Rimi Yokota | Japanese Women Wrestler
Rimi Yokota
Ring names:
Jaguar Yokota
Rimi Yokota
Li Huan
Himemaru/Kurohime
5 ft 3 in. - 119 lbs.
In the early '80s she was considered one of the best wrestlers of either sex in the world. Yokota made her debut against Mayumi Takahashi on June 28, 1977.
Yokota spent most of her career in AWJ (All Japan Women), where she was the headliner. She became the AJW Junior Champion in January 1980. She'd go on to win the WWWA World Tag Team Championship with Ayumi Hori on December 17, right after becoming the first AJW Champion.
On February 21, 1981, she defeated her idol, Jackie Soto, to become the WWWA World Heavyweight Championship. She was only nineteen at the time!
Unfortunately, she would go into early retirement at the young age of twenty-four after a shoulder injury. But she soon became a trainer for AJW, producing such names as Manami Toyota, Magumi Kudo, and Kyoko Inoue.
Yokota would come out of retirement in 1995 to form her own promotion company, JDStar, and wrestle as the top star. Yet, she would retire again in 1998 and the company folded in 2007.
She innovated moves such as the Suplex Powerslam (The Jackhammer) and the Double Underhook Powerbomb.She is a member of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (class of 1996).
She's helped pave the way for female wrestlers of today and for future Hall of Famers like Trish Stratus, Lita and Victoria.
It is because of her that most people now appreciate women's wrestling. They worked hard to become great wrestlers!
Finishers and Signature Moves:
Double Arm Piledriver
Jaguar Back Suplex
Huracarrana
Hip Attack
