Killer Khan
| Masashi Ozawa | |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) | Killer Khan Temjin El Mongol |
| Billed height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 141 kg (310 lb)[2] |
| Born | March 6, 1947 Tsubame, Niigata, Japan |
| Billed from | Mongolia[1] |
| Debut | 1973 |
| Retired | 1987 |
Masashi Ozawa (小沢 正志 Ozawa Masashi)[1] (born March 6, 1947) is a retired professional wrestler. Popularly known as Killer Khan, he was billed from Mongolia and had numerous high-profile matches with André the Giant in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during the 1980s, including the first ever "stretcher match".[clarification needed] Khan used Asian mist against opponents.
Contents |
[edit] Professional wrestling career
Ozawa's Mongolian giant character was created by Karl Gotch.[1] He traveled to America in 1979 to wrestle. The following year, in 1980, Khan first wrestled Andre the Giant in tag team match for Georgia Championship Wrestling.[1] Later that same year, he was hired by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).[1] In the WWF, Khan originally feuded with WWF Champion Bob Backlund, as well as the WWF Intercontinental Champion Pedro Morales.[1]
Khan was then placed in feud with Andre the Giant. During one match in May 1981, Khan botched a kneedrop off of the top turnbuckle that resulted in Andre the Giant breaking his ankle, as Khan accidentally landed on it.[1][3] The incident has been reported as real and as a storyline to help put Khan over.[1] When Andre returned from his injury, he and Khan feuded into the next year.[4] In November 1981 in Philadelphia in a "Mongolian Stretcher match".[4] The feud was named Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Feud of the Year.[5]
In 1984 in Canada's Stampede Wrestling, he had a series of matches with Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie.[6] On January 20, 1984, he won the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship from Gouldie in a street fight.[6] In March, he lost the title to Dynamite Kid.
Khan made a brief return to the WWF in 1987, managed by Mr. Fuji,[2] where he feuded with Outback Jack. In addition, he wrestled against WWF Champion Hulk Hogan in a match at the Boston Garden where Hogan retained his title.[7]
[edit] Personal life
Khan had a role as a bodyguard in the movie 3 Ninjas Kick Back. Khan currently owns a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. He is married to Cindy Ozawa of Lutz, Florida, though the two remain geographically estranged.[clarification needed] He has three children: Yukie, Yoshiko, and David Masato. All of them reside in the United States.
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing moves
-
- Cobra clutch
- Diving knee drop from the second rope
- One shoulder powerbomb
- Signature moves
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
-
- NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Florida version) (1 time) - with Pak Song
-
- Mid-South Louisiana Championship (1 time)
- Mid-South Mississippi Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
-
- PWI Feud of the Year award in 1981 vs. André the Giant
- PWI Match of the Year (1981) vs. Andre the Giant on May 2
- PWI ranked him # 176 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003.
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
-
- Feud of the Year (1981) vs. André the Giant[5]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Krugman, Michael. Andre the Giant: A Legendary Life, p.48.
- ^ a b c Shields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley. p. 172. ISBN 978-075664190-0.
- ^ Todd, Terry (December 21, 1981). "To The Giant Among Us". Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125102/7/index.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ a b Krugman, Michael. Andre the Giant: A Legendary Life, p.56–57.
- ^ a b Krugman, Michael. Andre the Giant: A Legendary Life, p.61.
- ^ a b Nevada, Vance (May 11, 2008). "Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/ResultsArchive/Wrestlers/gouldie-archie.html. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ a b Ward, Marshall (November 16, 2009). ""Unreleased" Hogan DVD great if not exactly true". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Reviews/2009/11/15/11756786.html. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
- ^ "Gary Hart profile". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/g/gary-hart.html. Retrieved 2009-11-23.
[edit] References
- Krugman, Michael (2009). Andre the Giant: A Legendary Life. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 1416541128.
[edit] External links
- 居酒屋カンちゃん: Official site
