1st Tiger Mask?

[Pete Sambrano]

I have a question regarding the first Tiger Mask.Now every Japanese person that I talk to that knows puroresu says that Misawa was the first tiger mask.Now I forgot who he(the original)was,but do they say this because he unmasked himself or do they just do only american fans know about this what's the deal?This could be another reason why that man(Misawa)is really popular.So I hope someone can help me get to the bottom of why the Japanese fans all say(so far as I met) that Misawa was the original Toger Mask.

[Hom3R]

I heard NO ONE say that Misawa was the 1st Tiger Mask.
Satoru Sayama was the first one.

[BurningHammer]

Hom3r's got this one.

Tiger Mask 1 = Satoru Sayama
Tiger Mask 2= Mitsuharu Misawa
Tiger Mask 3= Koji Kanemoto
Tiger Mask 4 = still active

As for the rest of your questions, Pete, it's sort of tough to make them out. You should throw some commas and periods in there somewhere-- break those long sentences up. <nods>

I can tell you, though, that Misawa unmasked himself. Or, if you want to be technical about it, Kawada did it for him. (This was after they won the Real World Tag League, I think.)

I'm not too sure about Kanemoto.

But, if memory serves, Sayama was stripped of the Tiger Mask gimmick over a dispute between New Japan and the company that owned the copyright to the Tiger Mask cartoon character. Basically, New Japan lost the rights to the character. Sayama, then, wasn't unmasked. But Tiger Mask I just had to disappear. Then, I imagine, Baba went, bought the rights, and pinned his hopes on a young high-flyer. Good gamble.

[Ganso]

I believe Kohji Kanemotoh lost his striped hood when he lost a Mask vs. Title mask against Liger. I believe it was a dome show in 1994, dont remember which dome it was though.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

The first one who used the cartoon character was Samson Kutsuwada, a Japanese wrestler who wrestled as a heel in South Korea under the "Tiger Mask" gimmick.

However, it wasn't really a big deal, so it's safe to say Sayama was the original.

[Pete Sambrano]

Gee, sorry Burning Hammer while I lack comma's you are using too many.Also since no one else can even spell correctly or knew we were in English I figured I could do the same thing.By the way your sentence doesn't even make sense."I just Tiger Mask disappeared" what the heck is that?

Anyway does anyone know why he Japanese say Misawa was Tiger mask(or at least the students I meet in America not Norway)

[TALEBOTE_SAN]

That is an interesting question Pete Sambrano. From what I heard the japanese actually liked Sayama as Tiger Mask much more so than Misawa. Maybe its an age thin though. It could be possible that younger fans like Misawa and/or never heard of Sayama. Just a thought though.

___________________

"The Ultimate Wrestle Fighter NEVER Loses!"

[Tradewynd]

Never heard of Sayama? That would be a most horrible crime indeed, especially in a country that is actually supposed to remember what happened in the past, unlike in the states where wrestling fans have a 3 week memory.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

1) says that Misawa was the original Tiger Mask.
2) has never heard of Satoru Sayama.
3) liked Misawa more than Sayama as Tiger Mask.

There might be some like these, but I've been lucky enough not to meet any.

[BurningHammer]

Sorry, Pete, it took me a second to figure out which sentence of mine you were quoting, seeing as how you quoted incorrectly.

All i said was: "So Tiger Mask I just had to disappear."
The "I" is the roman numeral one. Tiger Mask One had to disappear after NJ lost the rights to the character. Or at least that's how I understand the history. If I'm wrong, I hope Hisa lets me know.

And that's the real difference between you and me, Pete. It's not about commas or any of that bull. When I write things that get misinterpreted, I clear it up and apologize if necessary. You just get on your high horse and call everyone else stupid for their failure to read your sloppy writing. The writing isn't a problem because it has to be CORRECT or anything, but only because you should make the effort to be CLEAR. You romp all over people for taking your words out of context, when it's your problem to begin with. Be a little more courteous about it-- that's all I was asking.

[Aveburian Knight CMD]

Since we are talking about Tiger Mask, I am hearing that TAKA Michinoku is portraying Tiger Mask Four. Is there any truth to that statement? I thought Michinoku had a bum shoulder and opened a school while waiting for it to heal.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

No, TAKA was never a Tiger Mask. The current Tiger Mask is a shooto student of Satoru Sayama and to my knowledge has never wrestled without a mask.

[RoadWarrior Yajuta]

There are also some Tigermasks not accounted for. There is Osaka's Tigermask and Ken Wayne wrestled as Tigermask here in the States. Tigermask also spawned some cool imittators in the form of El Felino and Black Tiger II. I have heard Kanmeoto is supposed to redon his hood to team with IV, is this true? Kanemoto had a very short run as Tigermask, is there any reason?

[Ganso]

Kohji Kanemotoh will don his Tiger Mask persona one last time on May 2nd on the Tokyo Dome show teaming with the 4th generation Tiger Mask. I believe he never really got over with the crowd during his time as Tiger Mask because of his cocky, arrogant, punk additude.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

Originally posted by RoadWarrior Yajuta
There is Osaka's Tigermask

That's actually "Tigers Mask", based on not the cartoon but the pro baseball team Osaka Hanshin Tigers.