18 Facts About Riki Choshu

1.

Mitsuo Yoshida, better known by his ring name Riki Choshu, is a South Korean-Japanese retired professional wrestler who is best known for his longtime work in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as both a wrestler and a booker.

2.

Riki Choshu is considered one of Japan's most influential wrestlers for his work in the 1980s and 1990s and is known as the first wrestler to popularize the Sasori-Gatame, better known in English as the Scorpion Deathlock or Sharpshooter.

3.

Riki Choshu was a second generation Zainichi Korean until his naturalization in 2016.

4.

Riki Choshu was born Kwak Gwang-ung, the youngest of four children in Tokuyama, Yamaguchi Prefecture to a Japanese mother and Korean father.

5.

Riki Choshu's father left Korea's Chungcheongbuk-do for Japan in 1939 and worked as a garbage man for much of his life.

6.

Riki Choshu has said that he faced discrimination from teachers in elementary school due to his Korean heritage.

7.

Riki Choshu took part in baseball and judo as a teenager and after training in the judo department at Giyang Junior High School, he moved to the wrestling department of Yamaguchi prefecture's Sakurakaoka High School as a special student.

Related searches
El Greco Tatsumi Fujinami
8.

Riki Choshu debuted in New Japan Pro-Wrestling in August 1974 against El Greco.

9.

Riki Choshu had a brief feud with the top fan favorite of Cannon's promotion, Luis Martinez.

10.

Riki Choshu was the first "traitor heel" in a Japanese promotion.

11.

Riki Choshu would focus on booking matches for NJPW after that.

12.

Riki Choshu accepted and wrestled Onita in a deadly squash, where Riki Choshu ended up winning.

13.

Riki Choshu ran Riki Pro until 2005 when he returned to NJPW as a site foreman, booker and wrestler.

14.

In 2007, Riki Choshu joined the Legend stable with Masahiro Chono, Jyushin Thunder Liger and AKIRA.

15.

Riki Choshu promotes an occasional series of events called "LOCK UP", which feature talent from New Japan and other promotions.

16.

In 2012, Riki Choshu was booked in a series of matches for LEGEND The Pro Wrestling and Dradition.

17.

On June 26,2019, Riki Choshu teamed with Tomohiro Ishii and Shiro Koshinaka in a 6-man tag against Tatsumi Fujinami, Keiji Mutoh, and Togi Makabe.

18.

Riki Choshu appears as a gang member in the 2017 video game Yakuza Kiwami 2, alongside Genichiro Tenryu, Keiji Mutoh, Masahiro Chono and Tatsumi Fujinami.