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New Japan Pro Wrestling announced the passing of Killer Khan (reak name Masashi Ozawa) today, one day after he passed away at the age of 76. Local media reports in Japan are listing that Khan collapsed while at his bar yesterday and was rushed to the hospital but was unable to be saved. His cause of death is listed as a ruptured artery.
Billed from Mongolia, Khan had a big journeyman career in North America, most prominently has an opponent for Andre The Giant and then-WWF Champion Bob Backlund in the early 1980s and then as a challenger to then-WWF Champion Hulk Hogan in the late 1980s. It is those runs that he will most likely remembered for, especially the feud with Andre.
Breaking into the business in the early in 1970s in Japan, Khan initially trained to be a sumo wrestler and came to JWA, the predecessor of All Japan and New Japan. After a tour of Mexico, he was brought initially in Canada as Kim Chiang. The late Karl Gotch cultivate the Khan character and backstory that he was from Mongolia, playing up the foreign menace heel persona that was so prevalent in that time period. He portrayed what is now a stereotypical evil villain, stalking his foes with Mongolian Chops and spraying the dreaded green mist.
By 1980, he was working in the WWF, "breaking" Andre the Giant's ankle with a kneedrop off the ropes to cover that Andre had actually suffered an injury while getting out of bed. This led to a long feud, culminating in Andre winning a "Mongolian Stretcher Match." During that same period, Khan worked as a challenger to Bob Backlund's WWWF Championship and Pedro Morales' Intercontinental title. He was managed by Freddie Blassie and in a true nod to how he was thought of, debuted in Madison Square Garden in a main event challenging Backlund, a rare occurence.
Khan toured a number of different territories in the 80s, including World Class Championship Wrestling in Texas, where he "taught" Terry Gordy the secret of the Oriental Spike, the same move Solo Sikoa and the late Umaga later used in WWE. He held Stampede Wrestling's top belt, the North American Championship, winning it from The Mongolian Stomper Archie Gouldie before losing it to The Dynamite Kid. He also made appearances for Bill Watt's Mid-South territory.
Back in Japan, Khan went to the finals of the MSG Series tournament in 1982, losing to Andre the Giant. He became part of Riki Choshu’s Ishingun faction and completed in All Japan as well.
In 1987, Khan returned to the WWE and was built up as a monster heel managed by Mr. Fuji. He challenged Hulk Hogan on live events and was regularly put over on TV but beyond that was not in the mix much beyond replacing The Iron Sheik in tag matches when Sheik was fired after he and Hacksaw Duggan were caught traveling together when they were arrested on The New Jersey Turnpike, a major embarrassment at the time. I can recall seeing Khan and Nikolai Volkoff vs. Ken Patera and George Steele at the Nassau Coliseum that weekend, a weird mix for a tag if there ever was one.
Outside of professional wrestling, Khan had a small role in the film 3 Ninjas Kick Back and operated a number of bars and restaurants in Tokyo, Japan, where he resided. I would hear raves about a Korean BBQ that Khan owned for years. He had a post-wrestling career as a singer as well.
PWInsider.com sends our deepest condolences to the family, friends and fans of Killer Khan.
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