For many Japanese, Lou Thesz is a name inscribed in their memory.

    How thrilled I was to hear in my youth that an American pro wrestler billed as "the strongest man in the world" or an "iron man" was coming here! Reports of his death brought back those days.

    The opponent waiting for him in Japan was, of course, the legendary Rikidōzan, a former sumo wrestler. Perhaps, pro wrestling in this country was then beginning to decline after its best days.

    Thesz came here in 1957, the year when Nobusuke Kishi put together his first Cabinet as prime minister. His main slogan was san aku tsuiho, or eliminating three evils - corruption, violence and poverty.

    Indeed, Japan was still poor then. Rikidōzan took on pro wrestlers coming from the United States, an affluent country that had occupied Japan after World War II, and beat them in succession.

    Thesz was in a class by himself. I clearly remember a photograph that showed how he stood in his trunks and shoes-a well-proportioned body with thick hair on the chest. The tricky thing about memory is that I cannot recall his match against Rikidōzan, who failed to crown himself a world champion as it ended up in a draw. I am sure that I watched the crucial match on television.

    Pro wrestling as show business grew up with television. It was the same with the United States, which had led the way far ahead of Japan. Thesz was one of the heroes of the new television age in that country, with his spectacular and fast techniques having a trailblazing effect.

    In its obituary on Thesz, a local newspaper published in his hometown described him as "the last pure wrestler and perhaps the greatest wrestler ever." It also said: "In Japan he was God and here he was the Babe Ruth of wrestling."

    "After the match with the world's greatest wrestler, fights with other run-of-the-mill wrestlers became unappetizing for me," Rikidōzan is quoted as having said in "Gekiroku Rikidōzan" (A Close-Up Chronicle of Rikidōzan's Career), a book published by the Tokyo Sports Shimbun.

    The death of the hero made news with an impact that recalled a certain past age and rekindled our memories about it. (The Asahi Shimbun, May 1)(IHT/Asahi: May 2,2002)