Post by Zach Arnold on Jun 25, 2017 1:08:54 GMT -5
headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170624-00000035-tospoweb-fight
Mr. Pogo died at 12:21 AM on June 23rd after suffering complications (stroke) from back surgery. He had previous surgeries over the last few months regarding back and hip problems.
Pogo became a wrestler in the early 70s and debuted for New Japan before working in the United States and eventually Puerto Rico. He struggled financially to make it as a full-timer, often working side jobs.
Trying to capitalize on the fears of Japanese wrestling fans about Puerto Rico after Bruiser Brody was stabbed, Onita feuded with Mr. Pogo & WWC fixer Victor Quinones and was "stabbed" in order to get revenge. Onita & Pogo had a violent brawl in November of 1990 at Komazawa Park Gym. A year later (in 1991), Pogo and Quinones left FMW and transferred to W*ING.
Pogo had one of wrestling's most famous feuds in the 1990s with "Mr. Danger" Mitsuhiro Matsunaga. Pogo set Matsunaga's head on fire. The two had a Puerto Rico-style fire death match at Funabashi Auto Race park on August 2nd, 1992 using Japanese propane burners. After losing the match, Pogo split away from manager Victor Quinones and turned babyface.
Less than a year after the fire death match, Pogo jumped from W*ING back to FMW and proceeded to have a red hot, two year wild feud with Atsushi Onita. The burner and the healer. Pogo's jump was the first sign of W*ING's collapse. Matsunaga would jump to FMW months later.
Quinones would regroup after W*ING's collapse with IWA Japan. There were money issues in late 1995 and Quinones left the promotion, bringing in his stable of wrestlers to invade FMW on February 23rd, 1996 at Korakuen Hall. It was the Headhunters and Pogo representing the Puerto Rico army again. Pogo and Terry Funk would defeat Hayabusa & Masato Tanaka on May 5th, 1996 at Kawasaki Stadium. It was one year after Atsushi Onita's retirement but Onita would never go away. Running out of babyfaces, FMW turned Pogo babyface within a month and he would be opposite Terry Funk on August 1st, 1996 at Shiodome in Tokyo in a glass crush fire match. Pogo hurt his neck severely in the match and was never physically the same again. He had a "retirement" match on December 11th, 1996 at Komazawa Park Gym in Tokyo. Pogo was not happy about Onita's retirement plan for him and bolted to Big Japan Pro-Wrestling shortly after his "retirement" match.
Pogo continued wrestling independent dates up until his death.
headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170624-00000026-tospoweb-fight
In an amusing story, it was revealed that Pogo had considered and formulated a plan to fight Rickson Gracie in the 1990s.
Mr. Pogo died at 12:21 AM on June 23rd after suffering complications (stroke) from back surgery. He had previous surgeries over the last few months regarding back and hip problems.
Pogo became a wrestler in the early 70s and debuted for New Japan before working in the United States and eventually Puerto Rico. He struggled financially to make it as a full-timer, often working side jobs.
Trying to capitalize on the fears of Japanese wrestling fans about Puerto Rico after Bruiser Brody was stabbed, Onita feuded with Mr. Pogo & WWC fixer Victor Quinones and was "stabbed" in order to get revenge. Onita & Pogo had a violent brawl in November of 1990 at Komazawa Park Gym. A year later (in 1991), Pogo and Quinones left FMW and transferred to W*ING.
Pogo had one of wrestling's most famous feuds in the 1990s with "Mr. Danger" Mitsuhiro Matsunaga. Pogo set Matsunaga's head on fire. The two had a Puerto Rico-style fire death match at Funabashi Auto Race park on August 2nd, 1992 using Japanese propane burners. After losing the match, Pogo split away from manager Victor Quinones and turned babyface.
Less than a year after the fire death match, Pogo jumped from W*ING back to FMW and proceeded to have a red hot, two year wild feud with Atsushi Onita. The burner and the healer. Pogo's jump was the first sign of W*ING's collapse. Matsunaga would jump to FMW months later.
Quinones would regroup after W*ING's collapse with IWA Japan. There were money issues in late 1995 and Quinones left the promotion, bringing in his stable of wrestlers to invade FMW on February 23rd, 1996 at Korakuen Hall. It was the Headhunters and Pogo representing the Puerto Rico army again. Pogo and Terry Funk would defeat Hayabusa & Masato Tanaka on May 5th, 1996 at Kawasaki Stadium. It was one year after Atsushi Onita's retirement but Onita would never go away. Running out of babyfaces, FMW turned Pogo babyface within a month and he would be opposite Terry Funk on August 1st, 1996 at Shiodome in Tokyo in a glass crush fire match. Pogo hurt his neck severely in the match and was never physically the same again. He had a "retirement" match on December 11th, 1996 at Komazawa Park Gym in Tokyo. Pogo was not happy about Onita's retirement plan for him and bolted to Big Japan Pro-Wrestling shortly after his "retirement" match.
Pogo continued wrestling independent dates up until his death.
headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20170624-00000026-tospoweb-fight
In an amusing story, it was revealed that Pogo had considered and formulated a plan to fight Rickson Gracie in the 1990s.