A tragic story has emerged out of Japan involving a former pro wrestling referee.
According to multiple local reports, Katsumi Sasazaki, who officiated matches for All Japan Women’s Wrestling, Pro Wrestling ZERO1, and most recently Marigold, is believed to have been found dead following a suspected bear attack. He was 60 years old.
Authorities say Sasazaki went missing on Thursday while working at a hot spring inn in Kitakami, Japan. He was reportedly cleaning an outdoor bath area when the apparent attack occurred. Police arriving on the scene discovered bloodstains, animal fur, and several of Sasazaki’s personal items, including his glasses, slippers, and cleaning tools.
A subsequent search party located a body believed to be Sasazaki’s in a nearby wooded area. Officials confirmed that they killed an adult male Asiatic black bear believed to be responsible for the incident.
Sasazaki spent decades in the Japanese wrestling scene, working with promotions such as All Japan Women’s Wrestling, ZERO1, and more recently, Marigold, where he remained respected by wrestlers and fans alike.
From Asahi.com:
Known as ‘Katsumi Tiger,’ the stocky Sasazaki had refereed for a women’s professional wrestling organization until recently and also worked as a bus driver transporting the wrestlers, according to Hideo Arai, 67, president of a Yokohama-based entertainment production company.
‘As a renowned referee, he was a pillar of many ring events,’ Arai said. ‘He had a gentle personality and approached matches with a sincere attitude. I knew he had retired and was working at a hot spring, but how could this happen?‘
Rossy Ogawa, the founder of the Marigold promotion, commented on social media about the tragic news.
Heartbreaking news has come in that the body of Katsumi Sasazaki, who had been missing after being attacked by a bear at a hot spring facility in Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, has been found.
Sasazaki’s final refereeing role was in the Marigold ring. He was a junior from All-Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling, quiet but dedicated to his work, and had two young daughters. He was supposed to come to the Shin-Kiba event but ended up absent, and we parted without exchanging a single word. Such an end is unimaginable; it can only be described as deeply regrettable and heartbreaking.
May he rest in peace.
岩手県北上市の温泉施設で熊に襲われ行方不明だった笹崎勝巳の遺体が発見されたという痛ましいニュースが入ってきた。笹崎の最後のレフェリーはマリーゴールドのリングだった。全女の後輩であり寡黙だが仕事熱心であり、まだ幼い女の子が二人いる。新木場大会に来るはずが欠場となり、何の言葉も交わす…
— ロッシー小川 Rossy Ogawa (@rossyogawa) October 17, 2025
