Early Life

Jaguar Yokota, born Rimi Yokota on July 25, 1961, in Tokyo, Japan, is a retired professional wrestler and trainer. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled female wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling. Information about her early life is somewhat limited, but it is known that she had an interest in sports and athletics from a young age.

Early Training

okota started her professional wrestling training at the age of 15 when she joined All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling (AJW). She received her training at the All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling (AJW) dojo, which was renowned for its intense and challenging training environment. The AJW dojo was responsible for producing many of Japan’s most successful and skilled female wrestlers, including Yokota herself.

While at the AJW dojo, Jaguar Yokota was trained under the guidance of experienced trainers and wrestlers who helped her develop the foundation for her wrestling career. While specific trainers who worked with her are not widely documented, she was likely trained by some of the top wrestlers and trainers associated with AJW.

Yokota’s training focused on technical wrestling, mat-based grappling skills, and aerial maneuvers. She developed an innovative and diverse moveset, which included a wide array of suplexes, submission holds, and high-flying moves. Her in-ring abilities and wrestling style were a testament to the quality of her training at the AJW dojo.

Her success as a wrestler and her influence on the generations of wrestlers that followed can be traced back to her rigorous training at the AJW dojo. This foundation allowed her to become one of the most highly regarded female wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling.

Jaguar Yokota’s career in professional wrestling was marked by numerous accomplishments and her innovative wrestling style. She made her professional wrestling debut on July 28, 1977, just a few days after her 16th birthday. She quickly gained a reputation for her athleticism, technical wrestling skills, and innovative moves, which would later help her become one of the most successful and respected wrestlers in Japanese women’s wrestling history.

Career

In the early years of her career, Yokota focused on developing her in-ring abilities and refining her wrestling style. She competed in singles and tag team matches, showcasing her versatility as a wrestler. Yokota’s innovative moves and technical prowess allowed her to rise through the ranks in the Japanese women’s wrestling scene.

Yokota’s first major championship victory came when she won the AJW Junior Championship in 1979. This marked the beginning of her ascent to the top of Japan’s women’s wrestling scene. In 1980, Yokota captured the prestigious WWWA World Single Championship, a title she would hold multiple times throughout her career. As a tag team wrestler, she also won the WWWA World Tag Team Championship several times with different partners, including Devil Masami and Lioness Asuka.

Rivalries

Throughout her wrestling career, Jaguar Yokota engaged in several intense rivalries that contributed to her legendary status in the wrestling world. One of Yokota’s most famous rivals was Devil Masami. They had a series of highly competitive and physical matches that showcased their contrasting wrestling styles. Yokota’s technical and high-flying style clashed with Masami’s power moves, making their encounters highly entertaining and intense. Their rivalry helped elevate both wrestlers’ status in the Japanese women’s wrestling scene.

Yokota and Lioness Asuka had a storied rivalry that produced several classic matches. Their matches were highly acclaimed for their technical skill and athleticism, and they pushed each other to their limits in the ring. In addition to their singles rivalry, Yokota and Asuka were also tag team partners, winning the WWWA World Tag Team Championship together. Another notable rivalry of Jaguar Yokota was with Chigusa Nagayo, one of Japan’s most popular female wrestlers during the 1980s. They had several hard-fought matches, showcasing their skills and determination to be the best in the wrestling world. Their rivalry further solidified Yokota’s status as a top wrestler in Japan.

Yokota also had a fierce rivalry with the villainous Dump Matsumoto. Their matches often featured a classic good versus evil dynamic, with Yokota as the heroic, technically skilled wrestler against the brutal and rule-breaking Matsumoto. This rivalry added a unique dimension to Yokota’s career and showcased her ability to engage in different styles of wrestling.

These rivalries played a significant role in shaping Jaguar Yokota’s career, and they helped to elevate both her and the entire Japanese women’s wrestling scene. The intense matches and memorable feuds with her rivals showcased Yokota’s exceptional in-ring abilities and willingness to push women’s wrestling’s boundaries.

Awards & Titles

Numerous awards and accolades mark Jaguar Yokota’s illustrious career in professional wrestling. Some of her most notable achievements include:

In 1979, Jaguar Yokota captured the AJW Junior Championship, marking the beginning of her rise to prominence in the Japanese women’s wrestling scene. Throughout her career, Yokota won the prestigious WWWA World Single Championship multiple times, solidifying her status as one of the top female wrestlers in Japan. As a tag team wrestler, Jaguar Yokota won the WWWA World Tag Team Championship several times, partnering with different wrestlers such as Devil Masami and Lioness Asuka. During her second run in professional wrestling after coming out of retirement in 1995, Yokota captured the JWP Openweight Championship, showcasing her ability to compete at a high level despite her time away from the ring.

In 1998, Jaguar Yokota was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, recognizing her incredible career and contributions to the wrestling industry. In 2019, Yokota received the Women’s Wrestling Award from the Cauliflower Alley Club, a non-profit fraternity of retired professional wrestlers, boxers, and actors. This award acknowledges her significant impact on the world of professional wrestling. These awards and accolades highlight Jaguar Yokota’s remarkable career and her influence on women’s professional wrestling, showcasing her as one of the greatest female wrestlers in history.

Retirement

Yokota initially retired from wrestling in 1985 due to a back injury. At the time, she was only 24 years old and had already established herself as one of the top female wrestlers in Japan. Her first retirement came at a relatively young age, but by then, she had already left an indelible mark on the wrestling world.

A decade after her initial retirement, Jaguar Yokota successfully returned to professional wrestling in 1995. Despite being away from the ring for ten years, she continued to compete at a high level and captured the JWP Openweight Championship during her second run. She also played a role as a mentor to a new generation of female wrestlers and showcased her in-ring prowess against younger talents.

Jaguar Yokota retired for good in 2002, ending her storied career as one of the most influential and skilled female wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling. Since her final retirement, Yokota has occasionally appeared at wrestling events and conventions, connecting with fans and maintaining her connection to the wrestling industry.

Legacy

Jaguar Yokota’s innovative wrestling style and technical prowess influenced many wrestlers who came after her. She is often credited with popularizing several moves now commonplace in professional wrestling, such as the sitout powerbomb and the double underhook suplex.
Throughout her career, Yokota earned a reputation as one of the greatest female wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling. Her legacy continues to inspire future generations of wrestlers, and she is remembered for her contributions to the growth and development of women’s wrestling in Japan and worldwide.