Satoru Sayama
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese professional wrestler, best known as the original Tiger Mask
. He's wrestled under his real name as well as the names Sammy Lee, and mask
ed Super Tiger, Tiger King, (Original) Tiger Mask and The Mask of Tiger. He is the only man to hold the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
and the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
simultaneously.
, against Shoji Kai, a jobber known to have been the debut opponent for future stars (Rusher Kimura, Masa Saito
, Osamu Kido
, Tatsumi Fujinami
, and Mitsuo Momota
had debuted against him before). Sayama weighed only 160 pounds, which, even given his training, impaired him from getting a permanent spot on NJPW cards. So they sent him abroad, to England
(where he wrestled as Sammy Lee) and Mexico
, where he wrestled under his real name. It was in Mexico where he started to grow not only in physical stature but also in prominence, winning the NWA World Middleweight Title in EMLL.
anime and created an actual wrestler called Tiger Mask for the fans, with the recently returned Sayama playing the role. On the evening of Thursday, April 23, 1981 Satoru Sayama made his way to the ring in the Kuramae Kokugikan
as Tiger Mask. Initially, many traditional Japanese fans scoffed at the thought of artist Ikki Kajiwara's popular comicbook wrestling hero being pushed as a legitimate wrestling star, but he shocked the Japanese fans in the arena by pinning Dynamite Kid
with his German Suplex. As a result, he was immediately regarded as the premier star in New Japan's Junior Heavyweight ranks. Moreover, that match would be the first of many classic battles between the two men.
On May 6, 1982, Tiger Mask was forced to vacate the WWF Junior Heavyweight title after injuring his right knee. Tiger Mask would go on to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight less than 3 weeks later on May 25, 1982. The next day, Tiger Mask defeated Black Tiger
in a match for the WWF Junior Heavyweight title. This victory was met with controversy, as some board members on the NWA declared the title vacant, as they felt that the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship was the premier title for the division. However, during an annual meeting between the NWA and New Japan Pro Wrestling, it was declared that Tiger Mask was still recognized as the official champion, which made him the only man to simultaneously hold the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship and the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship.
Sayama made several appearances in the United States
in late 1982, mostly in the World Wrestling Federation. He defended the WWF Junior title by defeating Dynamite Kid at Madison Square Garden
in New York City
on August 30, and Eddie Gilbert at the Spectrum in Philadelphia on November 25. The elderly ring announcer at the Spectrum introduced Sayama as "Timer Mask." Sayama also appeared at least once during this time period at a WWF television taping.
During a tag team match on April 3, 1983 he was injured by Dynamite Kid; two days later, he was forced to vacate the NWA World Junior Heavyweight title after it became clear that he would need time off to recuperate. However, once the determined Tiger Mask recovered, he regained his NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship by defeating Kuniaki Kobayashi
on June 2, 1983, making him a simultaneous NWA/WWF Jr. champion for the second time. By 1983, however, Sayama started feeling dissatisfied as he hated the politics behind-the-scenes. As a result, he announced his retirement from active competition on August 12, 1983. It was a shock to the wrestling world, as Tiger Mask was going to retire while he was at the top of his game and as the holder of two Junior Heavyweight Championships. Both titles were declared vacant, as he became a trainer to martial arts fighters.
had purchased the Tiger Mask name and gimmick and given it to Mitsuharu Misawa
. As a result, Sayama initially made appearances for UWF as The Tiger (which was the same colors as Tiger Mask), then alternated between using his real name and the gimmick of Super Tiger (colored silver and purple
). He initially supported the UWF concept and had several memorable matches against Akira Maeda
and Yoshiaki Fujiwara
. Sayama would soon disagree with Maeda over style ideology, as Sayama wanted more kicking, while Maeda wanted more submission holds. This led to a shoot during a match between Sayama and Maeda in 1985, in which Maeda delivered a controversial kick to Sayama's lower abdomen. Sayama signaled that he was kicked in the groin, resulting in Maeda being disqualified. Shortly after this, Sayama left UWF, amid protests from other UWF wrestlers who disliked him for his selfish leadership. With no key opponents for Maeda, the UWF collapsed and Maeda and the rest of the roster headed back to NJPW.
, finally realizing his dream of becoming a martial arts trainer. It was Sayama who [re-]popularized the term kayfabe
, which was also the title of a book he wrote in which he exposed the pro wrestling business's secret to a Japanese audience.
. As there was already a Tiger Mask on the scene (his disciple, Tiger Mask IV
, who debuted with the mask), Sayama used the name and gimmick Tiger King, using a gold
-colored outfit. He lost to Inoki, but fans still were awed of his display of athleticism and said that he had not lost a step at all.
In subsequent years, he (using the Original [Shodai] Tiger Mask identity), competing sporadically in various independent promotions, often in legends matches and teams with his younger disciple. In 1998, he was invited by Inoki to be a part of the board of his new venture, Universal Fighting Organization. He did, but left a year later to form Seikendohttp://www.sherdog.com/events/Ultimate-Boxing-Pride-vs-Seikendo-386, his own promotion.
Recently he participated in a new promotion called Real Japan Pro Wrestling and started to promote a new gimmick where he would be called Super Tiger. However, with a career spanning over 30 years in addition to being actively involved in martial arts aside from wrestling, have taken its toll, with Sayama being fodder in singles matches for current stars aiming to become legends, such as Shinjiro Otani and AJPW Triple Crown champion Minoru Suzuki
(the title was not on the line in their match).
Sayama has also recently donned his famous costume, being billed as "The Original Tiger Mask." He has appeared in Tatsumi Fujinami's DRADITION promotion, as well as Antonio Inoki's Inoki Genome Federation
. Sayama is much heavier than he was in his younger days, and as a result, his style has changed; he focuses more on mat-based wrestling, though he still uses his trademark martial arts kicks. Fans, young and old, seem quite pleased just to see Sayama in any form these days.
There has been talk that Sayama has been involved establishing a Tiger Mask V. This new Tiger Mask would have his own style and have been picked by Sayama himself. A picture of this possible new Tiger Mask can be found here.http://sports.c.yimg.jp/news/20100718/spnavi/20100718-00000028-spnavi-fight-view-000.jpg
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese professional wrestler, best known as the original Tiger Mask
Tiger Mask
is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's Bokura Magazine from 1968 to 1969 and was later published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1970 to 1971...
. He's wrestled under his real name as well as the names Sammy Lee, and mask
Mask
A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
ed Super Tiger, Tiger King, (Original) Tiger Mask and The Mask of Tiger. He is the only man to hold the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship
The WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985.-Title history:-External links:*...
and the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship
The NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
simultaneously.
Early years (1976-1981)
Sayama debuted in New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestling
is a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
, against Shoji Kai, a jobber known to have been the debut opponent for future stars (Rusher Kimura, Masa Saito
Masa Saito
is a former Japanese professional wrestler better known as Mr. Saito or . He wrestled for several years in various promotions operated by the National Wrestling Alliance . He later joined the World Wrestling Federation , where he teamed with Mr. Fuji to hold the World Tag Team Championship twice...
, Osamu Kido
Osamu Kido
is a Japanese professional wrestler that wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling. He participated in the foundation of New Japan of 1972 and the foundation ofUWF in 1984...
, Tatsumi Fujinami
Tatsumi Fujinami
is a Japanese professional wrestler who is famous for his gimmick as "The Dragon." He is the one who is credited for inventing the Dragon Sleeper and the Dragon Suplex...
, and Mitsuo Momota
Mitsuo Momota
is a Japanese professional wrestler and executive, known for his work in the Japanese promotions All Japan Pro Wrestling and later in Pro Wrestling NOAH. He is the son of wrestler Rikidōzan.-All Japan Pro Wrestling :...
had debuted against him before). Sayama weighed only 160 pounds, which, even given his training, impaired him from getting a permanent spot on NJPW cards. So they sent him abroad, to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
(where he wrestled as Sammy Lee) and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where he wrestled under his real name. It was in Mexico where he started to grow not only in physical stature but also in prominence, winning the NWA World Middleweight Title in EMLL.
New Japan Pro Wrestling (1981-1983)
In 1981, NJPW was looking for a way to attract young fans to its wrestling. They looked to the popular Tiger MaskTiger Mask
is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's Bokura Magazine from 1968 to 1969 and was later published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1970 to 1971...
anime and created an actual wrestler called Tiger Mask for the fans, with the recently returned Sayama playing the role. On the evening of Thursday, April 23, 1981 Satoru Sayama made his way to the ring in the Kuramae Kokugikan
Kuramae Kokugikan
was a building situated in the Kuramae district of Tokyo which was built by the Japan Sumo Association and opened in 1950. The Association needed a permanent venue to hold sumo tournaments as the previous, bomb-damaged, Kokugikan had been taken over by occupying Allied forces after World War II...
as Tiger Mask. Initially, many traditional Japanese fans scoffed at the thought of artist Ikki Kajiwara's popular comicbook wrestling hero being pushed as a legitimate wrestling star, but he shocked the Japanese fans in the arena by pinning Dynamite Kid
Dynamite Kid
Thomas Wilton Billington , best known by the ring name Dynamite Kid, is a retired British professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation, Stampede Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid- to late-1980s...
with his German Suplex. As a result, he was immediately regarded as the premier star in New Japan's Junior Heavyweight ranks. Moreover, that match would be the first of many classic battles between the two men.
On May 6, 1982, Tiger Mask was forced to vacate the WWF Junior Heavyweight title after injuring his right knee. Tiger Mask would go on to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight less than 3 weeks later on May 25, 1982. The next day, Tiger Mask defeated Black Tiger
Black Tiger
Black tiger may refer to:* Black tiger , a melanistic or pseudo-melanistic tiger* Black Tiger , a 1982 release by Y&T* Black Tiger , an arcade game developed by the Japanese company Capcom in 1987...
in a match for the WWF Junior Heavyweight title. This victory was met with controversy, as some board members on the NWA declared the title vacant, as they felt that the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship was the premier title for the division. However, during an annual meeting between the NWA and New Japan Pro Wrestling, it was declared that Tiger Mask was still recognized as the official champion, which made him the only man to simultaneously hold the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship and the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship.
Sayama made several appearances in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in late 1982, mostly in the World Wrestling Federation. He defended the WWF Junior title by defeating Dynamite Kid at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on August 30, and Eddie Gilbert at the Spectrum in Philadelphia on November 25. The elderly ring announcer at the Spectrum introduced Sayama as "Timer Mask." Sayama also appeared at least once during this time period at a WWF television taping.
During a tag team match on April 3, 1983 he was injured by Dynamite Kid; two days later, he was forced to vacate the NWA World Junior Heavyweight title after it became clear that he would need time off to recuperate. However, once the determined Tiger Mask recovered, he regained his NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship by defeating Kuniaki Kobayashi
Kuniaki Kobayashi
Kuniaki Kobayashi is a retired Japanese Junior Heavyweight professional wrestler. He wrestled numerous acclaimed matches against the first two Tiger Masks: Satoru Sayama and Mitsuharu Misawa.-New Japan Pro Wrestling :...
on June 2, 1983, making him a simultaneous NWA/WWF Jr. champion for the second time. By 1983, however, Sayama started feeling dissatisfied as he hated the politics behind-the-scenes. As a result, he announced his retirement from active competition on August 12, 1983. It was a shock to the wrestling world, as Tiger Mask was going to retire while he was at the top of his game and as the holder of two Junior Heavyweight Championships. Both titles were declared vacant, as he became a trainer to martial arts fighters.
Universal Wrestling Federation (1984-1985)
After nearly a year of inactivity, Sayama resurfaced in the Japanese UWF in 1984. By then, All Japan Pro WrestlingAll Japan Pro Wrestling
is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion established in 1972. All Japan Pro Wrestling still remains one of the most popular puroresu promotions still in operation.-The Giant Baba Era :...
had purchased the Tiger Mask name and gimmick and given it to Mitsuharu Misawa
Mitsuharu Misawa
was a Japanese professional wrestler. He made his professional debut on August 21, 1981 for All Japan Pro Wrestling . From 1984 until 1990, Misawa wrestled as the second generation Tiger Mask, as All Japan Pro Wrestling had purchased the rights of the Tiger Mask gimmick from New Japan Pro Wrestling...
. As a result, Sayama initially made appearances for UWF as The Tiger (which was the same colors as Tiger Mask), then alternated between using his real name and the gimmick of Super Tiger (colored silver and purple
Purple
Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade....
). He initially supported the UWF concept and had several memorable matches against Akira Maeda
Akira Maeda
is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, also known as Kwik-kik-Lee for his time on the British Wrestling show World of Sport. He helped develop the shoot-style of professional wrestling during the late 1980s....
and Yoshiaki Fujiwara
Yoshiaki Fujiwara
is a Japanese actor, and professional wrestler who has worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling, Pro Wrestling ZERO-ONE, and UWF.-New Japan Pro Wrestling and Universal Wrestling Federation :...
. Sayama would soon disagree with Maeda over style ideology, as Sayama wanted more kicking, while Maeda wanted more submission holds. This led to a shoot during a match between Sayama and Maeda in 1985, in which Maeda delivered a controversial kick to Sayama's lower abdomen. Sayama signaled that he was kicked in the groin, resulting in Maeda being disqualified. Shortly after this, Sayama left UWF, amid protests from other UWF wrestlers who disliked him for his selfish leadership. With no key opponents for Maeda, the UWF collapsed and Maeda and the rest of the roster headed back to NJPW.
Retirement (1985-1995)
Sayama left professional wrestling altogether due to his experience in the UWF, and spent the next few years criticizing it as worked. In 1986 he founded ShootoShooto
Shooto is a mixed martial arts organization that is governed by the Shooto Association and the International Shooto Commission. Shooto was originally formed in 1985, as an organization and as a particular fighting system derived from shoot wrestling. Practitioners are referred to as shooters,...
, finally realizing his dream of becoming a martial arts trainer. It was Sayama who [re-]popularized the term kayfabe
Kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real" or "true". Specifically, the portrayal of professional wrestling, in particular the competition and rivalries between participants, as being genuine or not of a worked nature...
, which was also the title of a book he wrote in which he exposed the pro wrestling business's secret to a Japanese audience.
Return and aftermath (1995-present)
In 1995, Sayama was offered to return to puroresu for a match against old mentor Antonio InokiAntonio Inoki
is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes...
. As there was already a Tiger Mask on the scene (his disciple, Tiger Mask IV
Tiger Mask IV
Yoshihiro Yamazaki , best known by his ring name Tiger Mask , is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Yamazaki is the fourth wrestler to portray the Tiger Mask image / persona; having used it since 1995...
, who debuted with the mask), Sayama used the name and gimmick Tiger King, using a gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
-colored outfit. He lost to Inoki, but fans still were awed of his display of athleticism and said that he had not lost a step at all.
In subsequent years, he (using the Original [Shodai] Tiger Mask identity), competing sporadically in various independent promotions, often in legends matches and teams with his younger disciple. In 1998, he was invited by Inoki to be a part of the board of his new venture, Universal Fighting Organization. He did, but left a year later to form Seikendohttp://www.sherdog.com/events/Ultimate-Boxing-Pride-vs-Seikendo-386, his own promotion.
Recently he participated in a new promotion called Real Japan Pro Wrestling and started to promote a new gimmick where he would be called Super Tiger. However, with a career spanning over 30 years in addition to being actively involved in martial arts aside from wrestling, have taken its toll, with Sayama being fodder in singles matches for current stars aiming to become legends, such as Shinjiro Otani and AJPW Triple Crown champion Minoru Suzuki
Minoru Suzuki
is a Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Suzuki was the co-founder of Pancrase, one of the first mixed martial arts organizations in the world. During the 1990s he was known as one of the best fighters in the Pancrase promotion and was the second King of Pancrase world champion...
(the title was not on the line in their match).
Sayama has also recently donned his famous costume, being billed as "The Original Tiger Mask." He has appeared in Tatsumi Fujinami's DRADITION promotion, as well as Antonio Inoki's Inoki Genome Federation
Inoki Genome Federation
Inoki Genome Federation is a professional wrestling promotion in Japan founded by Antonio Inoki in 2007.The IGF is now also the official National Wrestling Alliance territory of Japan, since Antonio Inoki is the person who holds those rights and transferred them to IGF from New Japan Pro...
. Sayama is much heavier than he was in his younger days, and as a result, his style has changed; he focuses more on mat-based wrestling, though he still uses his trademark martial arts kicks. Fans, young and old, seem quite pleased just to see Sayama in any form these days.
There has been talk that Sayama has been involved establishing a Tiger Mask V. This new Tiger Mask would have his own style and have been picked by Sayama himself. A picture of this possible new Tiger Mask can be found here.http://sports.c.yimg.jp/news/20100718/spnavi/20100718-00000028-spnavi-fight-view-000.jpg
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Tiger suplex
- Turning Moonsault
- Signature moves
- Kneeling belly to belly piledriver
- Multiple kick variations
-
-
- Backflip
- Shoot followed by a spin followed by a jumping rolling sole
- Tiger feint - innovated
- Jumping Back Spin Kick
- Tiger Wall Flip (Corner backflip)
- Snap DDT
- Multiple suplexSuplexA suplex is an offensive move used in professional sport wrestling . The move consists of one wrestler picking up his or her opponent off the ground and then using a large portion of his or her own body weight to drive the opponent down on the mat. Nearly all suplexes have the attacker going down...
variations
- Double underhook
- German
- Underhook
- Surfboard
- Space Flying Tiger Drop (CartwheelCartwheel (gymnastics)In gymnastics, a cartwheel is a sideways rotary movement performed by bringing the hands to the ground while the body inverts and the legs travel over the body, coming down to a standing position.-Terminology:...
plancha) - Swan dive headbutt
- Tiger Spin (Side headlock twisted into a Hammerlock twisted into a Drop toe-hold – innovated
-
Championships and accomplishments
- Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha LibreConsejo Mundial de Lucha LibreConsejo Mundial de Lucha Libre is a Lucha Libre-style professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico City while running cards in Guadalajara, Puebla and elsewhere in central and southern Mexico...
- NWA World Middleweight ChampionshipNWA World Middleweight ChampionshipThe NWA World Middleweight Championship is a currently inactive professional wrestling championship, promoted by the National Wrestling Alliance . For the majority of its existence it has been promoted by Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre , where it was known as the Campeonato...
(1 time) - WWF Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipWWF Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985.-Title history:-External links:*...
(1 time)
- New Japan Pro WrestlingNew Japan Pro Wrestlingis a major professional wrestling promotion in Japan, founded by Antonio Inoki in June 1972 and owned by Yuke's since 2005, when Inoki sold the promotion. Naoki Sugabayashi is the current President of the promotion and has held that position from 2007. Owing to its TV program aired on TV Asahi, it...
- NWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipNWA World Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world championship and secondary title in the National Wrestling Alliance that was for the lighter wrestlers. It started in 1945 and still exists today. The title was unified with the National Boxing/Wrestling Association's...
(2 times) - WWF Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipWWF Junior Heavyweight ChampionshipThe WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship is a former championship recognized by the World Wrestling Federation and New Japan Pro Wrestling for wrestlers of smaller size. The title existed from 1967 through 1985.-Title history:-External links:*...
(2 times)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- 5 Star Match (1983) vs. Dynamite KidDynamite KidThomas Wilton Billington , best known by the ring name Dynamite Kid, is a retired British professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation, Stampede Wrestling, All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid- to late-1980s...
on April 23 - Best Flying Wrestler (1982, 1983)
- Best Technical Wrestler (1982, 1983)
- Match of the Year (1982) vs. Dynamite Kid, August 5, Tokyo, Japan
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1996)