in Calgary and
NWA All-Star Wrestling
NWA All Star Wrestling (sometimes referred to as NWA Vancouver) is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. All-Star Wrestling folded in 1989 but returned in 2007 no longer affiliated with the National Wr ...
in Vancouver under his real name.
In 1978, he made his debut in the United States working for
NWA Hollywood where he won the
NWA Americas tag team titles with
Black Gordman
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have ...
.
On October 2, 1979, Go won the
WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
The WWWF/WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World (Wide) Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro-Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985.
History
In April 1994, ...
defeating
Tatsumi Fujinami
(born December 28, 1953) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to WWE on a legend's contract. Fujinami is most well known for his long tenure with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a six-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. ...
in Osaka, two days later he dropped the title back to Fujinami in Tokyo for New Japan.
In 1979, he returned to both Calgary and Vancouver. Then in 1980, Go wrestled his last match for
International Wrestling Enterprise
International Wrestling Enterprise (国際プロレス興行;, ''Kokusai Puroresu Kogyō'') was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1966 to 1981. Founded by Isao Yoshihara, it was affiliated with the American Wrestling Association ...
as the company folded in 1981 where Go became a full time worked for New Japan.
UWFi
Union of Professional Wrestling Force International, better known as UWF International, U-Inter, or simply UWFi, was a shoot style professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1991 to 1996. The UWF international was the successor to the ''Newb ...
was formed in 1984 by
Akira Maeda,
Yoshiaki Fujiwara
is a Japanese Professional Wrestler and trainer. He is famous for his long career in wrestling, having worked in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE (ZERO-ONE), and the two incarnations of shoot style promotion Universal Wr ...
and other New Japan defectors where Go would team with
Rusher Kimura
was a Japanese professional wrestler, best known by his ring name . He was a five-time IWA World Heavyweight Champion, making him a five-time world champion.
Sumo wrestling career
He was a sumo wrestler under the ''shikona'' Kinomura, a dir ...
. Later that same year, Go work in Mexico and work full time for All Japan.
Go would return to the States in 1986 working for
American Wrestling Association (AWA) as the Super Ninja. In 1987, he worked for
UWF Mid-South as feduing with
Steve Cox. Later that year in the AWA, he changed his name to Mister Go teaming with
Shunji Takano as the Super Ninja. In 1988, he left AWA and returned to Japan.
In 1989, Go started his Pioneer Senshi, the first independent Japanese promotion.
In the 1990s he worked for
Oriental Pro Wrestling
The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...
,
Pacific Northwest Wrestling, and
Wrestle Association-R. Later in his career he worked for more independent Japanese promotions until his retirement in 2000.
In 2006, he returned to wrestle for
DDT Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Its name stands for Dramatic Dream Team, which was the promotion's official name from 1997 to 2004. Founded in March 1997 by Shintaro Muto, the promotion was eventually bo ...
and other Japanese promotions. He wrestled his last match on September 3, 2009.
Personal life
On October 18, 2009, Go died he was 53.
He suffered a wrist injury while bicycling which got infected and died from blood poisoning.
Championships and accomplishments
*
Championship Wrestling USA
Pacific Northwest Wrestling (PNW) (also known as Big Time Wrestling and Portland Wrestling) is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling professional wrestling promotion, companies, both past and present, based in ...
** Championship Wrestling USA International Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with
Jesse Barr
*
NWA Hollywood
**
NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship The NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship was a secondary professional wrestling singles title defended in Johnny Doyle's NWA Los Angeles
NWA Hollywood Wrestling (sometimes referred to as NWA Los Angeles) was a professional wrestling promoti ...
(1 time)
**
NWA Americas Tag Team Championship
The NWA Americas Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team title in the National Wrestling Alliance's NWA Hollywood Wrestling based out of Los Angeles, California.
The championship began as the WWA World Tag Team Championship ...
(2 times) - with Black Gordman and Mr. Toyo
*
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
**PWI ranked Ryuma Go # 242 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the
PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
in 1993
**PWI ranked Ryuma Go # 304 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the
PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
in 1994
**PWI ranked Ryuma Go # 290 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the
PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
in 1995
*''Ring Around The Northwest Newsletter''
**Tag Team of the Year (1993)
with Jesse Barr
*
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
**
WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
The WWWF/WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World (Wide) Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro-Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985.
History
In April 1994, ...
(1 time)
References
External links
Ryuma Go (1956-2009) at WrestlingScout
{{DEFAULTSORT:Go, Ryuma
1956 births
2009 deaths
20th-century professional wrestlers
21st-century professional wrestlers
Japanese catch wrestlers
Japanese male professional wrestlers
Deaths from sepsis
NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Champions