Satoru Sayama
Japanese professional wrestler / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Satoru Sayama (佐山 聡, Sayama Satoru) (born November 27, 1957) is a Japanese professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, writer, and mixed martial arts (MMA) and wrestling promoter, best known as the original Tiger Mask. He has wrestled under his real name as well as the names Sammy Lee, and masked Super Tiger, Tiger King, Tiger Mask and The Mask of Tiger. He is the only man to hold the WWF Junior Heavyweight Championship and the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship simultaneously.[2][3] Sayama has the distinction of being a competitor (along with "Dynamite Kid" Thomas Billington) in the first 5 Star Rating awarded for a Match by Dave Meltzer, for their NJPW Sumo Hall Show 1983 match. This is thought of very highly in the industry.
Satoru Sayama | |
---|---|
Born | (1957-11-27) November 27, 1957 (age 66) Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Satoru Sayama Tiger Mask Super Tiger Tiger King Sammy Lee The Mask of Tiger The Tiger |
Billed height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)[1] |
Billed weight | 198 lb (90 kg)[1] |
Trained by | Karl Gotch Antonio Inoki Yoshiaki Fujiwara Kotetsu Yamamoto |
Debut | May 28, 1976 |
He is also recognized as a pioneer in mixed martial arts, founding Shooto in 1985, one of the first MMA organizations in the world. Sayama also pioneered mixed martial arts training and developed his own Shooto syllabus for learning what could be considered the first put together MMA training of its kind, with a focus on striking from arts like Boxing, Muay Thai and Karate, and grappling from Wrestling, Judo, and Sambo. The curriculum would help produce the first well rounded fighters of MMA several years before the first UFC event.[4] He is also the founder of the martial art Seikendo and professional wrestling promotion Real Japan Pro Wrestling.