New Japan announced today the death of former wrestler and karate instructor Masashi Aoyagi, who died Tuesday according to an announcement from Pro Wrestling ZERO1. He was 65. Aoyagi first got into wrestling after an MMA fight against Atsushi Onita in 1989, during which time Apyagi was the director of a karate dojo, which led to them having a match in FMW. Aoyagi then debuted in New Japan in 1990, where he had an MMA match against Jushin Thunder Liger, then he formed his own faction in 1992 with, among others, current NOAH wrestler Akitoshi Saito, one of Aoyagi’s karate students. Aoyagi later continued making appearances throughout Japanese wrestling promotions, always sticking to a karate-based style.
New Japan’s obituary story in Japanese can be read below:
https://sp.njpw.jp/366230
