Duke Keomuka

Title History

 

• NWA Hawaii Heavyweight title -as Hisao Tanaka- defeating Lee Grable (August 8, 1948);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Danny Savich defeating Rito Romero & Miguel Guzman (November 30, 1950);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Danny Savich defeating [Awarded when Killer Kowalski vacated] (December 1950);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Danny Savich defeating Timothy Geohagen & Big Humphrey (June 1951);
• NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Ray Gunkel (August 17, 1951);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Ivan Kalmikoff defeating Rito Romero & Miguel Guzman (January 25, 1952);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Mr. Moto defeating Miguel Guzman & Ray Gunkel (February 26, 1952);
• NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Ray Gunkel (September 26, 1952);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Danny Savich defeating Rito Romero & Miguel Guzman (October 7, 1952);
• NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Cyclone Ayala (December 1952);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Don Evans defeating ????? & ????? (August 1954);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Danny Savich defeating Rito Romero & Pepper Gomez (October 4, 1955);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Tiny Mills defeating Ray Gunkel & Wilbur Snyder (December 12, 1955);
• NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Pepper Gomez (December 1955);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Kinji Shibuya defeating Pepper Gomez & Luigi Macera (February 21, 1956);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Tony Martin defeating Mike DiBiase & Danny Plechas (July 27, 1956);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Tokyo Joe defeating ????? & ????? (May 1957);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Mr. Moto defeating Ivan the Terrible & Nikita Zolotoff (October 14, 1957);
• NWA (Mid Atlantic) Southern Tag Team titles w/Mr. Moto defeating George Becker & Dick Steinborn (March 31, 1958);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/John Tolos defeating Pepper Gomez & Larry Chene (June 24, 1958);
• NWA (Mid Atlantic) Southern Tag Team titles w/Mr. Moto defeating George Becker & Billy Two Rivers (July 6, 1959);
• NWA (Texas) World Tag Team titles w/Mr. Moto defeating ????? & ????? (September 25, 1959);
• NWA Texas Heavyweight title defeating Torbellino Blanco (June 22, 1960);
• Ohio Tag Team titles w/Sato Keomuka defeating Doc Gallagher & Mike Gallagher (November 26, 1960);
• NWA (Ohio) United States Tag Team titles w/Sato Keouma defeating ?????? & ?????? (April 1961);
• NWA Texas Tag Team titles w/Maurice Vachon defeating Torbellino Blanco & ???????? (December 1960);
• NWA (Texas) World Tag Team titles w/Tony Martin defeating Rito Romero & Dory Dixon (May 26, 1961);
• NWA (Texas) World Tag Team titles w/Taro Miyake defeating Tarzan Tyler & The Alaskan (September 7, 1962);
• NWA (Texas) World Tag Team titles w/Taro Miyake defeating Mike Clancy & Red McKim (October 12, 1962);
• NWA (Florida) World Tag Team titles w/Hiro Matsuda defeating Alberto Torres & Ramon Torres (June 6, 1963);
• NWA (Florida) World Tag Team titles w/Hiro Matsuda defeating Skull Murphy & Brute Bernard (March 19, 1964);
• NWA (Florida) World Tag Team titles w/Hiro Matsuda defeating Skull Murphy & Brute Bernard (April 10, 1964);
• NWA (Florida) World Tag Team titles w/Hiro Matsuda defeating Tarzan Tyler & Fred Blassie (March 22, 1965);
• NWA (Texas) World Tag Team titles w/Kanji (Antonio) Inoki defeating ????? & ????? (Late 1965);
• NWA (Texas) World Tag Team titles w/Fritz Von Erich defeating The Destroyer & Golden Terror (March 1, 1966);

 

Career History

 

• Duke Keomuka (Real Name: Hisao Tanaka) is the father of Pat Tanaka and CWF referee Jimmy Tanaka..
• Duke Keomuka was a top star in the 50s and 60s and as a heel in Texas before settling in Florida..
• 1950s: Duke Keomuka formed a tag team with Hiro Matsuda — they both part-owners of the promotion after buying into the office..
• 1967–NWA Turnpike Stadium: Duke Keomuka defeated The Destroyer (Dick Beyer)..
• 1991: Duke Keomuka passed away at the age of 70..
  

  ---

  DAVID wrote: I noticed that you have an article about Duke’s significant fueds. I assume that it was all entertainment, but I can tell you about one of his bouts, that I think was not put on. Apparently there was bad feelings between Duke and Timothy Geohagen and they had a loser leaves town fight at the north side colliseum in Ft Worth, Texas. I do not remember the date. I was at ringside and I saw Duke beat the living crap out of Geohagen. He was a bloody mess and had to be carried from the ring. I never saw or heard about him again. As I best recall, the referree was Leo Voss. I noticed that other wrestlers came from the dressing room to watch. This was to me a sure sign that it was the real thing, and not just entertainment.