Jumbo Tsuruta
Japanese professional wrestler
Tomomi Tsuruta (March 25, 1951 – May 13, 2000), better known by his ring name Jumbo Tsuruta, was a professional wrestler who wrestled for All Japan Pro Wrestling for most of his career, and is well known for being the first ever AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, having won the PWF Heavyweight Championship, the NWA United National Championship, and the NWA International Heavyweight Championship, and unifying the three titles.
| Jumbo Tsuruta | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 25, 1951 Makioka, Yamanashi |
| Died | May 13, 2000 (aged 49) Philippines |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Jumbo Tsuruta Tommy Tsuruta The Terror of Yamanashi |
| Billed height | 1.97 m (6 ft 5+1⁄2 in) |
| Billed weight | 130 kg (290 lb) |
| Trained by | Dory Funk, Jr., Lou Thesz, AJPW Dojo |
| Debut | March 24, 1973 |
| Retired | February 20, 1999 |
In wrestling
change- Finishing moves
- Signature moves
- Big boot
- Diving knee drop
- Dropkick, sometimes from the top rope
- Kesagiri chop to the back of the opponent's neck
- Lariat
- Modified dragon sleeper
- Multiple suplex variations
- Piledriver
- Running high knee strike
- Spinning toe hold
- Swinging neckbreaker
- Thesz press[1]
Championships and accomplishments
change- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship (7 times) – Yoshiaki Yatsu (5), The Great Kabuki (1) and Akira Taue (1)
- AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- NWA International Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (9 times) – Giant Baba (6), Genichiro Tenryu (2) and Yoshiaki Yatsu (1)
- NWA United National Championship (5 times)
- PWF World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- PWF World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – Tiger Mask II (1) and Yoshiaki Yatsu (1)
- Champion's Carnival (1980, 1991)
- World's Strongest Tag Team League (1978, 1980) – with Giant Baba
- World's Strongest Tag Team League (1984, 1986) – with Genichiro Tenryu
- World's Strongest Tag Team League (1987) – with Yoshiaki Yatsu
- NWA Detroit
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (1 time) – with Giant Baba
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #28 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003
- Tokyo Sports Grand Prix
- Wrestler of the Year (1983, 1984, 1991) [2][3]
- Technique Award (1974, 1986, 1988) [2][4]
- Outstanding Performance (1975, 1976, 1981) [4]
- Achievement Award (1999) [3]
- Special Achievement Award (2000) [5]
- Tag Team of the Year (1978, 1980, 1982)- with Giant Baba [2][4]
- Tag Team of the Year (1983, 1985)- with Genichiro Tenryu [2]
- Tag Team of the Year (1989)- with Yoshiaki Yatsu [2]
- Match of the Year (1976)- vs. Rusher Kimura on March 28, 1976 [4]
- Match of the Year (1978)- vs. Harley Race on January 20, 1978 [4]
- Match of the Year (1980)- with Giant Baba vs. Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk on December 11, 1980 [2]
- Match of the Year (1985)- vs. Riki Choshu on November 4, 1985 [2]
- Match of the Year (1987)- vs. Genichiro Tenryu on August 31, 1987 [2]
- Match of the Year (1989)- vs. Genichiro Tenryu on June 5, 1989 [2]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- 5 Star Match (1989) vs. Genichiro Tenryu on June 5
- 5 Star Match (1990) vs. Mitsuharu Misawa on June 8
- 5 Star Match (1990) with Akira Taue and Masanobu Fuchi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, and Toshiaki Kawada on October 19
- 5 Star Match (1991) with Akira Taue and Masanobu Fuchi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, and Toshiaki Kawada on April 20
- 5 Star Match (1992) with Akira Taue and Masanobu Fuchi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, and Toshiaki Kawada on May 22
- Feud of the Year (1990, 1991) – vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
- Wrestler of the Year (1991)
Other websites
change- ↑ "Other arena's finishing movelist".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Puroresu Awards: 1980s". Puroresu Dojo.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Puroresu Awards: 1990s". Puroresu Dojo.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "Puroresu Awards: 1970s". Puroresu Dojo.
- ↑ "Puroresu Awards: 2000s". Puroresu Dojo.