VIEW FROM THE RISING SUN
by Masanori Horie

Aloha Hawaii

Kevin Von Erich and Lia Maivia, 1984

The United States has played a unique and important role in the history of modern Japan. The American people and their ideas, institutions, and tastes have exerted tremendous influence upon the Japanese people. During the 150-year history of the relationship between the two countries, we formed an important part of the modern history of international relations and cross-culture. Of course, professional wrestling is one of the symbols of our relationship. Slowly but surely, the times and seasons change. The WWF and WCW have drawn crowds of tens of thousands at very modern facilities in various big cities every week. However, at least 15 years ago, hundreds of local booking offices had entertained 3,000 - 4,000 local fans at the same old facilities every week. I don't know whether Japanese wrestling is going to follow American wrestling and business style. But, wrestling BEYOND our reach will be a totally different sport from the wrestling that used to be at our elbow. This 31st edition of View From The Rising Sun is about one of the oldies-but-goodies, Hawaiian wrestling.

The first pro wrestling show in Japan was held at the Ryogoku Memorial Hall (old Sumo Hall) in Tokyo on Sunday, September 30, 1951. Joe Louis (former World Heavyweight Boxing champion) and seven wrestlers (including Bobby Bruns from Iowa and Harold Sakata [a.k.a. Toshi Togo / Odd-Job from the James Bond 007 movie Goldfinger] from Hawaii) were invited by the Torii Oasis Shriner's Club. They had wrestling shows in Tokyo for two months until November to entertain U.S. servicemen in the Korean War (1950-1953). Rikidozan, real name Mitsuhiro Momota, who quit as a Sumo wrestler the year before, started training to be a pro wrestler, and he had his very first match against his "sensei" (trainer), Bobby Bruns, at the Ryogoku Memorial Hall on October 28, 1951 (10 minutes time up draw).

Rikidozan was seasoned through 260 matches in Hawaii (Al Karasick, promoter) from February to June 1952, and in San Francisco (Joe Malcewicz, promoter) from June 1952 to March 1953. He was trained by Okishikina (Japanese-American wrestler in 1940s-50s, and famous referee) in Hawaii. And, he was billed as one of the "Togo Brothers" in the mainland of the United States with The Great Togo, Masu Ohyama (Kyokushin Karate's founder), and Kokichi Endo (perhaps the worst TV commentator in Japanese wrestling TV history). At the Civic Auditorium in Honolulu, Hawaii, Rikidozan challenged for Lou Thesz' World Heavyweight title for the first time on December 6, 1953 (43:00 Thesz beat Rikidozan); he and another former Sumo wrestler, Azumafuji, beat Bobby Bruns & Lucky Simunovich to win the Hawaian Tag Team title on April 17, 1955; and he and Kokichi Endo had a feud for the Hawaiian Tag Team title with Lord James Blears & Joe Blanchard (father of Tully) in spring 1959.

Successive Hawaiian promoters (Al Karasick in the 1960s, Ed Francis & Lord James Blears, whose Mid-Pacific Promotions, Ltd. had connections with both NWA and AWA in 1970s, and the late "High Chief" Peter & Lia Maivia in the 1980s, who are the grandparents of the WWF's Rock) had had very close relationships with Nippon Pro Wrestling (old JWA), All Japan Pro, and New Japan Pro for years. The Hawaiian booking office was at the crossroads of the world of wrestling in those days. In the 1970s, their weekly shows at the Civic Auditorium on Sundays blended local stars such as Sam "Steamboat" Mokuahi, Curtis "The Bull" Iaukea (a.k.a. Prince / King Curtis, real uncle of All Japan Pro's Maunukea Mossman, but no relation to WCW's Prince Iaukea), and Neff Maivia, and outsiders who stopped off at Honolulu from (to) United States to (from) Japan.

Lord James Blears, Masanori, and Gene Kiniski, May 1, 1999

Lord James Blears lives in Oahu, Hawaii, and has been a president of the PWF (Pacific Wrestling Federation), which sanctions All Japan Pro's various championship belts, since 1973. (When I was a school child, he was ALWAYS attacked by Abdullah the Butcher and fined Abdullah $10,000; I miss those days). This English gentleman is one of the greatest historians and storytellers about wrestling's Golden Age. After following England's Navy in World War II, he became a pro wrestler with Stu Hart and Paul Boesch. He, as Jan Blears, billed as Dutch, beat Wild Red Berry for the World Light Heavyweight title in Phoenix, Arizona on November 10, 1947. He, as Lord James Blears, was seen in network wrestling rings across the United States in the 1950s. He beat Curtis Iaukea to win the Hawaiian Heavyweight title on October 25, 1961. He also won the Hawaiian Tag Team title a total of eight times with Joe Blanchard in 1958 and 1959, Jerry Gordet in 1959, Herb Freeman in 1960, and four times with Neff Maivia from 1961 to 1964. He came to Japan for the first time from May 21 to June 15, 1959 with Jesse Ortega, King Kong, Enrique Torres, Bulldog Danny Plechas, and Mr. Atomic (a.k.a. Masked Preacher). Forty years have passed since then. Blears could meet again with his old partner, the 45th NWA World Heavyweight champion, Gene Kiniski, in Tokyo on May 1 this year. They won the World Tag Team title (San Francisco version) a total of three times by beating Ben & Mike Sharpe on May 7, 1955, Enrique Torres & Johnny Barend on August 9, 1955, and Ronnie Etchison & Ray Stern in November, 1955 (Blears also won the title with Ben Sharpe by beating Paul & Adrien Baillergeon on April 16, 1957). Kiniski had wrestled in Hawaii to win the Hawaiian Heavyweight title in 1964, and the North American Heavyweight title (Hawaii version) total of three times from 1969 to 1971.

The late Giant Baba owned a condominium in Honolulu, so he had often wrestled for Blears in Hawaii in the 1970s. He married Miss Motoko Kawai in Hawaii in September 1971. He had a brutal no-contest match with The Sheik at the International Center in Honolulu on September 20, 1972. He faced Andre the Giant for the first time in the battle royal at the NBC Arena in Honolulu on June 22, 1977. Jumbo Tsuruta challenged for Nick Bockwinkel's AWA World Heavyweight title at the NBC Arena on February 14, 1979. Antonio Inoki faced Bruiser Brody in a singles match at Aloha Stadium on August 3, 1985 (8:40 double count out of the ring). Inoki and Andre faced the Texas Outlaws (Hoss & Joe Deaton) on December 12, 1985 (Joe Deaton is the one and only wrestler who faced two tag teams of Inoki & Andre and Baba & Andre). Brody attacked Inoki in Waikiki Beach on August 10, 1986.

(L-R, front) Ata Maivia Johnson, her 12-year-old son Dwayne Johnson, and Seiji Sakaguchi, 1984

Lia Maivia had strong connections with New Japan Pro and World Class in Dallas, Texas in the 1980s. After her husband, Peter, died on June 13, 1982, she and Lars Anderson (booker) promoted shows at the NBC Arena and Aloha Stadium with Kevin Von Erich, Don Muraco, Jimmy Snuka, and Rocky "Soul Man "Johnson, whom her daughter Ata married. Rocky and Ata Johnson are the parents of Rocky "The Rock" Maivia (Dwayne Johnson). After graduating as an All-American football star from the University of Miami, Rock followed his grandfather and father's dream … The child is father of the man. By the way, I like this ... when Rocky Johnson was asked about wrestling being real or fake, he answered, "Everything you see actually happens."

Young Rock, and Champion Rock (note The People's Eyebrow)