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Kim Duk

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Kim Duk
Toguchi, circa 1988
Born(1948-02-07)February 7, 1948(age 76)[1][2]
Tokyo,Japan[1][2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Kim Duk[1][2][3]
Tiger Chung Lee[1][2][3]
Tiger Toguchi[1][2][3]
Ultra Seven[1][2][3]
YAMATO[1][2][3]
Masanori Toguchi[1][2]
Billed height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[4]
Billed weight289 lb (131 kg)[4]
Billed fromSeoul,South Korea
Trained byKarl Gotch
Kintarō Ōki
Dory Funk, Jr.
DebutAugust 30, 1968[1][2]
RetiredMay 31, 2022

Masanori Toguchi(Hộ khẩu chính đức,Toguchi Masanori,born February 7, 1948),also known by his Korean name and ring nameKim Duk(Korean:김덕;Hanja:Kim đức;キム・ドク), is a retired Zainichi Koreanprofessional wrestler.He was also known by the nameTiger Chung Leein theWorld Wrestling Federation.

Early life[edit]

Masanori Toguchi was a basketball player and jūdōka during his high school days. After graduation, he joined theJapan Pro Wrestling Alliancedojo with the recommendation fromKintarō Ōki.SinceSeiji Sakaguchi,another jūdōka, joined the JWA during the same time, it caused a conflict between the jūdō and puroresu industries. Toguchi was sent to South Korea for half a year with "special training" as an excuse until the issue died out.

Professional wrestling career[edit]

1960s–1970s[edit]

Masanori Toguchi debuted for Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance on August 30, 1968, against future NJPW referee Katsuhisa Shibata. During his rookie year, he was also trained byKarl Gotch.In his days in JWA, he was Ōki's student. When JWA folded in 1972, Toguchi went to theUnited States,where he developed himself as a heel under his Korean real name,Kim Duk.He spent the next four years roaming aroundNWAterritories and in theAmerican Wrestling Association.In 1976, he returned to Japan forAll Japan Pro Wrestling,while wrestling for the NWA'sMid-Atlantic territoryin the States. He was managed byBoris Malenkoin the Mid-Atlantic area, often teaming with another Malenko protege,The Masked Superstar.During his Mid-Atlantic run, Duk had a short-lived feud with then-reigningMid-Atlantic Heavyweight ChampionWahoo McDaniel.In AJPW, he had a heated rivalry withJumbo Tsuruta.In 1979, he would defect toInternational Wrestling Enterprise,before defecting toNew Japan Pro-Wrestlingin 1981.

1980s–1990s[edit]

In 1982, Kim Duk began wrestling for the NWA'sKansas City territory,before moving to theWorld Wrestling Federationin 1983 under the nameTiger Chung Lee.After leaving the WWF in 1988, he went back to the Kim Duk name and wrestled forWorld Wrestling Councilin Puerto Rico. Upon his return to Japan in 1991, he balanced wrestling for various promotions includingNew Japan Pro-Wrestlingbetween 1991 and 1992,W*INGbetween 1992 and 1993, andWARin 1994. Between 1993 and 1994, he would wrestle in Mexico forUniversal Wrestling Associationunder the nameYAMATO.By 1995, he retired from wrestling.

2000s–2020s[edit]

In 2001, Kim Duk made his return to AJPW, helping out the promotion during their crisis after thePro Wrestling Noahexodus.

Kim Duk had since remained semi-retired and works for a non-profit organization. He still wrestles on special legends matches from time to time. Since 2007, he has been running Wrestle-Aid. His last match as a full-time wrestler was on May 6, 2011, in a tag team match, teaming with Raideen against Masaru Toi and Red Tiger.

He returned to wrestling in February 2018. On June 10, 2018, at the age of 70, he won theWEW Heavyweight Championshipdefeating Daisaku Shimoda at a show for Pro Wrestling A-Team in Tokyo, Japan. He lost the title back to Shimoda on January 19, 2019.

In September 2019, Kim Duk pulled out of Tokyo Championship Wrestling's (TCW) tour due to chest pains, which ended up beingarrhythmia.In December 2019, he flew to Cleveland, Ohio in the United States to undergo surgery at theCleveland Clinicto put a catheter in his heart. In February 2020, TCW held a benefit show to help pay for his surgery.

On May 31, 2022, Duk would wrestle his last match on at theJumbo Tsurutatribute show at Korakuen Hall, officially retiring after nearly fifty four years.

Acting career[edit]

In 1986, while wrestling in the U.S. for the WWF, Kim Duk made his acting debut as a henchman ofCharles Dance's character, Sardo Numspa, inThe Golden Child,which starredEddie Murphy.[5][6]Two years later, he portrayed a Georgian mobster named Andrei 'The Mongol Hippie' in theArnold Schwarzeneggerfilm,Red Heat.[5][6]A year later, he acted in two more films,Blind FurystarringRutger Hauer,andCage,starringLou Ferrigno.[5][6]In 2012, after a long hiatus from acting, Kim Duk portrayed Lee in the film,Mountain Mafia.[5]

Championships and accomplishments[edit]

Lucha de Apuesta record[edit]

See also:Luchas de Apuestas
Wager Winner Loser Location Date Notes
Mask Dos Caras YAMATO Naucalpan,Mexico August 1, 1993 Mask vs. Mask vs. Mask Triangle Match that also includedEl Canek
Hair El Canek YAMATO Naucalpan, Mexico August 15, 1993 Mask vs. Hair Match

References[edit]

  1. ^abcdefghi"Kim Duk « Wrestlers Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database".www.cagematch.net.
  2. ^abcdefghija:タイガー hộ khẩu
  3. ^abcde"The Wrestler Best 1000".Nippon Sports Publishing. May 20, 1996.
  4. ^abShields, Brian; Sullivan, Kevin (2009).WWE Encyclopedia.DK.p.305.ISBN978-0-7566-4190-0.
  5. ^abcd"Tiger Chung Lee".IMDb.
  6. ^abc"Movies That Feature Pro Wrestlers".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-05-15.
  7. ^"PUROLOVE.com".www.purolove.com.
  8. ^"Open Tag League 1977 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database".www.cagematch.net.
  9. ^"Real World Tag League 1978 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database".www.cagematch.net.
  10. ^"Real World Tag League 1979 « Tournaments Database « CAGEMATCH - The Internet Wrestling Database".www.cagematch.net.
  11. ^Đông kinh スポーツ プロレス đại thưởng.Tokyo Sports(in Japanese).Retrieved2014-01-20.

External links[edit]

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