Japanese wrestling star Killer Khan – also known for his WWE feuds with Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant – has died after collapsing in a bar.
The Japanese wrestling scene is mourning the loss of a former star who is still remembered by older WWE fans: Killer Khan has died.
Khan – real name Masashi Ozawa – was active for the traditional Japanese league NJPW for many years, but also celebrated major successes in North America: With his character as a scary Mongol in the style of Genghis Khan, he made a longer guest appearance in the WWF at the beginning of the 80s.
Killer Khan fought against Hulk Hogan and André the Giant
The heavyweight was initially showcased as a rival to then champions Bob Backlund and Pedro Morales, but was particularly remembered for a cross-country rivalry with the untimely deceased ring legend André the Giant – voted feud of the year by Wrestling Observer readers in 1981.
To Khan’s credit at the time, André suffered a real-life ankle injury during the program that was attributed to Khan, fueling his reputation as a dangerous threat. The feud culminated in a series of “Mongolian Stretcher Matches” in which André got his revenge on Khan by putting him on a stretcher.
Khan was also in the ring with Superstar Hulk Hogan many times in both NJPW and WWE: A series of matches against Hogan in 1987 were Khan’s last major appearances before he ended his career.
After his wrestling career, Ozawa ran several restaurants and bars in Tokyo and worked in the catering industry until the end. According to Tokyo Sports, Khan collapsed in one of his bars on Friday and died of a ruptured aorta. He was 76 years old.
