Yoshikuni Kimura (木村 吉公, Kimura Yoshikuni)[1] (February 15, 1977 – October 6, 2010)[2] was a Japanese professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Gran Naniwa (愚乱・浪花, Guran Naniwa). Naniwa was known for his comedic gimmick, in which he performed mannerisms of crabs.[3] This was also reflected upon in the design of his wrestling mask.
| Gran Naniwa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Yoshikuni Kimura |
| Born | February 15, 1977 Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Died | October 6, 2010 (aged 33) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Gran Naniwa The Claw |
| Billed height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Billed weight | 98 kg (216 lb) |
| Trained by | Great Sasuke |
| Debut | June 2, 1993 |
| Retired | October 3, 2009 |
Professional wrestling career
editNaniwa debuted professionally in 1993 in Michinoku Pro Wrestling as a face. He participated in the 1995 Super J-Cup, managing to get to the quarterfinals, but he was later eliminated by eventual winner Jyushin Thunder Liger.[2] In the late 1990s, Naniwa competed in the United States for Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). He wrestled Gran Hamada in January 1998 at the ECW House Party event.[3] After this, Naniwa took a brief hiatus for a few years but made his return in 2006, again under his Gran Naniwa ring name, competing in a match for New Japan Pro-Wrestling's now defunct WRESTLE LAND "brand".
Death
editKimura died on October 6, 2010, due to a heart attack at the age of 33.
Championships and accomplishments
edit- Central American Middleweight Championship (1 time)
References
edit- ^ "Profile at Puroresu Central". Puroresu Central. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
- ^ a b 選手名鑑 (in Japanese). New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
- ^ a b Caldwell, James (2010-11-21). "Japan News: Japanese pro wrestler Gran Naniwa dies at age 33, briefly wrestled for ECW in 1990s". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2010-11-21.
External links
edit- Cagematch profile (in German)