Kim Duk
 |
| Kim Duk | |
|---|---|
Dory Funk, Jr. | |
| Debut | August 30, 1968[1][2] |
| Retired | May 31, 2022 |
Masanori Toguchi (戸口 正徳, Toguchi Masanori, born February 7, 1948), also known by his Korean name and ring name Kim Duk (
Early life
Masanori Toguchi was a basketball player and jūdōka during his high school days. After graduation, he joined the Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance dojo with the recommendation from Kintarō Ōki. Since Seiji Sakaguchi, another jūdōka, joined the JWA during the same time, it caused a conflict between the jūdō and puroresu industries. Toguchi was sent to South Korea for half a year with "special training" as an excuse until the issue died out.
Professional wrestling career
1960s–1970s
Masanori Toguchi debuted for Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance on August 30, 1968, against future NJPW referee Katsuhisa Shibata. During his rookie year, he was also trained by
1980s–1990s
In 1982, Kim Duk began wrestling for the NWA's
2000s–2020s
In 2001, Kim Duk made his return to AJPW, helping out the promotion during their crisis after the Pro Wrestling Noah exodus.
Kim Duk had since remained semi-retired and works for a non-profit organization. He still wrestles on special legends matches from time to time. Since 2007, he has been running Wrestle-Aid. His last match as a full-time wrestler was on May 6, 2011, in a tag team match, teaming with Raideen against Masaru Toi and Red Tiger.
He returned to wrestling in February 2018. On June 10, 2018, at the age of 70, he won the WEW Heavyweight Championship defeating Daisaku Shimoda at a show for Pro Wrestling A-Team in Tokyo, Japan. He lost the title back to Shimoda on January 19, 2019.
In September 2019, Kim Duk pulled out of Tokyo Championship Wrestling's (TCW) tour due to chest pains, which ended up being arrhythmia. In December 2019, he flew to Cleveland, Ohio in the United States to undergo surgery at the Cleveland Clinic to put a catheter in his heart. In February 2020, TCW held a benefit show to help pay for his surgery.
On May 31, 2022, Duk would wrestle his last match on at the Jumbo Tsuruta tribute show at Korakuen Hall, officially retiring after nearly fifty four years.
Acting career
In 1986, while wrestling in the U.S. for the WWF, Kim Duk made his acting debut as a henchman of Charles Dance's character, Sardo Numspa, in The Golden Child, which starred Eddie Murphy.[5][6] Two years later, he portrayed a Georgian mobster named Andrei 'The Mongol Hippie' in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Red Heat.[5][6] A year later, he acted in two more films, Blind Fury starring Rutger Hauer, and Cage, starring Lou Ferrigno.[5][6] In 2012, after a long hiatus from acting, Kim Duk portrayed Lee in the film, Mountain Mafia.[5]
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Pro Wrestling
- NWA International Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Kintarō Ōki
- Champion Carnival Fighting Spirit Award (1980)[7]
- World's Strongest Tag Determination Fair Play Award (1977) – with Kintarō Ōki[8]
- World's Strongest Tag Determination Effort Award (1978) – with Kintarō Ōki[9]
- World's Strongest Tag Determination Team Play Award (1979) – with Kintarō Ōki[10]
- Central States Wrestling
- NWA Central States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Yasu Fuji
- NWA Tri-State
- 1 time) – with Stan Kowalski
- Pro Wrestling A-Team
- WEW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- Tokyo Sports
- Fighting Spirit Award (1978)[11]
- Universal Wrestling Association
- World Wrestling Council
Lucha de Apuesta record
| Wager | Winner | Loser | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mask | Dos Caras | YAMATO | Naucalpan, Mexico | August 1, 1993 | Mask vs. Mask vs. Mask Triangle Match that also included El Canek |
| Hair | El Canek | YAMATO | Naucalpan, Mexico | August 15, 1993 | Mask vs. Hair Match |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Kim Duk « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i ja:タイガー戸口
- ^ a b c d e "The Wrestler Best 1000". Nippon Sports Publishing. May 20, 1996.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
- ^ a b c d "Tiger Chung Lee". IMDb.
- ^ a b c "Movies That Feature Pro Wrestlers". Archived from the original on 2013-05-15.
- ^ "PUROLOVE.com". www.purolove.com.
- ^ "Open Tag League 1977 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
- ^ "Real World Tag League 1978 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
- ^ "Real World Tag League 1979 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database". www.cagematch.net.
- ^ 東京スポーツ プロレス大賞. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-01-20.
External links
- Kim Duk's profile at Cagematch.net
