History Wrestling / GenichiroTenryu

** Tarzan Yamamoto, writer of the Weekly Pro Wrestling magazine, hated Tenryu for leaving AJPW and maintained a huge campaign against SWS, which many people believe was personally instigated by Giant Baba. Their enmity went to the point that Tenryu refused to let WAR participate in the 1995 uber-event Bridge of Dreams, a chance no Japanese promotion would have rejected at the time, only because it was promoted by WPW. In fact, and only to spit Yamamoto, Tenryu decided to book an "Anti-Bridge of Dream" WAR event the same night, counting with NJPW guests, a coverage by rival magazine Weekly Gong and a later closed-circuit television screening to ensure he would pull it off.

** Riki Choshu.

** With Keiji Mutoh/Wrestling/TheGreatMuta. It extends to real life, as Tenryu left All Japan in the 2000s mostly because the role of chairman was given to Mutoh instead og him.
** Tarzan Yamamoto, writer of the Weekly Pro Wrestling magazine, hated Tenryu for leaving AJPW and had a huge campaign against SWS. Many people believe that Giant Baba personally paid him to write against Tenryu.
* AuthorAppeal: Likes to book sumo wrestlers.

* AFatherToHisMen: Even if he was certainly a cruel trainer, he is described by everybody as a very generous and caring boss, even to people from other promotions and foreign wrestlers. In a time in which going to Japan to wrestle was synonymus of being treated coldly, stuffed little money and left to subsist in bad hotels, people like Wrestling/LanceStorm and Wrestling/ChrisJericho only had good things to tell about him.

* [[IKnowKarate I Know]] SumoWrestling: Had a sumo career which was discharged by a scandal, and he is nown as a friend to all sumo pro wrestlers.

* {{Jerkass}}: In character. In real life as well: though a respected and venerated wrestler, he was notoriusly stiff and uncaring when working with young wrestlers or people he doesn't like in real life.

* LicensedGame: ''Tenryu Genichiro no Pro Wrestling Revolution'' for the Super Nintendo, based on Wrestle and Romance(which would become WAR).

* MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours: Tenryu's signature enzuigiri is actually neither a homage nor a parody of Antonio Inoki. He developed it on his own in United States upon hearing Inoki had debuted a new kick finisher in Japan, and it coincidentally happen to be very similar to Inoki's. They are actually not identical moves; Tenryu's version was later adopted by Akira Taue and other wrestlers in AJPW.

* OddFriendship: With rakugo comedian Sanyutei Enraku IV, who was Tenryu's classmate.

* SadistTeacher: A harsh trainer. It's said that Tenryu instructed foreign wrestlers to be as stiff as possible against the WAR rookies.
* StartMyOwn: First SWS, then WAR, both defunct. Notably, WAR remains as the only defunct major puroresu promotion that folded by practical reasons and not due to monetary problems or disagreements. It was started partially because Giant Baba felt betrayed be the SWS deal and would not allow Tenryu to return to All Japan.

* TheCavalry: When All Japan lost most of it's roster to Wrestling/ProWrestlingNOAH they were kept afloat by the return of Tenryu, who brought the wrestlers that would have otherwise been working for WAR with him.

* WouldHitAGirl: Has wrestled singles matches with joshi wrestlers. Even more, he has done it in his signature brutal style with absolutely zero qualms. After a match with Tenryu, Shinobu Kandori (a former judo medalist known by her toughness) reported having believed she was going to die during his match.

* BadassGrandpa[=/=]RingOldies: His active career came to an end while he was 65.

His list of symbolic achievements is pretty long: he is the only Japanese wrestler who ever pinned both Giant Baba AND Wrestling/AntonioInoki, the only wrestler in being a consistent top draw player in almost all the known puroresu promotions (hence his nickname "Mr. Puroresu"), the only founder whose wrestling promotion closed by itself and not due to money troubles, and finally one of the oldest wrestlers in active. He might be the trope namer for a pro wrestling version of the SixDegreesOfKevinBacon.

* GoodIsNotSoft: Face or heel, Tenryu was always very brutal and stiff in the ring.

* [[IKnowKarate I Know Sumo]]: Had a sumo career which was discharged by a scandal, and he is nown as a friend to all sumo pro wrestlers.

* {{Jerkass}}: Though a respected and venered wrestler, he was notoriusly stiff and uncaring when working with young wrestlers or people he doesn't like in real life.

** (in Wrestling/{{HUSTLE}}): HUSTLE Army, Monster Army and RIKI Corps

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Black and yellow, reflected on his tights and boots.

Born '''Genichiro Shimada''' in 1950, '''Genichiro Tenryu''' is a [[UsefulNotes/{{Japan}} Japanese]] sumo and {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er and promoter. He started as a sumo wrestler at the age of 13 and competed for 13 years. Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling's Giant Baba sent Shimada (''Tenryu'' was his ''Shikona,'' or ''ring name,'' in Sumo) to train with the Funk Brothers ([[Wrestling/TerryFunk Terry]] and Dory Jr.) in their Amarillo, Texas promotion. Tenryu debuted against [[Wrestling/TedDiBiase Ted [=DiBiase=]]] in 1976. After some time in the AJPW undercard and a brief run in Jim Crockett Promotions, his career started picking up in the 1980s. He is the second wrestler ([[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Big Van Vader]] was the first) and the first native-born one to win both the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/alljapan/tc-h.html All Japan Pro Wrestling Unified Triple Crown Heavyweight Title]] and the Wrestling/{{New Japan|ProWrestling}} [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/newjapan/iwgp-h.html IWGP Heavyweight Title]]. He also held the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midatlantic/nwa/nwa-ma-6.html World 6-Man Tag Team Titles]] with Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors. Tenryu and fellow former sumo wrestler Koji Kitao defeated Wrestling/{{Demolition}} (Smash and Crush) in the team's last-ever [=PPV=] match, at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} VII'' in 1991. Tenryu also was in the 1993 ''Wrestling/RoyalRumble'' and, as a hired gun for Wrestling/MrFuji, was one of the ten wrestlers who attacked Wrestling/TheUndertaker during his [[GimmickMatches casket match]] with [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWE World Heavyweight Champion]] Wrestling/{{Yokozuna}} at ''Wrestling/RoyalRumble 1994.'' (He also competed in the Rumble match itself.) He was inducted into the ''[[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'' Hall of Fame in 1996.

!!! "Sky-Rising Tropes":

* TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty: His signature Guh Punches, stiff jabs to his opponent's face, are technically illegal strikes in puroresu, but Tenryu normally gets away for being who he is. He is not above other kinds of cheapshots and illegal tactics as well.

* TheAlcoholic: He is a known drinking animal, to the extent that in real life "Tenryu Cocktail" is the puroresu slang for getting shitfaced by sake on the rocks.

** Wrestling/JumboTsuruta. After Tenryu defeated him for the Triple Crown, Tsuruta offered a handshake out of respect, and Tenryu ''refused'' to shake hands.
** With Keiji Mutoh/Wrestling/TheGreatMuta. It extends to real life, as Tenryu left All Japan in the 2000s mostly because the role of chairman was given to Mutoh and not to him.
** Tarzan Yamamoto, writer of the Weekly Pro Wrestling magazine, hated Tenryu for leaving AJPW, and had a huge campaign against SWS. many people believe that Giant Baba personally paid him to write against Tenryu.

* BashBrothers: with Ashura Hara, Jumbo Tsuruta, Wrestling/JohnTenta and Wrestling/KojiKitao.

* AFatherToHisMen: Even if he was a cruel trainer, he is described by everybody as a very generous and caring boss, even to people from other promotions and foreign wrestlers. In a time in which going to Japan to wrestle was synonymus of being treated coldly, stuffed money and forced to subsist in bad hotels, people like Wrestling/LanceStorm and Wrestling/ChrisJericho only had good things to tell about him.
* FinishingMove: Powerbomb, lariat, Northern Lights Bomb (scoop brainbuster, originally adopted from Kensuke Sasaki to taunt him) and 53 Sai (a snap brainbuster which he started using it after turning 53 years old).
* GoodIsNotSoft: Face or heel, Tenryu is always very brutal and stiff in the ring.

* GutturalGrowler: He is famous for his raspy and gruff voice.
* HardHead: Once challenged Wrestling/YoshiakiFujiwara to a headbutt contest while pretty drunk and he supposedly went toe to toe to him.

* ImprobableWeaponUser: His trademark water bottle, which he would throw on his opponent's face with accuracy. He once knocked out Commander An Jo from the other side of the ring this way.
* {{Jerkass}}: Though a respected and venered wrestler, is notoriusly stiff and brutal when working in the ring with young wrestlers or people he doesn't like very much in real life.
* KickThemWhileTheyAreDown: Uses stiff soccer kicks when his adversaries are on hands and knees.

* MightyGlacier: During the last couple years of his career. Wrestling/KazuchikaOkada couldn't so much as turn him for the rainmaker and Tenryu's strikes were every bit as good as always but his steps were labored.
* MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours: Tenryu's signature enzuigiri is actually not a homage nor a parody from Antonio Inoki. He developed it on his own in United States upon hearing Inoki had debuted a new kick finisher in Japan, and it coincidentally happen to be very similar to Inoki's. They are actually not identical moves; Tenryu's version was later adopted by Akira Taue and other wrestlers in AJPW.

* SadistTeacher: A harsh trainer. It's said that Tenryu instructed foreign wrestlers to be stiff against the WAR rookies.
* StartMyOwn: First SWS, then WAR, both defunct. Notably, WAR remains as the only defunct puroresu promotion that folded by practical reasons and not for monetary problems or disagreements. It was in fact started partially because Giant Baba felt betrayed be the SWS deal and would not allow Tenryu to return to All Japan.

* TheCavalry: When All Japan lost most of it's roster to Wrestling/ProWrestlingNOAH they were kept afloat by the return of Tenryu, who brought the wrestlers who would have otherwise been working for WAR with him.

* TrueCompanions: With disgraced yokozuna and pro wrestler Wrestling/KojiKitao. Tenryu befriended him for their similar sumo backgrounds and made him the second star in SWS, only to Kitao and his anarchistic tendences cause the company to fold. Even so, Tenryu remained his friend and brought him to his next promotion, WAR, where Kitao finally redeemed himself to the puroresu world. One can't help but admire [[ThePowerOfFriendship Tenryu's patience]].
* WorkedShoot: Tenryu's wrestling style is just traditional puro, but he works notoriously stiff, to the extent that he can comfortably face shoot-style users in their own style. His matches with Wrestling/NobuhikoTakada and Wrestling/KojiKitao are worth to mention.
* WouldHitAGirl: Has wrestled singles matches with joshi wrestlers. Even more, he has done it in his signature brutal style with absolutely zero qualms. After a match with Tenryu, Shinobu Kandori of all people reported having believed she was going to die during his match.

His list of symbolic achievements is pretty long: he is the only Japanese wrestler who ever pinned both Giant Baba AND Wrestling/AntonioInoki, the only wrestler in being a consistent top draw player in almost all the known puroresu promotions (hence his nickname "Mr. Puroresu"), the only founder whose wrestling promotion closed by itself and not due to money troubles, and finally one of the oldest wrestlers in active.

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Black and yellow, reflected on his tights and boots, respectively.
* FinishingMove: Powerbomb, lariat, Northern Lights Bomb (scoop brainbuster, originally adopted from Kensuke Sasaki to taunt him), 53 Sai (a snap brainbuster which he started using it after turning 53 years old).

* GutturalGrowler: Tends to growl while wrestling.

* TryingToCatchMeFightingDirty: His signature Guh Punches, stiff jabs to his opponent's face, are is technically illegal strikes in puroresu, but Tenryu normally gets away for being who he is. He is not above other kinds of cheapshots and illegal tactics as well.

* WorkedShoot: Tenryu's wrestling style is just traditional puro, but he works notoriously stiff, to the extent that he can comfortably face shoot-style users. His matches with Wrestling/NobuhikoTakada and Koji Kitao are worth to mention.

* FollowTheLeader: New Japan, Wrestling/{{WCW}} and NOAH all introduced junior heavyweight TagTeam titles in WAR's wake.

* GrievousBottleyHarm: Once broke a beer bottle on Katsuyori Shibata's head.

* BadassGrandpa[=/=]RingOldies: He's 63 and still competing.

* StartMyOwn: First SWS, then WAR, both defunct. Notably, WAR remains as the only defunct puroresu promotion that folded by practical reasons and not for monetary problems or disagreements.

** With Keiji Muto/the Great Muta. It extends to real life, as Tenryu left All Japan in the 2000s mostly because the role of chairman was given to Muto and not to him.

Born '''Genichiro Shimada''' in 1950, '''Genichiro Tenryu''' is a [[UsefulNotes/{{Japan}} Japanese]] sumo and {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er and promoter. He started as a sumo wrestler at the age of 13 and competed for 13 years. Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling's Giant Baba sent Shimada (''Tenryu'' was his ''Shikona,'' or ''ring name,'' in Sumo) to train with the Funk Brothers ([[Wrestling/TerryFunk Terry]] and Dory Jr.) in their Amarillo, Texas promotion. Tenryu debuted against [[Wrestling/TedDiBiase Ted [=DiBiase=]]] in 1976. After some time in the AJPW undercard and a brief run in Jim Crockett Promotions, his career started picking up in the 1980s. He is the second wrestler ([[Wrestling/{{Vader}} Big Van Vader]] was the first) and the first native-born one to win both the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/alljapan/tc-h.html All Japan Pro Wrestling Triple Crown Heavyweight Title]] and the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/newjapan/iwgp-h.html New Japan Pro Wrestling IWGP Heavyweight Title]]. He also held the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/midatlantic/nwa/nwa-ma-6.html NWA World 6-Man Tag Team Titles]] with Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors. Tenryu and fellow former sumo wrestler Koji Kitao defeated Wrestling/{{Demolition}} (Smash and Crush) in the team's last-ever [=PPV=] match, at ''Wrestling/{{WrestleMania}} VII'' in 1991. Tenryu also was in the 1993 ''Wrestling/RoyalRumble'' and, as a hired gun for Wrestling/MrFuji, was one of the ten wrestlers who attacked Wrestling/TheUndertaker during his [[GimmickMatches casket match]] with [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/wwe-h.html WWE World Heavyweight Champion]] Wrestling/{{Yokozuna}} at ''Wrestling/RoyalRumble 1994.'' (He also competed in the Rumble match itself.) He was inducted into the ''[[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'' Hall of Fame in 1996.

* TheCalvary: When All Japan lost most of it's roster to Wrestling/ProWrestlingNOAH they were kept afloat by the return of Tenryu, who brought the wrestlers who would have otherwise been working for WAR with him.

* ArchEnemy: Riki Choshu, Wrestling/JumboTsuruta, Keiji Muto/the Great Muta. In the case of Tsuruta, after Tenryu defeated him for the Triple Crown, Tsuruta offered a handshake out of respect, and Tenryu ''refused'' to shake hands. In the case of Muto, it extends to real life, and Tenryu left All Japan in the 2000s mostly because the role of chairman was given to Muto and not to him.

* FinishingMove: Powerbomb, Lariat, Northern Lights Bomb, ''53 Sai'' (a snap brainbuster which he started using it after turning 53 years old).

* [[IKnowKarate I Know Sumo]]: Had a sumo career. Known as a friend to all sumo pro wrestlers.

* LightningBruiser

* StartMyOwn: First SWS, then WAR, both defunct. Notably, WAR remains as the only defunct puroresu promotion that folded by practical reasons and not for monetary problems or dissacords.

* BashBrothers: with Ashura Hara, Jumbo Tsuruta, Wrestling/JohnTenta and (in real life) Koji Kitao.

* TrueCompanions: With disgraced yokozuna and pro wrestler Koji Kitao. Tenryu befriended him for their similar sumo backgrounds and made him the second star in SWS, only to Kitao and his anarchistic tendences cause the company to fold. Even so, Tenryu remained his friend and brought him to his next promotion, WAR, where Kitao finally redeemed himself to the puroresu world. One can't help but admire [[ThePowerOfFriendship Tenryu's patience]].
* WorkedShoot: Tenryu's wrestling style is just traditional puro, but he works notoriously stiff, to the extent that he can comfortably face shoot-style users. His matches with Wrestling/NobuhikoTakada are worth to mention.

* ArchEnemy: Riki Choshu, Wrestling/JumboTsuruta, Keiji Muto/the Great Muta. In the case of Tsuruta, after Tenryu defeated him for the Triple Crown, Tsuruta offered a handshake out of respect, and Tenryu ''refused'' to shake hands.

His list of symbolic achievements is pretty long: he is the only Japanese wrestler who ever pinned both Giant Baba AND Wrestling/Antonio Inoki, the only wrestler in being a consistent top draw player in almost all the known puroresu promotions (hence his nickname "Mr. Puroresu"), the only founder whose wrestling promotion closed by itself and not due to money troubles, and finally one of the oldest wrestlers in active.