Kendo Nagasaki

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kendo Nagasaki is a professional wrestling stage name, used as a gimmick of that of a Japanese Samurai warrior with a mysterious past and even supernatural powers of hypnosis. The name derives from the modern martial art of Japanese fencing (Kendo), and Nagasaki is the name of a place located on the south-western coast of Kyūshū, site of the second use of the atomic bomb.

The original and most well known use of the gimmick is by the legendary British wrestler Peter Thornley who made his name in ITV's World of Sport. This version of the Nagasaki character dates back to November 1964.

A Japanese wrestler named Kazuo Sakurada also used a variation of the gimmick in the United States during the early 1980s. He would wrestle in the American Wrestling Association, Florida Championship Wrestling, and Continental Wrestling Federation before going on to wrestle on WCW television, changing his ring name to The Dragonmaster and joining the J-Tex Corporation stable.

While both Thornley and Sakurada made extensive use of the Nagasaki character, fans can easily tell the difference between the two versions: Thornley wore a mask, while Sakurada wore face paint instead. Sakurada also used Asian mist as part of his repertoire. More in-depth information on the careers of these two performers can be found at their individual articles.