Pat Tanaka

Pat Tanaka

  • Birthday: 1963-08-05
  • Place of birth: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
  • Also know as: El Gato

Biography

Patrick Tanaka is an American professional wrestler best known for his work in the American Wrestling Association as one half of Badd Company and the World Wrestling Federation as one half of The Orient Express. He is the son of Duke Keomuka. In his career, which has spanned almost three decades, Tanaka has appeared in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW),Continental Wrestling Association (CWA) and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Trained by his father, Duke Keomuka, Hiro Matsuda, and the New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo, Pat Tanaka debuted in 1984 for NJPW. During his time there, he wrestled the likes of Keiichi Yamada, Shunji Kosugi, Black Cat, Naoki Sano, Tatsutoshi Goto, Shinichi Nakano, and Hirokazu Hata. After a year in New Japan, Tanaka started wrestling as a jobber in Jim Crockett Promotions in 1985. In 1986, Tanaka moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he worked for Jerry Lawler and Jerry Jarrett’s Continental Wrestling Association. Early on Tanaka teamed with Jeff Jarrett to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship.[3] In late 1986 the tag-team specialist Tanaka was teamed up with Paul Diamond, who was also seen as a tag-team specialist, to form Badd Company,[4] a move that paid off pretty soon as the two won the CWA/AWA International Tag Team Championship, beating Tarzan Goto and Akio Sato on December 15, 1986. The first reign was short lived as The Sheepherders (Luke Williams & Butch Miller) defeated the duo on January 10, 1987. Badd Company quickly regained the titles only to lose them to Tarzan Goto and Akio Sato on February 5, 1987. The third reign with the tag-team titles came on May 9, 1987 when the team beat Mark Starr in a handicap match, but lost them back to Starr and his new tag team partner Billy Joe Travis. Badd Company had one last run with the International tag team titles as they won the vacant titles on May 25, 1987 and held them until July 6, 1987 where they lost the titles to Bill Dundee and Rocky Johnson (who were the last International tag team champions). While in Memphis Badd Company also won the CWA's main tag team title, the AWA Southern Tag Team Championship, defeating Jeff Jarrett and Billy Joe Travis on August 8, 1987.

Filmography

NWA Bloodfest 1993 • Night One

1993

As "The Sensei" Pat Tanaka

ECW The Night The Line Was Crossed

1994

As "The Sensei" Pat Tanaka

WWE SummerSlam Fever

1990

As Tanaka

AWA SuperClash III

1988

As Himself

AWA Battle Royale '89

1989

As Himself

AWA Rage in Rochester

1989

As Himself

WWE WrestleMania VI

1990

As Tanaka

WWE SummerSlam 1990

1990

As Tanaka

WWE Royal Rumble 1991

1991

As Tanaka

WWE The Main Event V

1991

As Tanaka

WWE U.K. Rampage 1991

1991

As Tanaka

WWE Royal Rumble 1992

1992

As Tanaka

ECW November to Remember 1993

1993

As "The Sensei" Pat Tanaka

WWE WrestleFest '91

1991

As Tanaka

WWF Hottest Matches

1990

As Tanaka

WWE Rampage '91

1991

As Tanaka

WWE SuperTape vol. 4

1991

As Tanaka

WWF SuperTape vol. 2

1990

As Tanaka

WWE World Tour 1991

1991

As Tanaka

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