Masa Saito

Masa Saito
Saito (left) vs.Arne Robertssonat the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
Birth name	Masanori Saito
Born	(1942-08-07)August 7, 1942 Tokyo,Japan
Died	July 14, 2018(2018-07-14)(aged 75) Saitama,Japan
Cause of death	Parkinson's disease
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Assassin #3 Masa Saito Mr. Saito The Unknown Soldier
Billed height	1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Billed weight	120 kg (265 lb)
Trained by	Hiro Matsuda Toyonobori
Debut	June 3, 1965
Retired	February 14, 1999

Masanori Saito(Trai đằng xương điển,Saitō Masanori,August 7, 1942 – July 14, 2018)was a Japanese professional wrestler better known asMr. SaitoorMasa Saito(マサ trai đằng),who wrestled for 33 years around the world. He had success as a singles wrestler, winning theAWA World Heavyweight Championshipin 1990, and as a tag team wrestler with multiple partners in variousNational Wrestling Alliance(NWA) territories.

Saito joined theWorld Wrestling Federation(WWF) in 1981, where he teamed withMr. Fujito hold the World Tag Team Championship twice and would claim the nickname "Chopstick Charlie". In Japan, he wrestled for both top leagues,All Japan Pro Wrestling(AJPW) andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling(NJPW). He wrestledAntonio InokiacrossGanryujimaisland for over two hours in 1987.

Saito was imprisoned for two years in the mid-1980s for physically assaulting police officers inWaukesha,following an accusation of vandalism against his friendKen Patera.

Amateur wrestling career

Saito competed infreestyle wrestlingfor Japan in the1964 Summer Olympics,placing seventh.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1965–1968)

Recruited to the professional game along with fellow OlympianKoji Sugiyama,Saito began his pro wrestling career in 1965 and quickly established himself in both Japan and the United States. Nicknamed "Mr. Torture" for his punishing and sadistic style,Saito held numerous titles while wrestling in North America and Japan.

National Wrestling Alliance (1968–1981)

On July 13, 1968, Saito won his first title, teaming withKenji Shibuyato win theSan Franciscoversion of theWorld Tag Team Championship.The following year, he defeated Dale Lewis to win theNWA Florida Heavyweight Championship.After losing the title toJack Briscoon February 10, 1970, he continued to team with Shibuya in the Los Angeles-basedNWA Hollywood Wrestling,winning theNWA Americas Tag Team Championshipthree times in 1971 and 1972.While wrestling in Los Angeles, he also won the NWA Beat the Champ Television Championship twice in 1972.

Saito's next championship came inVancouver, British Columbia,where he teamed withAustin Brittonto win the Vancouver version of theCanadian Tag Team Championship.They held the belts for almost four months beforedroppingthem to Ormand Malumba andGuy Mitchellon March 3, 1975. Saito regained the championship later in the year, however, teaming withDale Lewis.

Masa Saito (top) wrestling Mike Graham (bottom),c. 1980

Saito next wrestled inNWA Florida,where he teamed withIvan Koloffto defeatRocky JohnsonandPedro Moralesfor theNWA Florida Tag Team Championshipin 1977.After losing the belts, Saito and Koloff won them twice more.Their final loss, on January 25, 1978, was toJackandJerry Brisco.Saito regained the title, however, teaming withMr. Satoto defeat the Brisco Brothers.They lost the belts back to the Brisco Brothers three months later but succeeded in regaining them fromMike GrahamandSteve Keirnlater in the year.While wrestling inFlorida,Saito also teamed with Sato to win theNWA Florida United States Tag Team Championshipon two occasions in 1978 and 1979.In 1979, he also won theJapanversion of theNorth American Tag Team Championship,teaming withHiro Matsudato win the belts on April 5.

Wrestling in the United States again in 1981, Saito won theAlabama Heavyweight Championshiptwice, defeatingBob ArmstrongandRay Candy.That year, he was also involved in a controversy regarding the Florida version of the 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.

World Wrestling Federation (1981–1982)

Later in the year, Saito signed with theWorld Wrestling Federation.He formed atag teamwithMr. Fuji,which was managed by CaptainLou Albano.They began afeudwith tag championsTony GareaandRick Martel,whom they defeated on edition of October 17, 1981, ofChampionship Wrestlingto win their firstWWF Tag Team Championship,though it was Fuji's fourth individual reign.They began feuding with The Strongbows (Chief JayandJules) in the fall of 1981. This culminated in a title match on June 28, 1982, atMadison Square Garden(MSG) where Strongbows won the titles.On the July 13, 1982, edition ofChampionship Wrestling,they defeated Strongbows in atwo out of three falls matchfor Fuji's fifth and Saito's second WWF Tag Team Championship.The feud of these two teams ended after Fuji and Saito lost the titles to Strongbows on the October 30, 1982, edition ofChampionship Wrestling.

American Wrestling Association (1983–1990)

In June 1983, Saito went to Minneapolis and began wrestling forAmerican Wrestling Association.While there, he formed a tag team withJesse Venturacalled the Far East-West Connection. After Ventura left for the WWF, Saito was aligned withNick BockwinkelandBobby Heenan,before Heenan left for the WWF as well. He would remain with them until May 1985 when he began serving his sentence. After being released for good behavior, Saito returned to the AWA in 1986 on Christmas night, aligning himself withLarry ZbyszkoandSuper Ninja.He remained with the AWA until April 1987. He briefly returned alone in February 1988, but broughtRiki Choshuwith him three months later. It would not be until November 1989 that Saito would come back and would bringKoji Kitaoover with him to train. In February 1990, at 48 years of age, he won the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, defeatingLarry ZbyszkoatSuper Fight in Tokyo Dome.His victory made headlines on newspapers,but was eclipsed by theBuster Douglasvictory overMike Tysonthe next night at the same arena. He would hold onto the title until April when Zbyszko regained the title atSuperClash IV.

All Japan Pro Wrestling (1985)

Saito wrestled two tours forAll Japan Pro Wrestlingas part ofJapan Pro Wrestlingin January and May 1985.

Return to NJPW (1987–1997)

In 1987, Saito returned to New Japan Pro-Wrestling, where he became involved in afeudwithAntonio Inoki.On June 12, Saito faced Inoki in the finals of theIWGP League 1987to determine the first everIWGP Heavyweight Champion,which Inoki won. To settle the feud, the two competed in an Island Death match on October 4, 1987. They were placed onGanryujima Islandand wrestled a match that lasted two hours and spread across the island. Ultimately, Inoki was victorious, defeating Saito bytechnical knockout.The following year, after leavingAll Japan Pro Wrestlingto return toNew Japan Pro-Wrestling,Saito won his firstIWGP Tag Team Championshipwhile teaming withRiki Choshu.He followed this with a second victory the following year, this time withShinya Hashimoto.

World Championship Wrestling (1990-1991, 1995-1996)

Saito had a couple short stints inWorld Championship Wrestling(WCW). His first came in 1990, which saw him team withThe Great Mutafor the Pat O'Connor Memorial Tag Team Tournament atStarrcade '90: Collision Course,which they lost toThe Steiner Brothersin the finals.

It wouldn't be until five years later that Saito briefly returned, which included an appearance atStarrcade '95.Wrestling as part of a series of matches between New Japan Pro-Wrestling and World Championship Wrestling, Saito lost his match to WCW representativeJohnny B. Baddby disqualification.His last match for the company aired on May 18, 1996, onWCW Pro,teaming withMasahiro Chono,wrestlingHarlem Heatto a double disqualification.

Last Match NJPW (1999)

On February 14, 1999, Saito wrestled his last match, which was a loss toScott Norton.

Retirement

Upon retiring in 1999, he stayed in NJPW as a commentator, until leaving the company in January 2003 and joinedFighting World of Japan Pro Wrestlinguntil its collapse a year later. In 2005, after accepting an invitation fromKensuke Sasaki,Saito worked with theDiamond Ringpromotion as a supervisor and manager/advisor to the promotion's younger talent. Diamond Ring ran its last show in February 2014. After Diamond Ring, Saito moved back to his home in Tokyo.

Professional wrestling style and persona

Saito's style is considered "very physical style that included lots of suplexes [...]" and "brought hard physicality with his clotheslines".One of these suplex is known as the Saito Suplex.Saito is credited also as the innovator of the Scorpion Deathlock / Sharpshooter submission hold.During his time in prison, he created another hold, which was named Kangokugatame, translated as Prison Hold.During his career, Saito played the stereotypical salt-throwing Japanese heel, a role usually performed by Hawaiians in the 60s.

Personal life and death

In 2000, Saito was diagnosed withParkinson's disease.He died from complications of the disease on 14 July 2018 at the age of 76.

At the time of his death, Saito had been training to be a torchbearer for the upcomingSummer Olympicsin Tokyo in 2020.

Arrest

According to police, on April 6, 1984, Ken Patera was refused service at aMcDonald'srestaurant after the restaurant had closed, and threw a boulder through the restaurant's window in retaliation. The responding officers testified that later, when they arrived at Saito and Patera's hotel room to investigate someone matching Patera's description in connection with the criminal damage report, Saito was uncooperative and both wrestlers assaulted the officers, taking turns beating them until other officers arrived to subdue them. As a result of the incident, in June 1985, Saito and Patera were convicted ofbatteryof apolice officerand sentenced to serve two years in prison.

On November 16, 2012, Patera was interviewed on KFAN radio based out of Minneapolis, MN. In describing the incident, he stated that he went to the McDonald's around midnight to get a burger, but found it closed. The lights were on because they were shooting a commercial, so not only Patera but another customer (who he described as a young adult) had arrived, thinking that they were open for business. The young adult threw a rock through the window, but Patera was blamed. Saito was not present at the restaurant.

Championships and accomplishments

• American Wrestling Association
  • AWA World Heavyweight Championship(1 time)
• Big Time Wrestling(San Francisco)
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship(San Francisco version)(2 times) – with Kenji Shibuya
• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship(2 times)
  • NWA Florida Tag Team Championship(5 times) – withIvan Koloff(3) andMr. Sato(2)
  • NWA United States Tag Team Championship(Florida version)(2 times) – with Mr. Sato
• George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2008
• New Japan Pro-Wrestling
  • IWGP Tag Team Championship(2 times) – withRiki Choshu(1) andShinya Hashimoto(1)
  • NWA North American Tag Team Championship(Los Angeles/Japan version)(1 time) – withHiro Matsuda
• NWA All-Star Wrestling
  • NWA Canadian Tag Team Championship(Vancouver version)(2 times) – withGene Kiniski(1) and Dale Lewis (1)
• NWA Hollywood Wrestling
  • NWA Americas Tag Team Championship(3 times) – with Kenji Shibuya
  • NWA "Beat the Champ" Television Championship(2 times)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #89of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years"in 2003
• Southeastern Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Alabama Heavyweight Championship(2 times)
• Tokyo Sports
  • Service Award(1999)
  • Special Grand Prize(1987)
• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF World Tag Team Championship(2 times) – withMr. Fuji
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Best Technical Wrestler(1984)
  • Hall of Fame(Class of 2009)

External links

• Masa Saito's profile atCagematch.net,Wrestlingdata.com,Internet Wrestling Database
• Masanori SaitoatOlympics.com
• Masanori SaitoatOlympedia