One of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time and founder of NJPW has passed at 79. Of course he's also known for his pioneering and somewhat bizarre bout with Muhammad Ali.
Old Nerds like me also remember him as the inspiration for many video game characters in wrestling games, most notably Fighter Hayabusa. Ive only seen a handful of his matches thanks to the internet, but I knew who he was even as a kid and among us school yard wrestling fans, he was revered as Japans Hulk Hogan. He was also as far as I could tell a good and charitable man and I think thats important to remember as well. RIP
People may not have liked his wrestling and placement on the TNA card for the past few years, but he's always entertaining when he rants and shoots. His rambling promos have been the highlights of his career since 1998 or so. Hrm.
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