Hisashi Shinma was a figurehead

Figurehead (metaphor)

In politics, a figurehead is a person who holds de jure an important title or office yet de facto executes little actual power, most commonly limited by convention rather than law. The metaphor derives from the carved figurehead at the prow of a sailing ship...

 president of World Wrestling Entertainment

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...

, then known as the World Wrestling Federation and World Wide Wrestling Federation, from 1978 to 1984. He was succeeded by Jack Tunney

Jack Tunney

John "Jack" Tunney was a Canadian wrestling promoter. Tunney was known worldwide for his appearances on World Wrestling Federation television as the promotion's figurehead president, suspending wrestlers, stripping them of titles, and ordering matches...

.

Career

Shinma was chairman and one of the bookers for 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...

 at the time and negotiated a talent-sharing arrangement with the World Wrestling Federation within the junior heavyweight division, which ultimately launched Tatsumi Fujinami

Tatsumi Fujinami

is a Japanese 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...

 as an international superstar and an eventual successor to Antonio Inoki

Antonio 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...

.

Shinma’s most famous moment as WWF “President” occurred on December 6, 1979, after Bob Backlund

Bob Backlund

Robert Lee "Bob" Backlund is an American professional wrestler with an in ring career that spanned over 30 years. Over that time, he went on to become a two-time WWWF/WWF Champion...

 regained the WWF title from Antonio Inoki at the end of his Japan tour. Shinma overruled the decision due to interference from Tiger Jeet Singh

Tiger Jeet Singh

Jagjit Singh Hans is a semi-retired professional wrestler, known better by his ring name Tiger Jeet Singh. He wrestled as a crazed heel, coming to the ring with a sword in his mouth . Singh wrestled in Japan for 22 years...

. Inoki refused to accept the belt, but Backlund regained the vacant title after returning to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Backlund's title loss to Inoki is still not officially acknowledged by WWE and was kept hidden from American audiences until Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Pro 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...

 recognized Inoki's reign in the late 1990s.

Shinma's other accomplishments included fitting Satoru Sayama

Satoru Sayama

is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known as the original Tiger Mask. He's wrestled under his real name as well as the names Sammy Lee, and masked Super Tiger, Tiger King, Tiger Mask and The Mask of Tiger...

 with the Tiger Mask

Tiger Mask

is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's Bokura Magazine from 1968 to 1969 and was later published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1970 to 1971...

 gimmick, discovering Akira Maeda

Akira Maeda

is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, also known as Kwik-kik-Lee for his time on the British Wrestling show World of Sport. He helped develop the shoot-style of professional wrestling during the late 1980s....

, and forming the UWF

Universal Wrestling Federation (Japan)

The original Japanese-based Universal Wrestling Federation was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion from 1984 to 1986, formed by wrestlers who had left New Japan Pro Wrestling. It was a pioneer in the shoot-style of pro-wrestling, which emphasized realistic moves. It was revived as the...

 in Japan after leaving New Japan. Shinma remained in UWF until disagreements arose with Sayama over the match content.

His son Hisatsune Shinma was also a promoter, and co-founded Universal Lucha Libre

Universal Lucha Libre

Universal Lucha Libre was a professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1990 to 1995...

 with 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...

, one of the original UWF members, but with the promotion focus on the Lucha Libre

Lucha libre

Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...

 style brought from 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...

.

Championships and accomplishments

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
  Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
  The 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)