Japan Archives - Slam Wrestling

Influential Gran Hamada dead at 74

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Feb 15, 2025 | News, Obituaries

Hiroaki Hamada, known as Gran Hamada from his exploits in Japan and around the world, has passed...

Review: Netflix’s Dump Matsumoto series accurate, compelling

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Sep 17, 2024 | Hollywood Headlock, Movie Reviews

Wrestling fans and drama fans alike will both find plenty to enjoy in Netflix’s new five-part...

‘The Queen of Villains’ photo gallery

Posted by Slam Wrestling | Sep 17, 2024 | Hollywood Headlock, Photo Galleries

The Queen of Villains tells the unknown story of Dump Matsumoto (Yuriyan Retriever), a...

Don Frye a man of few words, many accomplishments

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Jul 17, 2024 | Interviews, The Sporting Connection, Tragos/Thesz HOF

Don Frye has always been a man of action and not words; as such, don’t expect much of a speech...

Colleagues remember Akebono

Posted by Adam Bazzana | Apr 11, 2024 | News, Obituaries

Sumo wrestling legend and the first-ever foreign-born sumo wrestler to become Yokozuna, or Grand...

Hawaiian sumo legend Akebono passes away at 54

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Apr 11, 2024 | Obituaries

Hawaiian-born sumo and professional wrestler Chadwick Haheo Rowan, better known as Akebono or...

Japanese wrestler Yutaka Yoshie passes away

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Mar 10, 2024 | Obituaries

Yutaka Yoshie, a former IWGP Tag Team Champion, passed away suddenly while wrestling as a...

Bull Nakano announced as WWE Hall of Fame inductee

Posted by Greg Oliver | Mar 6, 2024 | Uncategorized

The WWE Hall of Fame is going international with its latest inductee. Going into the Class of 2024...

Joshi wrestler Asahi dies

Posted by Greg Oliver | Feb 5, 2024 | News, Obituaries

Japanese joshi wrestler Asahi has died in an apparent car crash. Further details are not known at...

Superfan collects 48 years of Japanese wrestling cards into one almanac

Posted by Josh Olsen | Dec 10, 2023 | Gary Howard Memorial Library, Not Another Collectible!

Several weeks ago, on #WrestlingCardWednesday, I posted a picture of a wrestling card I received...

Powerbombs and ramen: Toshiaki Kawada’s life away from the ring

Posted by Jonathan Foye | Sep 25, 2023 | Interviews

Toshiaki Kawada’s journey from the squared circle to owning a ramen restaurant seems improbable on...

Report: New Japanese wrestling promotion coming to America

Posted by Slam Wrestling | Jul 6, 2023 | Uncategorized

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson is reporting that a brand new women’s Japanese wrestling...

Card Exam: A photographic challenge from Buddy Rose in Japan

Posted by Greg Oliver | Jul 5, 2023 | Results

Having been privileged to be backstage at the D.K (Doc) Seaman Hockey Resource Centre in...

Keiji Muto, Japan’s self-professed pro-wrestling master, retires

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Feb 21, 2023 | News

On February 21, 2023, Japanese pro wrestling legend Keiji Muto wrestled not one but two retirement...

Stardom’s Himeka retiring

Posted by John Powell | Feb 10, 2023 | Uncategorized

The giant of Stardom is hanging up her wrestling boots. Himeka (Himeka Arita) has announced that...

Antonio Inoki leaves behind a complicated, dual legacy

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Oct 2, 2022 | Obituaries

On October 1, the wrestling world bid farewell to one of the last icons of a bygone era. Kanji...

Tarzan Goto dies

Posted by Greg Oliver | May 30, 2022 | Obituaries

Tarzan Goto, the violent Japanese wrestler, has died at the age of 58 from liver cancer. He was...

Revisiting Scott Hall’s career in Japan — and the Tanahashi upset

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Mar 23, 2022 | Obituaries

On March 14, 2022, the wrestling world said farewell to one of its biggest icons. Scott Hall,...

Battle scars the hallmark of friendship between Tiger Jeet Singh and Strong Kobayashi

Posted by Bob Kapur | Jan 31, 2022 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Interviews, Obituaries

With the passing of Strong Kobayashi on January 2nd, Japan lost one of its major wrestling stars...

Strong Kobayashi dead at 81

Posted by Greg Oliver | Jan 6, 2022 | News, Obituaries

Shozo “Strong” Kobayashi, who was one of the major wrestling stars in Japan in the 1970s and into...

Behind the Gimmick Table: Maple Grizzly mauls in Japan rings

Posted by Rasslin Merch Machine | Oct 10, 2021 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Interviews, Not Another Collectible!

Today, Juan Carlos Olivares is best known as the Maple Grizzly, calling Ehime Pro Wrestling in...

Japan’s Rumi Kazama dead at 55

Posted by Greg Oliver | Sep 22, 2021 | News, Obituaries

Japanese joshi wrestler turned actress Rumi Kazama has died. She was 55. On her blog, Kazama...

Honoree Steve Madison heats up Florida luncheon

Posted by Alex Podgorski | May 27, 2021 | Interviews

Steve Madison, a 20-year veteran of the Florida pro wrestling scene, is about to add yet another...

Behind the Gimmick Table: Shiori Asahi is Japan’s ‘Fighting Computer’

Posted by Rasslin Merch Machine | May 2, 2021 | Interviews, Not Another Collectible!

This year marks 20 years in professional wrestling for Shiori Asahi. His home promotion is 2AW...

Joel Deaton is proof that hard work pays off

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Jan 22, 2021 | Interviews

Joel Deaton, one of the longest-lasting pro wrestlers of the territories era, will be honored at a...

Behind the Gimmick Table: Myers went from tape trader to Leatherface

Posted by Rasslin Merch Machine | Dec 6, 2020 | Interviews, Not Another Collectible!

Tony Myers’ unusual and humble beginnings in pro wrestling were bolstered by the blessings of...

Having survived scorpions, Josh Crane doesn’t fear UWFi revival

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Sep 25, 2020 | Interviews

Fans of hard-hitting, Japanese-style pro wrestling will be in for a treat on November 6th, as...

Behind the Gimmick Table: Kaiju Big Battel makes it on merch

Posted by Rasslin Merch Machine | Aug 16, 2020 | Not Another Collectible!

Randy Borden isn’t a wrestling fan(atic), he never was. It may be for this reason that his venture...

Tragic death of Stardom star Hana Kimura

Posted by John Powell | May 23, 2020 | Obituaries

The Stardom promotion has confirmed that Hana Kimura has passed away at 22. The official Stardom...

Wrestling world mourns Kendo Nagasaki, LA Parka

Posted by Greg Oliver | Jan 12, 2020 | Obituaries

Two star wrestlers have died within a day of each other, both with a confusing name history, with...

Daniel Makabe’s shoot-style getting noticed

Posted by DAVE MUSGRAVE | Sep 6, 2019 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Interviews

Two years ago it would have been easy to call Daniel Makabe the best wrestler nobody had heard of....

Alex Shelley rekindles love of wrestling

Posted by Don Davies | Aug 8, 2019 | Interviews

It’s been a year since Alex Shelley was seen on Ring of Honor television. During...

Zoe Lucas: A women’s star on the RISE

Posted by Alexandra Robertson | Aug 7, 2019 | Interviews

RISE Champion Zoe Lucas embodies character. “I am a spoiled brat, a cheerleader,...

Conscience clear: Psycho Mike debuts in Japan

Posted by Kari Williams | Jun 21, 2019 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Interviews

Psycho Mike Rollins’ conscience has been making its presence felt during Rollins’...

Mat Matters: Hideo Itami in WWE, how did it all go so wrong?

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Mar 8, 2019 | Opinion

On February 22nd, Hideo Itami was released from WWE, one month after wrestling his final match for...

Korakuen Hall: Great experience for fans and wrestlers

Posted by Don Davies | Dec 29, 2018 | Interviews

Each year, more and more Western wrestling fans have been attending New Japan Pro...

‘The Japanese Beast’ Shigehiro Irie returns to Canada

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Oct 30, 2018 | Interviews

Canadian wrestling fans are in for a treat as DDT Pro-Wrestling alumnus Shigehiro Irie will be...

Winnipeg to benefit from Scott Norton’s lessons

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Sep 19, 2018 | Interviews

Scott Norton, a near-30-year veteran, is heading to Winnipeg this weekend to share the things he...

Masa Saito dead at 76

Posted by Greg Oliver | Jul 16, 2018 | Interviews, Obituaries

When Masa Saito was inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame...

Melby Award honours Koji Miyamoto’s many contributions

Posted by Jon Langmead | Jul 9, 2018 | Interviews, Tragos/Thesz HOF

Koji Miyamoto fell in love with pro wrestling as a 10-year old living in Mito City and his deep...

Spoken word tour latest challenge for Ken Shamrock

Posted by Kari Williams | May 28, 2018 | Interviews

A doctor told UFC fighter Ken Shamrock that, as a teenager, a broken neck would prevent him from...

Mat Matters: Don Davies’ Japan Wrestling Diary

Posted by Don Davies | Jan 18, 2018 | Opinion, Other House Shows

From the epic Wrestle Kingdom 12 to violent death matches to raunchy comedy wrestling this...

Jericho attacks Omega in Japan

Posted by John Powell | Dec 12, 2017 | News

Chris Jericho has turned up the heat on his rivalry with Kenny Omega. As Omega was celebrating his...

Tokyo Joe, Calgary wrestler and trainer, dies

Posted by Greg Oliver | Nov 4, 2017 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Interviews, Obituaries

If one were to measure a trainer solely on the quality of their graduates, then few will ever...

Diemond: Tour of China is the next step in a career on the rise

Posted by Dan Murphy | Oct 27, 2017 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Interviews

“The Roppongi Rockstar” (by way of Brantford, Ontario) is packing her bags for her...

Hard work and perseverance always a part of Delta Dawn

Posted by Raja Shergill | Jul 20, 2017 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Interviews

Delta Dawn sees her part in this coming weekend’s All Star Wrestling Wrestle Reunion VII as...

‘Athleticism and toughness’ defined Stan Hansen

Posted by Alex Podgorski | Jul 17, 2017 | Interviews, Tragos/Thesz HOF

Almost two decades after he retired, Stan Hansen continues to be a true legend in the wrestling...

10 questions with Tatsumi Fujinami

Posted by Greg Oliver | May 15, 2017 | Interviews, PWHF

Japanese legend Tatsumi Fujinami will be the 12th inductee into International Division of the...

Tokyo Monster Kahagas a proud ‘indie guy’

Posted by Kari Williams | Apr 29, 2017 | CAC, Interviews

Kahagas has wrestled worldwide for nearly 20 years and over the past six years has made a...

Sydal brothers were ‘bourne’ for wrestling

Posted by Kari Williams | Feb 6, 2017 | Interviews

Matt Sydal was in WWE’s training ground of OVW by the time his older brother, Mike, had his...

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