Kintaro Ohki
Encyclopedia
Kintarō Ōki – October 26, 2006 Seoul
, South Korea) was arguably the greatest South Korean professional wrestler of all time, also known professionally as Kim Il or KIM Il during his career in the Japan Wrestling Association, All Japan Pro Wrestling
and International Pro Wrestling
from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Ohki had hopes of becoming a student of Japanese wrestling legend Rikidōzan
, another Korean, and entered Japan illegally in 1958 to do so, but was arrested in 1959. After being released he was able to train with Rikidōzan and joined the Japan Wrestling Association, debuting in November 1959 under his real name, losing to fellow rookie Kanji Inoki
, later Antonio Inoki. They were part of a rookie trio along with Shohei Baba
, later Giant Baba. Ohki was also trained by Mr. Moto
and Yoshinosatohttp://www.puroresu.com/wrestlers/kim_il/.
With Rikidōzan's murder in 1963 Ohki returned to his homeland to raise the profile of professional wrestling there, but returned to the JWA when Toyonobori
and Inoki left the promotion, though he returned the next year. Also in 1967 Ohki became the top star in Korea with his defeat of Mark Lewin
to win the World Wrestling Association
World Heavyweight Championship. With this the JWA wanted to rename him to Rikidōzan but the plan never went through.http://www.puroresu.com/wrestlers/kim_il/
Inoki and Baba famously left the JWA in 1972 to found the All Japan and New Japan
promotions in 1972, letting Ohki become the JWA's top star, winning the NWA International Heavyweight Championship
.
In April 1973 the JWA closed and was absorbed into All Japan, and though he competed for the new organization for a time he wrestled mostly as a freelancer in Japan and a main event star in South Korea, famously wrestling against his former fellow rookies Inoki and Baba in 1974 and 1975. He defended the NWA International title in IPW and South Korea until ordered by the NWA to vacate it in 1981.http://www.puroresu.com/wrestlers/kim_il/
Since then Ohki did not compete much, with his official retirement card on April 2, 1996 held at a weekly pro-wrestling magazine sponsored show at the Tokyo Dome
in Japan
. Wrestling legend Lou Thesz
assisted the wheelchair
-bound Ohki at this, his last public appearance in Japan.
During his career Ohki also held the Far East Heavyweight title, All Asia Heavyweight and Tag Team title four times each, NWA Texas Tag Team title and NWA International Tag Team title, also four times.http://www.puroresu.com/wrestlers/kim_il/
Ohki died in the Eulji General Hospital in Seoul on October 26, 2006 of a heart attack
brought on by renal insufficiency and kidney failure.
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea) was arguably the greatest South Korean professional wrestler of all time, also known professionally as Kim Il or KIM Il during his career in the Japan Wrestling Association, All Japan Pro Wrestling
All Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
and International Pro Wrestling
International Pro Wrestling
International Pro Wrestling , also known as International Wrestling Enterprise, was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1966 to 1981. Founded by Isao Yoshihara, it was affiliated with the American Wrestling Association in the United States and also had tie-ins with promotions in Europe...
from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Ohki had hopes of becoming a student of Japanese wrestling legend Rikidōzan
Rikidozan
, better known as Rikidōzan , was a Korean Japanese professional wrestler, known as the "Father of Puroresu" and one of the most influential men in wrestling history. Initially, he had moved from his native country Korea to Japan to become a sumo wrestler...
, another Korean, and entered Japan illegally in 1958 to do so, but was arrested in 1959. After being released he was able to train with Rikidōzan and joined the Japan Wrestling Association, debuting in November 1959 under his real name, losing to fellow rookie Kanji Inoki
Antonio Inoki
is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes...
, later Antonio Inoki. They were part of a rookie trio along with Shohei Baba
Shohei Baba
was a professional wrestler and co-founder of All Japan Pro Wrestling. He was also known as Giant Baba. Baba, along with Antonio Inoki, became one of the most famous Japanese wrestlers of his era, with a popularity in Japan comparable to Hulk Hogan's in the United States of America...
, later Giant Baba. Ohki was also trained by Mr. Moto
Tor Kamata
McRonald Kamaka was an American/Canadian professional wrestler known by the ring name Tor Kamata. He won several Heavyweight and Tag Team championships, including one World Tag Team title. He was a classic "bad guy" wrestler...
and Yoshinosatohttp://www.puroresu.com/wrestlers/kim_il/.
With Rikidōzan's murder in 1963 Ohki returned to his homeland to raise the profile of professional wrestling there, but returned to the JWA when Toyonobori
Toyonobori
Michiharu Sadano, known in sumo and professional wrestling as Toyonobori, was a Japanese Sumo wrestler.After retiring as a Rikishi from sumo, he became a professional wrestler.-In professional wrestling:...
and Inoki left the promotion, though he returned the next year. Also in 1967 Ohki became the top star in Korea with his defeat of Mark Lewin
Mark Lewin
-Career:Mark Lewin broke into wrestling in the early '50s and had great early success in a matinee-idol babyface tag team with Don Curtis, headlining in major territories like New York and Chicago. The team's brief heel turn was a shock to its many fans...
to win the World Wrestling Association
World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
World Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling promotion based in Los Angeles. The promotion was established in 1959 originally as the North American Wrestling Alliance...
World Heavyweight Championship. With this the JWA wanted to rename him to Rikidōzan but the plan never went through.http://www.puroresu.com/wrestlers/kim_il/
Inoki and Baba famously left the JWA in 1972 to found the All Japan and New Japan
New Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
promotions in 1972, letting Ohki become the JWA's top star, winning the NWA International Heavyweight Championship
NWA International Heavyweight Championship
The NWA International Heavyweight Championship was a singles title recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance through its partnership with the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance, and later by All Japan Pro Wrestling. It is one of the three titles that were unified into the AJPW Triple Crown...
.
In April 1973 the JWA closed and was absorbed into All Japan, and though he competed for the new organization for a time he wrestled mostly as a freelancer in Japan and a main event star in South Korea, famously wrestling against his former fellow rookies Inoki and Baba in 1974 and 1975. He defended the NWA International title in IPW and South Korea until ordered by the NWA to vacate it in 1981.http://www.puroresu.com/wrestlers/kim_il/
Since then Ohki did not compete much, with his official retirement card on April 2, 1996 held at a weekly pro-wrestling magazine sponsored show at the Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Wrestling legend Lou Thesz
Lou Thesz
Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz was a United States professional wrestler and 18-time world heavyweight champion, most notably holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times. Combined, he held the NWA Championship for 10 years, three months and nine days , longer than anyone else in history...
assisted the wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
-bound Ohki at this, his last public appearance in Japan.
During his career Ohki also held the Far East Heavyweight title, All Asia Heavyweight and Tag Team title four times each, NWA Texas Tag Team title and NWA International Tag Team title, also four times.http://www.puroresu.com/wrestlers/kim_il/
Ohki died in the Eulji General Hospital in Seoul on October 26, 2006 of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
brought on by renal insufficiency and kidney failure.
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Pro WrestlingAll Japan Pro Wrestlingis a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
- AJPW All Asia Heavyweight ChampionshipAJPW All Asia Heavyweight ChampionshipThe AJPW All Asia Heavyweight Championship was a title contested for in All Japan Pro Wrestling . Prior to being used in AJPW, the title was defended in the Japan Wrestling Association...
(2 times) - NWA International Tag Team ChampionshipNWA International Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA International Tag Team Championship was a National Wrestling Alliance-sanctioned title contested for in All Japan Pro Wrestling . Prior to being used in AJPW, the title was defended in the Japan Wrestling Association . The title lasted from 1962 through 1988...
(3 times) - with Kim Duk (2) and Umanosuke UedaUmanosuke UedaHiroshi Ueda is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, known by his ring name Umanosuke Ueda, who mainly distinguished himself as the rare Japanese who wrestled with bleached blonde hair...
(1) - Japan Wrestling AssociationJapan Pro Wrestling AllianceNihon Puroresu Kyōkai was the first professional wrestling promotion to be based in Japan. It operated from 1953 to 1973. Founded by Rikidōzan when he established a territory that would represent the National Wrestling Alliance in Japan...
- JWA All Asia Heavyweight ChampionshipAJPW All Asia Heavyweight ChampionshipThe AJPW All Asia Heavyweight Championship was a title contested for in All Japan Pro Wrestling . Prior to being used in AJPW, the title was defended in the Japan Wrestling Association...
(2 times) - JWA All Asia Tag Team ChampionshipAJPW All Asia Tag Team ChampionshipThe All Japan Pro Wrestling All Asia Tag Team Championship is a professional wrestling tag team title in Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling . It was created on November 16, 1955 in the Japan Wrestling Association when King Kong Czaya & Tiger Jokinder defeated JWA founder Rikidōzan &...
(4 times) – with Michiaki Yoshimura (3) and Antonio InokiAntonio Inokiis a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes...
(1) - NWA International Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA International Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA International Heavyweight Championship was a singles title recognized by the National Wrestling Alliance through its partnership with the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance, and later by All Japan Pro Wrestling. It is one of the three titles that were unified into the AJPW Triple Crown...
(1 time) - NWA International Tag Team ChampionshipNWA International Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA International Tag Team Championship was a National Wrestling Alliance-sanctioned title contested for in All Japan Pro Wrestling . Prior to being used in AJPW, the title was defended in the Japan Wrestling Association . The title lasted from 1962 through 1988...
(1 time) – Seiji SakaguchiSeiji Sakaguchiis a retired Japanese professional wrestler who was a mainstay of New Japan Pro Wrestling and also competed for the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance....
- Korean Wrestling Association
- Far East Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA Big Time 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...
- NWA Texas Tag Team ChampionshipWCWA Texas Tag Team ChampionshipThe WCWA Texas Tag Team Championship was the secondary tag team championship in World Class Championship Wrestling, originally known as the NWA Texas Tag-Team title until 1981 where they were abandoned. The titles were brought back in 1987 as the WCWA Texas Tag-Team titles but once the WCWA joined...
(1 time) – with Pak Song
- World Wrestling Association (Los Angeles)
- WWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipWWA World Heavyweight Championship (Los Angeles version)The WWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the Los Angeles-based World Wrestling Association...
(1 time) - WWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mr. MotoMr. MotoMr. Moto is a fictional Japanese secret agent created by the American author John P. Marquand. He appeared in six novels by Marquand published between 1935 and 1957. Marquand initially created the character for the Saturday Evening Post, which was seeking stories with an Asian hero after the death...
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1996)