WWE Hall of Famer and one of Bruce Mitchell’s favorite wrestling people/managers, Mr. Fuji gone at age 82(RIP)

WWE Hall of Famer Mr. Fuji (Harry Fujiwara) has died at age 82….Mr. Fuji was a very good wrestler and an outstanding professional wrestling manager and he will be missed by Bruce Mitchell and others that write about and cover the field of sports entertainment…Bruce Mitchell with over 30 years of writing for the Pro Wrestling Torch and one of the oldest wrestling writers still alive and active today….

RIP Mr. Fuji and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Don Muraco in 2007….
*****He wore a black tuxedo and bowler hat–akin to the James Bond series character Oddjob…..*****

CLICK HERE for a rundown on Mr. Fuji from the Pro Wrestling Torch, home of Senior writer Bruce Mitchell….

Here is the history of Mr. Fuji as a wrestling manager in the WWE, courtesy of Wikipedia at www.wikipedia.org:

Managerial career (1985–1996)
Fuji retired from wrestling in 1985 and became a heel manager. As a manager, Fuji would “blind” his opponents by throwing salt in their eyes, or he or his wrestler(s) would hit their opponent with his ever present cane. He wore a black tuxedo and bowler hat–akin to the James Bond series character Oddjob, and would carry a little bag of salt on his person. His first client was George Steele. However, Steele would go on to become a fan favorite and left Fuji. Fuji’s next client was Don Muraco. They both formed a popular duo and appeared in a video package called “Fuji Vice”, which was a mockery of Miami Vice. Fuji and Muraco then began a feud with Ricky Steamboat, resulting in Steamboat defeating Fuji in several matches during the feud. Fuji briefly managed Jim Neidhart, whose contract he later sold to Jimmy Hart. In 1987, he bought the contract of Demolition (Ax and Smash) from Luscious Johnny V. He then managed Demolition to the Tag Team Championship as well as bringing Killer Khan and Sika back to the WWF. Fuji would also acquire Kamala from The Wizard managing him both in singles as well as in a tag team with Sika. At Survivor Series, he turned on Demolition and began managing Demolition’s rival tag team, The Powers of Pain (Warlord and Barbarian). Interviewed after the contest, Fuji claimed that he had turned on Demolition because, since winning the championship, they had become insubordinate and disrespectful towards him, whereas the Powers would be utterly obedient and loyal apprentices. For their part, Demolition denounced their former manager as a parasite, labelling him “Fuj the Stooge.”

At WrestleMania V, Fuji teamed with the Powers of Pain in a 3-on-2 handicap match against Demolition for their Tag Team Championship. Fuji and Powers were defeated after Ax pinned Fuji following a Demolition Decapitation. Fuji sold the individual contracts of Powers of Pain to managers Slick and Bobby Heenan and brought The Orient Express (Pat Tanaka and Akio Sato) to the WWF. Orient Express got involved in a feud with The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty), whom The Orient Express defeated by count out (thanks to Sato throwing the salt in Janetty’s eyes) at Wrestlemania VI. Orient Express got involved in Demolition’s feud with the Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal). Fuji reunited with Demolition (who by this time had a third member, Crush) at that point. Demolition was phased out while the Orient Express took on Legion of Doom in matches. Fuji then briefly managed The Berzerker in late 1991.

Fuji’s greatest success and popularity as a manager came in November 1992 when he introduced the mammoth Yokozuna to the WWF. Under Fuji’s tutelage, Yokozuna won the 1993 Royal Rumble match and two WWF World Championships, first from Bret Hart at WrestleMania IX, and again from Hulk Hogan at King of the Ring. Later that year, Fuji was joined by “spokesman” James E. Cornette. In late 1993, Fuji once again began managing Crush after he turned on Randy Savage. During this time he again changed his appearance, abandoning the tuxedo and bowler hat in favor of a traditional Japanese kimono and carrying the Japanese flag.

Fuji was last seen accompanying Yokozuna to the ring for a six-man tag team match involving Yokozuna against “Camp Cornette” at WrestleMania 12. By this point Yokozuna had fired Cornette and became a fan favorite; Fuji joined him in the endeavor, even carrying the American flag at times. Fuji left the WWF shortly after and retired from the pro wrestling business.

*****RIP Harry Fujiwara*****