Professor Tanaka Death – Heart Attack 1930-2000 (Age 70) The man who entered the halls of wrestling legend as the Japanese villain “Professor” Toru Tanaka was actually a Hawaiian native. Tanaka would team with another Hawaiian-turned-Japanese villain, Mr. Fuji, terrorizing the WWWF during the 1970’s. Tanaka was a frequent offender in the WWWF battling the promotion’s most beloved babyfaces in singles and tag team action. Tanaka was also a Hollywood regular, with 46 film and TV credits according to the Internet Movie Database. Although Tanaka seemed to always play a villain, he was loved behind the scenes as one of wrestling’s kindest souls, despite a reputation as a legit tough man. Hawaiian Puncher Charles Kalani was born on January 6, 1930 and began studying jiu-jitsu in 1939 (eventually earning the rank of Danzan-Ryu Black Belt). A troubled youth, Kalani reportedly turned his life around under the direction of his high school
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