JPWA: 1956 Japanese Weight Division Championships

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Japanese Weight Division Championships: 1956/10/15 - 10/24

This was a joint series with Yamaguchi Dojo (formerly All Japan Pro-Wrestling Force, not to be confused with Giant Baba's All Japan), Asia Pro-Wrestling (consisting of former wrestlers from International Pro-Wrestling Force, not to be confused with Isao Yoshiwara's IWE), and Toa Pro-Wrestling (a group of Korean wrestlers in Japan).
There is a big possibility of some, if not all, of the matches in the 10/15 card being completely shoot since this card was not open for the media or public and some matches ended with forfeit due to injuries. The fact that all three promotions started declining and Rikidōzan picked some of the wrestlers for his own JPWA after this series indicates something as well.

Weight Limits:
Light Heavyweight: under 86.28kg (190lb)
Junior Heavyweight: between 86.28kg (190lb) and 99.88kg (220lb)
Heavyweight: over 99.88kg (220lb)

The date & location in bold letters indicate the card has full results (incomplete results and/or missing venue name otherwise).

1956/10/15 Tokyo - Naniwa-cho Puroresu Center
Japanese Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament Round 1:
Hideo Azuma [Toa] def Youssef Turko [JPWA]
   - (20min limit draw)
   - Overtime: (20min limit draw)
   - Overtime: Azuma (0:15 arm lock)
Isao Yoshiwara [JPWA] def Tomio Miyajima [JPWA]
   - (20min limit draw)
   - Overtime: Yoshiwara (10:20 arm bar)
Kanji Higuchi [Yamaguchi] (2:11 arm bar) Hiroshi Oyama [JPWA]
Takeo Kaneko [JPWA] (9:41 arm bar) Kazuo Ando [Toa]
Yoshinosato [JPWA] (3:47 half crab) Genji Umehara [Toa]
Toshikazu Higa [JPWA] (9:48 half crab) Noboru Ichikawa [Yamaguchi]
Hakutoyama (4:53 pin) Hajime Degumi [=Mr. Chin, Yamaguchi]
Kiyotaka Otsubo [Asia] (4:19 body scissors) Sanshiro Miyama [Yamaguchi]
Japanese Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament Round 2:
Yoshiwara (17:10 pin) Azuma
Higuchi (5:48 forfeit due to injury) Kaneko
Yoshinosato (12:05 pin) Higa
Otsubo def Hakutoyama
   - (20min limit draw)
   - Overtime: Otsubo (14:15 forfeit due to injury)
Japanese Junior Heavyweight Championship Championship Tournament Round 1:
Surugaumi [JPWA] (25:33 pin) Jiro Yamazaki [Yamaguchi]
Osamu Abe [JPWA] (22:45) Takeo Naniwa [Asia]
Michiaki Yoshimura [Yamaguchi] (4:53) Hiroyasu Kato [Asia]
Daidoyama [Asia] (0:35 arm lock) Yonetaro Tanaka [JPWA]

1956/10/23 Tokyo - Ryogoku International Stadium (Nippon Univ. Auditorium) (4,000 or 5,000)
Japanese Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semi-Finals:
Isao Yoshiwara (26:25 pin) Kanji Higuchi [Yamaguchi]
Yoshinosato (17:42 pin) Kiyotaka Otsubo [Asia]
Japanese Junior Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semi-Finals:
Surugaumi (13:30 pin) Osamu Abe
Michiaki Yoshimura [Yamaguchi] (12:55 pin) Daidoyama
Japanese Heavyweight Championship Top Contender Tournament Round 1:
Shiro Tsukikage [Asia] (forfeit) Kokichi Endo [JPWA]
Toshio Yamaguchi [Yamaguchi] (3:10 pin) Tsunagoro Rashomon [JPWA]
Toyonobori [JPWA] (0:36 hammer lock) Masaaki Takemura [JPWA]
Azumafuji [JPWA] (6:33 pin) Kaichi Nagasawa [Yamaguchi]
Japanese Light Heavyweight Championship 2nd/3rd Contender Match: Kiyotaka Otsubo [Asia] (30min limit draw) Kanji Higuchi [Yamaguchi]
Japanese Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament Final: Yoshinosato (2-0) Isao Yoshiwara
1: Yoshinosato (11:53 abdominal stretch)
2: Yoshinosato (15:33 arm bar)
* Yoshinosato becomes the first champion.

1956/10/24 Tokyo - Ryogoku International Stadium (Nippon Univ. Auditorium) (4,000-6,000? TV)
Japanese Light Heavyweight Championship 4th/5th Contender Match: Toshikazu Higa [JPWA] (14:05 pin) Takeo Kaneko [JPWA]
Japanese Light Heavyweight Championship 2nd/3rd Contender Match (rematch): Kiyotaka Otsubo [Asia] (6:21) Kanji Higuchi [Yamaguchi]
Japanese Junior Heavyweight Championship 4th/5th Contender Match: Jiro Yamazaki [Yamaguchi] (12:41 pin) Hiroaki Kato [Asia]
Japanese Junior Heavyweight Championship 2nd/3rd Contender Match: Daidozan [Toa] (6:21) Osamu Abe [JPWA]
Japanese Heavyweight Championship Top Contender Tournament Semi-Finals:
Toshio Yamaguchi [Yamaguchi] (9:18 arm lock) Shiro Tsukikage [Asia]
Azumafuji (5:15 pin) Toyonobori
Japanese Heavyweight Championship 3rd/4th Contender Match: Toyonobori [JPWA] (9:55 boston crab) Shiro Tsukikage [Asia]
Japanese Junior Heavyweight Championship Tournament Final: Surugaumi (2-1) Yoshimura
   1: Yoshimura (15:38 full nelson?)
   2: Surugaumi (3:46 half crab)
   3: Surugaumi (5:12 body scissors)
* Surugaumi becomes the first champion.
Japanese Heavyweight Championship Top Contender Tournament Final: Azumafuji (1-1) Toshio Yamaguchi [Yamaguchi]
   1: Yamaguchi (3:37 arm lock)
   2: Azumafuji (1:05 bear hug)
   3: (3:41 DCOR)

1956/10/30 Osaka - Pref. Gym (8,000 or 10,000)
Youssef Turko [JPWA] (16:55 pin) Yonetaro Tanaka [JPWA]
Genji Umeda [Toa] (8:58 pin) Hiroaki Kato [Asia]
Hideo Azuma [Toa] (7:20 default) Kiyotaka Otsubo [Asia]
Osamu Abe [JPWA] (18:32 boston crab) Takeo Hayanami [Asia]
   * Or vice versa.
Masaaki Takemura [JPWA] (8:26 pin) Jiro Yamazaki [Yamaguchi]
Kaichi Nagasawa [JPWA] (30min limit draw) Shiro Tsukikage [Asia]
Daidozan [Toa] (7:20 NC) Isao Yoshiwara [JPWA]
   * Yoshiwara injured.
Toyonobori [JPWA] (11:47 pin) Michiaki Yoshimura [Yamaguchi]
Japanese Junior Heavyweight Title: Surugaumi* (1-1) Yoshinosato
   1: Surugaumi (21:58 pin)
   2: Yoshinosato (8:26)
   3: (45min limit draw)
Japanese Heavyweight Championship Top Contender Tournament Final (Rematch): Azumafuji (2-1) Toshio Yamaguchi [Yamaguchi]
   1: Azumafuji (5:36 bear hug)
   2: Yamaguchi (2:20 half crab)
   3: Azumafuji (5:24 pin)
   * Azumafuji, however, never wrestled Rikidōzan for the title.

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