Nobody mystified the crowds in Britain in the 1970s and 1980s as Kendo Nagasaki, although many tried their best.
The masked character was an enigma. He embodied mystery, secrecy and the supernatural in a way that hadn’t been seen before in the UK. With his Japanese rituals, supernatural beliefs, faith healing and hypnosis skills, Kendo Nagasaki was unlike any other.
He was a character more akin to The Undertaker than what was seen on World of Sport in those days. Despite popular belief, he was not actually Japanese. Peter Thornley was Kendo Nagasaki, coming up with the character while meditating as he learnt Judo from Kenshiro Abbe in the 1960s.
Kendo Nagasaki’s rise and prominence in the wrestling scene was unprecedented, and his character was entirely unique.
So, of course, everybody tried to copy it.
Yes, that’s right. As the title of this article suggests, a number of other wrestlers tried to get away with also being Kendo Nagasaki. Four wrestlers took the gimmick and tried to make it their own. This began with Bill Clarke, who became the first man to try and pass himself off as Kendo Nagasaki after Peter Thornley.
King Kendo (Bill Clarke)
Bill Clarke was the second man to take on the moniker of Kendo Nagasaki.
After Nagasaki had become one of the top stars on TV in the 1970s, “Opposition” promoter Terry Goodrum (better known as Sandor Kovacs) put Bill Clarke under a similar mask and costume. Clarke was a former Eastern Counties Heavyweight Champion, and even ran his own promotion in East Anglia.
He also wrestled alongside Dick Harrison as “Lincolnshire Poachers”. He had a decent, if unremarkable, career as a professional, with his most notable moments being when he was the fake Kendo Nagasaki.
However, his interpretation was a pale imitation of the kendo master. Clarke’s version had a shortened sword, misshapen visor and a simple red cape. It was a knock-off version, and fans didn’t buy it. The real Kendo Nagasaki eventually sued the duo, with Goodrum spending a spell in prison for stealing the gimmick,
Luckily, Kendo Nagasaki saw money in a feud between the pair.
He faced Clarke, now going under the name “King Kendo” in a series of matches in 1981, which saw King Kendo unmasking each night on the tour.
Kendo Nagasaki II (Nick Heywood)
After Kendo Nagasaki left Joint Promotions to briefly retire in 1978, they turned to Nick Haywood to don the mask on TV.
Haywood went by the name Kendo Nagasaki II, although the similarities ended with the mask. He was a much smaller and lighter man, with considerably less skill and aurea than the legendary grappler.
He only wrestled 11 times under the mask, as fans were not fooled by this Kendo Nagasaki imposter. Heywood no showed numerous events, and the gimmick died a death as quickly as it began.
The original Kendo returned to wrestling for All-Star Wrestling in 1981 for his matches with King Kendo, with no mention of Nagasaki II.
King Kendo II (Dale Preston)
Both Peter Thornley and Bill Clarke retired in the early 1990s, leaving room for a new King Kendo.With wrestling no longer on TV, interest had waned in the business. Brian Dixon brought Dale Preston to All-Star Wrestling, giving him King Kendo’s original costume to wear.
He christened Dale as “King Kendo II”. This was the era where “tribute shows” became more commonplace, with wrestlers dressing up as big WWE stars to try and sell tickets was a legitimate promotional tactic.
Dixon hopes the same would work for the knock-off of the knock-off of Kendo Nagasaki. King Kendo II’s most notable rivalry was with Giant Haystacks, who was working as a babyface in a rare role for the giant.
Dale Preston as King Kendo II would link up with Lloyd Ryan. The drummer was Kendo Nagasaki’s long-time manager, but he turned on his former partner to kick-start a feud with the new King Kendo. However, Nagasaki retired before the matches could happen.
Kendo Nagasaki (Kazuo Sakurada)
The only actual Japanese man to call himself Kendo Nagasaki was Kazuo Sakurada.
He took on the gimmick in the early 1980s when he worked with the Continental Wrestling Association in Memphis. Sakurada did not copy the classic Kendo Nagasaki mask, despite taking his name. He wore face paint and utilised the “Asian Mist” gimmick that The Great Muta made famous.
This version of Kendo Nagasaki came to the ring with a kendo stick and kendo mask, but was a complete different character to the British version, portrayed by Peter Thornley.
