December 8, 1963, Tokyo, Japan
Aside from being the country’s top pro wrestler and an A-list celebrity in Japanese culture, the legendary Rikidozan (Mitsuhiro Momota) was also a very successful businessman who amassed a vast empire that included his wrestling and boxing promotions as well as hotels, golf courses, night clubs, and real estate holdings. Not surprisingly, those business interests would eventually bring him into contact with the violent underworld of Japan’s notorious Yakuza crime syndicate.
On December 8, 1963, while at a fashionable Tokyo hotspot, Momota became involved in an altercation with Katsushi Murata, a low-level gangster. The argument quickly escalated to physicality, with Momota getting the better of Murata. However, while Momota was in a mounted position and striking Katsushi Murata with impunity, Murata was able to stab Momota in the torso. Shrugging off the injury, he reportedly continued drinking and partying before eventually being convinced to seek medical attention. His decision to stubbornly continue drinking against his doctors orders, ultimately proved to be fatal, as within a week he had contracted peritonitis and passed away on December 15, 1963.