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 Title History:
All Asia Tag Team Title (1):
AJPW World Tag Team Title (5):
IWGP Heavyweight Title (1):
IWGP Tag Team Title (1):
J-l Heavyweight Title (1):
NWA International Tag Team Title (2):
NWA 6 Man Tag Team Title (1):
NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Title (1):
NWA United National Heavyweight Title (2):
PWF Heavyweight Title (1):
PWF World Tag Team Title (1):
Triple Crown (3):
WAR 6 Man Tag Team Title (1):
WMG Tag Team Title (1):
Tournament History:
- Real World Tag League 1984: Jumbo Tsuruta & Genichiro Tenryu won a round-robin tournament.
Signature Moves:
- 53-years-old
Profile: After a successful career in sumo wrestling, Genichiro Shimada joined Giant Baba's All Japan Pro-Wrestling aged 26 in October, 1976. He was sent to Amarillo, Texas, to be trained by Dory Funk Jr., and debuted while over there against Ted DiBiase in a 15 minute draw. Throughout the 1980's, he established himself as one of All Japan's top names, having epic battles with the likes of Jumbo Tsuruta, one of his greatest rivals. In 1990, he left All Japan and took several wrestlers from there and New Japan to form SWS, a new promotion with heavy financial backing. The Japanese fans refused to accept SWS though, and it was a big failure, closing down in June, 1992. Shortly after, Tenryu formed a new, less artificial promotion called WAR, which gained a cult following and provided a unique alternative to All Japan and New Japan during it's existence. He worked closely with New Japan, headlining some of the biggest Tokyo Dome shows of the 1990's, and pinning the likes of Antonio Inoki (making him the only Japanese man to ever defeat both Inoki and Baba), Riki Choshu, and Tatsumi Fujinami. Not only did he make waves in the traditional wrestling scene, but also in the upstart Death Match scene, defeating Atsushi Onita on FMW's 5/5/94 Kawasaki Stadium show in an a No Rope Explosive Barbed Wire Cage Death Match. In December, 1999, he again made history when he dethroned Keiji Muto to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title, becoming the first Japanese wrestler to have held both that title and the Triple Crown. When All Japan was crippled by the loss of all but two natives in mid-2000, Tenryu was allowed back into the company, instantly developing a rivalry with his former disciple, Toshiaki Kawada, and defeating him to win the vacant Triple Crown on in October, 2002. He also revived his feud with Muto during the All Japan/New Japan alliance, and then after Muto joined All Japan full-time in 2002, the two continued to trade victories. He left All Japan as a full-timer in 2003, becoming a freelancer, and in January, 2004, returned to New Japan and became a regular for the rest of the year, before continuing his freelancing ways in 2005. Nicknamed "Mr. Puroresu", Tenryu truly lives up to the billing, having done it all; won almost every major title, many important tournaments, having conquered some of the greatest wrestlers to ever live. This ageless wonder remains one of the world's best wrestlers, despite being well into his 50s. Perhaps no wrestler has been at the top of the sport for so long, yet Tenryu continues to dominate.
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