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Dean Ho (wrestler)

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Dean Ho
Birth nameDean Kiyoshi Higuchi[1]
Born(1940-07-18)July 18, 1940[2]
Honolulu, Hawaii,U.S.
DiedFebruary 20, 2021(2021-02-20)(aged 80)
Kelowna, British Columbia,Canada
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Dean Ho
Dean Higuchi[3]
Dean Kailani[3]
Billed height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[3]
Billed weight264 lb (120 kg)[3]
Trained byThe Destroyer[3]
Debut1962[4]
Retiredc. 1983

Dean Kiyoshi Higuchi(July 18, 1940 – February 20, 2021) was an American bodybuilder and professional wrestler, known by hisring name,Dean Ho.He competed in North American promotions includingPacific Northwest Wrestling,theWorld Wide Wrestling FederationandBig Time Wrestlingduring the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. A longtime veteran of the Vancouver'sNWA All-Star Wrestling,he feuded withTerry Adonis,The Bruteand formerNWA World Heavyweight ChampionGene Kiniski.

Bodybuilding career[edit]

After graduating fromPresident Theodore Roosevelt High School,Higuchi was one of Hawaii's prominent bodybuilders during the 1950s winning the title "Mr. Hawaiian Islands" competition in 1956 and finishing in sixth place in the "Mr. America" competition in Philadelphia.[4]

Dean's Gym[edit]

He opened his gym on Kalakaua Avenue in 1957, and it was a popular training center for both bodybuilders and professional wrestlers.[4][5]Many of the areas top bodybuilders such asMike Brown[6]and professional wrestlers trained for decades includingDon Muraco,Beauregarde,[7]Rene GouletandKarl Gotch.[8]

Professional wrestling career[edit]

Early career[edit]

Making his professional wrestling debut during the early 1960s, he lost one of his earliest matches to Rocky Columbo inPortland, Oregonon April 6, 1962.[9]

During the mid-1960s, Higuchi began competing for promoterEd Francis'sPacific Northwest Wrestlingfeuding with El Shereeh and also teaming withKazimotoand Al Torres during early 1965. Later, while in Francis'sBig Time Wrestling,he appeared in televised matches against Fuji Fujiwara,[10]Bill Dromo,[11]Tosh Togo,Nick Kozak, Kongozan and theMongolian Stomperat the Honolulu Civic Auditorium during 1966.[12]

After losing toHans MortierandJohnny Barendin early 1967, Higuchi wrestled two matches in one night defeatingGreat Fujialthough he lost a later tag team match withKarl GotchagainstCurtis IaukeaandRipper Collinson April 5, 1967,[13]before moving to the mainland by the end of the year.

National Wrestling Alliance[edit]

Feuding with then NWA World Heavyweight ChampionGene Kiniskiin 1968, he lost two title matches to him on October 21 and again on December 16 inVancouver, British Columbia,Canada.[14]The following year, he would avenge his loss teaming withEarl Maynardto defeat Kiniski and Bad Boy Shields in a tournament final for theNWA Canadian Tag Team Championshipin Vancouver on May 12, 1969.

Continuing his long-running feud with Kiniski, he and Steve Bolus fought to a time limit draw against Kiniski andAngelo Moscaon January 26 and, with Tex McKenzie, defeated Gene Kiniski andMoose Morowskion April 28, 1970.[15]

Losing the title less than a month later toDutch Savageand"Bulldog" Bob Brownon June 9, he and Steve Bolus defeated them on December 8 and held them until their defeat by Brown andJohn Quinnon February 9, 1970. He later won the tag team title with Steven Little Bear twice during 1971 and feuded with the Skull Brothers and Gene Kiniski andBob Brownbefore losing the title to Kiniski and Brown for the second and final time on October 11, 1971.[16]

Staying in Vancouver in early 1973, he defeatedSailor Whiteon January 22.[17]Feuding with The Brute, he and Sean Reagan lost a tag team match to The Brute and Mike Webster in Seattle on March 3. After defeating Tony Bourne,Butts GiraudandBob Hamesin a 6-man tag-team match withLarry Whistlerand Eric Froelich on July 16, he left the promotion moving on to the northeastern United States.

While wrestling inGeorgia Championship Wrestling,he held theNWA Georgia Tag Team ChampionshipwithKen Mantelldefeating Black Gordman and Goliath on July 2 before losing them toJimmyandJohnny Valianta little more than two weeks later on July 16, 1976. He also helpedRick "The Dragon" Steamboat,who was also wrestling in Georgia at the time, develop his martial arts and ring psychology during his early career.[18]

World Wide Wrestling Federation[edit]

Wrestling for the World Wide Wrestling Federation during the mid-1970s, he andTony Gareateamed to defeatToru TanakaandMr. Fujito win theWWWF World Tag Team Championshipon November 14, 1973. Holding on to the title for four months, they eventually lost the belts to Jimmy and Johnny Valiant on May 8, 1974. They continued to team for a time defeatingJack EvansandHans Schroederon November 24 however, by summer 1975, they had gone their separate ways.[19]Later that year, Ho left the WWWF.

From San Francisco to Vancouver[edit]

Higuchi, circa 1978

Returning to Vancouver for a time, he andGeorge WellsdefeatedDale LewisandSeigfried Steinkeon January 12, 1976 before losing them to his longtime rival Gene Kiniski and Seigfried Steinke on February 9. In 1977, Higuchi began wrestling in the San Francisco-area defeatingAlexis Smirnofffor theNWA United States Heavyweight ChampionshipinDaly City, Californiaon July 16 holding the title for two months before losing the title toBob Roopon September 17.

Higuchi later regained the title, which had been vacated after Roop left the company in December 1977, winning a tournament on January 14, 1978. During early 1978, he also teamed withPepper Gomezand laterMando Guerreroagainst his old tag team partner Sir Earl Maynard and later teamed with Gomez and Guerrero in a 6-man tag team match againstTexas Red,The Great Goliathand Don Muraco. Defending his NWA US Heavyweight title in a no disqualification match against Don Muraco, he lost the title to Muraco on April 1.

After the death of then NWA US Heavyweight ChampionMoondog Mayneon August 13, he and"Playboy" Buddy Rosefought to a time limit draw for the vacant title six days later in San Francisco on August 19 (Rose would eventually defeat"Superfly" Jimmy Snukain a tournament final to win the title the following month on September 16).

Return to Vancouver[edit]

Higuchi later returned to his home territory in All-Star Wrestling and, withKlondike Mike,defeatedAl TomkoandIgor Volkoffon November 30, 1981.[20]Feuding withTerry Adonis,he teamed with Moondog Moretti to defeat Adonis and Timothy Flowers in a tag team match on January 24, 1983.[21]He retired later that year.

Personal life and death[edit]

In 1990, Higuchi sold his gym and retired to Canada where he ran a deli and was involved as a social worker in Vancouver, British Columbia.[22]

On February 20, 2021, Higuchi died from complications of chronic traumatic encephalopathy at the age of 80. His death was reported by former WWE referee Kevin Jefferies a week later, who believes his death was caused by his early days playing football.[23][24]

Championships and accomplishments[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^The Honolulu Advertiser, 27 December 1976, pg. 22
  2. ^Dean HoWrestlingdata.com Retrieved Apr 1, 2020
  3. ^abcdeDean HoCagematch.net Retrieved Apr 1, 2020
  4. ^abcJohnson, Steven (April 19, 2010).""Ho! Ho! Ho!" cries still ring out for Dean "Ho" Higuchi ".SLAM! Wrestling.Retrieved2010-04-19.
  5. ^"Gym founder, wrestler Dean 'Ho' Higuchi lives in Canada".Honolulu Star-Bulletin.2000-10-04. Archived fromthe originalon 2005-12-19.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  6. ^Brown, Mike(2006-12-09)."Mike Brown's 40 Years of Experience in Strength Training".Leviticus11.com. Archived fromthe originalon 2016-03-04.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  7. ^"Beauregarde - Glamor Boy of the mat is colorful: Beauregard's wrestling abilities".Wrestling Revue Magazine. September 1968. Archived fromthe originalon April 23, 2010.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  8. ^Mooneyham, Mike (2007-08-05)."The Wrestling Gospel According to Mike Mooneyham: 'God Of Wrestling' Gotch Dead".MikeMooneyham.com. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-10-13.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  9. ^"WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Redux No. 61".WrestlingClassics.com. April 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  10. ^"The New WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 161-2001".WrestlingClassics.com. June 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  11. ^Nevada, Vance (2004)."Bill Dromo (1958-1981)".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-10-26.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  12. ^Atkinson, Bill."50th State Big Time Wrestling: Wrestling Results (1966)".50thStateBigtimeWrestling.com.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  13. ^"The New WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 053".WrestlingClassics.com. August 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  14. ^"Records of N.W.A. World Heavyweight Championship Matches: 1968-69".Puroresu Dojo. 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  15. ^"Spotlight - Angelo Mosca".MapleLeafWrestling.com. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-10-09.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  16. ^"National Wrestling Alliance Encyclopedia: Canadian Tag Team Title".NationalWrestlingAlliance.com. 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-09-19.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  17. ^Nevada, Vance (June 30, 2005)."Wrestling Results Archive: Sailor White".SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012.RetrievedOctober 9,2007.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  18. ^"The WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 621".WrestlingClassics.com. April 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  19. ^"The WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 702".WrestlingClassics.com. April 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  20. ^Elder, Rob (2004)."Regional Territories: All-Star Wrestling, Page #2".KayfabeMemories.com.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  21. ^"The WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 758".WrestlingClassics.com. June 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  22. ^Teal, Scott (October 2006)."What Are The Legends Doing Today?".1wrestlinglegends.com. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-07-06.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  23. ^"Former WWWF Tag Team Champion Dean 'Ho' Higuchi Passes Away At the Age of 80".Wrestling Inc.28 February 2021.Retrieved2021-03-01.
  24. ^"Beloved bodybuilder turned wrestler Dean Ho dies".
  25. ^"N.W.A. United States Heavyweight Title (San Francisco)".Puroresu Dojo. 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  26. ^"N.W.A. World Tag Team Title (San Francisco)".Puroresu Dojo. 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  27. ^Johnson, Steve (April 22, 2010)."Ross, DiBiase lead parade of honorees at CAC banquet".Slam Wrestling.RetrievedSeptember 27,2020.
  28. ^"N.W.A. Georgia Tag Team Title".Puroresu Dojo. 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  29. ^"N.W.A. Canadian Tag Team Title".Puroresu Dojo. 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  30. ^"N.W.A. International Tag Team Title (Vancouver)".Puroresu Dojo. 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  31. ^Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "(Dallas) Texas: NWA American Tag Team Title [Fritz Von Erich]".Wrestling Title Histories.Archeus Communications.ISBN978-0-9698161-5-7.
  32. ^"N.W.A. American Tag Team Title".Wrestling-Titles.com.RetrievedJanuary 19,2020.
  33. ^"N.W.A. Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title".Puroresu Dojo. 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.
  34. ^"W.W.W.F./W.W.F./W.W.E. World Tag Team Title".Puroresu Dojo. 2003.Retrieved2007-10-09.

Further reading[edit]

  • WWF's Star Dean Ho.Wrestling Revue Magazine.Sept. 1975

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dean_Ho_(wrestler)&oldid=1234296101"