Dean Higuchi
Encyclopedia
Dean Higuchi is a retired American professional wrestler, known by his ring name Dean Ho, who competed in North American regional promotions including Pacific Northwest Wrestling
, the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance
, specifically the Hawaii-based Big Time Wrestling during the 1960s and 1970s. A longtime veteran of the Vancouver's NWA All-Star Wrestling, he feuded with Terry Adonis, The Brute
and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Gene Kiniski
.
, Higuchi was one of Hawaii's prominent bodybuilders during the 1950s winning the title "Mr. Hawaiian Islands" competition in 1956 and finishing sixth place in the "Mr. America" competition in Philadelphia.
, Beauregarde
, Rene Goulet and Karl Gotch.
on April 6, 1962.
During the mid-1960s, Higuchi began competing for promoter Ed Francis
's Pacific Northwest Wrestling
feuding with El Shereef and also teaming with Kazimoto and Al Torres during early 1965. Later, while in Francis's Big Time Wrestling, he appeared in televised matches against Fuji Fujiwara, Bill Dromo, Tosh Togo, Nick Kozak, Kongozan and the Mongolian Stomper
at the Honolulu Civic Auditorium during 1966.
After losing to Hans Mortier
and Johnny Barend
in early 1967, Higuchi wrestled two matches in one night defeating Great Fuji
although he lost a later tag team match with Karl Gotch against Curtis Iaukea
and Ripper Collins
on April 5, 1967, before moving to the mainland by the end of the year.
in 1968, he lost two matches title matches to him on October 21 and again on December 16 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
. The following year, he would avenge his loss teaming with Earl Maynard
to defeat Kiniski and Bad Boy Shields in a tournament final for the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship in Vancouver on May 12, 1969.
Continuing his long-running feud with Kiniski, he and Steve Bolus fought to a time limit draw against Kiniski and Angelo Mosca
on January 26 and, with Tex McKenzie, defeated Gene Kiniski and Moose Morowski on April 28, 1970.
Losing the title less than a month later to Dutch Savage
and "Bulldog" Bob Brown
on June 9, he and Steve Bolus defeated them on December 8 and held them until their defeat by Brown and John Quinn
on February 9, 1970. He later won the tag team title with Steven Little Bear twice during 1971 and feuded with the Skull Brothers and Gene Kiniski and Bob Brown
before losing the title to Kiniski and Brown for the second and final time on October 11, 1971.
Staying in Vancouver in early 1973, he defeated Sailor White
on January 22. Feuding with The Brute, he and Sean Reagan lost a tag team match to The Brute and Mike Webster in Seattle on March 3. After defeating Tony Bourne, Butts Giraud and Bob Hames
in a 6-man tag-team match with Larry Whistler and Eric Froelich on July 16, he left the promotion moving on to the northeastern United States.
to win the WWWF World Tag Team Championship on November 14, 1973. Holding on to the title for four months, they eventually lost the belts to Jimmy and Johnny Valiant on May 8, 1974. They continued to team for a time defeating Jack Evens and Hans Schroeder on November 24 however, by late 1974, they had gone their separate ways.
While wrestling in Georgia Championship Wrestling
, he held the NWA Georgia Tag Team title with Ken Mantell defeating Black Gordman and Goliath on July 2 before losing them to Jimmy and Johnny Valiant a little more than two weeks later on July 16, 1976. He also helped Rick "The Dragon" Steamboat, who was also wrestling in Georgia at the time, develop his martial arts and ring psychology during his early career.
defeated Dale Lewis
and Seigfried Steinke on January 12, 1976 before losing them to his longtime rival Gene Kiniski and Seigfried Steinke on February 9. In 1977, Higuchi began wrestling in the San Francisco-area defeating Alexis Smirnoff for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship in Daly City, California
on July 16 holding the title for two months before losing the title to Bob Roop
on September 17.
Higuchi later regained the title, which had been vacated after Roop left the company in December 1977, winning a tournament on January 14, 1978. During early 1978, he also teamed with Pepper Gomez and later Mando Guerrero
against his old tag team partner Sir Earl Maynard and later teamed with Gomez and Guerrero in a 6-man tag team match against Texas Red
, The Great Goliath and Don Muraco. Defending his NWA US Heavyweight title in a no disqualification match against Don Muraco, he lost the title to Muraco on April 1.
After the death of then NWA US Heavyweight Champion "Moondog" Lonnie Mayne
on August 13, he and "Playboy" Buddy Rose
fought to a time limit draw for the vacant title six days later in San Francisco on August 19 (Rose would eventually defeat "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka
in a tournament final to win the title the following month on September 16).
, defeated Al Tomko
and Igor Volkoff on November 30, 1981. Feuding with Terry Adonis, he teamed with Moondog Moretti to defeat Adonis and Timothy Flowers in a tag team match on January 24, 1983. He retired later that year.
Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific Northwest Wrestling is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The first such company was founded by Herb Owen in 1925...
, the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the National Wrestling Alliance
National Wrestling Alliance
The National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
, specifically the Hawaii-based Big Time Wrestling during the 1960s and 1970s. A longtime veteran of the Vancouver's NWA All-Star Wrestling, he feuded with Terry Adonis, The Brute
Bugsy McGraw
Bugsy McGraw is the ring name of former professional wrestler Michael Davis. He also wrestled under the name "The Skull." He is not to be confused with the other wrestler named Mike Davis.-Total Nonstop Action Wrestling :...
and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Gene Kiniski
Gene Kiniski
Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta...
.
Bodybuilding
After graduating from President Theodore Roosevelt High SchoolPresident Theodore Roosevelt High School
President Theodore Roosevelt High School is a public, co-educational college preparatory high school of the Hawaii State Department of Education and serves grades nine through twelve...
, Higuchi was one of Hawaii's prominent bodybuilders during the 1950s winning the title "Mr. Hawaiian Islands" competition in 1956 and finishing sixth place in the "Mr. America" competition in Philadelphia.
Dean's Gym
He opened his gym on Kalakaua Avenue in 1957, and it was a popular training center for both bodybuilders and professional wrestlers. Many of the areas top bodybuilders such as and professional wrestlers trained for decades including Don MuracoDon Muraco
Donald Muraco , better known by his ring name "The Rock" Don Muraco, is a retired American professional wrestler...
, Beauregarde
Beauregarde
Beauregarde, is a former pro wrestler and musician from Portland, Oregon in the United States.-Career:...
, Rene Goulet and Karl Gotch.
Early career
Making his professional wrestling debut during the early 1960s, he lost one of his earliest matches to Rocky Columbo in Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
on April 6, 1962.
During the mid-1960s, Higuchi began competing for promoter Ed Francis
Ed Francis
Ed Francis was a professional wrestler and wrestling promoter in Hawaii in the 1960s. Many wrestlers who came through Hawaii in the '60s and '70s were bound to come across the name Ed Francis...
's Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific Northwest Wrestling
Pacific Northwest Wrestling is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The first such company was founded by Herb Owen in 1925...
feuding with El Shereef and also teaming with Kazimoto and Al Torres during early 1965. Later, while in Francis's Big Time Wrestling, he appeared in televised matches against Fuji Fujiwara, Bill Dromo, Tosh Togo, Nick Kozak, Kongozan and the Mongolian Stomper
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...
at the Honolulu Civic Auditorium during 1966.
After losing to Hans Mortier
Hans Mortier
Jacob "Jaap" Grobbe , better known as Hans Mortier, was a Dutch professional wrestler best known for his stint in the World Wide Wrestling Federation and his feud with WWWF Champion Bruno Sammartino in the 1960s.-Professional wrestling career:Before becoming a professional wrestler, Grobbe worked...
and Johnny Barend
Johnny Barend
"Handsome" Johnny Barend , was an American professional wrestler.Barend started wrestling as an amateur at the age of eight. After graduating Jefferson High in Rochester in 1944, he served his country during World War II, and wrestled in the Navy. He was trained to wrestle professionally by Ed Don...
in early 1967, Higuchi wrestled two matches in one night defeating Great 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...
although he lost a later tag team match with Karl Gotch against Curtis Iaukea
Curtis Iaukea
Curtis Piʻehu Iaukea served as the chief diplomat of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi during the reigns of King Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani. His great grandson is wrestler King Curtis Iaukea.-Life:...
and Ripper Collins
Ripper Collins
James Anthony "Rip" Collins was a Major League Baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, and Pittsburgh Pirates....
on April 5, 1967, before moving to the mainland by the end of the year.
National Wrestling Alliance
Feuding with then NWA World Heavyweight Champion Gene KiniskiGene Kiniski
Eugene Nicholas "Gene" Kiniski was a Canadian professional wrestler and the father of wrestlers Nick Kiniski and Kelly Kiniski. "Canada's Greatest Athlete" as he billed himself for promotional purposes was born outside of Edmonton, Alberta...
in 1968, he lost two matches title matches to him on October 21 and again on December 16 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The following year, he would avenge his loss teaming with Earl Maynard
Earl Maynard
Earl Maynard is a bodybuilder and professional wrestler as well as a film actor, producer and director from Barbados.-Bodybuilding:Maynard won the 1964 Universe - Pro - NABBA bodybuilding competition - part of the Universe Championships, the 1965 Universe - IFBB - now the World Amateur Bodybuilding...
to defeat Kiniski and Bad Boy Shields in a tournament final for the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship in Vancouver on May 12, 1969.
Continuing his long-running feud with Kiniski, he and Steve Bolus fought to a time limit draw against Kiniski and Angelo Mosca
Angelo Mosca
Angelo Mosca is a former Canadian Football League player and professional wrestler. He is also known by the wrestling nicknames King Kong Mosca and The Mighty Hercules...
on January 26 and, with Tex McKenzie, defeated Gene Kiniski and Moose Morowski on April 28, 1970.
Losing the title less than a month later to Dutch Savage
Dutch Savage
Frank Stewart is a former professional wrestler and wrestling promoter, best known for his time spent competing in Pacific Northwest Wrestling under the ring name Dutch Savage.-Career:...
and "Bulldog" Bob Brown
Bob Brown (wrestler)
Robert Harold Brown was a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name "Bulldog" Bob Brown.- Early life :...
on June 9, he and Steve Bolus defeated them on December 8 and held them until their defeat by Brown and John Quinn
John Quinn
John Quinn or Jack Quinn is the name of:*Jack Quinn , White House counsel, 1995–1996*Jack Quinn , Congressman from New York*Jack Quinn III, Assemblyman from Erie County, New York and son of the Congressman...
on February 9, 1970. He later won the tag team title with Steven Little Bear twice during 1971 and feuded with the Skull Brothers and Gene Kiniski and Bob Brown
Bob Brown
Robert James Brown is an Australian senator, the inaugural Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens and was the first openly gay member of the Parliament of Australia...
before losing the title to Kiniski and Brown for the second and final time on October 11, 1971.
Staying in Vancouver in early 1973, he defeated Sailor White
Edward White
Edward White may refer to:*Edward John White , Anglo-Australian meteorologist and astronomer*Edward Douglass White , Chief Justice of the U.S.*Edward Douglass White, Sr. , Governor of Louisiana and U.S...
on January 22. Feuding with The Brute, he and Sean Reagan lost a tag team match to The Brute and Mike Webster in Seattle on March 3. After defeating Tony Bourne, Butts Giraud and Bob Hames
Bob Hames
Robert "Bob" Earl Hames was an American jazz guitarist best known for being a staff guitarist for live productions at WFAA-TV in the early 1950s...
in a 6-man tag-team match with Larry Whistler and Eric Froelich on July 16, he left the promotion moving on to the northeastern United States.
World Wide Wrestling Federation
Wrestling for the World Wide Wrestling Federation during the mid-1970s, he and Tony Garea teamed to defeat Toru Tanaka and Mr. FujiHarry 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...
to win the WWWF World Tag Team Championship on November 14, 1973. Holding on to the title for four months, they eventually lost the belts to Jimmy and Johnny Valiant on May 8, 1974. They continued to team for a time defeating Jack Evens and Hans Schroeder on November 24 however, by late 1974, they had gone their separate ways.
While wrestling in 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...
, he held the NWA Georgia Tag Team title with Ken Mantell defeating Black Gordman and Goliath on July 2 before losing them to Jimmy and Johnny Valiant a little more than two weeks later on July 16, 1976. He also helped Rick "The Dragon" Steamboat, who was also wrestling in Georgia at the time, develop his martial arts and ring psychology during his early career.
From San Francisco to Vancouver
Returning to Vancouver for a time, he and George WellsGeorge Wells (wrestler)
George Wells or Welles is a retired American professional wrestler and Canadian Football League football player who competed in North American regional promotions during the early 1970s and 1980s including the Continental Wrestling Association, Pacific Northwest Wrestling, Stampede Wrestling, the...
defeated Dale Lewis
Dale Lewis
Dale Lewis is an Australian rules footballer from Swan Hill, Victoria. His preferred position is mid-fielder. He made his debut in 1990, and retired in 2001.Lewis played his entire professional AFL career with the Sydney Swans....
and Seigfried Steinke on January 12, 1976 before losing them to his longtime rival Gene Kiniski and Seigfried Steinke on February 9. In 1977, Higuchi began wrestling in the San Francisco-area defeating Alexis Smirnoff for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship in Daly City, California
Daly City, California
Daly City is the largest city in San Mateo County, California, United States, with a 2010 population of 101,123. Located immediately south of San Francisco, it is named in honor of businessman and landowner John Daly.-History:...
on July 16 holding the title for two months before losing the title to Bob Roop
Bob Roop
Bob Roop is a retired amateur and professional wrestler whose career has spanned high school, college, Army, amateur and professional wrestling. He was an American Heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler at the 1968 Summer Olympics.-Amateur career:...
on September 17.
Higuchi later regained the title, which had been vacated after Roop left the company in December 1977, winning a tournament on January 14, 1978. During early 1978, he also teamed with Pepper Gomez and later Mando Guerrero
Mando Guerrero
Armando Guerrero Llanes , better known as Mando Guerrero, is a retired professional wrestler. He also was the trainer for the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, an all female professional wrestling promotion.-Movie stuntman career:...
against his old tag team partner Sir Earl Maynard and later teamed with Gomez and Guerrero in a 6-man tag team match against Texas Red
Texas Red
Texas Red or sulforhodamine 101 acid chloride is a red fluorescent dye, used in histology for staining cell specimens, for sorting cells with fluorescent-activated cell sorting machines, in fluorescence microscopy applications, and in immunohistochemistry.Texas Red fluoresces at about 615 nm,...
, The Great Goliath and Don Muraco. Defending his NWA US Heavyweight title in a no disqualification match against Don Muraco, he lost the title to Muraco on April 1.
After the death of then NWA US Heavyweight Champion "Moondog" Lonnie Mayne
Lonnie Mayne
Ronald Doyle "Lonnie" Mayne was an American professional wrestler in the 1960s and 1970s who frequently went by the name Moondog Mayne. Mayne wrestled in various NWA territories as well as the WWWF...
on August 13, he and "Playboy" Buddy Rose
Buddy Rose
Paul Perschmann was an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Playboy" Buddy Rose.-Career:Paul Perschmann was trained by Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson in the early 1970s...
fought to a time limit draw for the vacant title six days later in San Francisco on August 19 (Rose would eventually defeat "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka
Jimmy Snuka
James William "Jimmy" Reiher is a semi-retired Fijian professional wrestler and actor, better known by his ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Originally from the Fiji Islands, Snuka wrestled for several promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. Snuka is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having been a...
in a tournament final to win the title the following month on September 16).
Return to Portland
Higuchi later returned to his home territory in All-Star Wrestling and, with Klondike MikeMike Shaw
Mike Shaw was a professional wrestler who was best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling as Norman The Lunatic, and as Bastion Booger in the World Wrestling Federation...
, defeated Al Tomko
Al Tomko
Al Tomko was a Canadian professional wrestler and wrestling promoter.-Professional wrestling career:Tomko started out as a wrestler in his hometown of Winnipeg on July 9, 1954 with the Madison Wrestling Club, losing his debut match to John DePaulo. During that same period, he ran his own promotion...
and Igor Volkoff on November 30, 1981. Feuding with Terry Adonis, he teamed with Moondog Moretti to defeat Adonis and Timothy Flowers in a tag team match on January 24, 1983. He retired later that year.
Personal life
In 1990, he sold his gym and retired to Canada where he runs a deli and involved as a social worker in Vancouver, British Columbia.Championships and accomplishments
- Georgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia Championship WrestlingGeorgia 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...
- NWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship was the top tag team championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1968 to 1980, when it was replaced with the NWA National Tag Team Championship....
(1 time) - with Ken Mantell
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)The Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship was established in 1962 as the top tag team title in NWA All-Star Wrestling. The title held that status until late summer 1985, when the title was renamed the UWA Tag Team Championship upon All-Star Wrestling's departure as a member of...
(6 times) - with Earl Maynard (1), Steve Bolus (1), Steven Little Bear (2) George WellsGeorge Wells (wrestler)George Wells or Welles is a retired American professional wrestler and Canadian Football League football player who competed in North American regional promotions during the early 1970s and 1980s including the Continental Wrestling Association, Pacific Northwest Wrestling, Stampede Wrestling, the...
(1) and Klondike MikeMike ShawMike Shaw was a professional wrestler who was best known for his stint in World Championship Wrestling as Norman The Lunatic, and as Bastion Booger in the World Wrestling Federation...
(1) - NWA International Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)NWA International Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version)The Vancouver version of the NWA International Tag Team Championship was a tag team title in NWA All Star Wrestling. It was established in 1982 as the top tag team championship in that promotion after the NWA Canadian Tag Team title became inactive early that year, but was demoted to secondary...
(2 times) - with Sonny MyersSonny MyersHarold "Sonny" Myers was an American professional wrestler, involved in the business for sixty years.-Career:...
(1) and Moondog Moretti (1)
- 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 American Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Fritz Von ErichFritz Von ErichJack Barton Adkisson was an American professional wrestler under the ring name Fritz Von Erich, better known today as a wrestling promoter and the patriarch of the Von Erich family...
- NWA San FranciscoNational Wrestling AllianceThe National Wrestling Alliance is a wrestling promotion company and sanctions various NWA championships in the United States. The NWA has been in operation since 1948...
- NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (2 times)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version)NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version)The San Francisco, California version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship existed from 1950 until 1961, and then from 1968 until 1979.-Title history:...
(2 times) - with Moondog Mayne (1) and Ron Starr (1)
- Pacific Northwest WrestlingPacific Northwest WrestlingPacific Northwest Wrestling is the common name used to refer to several different professional wrestling companies, both past and present, based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The first such company was founded by Herb Owen in 1925...
- NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team ChampionshipNWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team ChampionshipThe NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling championship sanctioned by the National Wrestling Alliance and defended in its member promotion Pacific Northwest Wrestling, which promoted shows in the U.S...
(1 time) - with Johnny Kostas
- World Wide Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld 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...
- WWWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Tony Garea