Kendo Nagasaki has gone down as one of the biggest legends in British Wrestling, although his unmasking in 1977 almost killed a career he had worked so hard to establish in his years in the ring.
As a huge feature on the weekly Saturday World of Sport TV Show, he became one of the most recognisable wrestlers in the country, only behind Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks.
However, his unmasking will go down as one of the most controversial moments in British wrestling history, although one that has been remembered fondly by the millions who saw it play out on television back in 1977.
It put a dent in the fantastic career of one of the most the UK’s most exotic and mysterious wrestlers – even if he did end up just being a man called Peter Thornley from Crewe.
The Unmasking Of Kendo Nagasaki
In the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on December 20, 1977, one of the most famous moments in British Wrestling history took place.
At the height of his popularity and with wrestling hotter than ever, Kendo Nagasaki was on top of the world. He was rarely defeated and was viewed as one of the toughest men in the country.
The man behind the mask was a judo champion and master of the oriental arts, which when couple with his training at The Snake Pit in Wigan made him almost unbeatable between the ropes.
Nagasaki had some huge bouts in the years prior to his unmasking. Matches with huge stars like Giant Haystacks, Mick McManus and Big Daddy put him amongst the top wrestlers in the country.
He did get unmasked by Big Daddy on TV in one of those bouts, which followed a countrywide tour that saw his face revealed (albeit briefly) on a nightly basis all across England. Despite this, his identity remained a mystery.
As he wrote in his book, Kendo Nagasaki and the Man Behind the Mask, Nagasaki noted that the fans didn’t want to peek behind the curtain, and were happy to believe in the magic of the Japanese Zen master. He remained a firm favourite and a big star, which drew countless imitators.
However, by 1977 he had grown dissatisfied with the wrestling business. Injuries were piling up, and being a part in “The Big Daddy Show” in Joint Promotions was starting to grate on Kendo Nagasaki. He claimed he “made” Big Daddy with their series of matches, and was tired of Max Crabtree booking his brother at the expense of the other wrestlers on the card.
With he and his partner George’s career in music management taking off, Nagasaki decided to take a step away from the wrestling business, although not completely. In order for this alteration to make sense to the audience, he knew that the only way to put one foot out of wrestling was in a ceremonial unmasking, broadcast on television.
Kendo Nagasaki was a character who knew a thing or two about ceremony and tradition. He would regularly complete a salt ritual before his matches, while walking to the ring in full kendo gear, including Kenshiro Abbe’s samurai sword and fashionable cape.
The unmasking ceremony took place at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, which was close to where he made his wrestling debut just 13 years prior. It marked a drastic change in the Kendo Nagasaki character and intrigued fans in Wolverhampton and all over Britain.
The Unmasking Ceremony Was A Unique Moment In British Wrestling
In the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, fans got a glimpse of an unmasked Kendo Nagasaki for the first time.
Well, not exactly. He had wrestled unmasked in Scotland and Spain as Paul Dillon, with even the wrestlers in the locker room not knowing he was the man who regularly terrified wrestlers on TV each week. Only “Mr TV” Jackie Pallo recognised him from his voice, admitting he had never seen his face despite sharing locker rooms with Nagasaki for years.
The Kendo Nagsaki unmasking ceremony was unusual for its time, in many ways. In the 1970s, non-wrestling segments were rare. It has been said that Canadian “Mighty” John Quinn did the first-ever televised in-ring promo during this time, which shows just how sports-focused British wrestling really was.
It also showed the audience something they never expected to see on TV and that they’d simply never seen before. It showcased a culture that was uncommon in the UK, and the crowd sat in stunned silence for most of the segment, which went something like this:
The mysterious masked wrestler, Kendo Nagasaki, entered the ring alongside his manager Gorgeous George and two druid-like figures.
George then announced that a ceremony would take place, with the unmasking of the legendary Kendo Nagasaki. He slammed a Samurai Sword into the ground and knelt down, as his manager threw salt over his head in some kind of ritualistic way.
As you would expect by his name, Kendo leaned heavily in the Japanese imagery. George then began to speak and addressed the crowd with a chilling speech.
“Kendo has been in a secret retreat where he has been learning to build up his powers – his powers not only in wrestling but his powers to help heal other people and to do many other things. Tonight is the ultimate fulfilment of all those dreams, the unveiling and unmasking of Kendo Nagasaki”.
The speech was interrupted by some women shouting from the crowd, clearly not fans of the Samurai-turned -grappler. As Nagasaki hung his head, the two druids (who were played by a band the pair had signed for their new career) lay face down either side of him.
Gorgeous George slowly removed the mask, before placing it in a bowl to the side of him and setting it alight. He struggled to remove the mask, almost ruining the chilling ceremony at the climax of the show. George dropped the mask into a cauldron and set it alight, in a highly-symbolic end to the ceremony.
This concluded the ceremony and fans got a look at the man who famously kept his face to himself. The chilling, lifeless eyes stared back into the camera, shocking the millions watching at home.
Seeing Nagasaki without his mask on was a bizarre sight, and not at all what anybody was expecting. A star of David, of sorts, was tattooed on top his head, and he was shaved bald apart from a long braid than rand down the back of his head.
What was more surprising that he was white. No longer did Nagasaki have the mysticism of being a supernatural samurai from the Orient.
For a man who had once been a huge draw in British wrestling, Kendo Nagasaki seemed to have lost his lustre in an instant.
No longer did he have the mystery and intrigue. Fans stopped wondering what creature could be lurking below that iconic mask. Instead, he was just a weird man from Crewe called Peter Thornley.
One man who wasn’t keen on the idea was booker Max Crabtree. He told Simon Garfield that the reason it didn’t go down well with some fans was because of how normal Thornely looked, although he made the best of the situation by booking it in the biggest venue possible.
“He didn’t have a very unusual face. He was just a nice-looking sort of guy, but nothing significant. But he was so determined to unmask that we decided to do it properly, at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall where he was hottest.”
The unmasking also proved to be a ratings success, according to Kendo Nagasaki. He claimed that the show drew 14 million viewers, and given that his unmasking had been highly publicised in the lead up it was clear the fans had come to see Kendo’s face for the first time.
Whether those figures are accurate or not is unknown, but it was likely an impressive number nonetheless.
Kendo Nagasaki Retired After Unmasking, But Came Back Soon After To Battle Some Imposters
Kendo Nagasaki didn’t stop wrestling after having his mask removed. He and George decided to still try and crack the music industry but didn’t want to give up Kendo’s spot on TV. He endeavoured to be a “super baby face”, even starting a tag team with Kung Fu.
However, he quickly realised that the unmasking made no difference. Max Crabtree was intent on pushing nobody but his brother and even an unmasked Kendo Nagasaki couldn’t alter that course. The change also saw him lose the fan support he previously adored. It was as if the trick had been revealed, and nobody believed in Kendo Nagasaki now that they had seen behind the curtain.
He followed through with his plan to retire, which birthed several Kendo Nagasaki rip-offs that promoted him to come out of retirement to prove who the real deal truly was.
To discover who the Imposter Kendo Nagasaki’s were, all you need to do is click this link!
