Akira Maeda
Akira Maeda | |
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Born | Go Il-myeong January 24, 1959[1] Osaka, Japan |
Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
Weight | 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb) |
Division | Heavyweight |
Team | Rings Japan |
Rank | Eighth degree black belt in Kyokushin Budokai |
Years active | 1995–1999 |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 12 |
Wins | 7 |
By submission | 4 |
Unknown | 3 |
Losses | 5 |
By submission | 3 |
By decision | 1 |
Unknown | 1 |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog |
Akira Maeda 前田日明 | |
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Born | Alexander Karelin ) | January 24, 1959
Akira Maeda (前田 日明, Maeda Akira) (born Go Il-myeong (
Professional wrestling career
New Japan Pro Wrestling (1978–1984)
Maeda entered the
World Wrestling Federation (1984)
Maeda would briefly join Vince McMahon's WWF for a few months in the Spring of 1984 working in the opening matches of shows and even appearing a few times in televised bouts.[5]
Universal Wrestling Federation (1984–1985)
In 1984, Maeda,
New Japan Pro Wrestling (1985–1988)
Maeda became involved in a real-life feud with New Japan
In April 1986, he was involved in one of the most surreal moments in wrestling history during a match with André the Giant; neither man could agree to losing the match. Andre appeared drunk and started no selling Maeda's moves. Then Maeda proceeded to shoot kick André's legs and repeatedly take him down. After 30 minutes of this, André voluntarily laid down to be pinned (in spite of being assured that Maeda would lose the match), but Akira refused to do so. Inoki eventually came to the ring and demanded the match to end, much to the bewilderment of the audience.
On November 19, 1987, during a six-man tag team match, as
Although the kick is popularly believed to have been a deliberate attack, Maeda has claimed it was actually an accident, with Choshu having supposedly failed at protecting his face at the cue (a tap on his back) before the kick was thrown.
Newborn UWF (1988–1990)
In 1988, Maeda formed Newborn UWF with Nobuhiko Takada and others, this time as its number one star, using the notoriety he gained in New Japan to draw large crowds. Maeda's UWF became the first promotion to hold a show at the Tokyo Dome, drawing 60,000 to watch Maeda defeat Willy Wilhelm in the main event. In December 1990, Newborn UWF dissolved due to disagreements over the direction of the company.
Mixed martial arts career
Fighting Network RINGS (1991–2002)
Maeda would go on to form
Following Maeda's retirement, he switched his promotion's style from shoot style to fully competitive mixed martial arts fighting. The new Rings held two King of Kings tournaments, which introduced such mixed martial artists as Fedor Emelianenko, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture, Jeremy Horn and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira to the Japanese audience. RINGS folded in 2002, due to the growing popularity of PRIDE.
Revived Rings (2008–present)
When K-1 wanted to start a new MMA brand after their previous attempt with K-1 Romanex, Fighting and Entertainment Group hired Maeda as a consultant for Hero's. However, FEG retired Hero's in February 2008 to team up with former PRIDE staff to create DREAM. Maeda's new project was called The Outsider, an amateur MMA series that uses Hero's rules.[9] RINGS brand was revived for The Outsider series and several events have been held since March 30, 2008.[10]
On January 22, 2012, Maeda decisively resurrected the Fighting Network RINGS brand with Battle Genesis: Vol. 9, the continuation of the Battle Genesis series the last event of which was held on September 20, 2001.[11] The event was sanctioned by ZST.[12]
Mixed martial arts record
Akira Maeda's Mixed Martial Arts record. The validity of matches is contested.[1]
12 matches | 7 wins | 5 losses |
By submission | 4 | 3 |
By decision | 0 | 1 |
Unknown | 3 | 1 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 7–5 | Alexander Karelin
|
Decision (unanimous) | Rings: Final Capture | February 21, 1999 | 3 | 5:00 | Japan | |
Win | 7–4 | Magomedkhan Gamzatkhanov | Submission | Rings: Battle Dimensions Tournament 1997 Final | January 21, 1998 | 1 | 4:24 | Japan | |
Loss | 6–4 | Kiyoshi Tamura | n/a | Rings: Battle Dimensions Tournament 1997 Final | January 21, 1998 | n/a | n/a | Japan | |
Win | 6–3 | Mitsuya Nagai | n/a | Rings: Battle Dimensions Tournament 1997 Final | January 21, 1998 | n/a | n/a | Japan | |
Win | 5–3 | Nikolai Zouev | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Rings – Mega Battle Tournament 1997 Semifinal 1 | October 25, 1997 | 1 | 5:17 | Japan | |
Win | 4–3 | Andrei Kopylov | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Rings – Extension Fighting 7 | September 26, 1997 | 1 | 8:32 | Japan | |
Loss | 3–3 | Magomedkhan Gamzatkhanov | Submission (leg lock) | Rings – Extension Fighting 2 | April 22, 1997 | 1 | 8:47 | Japan | |
Win | 3–2 | Maurice Smith
|
n/a | Rings – Budokan Hall 1997 | January 22, 1997 | n/a | n/a | Tokyo, Japan | |
Win | 2–2 | Yoshihisa Yamamoto | Submission | Rings – Budokan Hall 1996 | January 24, 1996 | n/a | n/a | Tokyo, Japan | |
Win | 1–2 | Dick Vrij | n/a | Rings – Battle Dimensions Tournament 1995 Opening Round | October 21, 1995 | n/a | n/a | Japan | |
Loss | 0–2 | Chris Dolman | Submission (armbar) | Rings Holland – Free Fight | February 19, 1995 | 2 | 4:07 | Amsterdam, Holland | |
Loss | 0–1 | Magomedkhan Gamzatkhanov | Submission | Rings – Budokan Hall 1995 | January 25, 1995 | n/a | n/a | Tokyo, Japan |
Personal life
Maeda's interest in martial arts developed as a schoolboy while watching the Ultraman television series. By the time he was in high school, his only interests were motorcycles and karate. He is friends with Mother series creator Shigesato Itoi.
Maeda was a third-generation
He is an 8th degree black belt in
Works
- (1988) Challenge to the Fight King (格闘王への挑戦, Kakutō-ō e no chōsen) ISBN 4062040816
- (1988) Power of Dream (パワー・オブ・ドリーム, Pawā obu dorīmu) ISBN 404173701X
- (1992) Who to live for (誰のために生きるか, Dare no tame ni ikiru ka) ISBN 4569536352
- (1994) Build you strongest self: Over the rev limit (最強の自分をつくる - オーバー・ザ・レブ・リミット, Saikyō no jibun o tsukuru - ōbā za rebu rimitto) ISBN 4569542026
- (1994) The true legend of combat sports, RINGS (真格闘技伝説 RINGS, Ma kakutōgi densetsu ringu) ISBN 4870311895
- (1998) Uncrowned Akira Maeda (無冠 前田日明, Mukan Akira Maeda) by Toru Sasaki (Shueisha) ISBN 408780285X
- (1999) Fighting with real swords (真剣勝負, Shinken shōbu) ISBN 4794209177- With Kazuya Fukuda
- (2009) Japanese soul (日本魂, Nihon tamashī) ISBN 9784062154024 - With Kotetsu Yamamoto
- (2011) "To obtain an absolutely undefeated mind and body that survives the present, 'Men's Meditation'" (今を生き抜く絶対不敗の心と体を得るために 「男の瞑想学」, “Ima o ikinuku zettai fuhai no kokoro to karada o eru tame ni `otoko no meisō-gaku'”) ISBN 978-4862206237
- (2017) "The entire history of UWF told by Akira Maeda - Above" (前田日明が語るUWF全史 上, Maeda akira ga kataru UWF zenshi-jō”) ISBN 978-4309921365
- (2017) "The entire history of UWF toldabout by Akira Maeda - Below" (前田日明が語るUWF全史 下, Maeda akira ga kataru UWF zenshi-ka”) ISBN 978-4309921372
- (2021) "Japanese should be happier" (日本人はもっと幸せになっていいはずだ, Nihonjin wa motto shiawase ni natte ī hazuda”) ISBN 978-4866251424
Championships and accomplishments
- Joint Promotions
- Fighting Network RINGS
- RINGS Battle Dimensions Tournament (1993–1996)
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Osamu Kido (1) and Nobuhiko Takada (1)
- Greatest Wrestlers (Class of 2009)[14]
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI ranked him #40 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003
- PWI ranked him #13 of the 100 best tag teams during the "PWI Years" with Nobuhiko Takada in 2003[15]
- Tokyo Sports
- Effort Award (1981)[16]
- Match of the Year Award (1986) vs. Tatsumi Fujinami on June 12[16]
- MVP Award (1989)[16]
- Special Grand Prize (1988)[16]
- Technique Award (1983)[16]
- Universal Wrestling Federation
- UWF Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[17]
- World Wrestling Federation
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Promoter of the Year(1989)
- Wrestler of the Year(1988)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
Filmography
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1989 | YAWARA! a fashionable judo girl!
|
Himself |
2006 | Waru |
Notes
- 1.Mixed Martial Artsbouts, it is not certain which matches are real or fixed. Matches between 1991 and 1994 can be verified of being worked, but there is also no certain indication that the matches from 1995 onwards are fully legitimate.
References
- ^ a b c d "Akira Maeda". SherDog. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
- ^ a b c Schramm, Chris (July 29, 2007). ""God of Wrestling" legacy on wrestling may be forever". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2009.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Akira Maeda profile". Online World of Wrestling. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2012.
- ^ "Profile at Puroresu Central". Puroresu Central. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
- ^ "1984". thehistoryofwwe.com. January 16, 2023.
- ^ Weekly Pro Wrestling Special - Japan Pro Wrestling Case History Vol.3, Baseball Magazine, 2014
- ^ G-Spirits magazine, 1988
- ^ Teruo Takahashi, Ryūketsu no majutsu saikyō no engi subete no puroresu wa shōdearu, 2001
- ^ Akira Maeda's new project, The Outsider | FightOpinion.com – Your Global Connection to the Fight Industry. FightOpinion.com. January 22, 2008.
- ^ RINGS events. Sherdog.com. Retrieved on April 17, 2015.
- ^ "Rings Set Return Batte Genesis Vol 9". Retrieved January 30, 2012.[dead link]
- ^ 2012年 ZST・RINGS スケジュール. Blog.livedoor.jp (January 23, 2012). Retrieved on 2015-04-17.
- ^ "IBK International Kyokushin Budokai - Blak Belts". International Kyokushin Budokai.
- ^ Greatest Wrestlers|DataBase|New Japan Pro-Wrestling Archived August 23, 2014, at the Wayback Machine. Njpw.co.jp. Retrieved on April 17, 2015.
- ^ Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 100 Tag Teams of the PWI Years. 100megsfree4.com
- ^ a b c d e Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards. purolove.com
- ^ Akira Maeda|Greatest Wrestlers|DataBase|New Japan Pro-Wrestling Archived July 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine. Njpw.co.jp. Retrieved on April 17, 2015.