Kinji Shibuya
Kinji Shibuya | |
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Birth name | Robert Shibuya |
Born | May 16, 1921[1] Utah, United States[1] |
Died | May 3, 2010[1] Hayward, California, United States |
Alma mater | University of Hawai'i |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Kinji Shibuya Kenji Shibuya Sato Keomuka |
Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
Billed weight | 249 lb (113 kg) |
Billed from | Japan |
Trained by | Tsutao Higami |
Debut | 1952[1] |
Retired | 1976[2] |
Robert "Kinji" Shibuya (May 16, 1921 – May 3, 2010) was an American professional wrestler and actor.
Professional wrestling career[]
In 1952, promoter suggested Shibuya try professional wrestling.[1] He was originally given a villainous gimmick of a Japanese bad guy after World War II.[1] He wrestled in the United States and Canada's Stampede Wrestling and All-Star Wrestling.[1] Shibuya credited Verne Gagne for first making him popular as a villain in 1955.[2]
Shibuya was the frequent tag team partner of Mitsu Arakawa, who was billed as his cousin.[1] In 1957, they held the Minneapolis version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship.[1]
Personal life[]
Shibuya was born in Utah and raised in California with his four brothers.[1] He attended Belmont High School in Los Angeles. He played football for the Los Angeles City football team, and he also played football at the University of Hawaii.[1] After college, Shibuya played semi-professionally for the and .[1]
Shibuya was featured on a "This is Your Life" segment on the television show and appeared on the show several times in the 1970s and 1980s.[2] After retiring from wrestling, he also had small acting roles on shows such as Kung Fu and Mr. T and Tina.[1] He also appeared in the films and Hammett.[1]
He was married for 59 years and had two children.[1] Shibuya died on May 3, 2010, of natural causes.[1][2] He was cremated, and his funeral service was held at a Buddhist temple.[2]
Championships and accomplishments[]
- Big Time Wrestling (San Francisco)
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (3 times)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (5 times) - with Masa Saito (2), Great Mephisto (1), Great Sasaki (1), and Mitsu Arakawa (1)
- Cauliflower Alley Club
- Other honoree (1993)[3]
- Central States Wrestling
- Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
- NWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Mid-Atlantic version) (2 times) - with Mr. Moto
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (4 times) - with Mitsu Arakawa (1), Sweet Daddy Siki (1), Don Leo Jonathan (1), and John Quinn (1)
- NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (Vancouver version) (1 time)
- NWA Hollywood Wrestling
- NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[4][5]
- NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Masa Saito (3), Goliath (1), Killer Kowalski (1)
- NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (5 times)
- NWA Minneapolis Wrestling and Boxing Club
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Minneapolis version) (1 time) - with Mitsu Arakawa
- NWA Western States Sports
- Stampede Wrestling
- Stampede International Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mitsu Arakawa
- World Class Championship Wrestling
- NWA Texas Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Duke Keomuka[6][7]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Oliver, Greg (May 8, 2010). "Kinji Shibuya dead at 88". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
- ^ a b c d e Lano, Mike (May 20, 2010). "Remembering Kinji Shibuya: Hated and beloved". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
- ^ "Honorees". Cauliflower Alley Club. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Texas: NWA / World Class American Heavyweight Title [Von Eric]". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 265–266. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "NWA United States Heavyweight Title (1967-1968/05) - American Heavyweight Title (1968/05-1986/02)". Wrestling-Titles. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ Will, Gary; Duncan, Royal (2000). "Texas: NWA Texas Tag Team Title [Von Erich]". Wrestling Title Histories: professional wrestling champions around the world from the 19th century to the present. Pennsylvania: Archeus Communications. pp. 275–276. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "NWA Texas Tag Team Title [E. Texas]". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
External links[]
- Kinji Shibuya's profile at Cagematch.net, Wrestlingdata.com
- Steward, Carl (May 14, 2010). "Remembering Kinji Shibuya: 'bad guy in the ring, gentle soul outside it". San Jose Mercury News.
- Oliver, Greg (May 20, 2010). "OBITUARY: Kinji Shibuya". Nichi Bei.
- 1921 births
- 2010 deaths
- American male professional wrestlers
- Faux Japanese professional wrestlers
- University of Hawaiʻi alumni
- American male actors of Japanese descent
- Professional wrestlers from Utah
- American sportspeople of Japanese descent
- Stampede Wrestling alumni