List of rikishi-turned pro-wrestlers

From PuroresuWiki

Throughout its history, puroresu has had significant number of competitors who had at least some experience in the world of ōzumō. Especially in 1950s and 1960s, most of the pro-wrestlers in Japan were former professional rikishi.^[1]

puroresu			sumō
ring name	debut	promotion(s)	name	higest rank
Matsuda Sorakichi	1883	(U.S.)	Aratake Torakichi	jonidan
Rikidōzan	1951	JWA	Rikidōzan	sekiwake
Kiyomigawa Umeyuki	1953	All Japan (original), IWE	Kiyomigawa	maegashira
Surugaumi	1953	JWA	Surugaumi	maegashira
Toyonobori	1954	JWA, Tokyo (original), IWE, New Japan	Toyonobori	maegashira
Yoshinosato Junzō	1954	JWA	Yoshinosato	maegashira
Azumafuji	1955	JWA	Azumafuji	yokozuna
Fujitayama	1955?	JWA	Fujitayama	maegashira
Rusher Kimura	1965	JWA, Tokyo Pro, IWE	Kinomura	makushita
Ōiyama Katsuzō	1971	IWE	Ōiyama	jūryō
Tenryū Gen'ichirō	1976	All Japan, SWS, WAR	Tenryū	maegashira
Ishikawa Takashi	1977	All Japan, SWS, WAR, Tokyo, New Tokyo	Ōnoumi	maegashira
Wajima Hiroshi	1986	All Japan	Wajima	yokozuna
John Tenta	1986	All Japan, WWF, SWS, WAR, UWFi	Kototenzan	jūryō
Kitao Kōji	1987	New Japan, SWS, Bukō Dōjō	Futahaguro	yokozuna
Takagi Isao	1987	All Japan, SWS, PWC, SPWF, WAR, Dradition	Takuetsuyama Gorō	jūryō
Taue Akira	1987	All Japan, NOAH	Tamakirin Yasumasa	jūryō
Ishinriki Kōji	1991	SWS, NOW, WAR	Ishinriki Kōji	jūryō
Yasuda Tadao	1993	New Japan, ZERO1	Takanofuji	komusubi
Tachihikari Osamu	1994	WAR	Tachihikari Den'emon	maegashira
Daikokubō Benkei	1994?	WAR, Tokyo, BJW	Hanaarashi Kazumi	jūryō
Rikiō Takeshi	2000	All Japan, NOAH	Rikiō Takeshi	maegashira
Akebono	2005	(All Japan)	Akebono Tarō	yokozuna

References