In the early hours of today, August 5, the independent company Pro Wrestling A-Team announced that its president and founder, Tomohiko Hashimoto He died victim of cancer.
► Muere Tomohiko Hashimoto
Volohiko Hashimoto was 47 years old. Hashimoto debuted in April 2000 with JPWA, led by Koichiro Kimura after training judo at Dito Bunka University where Kohei Sato had as a partner. He joined DDT in 2002 and won the KO-D couples championship three times; competed in «Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye»On December 31, 2003 where he faced the superstrella Alistair Overeem in mixed martial arts, but fell by technical knockout.
@mmanostalgie Alistair Overeem vs Tomohiko Hashimoto 🌐 #mma #mmanostalgie #ufc #boxing #wrestle #bellator #pfl #bkfc #kickboxing #pridefc #pride #reason #sengoku #k1 #overeem #alistairoverem #tomohikohashimoto
Subsequently, he formed Team Makehen where he trained Mio Shirai and Io Shirai (now known as Io Sky). He later worked as an independent with appearances in FMW, Pancrase, Wew and at the Apache Pro Wrestling Army, before founding A-Team in 2017 and becoming his representative.
In recent years, he fought numerous fierce fighting with his respected opponent, Kazuyuki Fujita. On April 20, at the Higashishin Arena (General Gymnasium of the Inmidas neighborhood) of Tokyo, on the eighth anniversary of A-Team, he won a team fight for Pinfall. After the fight, he promised a rematch in an individual fight and exchanged firm handshakes.
In February last year, Hashimoto became ill. By noticing a change in his physical condition, he went to the hospital and diagnosed him liver anomalies. Despite this, he continued to fight, but after detailed exams, on September 9 he was diagnosed with liver cancer in stage 2 and November 19 he underwent a radiofrequency ablation treatment at a tokyo hospital. The posterior regular checks initially indicated that the cancer had disappeared. However, after a regular check in May, the new exams revealed a reappearance of cancer in a difficult liver area. His doctor warned him that Western medical treatments, such as chemotherapy, were no longer viable. He visited several hospitals, but doctors' responses were the same. Therefore, Hashimoto decided to undergo treatment with oriental medicine, hot springs, dietary therapy, etc. To focus on his treatment, he decided to take a break from professional wrestling.
His last fight took place on June 22 at the Eastern Tokyo Bay Hotel in Chiba and was called «Tomohiko Hashimoto's Last Match Before Break ~ Definitely Come Back». In it he teamed with Masahiro Sase, Raiden and Takumi Sakurai to face Masato Shibata, Mikami, Shuji Ishikawa and Thanomsak Toba (his former comrades in DDT) in a clash to win two of three falls. Hashimoto was overwhelmed by the emotion and entered the crying ring, and the ring announcer, Machida Tatsuya, could not contain the tears while presenting it. In the end Hashimoto was defeated by the giant Shuji Ishikawa. After the battle, Hashimoto gave his speech where he pointed out:
I will undoubtedly return to the ring. I still have an individual fight against Kazuyuki Fujita to avenge me, so, please spare me.
In the function, Sishiro Takagi, Kudo, Daichi Kakimoto, Fuka, Yusaku Obata, Ken Ohka and former K-1 Shingo Garyu were present. Perosonalities such as Kota Ibushi, The Great Sasuke, Ai Fujita and former professional boxer and actor Hidekazu Akai sent messages of support through videos.
On August 24, an event was scheduled in support of Hashimoto, the function «〜one Heart, One Fight, All for You〜» in Shinkiba 1st Ring de Tokyo where many fighters of the independent scene were confirmed.
Various personalities of world wrestling have expressed their regret for this terrible news, one of the former was Atsushi Onita, Takashi Sasaki, Sonshiro Takagi, Shuji Ishikawa, Mikami, among others.
Rest in peace.
