 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Shibuya (1921-05-16)May 16, 1921[1] |
| Died | May 3, 2010(2010-05-03) (aged 88)[1] Hayward, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Hawaiʻi |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Kinji Shibuya Kenji Shibuya Sato Keomuka |
| Billed height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Billed weight | 249 lb (113 kg) |
| Billed from | Japan |
| Trained by | Tsutao Higami |
| Debut | 1952[1] |
| Retired | 1976[2] |
Robert "Kinji"Shibuya (May 16, 1921 – May 3, 2010) was an Americanprofessional wrestler and actor.
Shibuya was born inUtah. He and his four brothers were raised inCalifornia.[1] He attendedBelmont High School inLos Angeles.
He attended college atLos Angeles City College andUniversity of Hawaiʻi, playing football at both[1]
After college, Shibuya played semi-professional football for theHonolulu Polar Bears andHonolulu Warriors.[1] He performedsumo andjiu-jitsu as well.[2] In 1952, promoter Al Karasick suggested Shibuya try professional wrestling.[1]
He was originally given agimmick of a Japaneseheel, leveraging anti-Japanese sentiment stemming fromWorld War II.[1] He wrestled in the US and Canada'sStampede Wrestling andAll-Star Wrestling.[1] Shibuya creditedVerne Gagne for first making him popular as a villain in 1955.[2]
Shibuya was a frequenttag team partner ofMitsu Arakawa, who was billed as his cousin.[1] In 1957, they held the Minneapolis version of theNWA World Tag Team Championship.[1]
Shibuya was featured on a "This is Your Life" segment on the television showCanvas Cavity and appeared on the show several times in the 1970s and 1980s.[2]
After retiring from wrestling, he also had small acting roles on shows such asKung Fu andMr. T and Tina.[1] He appeared in the filmsDays of a Bawdy Ballad andHammett.[1]
He and his wife Judy were married for 59 years[1] and had a daughter and a son. They resided for many years in Northern California.[2] Their son Robert Shibuya became the Chairman & CEO ofMohr Partners, a global corporate real estate advisory firm based inDallas.
Kinji Shibuya loved large automobiles, painting andJapanese gardening as well as raisingkoi.[2] He died of natural causes on May 3, 2010.[1][2] He was cremated, and his funeral service was held at aBuddhist temple.[2]
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