Tetsuo Sekigawa

Born

1951-02-05

Died

2017-06-23

Birthplace

Isesaki, Gunma, Japan

Biography

Tetsuo Sekigawa known in the ring as Mr. Pogo, was a Japanese professional wrestler best known for popularizing death matches in the 1990s. He began his career in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in 1972 and later wrestled in various international promotions, including Stampede Wrestling, Georgia Championship Wrestling, and WWC. In the 1990s, he joined Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW), where he gained fame for his extreme matches. He also competed in W*ING and Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW), becoming a key figure in hardcore wrestling. After a series of injuries and surgeries, he retired in 1996 but made a comeback in 1997 to wrestle in Big Japan and other promotions. Mr. Pogo left a lasting legacy in Japanese wrestling, being one of the key figures in the development of death matches. He passed away on June 23, 2017, at the age of 66 due to complications following surgery.