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Mitsuhiro Momota (born Kim Sin-rak, November 14, 1924 – December 15, 1963) was a [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Korean]] sumo and {{Professional Wrestl|ing}}er and promoter as '''Rikidozan.''' He is celebrated as the "Father of ''[=Puroresu=]''", or Japanese pro wrestling. He started his pro wrestling career in 1951, defeating every American wrestler who came to Japan. While he was a huge {{Face}} in Japan, he was booked as a {{Heel}} in the U.S., especially coming less than ten years after the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. He established and held many titles in the JWA (Japanese Wrestling Association), the first Japanese pro wrestling promotion which would later continue on into Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling. Among his achievements, he was a 4x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/alljapan/asia-t.html JWA All Asia Tag Team Champion]] with [=Toyonobori=], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/jwa/japan-t.html JWA All Japan Tag Team Champion]] with [=Toyonobori=] and a 1x Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/alljapan/int-h.html International Heavyweight Champion]]. He defeated Lou [=Thesz=] for that title and held it for over '''FIVE YEARS''', right until his death from stab wounds on December 15, 1963. He also helped train Wrestling/AntonioInoki, who would go on to establish Wrestling/NewJapanProWrestling, and Wrestling/GiantBaba, who would create Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling. He was inducted into the ''[[Wrestling/TheWrestlingObserverNewsletter Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'' Hall of Fame in 1996.
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!! "Father of Tropes":
* AlternateCompanyEquivalent: Or regional equivalent to Wrestling/ElSanto in Mexico. Or to Wrestling/LouThesz and Wrestling/BrunoSammartino in America.
* AsHimself: In 1955's ''Yagate aozora'' and 1954's ''Otsukisama ni wa warui kedo.''
* BadassTeacher: To Inoki and Baba
* BashBrothers: With [=Toyonobori=], [=Azumafuji=], Wrestling/MasahikoKimura and Bobby Bruns.
* {{Biopic}}: 2004's ''Rikidōzan'', starring [=Sol Kyung-gu=] as Rikidozan.
* BittersweetEnding: His 5 year championship reign ended abruptly when he was murdered at the age of 39. The NWA would vacate his title immediately after in a tribute show following his death. Wrestling/GiantBaba, who trained under him, would later defeat Wrestling/DickTheBruiser to become the next NWA International Heavyweight Champion, continuing his legacy.
* CaptainErsatz: A favorite for them in ''Videogame/FireProWrestling''. Sometimes they just name him outright.
* {{Crossover}}: The ''JWA WWA World Championship Series'', among others.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: With Wrestling/LouThesz.
* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: He shot on Wrestling/MasahikoKimura in a pro wrestling match and beat him to a bloody pulp. The same Kimura that [[CurbstompBattle curbstomped]] Helio Gracie.
* FinishingMove: Overhead chop, piledriver
* ForeignWrestlingHeel: In the U.S.
* InkSuitActor: In ''Manga/TigerMask''
* LivingLegend: Rikidozan was to Japanese ''puroresu'' what Wrestling/LouThesz was to American pro wrestling and Wrestling/ElSanto was to Mexican ''lucha libre''.
* PyrrhicVictory: While in a nightclub, some poor bloke stepped on Rikidozan's nice new shoes, and refused to apologize when Riki demanded him to. This eventually escalated into a fistfight where the other man proceeded to pull a knife. He beat the shit out of the stabber, but died after his stab wound became infected because the yakuza member had ''pissed'' on his knife before using it, and Rikidozan had, despite his doctor's warnings, began drinking sake and eating sushi as soon as he was discharged from the hospital, developing [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peritonitis Peritonitis]] as a result.
* RedBaron: "The Father of ''[=Puroresu=]''"
* SketchySuccessor: An unfortunate example with his son Mitsuo Momota, given Rikidozan wasn't really around long enough to guide him through the process.
* TropeMaker: Professional wrestling had existed in Japan already, but the most prestige it could claim prior to the JWA were clubs dedicated to the sport. Most of it was FanService[=\=]{{Filler}} sideshow acts for other events. The JWA was the nations first ''promotion'' and the sport's retained it's respect in Japan partly due to the unprecedented televised ratings Rikidozan's matches attained.
* WrestlingFamily: Two sons. Mitsuo Momota debuted in 1972 and did not have much success beyond a brief run with the [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/alljapan/aj-j.html All Japan World Junior Heavyweight Title]], though he is still competing in different promotions. Mitsuo's brother Yoshiro Momota had a run in All Japan in the 1980s but never had much success. He died of liver cancer in 2000 at the age of 54.
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