(born December 28, 1953) is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is best known for his long tenure with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a six-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and four-time IWGP Tag Team Champion. He is also the owner and founder of the Dradition wrestling promotion.
Known for his fluid catch wrestling submission style, Fujinami is nicknamed "The Dragon"; he is credited with inventing moves such as the dragon sleeper and the dragon suplex. Other championships held by Fujinami include the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) World Heavyweight Champion and World Wrestling Federation (WWF) International Heavyweight Champion. He is an inductee of the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, and WWE Hall of Fame. Bret Hart said of Fujinami: "I always wanted to be the great wrestler that Tatsumi Fujinami was."Bret Hitman Hart – The Dungeon Collection (Documentary film). U.S.A; Canada: WWE (2013).
Professional wrestling career
Japanese Wrestling Association (1971) Fujinami was trained to wrestle by Antonio Inoki, Karl Gotch, and Kotetsu Yamamoto. He debuted in the Japanese Wrestling Association (JWA) in 1971 at the age of 17. His early opponents included Akio Sato and Mitsuo Momota.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1972–1975) When Inoki was fired from JWA in 1971, Fujinami and several other wrestlers followed him to his new promotion, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Fujinami wrestled his first match for NJPW in March 1972, shortly after its formation. In the early years of his career, he competing in the junior heavyweight division, serving as an opponent for debuting rookies, such as Mr. Pogo, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, and Gran Hamada.
In late-1974, Fujinami, Fujiwara, Hamada and three other rookies competed in the Karl Gotch Cup (a tournament for rookies, forerunner to the later Young Lion Cup). Fujinami won the Cup by defeating Masashi Ozawa in Kariya, Aichi.
International seasoning (1975–1978) Beginning in 1975, Fujinami was sent to wrestle abroad for seasoning. In June 1975, he began wrestling for the Internationaler Berufsringkämpfer-Verband (IBV) in Germany. He made his final appearance for the IBV in October 1975.
In December 1975, Fujinami made his United States debut in a match for NWA Hollywood Wrestling, defeating Mickey Doyle in a bout in Los Angeles' Grand Olympic Auditorium.
In March 1976, Fujinami began wrestling for Jim Crockett Promotions in the United States as "Dr. Fujinami" (or "Dr. Fujiani"). He wrestled his final match for Jim Crockett Promotions in March 1977, losing to Ricky Ferrara in the Richmond Arena.
In May 1977, Fujinami began wrestling for Mexico's Universal Wrestling Association (UWA). In his debut match, he unsuccessfully challenged UWA World Middleweight Champion René Guajardo in Monterrey's Plaza de Toros La Monumental. Later that month, he unsuccessfully challenged UWA World Light Heavyweight Champion El Solitario in the Palacio de los Deportes. He left the UWA in December 1977.
After a brief return to NWA Hollywood Wrestling, in January 1978, Fujinami debuted in the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF). In his debut match in New York City's Madison Square Garden, he defeated José Estrada for the WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship. Later that month, he successfully defended the title against the Masked Canadian in the Grand Olympic Auditorium. In February 1978, he successfully defended the title against Ted Adams in Madison Square Garden.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1978–2006)
Junior Heavyweight Champion (1978–1981)
In March 1978, Fujinami returned to NJPW, having spent nearly three years wrestling around the world. He brought the WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship with him, defending it both in NJPW and overseas. In April–May 1978, Fujinami competed in the inaugural MSG Series round robin tournament, placing fourth with 38 points. In November–December 1978, he competed in the Pre-Japan Championship League, which was won by Antonio Inoki.
In April–June 1979, Fujinami took part in the second MSG Series tournament, placing fifth with 22 points. In October 1979, he lost the WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship to Ryuma Go in the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, ending his reign after 21 months. He regained the title from Go just two days later in Tokyo's Kuramae Kokugikan.
In February 1980, Fujinami faced NWA International Junior Heavyweight Champion Steve Keirn in a title versus title match in the Nakajima Sports Center in Sapporo; he defeated Keirn to become a double champion. Later that month, he lost the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship to Mike Graham in a bout for Championship Wrestling from Florida in the Hollywood Sportatorium in Hollywood, Florida. In April 1980, Fujinami regained the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship from Graham in a bout in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. In April–June 1980, he competed in the third MSG Series, placing six with 20 points. In July 1980, he vacated the NWA International Junior Heavyweight Championship. In August 1980, Fujinami successfully defended his WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship against Chavo Guerrero at the WWWF's Showdown at Shea event in New York City's Shea Stadium. In November–December 1980, Fujinami and Kengo Kimura competed in the inaugural MSG Tag League, placing sixth with 15 points.
In May–June 1981, Fujinami competed in the fourth MGS Series tournament, placing sixth with 29 points. In November–December 1981, he competed in the second MSG Tag League with Antonio Inoki as his partner; the duo placed joint second with eight points. In December 1981, he vacated the WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship upon moving to NJPW's heavyweight division, ending his second reign after 14 months.
Heavyweight division (1981–1985)
In late-1981, Fujinami was moved to the heavyweight division to make room for Tiger Mask in the junior heavyweight division. In January 1982, in a bout that aired on the New Year Super Fight on TV Asahi, he unsuccessfully challenged WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund in Tokyo's Korakuen Hall. Beginning in January 1982, Fujinami began teaming with Antonio Inoki and other wrestlers to face gaijin wrestlers in a series of six-man tag team matches, with his opponents including Hulk Hogan, André the Giant, Bret Hart, Dynamite Kid, Dusty Rhodes, Abdullah the Butcher, and Dick Murdoch. In March–April 1982, Fujinami competed in the MSG Series, placing sixth out of 14 wrestlers with 35 points.
In August 1982, Fujinami defeated Gino Brito for the WWF International Heavyweight Championship in a bout in New York's Madison Square Garden in the United States that aired on WWF on MSG Network. After successful defences against Masked Superstar and Kengo Kimura, he lost the title to Riki Choshu in an April 1983 bout in Tokyo's Kuramae Kokugikan. In May 1983, Fujinami defeated El Canek in a bout for the Universal Wrestling Association in Mexico City to win the UWA World Heavyweight Championship. He lost the title to El Canek in Mexico City the following month. In August 1983, Fujinami defeated Choshu in the Kuramae Kokugikan to win the WWF International Heavyweight Championship for a second time. In November–December 1983, he and Akira Maeda competed in the MSG Tag League, placing fifth with 24 points.
In May–June 1984, Fujinami competed in the IWGP League, placing third out of 14 wrestlers with 34 points. In November–December 1984, he competed in the MSG Tag League with Antonio Inoki as his partner; they defeated Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch in the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium to win the tournament. Later that month, he took part in an NJPW tour of the Philippines, where he teamed with Kengo Kimura to unsuccessfully challenge Adonis and Murdoch for the WWF World Tag Team Championship in the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and successfully defended his WWF International Heavyweight Championship against Adonis in the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila.
In February 1985, Fujinami unsuccessfully challenged WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan in a bout in the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium that aired on TV Asahi. In May–June 1985, he competed in the IWGP League, losing in the finals to André the Giant.
Tag Team Champion (1985–1988) In May 1985, Fujinami and Kengo Kimura defeated Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch in the finals of a tournament for the revived WWF International Tag Team Championship. The championship was abandoned that October when the WWF ended its partnership with NJPW. In July 1985, Fujinami gave up his WWF International Heavyweight Championship after wrestling Super Strong Machine to a double disqualification.
In November–December 1985, Fujinami and Kimura competed in the IWGP Tag Team League to crown the inaugural IWGP Tag Team Champions. They defeated Antonio Inoki and Seiji Sakaguchi in the finals in Sendai to become the champions. They held the titles until August 1986, when they lost to Akira Maeda and Osamu Kido in Tokyo's Ryōgoku Kokugikan. In September 1986, they defeated Maeda and Kido in Tokyo's Korakuen Hall to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship for a second time. Subsequently, tension developed between Fujinami and Kimura, leading the partners to face each other in a series of matches. This culminated in a special televised bout, the "Fierce Fight Special", in the Korakuen Hall with Umanosuke Ueda as special guest referee, where Fujinami defeated Kimura. In February 1987, the former partners vacated the IWGP Tag Team Championship. Subsequently, Fujinami teamed with George Takano in a tournament for the vacant titles that was won by Keiji Muto and Shiro Koshinaka.
In mid-1987, Fujinami and Kimura reconciled and reformed their tag team. In November–December 1987, they entered the IWGP Tag Team League, defeating Antonio Inoki and Dick Murdoch in the finals to win the tournament. In January 1988, they defeated Kazuo Yamazaki and Yoshiaki Fujiwara in Tokuyama, Yamaguchi to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship for a third time.
Heavyweight Champion (1988–1998) 1988 proved to be Fujinami's banner year. On May 8, he defeated Big Van Vader by disqualification in Tokyo's Ariake Coliseum to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship vacated by Antonio Inoki, making him a double champion. 19 days later, however, the title was held up after he fought Riki Choshu to a no contest in the Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center. In June 1988, Fujinami and Kimura lost the IWGP Tag Team Championship to Masa Saito and Riki Choshu in the Hiroshima Prefectural Sports Center. Later that month, Fujinami defeated Choshu in the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium to win the vacant IWGP Heavyweight Championship for a second time. In the subsequent weeks, he retained the title in bouts against Vader in the Nagoya Rainbow Hall and against Inoki in the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium.
In October 1988, Fujinami made an excursion to the United States, defeating The Grappler for the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship in the Portland Sports Arena in Portland, Oregon for Pacific Northwest Wrestling, wrestling WCWA World Heavyweight Champion Kerry Von Erich to a no contest in a bout in the Dallas Sportatorium for World Class Wrestling Association, and losing to AWA World Heavyweight Champion Jerry Lawler by disqualification in the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee in a bout for the Continental Wrestling Association.
1989 proved to be a heartbreaking year for Fujinami. In April, he vacated the title to be determined in a tournament at Battle Satellite in Tokyo Dome, NJPW's first Tokyo Dome show; he would lose to eventual winner Big Van Vader in the semi-finals. In June, during a match with Vader, Fujinami suffered a severe back injury and pulled a hernia. He wouldn't wrestle at all until he returned in September 1990, changing his kanji from "辰巳" to "辰爾" (both are pronounced Tatsumi).