Pat Tanaka
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.
Known For
Credits
- 2019 · Dark Side of the Ring as Self
- 2014 · Shawn Michaels: Mr Wrestlemania as Himself
- 2007 · WWE: The Shawn Michaels Story - Heartbreak & Triumph as Himself
- 1996 · WCW The Great American Bash 1996 as El Gato
- 1994 · ECW The Night the Line Was Crossed as "The Sensei" Pat Tanaka
- 1993 · ECW November to Remember 1993 as "The Sensei" Pat Tanaka
- 1993 · NWA Bloodfest • Night Two as "The Sensei" Pat Tanaka
- 1993 · NWA Bloodfest • Night One as "The Sensei" Pat Tanaka
- 1993 · WWE Raw as Pat Tanaka
- 1992 · WWE Royal Rumble 1992 as Tanaka
- 1991 · WWE Rampage '91 as Tanaka
- 1991 · WWE World Tour 1991 as Tanaka
- 1991 · WWE SummerSlam Spectacular '91 as Tanaka
- 1991 · WWE WrestleFest '91 as Tanaka
- 1991 · 2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars as Tanaka (Manager)
- 1991 · WWE SuperTape vol. 4 as Tanaka
- 1991 · WWE U.K. Rampage 1991 as Tanaka
- 1991 · WWE The Main Event V as Tanaka
- 1991 · WWE Royal Rumble 1991 as Tanaka
- 1990 · WWE Survivor Series 1990 as Tanaka
- 1990 · WWF Hottest Matches as Tanaka
- 1990 · WWE SummerSlam 1990 as Tanaka
- 1990 · WWE SummerSlam Fever as Tanaka
- 1990 · WWF SuperTape vol. 2 as Tanaka
- 1990 · WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: June '90 as Pat Tanaka
- 1990 · WWE WrestleMania VI as Tanaka
- 1989 · AWA Rage in Rochester as Himself
- 1989 · AWA Battle Royale '89 as Himself
- 1988 · AWA SuperClash III as Himself
- 1988 · AWA The Road to Super Clash III as Pat Tanaka
- 1986 · WWF Wrestling Challenge as Tanaka