Master Fuji, Mr. Fuji, The Devious One, The Samurai Warrior
Birthdate:
05/04/1935
From:
Honolulu, Hawaii
Show:
WWE
Wrestling Bio:
Harry Fujiwara (born May 4, 1935), known best by the ring name Mr. Fuji, is a former all time heel professional wrestler, who is best known for his work as a manager. As a manager, he would often throw salt in the eyes of face wrestlers. Although he was billed as Japanese, he was in fact a Japanese-American born in Hawaii.
As a wrestler, Mr. Fuji held the World Wrestling Federations WWF Tag Team Championship several times with different partners including Professor Toru Tanaka (3 times when the company was known as the WWWF), with one of their reigns being the third longest tag team title reign in the WWE/F/WF, and also Mr. Saito (twice when it was known as the WWF). Fuji is one of the most respected tag team wrestlers in World Wrestling Federation history, having held one half of the World Tag Team titles longer than any other wrestler.
Fuji would blind his opponents by throwing salt in their eyes. He would carry a little bag of salt in his tights. The throwing of the salt was a take-off on what sumo wrestlers do as they enter the ring. The meaning is said to be a way to invite good luck before the match. This was particularly emphasized when Mr. Fuji managed Yokozuna.
Among the wrestlers who were victimized by the blinding salt were Rick Martel, Chief Jay Strongbow, Jules Strongbow, Bret Hart and Ricky Steamboat.
Before joining the WWF, he had a career in Hawaii with Peter Maivias Wrestling Hawaii. He often was associated with one of Hawaiis biggest heels, Tor Kamata.
After leaving wrestling, Fujiwara retired to the city of Knoxville, Tennessee. In 1997, he sued the makers of the video game WCW vs. nWo World Tour claiming that the character Master Fuji was based on him. The outcome of the lawsuit is unknown.
Fujiwara operated a training dojo out of Jefferson City, Tennessee, and Dandridge, Tennessee, until 2001. The school is credited with creating current independent professional wrestlers The Prodigy Shane Andrews, Robbie Race, and Scotty Atomic.
On the March 12, 2007 episode of WWE RAW, it was announced that Fujiwara would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2007. He is the first Asian-American to be inducted.
Wrestlers managed by Mr. Fuji
* George The Animal Steele
* Magnificent Muraco
* Killer Kahn
* Jim Neidhart
* Sika
* Kamala
* Demolition (Ax & Smash)
* Powers of Pain (The Barbarian & The Warlord)
* Berzerker
* Jeff Jarrett (for one match against Lex Luger)
* The Orient Express (Pat Tanaka & Akio Sato and later Kato)
* Crush
* Yokozuna
* Owen Hart
* Bob Orton, Jr.
Championships and accomplishments International Wrestling Alliance
* IWA Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Tiger Jeet Singh
Mid-Southern Wrestling
* Mid-Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Toru Tanaka
National Wrestling Alliance
National
* NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (1 time)
Regional
* NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Toru Tanaka
* NWA Hawaiian Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Karl Von Steiger
* NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Genichiro Tenryu
* NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (4 times) – with Haru Sasaki (3) and Tony Borne (1)
* NWA Southeast Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Toru Tanaka
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
* PWI ranked him # 445 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the PWI Years in 2003.
World Wrestling Council
* WWC North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
* WWC North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Pierre Martel
World Wrestling Entertainment
* WWWF / WWF World Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Toru Tanaka (3) and Mr. Saito (2)
* WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
Other Titles
* British Empire Commonwealth Championship (1 time)
Wrestling Bio: