Katsuji Ueda

{{Infobox professional wrestler

|name=Katsuji Ueda

|image=Katsuji Ueda.jpeg

|caption=

|names=Katsuji Ueda

|height={{convert|177|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=17741|title=Katsuji Ueda Profile|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-12}}

|weight={{convert|96|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

|real_height=

|real_weight=

|birth_date=December 15, 1945

|birth_place=Japan

|death_date={{death date and age|2017|4|20|1945|12|15|df=yes}}

|death_place=Japan

|resides=

|billed=

|trainer=Atsushi Onita
FMW Dojo

|debut=January 7, 1990

|retired=2016

}}

{{nihongo|Katsuji Ueda|上田勝次|Ueda Katsuji|December 15, 1945–April 20, 2017}} was a Japanese kickboxer, martial artist and professional wrestler, best known for his time with Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) between 1990 and 1995. He was usually utilized in martial arts fights during his FMW career and won the promotion's World Light Heavyweight Championship three times. He was also a bodyguard for Atsushi Onita.

Professional wrestling career

=Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling=

==World Light Heavyweight Champion (1990–1992)==

Trained and skilled in martial arts and kickboxing, Katsuji Ueda was brought into Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) by Atsushi Onita, who created the promotion to prove that professional wrestling was better than martial arts and held many fights between wrestlers and martial artists.{{cite web|url=http://fmwwrestling.us/FMWHistory.html|title=FMW History|publisher=FMW Wrestling|accessdate=2017-12-18}} Ueda's first professional wrestling match in FMW took place in the Battle Resistance Tournament on January 7, 1990, where he lost to Mitsuhiro Matsunaga in the opening round.{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=20464|title=FMW Battle Resistance - 1st Open Tournament results|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-18}} Initially a villain, Ueda headlined the July 16 show against company's top star Atsushi Onita in a martial arts match, which FMW dubbed "different style fight". At Summer Spectacular in Shiodome, Ueda teamed with Mr. Pogo and Ricky Fuji to defeat the team of Kim Hyun Han, Lee Gak-soo and Sambo Asako.{{cite web|url=http://www.purolove.com/misc/fmw/results/results8995.php|title=Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling Results: 1989~1995|language=German|publisher=Puro Love|accessdate=2017-12-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117175018/http://www.purolove.com/misc/fmw/results/results8995.php|archive-date=2017-11-17|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=20492|title=FMW Summer Spectacular In Shiodome|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-18}} He scored a major victory over Tarzan Goto on August 25.{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=43918|title=FMW results - August 25, 1990|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-18}} On September 25, Ueda defeated The Shooter, Ricky Fuji and Jimmy Backlund to win a tournament for the vacant AWA World Light Heavyweight Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=165201|title=FMW results - September 25, 1990|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-18}} This began a feud with Backlund, which culminated in a mixed fight at the 1st Anniversary Show.{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/garbage/fmw/fmwanniv.html#1st|title=FMW 1st Anniversary Show results|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|accessdate=2017-12-18}} Ueda turned fan favorite and joined forces with Atsushi Onita on the FMW team.

On August 31, 1991, Ueda knocked out Mark Starr to win his second FMW World Light Heavyweight Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=20497|title=FMW results - August 31, 1991|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-18}} The following month, Ueda lost a mixed style fight to former WWA World Martial Arts Heavyweight Champion Grigory Verichev via knockout at 2nd Anniversary Show.{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/garbage/fmw/miscfmw.html#fall91|title=Fall Spectacular 1991 results|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|accessdate=2017-12-18}} Ueda would then enter the World's Strongest Tag Team Tournament with Calypso Jim for the newly created WWA World Martial Arts Tag Team Championship, in which their team scored only three points.{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=26&nr=4136|title=World Strongest Tag Team Tournament|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-18}} Ueda successfully defended his World Light Heavyweight Championship against The Shooter on February 8, 1992.{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=162511|title=FMW results - February 8, 1992|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-18}} On March 23, Ueda lost the title to Dr. Luther.{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=165358|title=FMW results - March 23, 1992|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-18}} Ueda regained the title by defeating Luther for his third WWA World Martial Arts Junior Heavyweight Championship on September 7.{{cite web|url=http://wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=shows&show=234470|title=FMW results - September 7, 1992|publisher=Wrestlingdata|accessdate=2017-12-18}} This would be the last match of the title as it would be retired in 1993.{{cite web|url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-lh.html|title=American Wrestling Association World Light Heavyweight Title History|work=Wrestling-Titles|accessdate=2017-12-18}} Ueda would lose a different style fight to Loc Matrere at 3rd Anniversary Show.{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/garbage/fmw/miscfmw.html#fall92|title=Fall Spectacular 1992 results|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|accessdate=2017-12-18}}

==Different style fights (1993–1995)==

Ueda became a major fixture on FMW's mid-card and he was usually utilized for different style fights against various professional wrestlers, kickboxers and martial artists but FMW began phasing away the martial arts style in 1993 and mainly focused on the deathmatch wrestling style and Ueda was restricted to mainly different style fights in the mid-card. At 4th Anniversary Show, Ueda teamed with Tarzan Goto and The Great Punk against Team Canada's Big Titan, Ricky Fuji and The Gladiator in a captain's fall losing captain leaves town no rope barbed wire tornado street fight deathmatch.{{cite web|url=http://puroresucentral.com/FMWReview-5.5.93.html|title=FMW at Kawasaki Stadium, 5/5/96|author=Ryan Mancuso|publisher=Puroresu Central|date=May 5, 1993|accessdate=2017-12-18}} At Summer Spectacular, Ueda got a knockout win over former boxing heavyweight champion and former WWA World Martial Arts Heavyweight Champion Leon Spinks in a different style fight.{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/garbage/fmw/miscfmw.html#summer93|title=Summer Spectacular 1993 results|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|accessdate=2017-12-18}} At Year End Spectacular, the kickboxer Ueda teamed with former judoka Grigory Verichev and former sambo fighter Sambo Asako against the team of Big Titan, Ricky Fuji and The Gladiator in a street fight.{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/garbage/fmw/miscfmw.html#end93|title=Year End Spectacular 1993 results|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|accessdate=2017-12-18}}

Ueda continued to perform in the mid-card, usually getting wins over lower and lesser-known talent. He knocked out Katsutoshi Niiyama in a different style fight at 5th Anniversary Show on May 5, 1994.{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/garbage/fmw/fmwanniv.html#5th|title=FMW 5th Anniversary Show results|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|accessdate=2017-12-18}} He continued to perform in FMW's mid-card for the next one year. His last major different style fight took place at the 6th Anniversary Show on May 5, 1995, in which he knocked out Tetsuhiro Kuroda.{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/garbage/fmw/fmwanniv.html#6th|title=FMW 6th Anniversary Show results|publisher=Pro Wrestling History|accessdate=2017-12-18}} His last match was a loss to Katsutoshi Niiyama on June 27.{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=45075|title=FMW results - June 27, 1995|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-18}}

=Independent circuit (1998–2016)=

Katsuji Ueda retired from active competition after quitting FMW and competed occasionally. He returned to wrestling after three years on January 18, 1998 by losing to George Takano for a Tokyo Pro Wrestling show.{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=164740|title=TPW results - January 18, 1998|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-18}} He would then work for Atsushi Onita's promoted shows between 1998 and 2002. On November 23, 2004, Ueda appeared for a Pro Wrestling Zero-One event, where he teamed with Koji Ishinnki to defeat Rikiya Fudo and Shinsuke Z Yamagasa in a tag team match.{{cite web|url=http://www.purolove.com/zero1/results/04enormous.php|title=Pro-Wrestling ZERO-ONE - "ENORMOUS 2004"|publisher=Puro Love|accessdate=2017-12-18}} On March 14, 2016, Ueda defeated The Shooter in a mixed martial arts match at an Atsushi Onita–promoted show. He then competed in two matches for Cho Sento Puroresu FMW.{{cite web|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=159149|title=FMW Presents Ray Aid results|publisher=Cagematch|accessdate=2017-12-18}}