Name Shota Chochishvili | Role Olympic athlete | |
 | ||
Similar People David Starbrook, Haruki Uemura, Keith Remfry, Chiaki Ishii | ||
Shota Samsonovich Chochishvili (Georgian: შოთა ჩოჩიშვილი, Russian: Шота Самсонович Чочишвили; July 10, 1950 – August 27, 2009) was a Georgian heavyweight judoka. Between 1972 and 1977 he won one gold, four silver and three bronze medals at the Olympics and world and European championships, including an Olympic gold medal in 1972.
Contents
New Japan Pro Wrestling (1989)
In 1989, Chochishvili briefly competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling. On April 24, he competed in a MMA fight against Antonio Inoki, defeating him by knockout and winning Inoki's WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship. Chochishvili defended the title against Inoki in another MMA fight on May 25, which Inoki won by submission. He was involved in NJPW event at Moscow on New Year's Eve, 1989 (first wrestling event in USSR). In a tag team match, Chochishvili and Inoki defeated former Olympic wrestlers Masa Saito and Brad Rheingans.
Chochishvili ultimately did not follow through in becoming a full professional wrestler and left New Japan Pro Wrestling altogether after this card.
Personal life
In retirement Chochishvili worked as a judo coach; he also served as vice-president of the Georgian Olympic Committee and of the Georgian Judo Federation. His son Ramaz became an international judoka and competed for Ukraine. In 2003 Chochishvili had a heart surgery and was diagnosed with cancer. In 2004–2008 he underwent chemotherapy, but died from leukemia in 2009, aged 59.