Before 2023 could end, the professional wrestling industry stood together to honor the legacy of Masashi Ozawa, aka Killer Khan. Before the fans could move on with the heartbreaking news of the passing of Bray Wyatt, Killer Khan became another legend who was added to the list.
Masashi Ozawa, better known as Killer Khan, left for his heavenly abode on December 29, 2023. Hailing from Japan, Ozawa was among the first to highlight professional wrestling in the country. Being one of the most highly regarded stars, the news of his demise was broken out by NJPW.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Masahi Ozawa, better known to wrestling fans as Killer Khan, at the age of 76.
Our deepest sympathies go to his family, friends and fans.
In memoriam:https://t.co/Ff07qlqaKI pic.twitter.com/JDIqgEdbDG
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) December 30, 2023
The reports also revealed that the 76-year-old suddenly collapsed behind the counter in his bar, Jinjo Sakaba. He was then rushed to the hospital, where it was found that he had a ruptured artery.
The 76-year-old took his retirement from in-ring action in 1987. After this, he shifted his attention towards another of his life’s ventures. He had multiple restaurants and bars running in major parts of Tokyo. We, the team at SportsManor, offer our deepest condolences to the entire Ozawa family and the fans of the departed soul.
Killer Khan aka Masashi Ozawa’s career run
A professional wrestler, Masashi Ozawa established his supremacy inside the ring, working for various promotions. Ozawa decided to take his first step forward in the world of professional wrestling in 1971. Though initially starting his journey in his home country, he soon went ahead to explore the sport beyond the rings of Japan.
By 1879, Ozawa had come to the US looking for new additions to his already hyped-up skills. He joined Georgia Championship Wrestling, where he fought against Andre The Giant, building a massive storyline for the future. Considering his brilliant skills, he was signed to the WWE.
During his stay at the Stamford-based promotion, his best feud was against Andre the Giant. Killer Khan broke Andre’s ankle, putting him off television. A perfect mixture of kayfabe and reality, his feud with the 7 ft 4 in star was widely recognised as one of the greatest rivalries of all time.
Killer Khan then went ahead to work for Stampede Wrestling and was successful in winning the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship. Later, he worked for the NWA World Class Championship Wrestling before returning for a short WWF run. With this being said, his legacy is sure to live forever in the hearts of almost the entire professional wrestling community.