Tatsumi Fujinami
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese professional wrestler who is famous for his gimmick as "The Dragon." He is the one who is credited for inventing the Dragon Sleeper and the Dragon Suplex
. He is also the owner & founder of the Dradition wrestling promotion.
's wing at the age of 17. When Inoki was fired from JWA in 1971, Fujinami and a few others followed him in forming a new promotion, New Japan Pro Wrestling
. Inoki, Fujinami, Osamu Kido
and Kotetsu Yamamoto are recognized as NJPW's founding fathers.
, Yoshiaki Fujiwara
and Gran Hamada
. Fujinami, Fujiwara, Hamada and three other rookies competed in the 1974 Karl Gotch Cup (a tournament for rookies, forerunner to the later Young Lions Cup).
In the late 1970s, Fujinami was sent abroad, to Mexico
's Universal Wrestling Association
and to Jim Crockett Promotions
in the U.S. In the late 1970s he went to the WWWF
where he first made a name for himself. He won the WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
on January 23, 1978. and brought it back to Japan, establishing it as the premier junior heavyweight title in Japan. In October 1981, he graduated to the heavyweight division. Fujinami would be the first wrestler to be successful in both the junior heavyweight and heavyweight divisions.
1988 proved to be Fujinami's banner year. On May 8, he defeated Big Van Vader by disqualification, to win the title vacated by Antonio Inoki. However, within days, the title was held up after he fought Riki Chōshū
to a no contest; he would win the title back a month later in the rematch. In October, he won the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
, and he ended the year by winning the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship in December.
1989 proved to be a heartbreaking year for Fujinami. In April, he vacated the title to be determined in a tournament at New Japan's first Tokyo Dome
show; he would lose to eventual winner Big Van Vader in the semi-finals. In June, during a match with Vader, Fujinami suffered a severe back injury and pulled a hernia. He wouldn't wrestle at all until he returned in September 1990, changing his kanji from "辰巳" to "辰爾" (both are pronounced Tatsumi).
In December 1990, he regained the title he never lost, the IWGP Heavyweight title from Chōshū. His reign was short-lived, as he lost the title to Vader a month later. Fujinami rebounded by regaining the title two months later. Within days, Fujinami made history, as he defeated Ric Flair
to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
, making him the very first man to hold the IWGP and NWA World titles simultaneously.
His "most remembered" match in the U.S. was when he defended his NWA World Heavyweight title against Ric Flair
in a title vs. title re-match at the first ever WCW
SuperBrawl in Florida
after a controversial match in Japan
that March. Flair retained his WCW Championship and regained Fujinami's NWA title by a school boy pin with a handful of tights.
In recent years Fujinami has decreased his work load upon being named President of NJPW in 1999 (he was nevertheless ousted in 2004). His last title reign in NJPW was a IWGP Tag Team Championship with disciple Osamu Nishimura
in October 2001, and his last title shot ever was a AJPW Triple Crown bout against Keiji Mutoh
in December of the same year (Mutoh had not affiliated himself exclusively with AJPW at the time).
In 2006, after nearly 35 years in the company, Fujinami left NJPW, after giving an ultimatum of either Riki Chōshū leave or Fujinami leave. New Japan stuck with Chōshū, causing Fujinami to leave. Another veteran and Fujinami's long-time tag team partner, Kengo Kimura
, would follow suit.
and Go Shiozaki
in the main event of the first "Muga World" show. The name of Fujinami's new promotion has since been changed to Dradition, after the departure of Nishimura.
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...
ese professional wrestler who is famous for his gimmick as "The Dragon." He is the one who is credited for inventing the Dragon Sleeper and the Dragon Suplex
Suplex
A suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...
. He is also the owner & founder of the Dradition wrestling promotion.
Japanese Wrestling Association (1971-1972)
Fujinami started in the old Japanese Wrestling Association under Antonio InokiAntonio 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...
's wing at the age of 17. When Inoki was fired from JWA in 1971, Fujinami and a few others followed him in forming a new promotion, New Japan Pro Wrestling
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...
. Inoki, Fujinami, Osamu Kido
Osamu Kido
is a Japanese professional wrestler that wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He participated in the foundation of New Japan of 1972 and the foundation ofUWF in 1984...
and Kotetsu Yamamoto are recognized as NJPW's founding fathers.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (1972-2006)
In those early days, he served as opponent for debuting rookies, such as Mr. PogoTetsuo Sekigawa
Tetsuo Sekigawa is a Japanese professional wrestler who is very well known for his hardcore matches, competing in his most popular gimmick, Mr. Pogo.-Early years :...
, Yoshiaki Fujiwara
Yoshiaki Fujiwara
is a Japanese actor, and professional wrestler who has worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, and UWF.-New Japan Pro Wrestling and Universal Wrestling Federation :...
and Gran Hamada
Gran Hamada
, better known by his ring name , is Japanese professional wrestler, the first to adopt the high-flying Mexican lucha libre style. He has wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling, the Universal Wrestling Federation, Michinoku Pro, and All Japan Pro Wrestling, and was the founder of Universal Lucha Libre...
. Fujinami, Fujiwara, Hamada and three other rookies competed in the 1974 Karl Gotch Cup (a tournament for rookies, forerunner to the later Young Lions Cup).
In the late 1970s, Fujinami was sent abroad, to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
's Universal Wrestling Association
Universal Wrestling Association
The Universal Wrestling Association was a Mexican Lucha Libre or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995...
and to Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions
Jim Crockett Promotions was a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. until the late 1980s. It was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance and was the forerunner to World Championship Wrestling .-Early history:...
in the U.S. In the late 1970s he went to the WWWF
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...
where he first made a name for himself. He won the WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
The WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985.-Title history:-External links:*...
on January 23, 1978. and brought it back to Japan, establishing it as the premier junior heavyweight title in Japan. In October 1981, he graduated to the heavyweight division. Fujinami would be the first wrestler to be successful in both the junior heavyweight and heavyweight divisions.
1988 proved to be Fujinami's banner year. On May 8, he defeated Big Van Vader by disqualification, to win the title vacated by Antonio Inoki. However, within days, the title was held up after he fought Riki Chōshū
Riki Choshu
Mitsuo Yoshida , better known by his stage name Riki Chōshū , is a Korean-Japanese professional wrestler who is most known for his longtime work in New Japan Pro Wrestling as a wrestler and a booker...
to a no contest; he would win the title back a month later in the rematch. In October, he won the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
The NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight 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...
, and he ended the year by winning the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship in December.
1989 proved to be a heartbreaking year for Fujinami. In April, he vacated the title to be determined in a tournament at New Japan's first 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...
show; he would lose to eventual winner Big Van Vader in the semi-finals. In June, during a match with Vader, Fujinami suffered a severe back injury and pulled a hernia. He wouldn't wrestle at all until he returned in September 1990, changing his kanji from "辰巳" to "辰爾" (both are pronounced Tatsumi).
In December 1990, he regained the title he never lost, the IWGP Heavyweight title from Chōshū. His reign was short-lived, as he lost the title to Vader a month later. Fujinami rebounded by regaining the title two months later. Within days, Fujinami made history, as he defeated Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Heavyweight Championship
The National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
, making him the very first man to hold the IWGP and NWA World titles simultaneously.
His "most remembered" match in the U.S. was when he defended his NWA World Heavyweight title against Ric Flair
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ric Flair. Also known as "The Nature Boy", Flair is one of the most well-known professional wrestlers in the world....
in a title vs. title re-match at the first ever WCW
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
SuperBrawl in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
after a controversial match 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...
that March. Flair retained his WCW Championship and regained Fujinami's NWA title by a school boy pin with a handful of tights.
In recent years Fujinami has decreased his work load upon being named President of NJPW in 1999 (he was nevertheless ousted in 2004). His last title reign in NJPW was a IWGP Tag Team Championship with disciple Osamu Nishimura
Osamu Nishimura
Osamu Nishimura is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for All Japan Pro Wrestling. Nishimura formerly worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling and MUGA World Pro Wrestling.-Early years :...
in October 2001, and his last title shot ever was a AJPW Triple Crown bout against Keiji Mutoh
Keiji Mutoh
is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he has also competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan...
in December of the same year (Mutoh had not affiliated himself exclusively with AJPW at the time).
In 2006, after nearly 35 years in the company, Fujinami left NJPW, after giving an ultimatum of either Riki Chōshū leave or Fujinami leave. New Japan stuck with Chōshū, causing Fujinami to leave. Another veteran and Fujinami's long-time tag team partner, Kengo Kimura
Kengo Kimura
Seiei Kimura is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Kengo Kimura and for his many years working for New Japan Pro Wrestling in Japan.-Japan Wrestling Association :...
, would follow suit.
Muga / Dradition (2004-present)
Recently he and Nishimura began running their Muga promotion again, focusing on pure catch wrestling which seems to have been relegated by NJPW. In a tag team dream match, Fujinami, along with his close friend Nishimura beat Mitsuharu MisawaMitsuharu Misawa
was a Japanese professional wrestler. He made his professional debut on August 21, 1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling . From 1984 until 1990, Misawa wrestled as the second generation Tiger Mask, as All Japan Pro Wrestling had purchased the rights of the Tiger Mask gimmick from New Japan Pro Wrestling...
and Go Shiozaki
Go Shiozaki
is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is the current GHC Heavyweight Champion. In addition to Noah, he has previously worked in the American-based promotion Ring of Honor and its former sister promotion Full Impact Pro, where he won the latter's...
in the main event of the first "Muga World" show. The name of Fujinami's new promotion has since been changed to Dradition, after the departure of Nishimura.
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Dragon Backbreaker (Belly to back suplex lifted and dropped into a backbreaker) – innovated
- Dragon sleeper – innovated
- Dragon suplex – innovated
- Signature moves
- Abdominal stretch, sometimes to a grounded opponent
- Cloverleaf leg lace Boston crabSharpshooter (professional wrestling)The Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The move is also known by several other names: cloverleaf leg-lace Boston crab, standing reverse figure-four leglock, and, the most commonly known alternative, Scorpion Deathlock...
- Double underhook DDT
- Dragon Rocket (Suicide dive)
- Dragon screw – Innovated
- Enzuigiri
- Figure four leglock
- Front dropkick
- Gory special
- Reverse rolling prawn hold
- Running sitout powerbomb
- Nicknames
- "Honoo no Hiryū"
- "The Dragon"
- Entrance themesMusic in professional wrestlingMusic in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
-
- "Dragon Suplex" (1978–1985, 1987–1989, 1995–1996, 1998–present)
- "Macho Dragon (Instrumental)" (1985–1987)
- "Rising" (1989)
- "Rising - Epilogue" (1990–1995)
- "Super Dragon" (1997–1998)
-
Championships and accomplishments
- Catch Wrestling AssociationCatch Wrestling AssociationThe Catch Wrestling Association was a professional wrestling organization based in Austria and Germany and was founded in 1973. It was formerly run by famous AWA champion Otto Wanz. The CWA featured a traditional brand of mat wrestling mixed with various “Strong Man” competitions...
- CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight ChampionshipCWA Intercontinental Heavyweight ChampionshipThe CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship was the secondary singles title in the German professional wrestling promotion the Catch Wrestling Association. The title was active from 1991 through the promotion's close in 2000.-See also:...
(1 time)
- CWA Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship
- New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis 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...
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship (6 times)
- IWGP Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Kengo KimuraKengo KimuraSeiei Kimura is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, best known under the ring name Kengo Kimura and for his many years working for New Japan Pro Wrestling in Japan.-Japan Wrestling Association :...
(4) and Osamu NishimuraOsamu NishimuraOsamu Nishimura is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for All Japan Pro Wrestling. Nishimura formerly worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling and MUGA World Pro Wrestling.-Early years :...
(1) - NWA International Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA International Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship started in 1979. It was formed by a split in lineage from the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship caused by the first retirement of champion Nelson Royal the same year. The first champion, Steve Keirn, was recognized as World champion only...
(2 times) - NWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in the National Wrestling Alliance. Its lineage has been traced from the first World Heavyweight Championship, which traces its lineage to Georg Hackenschmidt's 1905 title and...
(1 time) - WCWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipWorld Class Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WCWA World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Class Championship Wrestling. The title was originally created in June 1966 as the Texas version of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship before being renamed the NWA American...
(1 time) - WWF International Heavyweight ChampionshipWWF International Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWF International Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by NWA Northeast, the World Wrestling Federation, New Japan Pro Wrestling and the Japanese UWF.The title existed from 1959 through 1963 and again from 1982 through 1985....
(1 time) - WWF International Tag Team ChampionshipWWF International Tag Team ChampionshipThe WWF International Tag Team Championship was a tag team championship in the World Wide Wrestling Federation from 1969 to 1972 and in the renamed World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro Wrestling for a short time in 1985.-Title history:-See also:...
(1 time) – with Kengo Kimura - WWF Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipWWF Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985.-Title history:-External links:*...
(1 time) - G1 ClimaxG1 ClimaxThe G1 Climax professional wrestling tournament is a weeklong event held each August by the New Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. The G1 draws standing room only crowds each night, record receipt gates and generates front-page coverage on the sports sections of several of the daily newspapers in Tokyo...
(1993) - Super Grade Tag LeagueG1 Climax Tag LeagueThe G1 Climax Tag League is a professional wrestling round-robin tag team tournament held by New Japan Pro Wrestling as a spin-off of the popular singles tournament, the G1 Climax. It was created in 1991 as the Super Grade Tag League, as a continuation of a regular tag team tournament held since...
(1991) – with Big Van Vader
- 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 Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight 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)
- NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship
- 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 ranked him #31 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003
- Universal Wrestling AssociationUniversal Wrestling AssociationThe Universal Wrestling Association was a Mexican Lucha Libre or professional wrestling promotion based in Naucalpan, Mexico State that operated from 1975 until 1995...
- UWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipUWA World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe UWA World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally promoted by Universal Wrestling Association until it closed in 1995 and since then been defended on the Mexican independent circuit...
(1 time)
- UWA World Heavyweight Championship
- World Wide Wrestling Federation / World 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...
- WWF International Heavyweight ChampionshipWWF International Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWF International Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by NWA Northeast, the World Wrestling Federation, New Japan Pro Wrestling and the Japanese UWF.The title existed from 1959 through 1963 and again from 1982 through 1985....
(1 time) - WWWF Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipWWF Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985.-Title history:-External links:*...
(1 time)
- WWF International Heavyweight Championship
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Technical Wrestler (1985, 1986, 1988)
- Most Outstanding Wrestler (1988)
- 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)