VIEW FROM THE RISING SUN
by Masanori Horie

Gary Albright

Gary Albright

Gary "Air" Albright, 36 years old, died in the ring on Friday, January 7, 2000, during a WXW (World X-Treme Wrestling) show at WXW Arena on West Broad Street in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, promoted by his father-in-law, Afa the Wild Samoan. Gary was married to Afa's daughter, Monica, and Samu is a brother-in-law. When this sad news reached the All Japan Pro Wrestling crew on Saturday, they had a spot show in Oita City, about 2000 miles from Tokyo. They had "10-Count Gong" for Gary in their big show at International Center in Fukuoka City on Sunday afternoon. Johnny Smith has been a great friend of Gary's since 1988. Gary was a broad-minded man for everybody. He was scheduled to come back to All Japan Pro from February 12 to March 27, 2000. Our hearts are laden with sorrow.

Albright suplexing Misawa
Albright suplexes Misawa

Gary was born on Saturday, May 18, 1963. He started amateur wrestling when he was in the second-year class of Billings West High School in Billings, Montana. He won various freestyle and Greco-Roman style amateur wrestling titles: Three-time All-American, Big Eight Champion, Big Eight All-Academic team, U.S. team member from 1981-1984, 1982 National Open Freestyle champion, 1981 World Greco-Roman Elite champion, and more, when he was the Nebraska State champion (55-2) at the University of Nebraska (112-19-4 [70 by pin]) from 1981-1986. He faced Rob Rechsteiner (Rick Steiner), Darryl Peterson (Maxx Pain / Man Mountain Rock), and John Tenta (Earthquake / Shark / Golga).

Albright throws another suplex
Albright throws another suplex

Gary was trained by "Beautiful" Bruce Swayze in 1986 and started his pro wrestling career against Brian Pillman in December 1987 in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Gary, as Vokhan Singh, and Makhan Singh (Mike Shaw; Norman the Lunatic / Bastion Booger) beat the British Bulldogs (Dynamite Kid & Davey Boy Smith) to win the International Tag Team title in Calgary on December 30, 1988. They had various feuds with the Bulldogs, Steve DiSalvo & Steve Blackman, and the Power Twins. They lost the title to Chris Benoit & Biff Wellington in Calgary on April 8, 1989. He had several tours of South Africa and Carlos Colon's WWC in Puerto Rico, and he worked on WCW spot shows in Florida from 1989 - 1990.

Masanori and Gary

Gary, then 27 years old, had his first Japan tour for New Japan Pro Wrestling from June 14 to June 18 (three shows), 1990, with Big Van Vader (Leon White / Vader), Soultaker (Papa Shango / Godfather), Pegasus Kid (Chris Benoit), and Stan Hansen (New Japan Pro and All Japan Pro had exchanged their gaijin [foreign] wrestlers with each other in those days).

Gary's first Japan tour (June 14 - 18, 1990)

June 14, 1990---Oita Prefectural Gym
Keiji Mutoh & Masahiro Chono beat Gary Albright & Wild Pegasus (Chris Benoit)
(10:21 Chono beat Albright by STF)

June 16, 1990---Yaku Town Gym, Kagoshima
Shinya Hashimoto beat Gary Albright (7:31)

June 18, 1990---Kita-kumamoto Gym, Kumamoto
Masa Saito beat Gary Albright (5:06)

When Rick Rude died last year, Gary was really upset and said, "I dislike marks telling stories about our business and someone's death triumphantly." Gary, please let me write your big footprint here.


Flash Back Gary "Air" Albright
1991 - 1999

1991

Gary debuted on Nobuhiko Takada's UWF International show at Shizuoka Industrial Hall on August 24, 1991. He was trained by Billy Robinson in Japan, and had opportunities to meet Lou Thesz and Danny Hodge, who were commissioners for the UWFI.

August 24, 1991---Shizuoka Industrial Hall
Gary Albright beat Yoji Anjo (7:29 Knockout)

September 26, 1991---Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido
Gary Albright beat Yuko Miyato (2:26 Knockout)

November 7, 1991---Osaka Furitsu (Prefectural) Gym
Gary Albright beat Tatsuo Nakano (6:56 Sleeperhold)

December 22, 1991---Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
Gary Albright beat Kiyoshi Tamura (5:25 Technical knockout)

1992

January 9, 1992---Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Gary Albright & Jim Boss beat Kazuo Yamazaki & Yoji Anjo
(15:47 Albright beat Anjo)

February 15, 1992---Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Gary Albright & "Dirty White Boy" Tony Burton beat Nobuhiko Takada & Kazuo Yamazaki
(17:11 Albright beat Yamazaki)

February 29, 1992---Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Gary Albright beat Masahito Kakihara (2:28 Knockout)
Takayama, Albright, and Kakihara
Masanori with Yoshihiro Takayama, Gary Albright,& Masahito Kakihara

March 17, 1992---Tsuyuhashi Sports Center, Aichi
Gary Albright beat Kazuo Yamazaki (8:08 Technical knockout)

May 8, 1992---Yokohama Arena, Kanagawa
Gary Albright beat Nobuhiko Takada (14:37 Knockout)

June 28,1992---Hakata StarLanes, Fukuoka
Gary Albright beat Tony Burton (2:32 Full Nelson)

July 12, 1992---Shizuoka Prefectural Hall
Gary Albright & Mark Silver beat Kazuo Yamazaki & Kiyoshi Tamura
(18:44 Albright beat Tamura)

August 14, 1992---Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido
Gary Albright beat Badnews Allen (Badnews Brown) (5:36 Full Nelson)

August 28, 1992---Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Gary Albright beat Badnews Allen ( 3:45)

September 21, 1992---Osaka Furitsu Gym
Pro Wrestling World Heavyweight title match
Nobuhiko Takada beat Gary Albright (20:25)---Takada became the first champion

October 23, 1992---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Yuko Miyato & Masahito Kakihara beat Gary Albright & Mark Fleming
(5:10 Kakihara beat Fleming)

November 25, 1992---Tsuyuhashi Sports Center, Aichi
Nobuhiko Takada & Kazuo Yamazaki beat Gary Albright & Mark Fleming
(15:18 Takada beat Fleming)

December 20, 1992---Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hal), Tokyo
Gary Albright beat Masahito Kakihara (2:48 Knockout)

1993

February 14, 1993---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Gary Albright beat Naoki Sano (4:40 Technical knockout)

April 10, 1993---Osaka Furitsu Gym
Gary Albright beat Dennis Koslowski (5:01 Technical knockout)

May 6, 1993---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Gary Albright beat Dennis Koslowski (4:56 Technical knockout)

July 18, 1993---Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
Gary Albright beat Mark Silver (1:05 Technical knockout)

August 13, 1993---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Gary Albright & Dan Severn beat Nobuhiko Takada & Kiyoshi Tamura
(21:39 Albright beat Takada)

October 4, 1993---Osaka Furitsu Gym
Salman Hashimikov & Vladimir Velkovich beat Gary Albright & Dan Severn
(13:09 Hashimikov beat Severn)

December 5, 1993---Jingu Baseball Stadium, Tokyo
Salman Hashimikov & Vladimir Velkovich beat Gary Albright & Dan Severn
(17:14 Hashimikov beat Severn)

Albright and Masanori

1994

February 25, 1994---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Nobuhiko Takada & Naoki Sano beat Gary Albright & Dan Severn
(19:03 Takada beat Severn)

April 3, 1994---Osaka Castle Hall
Gary Albright beat Billy Scott (2:11 Knockout)

May 6, 1994---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Gary Albright beat Yoji Anjo (4:26 Knockout)

June 10, 1994---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Nobuhiko Takada beat Gary Albright (16:36)

August 18, 1994---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Gary Albright beat Kiyoshi Tamura (17:31 Knockout)

October 8, 1994---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Gary Albright & Kazuo Yamazaki beat Vader & John Tenta
(17:54 Albright beat Vader)

October 14, 1994---Osaka Castle Hall
Vader & John Tenta beat Gary Albright & Kazuo Yamazaki
(14:07 Vader beat Yamazaki)

November 30, 1994---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Gary Albright beat Nobuhiko Takada (15:20)

1995

January 16, 1995---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Pro Wrestling World Heavyweight title match
Super Vader beat Gary Albright (11:25 Sleeperhold)---Vader kept the title

April 20, 1995---Nagoya Rainbow Hall, Aichi
Gary Albright beat Billy Scott (5:41 Knockout)

May 17, 1995---Osaka Furitsu Gym
Masahito Kakihara beat Gary Albright (11:09)

June 18, 1995---Ryogoku Kokugikan (Sumo Hall), Tokyo
Kiyoshi Tamura beat Gary Albright (9:44)

August 8, 1995---Tokyo Bay NK Hall, Urayasu, Chiba
Kiyoshi Tamura beat Gary Albright (6:24)

Albright and his autograph

Gary debuted for Giant Baba's All Japan Pro from October 2-25, 1995 with Dory Funk Jr., Stan Hansen, Johnny Ace & Patriot (Del Wilkes), Abdullah the Butcher & Giant Kimala (Ben Peacock), Can-Am Express (Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas), Johnny Smith & Rob Van Dam, and Mike Anthony (Mike Lozansky / Canadian Tiger).

Dory Funk Jr. said, "I was with Gary on his first tour of Japan. We went down to the All Japan Dojo (training facility) in Kawasaki together to begin training for pro wrestling. Gary was very tough, and the wrestlers and the fans in Japan knew it. His real wrestling skills carried him much further in Japan than they would have here in America. He was a real nice guy and someone not to be messed with."

October 25, 1995---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Toshiaki Kawada beat Gary Albright (15:36)

November 18 - December 9, 1995
Real World Tag Team League '95
(1) Misawa & Kobashi, (2) Kawada & Taue, (3) Albright & Hansen (7-1-1), (4) Ace & Patriot, (5) Baba & Tamon Honda, (6) Can-Am Express, (7) Dory Funk Jr. & Masanobu Fuchi, Butcher & Kimala, Smith & Van Dam, and Akiyama & Omori

Real World Tag Team League '95
November 18, 1995---Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Gary Albright & Stan Hansen beat Can-Am Express (Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas)
(7:25 Hansen beat Furnas)

November 21, 1995---Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido
Gary Albright & Stan Hansen beat Giant Baba & Tamon Honda
(13:52 Albright beat Honda)

November 24, 1995---Hamamatsu City Gym, Shizuoka
Gary Albright & Stan Hansen beat Johnny Smith & Rob Van Dam
(7:03 Hansen beat Smith)

November 27, 1995---Tokushima City Gym
Gary Albright & Stan Hansen beat Abdullah the Butcher & Giant Kimala
(8:04 Albright beat Kimala)

November 28, 1995---Okayama Budokan, Okayama City
Gary Albright & Stan Hansen beat Johnny Ace & Patriot
(15:43 Hansen beat Ace)

November 29, 1995---Osaka Furitsu Gym
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi beat Gary Albright & Stan Hansen
(20:54 Misawa beat Albright)

December 2, 1995---Oita Prefectural Gym
Gary Albright & Stan Hansen beat Jun Akiyama & Takao Omori
(10:14 Hansen beat Akiyama)

December 6, 1995---Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center, Sendai
Gary Albright & Stan Hansen drew Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (30:00)

December 7, 1995---Kiryu Civic Gym, Gumma
Gary Albright & Stan Hansen beat Dory Funk Jr. & Masanobu Fuchi
(4:31 Hansen beat Fuchi)

Masanori and Gary

1996

January 24, 1996---Matsumoto City Gym, Nagano
World Tag Team title match
Gary Albright & Stan Hansen beat Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue
(22:40 Hansen beat Kawada)---Albright & Hansen became the 27th champions

February 20, 1996---Iwate Prefectural Gym, Morioka
World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Gary Albright & Stan Hansen
(20:53 Kawada beat Hansen)---Kawada & Taue became the 28th champions

March 2, 1996---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Mitsuharu Misawa beat Gary Albright (14:20)---Misawa kept the title

March 22 - April 20, 1996
Champion Carnival '96
(1) Akira Taue, (2) Williams, (3) Misawa, Kobashi, and Hansen, (6) Kawada, (7) Albright (5-4-2), (8) Ace, (9) Patriot, (10) Akiyama, (11) Omori, (12) Honda

March 29, 1996---Nagaoka Welfare Hall, Niigata
Champion Carnival '96
Gary Albright beat Toshiaki Kawada (17:38 Full Nelson Suplex)

November 16 - December 6, 1996
Real World Tag Team League '96
(1) Kawada & Taue, (2) Misawa & Akiyama, (3) Kobashi & Patriot and Williams & Ace, (5) Albright & Sabu (3-9), Hansen & Omori, and Kimala & Izumida

November 22, 1996---Okayama Budokan, Okayama City
Real World Tag Team League '96
Gary Albright & Sabu beat Stan Hansen & Takao Omori
(13:30 Sabu beat Omori)

November 29, 1996---Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido
Real World Tag Team League '96
Gary Albright & Sabu beat Kenta Kobashi & Patriot
(17:14 Albright beat Kobashi)

Gary wrestled at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on December 6 and left Japan for Philadelphia on December 7. He appeared on the ECW show on the same day.

December 7, 1996---ECW Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Holiday Hell '96
Gary Albright beat Rick Rage (2:06)

1997

March 1, 1997---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Gary Albright & Yoshihiro Takayama
(14:12 Kawada beat Takayama)

March 22 - April 19, 1997
Champion Carnival '97
(1) Kawada, (2) Misawa and Kobashi, (4) Taue, Hansen, and Williams, (7) Albright (6-6), (8) Ace, (9) Akiyama, (10) Kimala, (11) Omori and Honda, (13) Izumida

April 5, 1997---Okayama Budokan, Okayama City
Champion Carnival '97
Gary Albright beat Steve Williams (11:21 Full Nelson Suplex)

July 25, 1997---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
World Tag Team title match
Gary Albright & Steve Williams beat Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace
(29:36 Williams beat Kobashi)---Albright & Williams became the 33rd champions

Gary Albright, Steve Williams, and Lacrosse (Jim Steele / Wolf Hawkfield) were called T.O.P. (Triangle Of Power).
Triangle Of Power
Masanori with the Triangle Of Power: Steve Williams, Gary Albright, & Lacrosse

August 26, 1997---Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido
World Tag Team title match
Gary Albright & Steve Williams beat Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama
(8:42 Albright beat Misawa)---Albright & Williams kept the title

October 4, 1997---Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya
World Tag Team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace beat Gary Albright & Steve Williams
(22:38 Kobashi beat Albright)---Kobashi and Ace became the 34th champions

November 15 - December 5, 1997
Real World Tag Team League '97
(1) Kawada & Taue, (2) Misawa & Akiyama, (3) Albright & Williams (6-1) and Kobashi & Ace, (5) Johnny Smith & Wolf Hawkfield (Jim Steele), (6) Hansen & Bobby Duncum Jr., (7) Hayabusa (Eiji Ezaki) & Jinsei Shinzaki, Barry Windham & Justin Bradshaw, Omori & Honda, Kimala & Izumida

1998

February 28, 1998---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Gary Albright & Steve Williams
(11:10 Kawada beat Albright)---Kawada & Taue kept the title

March 22 - April 18, 1998
Champion Carnival '98
(1) Misawa, (2) Akiyama, (3) Kawada and Kobashi, (5) Hansen and Williams, (7) Ace, (8) Albright (6-6), (9) Taue, (10) Omori, (11) Kimala and Wolf, (13) Izumida

March 28, 1998---Fukui City Gym
Champion Carnival '98
Gary Albright beat Kenta Kobashi (13:58 Full Nelson Suplex)

May 1, 1998---Tokyo Dome
Gary Albright & Steve Williams beat Yoshihiro Takayama & Masahito Kakihara
(15:08 Williams beat Takayama)

November 14 - December 5, 1998
Real World Tag Team League '98
(1) Kobashi & Akiyama, (2) Hansen & Vader, (3) Kawada & Taue, (4) Ace & Bart Gunn, (5) Misawa & Yoshinari Ogawa, (6) Albright & Kimala (1-6) and Omori & Takayama, (8) Head Hunters A & B

1999

March 26 - April 16, 1999
Champion Carnival '99
(1) Vader, (2) Kobashi, (3) Misawa, (4) Taue and Akiyama, (6) Ace, (7) Albright (4-5), (8) Takayama, (9) Jinsei Shinzaki, (10) Omori

April 13, 1999---Tsuruoka City Gym, Yamagata
Champion Carnival '99
Gary Albright beat Johnny Ace (7:33)

May 2, 1999---Tokyo Dome
Giant Baba's Retirement Show
Akira Taue, Stan Hansen, & Steve Williams beat Gary Albright, Yoshihiro Takayama, & Takao Omori
(16:10 Hansen beat Takayama)

November 13 - December 3, 1999
Real World Tag Team League '99
(1) Kobashi & Akiyama, (2) Taue & Hansen, (3) Misawa & Ogawa, Ace & Mike Barton (Bart Gunn), and Vader & Smith, (6) Albright & Wolf (1-6) and Honda & Masao Inoue

December 3, 1999---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Gary Albright beat Masao Inoue (8:35 Power Bomb)---Gary's last match in Japan

Gary's last match
Photo from Gary Albright's last match in Japan

Gary, "Arigato and Sayonara" ... We all love you and miss you, and we will never forget you.

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