All Japan Pro Wrestling‘s Atsushi Aoki passed away on June 3 following a motorcycle accident in Tokyo, when according to a translation of a Kyodo article by author and NJPW commentator Chris Carlton, “his bike failed to take a curve and hit the wall of a tunnel.” Aoki had won the World Junior Heavyweight Championship for the fourth time on May 20. He was 41 years old.
Aoki began his wrestling career in Pro Wrestling NOAH in 2005 after training at their dojo. He left NOAH in 2012 after the firing of Kenta Kobashi, and joined All Japan Pro Wrestling in 2013 as part of the Burning stable alongside Go Shiozaki, Jun Akiyama, Kotaru Suzuki, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Along with his junior title wins, Aoki racked up tag team accomplishments working with Suzuki and Hikaru Sato in All Japan, became head trainer at their dojo, and was appointed the president of talent relations in 2016.
Wrestlers who had worked with Aoki, including Joe Coffey, Kikutaro, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Vinnie Massaro, Roderick Strong, Minoru Suzuki, Harlem Bravado, Rocky Romero, Kenta, and Kassius Ohno, made statements on social media after learning the news of Aoki’s death.
Really Saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Atsushi Aoki.
I had the chance to wrestle him and be around him training and at shows. a top pro who from watching him and training with him made me get the most out of everything.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/Q5QZMl3j8g
— Joe Coffey (@Joe_Coffey) June 4, 2019
2/2
I was hoping somewhere down the road we would have got to lock up and do it again
A pleasure to be around and in the ring with.
Rest In Peace
Atsushi Aoki.— Joe Coffey (@Joe_Coffey) June 4, 2019
R.I.P. Atsushi Aoki… i can't believe,
— kikutaro (@kikutarosan) June 4, 2019
青木
若手の頃から近くにいて、試合で組む事も多かった。
選手としても素晴らしく
後輩への指導もわかりやすく丁寧に教えていた。突然過ぎて信じられない。
心よりご冥福をお祈り致します。
— 金丸 義信 (@kmaru0923) June 4, 2019
RIP Atsushi Aoki
Very shocked and saddened to hear the news
Got a chance to wrestle with him last year
Prayers to his family pic.twitter.com/pEWFAEO46u— 🤌Vinnie Massaro🤌 (@snoringelbow) June 4, 2019
Crushed. Thanks for being an amazing opponent and person… https://t.co/M8pkNWRTVd #AtstushiAoki
— Roderick Strong (@roderickstrong) June 4, 2019
朝早い時間に佐藤が電話で知らせてくれた。泣きじゃくってた。そりゃそうだ。。。いつも横にいたやつが突然…いたたまれない。ご冥福をお祈りします。。
— 鈴木みのる (@suzuki_D_minoru) June 4, 2019
Atsushi Aoki was my trainer at the Pro Wrestling NOAH dojo. I’m so grateful for everything he taught me and the work ethic that he instilled in me during my time in Japan. I wouldn’t be the pro wrestler I am today without it.
Arigatou gozaimashita, Aoki-San. 🙏🏼
Rest In Peace pic.twitter.com/KfEsNcPHJA— Andre Chase | twitch.tv/ChaseUniversity (@AndreChaseWWE) June 4, 2019
Very saddened to hear about the passing of Atsushi Aoki. I had the honor of teaming with Aoki in the NTV Jr. Tag League back in 2007. #RestInPower my friend.
— ROCKY ROMERO🇵🇷 🇲🇽 🇺🇸 🇯🇵“Chico El Luchador” (@azucarRoc) June 4, 2019
信じられない。寂しくなるよ青木。
心よりご冥福をお祈りします。
— KENTA aka Lil’K (@KENTAG2S) June 4, 2019
Incredibly sad. Sending love to all of Aoki’s friends, family and fans ❤️ pic.twitter.com/cfwEkP4VGR
— Chris Hero (Is Back) (@ChrisHero) June 4, 2019
Strong and Ohno also shared links to Aoki matches – Strong the last time he saw him wrestle live in 2018, and Strong a match in which he and Eddie Edwards tagged against Aoki and Kenta in 2010.
