 | Thisbiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Satoru Sayama" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(August 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 Tiger Mask, c. 1983 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1957-11-27)November 27, 1957 (age 68) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | First Tiger Mask Mask of Tiger Sammy Lee Satoshi Sayama Satoru Sayama Super Tiger Tiger Tiger King Tiger Mask Tigre Enmascarado |
| Billed height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)[1] |
| Billed weight | 198 lb (90 kg)[1] |
| Trained by | Antonio Inoki Diablo Velasco Karl Gotch Kotetsu Yamamoto Yoshiaki Fujiwara |
| Debut | May 28, 1976 |
| Retired | December 7, 2016 |
Satoru Sayama (佐山 聡,Sayama Satoru; born November 27, 1957), best known as the originalTiger Mask, is a Japanesewriter, semi-retiredprofessional wrestler andmartial artist, andmixed martial arts (MMA) and wrestling promoter and trainer. He is the founder ofShooto, a pre-UFC MMA promotion, and is widely considered to be one of the most influential maskedJapanese wrestlers of all time (alongside his contemporariesJushin Thunder Liger andÚltimo Dragon). The only man to hold theWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship and theNWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship simultaneously, Sayama became widely known in the wrestling world for his all-round prowess of high-flying, technical abilities, and martial combat skills (as he was a practitioner ofjudo andfreestyle wrestling in his youth).[2][3]
Primarily trained underNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) founderAntonio Inoki and his mentorKarl Gotch, Sayama made his professional wrestling debut in 1976 at 18 years old. He was sent on an excursion to Europe forWorld of Sport (WOS), and Mexico forEMLL, where he not only found his ground as a technical wrestler, but also found his niche inLucha libre. Sayama becameTiger Mask in 1981, brought fromIkki Kajiwara's 1968manga series of the same name and the popular anime of the decade. He became involved in highly publicized feuds withBlack Tiger (portrayed byMark Rocco), theDynamite Kid, andYoshiaki Fujiwara, who was one of Sayama's own trainers. He left NJPW at the height of his popularity in 1983 due to political disenfranchisement, and later became a founding member of theUWF brand in Japan. He then became dissatisfied with wrestling as a whole, leading him to writeKay Fabe (1985), which detailed thekayfabe and secrets ofpuroresu at the time.
After declaring retirement from professional wrestling in 1985 after the collapse of UWF, he founded Shooto, one of the first MMA organizations in the world. Sayama also started mixed martial arts training and developed his own Shooto syllabus for learning what could be considered the first put together MMA training of its kind, with a focus on striking from arts likeboxing,muay thai, andkarate, and grappling fromwrestling,judo, andsambo. The curriculum would help produce the first well rounded fighters of MMA several years before the firstUFC event.[4] While on Shooto, Sayama promoted theVale Tudo Japan events, more rules free events inspired by BrazilianVale Tudo and early UFC, helping to popularize MMA in Japan.[5] He retired from his post in Shooto in 1996, and returned to professional wrestling soon after.
In 2005, Sayama founded his own promotion, Real Japan Pro-Wrestling (RJPW), which later becameStrong Style Pro-Wrestling. Sayama likened the promotion to include wrestlers from the past, as well as martial artists, Sayama's students, and modern stars from the likes ofBattlarts,Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJPW), and more. Although he hasn't officially declared retirement, Sayama last wrestled on December 7, 2016. It was announced in 2020 that he had several health problems, possibly linking him toParkinson's disease and immobility.[6]
Sayama grew up idolizingAntonio Inoki, which drove him to take upjudo andamateur wrestling while in middle school. After winning a wrestling tournament, he dropped out of high school to join Inoki's promotionNew Japan Pro-Wrestling.
After joining New-Japan Pro wrestling, Sayama trained underKotetsu Yamamoto andKarl Gotch, who were famous for their harsh training regime and their emphasis in real fighting. They believed wrestlers had to be actually trained to fight before learning to work the predetermined style of professional wrestling. While sparring against taller opponents, Sayama realized he would struggle to grapple in a fight with strikes due to his short weight and reach, so he also joined akickboxing dojo to compensate for it.[7][8] Sayama routinely faced the fighters and martial artists who came to performdojoyaburi in the NJPW dojo, defeating them all. According to Yamamoto, "Sayama was the only, aside from Inoki, who was skilled in breaking someone's arm with a smile in his face."[7]
He debuted in the ring on May 28, 1976 against Shoji Kai (Kanji Kitazawa), a jobber known to have been the debut opponent for future stars (Rusher Kimura,Masa Saito,Osamu Kido,Tatsumi Fujinami, andMitsuo Momota had debuted against him before). He continued his martial training, especially influenced by theMuhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki shoot fight. He developed the philosophy that fights started withstriking, transitioned towrestling andthrowing and then ended insubmission holds on the ground.[8][7] The following year, inspired by Bruce Lee's filmEnter the Dragon, Sayama created the firstMMA gloves in order to be able to both strike and grapple while sparring. He presented them to Inoki, who used them during his match with boxerChuck Wepner in October.[8]
Sayama also proposed Inoki to create a NJPW branch showcasing real fighting, as if professional wrestling as fought for real (an act called "cement"). Inoki later showed Sayama a possible ruleset, which had been originally proposed by kickboxing championBenny Urquidez, and promised he would make the branch reality and place Sayama at its front.[8]
His martial experience earned him to represent NJPW in a kickboxing match in thecombat sport event Kakutōgi Daisensō, on November 14, 1977. To better prepare himself, he trained inKenji Kurosaki's Mejiro Gym and lost 4,5kg. However, his opponent in the event would be experienced American karateka Marc Costello, who was heavily favored for fighting in his usual rules.[7] Sayama realized that he could not win the match, so he treated the match as an experiment and decided to try to grapple through Costello's strikes, even although it would be illegal. As predicted, he was dominated with strikes and defeated by decision, but he was partially successful in his goal, dropping Costello with illegalsuplexes andtakedowns against the referee's protests. He was criticized by this after the match, but Inoki gave him his approval.[9] The bout drove him to train even harder in real fighting.[7]
Despite the promise to make him a real fighter, Sayama was ordered the learn the theatricallucha libre style of wrestling in 1978, landing inMexico. Sayama was disappointed, but nonetheless obligued.[9] It was in Mexico where he started to grow in prominence, winning theNWA World Middleweight Championship inEMLL. In 1980, he was sent toEngland where wrestling under thegimmick ofSammy Lee,Bruce Lee's fictional cousin. He teamed often with his storyline younger brother Quick-Kick Lee, played by fellow New Japan wrestlerAkira Maeda. He took on opponents such asMark Rocco andMick McManus as well as teaming withBig Daddy. He was successful enough that initially resisted to being recalled to Japan to play a new character, but relented upon being told it would be a one-night gimmick.[7]
A case of legal trouble related to taxes impeded Sayama to leave England, requiring NJPW executiveHisashi Shinma to contact thenPrime Minister of JapanTakeo Fukuda to solve it through the Japanese embassy.[7]
In 1981, NJPW was looking for a way to attract young fans to its wrestling. During the height of popular animeTiger Mask II, its creatorIkki Kajiwara proposed New Japan to create a wrestling character calledTiger Mask for the fans, with Sayama being chosen by Inoki to play the role. On the evening of Thursday, April 23, 1981, Satoru Sayama made his way to the ring in theKuramae Kokugikan as Tiger Mask to face renowned cruiserweightDynamite Kid. Initially, many traditional Japanese fans scoffed at the thought of the popular comic book wrestling hero being pushed as a legitimate wrestling star, but he shocked the crowd in the arena by unveiling a wrestling style never seen before and pinning Kid withGerman suplex.[7]
As a result, the character was made permanent and was regarded as the premier star in New Japan's junior heavyweight ranks. Sayama stood out for his charisma, ability, and his mix of Japanese wrestling and martial arts with Mexicanlucha libre, nicknamed "fourth dimension pro wrestling" (4次元プロレス). Whenever he was in the cards, NJPW sold out and reached 25% share levels in its TV show.[7] Moreover, that match would be the first of many classic battles between Sayama and Dynamite Kid.
On May 6, 1982, Tiger Mask was forced to vacate theWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship 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 old UK rivalMark Rocco, wrestling in the guise ofBlack 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 had mixed feelings about his stardom, feeling NJPW were losing interest in martial arts. This was not only due to Tiger Mask's success, but also because Inoki, increasingly aging and with his health affected bydiabetes, could not keep the pace in his traditional matches against martial artists. Sayama tried to compensate by wrestling with the maximum realism, keeping the acrobatics but refraining from using moves that would have been implausible in a real fight.[10] Around this time, Sayama trained insambo underVictor Koga and kickboxing underToshio Fujiwara.[11]
In late 1982, while still a member of the New Japan roster, Sayama made at least two tours of theUnited States as part of the NJPW-WWF working relationship. He appeared primarily in theWorld Wrestling Federation, at the time a regional promotion in thenortheast region of the country.
Sayama defended the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship by defeating Dynamite Kid atMadison Square Garden inNew York City on August 30, andEddie Gilbert at theSpectrum inPhiladelphia on November 25. During his time as Tiger Mask, Sayama had faced mainly English and Mexican opponents, with styles complementary to his own. As a result, the match with Gilbert would be regarded as one of his higher-profile matches against an American-style opponent.
Sayama also made appearances at WWF television tapings during these tours, in which he had televised matches againstJosé Estrada andMr. Saito.
Joe McHugh, the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission-appointed ring announcer for WWF events in the state and nearing 80 years of age, mistakenly introduced Sayama during one of his appearances as "Timer Mask."
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 defeatingKuniaki 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. Executives found out Inoki had embezzled money from the company for his private business in Brazil with the help ofHisashi Shinma andSeiji Sakaguchi. Sayama was required to support to remove them from the company, but feeling in debt with Inoki and citing intrusions by the company in his personal life, he opted to announce his retirement from active competition on August 12, 1983.[12] His last match occurred on August 4, facing Isamu Teranishi. 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.
Sayama was inactive from the ring for nearly a year, which he invested in dedicating himself to martial arts with Inoki's blessing. He founded the Tiger Gym and created the combat sport known as Shooting, later known asShooto, which would reflect all of his martial philosophy. Shoot is considered to be the first mixed martial arts promotion.[12]
Sayama resurfaced in the JapaneseUniversal Wrestling Federation in 1984, joining along with his protegeKazuo Yamazaki. By then,All Japan Pro Wrestling had purchased the Tiger Mask name and gimmick and given it toMitsuharu Misawa. As a result, Sayama initially made appearances for UWF asThe Tiger (which was the same colors asTiger Mask), then alternated between using his real name and the gimmick ofSuper Tiger (colored silver andpurple). He initially supported the UWF concept and had several memorable matches againstAkira Maeda andYoshiaki Fujiwara. Sayama would soon disagree with Maeda over style ideology, which led to a shoot during a match between Sayama and Maeda in 1985, in which Maeda delivered some controversial kicks to Sayama's lower abdomen. Sayama claimed that he was kicked in the groin, resulting in Maeda being disqualified. Shortly after this, Sayama left UWF, amid recriminations 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.
Sayama then left professional wrestling altogether and focused on managing Shooto and the Tiger Gym. He taught the art of shooting to fighters likeYorinaga Nakamura,Yuki Nakai andRumina Sato, among others. During this time Sayama hosted theVale Tudo Japan event, leading to the introduction ofBrazilian jiu-jitsu in Japan, which drove him to change the rules of Shooto to adapt them to thevale tudo. In 1996 he left Shooto due to disagreements with the board of directors, and was succeeded by Taro Wakayabayshi.
On May 1, 1994, Sayama made a return and fought in a match againstJushin Thunder Liger that ended in a no contest at aNew Japan Pro Wrestling.
In 1995, Sayama was offered to return to puroresu for a match against old mentorAntonio Inoki. 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 gimmickTiger King, using agold-colored outfit. Inoki ended up winning the match.
In subsequent years, he (using theOriginal [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-Arts Organization. He did, but left a year later to form Seikendo.
In 1999, attempting to return to the world of martial arts and to create something similar to Shooto, he created a martial art namedSeikendo. It was ahybrid martial art similar to Shooto and MMA, but more akin to a traditional martial art—with focus on etiquette and ceremonials based on traditional Japanese imagery and ideals and spiritual and mental development—and focused on self-defense: Seikendokas would wearkeikogis to simulate clothing, had rules that based on the principle it had aconcrete floor, withgroundfighting that focused onground-and-pound, with no submissions allowed, and fighting was in an octagonal ring without ropes.[13][14] Sayama also created a professional promotion by the same name to promote his martial art (as he had done to Shooto), which ran for three years and had five events before closing down in 2003.[15]
In 2005, he founded a new promotion calledReal Japan Pro-Wrestling and started to promote his oldSuper Tiger gimmick. 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 asShinjiro Otani andTriple Crown Heavyweight ChampionMinoru Suzuki (the title was not on the line in their match).
He has also appeared inTatsumi Fujinami's Dradition promotion, as well as Antonio Inoki'sInoki 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.
Still training young wrestlers, Sayama endorsed a second Super Tiger, played by seikendoka andmixed martial artistYuji Sakuragi. In 2010, Sayama pickedIkuhisa Minowa as the fifth Tiger Mask, but has not wrestled under the mask since.
At the March 20, 2015, Real Japan event, Sayama was defeated by All Japan wrestlerAkebono following asplash from the formeryokozuna. Afterwards, Sayama began experiencing chest pains, which forced him to pull out of subsequent matches. After multiple tests, it was determined that Sayama needed to undergo emergency heart surgery, which took place on May 22.[16] Following the surgery, Sayama began suffering fromangina, which forced him to pull out of Real Japan's 10th anniversary event on June 11.[17] On June 5, Sayama held a press conference, stating that he was not thinking about retiring from professional wrestling despite his life being in danger prior to the catheter surgery.[18] Sayama returned to the ring on June 23, 2016, battlingMinowaman to a draw,[19] but has not been back since then.
In 1995, Sayama starred alongItsumi Osawa in the Toshihiro Sato movieRoppongi Soldier as Ken Washizu, a formerkickboxer turnedprivate detective. His partnerYoshiaki Fujiwara appears as well, portraying a fellow fighter.
He also had an appearance in the 2004 movieShinsetsu Tiger Mask, abiographical film about Sayama's life in which he is played byMasakatsu Funaki. Sayama himself plays Tiger Mask's trainer.
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Satoru Sayama (hair) | Alfonso Dantés (hair) | México City | Live event | June 15, 1979 | |
| Tiger Mask (mask) | Masked Hurricane (mask) | Tokyo, Japan | Live event | October 8, 1981 |
| 0 wins, 1 loss | ||||||||
| Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 14, 1977 | Loss | Marc Costello | Kakutōgi Daisensō | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (unanimous) | 6 | 2:00 | 0-1 |
| Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest | ||||||||
| This section of abiography of a living persondoes notinclude anyreferences or sources. Please help by addingreliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourcedmust be removed immediately, especially if potentiallylibelous or harmful.(April 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Exhibition record breakdown | ||
| 3 matches | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| Draws | 2 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | 1–0–2 | Yoshinori Nishi | Technical Draw | Lumax Cup - Tournament of J'95 | October 13, 1995 | 1 | 5:30 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Win | 1–0–1 | Kuniaki Kobayashi | KO (high kick) | Shooto: Vale Tudo Perception | September 26, 1995 | 1 | 6:05 | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Draw | 0–0–1 | Yuji Ito | Technical Draw | VTJ 1994 - Vale Tudo Japan 1994 | July 29, 1994 | 2 | 3:00 | Tokyo, Japan |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Roppongi Soldier | Ken Washizu |
| 2004 | Shinsetsu Tiger Mask | Tiger Mask's trainer |
| 2006 | Waru | |
| 2006 | Waru: kanketsu-hen |
,Cagematch,Wrestlingdata,Internet Wrestling Database| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
