DG's Puro Wrestling Academy

It's time for another session of the Puro Wrestling Academy w/Dan Ginnetty. This time out we look at the year of 1959 in Japanese Wrestling History. A ton of firsts as Rikidozan turns his misfortunes around... The first ever World League Tournament, the debut of "Mr. Atomic", the first ever unmasking in Japan, the first color TV broadcast of Japanese wrestling, the first ever TV Studio wrestling bout in Japan... and the first real blade job(?)! Plus, MR. ATOMIC DEBUTS, Yoshinosato & Kokichi Endo Return, Enrique Torres, King Kong Czaya, Lord James Blears, Mike Paidousis, Danny Plechas, Bull Ortega, and so much more!

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Includes the $5 “All Access” Tier & $9 "VIP Superfan" Tier featuring our VIDEO CASTS, Patreon Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

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The Professor of Puroresu, Dan Ginnetty, is back with the latest edition of the Puro Wrestling Academy! This week we cover the year of 1958 in the world of Japanese wrestling history (and even dive into early 1959). Many of the topics discussed on this episode include... The JWA going from TWO weekly TV programs to having their shows CANCELED, leading to the company essentially fading to black for SIX LONG MONTHS! We question the reasoning and rumors as to why Rikidozan competed in only one match in Japan over the course of the first 8 months of the year. Stories of misappropriation of funds, “Black Market” money to pay the Gaijin, local talent not being paid at all, & more titillating stories involving Rikidozan! With the JWA dormant for much of the Spring & Summer months, the local talent are left without work and many still waiting for back-pay, threatening to go on Strike!

We look into Gimmick Matches being used for TV, Battle Royals and multi-man tag matches (including the first ever 8-Man Tag in Japan!). Rkidozan refutes to wrestle, but acts as a Special Referee for many contests early in the year, before making another trip to the United States where Riki will capture the International Title from LOU THESZ in Los Angeles! Foreign talent discussed on this episode include Don Leo Jonathan, “Handsome” Johnny Barend, Ski Hi Lee, Tiny Mills & “Big K” Stan Kowalski! Plus, it’s AZUMAFUJI to the rescue! Hear what Azumafuji does to pacify and help the JWA talent while Dozan is abroad. Then upon Riki’s return to Japan, Wrestling returns as well. NEW TOURS for the JWA in September 58 through January 59. Toyonobori returns after a year in Hawaii, and captures the Hawaii Tag Titles along with Rikidozan. It’s near the end of 1958 that Azumafuji announces his RETIREMENT FROM PRO WRESTLING after having been fed up with Rikidozan’s practices. Plus, we talk Rikidozan’s excursion to Brazil, did Don Leo Jonathan break kayfabe(?), exciting news for our listeners regarding our Patreon, & so much more!

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Includes the $5 “All Access” Tier & $9 "VIP Superfan" Tier featuring our VIDEO CASTS, Patreon Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

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The Puro Wrestling Academy w/Dan Ginnetty returns with a special "summer school" session of the program, covering 1957 in Japan! We talk Hiro Matsuda's disdain for Rikidozan and his drive to "make it" in the business, Weekly TV begins, and NWA World Champion Lou Thesz comes to Japan to defend against Rikidozan. Plus, Bobo Brazil, Adrian Baillargeon, the Junior Title changes hands, the mystery of "Black Jimmy" is solved, & so much more!

Available everywhere your Podcast Streaming needs are met.

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopia
Includes the $5 “All Access” Tier & $9 "Superfan DELUXE" Tier featuring our VIDEO CASTS, Patreon Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

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This week on The Puro Wrestling Academy, Dan Ginnetty schools us on the entire year of 1956 in the world of Puroresu. Rikidozan & Kokichi Endo capture the NWA World Tag Team Titles from The Sharpe Brothers (Mike & Ben). Plans are made to bring in the soon to be (once again) NWA Champion Lou Thesz. Rikidozan travels to Southeast Asia to rekindle his rivalry with King Kong Czaya. The JWA presents two more full-length tours lasting more than 60 events! Plus, we catch up with Masahiko Kimura, Unified Champions are created, and we talk names like Tom Rice, Mike Mazurki, Surugaumi, Azumafuji, Yoshinosato, Toyonobori, and so much more!

Available everywhere your Podcast Streaming needs are met.

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopia
Includes the $5 “All Access” Tier & $9 "Superfan DELUXE" Tier featuring our VIDEO CASTS, Patreon Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

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The Puro Wrestling Academy w/Dan Ginnetty Returns! This week we finish covering the year of 1955 as Rikidozan & Azumafuji return from the States as the JWA presents two more tours in Japan. Includes Primo Carnera, Jess Ortega, King Kong Czaya, Bob Orton Sr., Bud Curtis, Dara Singh, Tiger Joginder, the first Japanese Wrestling Champions are crowned, some Magazine talk, Booking 101 is the same everywhere, Wrestling explodes on Japanese TV, and Kids... don't try this at home!

Available everywhere your Podcast Streaming needs are met.

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopia
Includes the $5 “All Access” Tier & $9 "Superfan DELUXE" Tier featuring our VIDEO CASTS, Patreon Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

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Welcome back to The Puro Wrestling Academy w/Dan Ginnetty! This is a huge week in the history of Puroresu as we continue discussing 1954 and into 1955... This week we talk the infamous worked match turned SHOOT between Rikidozan vs. Masahiko Kimura, Mildred Burke and her ladies troupe, Wrestling in a Swimming Pool, Rikidozan slays the "3-Headed Snake" by defeating Yamaguchi, then Riki returns to the States for another tour, plus the debuts of Toyonobori & Azumafuji, & so much more!

Available everywhere your Podcast Streaming needs are met.

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopia
Includes the $5 “All Access” Tier & $9 "Superfan DELUXE" Tier featuring our VIDEO CASTS, Patreon Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

Visit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.com
Follow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenade
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Welcome back to The Puro Wrestling Academy w/Dan Ginnetty! This is a huge week in the history of Puroresu as we continue discussing 1954 and into 1955... This week we talk the infamous worked match turned SHOOT between Rikidozan vs. Masahiko Kimura, Mildred Burke and her ladies troupe, Wrestling in a Swimming Pool, Rikidozan slays the "3-Headed Snake" by defeating Yamaguchi, then Riki returns to the States for another tour, plus the debuts of Toyonobori & Azumafuji, & so much more! 

This week, class is back in session with Dan Ginnetty as we look into 1954... We dive into TWO separate JWA Tours, Toshio Yamaguchi launches All Japan (Version 1), Kimura gets jobbed, The Sharpe Brothers reign supreme, Rikidozan thrives, Hans Schnabel & Lou Newman arrive as "Champions", more early TV wrestling results from Japan, matches taking place in the water(?!), Yoshinosato debuts, plus we talk Bobby Bruns, Kokichi Endo, Mitsuo Surugaumi, and so much more!

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopia
Includes the $5 “All Access” Tier & $9 "Superfan DELUXE" Tier featuring our VIDEO CASTS, Patreon Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

Visit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.com
Follow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenade
Follow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenade
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This week, class is back in session with Dan Ginnetty as we look into 1954... We dive into TWO separate JWA Tours, Toshio Yamaguchi launches All Japan (Version 1), Kimura gets jobbed, The Sharpe Brothers reign supreme, Rikidozan thrives, Hans Schnabel & Lou Newman arrive as "Champions", more early TV wrestling results from Japan, matches taking place in the water(?!), Yoshinosato debuts, plus we talk Bobby Bruns, Kokichi Endo, Mitsuo Surugaumi, and so much more!

The Puro Wrestling Academy & Dan Ginnetty are back to continue to tell the story of PURORESU! This week we finish up Rikidozan's first tour of the United States in early 1953, and talk the "3-headed snake" of Rikidozan, Masahiko Kimura, & Toshio Yamaguchi who all attempt to run their own promotions in 1953 Japan! From there, we discuss Rikidozan vs. NWA World Champion Lou Thesz, the first ever Wrestling Events to be aired on Japanese TV, and the birth of the JWA. Other topics include "Juken" Matches, Kokichi Endo, The Rikidozan Dojo, Hawaii Promoter Al Karasick, Bobby Bruns, San Francisco Promoter Joe Malcewicz, The Sharpe Brothers, Hideyuki Nagasawa, Junioe Champion Mitsuo Surugaumi, Count Rossi Mucci & "Moochie Mania", plus muchh more!

Available everywhere your Podcast Streaming needs are met.

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopia
Includes a $5 “All Access” Tier featuring our Patreon Exclusive Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare & Regional Rasslin), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content that was originally edited out! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

Visit our Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.com

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This week we pick up where we left off in 1951 and travel through the entire year of 1952. We introduce two new names to the fold in Toshio Yamaguchi & the legendary Masahiko Kimura. We discuss the first year in the wrestling business for Rikidozan and take a thorough look into his 1952 Record book. We do a deep dive into Rikidozan's opponents that helped contribute to building the star. We talk the legendary battle between the Godfater of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu - Helio Gracie vs. the man the Kimura Lock is named after, Masahiko Kimura. Listen in as we continue to show that many of the commonplace promotional tactics of today were taking place more than 75 years ago. All of that and so much more!

Available everywhere your Podcast Streaming needs are met.

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopia
Includes a $5 “All Access” Tier featuring our Patreon Exclusive Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare & Regional Rasslin), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content that was originally edited out! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

Visit our Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.com

Follow us on "X" (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenade

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The time has arrived, as we begin our journey through the history of Japanese Professional Wrestling (Puroresu)! Host Dan Ginnetty and I (Ray Russell) go all the way back to the beginnings in the early 1880s with Sumo's Sorakichi Matsuda and work our way forward to the very first full-fledged tour of Pro Wrestling in Japan, circa 1951. We discuss several failed attempts at wrestlers attempting to bring Pro Wrestling to Japan in the late 1800's and early 1900s. We discuss names like William Muldoon, Ad Santel, Boxing Legend Joe Louis, Harold "Oddjob" Sakata, Bobby Bruns, Promoter Al Karasick, Kokichi Endo, and other early Japanese stars, including the one and only RIKIDOZAN!

Available everywhere your Podcast Streaming needs are met.

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopia
Includes a $5 “All Access” Tier featuring our Patreon Exclusive Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare & Regional Rasslin), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content that was originally edited out! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

Visit our Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.com

Follow us on "X" (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenade

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Listen at your leisure and pick back up later if need be!

The time has arrived, as we begin our journey through the history of Japanese Professional Wrestling (Puroresu)! Host Dan Ginnetty and I (Ray Russell) go all the way back to the beginnings in the early 1880s with Sumo's Sorakichi Matsuda and work our way forward to the very first full-fledged tour of Pro Wrestling in Japan, circa 1951. We discuss several failed attempts at wrestlers attempting to bring Pro Wrestling to Japan in the late 1800's and early 1900s. We discuss names like William Muldoon, Ad Santel, Boxing Legend Joe Louis, Harold "Oddjob" Sakata, Bobby Bruns, Promoter Al Karasick, Kokichi Endo, and other early Japanese stars, including the one and only RIKIDOZAN!