Genichiro Tenryu Genichiro Tenryu ( " Tenryū Gen ' ichirō " ) , real name Genichiro Shimada ( 嶋田源一郎 " Shimada Gen ' ichirō " , February 2 , 1950 ) , is a Japan ese professional wrestler . At age 13 , he entered sumo wrestling and stayed there for 13 years , after which he turned to Western - style professional wrestling . " Tenryu " was his " shikona " . Sumo wrestling career . As a sumo wrestler , Tenryu was ranked as a " sekitori " for 27 tournaments , 16 of them in the top " makuuchi " division . His highest rank was " maegashira " 1 . Upon the death of his stablemaster at Nishonoseki stable he wanted to join former stablemate Daikirin ' s newly established Oshiogawa stable , which had just broken off from Nishonoseki , but the JSA insisted he stay at Nishonoseki whose new stablemaster , Kongō , he did not get along with . He finished one more tournament , and even though his career still showed promise , he decided to leave the sumo world at the young age of 26 in September 1976 . Professional wrestling career . Scouted by Giant Baba , the All Japan Pro Wrestling owner , Tenryu was sent to Amarillo , Texas to be trained by Dory Funk , Jr . and Terry Funk , and debuted in Texas in 1976 , against Ted DiBiase . After returning to Japan , he stayed in the undercard until about 1982 when he began to get a slight push in that year ' s Champion Carnival tournament . In 1983 , following a brief stint in Jim Crockett Promotions , his push began in earnest when Jumbo Tsuruta pursued the NWA International heavyweight title , now the main title in the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship . 1984 saw Tenryu winning the NWA United National title , now also part of the Triple Crown , as well as the NWA International tag team title with Tsuruta . Their combination was called " Kakuryu " ( 鶴 = " kaku " = " tsuru " ( the " tsuru " in Tsuruta ) + 龍 = " ryū " in Tenryū ) . The team feuded with Riki Chōshū and Yoshiaki Yatsu , who were the leaders in an " invasion " angle by the Japan Pro Wrestling promotion , an All Japan satellite made up of former New Japan Pro Wrestling talent . In 1987 , following the departure of the Japan Pro talent , Kakuryu broke up after losing the tag team titles to the Road Warriors , which led to Tenryu forming his own stable , " Revolution " , with former International Pro Wrestling wrestlers Ashura Hara and Hiromichi Fuyuki , as well as All Japan rookies Toshiaki Kawada , and Yoshinari Ogawa ; Tatsumi Kitahara would join the group upon his debut in 1988 . Tenryu and Hara feuded with Tsuruta and his new partner Yatsu over the PWF ( Pacific Wrestling Federation ) tag team titles and later with their replacement , the World Tag Team Championship ( a combination of the PWF and NWA International tag belts ) . Hara was kicked out of the promotion in late 1988 , and Tenryu replaced him with Stan Hansen , with whom he held the World Tag Team Championship as well . 1989 was Tenryu ' s banner year . Tsuruta became the first Triple Crown champion on April 18 of that year , and just two days later Tenryu became his first challenger . The Tsuruta - Tenryu series that ensued set the standard for all Triple Crown matches and feuds to follow . When Tenryu won the belts on June 5 , the match was so spectacular it was deemed Match of the Year by major Japanese publications . The same year saw him finally pin his mentor Baba , albeit in a tag match - but still a major success for a Japanese wrestler . Only Mitsuharu Misawa would follow him to that . In addition , Tenryu was chosen to be one - third of the NWA World 6 - Man Tag Team Champions with the Road Warriors after the Road Warriors turned heel against their former co - holder of the title , Dusty Rhodes . However , Tenryu ' s increasing commitments to All Japan meant less time to wrestle in the United States , and this resulted in the six man championship being vacated and temporarily being abandoned until 1991 , when it was temporarily resurrected as a World Championship Wrestling championship . Tenryu ' s most high - profile North American match was for the World Wrestling Federation in 1991 at WrestleMania VII , where he teamed with Koji Kitao to defeat Demolition . He also appeared in both the 1993 Royal Rumble and 1994 Royal Rumble ; in the latter he made it to the final five but was eliminated by eventual co - winners Lex Luger and Bret Hart . An angle had he and The Great Kabuki hired as mercenaries by Yokozuna ' s manager , Mr . Fuji , to attack Luger and prevent him from winning . In April 1990 , Tenryu left All Japan to form SWS . After its collapse in June 1992 , Tenryu , aided by Masatomo Takei ( brother of his wife Makiyo ) formed WAR . WAR became his base from where he would take on top wrestlers from other promotions , such as Atsushi Onita , Nobuhiko Takada , The Great Muta , Shinya Hashimoto and Masahiro Chono , all of whom he defeated . He also traded victories with Tatsumi Fujinami and Antonio Inoki , thus becoming the only Japanese wrestler to defeat both Inoki and Baba by pinfall . In 1998 , as WAR went into decline , Tenryu began an earnest comeback , this time in New Japan . He first joined Heisei Ishingun , allied with its leader Shiro Koshinaka , and they won the IWGP Tag Team Championship from Team Wolf , Masahiro Chono and Hiroyoshi Tenzan . In December 1999 , Tenryu made history as the first native to win the top two distinctions of professional wrestling in Japan ( All Japan ' s Triple Crown and New Japan ' s IWGP Heavyweight title ) by beating Mutoh for the IWGP title . ( The first man to win both titles was Big Van Vader , an American . ) In 2000 , following the near - collapse of All Japan due to the Pro Wrestling Noah split , Tenryu closed WAR and rejoined All Japan , eager to test his mettle against the remaining ace , his former disciple Kawada . Tenryu beat Kawada in the subsequent tournament for the vacant Triple Crown , winning the belts for a second time . In his second stay in All Japan , he would capture the belts a third time and also the World Tag Team Championship with former WAR - UWFI feud rival Yoji Anjo . In 2003 , he joined Fighting World of Japan Pro Wrestling for a few matches , but as it declined rapidly , he switched back and forth aimlessly between New Japan and All Japan . In 2005 , he entered Noah , and began feuds with Misawa , Kenta Kobashi , and other wrestlers he knew from his first All Japan stint , as well as new faces he ' s never met in the ring before , such as Jun Akiyama . Tenryu has been also been with the HUSTLE promotion and was a part of the main heel group led by Generalissimo Takada . During this time , he teamed with Toshiaki Kawada mainly . At HUSTLE Aid 2007 , however , Tenryu was defeated by Razor Ramon HG and joined the main face group led by Razor Ramon HG , HUSTLE Army . In December 2009 , following the folding of Hustle , Tenryu began running his own Tenryu Project promotion . He still makes forays into other promotions , still active even past age 60 .