Kazuo Yamazaki
Kazuo Yamazaki | |
---|---|
Yamazaki in July 2023 | |
Born | (1962-08-15) August 15, 1962 (age 61) Tokyo, Japan |
Professional wrestling career | |
Billed height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
Billed weight | 103 kg (227 lb) |
Trained by | Satoru Sayama Yoshiaki Fujiwara |
Debut | May 6, 1982 |
Retired | January 4, 2000 |
Kazuo Yamazaki (山崎一夫, Yamazaki Kazuo, born August 15, 1962) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, wrestling instructor and commentator who is known for his work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and shoot-style promotions Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and UWF International (UWFi).[1] He currently works as a commentator for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).
Professional wrestling career
New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1982–1984)
An amateur wrestler and high school judoka in his youth, Yamazaki's professional wrestling career began in May 1982 in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He wrestled his debut match on May 6 against Kuroneko. During this time, he was also a student of Satoru Sayama, better known as Tiger Mask, who trained Yamazaki extensively in shoot wrestling and kickboxing. He also trained under NJPW's head submission grappling instructor Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Whenever Kuniaki Kobayashi stripped Sayama of his mask, Yamazaki was always the first to help remask him.
Universal Wrestling Federation (1984–1985)
In 1984, Yamazaki joined the shoot style promotion Japanese UWF, an early precursor to modern mixed martial arts. However, differences between his mentor Satoru Sayama and Akira Maeda over direction caused the promotion to fail.
Return To NJPW (1985–1988)
He rejoined New Japan in 1985 as a junior heavyweight. Despite this, he found more success in tag teams in 1987, winning the IWGP Tag Team Championship with one of his mentors, Yoshiaki Fujiwara.
Newborn UWF (1988–1990)
In 1988, however, the UWF was reconstituted as Newborn UWF and Yamazaki joined it, and stayed there until it folded in December 1990. During this time, he moved up to heavyweight.
UWF International (1991–1995)
In May 1991, Yamazaki joined UWF International. In UWF International, he supported Nobuhiko Takada, but after being overlooked several times for shots at Takada's UWFI World Heavyweight championship, he decided to quit and return to New Japan on his own in July 1995.
Return To NJPW (1995–2000)
During the New Japan vs. UWFI feud in 1995-1996, Yamazaki participated on New Japan's side, but mostly as a behind-the-scenes supporter, training Yuji Nagata and Tokimitsu Ishizawa (Kendo Ka Shin) in the use of the shoot-style. He won two more IWGP Tag Team Championships, first with Takashi Iizuka in June 1996 and with Kensuke Sasaki in August 1997. In 1998, he participated in the G1 Climax tournament, defeating Tatsumi Fujinami, Kensuke Sasaki, and Masahiro Chono, before losing to Shinya Hashimoto in the finals. Yamazaki retired from in-ring competition on January 4, 2000, losing to his student Yuji Nagata as his final opponent.
Retirement
Kazuo Yamazaki now works as a wrestling instructor at the NJPW Dojo and sometimes acts as color commentator for the NJPW program on TV Asahi. He also works as a seitaishi in Ayase, Kanagawa.
Championships and accomplishments
- New Japan Pro-Wrestling
- IWGP Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Yoshiaki Fujiwara (1), Takashi Iizuka (1), and Kensuke Sasaki (1)
- G1 Climax Special Tag Team Tournament (1997) – with Kensuke Sasaki
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Universal Wrestling Federation
- Kakuto Nettai Road "B" League Tournament (1985)
Notes
External links
- v
- t
- e
- Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami
- Akira Maeda and Osamu Kido
- Keiji Muto and Shiro Koshinaka
- Akira Maeda and Nobuhiko Takada
- Kazuo Yamazaki and Yoshiaki Fujiwara
- Masa Saito and Riki Choshu
- George Takano and Super Strong Machine
- Riki Choshu and Takayuki Iizuka
- Masa Saito and Shinya Hashimoto
- Keiji Muto and Masahiro Chono
- Hiroshi Hase and Kensuke Sasaki
- Hiro Saito and Super Strong Machine
- The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner and Scott Steiner)
- Hiroshi Hase and Keiji Muto
- Big, Bad, and Dangerous (Big Van Vader and Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow)
- Scott Norton and Tony Halme
- Hell Raisers (Hawk Warrior and Power Warrior)
- The Jurassic Powers (Hercules Hernandez and Scott Norton)
- Cho-Ten (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Masahiro Chono)
- Junji Hirata and Shinya Hashimoto
- Kazuo Yamazaki and Takashi Iizuka
- Kensuke Sasaki and Riki Choshu
- The Bull Powers (Manabu Nakanishi and Satoshi Kojima)
- Kazuo Yamazaki and Kensuke Sasaki
- Genichiro Tenryu and Shiro Koshinaka
- Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima)
- Kensuke Sasaki and Shiro Koshinaka
- The Mad Dogs (Michiyoshi Ohara and Tatsutoshi Goto)
- Manabu Nakanishi and Yuji Nagata
- Osamu Nishimura and Tatsumi Fujinami
- BATT (Keiji Muto and Taiyō Kea)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Osamu Nishimura
- Minoru Suzuki and Yoshihiro Takayama
- Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura
- Wild Child (Manabu Nakanishi and Takao Omori)
- RISE (Giant Bernard and Travis Tomko)
- The Most Violent Players/Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe and Toru Yano)
- Team 3D (Brother Devon and Brother Ray)
- The British Invasion (Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams)
- No Limit/Chaos (Tetsuya Naito and Yujiro Takahashi)
- Seigigun (Wataru Inoue and Yuji Nagata)
- Bad Intentions (Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson)
- Chaos (Takashi Iizuka and Toru Yano)
- Killer Elite Squad/Suzuki-gun (Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer)
- Bullet Club (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows)
- Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata)
- The Kingdom (Matt Taven and Michael Bennett)
- Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma)
- Guerrillas of Destiny/Bullet Club (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa)
- Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe)
- Chaos (Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano)
- War Machine (Hanson and Raymond Rowe)
- Los Ingobernables de Japón (Evil and Sanada)
- The Young Bucks/Bullet Club (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)
- FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson)
- Golden☆Ace (Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi)
- Dangerous Tekkers/Suzuki-gun (Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr.)
- Los Ingobernables de Japón (Tetsuya Naito and Sanada)
- Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi)
- United Empire (Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb)
- General's Jewel/Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens)
- FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler)
- Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis)
- Guerrillas of Destiny (El Phantasmo and Hikuleo)
- Bullet Club (Kenta and Chase Owens)
- TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) (current)