6 hours Ago By Jeremy Thomas
Osamu Nishimura, who competed in both NJPW and AJPW, has passed away. The Cauliflower Alley Club announced on Thursday that Nishimura passed following a battle with cancer. He was 53 years old.
Nishimura made his professional wrestling debut in 1991 after joining the NJPW dojo in 1990. He went on an excursion to the US in April of 1994 and worked for a number of NWA territories and won the GWF Light Heavyweight Championship in August of that year. He was the final holder of the title, as the promotion folded in September.
Nishimura returned to New Japan in October 1995 and teamed with the Great Muta in that year’s Super Grade Tag League. He would go back and forth between working in NJPW and taking excursions overseas. During his time in NJPW he held the IWGP Tag Team Championship twice, once with Tatsumi Fujinami and once with Hiroyoshi Tenzan.
He and Tenzan won the G1 Tag League in 2003. After leaving NJPW in 2006, Nishimura went to AJPW for a run that ended in 2021. He worked for a number of other promotions during his time there including Wrestling New Classic, Big Japan Pro-Wrestling and more.
His final match took place in December of last year when he six-man tag team match for FMW-E, teaming with Katsushi Takemura and Shinya Aoki in a losing effort against Atsushi Onita, Mammoth Sasaki, and Raijin Yaguchi Shinsuke Nakamura posted to Twitter to pay tribute to Nishimura on Thursday, writing: “Rest in peace, Osamu Nishimura. You were as kind as an older brother and taught me so many things” It is with profound admiration that the CAC honors the life of Japanese wrestling legend Osamu Nishimura after his valiant battle with cancer. He leaves behind a legacy of love for his wife, Megumi Nishimura, and son, Mayu Nishimura, age 6.
Rest in peace Mr Nishimura. pic.twitter.
com/85Ck8mvPtW — Cauliflower Alley Club (@CACReunion) February 28, 2025 Rest in peace, Osamu Nishimura. You were as kind as an older brother and taught me so many things🍷 pic.twitter.
com/jgCC9yQls1 — Shinsuke Nakamura (@ShinsukeN) February 28, 2025.
