Chochishvili (Chochity) Shota  

(10.06.1950 - 27.08.2009) 

Outstanding Judo wrestler (93 kg.) 

Ethnic Ossetian, Shota Chochishvili was born in Stalin’s home town Gori, in Georgia. 

Trainer – G.Papitashvili. 

The first judo Soviet Olympic Champion (1972), bronze medalist at Olympics 1976. 

Champion of the USSR. Winner at the several World and European competitions. 

Was honored with order of the former USSR.  

Chochishvili competed for Georgia and the Soviet National Team at the 1972 Summer Olympics, aged 22. He won the gold medal in the half-heavyweight class. Four years later, in 1976 Summer Olympics, he won the bronze medal in the open category. 

He was Vienna 1975 world championship bronze medalist. 

He was also three times silver medalist in European championship: 1973 Madrid, 1974 London, 1975 Lion.  

Bronze medalist Ludwigshafen 1977. 

In 1989, Chochishvili briefly competed in New Japan Pro Wrestling. On April 24, he competed in a MMA fight against Antonio Inoki, defeating him by knockout and winning Inoki's WWF World Martial Arts Heavyweight Championship.  

He died at the age of 59 on August 27, 2009 from leukemia.