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With a couple of years experience under his belt Fuji Yamada came to the UK in 1986 working for All Star Promotions at a time when the Merseyside organisation were at their peak. Talent in British rings was at an all time low and the addition of a colourful, dynamic character with wrestling ability was greatly needed.
His speedy and acrobatic style made him popular with British fans though he was more than capable of mixing it when the occasion demanded. Cheered on by fans in his four television appearances, one of them a tag match with regular partner Iron Fist Clive Myers. He won the World Heavy Middleweight Championship twice, once in September 1986 and once in March 1987, both times defeating “Rollerball” Mark Rocco and both times losing it back to him, the last of these title changes being televised on ITV.
Rocco was also Yamada’s opponent in one of his three televised Reslo outings shown on Welsh language channel, S4C. Each time he appeared on television Kent Walton promised someone as good as the earlier visitor, Sammy Lee. For once, Kent’s predictions rang true as Fuji Yamada went on to international acclaim with New Japan Pro Wrestling as masked man Jushin Liger.
The photo was kindly supplied by Norfolk Snake who told us, “This very grainy old picture I took of Fuji Yamada after his first bout in Norwich Corn Exchange where he sensationally defeated Rocky Moran – He probably was the most popular foreign star of the late 80s early 90s (forget the precise date). Saw him in some titanic battles. This photo was due to be on the front cover of Ringsport, but due to Evan’s death and the demise of the magazine it sadly never happened.”
Page added 11/04/2025
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