Masahiko Kimura

Birthdate: September 10th, 1917
Death: April 18th, 1993
Cause of Death: Lung Cancer
Famous Matches and Storylines:  In the first major Japanese vs. Japanese title match, Kimura battled the legendary Rikidozan on December 22nd, 1954 for the Japanese Professional Wrestling Heavyweight Championship. Kimura claims the match was supposed to go to a draw but instead Rikidozan turned it into a "shoot" and knocked Kimura out. Whether this is true or not is unknown, but Kimura never got another shot at Rikidozan.
Major Titles Held:  None
Other Notes:  Kimura was a world famous judoist, facing opposition all across the world. He won the All Japan Judo Championship three times and only lost four times in his entire career. He had a famous fight in 1955 against Hélio Gracie that increased his popularity within Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The Kimura Lock is named after him, as that was the move that he used to beat Gracie. He had his last contest in 1959 in Brazil.

Signature Moves:
- Kimura Lock


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