Tadao Yasuda, a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, has died at the age of 62.
According to Tokyo Sports, Yasuda was found dead at his home in Tokyo. Prior to his passing, he had reportedly been working for a security company.
Yasuda began his career as a sumo wrestler before joining New Japan Pro Wrestling in 1993. He made his in-ring debut the following year and spent much of the 1990s as an undercard competitor.
His career took a dramatic turn in 2000 when he and Kazuyuki Fujita were sent to the United States by Antonio Inoki to train in mixed martial arts. Yasuda won his first fight in PRIDE, which led to a renewed push in NJPW. He reached the semi-finals of the 2001 G1 Climax tournament later that year.
In December 2001, Yasuda earned the biggest win of his MMA career by defeating Jérôme Le Banner. Soon after, he captured the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Yuji Nagata in the finals of a tournament for the vacant title. His reign lasted 48 days.
Yasuda finished his MMA career with a 2–4 record and had his final fight in 2003. He retired from professional wrestling in 2011.
In 2007, Yasuda was involved in a reported carbon monoxide incident that was initially described as a suicide attempt. He later stated that the situation had been an accident.
