I have found the "Kendo Nagasaki New Book" topic to be very interesting.
SaxonWolf (who is one of my favourite posters) noted that Nagasaki claimed that he "came up with the ladder match and hypnosis ideas!"
Not having read the book, I would like to ask whether Kendo actually took credit for creating the ladder match and the hypnosis angle? Whilst Nagasaki may have introduced the ladder match and the hypnosis angle to British wrestling, he certainly did not invent either of these questionable additions to professional wrestling.
Canadian wrestler Dan Kroffat was the innovator of the ladder match. The first such match that I can locate took place on Tuesday 3 October 1972 in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada for the Stampede promotion. In that first ladder match Dan Kroffat defeated Tor Kamata. On the undercard Kendo Nagasaki beat Super Hawk. Other interesting names on that event were George Gordienko and Lennie Hurst.
I'm sure that my mate, Ron Historyo, has acknowledged that Nagasaki borrowed the ladder match concept from Kroffat.
I believe that Kendo introduced the ladder match to British wrestling in 1976 - around 4 years after he saw the original occurrence in Canada during his 1972 tour.
The angle of Nagasaki hypnotising Robbie Brookside was, I believe, played out in 1988 in England. In Australia in 1969, American manager Playboy Gary Hart used this angle (in a more subtle fashion) to turn babyface Mario Milano into a heel. I'm sure that hypnosis angle would have been used in America way before 1969.
Cheers!
Ed
David commented that "Kendo definitely did the hypnosis angle (albeit more subtly) with Rex Strong ten years before Brookside".
Be that as it may, Playboy Gary Hart used this angle nearly 10 years before Nagasaki and Strong. :)
I knew that the hypnosis routine would have been used in America way before the Australian angle in 1969 so I did a little research.
It turns out that a wrestler named Joe Reno was hypnotised in Dallas, Texas, USA way back in 1930! Unfortunately, the perpetrator of the dastardly deed was not identified. ;)
Cheers!
The Kamizake Crash is breath-taking and death-defying. All credit to those involved that we still can see today: Kincaid, Kumali, Nagasaki.
A miracle Nagasaki never broke his own neck all those years performing it.
Kendo definitely did the hypnosis angle (albeit more subtly) with Rex Strong ten years before Brookside.
Can't recall Peter writing anything about Kroffat nicking ladder matches but he does mention Kroffat nicking the Kamikaze Crush. Although it's basically just a diving fireman's carry. You could probably do a version of it in an amateur freestyle match - get a fireman's carry on in a kneeling position and then just do a forward tuck roll with the opponent still in the carry position and let their torso take the brunt of it.
G'day Graham,
Thank you very much for your promotional recollection.
A very good read, mate.
Cheers!
Ed
I forget with whom I partnered Ezra but I promoted a tag match in 1976 at The Parr Hall in Warrington which saw Ezra (whom I promoted on this occasion as The Witchdoctor entering the ring in grass skirt with a stick with a skull at the top of it and all that nonsense) and partner face Lincolnshire Poachers Bill and Rick Clarke (Rick Wiseman). My then friend Stuart "Big Boy" Miller was referee. During the course of the match Witchdoctor "hypnotised" Bill Clarke pointing to referee Miller and a humorous interlude occurred which saw Clarke chasing Miller around the ring. The interlude concluded when Miller slapped Clarke across the face bringing him out of the trance. "Referee....he's using voodoo," complained Clarke but Miller just signalled for him to wrestle on.
I copied the idea (nothing in my promotions was ever original) not from Nagasaki but from Masambula. I recall Miller not wanting to do it claiming that it would stretch the boundaries of credibility too far but I recall the punters thoroughly enjoying the interlude.
G'day SaxonWolf,
Thanks very much for the clarification.
I appreciate your response, mate.
Best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, prosperous and safe New Year.
Cheers champ!
Ed
G'day Ed! Thank you for the kind words mate, and yes I was meaning that Kendo came up with the idea's for his UK TV matches, not that he came up with the original concepts.
Have a good Christmas pal.