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Koichi Yoshizawa, who was the most important source of information about Japanese wrestling when it came to wrestling magazines and newsletters from the 1960s until the internet era, passed away on July 28.
He was 73.
Yoshizawa was a childhood fan of Rikidozan and all of the stars of that era and was one of Japan's top wrestling historians because he went back so far.
Because he knew English, he was very close with most of the Americans that would tour Japan until about a decade ago when he started having health issues and wasn't allowed to travel to shows.
Against doctors orders, I believe the last show he attended was The Destroyer Memorial show and told me had to go to Tokyo to see Abdullah the Butcher for the last time.
Yoshizawa sent letters to numerous magazines and newsletters from the 60s on with the results and news covering the major shows. He would send multiple letters per week and as the Observer became the leading insider source, he would call me multiple times per week.
He wrote and took photos for both the Japanese wrestling magazines, was affiliated with the sports newspapers, and wrote reports and took photos for every U.S. wrestling magazine during the magazine era heyday. While there were others from Japan affiliated with different wrestling magazines, he was by far the number one and most consistent source and without him there would have been almost no photos or coverage of Japanese wrestling in the U.S.
Had it not been for him, American knowledge and understanding of what was going on in Japan and its history would have been nonexistent at least until the early 80s, and he was the key source of information for virtually anyone covering Japanese wrestling until the internet era.
From the 60s on, at most of the major events in Japan he was very visible at ringside shooting photos. Even though he loved and was fascinated by American wrestling, he never came to the U.S.
His knowledge of Japanese wrestling history was extensive and he was exceedingly well liked. He was responsible for teaching me Japanese wrestling from when we first got in contact when I was 13.
He was 73.
Yoshizawa was a childhood fan of Rikidozan and all of the stars of that era and was one of Japan's top wrestling historians because he went back so far.
Because he knew English, he was very close with most of the Americans that would tour Japan until about a decade ago when he started having health issues and wasn't allowed to travel to shows.
Against doctors orders, I believe the last show he attended was The Destroyer Memorial show and told me had to go to Tokyo to see Abdullah the Butcher for the last time.
Yoshizawa sent letters to numerous magazines and newsletters from the 60s on with the results and news covering the major shows. He would send multiple letters per week and as the Observer became the leading insider source, he would call me multiple times per week.
He wrote and took photos for both the Japanese wrestling magazines, was affiliated with the sports newspapers, and wrote reports and took photos for every U.S. wrestling magazine during the magazine era heyday. While there were others from Japan affiliated with different wrestling magazines, he was by far the number one and most consistent source and without him there would have been almost no photos or coverage of Japanese wrestling in the U.S.
Had it not been for him, American knowledge and understanding of what was going on in Japan and its history would have been nonexistent at least until the early 80s, and he was the key source of information for virtually anyone covering Japanese wrestling until the internet era.
From the 60s on, at most of the major events in Japan he was very visible at ringside shooting photos. Even though he loved and was fascinated by American wrestling, he never came to the U.S.
His knowledge of Japanese wrestling history was extensive and he was exceedingly well liked. He was responsible for teaching me Japanese wrestling from when we first got in contact when I was 13.
