Japan: Rare Photos of Rarer Moments

From NJPW Gaijin Eric's Collection

#PWHS #Article #Japan #RarePhotos #RarerMoments

​I'm sure some people reading this will recognize the above banner. For those of you who don't. The Classic Japanese Pr-Wrestling group on Facebook is run by NJPW Gaijin Eric and for what seems for years provided the best place to find out about and discuss puroresu. Not only that, but he and another member of the group have taken on the mammoth task of uploading all the new Japanese shows which would not otherwise be available to people outside of Japan. And in yet another selfless action he has sat through scanning these "Rare Photos of Rarer Moments" so we can archive them here at PWHS and so everyone who wants to can see them can for free. We are so thankful he chose to share these gems of history and not leave the on a shoe box somewhere in a closet when he got home!!! 

On a recent trip to Japan, I was able to acquire several rare arena shot photographs from three different shows dated September 1972, April 30, 1973 and March 6, 1974. As best as we can tell, these photos have never been posted anywhere and appear to be private fan photos. We have investigated through a few sources and they also were able to determine that they were not aware of these photos ever crossing their paths before.

Please understand that these photos were not scanned, copied, etc. from another website, book, magazine or likewise. They were scanned form the actual Polaroids. If they have ever been posted or published elsewhere, please understand that we were unaware and would ask if anyone does have information on who took them  or anything else to send an e-mail to the following address: contactus@prowrestlinghistoricalsociety.com. 

These photos are truly a rare look back at house shows in Japan in the early '70s, with many wrestlers pictured who are no longer with us. This truly fits into the spirit of this website as being HISTORICAL.

Thursday, September 7, 1972

​​JWA had really been the first successful, long term American-style pro-wrestling organization in Japan. Rikidozan was the founder and saw the company through it's best years. When he died in 1953 at the hands of a Yakuza member though it left the company unstable. By the time of this event in 1972 it was only a matter of time until Junzo Hasegawa, the promoter, cut his losses and call it a day.

This is the only one of the three shows in the collection to feature Polaroids of just a single match on the card. And all pictures can all be enlarged by clicking on them.

It is the main event we have pictures of so, before we get to that, here are the event details and other matches.

Summer Big Series: Day 11
Promotion: Japan Pro-Wrestling Association
Promoter: Junzo Hasegawa
Pref. Gym, Osaka, Japan
Attendance: 6,000
1 - Masanori Toguchi def. Masashi Ozawa
2 - Katsuji Adachi def. Kazuo Sakurada
3 - Hans Schroeder def. Haurka Eigen
4 - The Great Kojika def. Jim Wilson,
Submission
5 - Mitsu Hirai Vs. Black Gordman,
Time-Limit Draw
6 - Bull Ramos def. Mr. Matsuoka, 
Disqualification
7 - Kintaro Ohki def. Jan Jensen
8 - Two out of Three Falls
Michiaki Yoshimura & Kantaro Hoshino def. Chris Markoff & El Goliath,
Two Falls to One

And your final match of the evening scheduled for the best "Two out of Three Falls" with the National Wrestling Alliance United National Heavyweight Championship being defended by he newly crowned champion, the ["Original"] Sheik.. And his opponent is the man claiming his rematch for the title that was lost the night before, Japanese wrestling legend, Seiji Sakaguchi.

9 - NWA United National Heavyweight Championship - Two out of Three Falls
Seiji Sakaguchi def. The Sheik (c).
Two Falls to None - NEW CHAMPION

 Seiji Sakaguchi was one of the top names in Japanese wrestling and he had proven his loyalty and integrity by staying under the promotional banner of JWA, even though it had been about a decade since Rikidozan's murder. By the time the second show in the is collection started. Junzo Hasegawa could no longer keep afloat the business in the changing economical times and especially with some of JWA's biggest homegrown n talent splintering off to form their own promotions. Most wrestling fans, if not the extreme majority will have have heard of two of the group. All Japan Pro-Wrestling (AJPW) and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Run by Shohei "Giant" Baba and Antonio Inoki respectively. Both men had good relationships with Rikidozan. Especially when it came their early learning and training in professional wrestling. 

No matter how strained things came towards the Japanese Pro-Wrestling Association's final chapters and no matter how many knives had been figuratively thrown. It still must have been bitter-sweet to see the promotion they owed their careers to end in such a sloppy manner. Practically self-imploding from constant struggles to have more control and power. 

Monday, April 30, 1973

Whether or not it was an easy move for Isao Yoshiwara to make would be hard to say. Given that he left JWA just three years after Rikidozan's passing and a big blow out with the four men in control of the promotion. By the time this show rolled around in 1973. The doors were still rattling from their recent closing over at Rikidozan's old promotion. The IWE had now been running for just over six years and had Tokyo Broadcasting System were the primary share holders, with Yoshiwara running the wrestling.

There are no pictures for the first two matches which are listed here with the event details.

Dynamite Series: Day 9
Promotion: Internatioanl Wrestling Enterprise
Promoters: Isao Yoshiwara / Tokyo Broadcasting System
Adachi Warx Gym, Tokyo, Japan
Attendance: 2,500
1 - KANG Sung-yung def. Oh Kyun-Ik
2 - Mr. Chin & Isamu Sakae Vs. Jiro Inazuma [Jerry Morrow] & Tsutomu Yonemura,
Draw

Two pictures were taken of Bob Ramstead and Tadaharu Tanaka in the third bout of the evening.

3 - Tadaharu Tanaka def. Bob Ramstead

This match was followed up by a tag-team encounter matching The Canadian  & Tarzan Tyler facing Isamu Teranishi & Takeshi Oiso. There are five pictures for contest number four! If you look closely you get to see Oiso on the apron in the first picture. 

After that tag-team match which appears in the photos to have been more of a two-on-one handicap match,. The fifth encounter on paper read like something you'd want to see. Unfortunately there were no pictures taken of it. 

 4 - The Canadian [Buster Matthews] & Tarzan Tyler def. Isamu Teranishi & Takeshi Oiso
5 - Strong Kobayashi def. Lars Anderson, 
Submission

Not to worry though as we have eight shots of the next contest between Edouard Carpentier and Mighty Inoue.

6 - Mighty Inoue def. Edouard Carpentier

Left with the task of following that display of wrestling artistry by Carpentier and Inoue were the two top tag-teams at this particular time. Ivan Koloff & Mad Dog Vachon the IWA World Tag-Team Champions and their number one contenders, Rusher Kimura and the Great Kusatsu. They met in the evening's main event. Here are the seven photographs captured from their match.

7 - IWA World Tag-Team  Championship - Two out of Three Falls
Ivan Koloff & Mad Dog Vachon (c) def. Rusher Kimura & the Great Kusatsu,
Two Falls to None - Disqualification

It is is no surprise that Kiimura and Kusatsu look frustrated then. They let their emotions get away from them. And because of that they let themselves get dragged down to the depths of dirty tactics normally reserved for terrorizing opponents at by the hands of the dastardly Koloff and Vachon.. And of course Kimura and Kusatsu were not as well versed in the art of concealment and faced the wrath of the referee's tongue for it along with a big "L" via disqualification.

Just case you missed it. We did say there were some rare moments. Not many rarer than the Canadian disguising himself as a Russian using of all things, a Canadian Back Breaker!

The wealth of talent had practically at it's disposal on a rotating basis from around the world is pretty well represented on the this April 30, 1973 event. And their three arguably most important gaijins were not even present; Billy Robinson, Karl Gotch and Monster Roussimoff (Better known today as Andre the Giant).. With Inok's NJPW and Baba's AJPW for under two years, IWE definitely stood firm on being the most well established promotion, But unless the could find a way to stifle the two young upstart wrestler-promoters and what would quickly become almost hero-worship from their beloved Japanese nation the IWE clan would find itself in some very turbulent times and a battle for supremacy.  

Monday, June 3, 1974

​The final set of the collection and the third and final show. Our mystery camera man has once again taken us to the (in this day age) dramatically under=appreciated International Wrestling Enterprise. As you'll see Yoshiwara has managed to keep bringing over the international flavor over the last 14 moths. But, as you can see though, the same Japanese faces constantly on rotate. In the "upper half" of the card that is. There was more leeway for rotation the closet to the "curtain" you got it.

This was quite an important night too for the future landscape of the IWE and it's main event scene. As a few months earlier one of the IWE's most recognizable names and their IWA World Heavyweight Champion vacated the title after wearing it only a couple of months so he could swiftly show up in Inoki's NJPW. Rather than rushing a new champion and just throwing the strap at someone, a tournament twas held. The finals taking place on this show between Rusher Kimura and Billy Robinson.  The winner being crowned the new champion. 

Occasionally the Great Kusatsu is listed as being in the main event . Some even went as far as to say that it was the closest Kusatsu ever got to IWE belt. Luckily There's a picture or two of the match below. 

For our final show half the matches are present. The first three and event details were as followed.

Promotion: Internatioanl Wrestling Enterprise
Promoters: Isao Yoshiwara / Tokyo Broadcasting System
Korakuen Hall(?), Tokyo, Japan
Referee: Ed Francis
1 - Billy Francis def. Tsutomu Yonemura
2 - Isamu Teranishi def. Katsuzo Oiyama,
Disqualification
3 - Jiro Inazuma def. Animal Hamaguchi

The fourth match of the night was captured in two shots.

4 - Reggie Parks def. Isamu Sakae

Next up is the penultimate match. It's a tag-team affair between between Mighty Inoue and the Great Kusatsu against Rene Goulet and a man who surprisingly is Edward John White A.K.A. Sailor White and Moondog King, among other names. The picture count increases to three for this bout.

5 - Mighty Inoue & the Great Kusatsu def. Rene Goulet & Sailor White

And that brings us to the final match of the show and to the last eight photographs taken by the mystery camera man. Only to end up being stumbled upon for sale in Japan. Taken to America and exceeding all expectations in quality, rarity  and capturing some of the most prominent names to appear in Japan. They also provided a chance to shine a bit of light on the very deserving International Wrestling Enterprise.  Not just that admittedly great, but posted to death picture of "Andre the Giant and His Posse" meaning Monster Roussimoff, Billy Robinson and Karl Gotch on the podium with the giant medals. The one nobody can ever  remember where it happened other than "in Japan". That particular photograph was taken during the IWA Third World Series held by the IWE and it is also the same tour that Karl Gotch secured a victory using his bridging German Suplex on the French giant.

But, no more sidetracking now. As it is time for the for the main event of the evening. The finals of the tournament to crown a new IWA World Heavyweight Champion.  

6 - IWA World Heavyweight Championship
Billy Robinson def. Rusher Kimura
NEW CHAMPION

The British man done it. It's no exaggeration to say that Billy Robinson just touching that title could only raise it's stock and prestige in the eyes of the Japanese fans, so a short transitional reign - which it was - could only be a good thing. From what I have read there is no gaijin to ever compete in Japan that even comes close to him in terms of respect, reputation and perception of legitimacy. There is an exception to every rule though and while Billy really is every bit a legend as you hear he is in over there. You have to understand that coming second to a man the Japanese chose to call the "God of Wrestling," is no shame whatsoever. And if you were to ask Japanese fans to this day who was better; Gotch or Robinson? For most fans it would be a lot tougher of a decision to make than Gotch's given nickname would suggest.

As for the IWE and Yoshiwara. They still had several years left and were doing good business into the late 1970's. Unfortunately problems with television and finances. Combined wit the on-going problem of finding and manufacturing  a homegrown hero hero figure to mix it up with the never ended lines of international stars from all over the world just proved too much for the company and it closed down in 1981. May-be it was just  that two (Baba & Inoki) completely over the top popular heroes in professional wrestling in Japan was the right number and it was just a case of which of the companies got their man to the top of the hill first. 

Either way the International Wrestling Enterprise was known for having the very best in scientific wrestling on display at it's shows. An accolade taken very seriously by the company. They were more than just that though in terms of importance and not just the national Japanese scene either, but to professional wrestling as a whole. Whether he meant to or not is besides the point. But, by having a great eye for talent and bringing to his IWE the very best of tbe best from Europe and in America in their chosen styles. It opened up a couple of doors which took you directly to a Japanese ring  that could be used as a platform to showcase your talent in front of audiences which reacted greatly in favor to what is now known as the "Strong Style" and helpful in reminding people the absolute benefits of "Scientific Wrestling" in am worked environment.  

That's not to say Isao Yoshiwara was even the first in what he did, but he was at the center of a time when three companies all looking to make their mark and stamp on Japanese wrestling during a time when it was still an infant i all reality as a type of regular sports and entertainment. Between the three companies we've been speaking of a movement was well and truly underway, By the time the new style was being truly capitalized on monetarily  Yoshiwara was looking for his coat and missed out o the whole of the 1980''s and into the early 1990-'s that just phenomenal period of wrestling there. Hopefully one day enough noise will be made around the world and it can receive it's deserved universal recognition.

With people like NJPW Gaijin Eric out there running groups, sharing the memorabilia and so on, we can be very hopeful that more and more of the great influences from Japan and the product that has always been put on over there can make some serious grounds in terms of being seen as a world wide option and not just as it is sometimes referred to still to this day "Just for the Japanese and men in their mother's basements in America." Not putting the whole world on your shoulders or anything, Eric,but, ya know? You're the man! And seriously thank you keeping on in doing what you're so good doing. Preserving the history and building awareness! 

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Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.

Japan: Rare Photos of Rarer Moments.
Author: NJPW Gaijin Eric.
Published: April 23, 2015.
Article: #85.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.

​First off the Professional Wrestling Historical Society need to give a big thank you to NJPW Gaijin Eric for purchasing these photos while on his insane trip to Japan. The world can rest assured because he will give them a very good home.Also though we owe you a debt of gratitude for thinking of PWHS to share these with the world with as part of this ever growing website attempting to preserve the history which is lost at an all too alarming rate without people like Eric. 

And I know that Eric would like to thank Fumi Saito for initial help of turning photos with brief notes at best sometimes into three actual shows for the two different promotions (JWA & IWE) as well as confirming the identity of some of the guys who had not been noted down. This helped us narrow our search down immensely for the full results for each show. This is where w e first have to thank Hisaharu Tanabe for confirming Sailor White's identity. As well as his excellent website on Japanese wrestling website, www.Puroresu.com. And last but certain not least thank you to Tim Hornbaker' whose always useful website, www.LegacyOfWrestling.com was used in the same capacity as Hisaharu's in helping us fill out the missing details from the shows we had in front of us allowing a more complete history around the pictures.

Other articles by Eric can be Read Here.