It is being reported by Yahoo News that Hardcore wrestling pioneer Tetsuo Sekigawa, better known by his in-ring name Mr. Pogo, has passed away following a cerebral infarction sustained during a back surgery at a hospital in Gunma, Japan. He was 66-years-old at the time of his passing.
Mr. Pogo was well known for being one of the pioneers of hardcore wrestling. In his home country of Japan, he wrestled for several noteworthy promotions such as New Japan Pro Wrestling, Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling, W*ING and Big Japan Pro Wrestling.
Outside of Japan, he had also competed in Canada and the United States, having wrestled for Stampede Wrestling as well as several American territorial promotions.
Some of Mr. Pogo’s most noteworthy opponents in his long and illustrious career as a professional wrestler included Jake Roberts, Ric Flair, Harley Race, Dynamite Kid, Bret Hart, Kevin Sullivan, Terry Funk, but his most memorable opponent perhaps was the Hardcore Icon, Atsushi Onita, whom Pogo had several barbaric deathmatches with.
The deathmatches would end up becoming Pogo’s speciality later on in his career.
In a “Double Hell Death Match” that he wrestled against Terry Funk in 1996, Pogo broke his neck and was eventually forced into a semi-retired state. Nevertheless, he did return to in-ring action and never formally announced his actual retirement. At the time of his death, Mr. Pogo’s in-ring career had spanned 45 years.
Here’s one of Pogo’s most memorable matches against one of his most infamous opponents, Terry Funk. The match contains gore and blood, so readers with a weak stomach are advised to refrain from viewing it:
Mr. Pogo put his body and his well-being on the line for the entertainment of his fans many, many times over the course of his long career. He was a pioneer and a true legend of the Hardcore wrestling style and pushed the envelope to extremes that would inspire entire generations of wrestlers after him.
He might be gone now, but his fans shall cherish the memories that he has given them forever. There will certainly never be another like him for he truly was one of a kind. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in this difficult time.
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