Ashura Hara
Ashura Hara | |
---|---|
Birth name | Susumu Hara |
Died | April 28, 2015 Isahaya, Nagasaki, Japan | (aged 68)
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Ashura Hara Susumu Hara Fighting Hara |
Billed height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) |
Billed weight | 92 kg (203 lb) – 125 kg (276 lb) |
Trained by | Isao Yoshiwara |
Debut | June 23, 1978[2] |
Retired | October 29, 1994[2] |
Susumu Hara (原 進, Hara Susumu)
Rugby career
Susumu Hara began his
Wrestling career
International Wrestling Enterprise (1978–1981)
After he finished his rugby career, Susumu Hara was scouted by
In May 1979, Hara won the WWU World Junior Heavyweight Championship, defeating Mile Zrno.[5] He would be the last holder of that title. In March 1980, he went to New Japan Pro-Wrestling in an attempt to capture the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship from Tatsumi Fujinami, but failed. After the failed attempt, he went to the United States, wrestling for Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling. During that time he had bulk up into a heavyweight, which caused the WWU World Junior Heavyweight title to be abandoned at the end of March 1980. Returning to IWE, he teamed up with Mighty Inoue to capture the IWA World Tag Team Championship in May 1981, defeating Paul Ellering and Terry Latham.[6] The championships were abandoned upon IWE's closure in August 1981, making him and Inoue the final champions.[6]
All Japan Pro Wrestling (1981–1988)
Immediately after IWE's closure, Ashura Hara, Mighty Inoue, Apollo Sugawara, and Goro Tsurumi joined All Japan Pro Wrestling, initially as an IWE stable. He would forge a longtime friendship and partnership with Genichiro Tenryu ever since. On May 3, 1982, his first heavyweight title challenge took place during an interpromotional card with Kintarō Ōki's Korean Wrestling Association in South Korea, Hara unsuccessfully challenging Oki for his All Asia Heavyweight Championship in Gwangju .
In February 1983, he and Inoue won the All Asia Tag Team Championship, defeating The Great Kojika and Motoshi Okuma to win the vacant titles. They would hold on to the titles for a year, before vacating the titles due to Inoue's focus on the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship. However, Hara got another partner in Takashi Ishikawa and regained the titles, defeating Gerry Morrow and Thomas Ivey to win the vacant titles. He and Ishikawa would hold on to the belts for over eight months, before vacating in October 1984. In October 1986, he teamed up with Super Strong Machine to win his third All Asia Tag Team title, defeating his former All Asia Tag Team championship partners Inoue and Ishikawa. They would hold on to the titles until Super Strong Machine's departure in June 1987 forced Hara to vacate the titles.
After vacating the All Asia Tag titles, he reformed his tag team with Tenryu, as well as forming the stable
More bad news struck Hara, as days before the
Super World of Sports (1991–1992)
After over two and a half years, Ashura Hara made his triumphant return to the ring for
WAR and retirement (1992–1994)
Upon SWS's closure, Ashura Hara joined Genichiro Tenryu in forming
In July 1994, Hara teamed up with Jinsei Shinzaki and John Tenta for a one-night six-man tag team tournament, which he lost to Genichiro Tenryu, Atsushi Onita, and Bam Bam Bigelow in the finals. On October 3, 1994, Hara announced that he was retiring after 16 years in the sport. His last match was held on October 29, in which he lost to close friend and tag team partner Tenryu.
Retirement
After retiring, Hara became a rugby coach and teacher for various schools, including his alma mater.[3]
In 2004, his mother died after suffering a stroke.[3]
Death
On April 28, 2015, Hara died from pneumonia in a hospital in Isahaya, Nagasaki.[1][7]
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- All Asia Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Mighty Inoue (1), Takashi Ishikawa (1), and Super Strong Machine (1)
- PWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Genichiro Tenryu
- World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Genichiro Tenryu
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League New Wave Award (1981) – with Genichiro Tenryu[8]
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League Fighting Spirit Award (1982) – with Genichiro Tenryu[9]
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League Fighting Spirit Award (1983) – with Mighty Inoue[10]
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League Fighting Spirit Award (1985) – with Rusher Kimura[11]
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League Outstanding Performance Award (1987) – with Genichiro Tenryu[12]
- World's Strongest Tag Determination League Outstanding Fighting Spirit Award (1987) – with Genichiro Tenryu[12]
- International Wrestling Enterprise
- IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mighty Inoue
- WWU World Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Ranked No. 30 of the 100 best tag team of the "PWI Years" with Genichiro Tenryu in 2003
- Stampede Wrestling
- 1 time)
- Tokyo Sports
- Best Tag Team Award (1987) – with Genichiro Tenryu
- Match of the Year Award (1994) with Genichiro Tenryu vs. Atsushi Onita and Tarzan Goto on March 2
- Outstanding Performance Award (1979)
- Service Award (1994)
- Technique Award (1981)
References
- ^ a b c "阿修羅原さん死去 ラグビー日本代表からプロレスへ 天龍同盟で活躍". Daily Sports. 2015-04-28. Retrieved 2015-04-28.
- ^ a b c d "Cagematch Profile".
- ^ a b c d e "Ashura Hara's Wikipedia Bio Translation - Japanese to English".
- ^ "Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship History".
- ^ "WWU World Junior Heavyweight Championship History".
- ^ a b "IWA World Tag Team Championship History".
- ^ "Ashura Hara, former All Japan star passes away". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. 2015-04-27. Retrieved 2015-04-28.
- ^ "Real World Tag League 1981". PUROLOVE.com (in German). Archived from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ "Real World Tag League 1982". PUROLOVE.com (in German). Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ "Real World Tag League 1983". PUROLOVE.com (in German). Archived from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ "Real World Tag League 1985". PUROLOVE.com (in German). Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ a b "Real World Tag League 1987". PUROLOVE.com (in German). Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2023.