In examining the life and death of Rikidōzan, one can only conclude that no figure has had a greater impact on modern professional wrestling than him—perhaps with the exception of the combined forces of Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan in the 1980s. Tragically, Mitsuhiro Momota’s (Rikidōzan) murder also marks the beginning of a modern tragedy in wrestling: not only do many wrestlers die too young, but some also meet violent ends.
While McMahon and Hogan benefited from the 1980s media machine, Rikidōzan was the creator of that machine decades earlier. WWE often cites Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant on NBC in 1988, which drew 33 million TV viewers, as the most-watched wrestling match of all time. Yet this is wrestling hyperbole. In truth, Rikidōzan’s 1963 match against The Destroyer (Dick Beyer) drew an astonishing 70 million viewers in Japan. Families across the country bought their very first televisions just to see Rikidōzan perform. He was not just a wrestling star—he was one of the first true television superstars in Japanese history. Sadly, he would not live to see 1964.
From Kim Sin-Rak to Rikidōzan
Like wrestling itself, Rikidōzan’s story is a blend of fact and myth. Born Kim Sin-Rak in North Korea in 1924, he was disowned by his parents at age thirteen and later adopted by a Japanese family after his father’s death. Taking the name Mitsuhiro Momota, he entered the world of sumo wrestling and adopted the ring name Rikidōzan, which translates to “rugged mountain road.”
In sumo, Rikidōzan rose to the rank of sekitori, making him a salaried wrestler, but he never advanced to the top divisions. Racial discrimination against Koreans was rampant, and he struggled to adapt to the rigid discipline of sumo. Frustrated with limited pay and lack of opportunities, he walked away—a move considered disgraceful at the time.
After leaving sumo, he relied on mob connections to work in construction and black-market trading. Then, in 1951, he saw an American pro wrestling exhibition in Japan and immediately recognized its potential. With his sumo fame, broad frame, and fierce charisma, Rikidōzan reinvented himself yet again—this time as a professional wrestler.
Rikidōzan as Japan’s National Hero
Postwar Japan was in search of hope. Defeated in World War II and living under the influence of American occupation, the Japanese public longed for a symbol of national pride. Rikidōzan gave them that figure.
Through his Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance (JWA), he cast himself as the ultimate Japanese hero standing up to foreign invaders. In match after match, he fought and defeated towering American wrestlers, reclaiming a sense of dignity for a country still recovering from wartime humiliation. Ironically, his true Korean heritage was hidden from the public, and he became embraced as a symbol of Japanese nationalism.
His bouts with American stars like Lou Thesz were pivotal. Thesz, one of the most respected wrestlers in the world, agreed to work competitive matches that allowed Rikidōzan to score decisive victories. These moments legitimized him internationally and elevated him to global stardom.
Rikidōzan’s signature move, the karate chop, became iconic, embodying a blend of martial tradition and wrestling showmanship. It laid the groundwork for the striking-heavy puroresu (Japanese wrestling style), which would later evolve into the strong style of Antonio Inoki and the King’s Road philosophy of Giant Baba and Mitsuharu Misawa.
Television Pioneer and Cultural Phenomenon
Rikidōzan was not only the star of Japanese wrestling; he helped sell television itself. The 1963 match with The Destroyer was one of the most-watched programs in Japanese history, with an estimated 70 million viewers. For many households, the purchase of a TV set was directly tied to seeing Rikidōzan in action.
His fame went beyond the ring. He was a tabloid fixture, appeared in multiple films, and owned restaurants and nightclubs across Tokyo. He was flamboyant, outspoken, and lived like a movie star. In many ways, Rikidōzan was the prototype of later wrestling celebrities like Ric Flair and Chris Jericho—wrestlers who blurred the line between athlete, showman, and businessman.
Mob Ties and a Violent End
But Rikidōzan’s empire was built on shaky foundations. His rapid expansion into nightclubs, hotels, and properties was fueled by loans from the yakuza. He was deeply in debt by the early 1960s, even as he remained the most famous man in Japan.
On December 8, 1963, his success came to a sudden and violent end. Accounts vary: some say a drunken altercation began when a gangster stepped on his foot, others claim Rikidōzan was quick to provoke fights when drinking. What is certain is that he was stabbed in the stomach by a low-level mobster at one of his own nightclubs.
In an effort to keep the story out of the press, he sought emergency surgery at a women’s clinic, where a gynecologist operated on him in secret. The procedure was initially successful, and Rikidōzan even reassured fans, telling them: “I’m going to be fine. Thank you for supporting me.” But his recovery was sabotaged by his own habits. Against doctors’ orders, he resumed heavy eating and drinking almost immediately. He developed internal bleeding and died one week later, on December 15, 1963.
The First Modern Wrestling Tragedy
Rikidōzan’s funeral drew over 12,000 attendees and international coverage, underlining the enormity of his loss. Yet his violent death also marked the beginning of a darker pattern in wrestling. He became the first major television wrestling star to die under such tragic circumstances, foreshadowing the murders of Bruiser Brody, Dino Bravo, and the overdose deaths of Gino Hernandez, Chris Adams, and others. Rikidōzan’s story thus embodies both the triumph and tragedy of wrestling’s modern era.
Legacy Through Inoki and Baba
Despite his untimely death, Rikidōzan’s legacy was secured through his students. His two most famous protégés, Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba, went on to found the two major Japanese promotions: New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). These organizations became the backbone of Japanese wrestling, producing generations of stars from Misawa and Kobashi to Okada and Tanahashi.
The DNA of Rikidōzan’s style—his stiff strikes, his heroic nationalism, his showmanship—runs through all of modern Japanese wrestling. His influence even extended globally: Inoki’s NJPW laid the groundwork for Japanese talent crossing into the U.S., and Baba’s AJPW cultivated a style that influenced WWE, WCW, and beyond.
Rikidōzan in 2025
Today, Rikidōzan is still revered in Japan as the “Father of Puroresu.” Statues, documentaries, and television retrospectives continue to celebrate him, while modern wrestlers openly cite his impact. Stars like Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada, and Hiroshi Tanahashi carry his legacy into the present, blending Japanese identity with global wrestling styles. Even WWE has indirectly acknowledged his role through their recognition of Inoki and Baba’s achievements.
Though his career lasted barely a decade, Rikidōzan’s influence endures. He was the man who made television wrestling a phenomenon, the man who gave Japan a hero in a time of recovery, and the man who built the foundation for everything Japanese wrestling would become.
Final Word
Ultimately, Rikidōzan was more than just a wrestler. He was a cultural icon, a television pioneer, and the architect of an entire industry. His life story reflects wrestling’s highest aspirations and darkest tragedies: the transformation from obscurity to stardom, the entanglements with crime and power, and the untimely death that still shocks decades later.
Every Japanese wrestler who followed—from Inoki and Baba to Misawa, Kobashi, Tanahashi, and Okada—traces their lineage back to him. Rikidōzan remains the single most important figure in Japanese wrestling history, a man whose legend looms as large as the rugged mountain road from which he took his name.
