Kintaro Oki, 77, Korean Pro Wrestler
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Korean professional wrestling legend Kim Il, who went by the Japanese name Kintaro Oki and won fame in both Japan and South Korea, died in Seoul October 26. He was 77.
Kim, master of the head-butt knockout in matches, became a wrestling star in Japan in 1960s and 1970s along with Shohei “Giant” Baba and Kanji “Antonio” Inoki.
Kim, who adored Rikidozan (Kim Shin Rak), the Korean-born wrestling hero in Japan during the time the country was making a comeback from defeat in World War II, smuggled himself into Japan in 1958.
He was later detained for illegal entry but Rikidozan secured Kim’s immigration status as one of his disciples.
He joined the then Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance in 1959 and climbed the ladder to become a top-ranked wrestler along with Baba, who died in 1999, and Inoki.
In 1972, Kim won an international heavyweight tile by defeating Bobo Brazil, one of the first African-American professional wrestlers who also head-butted his way to success.
After returning to South Korea in the 1980s, Kim contributed to the development of South Korean professional wrestling. He had been hospitalized for a long time for illnesses such as diabetes.