Pat Tanaka
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| Pat Tanaka | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Tanaka San El Gato GOKU-DO |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Billed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Born | August 5, 1963 Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Billed from | Tokyo, Japan |
| Trained by | Duke Keomuka |
| Debut | 1985 |
Pat Tanaka - born Patrick Tanaka on August 5, 1963 in Honolulu, Hawaii is a professional wrestler. He is the son of legendary Duke Keomuka.
Contents |
[edit] Early Days
Pat Tanaka started wrestling as a jobber in Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985 after being trained by his father, Duke Keomuka. His skill was evident and he was allowed a lot of offense during his matches.
In 1986, Tanaka went to Mid-Southern Wrestling and formed the tag team called Badd Company with Paul Diamond. They were successful and won the CWA/AWA International Tag Team Championship titles four times while there.
[edit] AWA
In late 1987, they left Mid-Southern for the American Wrestling Association where they were accompanied by flamboyant manager Diamond Dallas Page, who always had some Diamond Dolls with him.
The young team won the AWA World Tag Team Championship by beating The Midnight Rockers and would go on to hold them for over a year. They feuded with Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, Chavo and Mando Guerrero, Ricky Rice and Derrick Dukes, and Ken Patera and Brad Rheingans.
Upon losing their titles in 1989 to Ken Patera and Brad Rheingans, they split with DDP and engaged in a brief feud before concentrating on singles competition.
[edit] WWF
In early 1990 Tanaka joined the World Wrestling Federation as a part of The Orient Express along with Akio Sato under the management of Mr. Fuji. The Original Orient Express wrestled through out most of 1990 appearing at WrestleMania VI, Summer Slam 1990 and Survivor Series 1990
When Akio Sato decided leave the US wrestling scene in the latter days of 1990 the WWF decided to reunite the team known as Badd Company only this time with Paul Diamond wearing and using the name of Kato. During this time the team had a very well received match with their old enemies the Rockers at the 1991 Royal Rumble and another good match against the New Foundation at the 1992 Royal Rumble – which were the only two PPV appearances for the New Orient Express.
Sato briefly rejoined the team during the end of their run in the WWF, and they wrestled in 6-man tag team competition for a short while until both Tanaka and Sato left the company.
[edit] After the WWF
Pat Tanaka resurfaced in WCW a couple of years later both using his real name as as the masked “El Gato”, neither meeting with great success. He originally had the theme music that Bill Goldberg made famous in WCW. At one point WCW signed Paul Diamond and had him use the “Kato” gimmick although he was called “Haito”. The two men even wrestled a couple of matches together but they never achieved any notoriety in WCW.
Tanaka now appears in New Japan Pro Wrestling as "GOKU-DO". He also wrestles for Dory Funk, Jr.'s BANG promotion in Florida.
[edit] Personal
In mid-March 2006, Tanaka opened Fighting Spirit Dojo in Minster, Ohio with shoot-fighter Jody Poff. Poff teaches a group of mixed-martial-artists while Tanaka teaches judo to more than 50 students.
Not long after, Tanaka and Poff moved their dojo to St. Marys, Ohio.
[edit] Factions
- Badd Company
- The Orient Express
- Total Elimination
[edit] Managers
- Downtown Bruno (David Lauer)
- Diamond Dallas Page (Page Falkenburg)
- Madusa Miceli (Debra Miceli)
- Mr. Fuji (Harry Fujiwara)
- Sonny King
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
-
- AWA Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Paul Diamond
- AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Paul Diamond
-
- CWA/AWA International Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Paul Diamond (4) and Jeff Jarret (1)
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- PWI ranked him # 355 of the 500 best singles wrestlers during the "PWI Years" in 2003.
- PWI ranked him # 99 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years" with Paul Diamond.
- Other Titles
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- ICWA Junior Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- UWA Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Bulldog K.T.
- WAW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
