A Day In History
On Sunday, May 23, 1999, at the WWF's "Over The Edge" Pay-Per-View show in the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, Owen Hart was killed in a fall from the rafters. I looked on Owen's memorabilia ... videotapes, magazines, pictures, some old programs.
Here is "Body Press" (Regina, Saskatchewan, Tuesday, June 10, 1986), an official wrestling program of Foothills Athletic Club / Stampede Wrestling. Owen Hart faced Chic Scott in the second match. He had just started as a pro wrestler when he ran in on the match between his brother, Bruce, and Chic Scott on March 4, 1986 (Actually, he ran in to save one of his friends from Mike Shaw [Makhan Singh / Norman The Lunatic / Bastion Booger] and J.R. Foley, when Owen was 19 years old). He was ranked No. 3 in the Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Division with Bruce Hart (champion), Great Gama, Chic Scott, Chris Benoit, Keith Hart, Mr. Hito, Kio Kawata (Toshiaki Kawada of All Japan Pro), and Mike Hammer. Owen and Ben Bassarab were ranked No. 4 in the International Tag Team Division with Keith Hart & Chris Benoit (Champions), Great Gama & Chic Scott, Alo Lelani & Jerry Morrow, and Mr. Hito & Kio Kawata.
Owen Hart and Ben Bassarab, Regina, Saskatchewan, June 24, 1986
Stu Hart is the biggest bridge between Japan and Canada in the wrestling business. He has had strong relations with various Japanese offices. The Hart family trained a lot of Japanese wrestlers, such as Mighty Inoue, Animal Hamaguchi, Mr. Pogo (as Mr. Seki), Ryuma Go, Ashura Hara, Kazuo Sakurada (Kendo Nagasaki), The Cobra (George Takano), Shunji Takano, Junji Hirata (as Sonny Two Rivers), Hiro Saito, Toshiaki Kawada (as Kio Kawata), and Hiroshi Hase (as Viet Cong Express). A lot of Canadian wrestlers, including Owen, took the Japanese style home, arranged it, and created the Calgary style. Owen had the great opportunity to learn a lot of things from his family and a lot of great wrestlers in Calgary and Japan. I would like to pray for the repose of Owen's soul.
Kio Kawata (Toshiaki Kawada) and Mr. Hito (Katsuji Adachi), Regina, Saskatchewan, June 10, 1986
(Katsuji Adachi and Haruka Eigen were managed by Percival A. Friend in the Central States territory in the 70's. Percival writes The Way It Was for Rob's Wrestling World.)
It is not very well known that All Japan Pro's Toshiaki Kawada had gained experience as a pro wrestler in Fred Behrend's Texas All-Star Wrestling (San Antonio, Texas), Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), and Frank Valois' International Wrestling (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) for a year from November 1985. He and Hiromichi Fuyuki, as "Japanese Force" had a feud with "American Force" (Paul Diamond & Shawn Michaels) for the USA Tag Team title in San Antonio, Texas, where Ted DiBiase, Chavo Guerrero, Big Bubba (Tugboat / Typhoon), Austin Idol, Al Madril, and Billy Travis were headliners. He was under adverse circumstances, and rarely has he talked about his days in American / Canadian wrestling. He was billed as "Kio Kawata" from Seoul, South Korea in Stampede Wrestling for a very short time in 1986. Perhaps that was his hardest time in his career. However, these experiences certainly brought him up stronger and tougher.
Nobody knows what will happen 13 years later. But, a 21-year-old Canadian boy and a 23-year-old Japanese boy certainly passed each other on a day in history.
Owen Hart toured Japan 10 times from 1987 to 1994:
(1) New Japan Pro (August 24 to September 20, 1987---24 shows) with Dick Murdoch, Scott Hall, Rollerball Mark Rocco (Original Black Tiger), Angel of Death, and Cuban Assassin (David Sierra)
>September 17, 1987 (Osaka Gym) --- IWGP Junior Heavyweight title match
Kuniaki Kobayashi beat Owen Hart (12:20)
(2) New Japan Pro. (January 4 to February 7, 1988---26 shows) with Steve Williams, Cowboy Bob Orton, Big Van Vader, Buzz Sawyer, Tony St. Clair, Steve R. Blackman (yes, that Steve Blackman in the WWF), and Johnny K9 (Bruiser Bedlam in SMW)
(3) New Japan Pro (May 20 to June 26, 1988) with Big Van Vader, Dick Murdoch, Adrian Adonis, Billy Gasper (Cowboy Bob Orton Jr.), Barry Gasper (Jason the Terrible [Butch "The Jackal" Moffat]), Canek (Canek took Blue Blazer's mask off in Mexico on May 19, 1991), Dr. Wagner Jr., and D.J. Peterson
>May 27, 1988 (Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center, Miyagi) --- IWGP Junior Heavyweight title match
Owen Hart beat Hiroshi Hase (13:07) --- Owen became the 6th champion
>June 10, 1988 (Hiroshima Prefectural Gym) --- IWGP Junior Heavyweight title match
Owen Hart beat Keiichi Yamada (Jushin "Thunder" Liger) (13:33)
>June 24, 1988 (Osaka Gym) --- IWGP Junior Heavyweight title match
Shiro Koshinaka beat Owen Hart (14:07) --- Koshinaka became the 7th champion
(4) New Japan Pro (August 25 to September 21, 1989---23 shows) with Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow, Billy Jack Haynes, Italian Stallion, Patrick Tanaka, Salman Hashimikov, and Victor Zangiev
(5) New Japan Pro (January 11 to 31, 1990---17 shows) with Big Van Vader, Brad Rheingans, The Great Kokina (Yokozuna), Tracy Smothers, Black Tiger, and Beef Wellington
(6) New Japan Pro (June 26 to July 9, 1990---6 shows) with Steve Williams, Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow, The Soultaker (Papa Shango / Kama / Godfather), Brad Rheingans, and Pegasus Kid (Chris Benoit)
(7) New Japan Pro (September 30 to October 14, 1990---9 shows) with Big Van Vader, Tiger Jeet Singh, Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow, Ricky Steamboat, TNT (Kwang / Savio Vega), Miguel Perez Jr., Villano V, and Pegasus Kid (Chris Benoit)
>September 21, 1990 (Yokohama Bunka Gym, Kanagawa)--- IWGP Junior Heavyweight title match
Naoki Sano beat Owen Hart (13:31)
(8) New Japan Pro (April 15 to 30, 1991---12 shows) with Scott Norton, The Great Kokina (Yokozuna), Wild Samoan (Samu), Pegasus Kid (Chris Benoit), Negro Casas, Dave Findlay (David "Fit" Finlay / Belfast Bruiser in WCW), Scorpio (2 Cold Scorpio), and Tony Halme (Ludwig Borga in the WWF)
(9) WAR (October 18 to 23, 1992---4 shows) with Haku (Meng), The Berzerker (Big John Nord), Koko B. Ware, Pierroth Jr., and Javier Cruz
(10) WWF (May 7 to 11, 1994---4 shows) with Bret Hart, The Undertaker w/Paul Bearer, Yokozuna w/Mr. Fuji, Randy Savage, Bam Bam Bigelow, Doink (Ray Apollo) w/Dink (Tiger Jackson), Bob Backlund, Tatanka, 1-2-3 Kid, Adam Bomb, Rick Martel, Head Shrinkers (Samu & Fatu), Smoking Gunns (Billy & Bart Gunn), Alundra Blayze (Madusa), Earl Hebner, Bill Dunn, J.J. Dillon, and Blackjack Lanza
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*=title holder(s)
September 15, 1987 (Korakuen Hall, Tokyo) --- World Junior Heavyweight title match
*Masanobu Fuchi beat Toshiaki Kawada (15:11 disqualification)
October 24, 1987 (Himeji, Hyogo) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
* Mighty Inoue & Takashi Ishikawa beat Footloose (Samson Fuyuki & Toshiaki Kawada) (23:45 Ishikawa beat Fuyuki)
January 29, 1988 (Korakuen Hall, Tokyo) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
* Mighty Inoue & Takashi Ishikawa beat Footloose (20:42 Inoue beat Kawada)
March 9, 1988 (Yokohama Bunka Gym, Yokohama) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
Footloose beat * Mighty Inoue & Takashi Ishikawa (17:41 Kawada beat Inoue) --- Footloose became the 45th champions
April 21, 1988 (Korakuen Hall, Tokyo) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
*Footloose beat Mighty Inoue & Takashi Ishikawa (19:24 disqualification)
July 19, 1988 (Korakuen Hall, Tokyo) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
*Footloose beat Shunji Takano & Shin-ichi Nakano (15:45 Fuyuki beat Takano)
September 9, 1988 (Chiba Park Gym) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
Shunji Takano & Shin-ichi Nakano beat *Footloose (15:42 Takano beat Fuyuki) --- Takano & Nakano became the 46th champions
September 15, 1988 (Korakuen Hall, Tokyo) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
Footloose beat *Shunji Takano & Shin-ichi Nakano (19:11 Fuyuki beat Takano) --- Footloose became the 47th champions
December 16, 1988 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- World Tag Team title match
Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy beat Gen-ichiro Tenryu & Toshiaki Kawada (21:02 Hansen beat Kawada) --- Hansen & Gordy won the World Strongest Tag Team League Tournament and became the 6th champions
February 23, 1989 (Korakuen Hall, Tokyo) --- World Tag Team title match
*Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu beat Gen-ichiro Tenryu & Toshiaki Kawada (24:58 Tsuruta beat Kawada)
March 4, 1989 (Fuji, Shizuoka) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
*Footloose beat Jerry Oates & Johnny Smith (17:49 Fuyuki beat Oates)
March 27, 1989 (Korakuen Hall, Tokyo) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
*Footloose beat Giant Baba & Kenta Kobashi (18:07 Kawada beat Kobashi)
April 18, 1989 (Ota, Tokyo) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
*Footloose beat Tom Zenk & Danny Kroffat (13:17 Kawada beat Kroffat)
June 5, 1989 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
Can-Am Express (Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas) beat *Footloose (19:35 Kroffat beat Kawada) --- Can-Am Express became the 48th champions
June 8, 1989 (Chiba Park Gym) --- World Tag Team title match
*Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu beat Stan Hansen & Toshiaki Kawada (15:31 Tsuruta beat Kawada)
August 29, 1989 (Osaka Gym) --- World Tag Team title match
*Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu beat Gen-ichiro Tenryu & Toshiaki Kawada (23:04 Yatsu beat Kawada)
September 2, 1989 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
*Can-Am Express beat Footloose (19:56 Kroffat beat Fuyuki)
October 20, 1989 (Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
Footloose beat *Can-Am Express (16:38 Kawada beat Kroffat) --- Footloose became the 49th champions
January 3, 1990 (Korakuen Hall, Tokyo) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
*Footloose beat The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) (16:04 Fuyuki beat Rogers)
March 2, 1990 (Kurihashi, Aichi) --- All Asian Tag Team title match
Can-Am Express beat *Footloose (14:56 Kroffat beat Fuyuki) --- Can-Am Express became the 50th champions
February 26, 1991 (Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center, Sendai) --- World Tag Team title match
*Terry Gordy & Steve Williams beat Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada (21:19 Gordy beat Kawada)
June 7, 1991 (Chiba Park Gym) --- World Tag Team title match
*Stan Hansen & Danny Spivey beat Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada (17:20 Hansen beat Kawada)
July 24, 1991 (Kanazawa, Ishikawa) --- World Tag Team title match
Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada beat *Terry Gordy & Steve Williams (28:00 Misawa beat Gordy) Misawa & Kawada became the 17th champions
September 4, 1991 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- World Tag Team title match
*Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada beat Jumbo Tsuruta & Akira Taue (26:34 Misawa beat Tsuruta)
October 24, 1991 (Yokohama Bunka Gym, Kanagawa) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
*Jumbo Tsuruta beat Toshiaki Kawada (19:05)
June 5, 1992 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
* Stan Hansen beat Toshiaki Kawada (21:18)
October 21, 1992 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
*Mitsuharu Misawa beat Toshiaki Kawada (29:52)
December 4, 1992 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- World Tag Team title match
Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada beat Akira Taue & Jun Akiyama (23:52 Misawa beat Akiyama) --- Misawa & Kawada won the World Strongest Tag Team League Tournament and became the 20th champions
January 30, 1993 (Chiba Prefectural Gym) --- World Tag Team title match
Terry Gordy & Steve Williams beat *Mitsuharu Misawa & Toshiaki Kawada (27:07 Williams beat Misawa) --- Gordy & Williams became the 21st champions
May 20, 1993 (Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido) --- World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat *Terry Gordy & Steve Williams (28:28 Taue beat Williams) --- Kawada & Taue became the 22nd champions
June 1, 1993 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- World Tag Team title match
*Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (29:12 Kawada beat Kobashi)
July 26, 1993 (Kanazawa, Ishikawa) --- World Tag Team title match
*Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Terry Gordy & Steve Williams (31:04 Kawada beat Gordy)
July 29, 1993 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
*Mitsuharu Misawa beat Toshiaki Kawada (25:53)
September 3, 1993 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- World Tag Team title match
Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase beat *Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (13:12 Hansen beat Taue) --- Hansen & DiBiase became the 23rd champions
October 14, 1993 (Matsumoto, Nagano) --- World Tag Team title match
*Stan Hansen & Ted DiBiase beat Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (18:15 Hansen beat Kawada)
December 3, 1993 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- World Tag Team title match
Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi beat Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (23:34 Kobashi beat Kawada) --- Misawa & Kobashi won the World Strongest Tag Team League Tournament and became the 24th champions
June 3, 1994 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
*Mitsuharu Misawa beat Toshiaki Kawada (35:50)
May 21, 1994 (Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido) --- World Tag Team title match
*Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi beat Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (40:25 Kobashi beat Taue)
October 22, 1994 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Toshiaki Kawada beat *Steve Williams (37:58) --- Kawada became the 12th champion
January 19, 1995 (Osaka Gym) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
*Toshiaki Kawada drew Kenta Kobashi (60 minutes time up)
January 24, 1995 (Yamagata City) --- World Tag Team title match
*Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi drew Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (60 minutes time up)
March 4, 1995 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Stan Hansen beat *Toshiaki Kawada (31:26) Hansen became the 13th champion
June 9, 1995 (Nippon Budokan) --- World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat *Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (42:37 Kawada beat Misawa) --- Kawada & Taue became the 26th champions
July 20, 1995 (Niigata City) --- World Tag Team title match
*Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Can-Am Express (Danny Kroffat & Doug Furnas) (23:25 Taue beat Furnas)
July 24, 1995 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
*Mitsuharu Misawa beat Toshiaki Kawada (24:16)
August 30, 1995 (Toyohashi, Aichi) --- World Tag Team title match
*Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Johnny Ace & Patriot (24:10 Kawada beat Ace)
October 15, 1995 (Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya) --- World Tag Team title match
*Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue drew Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi (60 minutes time up)
January 24, 1996 (Matsumoto, Nagano) --- World Tag Team title match
Stan Hansen & Gary Albright beat *Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (22:40 Hansen beat Kawada) --- Hansen & Albright became the 27th champions
February 20, 1996 (Morioka, Iwate) --- World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat *Stan Hansen & Gary Albright (20:53 Taue beat Hansen) --- Kawada & Taue became the 28th champions
May 23, 1996 (Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido) --- World Tag Team title match
Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama beat *Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (27:26 Akiyama beat Kawada) --- Misawa & Akiyama became the 29th champions
June 7, 1996 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
*Akira Taue beat Toshiaki Kawada (17:41)
July 9, 1996 (Kanazawa, Ishikawa) --- World Tag Team title match
*Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama beat Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (26:42 Misawa beat Taue)
October 18, 1996 (Nippon Budokan) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
*Kenta Kobashi drew Toshiaki Kawada (60 minutes time up)
January 17, 1997 (Matsumoto, Nagano) --- World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat *Steve Williams & Johnny Ace (26:12 Taue beat Ace) --- Kawada & Taue became the 31st champions
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)
May 27, 1997 (Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center, Hokkaido) --- World Tag Team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace beat *Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (28:40 Kobashi beat Taue) --- Kobashi & Ace became the 32nd champions
June 6, 1997 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
*Mitsuharu Misawa beat Toshiaki Kawada (31:22)
January 25, 1998 (Yokohama Bunka Gym, Kanagawa) --- World Tag Team title match
Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat *Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace (32:06 Taue beat Kobashi) --- Kawada & Taue became the 35th champions
February 28, 1998 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- World Tag Team title match
*Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Steve Williams & Gary Albright (11:10 Kawada beat Albright)
May 1, 1998 (Tokyo Dome) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Toshiaki Kawada beat *Mitsuharu Misawa (28:05) --- Kawada became the 18th champion
June 5, 1998 (Sapporo Nakajima Sports Center) --- World Tag Team title match
*Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Kenta Kobashi & Johnny Ace (30:26 Taue beat Kobashi)
June 12, 1998 (Nippon Budokan, Tokyo) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Kenta Kobashi beat *Toshiaki Kawada (33:49) --- Kobashi became the 19th champion
July 15, 1998 (Osaka Gym) --- World Tag Team title match
*Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Gary Albright & Yoshihiro Takayama (19:51 Kawada beat Takayama)
October 11, 1998 (Aichi Prefectural Gym, Nagoya) --- World Tag Team title match
*Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue beat Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama (29:51 Kawada beat Akiyama)
January 7, 1999 (Kochi City) --- World Tag Team title match
Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama beat *Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue (25:58 Kobashi beat Taue) --- Kobashi & Akiyama became the 36th champions
January 22, 1999 (Osaka Gym) --- Triple Crown Heavyweight title match
Toshiaki Kawada beat *Mitsuharu Misawa (24:15) --- Kawada became the 21st champion, but the title was vacated after Kawada broke his right arm in the match
You may contact Masanori at masa_h@mail.goo.ne.jp
Masanori's Japan Tour Dates List can be found at http://www.sky.net/~dannyp/japandates.html
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http://www2u.biglobe.ne.jp/~dnak/
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