TOKYO, April 30: Japan on Tuesday mourned the death of a retired US pro-wrestler who was a symbol of fair play when the country was experiencing the after-effects of post-war US occupation and the sport still commanded wide respect.

Japanese media paid nostalgic tribute to Lou Thesz, 86, who scored 936 straight wins between 1948 and 1955 as the undisputed world heavyweight pro-wrestling champion, in reporting his death from a heart ailment on Sunday at a hospital in Orlando, Florida.

They remembered his debut match in Japan on October 7, 1957, when he battled to a 61st-minute time-limit draw against national hero Mitsuhiro Momota, who used the ring-name Rikidozan.—APP