Hearing reports that Japanese wrestler, Shozo Kobayashi has died. He was a visitor to these shores in the late 1960's.
I think he would have been 81 years old.
He faced many of our lads, here in the UK, in Germany, Japan and the USA, and was a frequent opponent for Billy Robinson, Pete Roberts, Steve Wright, Ian Campbell, Geoff Portz, Bruno Elrington, Tony Charles and others.
Roy Bull Davis was his first opponent, I think?, from the A-Z......
"...An opening win over Roy Bull Davis was followed by a first round knock out of Les Herberts in front of an astonished tv audience, and completed his first ten days in the country with a Royal Albert Hall destruction of John Cox. The following few months saw Shozo go on to defeat the best that we could offer, including Albert Wall, Al Hayes, Bruno Elrington (at the RAH), Tibor Szakacs (on tv), Pat Roach, Ian Campbell, and even a straight falls win over Dory Dixon.. "
The names I have found are: -
1968
Roy Bull Davis, John Cox, Gwyn Davies, Jack Rowlands, Mark Anthony, Bruno Elrington, John Cox (again)
1969
Crusher Verdu, Albert Wall, Al Hayes, Pat Roach, Wild Angus, Gargantua, Pat Roach.
There will be other names, like the ones that you list above, Ron.
Looks like he did six months (winter)of 1968/1969
I have him with Roach twice , Lees , Gargantua , Tibor , Mark Anthony , Lynch , Portz and Jock Cameron.
RIP
A great name form 1968. He's in so many memorable photos, with the midgets, and against Nagasaki: "East Meets East" went the caption.
Probably more influential than we realise in that flurry of Japanese exchange visits through 1968 and 1969, including Mr Guillotine and The Outlaw, as well as others named by Saxonwolf.
I was going to remove him from the lists - but shamefully we had never included him.
Very sad news, he was always greater than Inoki in my mind.
Thanks to Saxonwolf for sharing this important news.
Very sad news. Shozo was such a powerhouse. R.I.P Shozo.