Ivan Simao da Cunha Gomes was a Brazilian vale tudo fighter and professional wrestler.
21 Facts About Ivan Gomes
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Ivan Gomes, who was a black belt under Braga at 21, polished further his orthodox judo skills with Hayashi Kawamura in Recife and Masayoshi "Massaioshi" Saito in Belem do Para.
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Ivan Gomes gained popularity in the late 1950s, signing up with a televised show named Ringues Torres that covered the northeast of Brazil, and later moving to another show named Bolsa ao Vencedor.
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Ivan Gomes dominated the competition through the years, eventually leading to a high-profile match against Carlson Gracie from the notorious Gracie family in 1963.
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Ivan Gomes dominated Gracie, throwing him and taking him down multiple times and hitting ground and pound, while Carlson waited for him to get tired to build an offense.
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The match ended in a draw, although witnesses and specialized press were unanimous Ivan Gomes was the better man.
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The Gracie family promised to concede it if Ivan Gomes managed to defeat Juarez Ferreira in Rio de Janeiro, but although Ivan Gomes did so, knocking Ferreira out with kata guruma in less of a minute, the rematch was never granted.
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Ivan Gomes left the Gracies to train mainly under Yano, and the Ono brothers.
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In 1968, after handing the academy to his brother Jaildo, Ivan Gomes returned to Campina Grande and resumed his vale tudo career, meeting fighters like Waldemar Santana and Euclides Pereira.
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In December 1974, when Japanese professional wrestling promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling toured Brazil, Ivan Gomes publicly challenged its owner Antonio Inoki to a vale tudo fight.
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Inoki instead proposed Ivan Gomes to become a NJPW wrestler, and after the Brazilian became interested in the style of catch wrestling used by the Japanese troupe, he accepted the offer.
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Ivan Gomes traveled to Japan with them, training in wrestling under Inoki himself while teaching him and his wrestlers his own style in return.
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Ivan Gomes wrestled many opener matches against Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Don Arakawa and Daigoro Oshiho, always coming out on top.
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In 1976, during a NJPW tour through Brazil, Ivan Gomes was slated to wrestle judo medalist Willem Ruska on August 7 at the Maracana Stadium.
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However, the Brazilian refused to release Ruska, so the referee, upon observing most of Ivan Gomes' body was outside the ropes, called for countout on him in order to end the match at 9:03.
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The event's crowds believed Ivan Gomes had been wronged with the decision, and a riot almost broke out until NJPW president Antonio Inoki came out and calmed them down.
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Still, repercussion in Brazil was negative, with pundits arguing about who should be considered the victor, even although some acknowledged Ivan Gomes had started the affair with an illegal move.
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The Japanese considered Ruska the winner, as Ivan Gomes had to receive nine stitches around the right eye for damage suffered in the brawl, while Ruska was comparatively in much better condition.
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Ivan Gomes was left with two more matches in the tour, against Strong Kobayashi and Osamu Kido respectively, and he won them both.
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Ivan Gomes is known for being the innovator of the heel hook submission.
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Ivan Gomes passed in March 1990 due to renal illness.