Real Name - Masanori Saito
Lifespan - 8/7/1942 - 7/14/2018
5'11" 245 lbs. - Tokyo, Japan
Athletic Background - Wrestling (`64-`65 Olympics)
Teacher(s) -
Professional Background - JWA(`65-`66), Tokyo Pro(`66-`67), Florida(`67), WWA, Vancouver(`75), New Japan(`79), SECW[Alabama](`80), WWF(`82), AWA(`83-`84), Memphis(`84), Japan Pro(`84-`87), All Japan(`84-`87), New Japan(`87-`02), AWA(`89-`90), World Japan(`02-`03), Kensuke Office(`06-)
Aliases - Mr. Saito, The Trooper
Groups - Ishin Gundan
Peak Years - `84-`89
Finisher(s) -
- Saito (Side Back) Suplex
- Cobra Hold
Favorites -
- Scorpion Deathlock
- Side Russian Legsweep
- Backdrop
- Turnbuckle Smash
- Mongolian Chop
Ringwork Rating -
| Move Set |
7 |
| Science |
4 |
| Aerial |
2 |
| Power |
8 |
| Strikes |
6 |
Intangibles Rating -
| Entertainment |
6 |
| Selling |
5 |
| Bumping |
6 |
| Carrying |
6 |
| Heat |
7 |
| Legacy |
6 |
Place in History - Masa Saito's career could have been one of great success and many accolades, since he was a great athlete and an exceptional worker (when not held back). However, Saito came into a Japanese scene in a period of turmoil and when he made the wrong career decisions, he was forced to find work in the States. Saito could've become a headliner since he had all the necessary attributes in addition to being Japanese. Like his predecessor in his WWWF tag team with Mr. Fuji,Toru Tanaka, Saito was a legit tough guy, looked menacing and was a solid hand. Promoters chose to have him become Mr. Saito, a karate-chopping, salt-throwing stereotype. Saito was mainly a tag team wrestler, who played the gimmick. After returning to Japan in his mid-40s, Saito worked hard to cement his career. After spending a few years in New Japan and All Japan with frequent stops in the AWA, Saito's legacy was complete. While he did not become the superstar that years on top in Japan would've done, he worked hard late in his career and the fans respected this. After his retirement from the ring, Saito moved into a backstage role with New Japan, World Japan and most recently Kensuke Office, where he is able to help train the next generation of Japanese stars.
