Masashi Aoyagi

Masashi Aoyagi
Masashi Aoyagi
Born	December 27, 1956; Kasuya District, Fukuoka, Japan
Died	July 6, 2022 (aged 65)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Masashi Aoyagi; Seiji Aoyagi;
Billed height	1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
Billed weight	93 kg (205 lb)
Debut	October 6, 1989
Retired	August 15, 2021

Masashi Aoyagi (Japanese: 青柳あおやぎ政司せいじ, Hepburn: Aoyagi Masashi, December 27, 1956 – July 6, 2022) was a Japanese professional wrestler and karateka. He worked for numerous Japanese promotions for Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, New Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling NOAH and many others.

Early life

Aoyagi was born in Kasuya District, Fukuoka, and raised in Toyota, Aichi.^[1]^[2] He was a swimmer while he was in elementary and junior high school, and was occasionally selected as a representative of the prefectural convention.^[3]

Professional wrestling career

Aoyagi started his professional wrestling debut in 1989. Early in his career Aoyagi worked for Wrestle Association-R from 1992 to 1994 and 1997 to 1998, Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling from 1989 to 1994, and New Japan Pro Wrestling from 1990 to 1994.^[4]

In May 1994, when the World Wrestling Federation was on tour in Japan, Aoyagi wrestled a few matches for WWF. He defeated Bob Backlund on May 8 and later lost to Owen Hart and Bam Bam Bigelow.^[5]

In 2000, Aoyagi made his debut for the new promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH where he would work there until his retirement in 2015.

On February 18, 2018, Aoyagi came out of retirement. He wrestled his last match on August 15, 2021.^[4]

Death

Aoyagi died on July 6, 2022.^[6] His death was announced by Pro Wrestling Zero1 the following day.^[7]^[8]

Championships and accomplishments

Daiwa Entertainment Pro Wrestling
- DEP Openweight Champion (1 time)
WAR
- International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Gokuaku Umibozu
Tokyo Sports
- Newcomer Award (1990)
- Best Tag Team Award (1992) – with Akitoshi Saito, Kengo Kimura and Shiro Koshinaka

References

^ 参考さんこう文献ぶんけん『週しゅうプロ』2014-10-15 pp72 「実じつは福岡ふくおか生うまれ」の節ふしより
^ プロフィール上じょうは青柳あおやぎが生うまれてほどなく転居てんきょした愛知あいち県けん豊田とよだ市し出身しゅっしんとなっている
^ "ジャイアント馬場ばば＆アントニオ猪木いのきよりも外国がいこく人じん選手せんしゅが好すきだった…青柳あおやぎ政司せいじさん伝説でんせつ(1)プロレスとの出会であい【週刊しゅうかんプロレス】". BBM Sports. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
^ ^a ^b "MASASHI AOYAGI PASSES AWAY AT 65". PWInsider.com. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^ Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 1994". TheHistoryOfWWE.com. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^ "Masashi Aoyagi passes away". 7 July 2022.
^ "元もと平成へいせい維震軍ぐん、誠心せいしん会館かいかん館長かんちょうの青柳あおやぎ政司せいじさんが死去しきょ". Tokyo Sports. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
^ "【訃報ふほう】青柳あおやぎ館長かんちょうが死去しきょ週刊しゅうかんプロレスmobile". wp.bbm-mobile.com. Retrieved 7 July 2022.

[福岡-1] 参考さんこう文献ぶんけん『週しゅうプロ』2014-10-15 pp72 「実じつは福岡ふくおか生うまれ」の節ふしより

[2] プロフィール上じょうは青柳あおやぎが生うまれてほどなく転居てんきょした愛知あいち県けん豊田とよだ市し出身しゅっしんとなっている

[3] "ジャイアント馬場ばば＆アントニオ猪木いのきよりも外国がいこく人じん選手せんしゅが好すきだった…青柳あおやぎ政司せいじさん伝説でんせつ(1)プロレスとの出会であい【週刊しゅうかんプロレス】". BBM Sports. Retrieved 7 July 2022.

[PWInsider-4] "MASASHI AOYAGI PASSES AWAY AT 65". PWInsider.com. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.

[5] Cawthon, Graham. "Yearly Results: 1994". TheHistoryOfWWE.com. Retrieved 7 November 2022.

[6] "Masashi Aoyagi passes away". 7 July 2022.

[7] "元もと平成へいせい維震軍ぐん、誠心せいしん会館かいかん館長かんちょうの青柳あおやぎ政司せいじさんが死去しきょ". Tokyo Sports. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.

[8] "【訃報ふほう】青柳あおやぎ館長かんちょうが死去しきょ週刊しゅうかんプロレスmobile". wp.bbm-mobile.com. Retrieved 7 July 2022.

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