Kazuo Sakurada

Sumo wrestling career

Professional wrestling career

Early years (1971–1976) Kazuo Sakurada debuted on June 21, 1971, in the old Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance against Kim Duk. On March 8, 1973, he became involved in a shoot when his mid-card match against rookie Tsutomu Oshiro went horribly wrong and Sakurada began beating Oshiro severely, knocking him out of the ring. Oshiro was going to jump to New Japan Pro-Wrestling along with his mentor Seiji Sakaguchi and friend Kengo Kimura, and Sakurada took actions into his own hands, blaming them for jumping ship. When the JPWA closed in April 1973 Sakurada joined All Japan Pro Wrestling.

In 1975, he joined International Wrestling Enterprise.

United States and Stampede Wrestling (1976–1981) In 1976, Sakurada made his North America debut in Texas. Now as Mr. Sakurada, he found his earliest success in Stampede Wrestling. During his time in Stampede Wrestling, Sakurada trained Bret Hart to wrestle.

World Championship Wrestling (1989–1990) In 1989, he performed on WCW television, using the ring name "The Dragonmaster". While there, he joined Gary Hart's J-Tex Corporation stable consisting of Terry Funk, Dick Slater, Buzz Sawyer, and The Great Muta. This heel group, conceived in July 1989,

Return to Japan (1990–2000) In 1990, after so many years competing in North America, he returned to Japan as Kendo Nagasaki. He first joined Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, but later joined Super World of Sports. Following SWS's collapse in 1992, he formed his own promotion, NOW (Network of Wrestling). In 1995, he closed NOW, and with a new business partner Shinya Kojika, formed Big Japan Pro Wrestling. Nagasaki teamed with Chris Michaels defeating Damian Stone and Joel Hartgood ECW's Big Ass Extreme Bash. After leaving BJW in 1999, Nagasaki wrestled semi-actively until 2000 where he had his last match on July 7, 2000, teaming with Ichiro Yaguchi, Shoji Nakamaki, and Yase Yaguchi in a loss to Atsushi Onita, Exciting Yoshida, Mitsunobu Kikuzawa, and Naoshi Sano on an Onita Pro show.

Mixed martial arts On September 26, 1995, in Setagaya, Tokyo, Sakurada lost a mixed martial arts match to American kickboxer Zane Frazier via knockout punch at Shooto: Vale Tudo Perception. At the time, Sakurada had the reputation by pro wrestling insiders as being one of the toughest wrestlers in a street fight, as well as a shooter. This was possibly one of the reasons why he was chosen to take this fight, despite being 47 years old at the time.

Mixed martial arts record Loss

Zane Frazier KO (punch) Shooto: Vale Tudo Perception

Tokyo, Japan Championships and accomplishments Championship Wrestling from Florida NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mr. Hito Continental Wrestling Association AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (1 time) NWA Big Time Wrestling NWA American Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Mr. Hito (1 time) with Chan Chang Pacific Northwest Wrestling NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Colonel DeBeers Pro Wrestling Illustrated PWI ranked him #250 of the 500 best wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1994 PWI ranked him #307 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003 Stampede Wrestling NWA International Tag Team Championship/Stampede International Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Mr. Hito (2) and Kasavubu (1) Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time) Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame Texas Wrestling Federation TWF Asian Heavyweight Championship (1 time) World Wrestling Council WWC World Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Mr. Pogo

Footnotes