Tojo Yamamoto

Tojo Yamamoto was the stage name of Harry Tanabe (1927–February 19, 1992), a professional wrestler. He was born in Hawaii.

As Yamamoto, he had great success in tag team wrestling and in regional wrestling bouts. He was affiliated with wrestling promoter Nick Gulas. Yamamoto was voted by many wrestling purists as the most hated wrestler in the sport.

Yamamoto later became a wrestling manager. His rise to fame late in his career took place in the late-1980s, when Yamamoto, while in World Class Championship Wrestling was managing Phil Hickerson, who was known as P.Y. Chu-Hi, and was involved in a lengthy storyline with Eric Embry for control of World Class. Later, Yamamoto and Hickerson worked a storyline with Chris and Toni Adams, which began in an attack on Toni by Hickerson and Yamamoto at the Sportatorium during a wrestling match.

Yamamoto and Hickerson left World Class in 1990, but Yamamoto returned to the Sportatorium in early 1991 (under the USWA banner) to manage Embry, who had turned heel.

He retired in 1991 due to health problems which included diabetes. He died in Hermitage, Tennessee of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1992. He was 65 years old.

In wrestling

*Finishing and signature moves:*Stomach vice grip

Championships and accomplishments

*Championship Wrestling from Florida:*NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Taro Miyake

*International Championship Wrestling:*ICW United States Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Gypsy Joe

*NWA Mid-America | Continental Wrestling Association:*AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Wayne Farris:*CWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Jerry Jarrett:*NWA Mid-America Heavyweight Championship (2 times):*NWA Mid-America Tag Team Championship (12 times) – with Bill Dromo (2), Tommy Gilbert (1), Jackie Fargo (2), Johnny Marlin, George Gulas (2), Gypsy Joe (3) and Great Togo (1):*NWA Six-Man Tag Team Championship (7 times) – with George Gulas & Dennis Hall (1), George Gulas & Tommy Rich (2), Gypsy Joe & The Beast (1), Dennis Condrey & Chris Colt (1), David Schultz & Great Togo (1) , and Bobby Eaton & The Secret Weapon (1):*NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time):*NWA Southern Tag Team Championship "(Mid-America version)" (23 times) – with Ivan Malenkov (1), Alex Perez (6), Mitsu Hirai (2), Tor Kamata (1), Great Higami (1), Johnny Long (2), Johnny Walker (1), Jerry Jarrett (5), Jerry Lawler (2), Eddie Marlin (1) and Jimmy Golden (1):*NWA United States Tag Team Championship "(Mid-America version)" (1 time) – with Tommy Rich:*NWA World Tag Team Championship "(Mid-America version)" (8 times) – with Alex Perez (1), Mitsu Hirai (1), Tamaya Soto (1), Professor Ito (1), Johnny Long (3), and Ben Justice (1)

*Southeastern Championship Wrestling:*NWA Southeastern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Mr. Kamikaze:*NWA Tennessee Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Jerry Jarret

External links

* [http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/t/tojo-yamamoto.html Profile at onlineworldofwrestling.com]
* [http://www.memphiswrestlinghistory.com/ Memphis Wrestling History]