VIEW FROM THE RISING SUN
by Masanori Horie

Old Soldiers Just Won't Fade Away

Gene Kiniski and Stan Hansen, Tokyo, October 28, 2000

In 2000, two of the most legendary and popular gaijin (foreign) wrestlers in Puroresu history, Stan Hansen and Abdullah the Butcher, had their 25th and 30th anniversaries, respectively, since their first Japan tours. Unfortunately, Hansen is suffering from acute back pain, and he will take three months off until All Japan Pro's Tokyo Dome show on January 28, 2001. Abdullah has just quit Big Japan Pro on October 31, 2000, for their inferior working conditions and treatment. He hopes to return to All Japan Pro, but nothing has been settled yet.

Abdullah the Butcher and ARSION's Mariko Yoshida, Korakuen Hall, October 30, 2000---Yoshida is one of the best woman wrestlers in Japan

Stan Hansen, Steve Williams, and Wolf Hawkfield (Jim Steele) vs. Masanobu Fuchi, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, and Johnny Smith, Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, October 28, 2000

John Stanley Hansen was born in Knox City, Texas on August 29, 1949. Dory & Terry Funk trained him in Amarillo, Texas. He debuted as a wrestler teaming with "KO" Alex Perez against Jerry & Nick Kozak in El Paso, Texas on January 1, 1973, and the Funks sent him to All Japan Pro from September 26 to October 30, 1975, with Abdullah the Butcher, Ox Baker, Prince Pullin, Bobby Jaggers, and Larry Zbyszko. He was just one of the "Mr. Nobodies" in those days. He has had over 120 Japan tours since his first tour. His reputation was up at a stretch when Bruno Sammartino suffered a broken neck at the hands of Hansen at Madison Square Garden in New York on April 26, 1976. Then, Vince McMahon Sr. sent Hansen to New Japan Pro Wrestling in January 1977. He and Antonio Inoki had one of the toughest feuds in Japanese wrestling history until 1981. He jumped back to All Japan Pro when he interfered in the tag team tournament final match between Dory & Terry Funk and Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka at Kuramae Kokugikan (Sumo Hall) in Tokyo on December 13, 1981. Since then, he has wrestled for All Japan Pro and has had tough matches for 19 years. He lives in a small town (population 800) in Western Colorado with his family.

Stan Hansen is the one and only wrestler who has won singles titles from both Baba and Inoki.

February 8, 1980---Tokyo Gym
NWF Heavyweight title match
Stan Hansen beat Antonio Inoki (17:12 countout)---Hansen became the 17th champion

September 8, 1983---Chiba Park Gym, Chiba City
PWF Heavyweight title match
Stan Hansen beat Giant Baba (9:02)---Hansen became the eighth champion

He won the Triple Crown Heavyweight title four times, PWF Heavyweight title (four times), International Heavyweight title, United National Heavyweight title, World Tag Team title (eight times), PWF World Tag Team title (three times), International Tag Team title, Champion Carnival (two times---1992 and 1993) and Real World Tag Team League Tournament (four times---with Bruiser Brody [1983], Ted DiBiase [1985], Terry Gordy [1988], and Gen-ichiro Tenryu [1989]).

Stan Hansen's autobiography, October 2000

Stan Hansen and Abdullah the Butcher have wrestled out their own destinies with the late Giant Baba, Dory & Terry Funk, and the late Bruiser Brody in their varied wrestling careers for years. Nobody knows if their parallel lines will join again in the 21st century, or not.

Terry and Dory Funk, with Bruiser Brody's boots, Yokohama, November 23, 1999

August 29, 1988---Nippon Budokan, Tokyo
Bruiser Brody Memorial Night
Stan Hansen beat Abdullah the Butcher (10:39 disqualification)

September 30, 1990---Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Giant Baba's 30th Anniversary Match
Stan Hansen & Andre the Giant beat Giant Baba & Abdullah the Butcher (10:13 Andre beat Butcher)

Abdullah after the show, Chiba Port Arena, January 5, 1999

Larry Paul Shreve was born in downtown Windsor, Ontario, Canada on January 11, 1941 (Other information that his real name is "Shreeve" and his birthday is "January 1" or "November 1" is incorrect.) He started his career as a wrestler as "Zelis Amara" and then took the name of "Abdullah the Butcher," billed as the "Mad Man from the Sudan," in 1958. He had worked for both the Detroit and Montreal promoters. He came to Japan for the first time for JWA with Bob Stanlee, Mr. Atomic (Clyde Stevens), Prince Pullin, Jackie Fargo, Mystery Oregon, and Gerry Monti from August 21 to September 17. Since then, he has had a lot of bloody feuds with the late Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta, The Destroyer (Dick Beyer), Harley Race, Kintaro Ohki (Kim ILL), Dory & Terry Funk, Mil Mascaras, The Sheik, Antonio Inoki, and Stan Hansen in Japan. I was growing up, watching and attending their shows. He won the PWF Heavyweight title, United National Heavyweight title, International Tag Team title, and Champion Carnival (two times---1976 and 1978). He lives in Atlanta, Georgia and runs "Abdullah the Butcher's House of Ribs & Chinese Food" at 2387 Fairburn Rd. S.W., Atlanta, GA 30331-5242, (404) 629-2332.

Abdullah eats "Salmon eggs rolled by dried laver," Yokohama. October 25, 2000

"Old soldiers never die; they just fade away"? I think that Hansen and Abdullah are the last men to do such a thing.