Legacy.com StaffHarry "Mr. Fuji" Fujiwara, a popular professional wrestler and manager, died Sunday, according to the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He was 82.
In a league known for its over-the-top stunts and rivalries, Fujiwara's signature trick was throwing salt in the eyes of his opponents. The salt was stowed in his tights, ready to be deployed at a crucial moment so he could distract his opponent and go for the win.
It was a technique honed over a 20-year wrestling career that began in his home state of Hawaii. Born May 4, 1934 in Honolulu, Fujiwara was Japanese-American, though he was billed in the ring as hailing from Osaka, Japan. He began wrestling professionally in Hawaii in 1965, going by the ring name of Mr. Fujiwara. That name was shortened to Mr. Fuji when he began touring in the continental U.S. a few years later
Fujiwara joined the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF) in 1972, playing a heel in a tag team with Professor Toru Tanaka. The pair won three tag team titles and quickly achieved main event status, though a loss of their title in 1974 prompted their exit from the WWWF.
Fujiwara would continue wrestling in a team with Tanaka for years, only switching partners in 1981, when he paired with Mr. Saito in a tag team managed by
Captain Lou Albano
. Returning to the WWWF – then renamed the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) – he won another two championships before retiring from competition in 1985.
After leaving the ring, Fujiwara remained in professional wrestling as a manager, well known for his customary costume of a black tuxedo and bowler hat. He carried a cane, completing the image and coming in handy for hitting opponents. With the cane and his still-present salt, he carried on his legacy of playing the heel by managing heels including Yokozuna, tag team The Powers of Pain, and Owen Hart.
Fujiwara retired as a manager in 1996, and he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
