Osamu Kido, who was a part of the first roster of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, passed away at the age of 73.
Kido’s family revealed his passing on Thursday. According to Nikkan Sports, Kido had been getting treatment for his cancer for a number of years until he passed away on December 11.
Kido was a member of NJPW at its founding in 1972. He and Akira Maeda held the IWGP Tag Team titles in 1986. They were the second squad to win the titles in history.
Kido, a wrestler with the old UWF from 1984 to 1985, was a protégé of Karl Gotch.
Kido trained WWE talent Shinsuke Nakamura at the NJPW dojo. Nakamura honored Kido early this morning by sharing a picture of the two of them.
Following Kido’s passing, NJPW offered its condolences to his friends, family, and supporters:
Kido made his professional debut for JWA on February 21 1969, before wrestling on the first ever NJPW event in March 1972, and on his excursion to the US, received guidance and instruction from Karl Gotch.
Kido joined the first UWF in September 1984, incorporating a pioneering martial arts technique into his in-ring technique. After Kido made a comeback to NJPW in 1985, he and Akira Maeda won the IWGP Tag Team Championships on August 5, 1986.
Kido’s technical proficiency, which he acquired straight from the esteemed Karl Gotch, earned him the moniker “Ibushi silver,” which refers to a delicately exquisite handmade piece of genius. Kido’s passing has left all of New Japan Pro-Wrestling extremely grieved, and we send our sincere condolences to Kido’s friends, family, and supporters.