{{Short description|American professional wrestler (1940–2021)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox professional wrestler |name = Dean Ho |birthname = Dean Kiyoshi Higuchi<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72387877/the-honolulu-advertiser/ The Honolulu Advertiser, 27 December 1976, pg. 22]</ref> |image = Dean ho headshot 1983.png |caption = |names = Dean Ho<br>Dean Higuchi<ref name="Dean Ho"/><br>Dean Kailani<ref name="Dean Ho"/> |height = 6 ft 0 in <ref name="Dean Ho">[https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=2209 Dean Ho] Cagematch.net Retrieved Apr 1, 2020</ref> |weight = 264 lb <ref name="Dean Ho"/> |birth_date = {{birth date|1940|7|18}}<ref>[https://www.wrestlingdata.com/index.php?befehl=bios&wrestler=2378 Dean Ho] Wrestlingdata.com Retrieved Apr 1, 2020</ref> |death_date = {{death date and age|2021|2|20|1940|7|18|mf=y}} |birth_place = Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii |death_place = Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada |billed = |trainer = The Destroyer<ref name="Dean Ho"/> |debut = 1962<ref name=hoho/> |retired = 1983 }}
'''Dean Kiyoshi Higuchi''' (July 18, 1940 – February 20, 2021) was an American bodybuilder and professional wrestler, known by his ring name, '''Dean Ho'''. He competed in North American promotions including Pacific Northwest Wrestling, the World Wide Wrestling Federation and Big Time Wrestling during the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. A longtime veteran of the Vancouver's NWA All-Star Wrestling, he feuded with Terry Adonis, The Brute and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Gene Kiniski.
==Bodybuilding career== After graduating from President Theodore Roosevelt High School, Higuchi was one of Hawaii's prominent bodybuilders during the 1950s winning the title "Mr. Hawaiian Islands" competition in 1956 and finishing in sixth place in the "Mr. America" competition in Philadelphia.<ref name=hoho>{{cite web|url=https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2010/04/19/ho-ho-ho-cries-still-ring-out-for-dean-higuchi/|title="Ho! Ho! Ho!" cries still ring out for Dean "Ho" Higuchi |author=Johnson, Steven|publisher=SLAM! Wrestling|access-date=2010-04-19|date=April 19, 2010}}</ref>
===Dean's Gym=== He opened his gym on Kalakaua Avenue in 1957, and it was a popular training center for both bodybuilders and professional wrestlers.<ref name=hoho/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://starbulletin.com/2000/10/04/news/whatever.html|title=Gym founder, wrestler Dean 'Ho' Higuchi lives in Canada|access-date=2007-10-09|date=2000-10-04|publisher=Honolulu Star-Bulletin|archive-date=2005-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051219182733/http://starbulletin.com/2000/10/04/news/whatever.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Many of the areas top bodybuilders such as Mike Brown<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leviticus11.com/40yrs.htm |title=Mike Brown's 40 Years of Experience in Strength Training |access-date=2007-10-09 |author=Brown, Mike |author-link=Mike Brown (bodybuilder) |date=2006-12-09 |publisher=Leviticus11.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304195612/http://www.leviticus11.com/40yrs.htm |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and professional wrestlers trained for decades including Don Muraco, Beauregarde,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zenorecords.com/beauregarde/article/page3.htm |title=Beauregarde - Glamor Boy of the mat is colorful: Beauregard's wrestling abilities |access-date=2007-10-09|date=September 1968 |publisher=Wrestling Revue Magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100423153223/http://www.zenorecords.com/beauregarde/article/page3.htm|archive-date=April 23, 2010}}</ref> Rene Goulet and Karl Gotch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mikemooneyham.com/pages/viewfull.cfm?ObjectID=37355F4B-3048-8903-32C337FECC4574A4 |title=The Wrestling Gospel According to Mike Mooneyham: 'God Of Wrestling' Gotch Dead |access-date=2007-10-09 |author=Mooneyham, Mike |date=2007-08-05 |publisher=MikeMooneyham.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013022405/http://mikemooneyham.com/pages/viewfull.cfm?ObjectID=37355F4B-3048-8903-32C337FECC4574A4 |archive-date=2007-10-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Professional wrestling career==
===Early career=== Making his professional wrestling debut in 1962, he lost one of his earliest matches to Rocky Columbo in Portland, Oregon on April 6, 1962.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingclassics.com/wawli/REDUXNos.61-70.html |title=WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Redux No. 61 |access-date=2007-10-09 |date= April 2003 |publisher=WrestlingClassics.com}}</ref>
During the mid-1960s, Higuchi began competing for promoter Ed Francis's Pacific Northwest Wrestling feuding with El Shereeh and also teaming with Kazimoto and Al Torres during early 1965. Later, while in Francis's Big Time Wrestling, he appeared in televised matches against Fuji Fujiwara,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingclassics.com/wawli/New161-170.htm |title=The New WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 161-2001 |access-date=2007-10-09|date=June 2003 |publisher=WrestlingClassics.com}}</ref> Bill Dromo,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/vancenevada/DromoBill.htm |title=Bill Dromo (1958-1981) |access-date=2007-10-09 |author=Nevada, Vance |year=2004|archive-url=https://archive.today/20091026035205/http://www.geocities.com/vancenevada/DromoBill.htm|url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-10-26}}</ref> Tosh Togo, Nick Kozak, Kongozan and the Mongolian Stomper at the Honolulu Civic Auditorium during 1966.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.50thstatebigtimewrestling.com/results.html |title=50th State Big Time Wrestling: Wrestling Results (1966) |access-date=2007-10-09 |author=Atkinson, Bill|publisher=50thStateBigtimeWrestling.com}}</ref>
After losing to Hans Mortier and Johnny Barend in early 1967, Higuchi wrestled two matches in one night defeating Great Fuji although he lost a later tag team match with Karl Gotch against Curtis Iaukea and Ripper Collins on April 5, 1967,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingclassics.com/wawli/Nos.051-060.html |title=The New WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 053 |access-date=2007-10-09|date=August 2003 |publisher=WrestlingClassics.com}}</ref> before moving to the mainland by the end of the year.
===National Wrestling Alliance=== Feuding with then NWA World Heavyweight Champion Gene Kiniski in 1968, he lost two title matches to him on October 21 and again on December 16 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/nwa/world/nwa-h-matches/nwa-h-matches1968.html |title=Records of N.W.A. World Heavyweight Championship Matches: 1968-69 |access-date=2007-10-09 |year=2003|publisher=Puroresu Dojo}}</ref> The following year, he would avenge his loss teaming with Earl Maynard to defeat Kiniski and Bad Boy Shields in a tournament final for the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship in Vancouver on May 12, 1969.
Continuing his long-running feud with Kiniski, he and Steve Bolus fought to a time limit draw against Kiniski and Angelo Mosca on January 26 and, with Tex McKenzie, defeated Gene Kiniski and Moose Morowski on April 28, 1970.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mapleleafwrestling.4t.com/previousupdates/moscaspotlight.html |title=Spotlight - Angelo Mosca |access-date=2007-10-09 |publisher=MapleLeafWrestling.com |archive-date=2007-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009100424/http://mapleleafwrestling.4t.com/previousupdates/moscaspotlight.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Losing the title less than a month later to Dutch Savage and "Bulldog" Bob Brown on June 9, he and Steve Bolus defeated them on December 8 and held them until their defeat by Brown and John Quinn on February 9, 1970. He later won the tag team title with Steven Little Bear twice during 1971 and feuded with the Skull Brothers and Gene Kiniski and Bob Brown before losing the title to Kiniski and Brown for the second and final time on October 11, 1971.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nwawrestling.com/PHP-Nuke/modules.php?name=Encyclopedia&op=content&tid=94 |title=National Wrestling Alliance Encyclopedia: Canadian Tag Team Title |access-date=2007-10-09 |year=2007 |publisher=NationalWrestlingAlliance.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070919061907/http://www.nwawrestling.com/PHP-Nuke/modules.php?name=Encyclopedia&op=content&tid=94 |archive-date=2007-09-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Staying in Vancouver in early 1973, he defeated Sailor White on January 22.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/ResultsArchive/Wrestlers/white-sailor.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919155138/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/ResultsArchive/Wrestlers/white-sailor.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 19, 2015 |title=Wrestling Results Archive: Sailor White |publisher=SLAM! Wrestling |last=Nevada |first=Vance |date=June 30, 2005 |access-date=October 9, 2007}}</ref> Feuding with The Brute, he and Sean Reagan lost a tag team match to The Brute and Mike Webster in Seattle on March 3. After defeating Tony Bourne, Butts Giraud and Bob Hames in a 6-man tag-team match with Larry Whistler and Eric Froelich on July 16, he left the promotion moving on to the northeastern United States.
While wrestling in Georgia Championship Wrestling, he held the NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship with Ken Mantell defeating Black Gordman and Goliath on July 2 before losing them to Jimmy and Johnny Valiant a little more than two weeks later on July 16, 1976. He also helped Rick "The Dragon" Steamboat, who was also wrestling in Georgia at the time, develop his martial arts and ring psychology during his early career.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingclassics.com/wawli/Nos.610-623.html |title=The WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 621 |access-date=2007-10-09 |date=April 2003 |publisher=WrestlingClassics.com}}</ref>
===World Wide Wrestling Federation=== Wrestling for the World Wide Wrestling Federation in 1973, he and Tony Garea teamed to defeat Toru Tanaka and Mr. Fuji to win the WWWF World Tag Team Championship on November 14, 1973. Holding on to the title for six months, they eventually lost the belts to Jimmy and Johnny Valiant on May 8, 1974. They continued to team for a time defeating Jack Evans and Hans Schroeder on November 24 however, by summer 1975, they had gone their separate ways.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingclassics.com/wawli/Nos.700-706.html |title=The WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 702 |access-date=2007-10-09|date=April 2003 |publisher=WrestlingClassics.com}}</ref> Later that year, Ho left the WWWF.
===From San Francisco to Vancouver=== thumb|Higuchi, circa 1978 Returning to Vancouver for a time, he and George Wells defeated Dale Lewis and Seigfried Steinke on January 12, 1976 before losing them to his longtime rival Gene Kiniski and Seigfried Steinke on February 9. In 1977, Higuchi began wrestling in the San Francisco-area defeating Alexis Smirnoff for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship in Daly City, California on July 16 holding the title for two months before losing the title to Bob Roop on September 17.
Higuchi later regained the title, which had been vacated after Roop left the company in December 1977, winning a tournament on January 14, 1978. During early 1978, he also teamed with Pepper Gomez and later Mando Guerrero against his old tag team partner Sir Earl Maynard and later teamed with Gomez and Guerrero in a 6-man tag team match against Texas Red, Great Goliath and Don Muraco. Defending his NWA US Heavyweight title in a no disqualification match against Don Muraco, he lost the title to Muraco on April 1.
After the death of then NWA US Heavyweight Champion Moondog Mayne on August 13, he and "Playboy" Buddy Rose fought to a time limit draw for the vacant title six days later in San Francisco on August 19 (Rose would eventually defeat "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka in a tournament final to win the title the following month on September 16).
===Return to Vancouver=== Higuchi later returned to his home territory in All-Star Wrestling and, with Klondike Mike, defeated Al Tomko and Igor Volkoff on November 30, 1981.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kayfabememories.com/Regions/allstar/allstar2-2.htm |title=Regional Territories: All-Star Wrestling, Page #2 |access-date=2007-10-09 |author=Elder, Rob|year=2004|publisher=KayfabeMemories.com}}</ref> Feuding with Terry Adonis, he teamed with Moondog Moretti to defeat Adonis and Timothy Flowers in a tag team match on January 24, 1983.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestlingclassics.com/wawli/Nos.753-758.htm |title=The WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It) Papers No. 758 |access-date=2007-10-09 |date=June 2003 |publisher=WrestlingClassics.com}}</ref> He retired later that year.
==Personal life and death== In 1990, Higuchi sold his gym and retired to Canada where he ran a deli and was involved as a social worker in Vancouver, British Columbia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1wrestlinglegends.com/jobs.html |title=What Are The Legends Doing Today ? |access-date=2007-10-09 |author=Teal, Scott |date=October 2006 |publisher=1wrestlinglegends.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070706121401/http://www.1wrestlinglegends.com/jobs.html |archive-date=2007-07-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
On February 20, 2021, Higuchi died from complications of chronic traumatic encephalopathy at the age of 80. His death was reported by former WWE referee Kevin Jefferies a week later, who believes his death was caused by his early days playing football.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Former WWWF Tag Team Champion Dean 'Ho' Higuchi Passes Away At the Age of 80|url=https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2021/02/former-wwwf-tag-team-champion-dean-ho-higuchi-passes-away-at-the-age-of-80/|access-date=2021-03-01|website=Wrestling Inc.|date=28 February 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2021/02/28/dean-ho-dies/ | title=Beloved bodybuilder turned wrestler Dean Ho dies | date=February 28, 2021 }}</ref>
==Championships and accomplishments== *'''Big Time Wrestling ''(San Francisco)''''' **NWA United States Heavyweight Championship ''(San Francisco version)'' (2 times)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/sf/rs/sf-us-h.html |title=N.W.A. United States Heavyweight Title (San Francisco) |access-date=2007-10-09 |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}</ref> **NWA World Tag Team Championship ''(San Francisco version)'' (2 times) - with Moondog Mayne (1) and Ron Starr (1)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ca/sf/rs/sf-nwa-t-shire.html |title=N.W.A. World Tag Team Title (San Francisco) |access-date=2007-10-09 |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}</ref> *'''Cauliflower Alley Club''' **Men's Wrestling Award (2010)<ref name="Cauliflower2010">{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=Steve|title=Ross, DiBiase lead parade of honorees at CAC banquet|url=http://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2010/04/22/ross-dibiase-lead-parade-of-honorees-at-cac-banquet/|work=Slam Wrestling|date=April 22, 2010|access-date=September 27, 2020}}</ref> *'''Georgia Championship Wrestling''' **NWA Georgia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ken Mantell<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/ga/ga-t.html |title=N.W.A. Georgia Tag Team Title |access-date=2007-10-09 |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}</ref> *'''NWA All-Star Wrestling''' **NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship ''(Vancouver version)'' (6 times) - with Earl Maynard (1), Steve Bolus (1), Steven Little Bear (2) George Wells (1) and Klondike Mike (1)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/bc/nwa/bc-can-t.html |title=N.W.A. Canadian Tag Team Title |access-date=2007-10-09 |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}</ref> **NWA International Tag Team Championship ''(Vancouver version)'' (2 times) - with Sonny Myers (1) and Moondog Moretti (1)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/canada/bc/nwa/bc-in-t.html |title=N.W.A. International Tag Team Title (Vancouver) |access-date=2007-10-09 |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}</ref> *'''NWA Big Time Wrestling (Texas)''' **NWA American Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Fritz Von Erich<ref name=WCCWAmTag>{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories |chapter= (Dallas) Texas: NWA American Tag Team Title [Fritz Von Erich] | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2006 | isbn=978-0-9698161-5-7}}</ref><ref name="NWAAmericanTag">{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/wccw/am-t.html |title=N.W.A. American Tag Team Title | access-date=January 19, 2020 |work=Wrestling-Titles.com}}</ref> *'''Pacific Northwest Wrestling''' **NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Johnny Kostas<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/pnw/nwa/pnw-t.html |title=N.W.A. Pacific Northwest Tag Team Title |access-date=2007-10-09 |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}</ref> *'''World Wide Wrestling Federation''' **WWWF World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Tony Garea<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwf/wwf-t.html |title=W.W.W.F./W.W.F./W.W.E. World Tag Team Title |access-date=2007-10-09 |year=2003 |publisher=Puroresu Dojo }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==Further reading== *''WWF's Star Dean Ho''. <u> Wrestling Revue Magazine. </u> Sept. 1975
==External links== *{{professional wrestling profiles}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20150429003907/http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/hallofame.html SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Dean Higuchi]
{{NWA World Tag Team Champions (San Francisco version)}} {{World Tag Team Championship (WWE)}} {{WCWA World Tag Team Championship}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ho, Dean}} Category:1932 births Category:2021 deaths Category:20th-century male professional wrestlers Category:20th-century American professional wrestlers Category:American male professional wrestlers Category:Professional wrestlers from Hawaii Category:Stampede Wrestling alumni Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Canada Category:NWA Georgia Tag Team Champions Category:World Tag Team Champions (WWE, 1971–2010) Category:WCWA World Tag Team Champions Category:NWA World Tag Team Champions (San Francisco version) Category:NWA United States Heavyweight Champions (San Francisco version) Category:Wrestlers from Honolulu