Shigeo Okumura

Shigeo Okumura (奥村 茂雄) is a Japanese professional wrestler who works for the Mexican professional wrestling promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) and is billed as Okumura.

The trio worked on CMLL's 72nd Anniversary show, losing to the all-Mexican team of Último Guerrero, Rey Bucanero and Averno.

Shigeo Okumura began his professional wrestling career in 1994, making his debut on December 31, 1995, working for the Japanese promotion Tokyo Pro Wrestling (TPW).

Okumura worked under both his birth name and as "Okumura" during his time in TPW.

In 1996 TPW Closed and Okumura became a freelance wrestler, working for a variety of companies on the Japanese independent circuit as well as a few one-shot appearances for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) and All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW).

At some point between 1996 and 1999 Okumura won the CCW Heavyweight Championship and the CAWF Tag Team Championship, teaming with Nobutaka Araya.

In late 1999 Okumura began working for Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW), teaming with Atsushi Onita and Mitsunobu Kikuzawa in a tournament to crown the first ever Barbed-wire Streetfight Six-man Tag Team Title.

The team made it to the finals but were defeated by Mr. Pogo, Shoji Nakamaki, and Ichiro Yaguchi on December 26, 1999.

On January 28, 2000, Onita, Okumura and Kikuzawa won the Barbed-Wire Street Fight Six-Man Tag Title, defeating Nakamaki, Yaguchi, and the Great Kendo for the vacant title.

The trio only held the belt for four days before losing to Nakamaki, Yaguchi, and Kendo.

When Mitsuharu Misawa left AJPW to form Pro Wrestling NOAH along with a large group of AJPW wrestlers Shigeo Okumura was given a full-time contract with AJPW to fill the void left by the exodus.

On September 8, 2001, Okumura and Nobutaka Araya lost to Arashi and Koki Kitahara, in a match for the vacant All Asia Tag Team Championship.

When Arashi and Kitahara vacated the titles in early 2002 Okumura and Mitsuya Nagi entered the tournament to crown new champions.

The team made it all the way to the final match, only to lose to Arashi and Okumura's former partner Nobutaka Araya.

In 2002 Okumura participated in the "Giant Baba Cup", competing in block A. Okumura accumulated 14 points but was defeated by Mitsuya Naga in the Block final.

Over the next two years Okumura would work as a mid-card wrestler, often in makeshift tag teams with other mid-card wrestlers.

In mid-2004 Okumura traveled to Mexico on a "learning trip", to improve his in-ring skills by being exposed to other wrestling styles than the Japanese style.

In Mexico, he began working for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) as a Heel (or "bad guy") "Anti-Mexico" character.

The "Anti-Mexico" character stood in contrast to Okumura's personal views as he liked living and working in Mexico so much that he has remained there since 2004.

On December 5, 2004, Okumura participated in a four-man, Lucha de Apuesta (Bet match) steel cage match where the last man in the cage would have his hair shaved off as a result.

The match came down to Okumura and Negro Casas and saw Casas escape, leaving Okumura to be shaved bald per Lucha traditions.

Okumura originally worked for Tokyo Pro Wrestling (TPW) and later on All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in Japan but moved to Mexico in 2005 to work for CMLL full-time.

Okumura usually teams up with wrestlers from Japan who visit CMLL, currently as a group known as La Ola Amarilla (Spanish for "The Yellow Wave").

In the mid-2005 NJPW sent Shinsuke Nakamura and Hiroshi Tanahashi to Mexico, in order for them to gain international experience, just like Okumura had been sent the year before.

Okumura teamed with Nakamura and Tanahashi, as well as worked as their guide and contact outside the ring.

On May 12, 2006, Okumura participated in CMLL's International Gran Prix, teaming with other foreign wrestlers to take on a team of eight Mexican wrestlers.

On June 18, 2006, Okumura once again participated in a multi-man Steel Cage Lucha de Apuesta match, putting his hair on the line against Rey Bucanero, Universo 2000, Negro Casas, Tarzan Boy, Máximo, Heavy Metal, and El Terrible.

In the end Rey Bucanero pinned Okumura, forcing him to once again be shaved bald.

In August 2006, Okumura began teaming up with Hajime Ohara and Hirooki Goto, both on a "learning trip" like Okumura had been, both young wrestlers from NJPW.

The three teamed up in tag team and trios matches, taking on various Mexica combinations in low and mid-card matches.

On May 11, 2007, Okumura and Goto both participated in that year's International Gran Prix teaming with Alex Koslov, Marco Corleone, Minoru Suzuki, Jushin Thunder Liger, and Último Dragón.

Okumura was the second wrestler eliminated, pinned by Rey Bucanero.

Ohara and Goto would both remain in Mexico for almost a year, returning to NJPW in mid-2007.

In the fall of 2007 Shigeo Okumura broke his collar bone when an Asai Moonsault attempt by the inexperienced Fabián el Gitano went wrong and Fabián struck Okumura with his knees, breaking the bone.

The injury sidelined Okumura for the remainder of 2007 and a large part of 2008 as his recovery from the injury combined with a long trip back to Japan kept him out of the ring.

Okumura and Yujiro won the 2009 version of the Gran Alternativa tournament.

In mid-2009 Okumura was once again teamed up with a couple of Japanese wrestlers on a learning trip; this time he teamed with No Limit (Yujiro and Naito) to form an "Anti-Mexico" faction called La Ola Amarilla (Spanish for "The Yellow Wave").

The team was given a strong push, booked to win a series of high-profile matches against various Mexican tecnicos (Faces or "good guys").

All three members of La Ola Amarila were involved in a 15-man Lucha de Apuesta steel cage match, which was the main event of CMLL's 2009 Infierno en el Ring event.

Okumura was the 12th man eliminated, pinned by eventual winner Último Guerrero.