{"id":52,"date":"2016-08-28T17:40:53","date_gmt":"2016-08-28T21:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/?p=52"},"modified":"2017-02-22T21:09:36","modified_gmt":"2017-02-23T02:09:36","slug":"mr-fuji-passes-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2016\/08\/28\/mr-fuji-passes-away\/","title":{"rendered":"RIP: WWE Hall of Famer Mr. Fuji Passes Away"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_62\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-62\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-62\" src=\"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr_Fuji_bio-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Photo: WWE.com\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr_Fuji_bio.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr_Fuji_bio-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr_Fuji_bio-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr_Fuji_bio-696x392.jpg 696w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr_Fuji_bio-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr_Fuji_bio-747x420.jpg 747w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-62\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: WWE.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The world of professional wrestling was saddened today with the news that <strong>Harry Fujiwara<\/strong>, better known to the world of wrestling as <strong>Mr. Fuji<\/strong>, had passed away at the age of 82.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_59\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-59\" style=\"width: 285px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-59\" src=\"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr-Fuji.2.jpg\" alt=\"Photo: pintrest.com\" width=\"285\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr-Fuji.2.jpg 285w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr-Fuji.2-238x300.jpg 238w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 285px) 100vw, 285px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-59\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: pintrest.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>While perhaps best remembered as one of the <strong>WWF<\/strong> (and pro wrestling&#8217;s) most nefarious heel managers of all time, Mr. Fuji was a tremendous hand as a wrestler himself. Although billed his entire career as being from Japan, Fuji was actually an Asian-American, born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1934. His wrestling career began, like many, in one of the vast <strong>NWA<\/strong> regional territories, beginning his home state <strong>Mid-Pacific Wrestling<\/strong> in 1964 as <strong>Mr. Fujiwara<\/strong>, alongside such legends as <strong>King Curtis Iaukea<\/strong> (whom he won the NWA Hawaiian Tag Titles in January of 1965) and <strong>&#8220;High Chief&#8221; Peter Maivia<\/strong> (<strong>The Rock<\/strong>&#8216;s WWE Hall of Fame grandfather). He moved the NWA <strong>Pacific Northwest<\/strong> territory in Oregon, shortening his name to simply Mr. Fuji, where he captured the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship from <strong>Moondog Mayne<\/strong> in 1970, as well as four reigns as Pacific Northwest Tag Team champions, three of which with <strong>Haru Sasaki<\/strong>. By 1972, he was a full time performer for <strong>Vincent J. McMahon, Sr<\/strong> and the <strong>World Wide Wrestling Federation<\/strong>\u00a0(WWWF, the precursor to WWF and WWE).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_61\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61\" style=\"width: 469px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-61 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/d5b9ab4d1e6d30fcb68117801d827b89.jpg\" alt=\"Photo: WWE.com\" width=\"469\" height=\"322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/d5b9ab4d1e6d30fcb68117801d827b89.jpg 469w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/d5b9ab4d1e6d30fcb68117801d827b89-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/d5b9ab4d1e6d30fcb68117801d827b89-100x70.jpg 100w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/d5b9ab4d1e6d30fcb68117801d827b89-218x150.jpg 218w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 469px) 100vw, 469px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-61\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: WWE.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For two years, Fuji, alongside his partner <strong>Professor Toru Tanaka<\/strong> and manager <strong>The Grand Wizard<\/strong>, wreaked havoc on the WWWF, capturing WWWF World Tag Team gold from <strong>Sonny King<\/strong> and <strong>Chief Jay Strongbow<\/strong> in June of 1972, holding the belts for a stunning 337 days\u00a0(a reign bested only by <strong>Demolition<\/strong> (468), <strong>New Day<\/strong> (371 and counting), and <strong>The Valiant Brothers<\/strong> (370)). They even fended off challengers from the combined team of WWWF World Champions <strong>Bruno Sammartino<\/strong> and <strong>Pedro Morales<\/strong> in their prime. After two runs as World Tag Team Champions, Fuji and his partner Tanaka left the WWWF to return to the NWA territories for a few years, winning gold wherever they went.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"BRUNO SAMMARTINO VS. MR. FUJI -WWWF TV 1974\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1SCgKpx6nCI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_58\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-58\" style=\"width: 550px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-58\" src=\"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr._Fuji_Et_Toru_Tanaka_03.jpg\" alt=\"Photo: WWE.com\" width=\"550\" height=\"680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr._Fuji_Et_Toru_Tanaka_03.jpg 550w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr._Fuji_Et_Toru_Tanaka_03-243x300.jpg 243w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr._Fuji_Et_Toru_Tanaka_03-324x400.jpg 324w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/Mr._Fuji_Et_Toru_Tanaka_03-340x420.jpg 340w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-58\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: WWE.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>They returned to the WWWF in 1977, this time taking <strong>&#8220;Classie&#8221; Freddie Blassie<\/strong> on as their manager, once again winning World Tag Team gold by defeating long time rival <strong>Tony Garea<\/strong> and his new partner <strong>Larry Zybysko<\/strong>. The second run, while eventful, lasted shorter than the first, and soon they were back touring the world, wrestling in territories around the world.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mr. Fuji and Toru Tanaka 73-77 WWWF\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mMhYPN9nONo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Fuji would return once again, in 1981, to find the WWWF now the WWF and McMahon Sr.&#8217;s son, <strong>Vincent K. McMahon<\/strong>, more in control of the company and direction. Pairing up with <strong>Mr. Saito<\/strong>, and under the management of a heel <strong>Captain Lou Albano<\/strong>, they would win two more WWF World Tag Team titles, securing Fuji&#8217;s ranks as one of the WWF&#8217;s most prolific tag team specialists, with five championships. He soon drifted into singles territory, following a turn on his protegee <strong>Tiger Chung Lee<\/strong>, before retiring as an active wrestler in 1985.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_57\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-57\" style=\"width: 642px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-57\" src=\"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/demolition.jpg\" alt=\"Photo: WWE.com\" width=\"642\" height=\"361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/demolition.jpg 642w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/demolition-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 642px) 100vw, 642px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-57\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: WWE.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fuji had long been a master of ring psychology. His trademark move of throwing salt into his opponents eyes made him one of the world&#8217;s most effective heels. A man of few words, his actions spoke louder than anything his voice could muster. He carried that into his work as one of the top managers of the 1980&#8217;s Rock N&#8217; Wrestling Era. Nicknamed &#8220;The Devious One&#8221;, Fuji was menacing in his silent gaze, and when it broke into a vicious scowl, it was frightening. Under his guidance, he managed Demolition (<strong>Ax<\/strong> &amp; <strong>Smash<\/strong>) to their record setting 468 day reign as WWF World Tag Team Champions, as well as former Intercontinental champion <strong>The Magnificent Muraco<\/strong>, <strong>George &#8220;The Animal&#8221; Steele<\/strong>, <strong>Jim &#8220;The Anvil&#8221; Neidhart<\/strong> (whom he sold to <strong>Jimmy Hart<\/strong> to create the <strong>Hart Foundation<\/strong>), <strong>Killer Khan<\/strong>, <strong>Kamala<\/strong>, <strong>The Powers of Pain<\/strong> (<strong>Barbarian<\/strong> &amp; <strong>Warlord<\/strong>), and <strong>The Orient Express<\/strong> (<strong>Pat Tanaka<\/strong> &amp; <strong>Akio Saito<\/strong>). He retired from the wrestling industry in 1996, following another successful run in a partnership with his &#8220;spokesman&#8221; <strong>Jim Cornette<\/strong>, managing WWE Hall of Famer\u00a0<strong>Yokozuna<\/strong>, both as a 2-time WWF World Champion and as a 2-time WWF World Tag Team Champion alongside <strong>Owen Hart<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_55\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-55\" style=\"width: 606px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-55\" src=\"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/yokozuna1.jpg\" alt=\"Photo: WWE.com\" width=\"606\" height=\"761\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/yokozuna1.jpg 606w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/yokozuna1-239x300.jpg 239w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/yokozuna1-334x420.jpg 334w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-55\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: WWE.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mr. Fuji was rightfully enshrined\u00a0into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012, where he was inducted by one of his many successful &#8220;clients&#8221;, Don Muraco.<\/p>\n<p>Harry &#8220;Mr. Fuji&#8221; Fujiwara, 1934 &#8211; 2016<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_54\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-54\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-54\" src=\"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/fuji2.jpg\" alt=\"Photo: WWE.com\" width=\"400\" height=\"309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/fuji2.jpg 400w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/08\/fuji2-300x232.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-54\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: WWE.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><em>Main Photo: WWE.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The world of professional wrestling was saddened today with the news that Harry Fujiwara, better known to the world of wrestling as Mr. Fuji, had passed away at the age of 82. While perhaps best remembered as one of the WWF (and pro wrestling&#8217;s) most nefarious heel managers of all time, Mr. Fuji was a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":649,"featured_media":60,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,547,13,4,3],"tags":[65,64,47],"class_list":["post-52","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-in-memorium","category-international","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-hall-of-fame","tag-mr-fuji","tag-wwe"],"modified_by":"Jamie Greer","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/649"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}