Masashi Ozawa

Born

1947-03-06

Died

2023-12-29

Birthplace

Tsubame, Niigata, Japan[

Biography

Masashi Ozawa (小沢 正志, Ozawa Masashi) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. Popularly known as Killer Khan, he was billed from Mongolia and had numerous high-profile matches with André the Giant in WWE during the 1980s, including a high profile "Mongolian stretcher match". Khan used Asian mist against opponents. Ozawa's Mongolian giant character was created by Karl Gotch. He traveled to America in 1979 to wrestle. The following year, in 1980, Khan first wrestled André the Giant in a tag team match for Georgia Championship Wrestling. Later that same year, he was hired by WWE. In WWE, Khan originally feuded with WWE Champion Bob Backlund, as well as the WWE Intercontinental Champion Pedro Morales. Khan was then placed in feud with André the Giant. During one match in May 1981, a kayfabe Khan kneedrop off of the top turnbuckle resulted in André the Giant breaking his ankle, as Khan accidentally landed on it. The truth was that Andre actually broke his ankle getting out of bed. The incident had been reported as real and as a storyline to help put Khan over. When Andre returned from his injury, he and Khan feuded into the next year. In November 1981 in Philadelphia Andre defeated Khan in a "Mongolian Stretcher match." The feud was named Wrestling Observer Newsletter's Feud of the Year. In 1984 in Canada's Stampede Wrestling, he had a series of matches with Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie. On January 20, 1984, he won the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship from Gouldie in a street fight. In March, he lost the title to The Dynamite Kid. Khan made a brief return to the WWF in 1987, managed by Mr. Fuji, where he feuded with Outback Jack. In addition, he had a limited house show run challenging WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. He also had successful runs as a monster heel in Mid-South Wrestling and NWA World Class Championship Wrestling. Usually managed by Skandar Akbar, the WCCW run saw him team with the Freebirds (teaching Terry Gordy the Oriental Spike), then turning on him, paid by Akbar. Khan had a role as a bodyguard in the movie 3 Ninjas Kick Back, and a cameo in 2006 Japanese special effects action series Lion-Maru G. Khan currently owns a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. He is married to Cindy Ozawa of Lutz, Florida, though the two live on separate continents. He has three children: Yukie, Yoshiko, and David Masato. All of them reside in the United States. On December 9, 2020, around 5:00 PM, Khan was involved in a hit and run at his hometown of Tokyo, Japan. According to authorities in the Shinjuku Ward, he allegedly struck a woman who was riding a bike in the Hyakunincho area, then fled the scene. The woman suffered a broken tooth in the accident and other injuries that took about a month to heal. Khan later apologized for the incident and stated that he was in a hurry to get to his restaurant. He was not charged nor prosecuted.