Tor Kamata

Tor Kamata
Birth name McRonald Kamaka
Born (1937-03-09)March 9, 1937[1]
Hawaii[1]
Died July 23, 2007(2007-07-23) (aged 70)
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s) Tor Kamata
Tor Kamaka
"King" Tor Kamaka
Mr. Moto
Dr. Moto
Killer Moto
Billed height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Billed weight 350 lb (159 kg)
Billed from Japan
Debut 1959
Retired 1987

McRonald Kamaka[2] (March 9, 1937 – July 23, 2007) was an American-Canadian professional wrestler known by the ring name Tor Kamata. He won several heavyweight and tag team championships, including a world tag team title. He was a classic heel, reviled for dirty tricks in the ring, included rubbing salt in his opponent's eyes.

Professional wrestling career

After returning to Hawaii after leaving the United States Air Force, 50th State Big Time Wrestling promoter Ed Francis convinced Kamaka to try professional wrestling.[1] He was given the name Tor Kamata in reference to Tomas De Torquemada of the Spanish Inquisition.[1] He also worked as Mr. Moto, holding the American Wrestling Association's AWA World Tag Team Championship with Mitsu Arakawa. One of his signature moves, the "judo chop" became a popular phrase for all types of martial arts strikes in the 1960s, even being mentioned by Snoopy in the comic strip "Peanuts" (21Dec64,14Jan67). A generation later, the phrase was satirised in the Austin Powers films.[1]

In the early 1970s, Kamata worked for Stampede Wrestling in Canada, where he held the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship three times.[1] In the promotion, he feuded with Dan Kroffat.[1]

In 1976 and 1977, Kamata wrestled in the World Wide Wrestling Federation. Managed by Freddie Blassie, he had two memorable matches with Bob Backlund when Backlund was on the brink of becoming the WWWF Champion. In the first, Kamata threw salt into Backlund's eyes, which set the stage for a televised Texas Death match, aired May 7, 1977. Again Kamata threw salt in Backlund's eyes, so Backlund merely used the referee's shirt to wipe it out. Then Backlund delivered an Atomic Knee Drop and won the match. At the time, Superstar Billy Graham had just defeated Bruno Sammartino for the championship and Backlund was being built up as the number one contender.

Personal life

Kamata was an amateur wrestler during high school.[1] He was a club bouncer before becoming a professional wrestler.[1] He joined the United States Air Force and trained with amateur wrestlers in Turkey.[1] During the 1970s, he owned restaurants in Calgary, Alberta, and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where he also ran a shiatsu business.[1][2]

Kamata died on July 23, 2007, in Saskatoon after almost a decade of heart disease.[2]

Championships and accomplishments

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Oliver, Greg (July 7, 2004). "Tor Kamata: Mean but nice". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Oliver, Greg (July 26, 2007). "Tor Kamata dead at 70". SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  3. ↑ Real World Tag League 1978 at purolove.com retrieved on October 6, 2018
  4. ↑ Royal Duncan and Gary Will (2006). "(Kansas and Western Missouri) West Missouri: North American Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 253. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  5. ↑ "NWA North American Tag Team Title (Central States version)". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame (1948-1990)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
  7. ↑ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  8. ↑ "W.W.A. World Tag Team Title (Indianapolis)". Puroresu Dojo. 2003.
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