Shōwa period

From PuroresuWiki

The Shōwa (昭和^?) period was the time in the Japanese history, corresponding to the reign of Emperor Hirohito, from 1926/12/25 to 1989/1/7. It is the longest period of all Japanese emperors. The word Shōwa is literally translated to "enlightened peace".^[1] The post-Hirohito era was named Heisei (平成^?).

There were very important aspects to the nation's history during the Shōwa era. Early part of the period was characterized by a period of imperialism and the World War II. After losing the war, Japan was occupied by the allied forces until 1952. The country has not had any war ever since and is now one of the most advanced nations in industry and techonology.

Shōwa in puroresu history

During the period, puroresu had its birth in terms of establishment of the first major organization of its own, Rikidōzan's Japan Pro-Wrestling Association. Even after Rikidōzan's death, it maintained the mainstream status with the superstars such as Antonio Inoki, Giant Baba, Beauty Pair, the original Tiger Mask, Chōshū Riki, Crush Gals, etc.

Turn of the period

The turn of the period also coincidentally brought major changes to the world of purresu. In the late 1980s, the top two organizations, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and All Japan Pro-Wrestling, lost their primetime spots for television programs. Around the same time, a shoot style promotion UWF was founded. UWF's popularity would eventually lead to the rise of mixed martial arts events such as K-1 and PRIDE. Also, the fist independent promotions, Pioneer Senshi and Frontier Martial-arts Wrestling were founded by Gō Ryūma and Ōnita Atsushi respectively.

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