Katsuji Adachi

Infobox Wrestler
name=Katsuji Adachi

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img_capt=
names=Mr. Hito
Tokyo Joe
Katsuji Adachi
height=
weight=
birth_date = birth date and age|1942|4|25
death_date =
birth_place = Tennōji-ku, Osaka, Japan
death_place =
resides= Osaka, Japan
billed=
trainer=
debut= c. 1956
retired=c. 1986
website=|

nihongo|Katsuji Adachi|安達勝治|Adachi Kastuji, better known as Mr. Hito, is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, who competed in North American and Japanese regional promotions from the 1950s until the mid-1980s, most notably as the tag team partner of Mr. Moto who were one of the earliest Japanese "heels" while wrestling in National Wrestling Alliance regional territories during the late '50s.

He is perhaps best known for his work in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling, where he won multiple championship titles. He is also highly regarded by Bret Hart as his most significant trainer alongside Kazuo Sakurada ( Mr. Sakurada), who he trained with extensively in Stu Hart's "Dungeon." [ cite web |url=http://brethart.com/bio/columns/more-mr-hito |title=More on Mr. Hito |accessdate= |author=Hart, Bret |authorlink=Bret Hart |coauthors= |date=2004-02-20 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=BretHart.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Career

A mainstay of the Japan Wrestling Association during the 1960s, he lost to Haruka Eigen at the Kawasaki Stadium on July 1, 1969. [ cite web |url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/jwa/kawasaki.html#kawasaki69 |title=JWA Kawasaki Stadium: Kawasaki Stadium 1969 |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=ProWrestlingHistory.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] The following year, Adachi appeared in the JWA New Year Champion Series in January 1970 [ cite web |url=http://www.puroresu.com/jwa/results/jwa197001newyear.html |title=JWA 1970 New Year Champion Series |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] and the Golden Series [ cite web |url=http://www.puroresu.com/jwa/results/jwa197007golden2.html |title=JWA 1970 Golden Series 2 & NWA World Champion Series |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] in July before leaving the country to compete in North America during the early 1970s.

As Tokyo Joe, he and Kung Fu Lee were managed by Percival A. Friend in NWA Central States in 1973. [ cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/smokyrobmoore/jp080999.htm |title=View from the Rising Sun: Yoshihiro Tajiri |accessdate= |author=Horie, Masanori |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=1999-08-09 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Rob Moore, Texas Wrestling Announcer |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] The following year, he was one of three Japanese wrestlers along with Kung Fu Lee and Jumbo Tsuruta who participated in a 12-man battle royal on April 7, 1974. Held in the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri, the event also included André the Giant, Bobo Brazil, Bill Miller, Billy Red Lyons, Black Angus Campbell, Reggie Parks, Frank Valois, Billy Howard and Dory Funk, Jr. who eventually won the event. [ cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/smokyrobmoore/jp052200.htm |title=View from the Rising Sun: Jumbo Tsuruta (1951-2000) |accessdate= |author=Horie, Masanori |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=2000-05-22 |year= |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Rob Moore, Texas Wrestling Announcer |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

Hito saw great success as a tag team wrestler in the promotion, winning the NWA International Tag Team Championship (Calgary version) eight times. During this time, as part of Big Bad John's "army" with King Curtis Iaukea and John Quinn, he feuded with "Cowboy" Dan Kroffat, Larry Lane and Mark Lewin after attacking then 60-year-old Stu Hart who had been handcuffed to the ring ropes. [ McCoy, Heath. "Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling". Toronto: CanWest Books, 2005. (pg. 129) ISBN 0-9736719-8-X ]

His first win took place in 1975 with partner John Quinn, but the titles were then vacated. To reclaim them that same year, Hito teamed with Gil Hayes to win a tag team tournament. The following year, he and Higo "Animal" Hamaguchi won the titles. Then Michel Martel helped him gain his fourth tag title victory in 1977. Two years passed until he gained his fifth and sixth titles with Mr. Sakurada, winning and losing the titles against the likes of Bret and Keith Hart, Dory Funk Jr., and Leo Burke. Hito then pursued singles competition. He and Mr. Sakaruda would also have a short stint in Championship Wrestling from Florida in late 1979 [ cite web |url=http://www.cwfarchives.com/Wrestler.php?id=838 |title=Wrestler: Mr. Hito |accessdate= |author=Rose, Barry |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2004 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=CWFarchives.com |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] and World Class Championship Wrestling the following year, [ cite web |url=http://www.worldclasswrestling.info/results/1980res.htm |title=WCCW Results: 1980 |accessdate= |author=Dananay, John |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2006 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=World Class Memories |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] winning the tag team titles in both promotions.

Hito won his first Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship on September 18, 1981 from David Schultz, only to lose it back the following month. His second title reign lasted from November 6, 1981 until March 19 the following year, in which he was forced to vacate it due injuries resulting from an automobile accident in early 1982. While driving to a show in Lethbridge with Bruce Hart, Jim Neidhart, Gerry Morrow and a Stampede road hand, he had suffered facial injuries as well as a broken wrist and a dislocated knee after hitting the back tires of semi-trailer as it was pulling into a roadside gas station. [ McCoy, Heath. "Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling". Toronto: CanWest Books, 2005. (pg. 169) ISBN 0-9736719-8-X ]

In March 11, 1983, Hito won his eighth NWA International Tag Team Championship with Jim Neidhart in Calgary, Alberta. They would win them one last time from Mike Shaw and Mike Miller the same year.

As of 2004, Adachi resides in Osaka, Japan. According to Bret Hart, Adachi was one of Stu Hart’s most trusted foremen and reliable workers in the heyday of Stampede Wrestling; also features rare footage of Adachi and Sakurada squashing him. He has credited Adachi as being one of his greatest mentors, stating, "People often say to me, where would wrestling be without Bret Hart. But my answer to that is, where would Bret Hart be without Mr. Hito."

In wrestling

Wrestlers trained

*Ben Bassarab
*Chris Benoit
*Brick Bronsky
*Dynamite Kid
*Bret Hart
*Hiroshi Hase
*Shinya Hashimoto
*Karl Moffat
*Davey Boy Smith

Championships and accomplishments

*Big Time Wrestling:*NWA American Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Mr. Sakurada [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/wccw/am-t.html |title=N.W.A. American Tag Team Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*Championship Wrestling from Florida:*NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mr. Sakurada [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/fl/fl-t.html |title=Florida Tag Team Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*Maple Leaf Wrestling:*NWA Canadian Open Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Mr. Moto [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/on/nwa/can-op-t.html |title=Canadian Open Tag Team Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

*Stampede Wrestling:*Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship (2 times) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/calg-h.html |title=North American Heavyweight Title (Calgary Stampede) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] :*NWA International Tag Team Championship "(Calgary version)" (8 times) - with John Quinn (1), Gil Hayes (2), Higo Hamaguchi (1), Michael Martel (1), Mr. Sakurada (2), and Jim Neidhart (1) [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/calg-t.html |title=Stampede International Tag Team Title |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ] :*Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame [ cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/ab/hof.html |title=Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948-1990) |accessdate= |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |year=2003 |month= |format= |work= |publisher=Puroresu Dojo |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= ]

References

External links

* [http://www.bodyslamming.com/other/mrhito.html Inactive Superstars - Mr. Hito]
* [http://www.cagematch.de/?id=2&nr=1206&worker=Mr.+Hito CageMatch.de - Mr. Hito] ger