The Puro Wrestling Academy

The time has arrived, as we begin our journey through the history of Japanese Professional Wrestling (Puroresu)! Host Dan Ginnetty and I (Ray Russell) go all the way back to the beginnings in the early 1880s with Sumo's Sorakichi Matsuda and work our way forward to the very first full-fledged tour of Pro Wrestling in Japan, circa 1951. We discuss several failed attempts at wrestlers attempting to bring Pro Wrestling to Japan in the late 1800's and early 1900s. We discuss names like William Muldoon, Ad Santel, Boxing Legend Joe Louis, Harold "Oddjob" Sakata, Bobby Bruns, Promoter Al Karasick, Kokichi Endo, and other early Japanese stars, including the one and only RIKIDOZAN!

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Listen at your leisure and pick back up later if need be!

The time has arrived, as we begin our journey through the history of Japanese Professional Wrestling (Puroresu)! Host Dan Ginnetty and I (Ray Russell) go all the way back to the beginnings in the early 1880s with Sumo's Sorakichi Matsuda and work our way forward to the very first full-fledged tour of Pro Wrestling in Japan, circa 1951. We discuss several failed attempts at wrestlers attempting to bring Pro Wrestling to Japan in the late 1800's and early 1900s. We discuss names like William Muldoon, Ad Santel, Boxing Legend Joe Louis, Harold "Oddjob" Sakata, Bobby Bruns, Promoter Al Karasick, Kokichi Endo, and other early Japanese stars, including the one and only RIKIDOZAN!

The Puro Wrestling Academy & Dan Ginnetty are back to continue to tell the story of PURORESU! This week we finish up Rikidozan's first tour of the United States in early 1953, and talk the "3-headed snake" of Rikidozan, Masahiko Kimura, & Toshio Yamaguchi who all attempt to run their own promotions in 1953 Japan! From there, we discuss Rikidozan vs. NWA World Champion Lou Thesz, the first ever Wrestling Events to be aired on Japanese TV, and the birth of the JWA. Other topics include "Juken" Matches, Kokichi Endo, The Rikidozan Dojo, Hawaii Promoter Al Karasick, Bobby Bruns, San Francisco Promoter Joe Malcewicz, The Sharpe Brothers, Hideyuki Nagasawa, Junioe Champion Mitsuo Surugaumi, Count Rossi Mucci & "Moochie Mania", plus muchh more!

Available everywhere your Podcast Streaming needs are met.

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopia
Includes a $5 “All Access” Tier featuring our Patreon Exclusive Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare & Regional Rasslin), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content that was originally edited out! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

Visit our Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.com

Follow us on "X" (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenade

Follow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE - https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenade

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade

Welcome back to The Puro Wrestling Academy w/Dan Ginnetty! This is a huge week in the history of Puroresu as we continue discussing 1954 and into 1955... This week we talk the infamous worked match turned SHOOT between Rikidozan vs. Masahiko Kimura, Mildred Burke and her ladies troupe, Wrestling in a Swimming Pool, Rikidozan slays the "3-Headed Snake" by defeating Yamaguchi, then Riki returns to the States for another tour, plus the debuts of Toyonobori & Azumafuji, & so much more!

Available everywhere your Podcast Streaming needs are met.

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopiaIncludes the $5 “All Access” Tier & $9 "Superfan DELUXE" Tier featuring our VIDEO CASTS, Patreon Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

Visit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.com
Follow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenade
Follow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenade
Subscribe to the WrestleCopia Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade

Welcome back to The Puro Wrestling Academy w/Dan Ginnetty! This is a huge week in the history of Puroresu as we continue discussing 1954 and into 1955... This week we talk the infamous worked match turned SHOOT between Rikidozan vs. Masahiko Kimura, Mildred Burke and her ladies troupe, Wrestling in a Swimming Pool, Rikidozan slays the "3-Headed Snake" by defeating Yamaguchi, then Riki returns to the States for another tour, plus the debuts of Toyonobori & Azumafuji, & so much more!

This week on The Puro Wrestling Academy, Dan Ginnetty schools us on the entire year of 1956 in the world of Puroresu. Rikidozan & Kokichi Endo capture the NWA World Tag Team Titles from The Sharpe Brothers (Mike & Ben). Plans are made to bring in the soon to be (once again) NWA Champion Lou Thesz. Rikidozan travels to Southeast Asia to rekindle his rivalry with King Kong Czaya. The JWA presents two more full-length tours lasting more than 60 events! Plus, we catch up with Masahiko Kimura, Unified Champions are created, and we talk names like Tom Rice, Mike Mazurki, Surugaumi, Azumafuji, Yoshinosato, Toyonobori, and so much more!

Available everywhere your Podcast Streaming needs are met.

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopiaIncludes the $5 “All Access” Tier & $9 "Superfan DELUXE" Tier featuring our VIDEO CASTS, Patreon Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

Visit our Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.comFollow us on "X" (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenadeFollow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE - https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenadeSubscribe to our Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade

It's time for another session of the Puro Wrestling Academy w/Dan Ginnetty. This time out we look at the year of 1959 in Japanese Wrestling History. A ton of firsts as Rikidozan turns his misfortunes around... The first ever World League Tournament, the debut of "Mr. Atomic", the first ever unmasking in Japan, the first color TV broadcast of Japanese wrestling, the first ever TV Studio wrestling bout in Japan... and the first real blade job(?)! Plus, MR. ATOMIC DEBUTS, Yoshinosato & Kokichi Endo Return, Enrique Torres, King Kong Czaya, Lord James Blears, Mike Paidousis, Danny Plechas, Bull Ortega, and so much more!

Please Subscribe to our Patreon to help pay the bills, https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopiaIncludes the $5 “All Access” Tier & $9 "VIP Superfan" Tier featuring our VIDEO CASTS, Patreon Watch-Along Series, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), Early Show Releases, REMASTERED editions of the early Grenade episodes including NEW content! PLUS, monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure!

Visit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.comFollow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenadeFollow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenadeSubscribe to the WrestleCopia Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade