Masa Saito
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Masa Saito | |
---|---|
Statistics | |
Ring name(s) | Mr. Saito Masa Saito |
Billed height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)[1] |
Billed weight | 120 kg (265 lb)[1] |
Born | 1942 |
Debut | June 3, 1965 |
Retired | 1999 |
Masanori Saito is a former Japanese professional wrestler better known as Mr. Saito or Masa Saito.
Contents |
[edit] Wrestling career
[edit] Early career
Saito competed in freestyle wrestling for Japan in the 1964 Olympic Games, placing 7th.[2] He began his pro wrestling career shortly after the games and quickly established himself in both Japan and the United States. Nicknamed "Mr. Torture" for his punishing and sadistic style,[3] Saito held numerous titles while wrestling in North America and Japan.
[edit] National Wrestling Alliance
On July 13, 1968, he won his first title, teaming with Kinji Shibuya to win the San Francisco version of the NWA World Tag Team Championship.[4] The following year, he defeated Dale Lewis to win the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship.[5] After losing the title to Jack Brisco on February 10, 1970, he continued to team with Shibuya in the Los Angeles-based NWA Hollywood Wrestling, winning the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship three times in 1971 and 1972.[6] While wrestling in Los Angeles, he also won the NWA Beat the Champ Television Championship twice in 1972.[7]
Saito's next championship came in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he teamed with Gene Kiniski to win the Vancouver version of the NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship.[8] They held the belts for almost four months before dropping them to Ormand Malumba and Guy Mitchell on March 3, 1975. Saito regained the championship later in the year, however, teaming with Dale Lewis.[8]
Saito next wrestled in NWA Florida, where he teamed with Ivan Koloff to defeat Rocky Johnson and Pedro Morales for the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship in 1977.[9] After losing the belts, Saito and Koloff won them twice more.[9] Their final loss, on January 25, 1978 was to Jack and Jerry Brisco.[9] Saito regained the title, however, teaming with Mr. Sato to defeat the Brisco Brothers.[9] They lost the belts back to the Brisco Brothers three months later but succeeded in regaining them from Mike Graham and Steve Keirn later in the year.[9] While wrestling in Florida, Saito also teamed with Sato to win the NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship on two occasions in 1978 and 1979.[10] In 1979, he also won the Japan version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship, teaming with Hiro Matsuda to win the belts on April 5.[11]
Wrestling in the United States again in 1981, Saito won the NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship twice, defeating Bob Armstrong and Ray Candy[12] That year, he was also involved in a controversy regarding the Florida version of the NWA North American Tag Team Championship. The Assassins were stripped of the title when it was discovered that Saito was wrestling under a mask as a third member of the team.[13]
[edit] World Wrestling Federation
Later in the year, Saito signed with the World Wrestling Federation. Teaming with Mr. Fuji, he won the WWF World Tag Team Championship on October 13, 1981, defeating the team of Tony Garea and Rick Martel.[14] In June 1982, Saito and Fuji lost the title to Jay and Jules Strongbow but regained them the following month.[14] They lost the belts back to the Strongbows, however, on October 26, 1982.[14]
[edit] Arrest
On April 6, 1984, Saito and Ken Patera were refused service at a McDonald's restaurant after the restaurant had closed. The two men threw a boulder through the restaurant's window in retaliation. When the police came, Saito and Patera fought with them before being arrested. As a result of the incident, Saito and Patera were convicted of battery of a peace officer and sentenced to serve two years in prison.[15][16]
[edit] Later career
Following his release, Saito wrestled mainly in Japan, where he became involved in a feud with Antonio Inoki. To settle the feud, the two competed in a Island Death match on October 4, 1987. They were placed on Ganryujima Island and wrestled a match that lasted two hours and spread across the island. Ultimately, Inoki was victorious, defeating Saito by technical knockout.[2] The following year, after leaving All Japan Pro Wrestling to return to New Japan Pro Wrestling, Saito won his first IWGP Tag Team Championship while teaming with Riki Chōshū.[17] He followed this with a second victory the following year, this time with Shinya Hashimoto.[17]
Saito's final major title came in the American Wrestling Association (AWA), where he defeated Larry Zbyszko for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship in front of a hometown crowd of 63,900 fans at the Tokyo Dome on February 10, 1990.[18][19] He lost the title two months later in a rematch with Zbyszko at SuperClash 4.[18][20] While wrestling in the AWA, Saito also formed a tag team with Jesse Ventura known as the Far East-West Connection.[21]
Saito retired from wrestling in 1999.
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing and signature moves
-
- Saito suplex[1]
- Kneeling figure four leglock
- Sharpshooter
- Lariat
- Katana
- Headbutt
- Various nerve holds
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
- American Wrestling Association
- Championship Wrestling from Florida
- NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[5]
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (5 times) - with Ivan Koloff (3) and Mr. Sato (2)[9]
- NWA Florida United States Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Mr. Sato[10]
- NWA All-Star Wrestling
- NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship (Vancouver version) (2 times) - with Gene Kiniski (1) and Dale Lewis (1)[8]
- NWA Hollywood Wrestling
- NWA Americas Tag Team Championship (3 times) - with Kinji Shibuya[6]
- NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship (2 times)[7]
- NWA San Francisco
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (2 times) - with Kinji Shibuya[4]
- New Japan Pro Wrestling
- IWGP Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Riki Chōshū (1) and Shinya Hashimoto (1)[17]
- NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Japan version) (1 time) - with Hiro Matsuda[11]
- Southeastern Championship Wrestling
- World Wrestling Federation
- WWF Tag Team Championship (2 times) - with Mr. Fuji[14]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Best Technical Wrestler award in 1984 - tied with the Dynamite Kid
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Wrestler Profiles: Masa Saito. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ a b Oliver, Greg. From the Olympics to the Pros. SLAM! Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ Hauser, Tom (2002). Inside the Ropes With Jesse Ventura. Univeristy of Minnesota Press, 287. ISBN 0816641870.
- ^ a b A.W.A. (San Francisco) World Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b Florida Heavyweight Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b N.W.A. Americas Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b Beat the Champ Television Title (Los Angeles). Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b c N.W.A. Canadian Tag Team Title (Vancouver). Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b c d e f Florida Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b N.W.A. United States Tag Team Title (Florida). Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b N.W.A. North American Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b N.W.A. Alabama Heavyweight Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ N.W.A. North American Tag Team Title (Florida). Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ a b c d W.W.W.F./W.W.F./W.W.E. World Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ Ken Patera. The Other Arena. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ Williams, Steve; Tom Caiazzo (2007). How Dr. Death Became Dr. Life. Sports Publishing LLC, 143. ISBN 1596701803.
- ^ a b c I.W.G.P. Tag Team Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b c A.W.A. World Heavyweight Title. Wrestling Titles. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
- ^ New Japan Tokyo Dome Cards. Wrestling Information Archive. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ SuperClash IV. Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
- ^ Greenberg, Keith Elliot (2000). Jesse Ventura. Twenty-First Century Books, 39. ISBN 0822549778.