Kiyoshi Tamura - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

is a Japanese

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...

middleweight professional wrestler

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

and mixed martial artist

Mixed martial arts

Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

.

Once a student of legendary Pro Wrestler 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....

, Tamura is known for his skill in catch wrestling

Catch wrestling

Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...

as well as his ability to deliver exciting and realistic professional wrestling bouts.

He has competed in some form or another for the following organizations: Universal Wrestling Federation

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...

, UWF International

UWF International

Union of Wrestling Forces International, better known as UWF International, U-Inter, or simply UWFi, was a shoot style professional wrestling promotion in Japan from 1991 to 1996. Although the matches were worked , the UWF-i was very convincing for its time, promoting a more hard-hitting, realistic...

, Fighting Network RINGS, K-1

K-1

K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...

, PRIDE, and U-STYLE, his own promotion. He is at his best when fighting at or near his own weight, but since 1999 has made a habit of fighting much larger opponents.

Professional wrestling career

He debuted in 1989 in the old Japanese UWF, but made his mark when he later joined its main successor group, UWFI. Tamura was spunky and could even demand respect from older veterans, as demonstrated during a bout against Yoji Anjo

Yoji Anjo

, is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. He was born in Suginami, Japan on December 31, 1969.-Professional wrestling career:...

where Tamura broke a hold and delivered several kicks to Anjo's head and kicked him out of the ring.

Despite many pundits (such as 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...

) comparing him to UWFI champion Nobuhiko Takada

Nobuhiko Takada

Nobuhiko Takada is a Japanese mixed martial arts fighter and professional wrestler. He is best known for helping to popularize shoot-style professional wrestling, as one of the biggest stars of the Universal Wrestling Federation and Union of Wrestling Force International in the '80s and '90s. He...

, Tamura never challenged for the title. As the interpromotional feud against 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...

started, Tamura jumped to RINGS, founded by old mentor Maeda. He was briefly pushed as the top star, being given the first (worked) RINGS heavyweight title, but as RINGS transitioned to real MMA bouts, his star began to flicker, as he struggled to keep pace despite winning bouts.

MMA career

Tamura's 30 career wins include victories over mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

greats such as Jeremy Horn

Jeremy Horn

Jeremy Graham Horn is an American mixed martial artist. He is one of the most experienced fighters in the sport with a professional record of 88–21–5...

, Renzo Gracie

Renzo Gracie

Renzo Gracie is a Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and a former mixed martial arts competitor in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . He is member of the Gracie family of Brazil. He is the son of Robson Gracie, grandson of Carlos Gracie, nephew of Carlos...

, Ikuhisa Minowa

Ikuhisa Minowa

is a Japanese mixed martial artist and pro wrestler currently competing in Dream as . He was a long time veteran of Pride Fighting Championships and Pancrase and has also competed in other mixed martial arts promotions such as K-1 HERO'S, Cage Rage, UFC, and DEEP. At 5'9" he is notable for taking...

, Nobuhiko Takada

Nobuhiko Takada

, Pat Miletich

Pat Miletich

Patrick Jay Miletich is a retired American mixed martial artist and a current sports commentator. He is known for his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he became the first UFC Welterweight Champion and UFC 16 tournament champion....

and held Frank Shamrock

Frank Shamrock

Frank Shamrock is a retired mixed martial arts fighter. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship and retired as the four-time defending undefeated champion...

to a draw at a time when Shamrock was reigning UFC champion.

However, in spite of his many accomplishments inside the arena of MMA, his record is somewhat marred by a proponderance of match-ups against top heavyweight and light-heavyweight competitors, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira is a Brazilian mixed martial artist known for his technical mastery of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is a former UFCInterim Heavyweight Champion...

, the 350-pound Bob Sapp

Bob Sapp

Robert Malcolm "Bob" Sapp is an American kickboxer, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, actor, comedian and former professional American football player. Sapp currently has a combined fight record of 21–21–0, mostly fighting in Japan...

and the former Olympic gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida

Hidehiko Yoshida

is a Japanese gold-medalist judoka and retired mixed martial artist. He is a long time veteran of Japan's Pride Fighting Championships, competing in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions, also managing to fight in the semi-finals in the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix...

amongst others. His later mixed martial arts performances have also been criticized as being relatively apathetic compared to the fast-paced bouts that characterized the earlier part of his career. Part of this may owe to an absence of grappling in the bouts in question, where Tamura has often seemed more content to pursue a cautious stand-up game rather than engage in the submission exchanges he was at one point famed for.

For several years, efforts have been made by Pride Fighting Championships to put Kiyoshi Tamura and fellow UWFi alum and mixed martial artist Kazushi Sakuraba

Kazushi Sakuraba

is a Japanese professional mixed martial artist and former professional wrestler. He has competed in pro-wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling, UWFi and Kingdom Pro Wrestling. He has fought in MMA competition in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, PRIDE Fighting Championships, K-1 Hero's and Dream...

together in a fight due to their status as two of the best Japanese fighters of their time as well as a rumored rivalry. An announcement was made at Pride 34 by Nobuhiko Sakakibara that promised the fans a future fight between the two. However, Pride ceased being an active promotion after that event.

Finally it was announced that Kiyoshi Tamura and Kazushi Sakuraba were set to fight at the K-1 Fields Dynamite!! event on December 31, 2008. The fight was characterized by Tamura generally countering take-down and submission attempts by Sakuraba while applying ground-and-pound from the top position throughout the bout. At the end of the first round, Sakuraba appeared to have an armbar locked in, but Tamura held on and in the second controlled much of the action until being taken down by Sakuraba in the final minute. Ultimately, Tamura was awarded a unanimous decision, to finally beat Sakuraba.

Mixed martial arts record

|-
|Win
|align=center|32-13-3
|

Kazushi Sakuraba

|Decision (unanimous)
|Dynamite!! 2008

Dynamite!! 2008

Dynamite!! 2008 was the annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 & DREAM on New Year's Eve, Wednesday, December 31, 2008, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan...

|
|align=center|2
|align=center|5:00
|Saitama, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|31-13-3
|

Masakatsu Funaki

, is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling, PWFG, as well as the UWF. He is currently performing at All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is one half of the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Champions, along with Keiji Mutoh...

|TKO (punches)
|Dream 2
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|0:57
|Saitama, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|30-13-3
|

Hideo Tokoro

Hideo Tokoro is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in Dream in the bantamweight division. He competed in many mixed martial arts fights in other various promotions such as TFC, ZST, Shooto, Rings and K-1 Hero's.-DREAM:...

|Submission (armlock)
|K-1 Premium 2007 Dynamite!!

K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!!

K-1 PREMIUM 2007 Dynamite!! was an annual kickboxing and mixed martial arts event held by K-1 and Hero's on New Year's Eve, Monday December 31, 2007 at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Osaka, Japan...

|
|align=center|3
|align=center|3:08
|Osaka, Japan
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|29-13-3
|

Taiei Kin

Kin Taiei is a Korean-Japanese light heavyweight karateka, kickboxer and mixed martial artist competing in K-1 and DREAM. He's also a karate instructor and a trainer for professional fighters...

|Decision (unanimous)
|Hero's 9
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|5:00
|Yokohama, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|29-12-3
|

Ikuhisa Minowa

|KO (soccer kicks)
|PRIDE Shockwave 2006

PRIDE Shockwave 2006

Pride Shockwave 2006 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships on December 31, 2006. In Japan, this event was called...

|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:18
|Saitama, Japan
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|28-12-3
|

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

|Submission (armbar)
|PRIDE 31

PRIDE 31

Pride 31: Unbreakable was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships on February 26, 2006 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan...

|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:24
|Saitama, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|28-11-3
|

Makoto Takimoto

is a Japanese judoka. He won a gold medal at the -81 kg category of the 2000 Summer Olympics.He is from Iwai, Ibaraki. He began judo at the age of 6. After graduation from Nihon University, he belonged to the Japan Racing Association. Takimoto made his MMA debut on 31 December 2004 against...

|Decision (unanimous)
|PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005

PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005

Pride Critical Countdown 2005 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, on June 26th, 2005.-Background:...

|
|align=center|3
|align=center|5:00
|Saitama, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|27-11-3
|

Aliev Makhmud

Mahmud Aliyev is an Azerbaijani wrestler turned mixed martial artist . He is a two times Azerbaijan Freestyle Wrestling Champion in 68 kg weight division. He is also a coach for the Azerbaijan Olympic wrestling team since 2004. Aliyev made his mixed martial arts debut on February 20, 2005...

|TKO
|PRIDE 29

PRIDE 29

Pride 29: Fists of Fire was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. The event took place on February 20, 2005 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.- Mario Sperry vs Hirotaka Yokoi:...

|
|align=center|1
|align=center|7:09
|Saitama, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|26-11-3
|

Rony Sefo
|Submission (armbar)
|PRIDE Shockwave 2003

PRIDE Shockwave 2003

Pride Shockwave 2003 was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. Gary Goodridge announced he would retire from Pride. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31, 2003.- Quinton Jackson vs. Ikuhisa Minowa:Jackson defeated Minowa by TKO ...

|
|align=center|1
|align=center|2:20
|Saitama, Japan
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|25-11-3
|

Hidehiko Yoshida

|Submission (ezekiel choke)
|PRIDE Total Elimination 2003

PRIDE Total Elimination 2003

PRIDE Total Elimination 2003 was a mixed martial arts event held by PRIDE Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on August 10, 2003. This event was host to the quarterfinals of the 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix tournament...

|
|align=center|1
|align=center|5:06
|Saitama, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|25-10-3
|

Nobuhiko Takada

|KO (punch)
|PRIDE 23

PRIDE 23

Pride 23: Championship Chaos 2 was a mixed martial arts event held by Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on November 24, 2002.- Jerrel Venetiaan vs. Hirotaka Yokoi:...

|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1:00
|Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|24-10-3
|

Ikuhisa Minowa

Bob Sapp

|TKO (punches)
|PRIDE 21

PRIDE 21

Pride 21: Demolition was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on June 23, 2002.-Results:...

|
|align=center|1
|align=center|0:11
|Saitama, Japan
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|23-9-3
|

Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei César da Silva , nicknamed "The Axe Murderer", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship . Silva is known for his aggressive fighting style with the majority of his fights ending in...

|KO (punch)
|PRIDE 19

PRIDE 19

Pride 19: Bad Blood was a mixed martial arts event held by the Pride Fighting Championships. It took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on February 24, 2002.-Results:...

Gustavo Machado

Gustavo "Ximu" Machado is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who has competed for the International Fight League, Shooto, DEEP, RINGS, Pancrase, and King of the Cage promotions. Machado has fought top UFC fighters Thales Leites, Brad Blackburn, Demian Maia, and Nate Quarry...

Renato Sobral

Renato da Cunha Sobral , also known as "Babalu", is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, and former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. He is regarded as one of the best light heavyweights of the night, and noted for his aggressive style, grappling prowess, and high-caliber submissions. Sobral...

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

|Submission (armbar)
|Rings - King of Kings 2000 Block A
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|2:29
|Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|23-5-3
|

Zaza Tkeshelashvili

Zaza "Grom" Tkeshelashvili is a Georgian retired Freestyle wrestling Olympic competitor for Georgia in 1996 Olympic Games Atlanta and mixed martial artist. He formerly competed in the Heavyweight division, most of which he fought with Fighting Network RINGS where he was known as Zaza Grom...

|Decision (unanimous)
|Rings - King of Kings 2000 Block A
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|5:00
|Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|22-5-3
|

Pat Miletich

|Decision (majority)
|Rings - Millennium Combine 3
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|5:00
|Osaka, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|21-5-3
|

Jeremy Horn

Jeremy Graham Horn is an American mixed martial artist. He is one of the most experienced fighters in the sport with a professional record of 88–21–5...

Japan

|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|20-5-3
|

Gilbert Yvel

Gilbert Ramon Yvel is a Dutch heavyweight mixed martial artist associated with the Vos Gym training camp in the Netherlands. He has competed in the Pride Fighting Championships, Affliction Entertainment and Ultimate Fighting Championship promotions...

Renato Sobral

|Decision (majority)
|Rings - King of Kings 1999 Final
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|5:00
|Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|20-3-3
|

Renzo Gracie

|Decision (unanimous)
|Rings - King of Kings 1999 Final
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|5:00
|Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|19-3-3
|

Borislav Jeliazkov
|Submission (rear naked choke)
|King of Kings 1999 Block B
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|1:17
|Osaka, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|18-3-3
|

Dave Menne

David Jeremy Menne is an American mixed martial artist who has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Rumble on the Rock. He was the first ever UFC Middleweight Champion and is known for his fight against Phil Baroni in which he got knocked out and tried to fall to the ground, only to...

|Decision (unanimous)
|Rings - King of Kings 1999 Block B
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|5:00
|Osaka, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|17-3-3
|

Joop Kasteel

Joop Kasteel is a former Dutch mixed martial artist. Kasteel made his mixed martial arts debut on 15 June 1996. He is a veteran of the RINGS promotion and as he has fought the majority of his fights for them....

Japan

|
|-
| Draw
|align=center|16-3-3
|

Japan

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|16-3-2
|

Japan

|
|-
| Draw
|align=center|15-3-2
|

Frank Shamrock

Frank Shamrock is a retired mixed martial arts fighter. Shamrock was the first to hold the UFC Middleweight Championship and retired as the four-time defending undefeated champion...

Japan

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|15-3-1
|

Hiromitsu Kanehara

is a Japanese mixed martial artist who competes in the light heavyweight division.Although starting as a professional wrestler in 1991, Kanehara did not have much success as such, and eventually abandoned professional wrestling when his then-home circuit, Fighting Network RINGS, abandoned the...

Japan

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|14-3-1
|

Valentijn Overeem

Valentijn Overeem is a Dutch mixed martial artist who competes as a heavyweight. He has previously competed for the PRIDE Fighting Championships, RINGS and Strikeforce...

Japan

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|13-3-1
|

Kenichi Yamamoto

Kenichi Yamamoto (mixed martial artist)

is a former Japanese professional mixed martial artist. He debuted for Fighting Network RINGS on March 28, 1998, losing to Valentijn Overeem. Yamamoto then submitted Chris Haseman in his second fight for RINGS. He continued to compete for RINGS throughout the year fighting top opposition such as...

|TKO
|Rings - World Mega Battle Tournament
|
|align=center|2
|align=center|1:26
|Japan

Japan

|
|-
| Draw
|align=center|12-3-1
|

Tariel Bitsadze
|TKO
|Rings - Third Fighting Integration
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|3:39
|Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|12-2
|

Mikhail Illoukhine

Mikhail Illoukhine is a Russian former mixed martial artist who competed in the light heavyweight division. Mikhail Illoukhine holds notable wins over Igor Vovchanchyn, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, Volk Han, Masayuki Naruse and Randy Couture...

|KO
|Rings - Battle Dimensions Tournament 1997 Final
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|11-2
|

Akira Maeda

|KO
|Rings - Battle Dimensions Tournament 1997 Final
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|10-2
|

Joop Kasteel

|KO
|Rings - Battle Dimensions Tournament 1997 Final
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|9-2
|

Hans Nijman

Hans Nijman is a Dutch former professional mixed martial artist and Wrestler. He competes in the Heavyweight division. He is a RINGS Holland veteran and has also fought for many other top promotions such as Pride FC and It's Showtime.-Fighting Network RINGS:Hans Nijman made his Shootfighting debut...

Japan

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|8-2
|

Volk Han

Magomedkhan Amanulayevich Gamzatkhanov , better known by his alias Volk Han , is a Russian shoot wrestler and later a mixed martial artist renowned for his technical mastery of Sambo and submission victories in shoot wrestling and MMA. He was representing Russia in the Russian RINGS team with Fedor...

Japan

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|7-2
|

Japan

|
|-
|Win
|align=center|6-2
|

Andre Mannaart

Andre Mannaart is a Dutch former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He was a four-time world champion in kickboxing and Muay Thai, having fought against K-1 legends such as Ernesto Hoost, Branko Cikatić, Maurice Smith and Ray Sefo during his career...

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

, North Holland

North Holland

North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...

, Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|5-2
|

Volk Han

|TKO
| Rings - Budokan Hall 1997
|
|
|
|Tokyo, Japan
|
|-
|Loss
|align=center|5-1
|

Volk Han

|KO
| Rings - Battle Dimensions Tournament 1996 Final
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|5-0
|

Yoshihisa Yamamoto
|KO
|Rings - Battle Dimensions Tournament 1996 Final
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|4-0
|

Mitsuya Nagai
|KO
|Rings - Battle Dimensions Tournament 1996 Final
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|3-0
|

Mikhail Illoukhine

|KO
|Rings - Battle Dimensions Tournament 1996 Opening Round
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|2-0
|

Maurice Smith
|Submission (armbar)
|Rings - Maelstrom 6
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|10:58
|
|
|-
|Win
|align=center|1-0
|

Patrick Smith

Patrick Smith (fighter)

Patrick Smith is a retired American kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist. He started his mixed martial arts career by participating in the first two Ultimate Fighting Championship events....

Japan

|
|-

Mixed Martial Arts

Fighting Network RINGS
Fighting Network RINGS
Fighting Network Rings, trademarked as RINGS, is a Japanese combat sport promotion that has lived three distinct periods; puroresu promotion from its inauguration to 1995, mixed martial arts promotion from 1995 to its 2002 disestablishment, and the revived mixed martial arts promotion from 2008 to...
- RINGS Open-Weight Championship (2 Times, first)
- 1997 RINGS Mega Battle Tournament Winner
- 1996 RINGS Mega Battle Tournament Runner Up
- 1999 RINGS King of Kings Tournament Semifinalist

Pro Wrestling

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...
- PWI ranked him #98 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Technical Wrestler (1998)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.