Jumbo Tsuruta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jumbo Tsuruta |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Tomomi Tsuruta |
| Born | March 25, 1951 Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan |
| Died | May 13, 2000 (aged 49) Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines |
| Cause of death | Complications from liver transplant |
| Alma mater | Chuo University |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Jumbo Tsuruta Tommy Tsuruta The Terror of Yamanashi |
| Billed height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Billed weight | 130 kg (290 lb) |
| Trained by | Dory Funk Jr. Lou Thesz All Japan Pro Wrestling |
| Debut | March 24, 1973 |
| Retired | February 20, 1999 |
Tomomi "Tommy" Tsuruta (born March 25, 1951), better known by his ring name Jumbo Tsuruta, was a very famous Japanese professional wrestler. He wrestled for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) for most of his career. Jumbo Tsuruta made history as the first-ever Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion. He won and combined three important titles: the PWF Heavyweight Championship, the NWA United National Championship, and the NWA International Heavyweight Championship. He was also one of the first World Tag Team Champions with his partner, Yoshiaki Yatsu.
Contents
Early Life
Before becoming a professional wrestler, Tomomi Tsuruta was very active in sports. When he was in high school in Yamanashi, Japan, he played swimming, basketball, and sumo. He showed great athletic talent from a young age.
Amateur Wrestling
While studying at Chuo University, Jumbo Tsuruta started amateur wrestling. He became a champion in Japan, winning the All Japan Amateur Wrestling Championship. He won titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling in 1971 and 1972. At that time, he competed as a superheavyweight, which meant he weighed over 100 kilograms.
Jumbo Tsuruta also competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. He wrestled in the Greco-Roman tournament, representing Japan.
Professional Wrestling Career
Jumbo Tsuruta was discovered by Giant Baba, a famous wrestling promoter from AJPW. Baba sent him to the United States to train as a professional wrestler. He trained under Dory Funk Jr. in Amarillo, Texas. In the U.S., he was known as "Tommy Tsuruta." He wrestled in several major wrestling areas like Detroit, St. Louis, and Florida. He was one of the first Japanese wrestlers to be cheered by American fans because of his hard work and wrestling skills.
The name "Jumbo" was given to him by fans in Japan. They held a contest to find a new name for him, as his given name was thought to sound too feminine. On February 23, 1984, Jumbo Tsuruta defeated Nick Bockwinkel in Tokyo, Japan, to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. He later lost this title to Rick Martel on May 13, 1984.
Jumbo Tsuruta and Yoshiaki Yatsu made history together. They became the first-ever World Tag Team Champions on June 10, 1988.
During his long 26-year career, Jumbo Tsuruta wrestled in 3,329 matches. He faced many legendary opponents. Some of these included Stan Hansen, Billy Robinson, Bruiser Brody, Mitsuharu Misawa, and Ric Flair. On April 18, 1989, in Tokyo, he defeated Stan Hansen to become the first Triple Crown Heavyway Champion. This title combined the Pacific Wrestling Federation, NWA United National, and NWA International Heavyweight titles.
In 1992, Jumbo Tsuruta had to take a break from wrestling due to health issues. For the rest of his career, he mostly participated in exhibition matches. He often teamed up with Giant Baba and Rusher Kimura. Jumbo Tsuruta's last match was on September 11, 1998. He officially announced his retirement on February 20, 1999, and had a special ceremony on March 6, 1999.
After Wrestling and His Passing
Just four days after retiring, Jumbo Tsuruta moved to the United States with his family. He became a visiting researcher at the University of Portland in Oregon. He had a degree in political science and also earned a master's degree in coaching in 1997. He even taught physical training at his old university part-time.
Sadly, his health got worse. He had serious health problems that led to a liver transplant. Because of strict rules about organ donation in Japan, he had to look for a donor in other countries. In April 2000, he went to Australia to find a donor. Two months later, a donor was found in Manila, Philippines. Jumbo Tsuruta had surgery on May 13, 2000. However, during the liver transplant, he had severe bleeding. He passed away at the age of 49 due to complications from the surgery.
Championships and Awards
Jumbo Tsuruta won many championships and awards throughout his career:
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- NWA International Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (9 times) – with 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) – with Tiger Mask II (1) and Yoshiaki Yatsu (1)
- Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- World Tag Team Championship (7 times) – with Yoshiaki Yatsu (5), The Great Kabuki (1), and Akira Taue (1)
- Champion Carnival (1980, 1991)
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League (1978, 1980) – with Giant Baba
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League (1984, 1986) – with Genichiro Tenryu
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League (1987) – with Yoshiaki Yatsu
- American Wrestling Association
- AWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA United National Championship (1 time)
- NWA Detroit
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Detroit version) (1 time) – with Giant Baba
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked among the best singles wrestlers and tag teams of all time.
- Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Inducted in the Class of 2015
- Tokyo Sports
- Wrestler of the Year (1983, 1984, 1991)
- Technique Award (1974, 1986, 1988)
- Outstanding Performance Award (1975, 1976, 1981)
- Service Award (1999)
- Lifetime Achievement Award (2000)
- Tag Team of the Year (1978, 1980, 1982) with Giant Baba
- Tag Team of the Year (1983, 1985) with Genichiro Tenryu
- Tag Team of the Year (1989) with Yoshiaki Yatsu
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- Feud of the Year (1990, 1991) vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
- Wrestler of the Year (1991)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
|
