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Sorakichi Matsuda |
History of Puroresu : The Pre-J.W.A. Period
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See also: Showa
Puroresu Message Board
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- 668 B.C.
- In the 23rd (ancient) Olympic Games, both boxing and (greco-roman) wrestling
start as official contests.
- 628 B.C.
- In the 33rd (ancient) Olympic Games, pancratium starts as an official
contest.
- about 500 B.C.
- According to the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters, a book of legends
from the year 712, which is the oldest extant example of Japanese writing),
Takemikazuchi defeats Takeminakata in a grappling match on the shores of
Izumo (today's Shimane Prefecture) for the control over the Izumo territory.
Takemikazuchi, the leader of Japanese people, is said to have established
the imperial family from which the present emperor traces his ancestry.
This is the first recorded grappling in Japan.
- 23 B.C.
- According to the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan, a book from the year
720), Emperor Suinin (r. 29BC - AD70) is said to have made a special request
to Nomi-no Sukune, a potter from Izumo, to fight Taima-no Kehaya, a bully
and braggart from what is now Nara Prefecture. The two grapple for quite
a while until Sukune finally renders some devastating kicks to Kehaya's
stomach and solar plexus. Kehaya is mortally wounded, and Sukune, the winner,
has been immortalized ever since as the "father of sumo." (Note: "Sumo"
also means wrestling/grappling in general. The greco-roman/catch-as-catch-can
style wrestling used to be known as "western sumo" in Japan) This is believed
to be the first recorded no-holds-barred match in Japan.
sechie
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- 02/22/642
- To entertain the officials from Kudara(a nation in the southern part of
the Korean Peninsula), the soldiers who are drafted from all over Japan
are assigned to have sumo matches. This is neither mythological nor legendary
but is the oldest written record of an actual grappling match.
- 07/734
- Emperor Shoumu organizes a sumo event with rikishi (sumo wrestlers)
drafted from all over Japan. This becomes an annual Imperial sumo ceremony(sechie)
between July,734 and 1174. Today's sumo style is said to be originated during
this period.
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- A military dictatorship begins in 1192. Sumo starts being regarded chiefly
for its military usefulness and as a means of increasing the efficiency
of the fighting men. Later in the hands of the samurai (soldiers),
juujitsu is developed as an offshoot of sumofighting technique and
training method for soldiers.
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- Many sumo cards are organized by the feudal lords for entertaiment. Some
rikishi start organizing the full-time rikishi groups during
this time.
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- 1882
- Koudoukan (judo institute)
is founded by Jigorou Kanoh, who himself has established judo by deriving
from juujitsu.
- 1883
- Sorakichi Matsuda,
a rikishi, goes to the United States and becomes the first Japanese
pro-wrestler. Shokichi Hamada, known as Sangokuyama in sumo, also leaves
for the U.S. to become a pro-wrestler.
- 01/14/1884
- At Irving Hall in New York, Matsuda has his first match as a catch-as-catch-can
style wrestler, losing two out of three falls to Edwin Bibby only in 32
seconds in the first fall and 2'19" in the second fall.
- 06/01/1887
- Hamada brings 20 American wreslers for the cards in Tokyo. It is sold
out only on the first day just because it is something people have never
seen but not after the second day. The first attempt of pro-wrestling in
Japan fails.
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Frank Gotch
vs.
George Hackenschmidt
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- 05/04/1905
- George Hackenschmidt, who has been claiming the World
Heavyweight Title since winning the tournaments in 1901, defeats the
American Heavyweight champion
Tom Cannon in New York, NY to become the Undisputed World Heavyweight champion.
- 04/03/1908
- American Heavyweight Champion Frank Gotch defeats George Hackenschmidt
to win the Undisputed World Heavyweight Title in Chicago, IL. Later, the
National Wrestling Alliance, founded in 1948, recognizes Gotch as the first
World Heavyweight Champion.
- 1914 or 1915
- The World Light Heavyweight Champion Ad
Santel defeats judoka Tokugoro Itoh, a 5-dan (5th degree black belt),
for a judo match in San Francisco. Santel wins when Ito cracks his head
and is unable to continue. Santel claims to be the "World Judo Champion."
- 10/20/1917
- Santel meets Taro Miyake in Seattle. Santel slams Miyake so hard that
Miyake has "dizzy spells for half an hour after the fall."
- 11/02/1917
- Santel defeats Daisuke Sakai, a Kodokan 4-dan in the Seattle Dojo, in
San Francisco.
- 03/05/21
- Santel goes to Japan and challenges the Kodokan. Although Kodokan orders
its judokas not to accept the challenge, Reijiro Nagata (5-dan) and Hikoo
Shoji (4-dan) take the challenge. They hold the wrestling vs. judo cards
for two days at the Yasukuni Shrine Sumo Hall. Santel defeats Nagata by
TKO in the first day.
- 03/06/21
- Santel draws with Hikoo Shoji after fighting for three 20 minute falls.
- 11/14/24
- Rikidozan is born Kim Sin-Nak in
today's North Korea.
- '28
- Taro Miyake, who has become a wrestler in the U.S., comes back to Japan
and tours with three other wrestlers. However, pro-wrestling fails to sell
tickets in Japan.
- '29
- Hikoo Shoji, who has been to the U.S. with Ad Santel, comes back to Japan
and announces the entrance of the Japanese judo into the US. In exchange,
the amateur wrestling starts in Japan with a help of Ichiro Yada and co..
- '32
- Shoji wrestles for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
- 01/23/38
- Shohei Baba is born in Sanjo, Niigata.
- '39
- Shoji, Kiyoshi Kato, and other judokas found the Japan Pro-Wrestling Alliance.
They promote in the places such as the reclaimed lands. The promotion is
unsuccessful, however.
- 02/20/43
- Kanji Inoki is born in Yokohama.
- 08/15/45
- Japan surrenders to the Allied Forces, and the Second World War ends.
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- 02/48
- Comedian brothers Pan Ikari & Chopin Ikari start the "garter ripping"
attraction at the striptease theaters with their younger sister Sadako Ikari,
Katsumi Tayama, and five or six other girls. This first women's pro-wrestling
group is named All Japan Women's Wrestling Club.
- 07/48
- The National Wrestling Alliance is founded
in Waterloo, Iowa by six promoters : Sam Muchnick (St. Louis), Pinky George
(Des Moines), Al Haft (Columbus, OH), Harry Light (Detroit), Tony Stecher
(Minneapolis), and Orville Brown (Kansas City). Pinky George is named the
first N.W.A. president.
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- 09/50
- Rikidozan (now known as Mitsuo Momota) retires from sumo.
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- 09/16/51
- The Zainichi Torii Osasis Shriner's Club of Tokyo invites former World
Heavyweight Boxing Champion Joe Louis and seven wrestlers to appear on a
show to entertain U.S. servicemen. The wrestlers include Bobby Bruns(U.S.),
Andre Adoree (France), Ovira Asselin(Canada), Casey Parker(Berger? U.S.),
Gino Vagnone(Italy), Harold Sakata(U.S.), and Dr. Len Hall(U.S.).
- 09/30/51
- The Shriner's Club promotes the card at Ryogoku Memorial Hall in Tokyo.
Sponsored by the Japanese Red Cross.
- 10/15/51
- Rikidozan joins with pro-judokas Masahiko Kimura, Toshio Yamaguchi, and
Koukichi Endo in announcing their desire to become professional wrestlers.
They begin training at the Shriner's Club.
- 10/23/51
- A legendary judoka Masahiko
Kimura defeats Helio Gracie by TKO in Brazil with the President and
Vice-President of Brazil in attendance.
- 10/28/51
- Rikidozan has his first match as a pro-wrestler against Bobby Bruns to
a ten minute time limit draw.
- 11/18/51
- Joe Louis hosts an outdoor show at Korakuen Stadium. Rikidozan wrestles
Obira Asselin to a ten minute time limit draw.
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- 02/03/52
- Rikidozan goes to Hawaii, where he trains at Oki Shikina's gym.
- 02/17/52
- Rikidozan wins his first match in the U.S., pinning Cheif Little Wolf
in 8:40 at Honolulu Civic Auditorium.
- 04/01/52
- Kokichi Endo arrives in the U.S. along with Masutatsu
Ooyama, who later founds Kyokushin
Kaikan karate. The two are taken in by the Great Togo, who dubs them
the "Togo Brothers," a name they would use on numerous U.S. tours.
- 06/12/52
- In Rikidozan's first match on the U.S. mainland, he pins Ike Aikens at
the San Francisco Cow Palace.
- 06/23/52
- Rikidozan teams with Primo Carnera in a shot at the World Tag Team champions
Ben & Mike Sharpe at the Cow
Palace. The match ends in a time limit draw.
- 06/26/52
- Rikidozan loses his first match, being pinned by Leo Nomellini at the
Cow Palace.
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- 03/06/53
- Rikidozan returns to Japan after 13 months in America. He fought over
260 matches during his tour, losing to only three men in singles competition:
Leo Nomellini, Tom Rice, and Ike Aikens. He lost only twice in tag competition.
- 07/18/53
- Toshio Yamaguchi promotes the first wrestling card promoted by Japanese
at Osaka Prefectural Gym. He wreslted against a former sumo wreslter Kiyomikawa.
- 07/30/53
- Rikidozan founds Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance
(JWA).
The Rikidozan Era
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