Killer Khan
Encyclopedia
is a retired professional wrestler
. Popularly known as Killer Khan, he was billed from Mongolia
and had numerous high-profile matches with André the Giant
in the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF) during the 1980s, including the first ever "stretcher match". Khan used Asian mist against opponents.
in tag team
match for Georgia Championship Wrestling
. Later that same year, he was hired by the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF). In the WWF, Khan originally feuded with WWF Champion
Bob Backlund
, as well as the WWF Intercontinental Champion
Pedro Morales
.
Khan was then placed in feud with Andre the Giant. During one match in May 1981, Khan botched
a kneedrop off of the top turnbuckle that resulted in Andre the Giant breaking his ankle, as Khan accidentally landed on it. The incident has been reported as real and as a storyline to help put Khan over. When Andre returned from his injury, he and Khan feuded into the next year. In November 1981 in Philadelphia in a "Mongolian Stretcher match". The feud was named Wrestling Observer Newsletters Feud of the Year.
In 1984 in Canada's Stampede Wrestling
, he had a series of matches with Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie
. On January 20, 1984, he won the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship
from Gouldie in a street fight. In March, he lost the title to Dynamite Kid
.
Khan made a brief return to the WWF in 1987, managed by Mr. Fuji
, where he feuded with Outback Jack
. In addition, he wrestled against WWF Champion Hulk Hogan
in a match at the Boston Garden
where Hogan retained his title.
. Khan currently owns a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. He is married to Cindy Ozawa of Lutz, Florida
, though the two remain geographically estranged. He has three children: Yukiea, Yoshiko, and David Masato. All of them reside in the United States.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
. Popularly known as Killer Khan, he was billed from Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
and had numerous high-profile matches with André the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
in the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF) during the 1980s, including the first ever "stretcher match". Khan used Asian mist against opponents.
Professional wrestling career
Ozawa's Mongolian giant character was created by Karl Gotch. He traveled to America in 1979 to wrestle. The following year, in 1980, Khan first wrestled Andre the GiantAndré the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
in tag team
Tag team
Tag team professional wrestling is a variation in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. A tag team may comprise two wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of established teams who wrestle regularly as a unit and have a team name...
match for Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling
Georgia Championship Wrestling was a professional wrestling promotion whose self-titled TV program aired in the 1970s and 1980s on Atlanta, U.S., superstation WTBS. Though based in Atlanta, the company also ran live wrestling shows throughout its geographic "territory" of Georgia Georgia...
. Later that same year, he was hired by the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF). In the WWF, Khan originally feuded with WWF Champion
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
Bob Backlund
Bob Backlund
Robert Lee "Bob" Backlund is an American professional wrestler with an in ring career that spanned over 30 years. Over that time, he went on to become a two-time WWWF/WWF Champion...
, as well as the WWF Intercontinental Champion
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
Pedro Morales
Pedro Morales
Pedro Morales is a retired Puerto Rican professional wrestler. He began his wrestling career as a teenager in 1959 and continued through to the late 1980s...
.
Khan was then placed in feud with Andre the Giant. During one match in May 1981, Khan botched
Botch (professional wrestling)
To botch in professional wrestling means to attempt a scripted move that does not come out as it was originally planned due to a mistake, miscalculation, or a slip-up. Most botches are harmless but embarrassing, such as a wrestler simply flubbing a line or missing a cue, or falling before his...
a kneedrop off of the top turnbuckle that resulted in Andre the Giant breaking his ankle, as Khan accidentally landed on it. The incident has been reported as real and as a storyline to help put Khan over. When Andre returned from his injury, he and Khan feuded into the next year. In November 1981 in Philadelphia in a "Mongolian Stretcher match". The feud was named Wrestling Observer Newsletters Feud of the Year.
In 1984 in Canada's Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling
Stampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
, he had a series of matches with Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie
Mongolian Stomper
Archie Gouldie is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name The Mongolian Stomper.-Stampede Wrestling:Gouldie held the North American heavyweight title a record ten times between 1968 and 1984, quite a streak of longevity for that time frame...
. On January 20, 1984, he won the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship
Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship
The Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship is the major title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. From its establishment in 1968 until 1972, it was Stampede's secondary singles championship, becoming the top title in 1972 after the previous top...
from Gouldie in a street fight. In March, he lost the title to Dynamite Kid
Dynamite Kid
Thomas Wilton Billington , best known by the ring name Dynamite Kid, is a retired British professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation, Stampede Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid- to late-1980s...
.
Khan made a brief return to the WWF in 1987, managed by Mr. Fuji
Harry Fujiwara
Harry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
, where he feuded with Outback Jack
Peter Stilsbury
Peter Stilsbury is a former Australian professional wrestler, best known for appearing in the World Wrestling Federation as Outback Jack from 1986 to 1988...
. In addition, he wrestled against WWF Champion Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
in a match at the Boston Garden
Boston Garden
The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928 as "Boston Madison Square Garden" and outlived its original namesake by some 30 years...
where Hogan retained his title.
Personal life
Khan had a role as a bodyguard in the movie 3 Ninjas Kick Back3 Ninjas Kick Back
3 Ninjas Kick Back is a 1994 American sequel to the film 3 Ninjas. It received mostly negative reviews from critics. This is the only 3 Ninjas film with a video game adaptation...
. Khan currently owns a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. He is married to Cindy Ozawa of Lutz, Florida
Lutz, Florida
Lutz is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 19,344 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lutz is located at ....
, though the two remain geographically estranged. He has three children: Yukiea, Yoshiko, and David Masato. All of them reside in the United States.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Cobra clutch
- Diving knee drop from the second rope
- One shoulder powerbomb
- Signature moves
- Asian mist
- Spinning powerbomb
- Thumb choke hold
- ManagersManager (professional wrestling)In professional wrestling, a manager is a secondary character paired with a wrestler for a variety of reasons. The manager is often either a non-wrestler, an occasional wrestler, an older wrestler who has retired or is nearing retirement or, in some cases, a new wrestler who is breaking into the...
- Gary HartGary Hart (wrestler)Gary Richard Williams, was a former professional wrestling manager, as well as a professional wrestler in his early career, best known by his ring name Gary Hart...
- Mr. FujiHarry FujiwaraHarry Fujiwara is an American former professional wrestler and manager, best known by his ring name Mr. Fuji. He was infamous for often throwing salt in the eyes of face wrestlers...
- Freddie Blassie
Championships and accomplishments
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) - with Pak Song
- Mid-South Wrestling Association
- Mid-South Louisiana ChampionshipMid-South Louisiana ChampionshipThe Mid-South Louisiana Heavyweight Championship was a secondary professional wrestling championship that was used and defended from 1964 though 1983. Initially, the championship originated in the NWA affiliated Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling. During this time, it was referred to as the NWA Gulf...
(1 time) - Mid-South Mississippi Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Stampede WrestlingStampede WrestlingStampede Wrestling is a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta and was for nearly 50 years one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies...
- Stampede North American Heavyweight ChampionshipStampede North American Heavyweight ChampionshipThe Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship is the major title in the Canadian professional wrestling promotion Stampede Wrestling. From its establishment in 1968 until 1972, it was Stampede's secondary singles championship, becoming the top title in 1972 after the previous top...
(1 time)
- World Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship WrestlingWorld Class Championship Wrestling ' was a regional professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas. Originally owned by promoter Ed McLemore, by 1966 it was run by Southwest Sports, Inc., whose president, Jack Adkisson, was better known as wrestler Fritz Von Erich...
- WCCW Television ChampionshipWCCW Television ChampionshipThe WCWA Television Championship was a secondary championship that was used and defended in the World Class Wrestling Association. Originally created in 1979 as the WCCW Television Championship, it was primarily defended on their weekly television show...
(1 time)
- Pro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling IllustratedPro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
- PWI Feud of the Year award in 1981 vs. André the GiantAndré the GiantAndré René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
- PWI Match of the Year (1981) vs. Andre the Giant on May 2
- PWI ranked him # 176 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003.
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Feud of the Year (1981) vs. André the Giant
External links
- 居酒屋カンちゃん: Official site