Masao "Rusher" Kimura, one of Japan's biggest stars of the 1970s, who remained active in pro wrestling as an undercard comedy figure with Pro Wrestling NOAH through 2005, passed away today at the age of 68.
 
Kimura was the top star for the IWE promotion, Japan's third largest company, during the mid-70s and into the early 80s, and headlined against many of the biggest names in pro wrestling in that era.
 
He later had a hot feud with Antonio Inoki, before being part of the original UWF, and later becoming both a tag team partner and then regular opponent of Giant Baba.  During the 90s, he was known as a regular in mid-card comedy matches that he would finish by doing comedy interviews, usually about Baba.