Almost one year has passed since Tomomi "Jumbo" Tsuruta died in Manila in the Philippines on May 13, 2000. If he were alive, he would have turned 50 years old on March 25, 2001. He will be remembered as a legend of Puroresu forever. The late Shohei "Giant" Baba and All Japan Pro Wrestling scouted Tsuruta after the XX Olympic Games in Munich, West Germany in 1972. Like other Japanese wrestlers in those days, he had taken thorough experiences and training in the United States. He left Tokyo (Haneda) International Airport for Amarillo, Texas on March 22, 1973. Dory & Terry Funk trained him in the Amarillo territory for six months. This week's View From The Rising Sun takes a look at the early days of Jumbo Tsuruta in the United States (Pictures courtesy of Mr. Yonezawa, longtime business manager for both the late Shohei "Giant" Baba and Abdullah the Butcher).
March 24, 1973---Channel 10 TV taping, Amarillo, Texas
Tomomi Tsuruta beat El Gran Tapia (6:52)
---Tsuruta's debut match as a professionnal wrestler
May 20, 1973---Auditorium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
NWA World Heavyweight title match
Dory Funk Jr. beat Tomomi Tsuruta (2-1)
(1) Tsuruta beat Dory (26:15)
(2) Dory beat Tsuruta (14:18)
(3) Dory beat Tsuruta (11:27)
---Dory kept the title
When Tsuruta had a two-week tour in the United States from March 22 to April 9, 1974, it was still a good old era of the "territories of wrestling," in which fairly large and popular local promoters and their promotions had entertained fans in various regions for 40 years.
March 23, 1974---Sports Arena, Portland, Oregon
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Dutch Savage (12:35)
March 24, 1974---Exhibition Garden, Vancouver, British Columbia
Jumbo Tsuruta & Albert "Leo" Madril beat Mr. X (Guy Mitchell) & Buck Ramsted
March 28, 1974---Sports Arena, Amarillo, Texas
Jumbo Tsuruta & Dick Murdoch beat J.J. Dillon & Kung Fu Lee (Great Kojika)
March 29, 1974---Civic Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Bobby Duncum
April 1, 1974---Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Johnny Rodz (11:56)
April 2, 1974---Fort Homer Hesterly Armory, Tampa, Florida
Jumbo Tsuruta drew Danny Hodge (time up)
April 4, 1974---Municipal Auditorium, Greensboro, North Carolina
Jumbo Tsuruta drew Nelson Royal (time up)
April 5, 1974---Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri
12-Man Battle Royal:
Andre the Giant, Dory Funk Jr., Bobo Brazil, Billy Red Lyons, Big Bill Miller, Reggie Parks, Black Angus, Frank Barois, Bill Howard, Tokyo Joe (Katsuji Adachi / Mr. Hito), Kung Fu Lee (Great Kojika), and Jumbo Tsuruta
December 26, 1974---Sports Arena, Amarillo, Texas
NWA International Tag Team title match
Dory Funk Jr. & Terry Funk beat Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta (2-1)
(1) Baba beat Dory (20:47)
(2) Terry beat Baba (12:20)
(3) Dory beat Tsuruta (12:12)
---The Funks kept the title
February 5, 1975---Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, Texas
NWA International Tag Team title match
Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta beat Dory Funk Jr. & Terry Funk (2-1)
(1) Baba beat Terry (15:45)
(2) Dory beat Tsuruta (6:30)
(3) Tsuruta beat Dory (11:13)
---Baba & Tsuruta became the 23rd chhampions
February 5, 1976---Sports Arena, Amarillo, Texas
NWA International Tag Team title match
Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta beat Red Bastien & Al Hayes (42:13 Tsuruta beat Bastien)
---Baba & Tsuruta kept the title
March 23, 1977---Convention Center, Miami, Florida
United National Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Bill Robinson (2-1)
(1) Tsuruta beat Robinson (10:55)
(2) Robinson beat Tsuruta (13:00)
(3) Tsuruta beat Robinson (7:05)
---Tsuruta became the 15th champion<
February 10, 1979---International Amphitheater, Chicago, Illinois
Jumbo Tsuruta & Gen-ichiro Tenryu beat "Nature Boy" Roger Kirby & "Stomper" Guy Mitchell
February 14, 1979---NBC Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Nick Bockwinkel (2-1)
(1) Bockwinkel beat Tsuruta (31:28)
(2) Tsuruta beat Bockwinkel (4:55 disqualification)
---Bockwinkel kept the title
June 22, 1980---Minneapolis Auditorium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Nick Bockwinkel (20:05 disqualification)
---Bockwinkel kept the title
June 28, 1980---Cobo Hall, Detroit, Michigan
NWA World Tag Team title match (Detroit version)
Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta beat John Bonelllo & Randy Scott
June 29, 1980---Maple Leaf Garden, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
NWA International Tag Team title match
Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta beat Bruiser Brody & Scott Irwin (2-0)
(1) Baba & Tsuruta beat Brody & Irwin (14:00 disqualification)
(2) Tsuruta beat Irwin (6:05)
---Baba & Tsuruta kept the title
February 20, 1982---Bayfront Center, St. Petersburg, Florida
Stan Hansen & Bruiser Brody beat Jumbo Tsuruta & Gen-ichiro Tenryu
March 7, 1982---Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
United National Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta drew Tommy Rich (12:25 double countout)
---Tsuruta kept the title
June 17, 1982---Civic Center Coliseum, Amarillo, Texas
NWA International Heavyweight title match
Bruiser Brody drew Jumbo Tsuruta (12:32 double countout)
---Brody kept the title
June 12, 1983---Civic Center, Savannah, Georgia
NWA International Heavyweight title match
Bruiser Brody drew Jumbo Tsuruta (15:56 double countout)
---Brody kept the title
June 15, 1983---Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, Texas
United National Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Jose Lothario (9:36)
---Tsuruta kept the title
June 17, 1983---Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas
United National Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Ted DiBiase (14:00)
---Tsuruta kept the title
March 4, 1984---Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, Illinois
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Blackjack Lanza (14:32)
---Tsuruta kept the title
March 11, 1984---Brown County Arena, Green Bay, Wisconsin
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Bill Robinson (19:47)
---Tsuruta kept the title
March 15, 1984---Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Jim Brunzell (15:59)
---Tsuruta kept the title
April 28, 1984---Cow Palace, San Francisco, California
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Nick Bockwinkel (18:12 double countout)
---Tsuruta kept the title
April 29, 1984---Rosemont Horizon, Chicago, Illinois
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Nick Bockwinkel beat Jumbo Tsuruta (10:52 disqualification)
---Tsuruta kept the title
May 2, 1984---Rochester, Minnesota
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Baron Von Raschke beat Jumbo Tsuruta (16:13 disqualification)
---Tsuruta kept the title
May 4, 1984---Municipal Auditorium, Denver, Colorado
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Nick Bockwinkel beat Jumbo Tsuruta (15:01 disqualification)
---Tsuruta kept the title
May 5, 1984---Rockford High School Gym, Rockford, Illinois
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Bill Robinson (25:10)
---Tsuruta kept the title
May 6, 1984---Brown County Arena, Green Bay, Wisconsin
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Nick Bockwinkel beat Jumbo Tsuruta (21:37 disqualification)
---Tsuruta kept the title
May 7, 1984---Paul Sauve Arena, Quebec, Canada
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Nick Bockwinkel (17:02 disqualification)
---Tsuruta kept the title
May 10, 1984---Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Greg Gagne beat Jumbo Tsuruta (15:13 disqualification)
---Tsuruta kept the title
May 11, 1984---Municipal Auditorium, Milwaukee
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Jumbo Tsuruta beat Blackjack Mulligan (13:15 count out)
May 13, 1984---Civic Center, St. Paul, Minnesota
AWA World Heavyweight title match
Rick Martel beat Jumbo Tsuruta (22:24)
---Martel became the 24th champion
November 4, 1986---Memorial Auditorium, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Jumbo Tsuruta & Gen-ichiro Tenryu beat Tony Zain & Brody Chase
November 7, 1986---Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
Jumbo Tsuruta & Gen-ichiro Tenryu beat Art Pritts & Grim Reaper
February 2, 1989---Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas
PWF World Tag Team title match
Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu beat Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy (17:33 Tsuruta beat Gordy)
---Tsuruta & Yatsu became the seventth champions
Jumbo Tsuruta was a pioneer of his era. Click HERE for more about Jumbo Tsuruta.
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