Kendo Nagasaki

Kendo Nagasaki is a professional wrestling stage name, used as a gimmick of that of a Japanese Samurai warrior with a mysterious past and even supernatural powers of hypnosis. The name derives from the modern martial art of Japanese fencing (Kendo), and Nagasaki is the name of a city on the south-western coast of Kyūshū, site of the second use of the atomic bomb.

The original and most well known use of the gimmick is by the legendary British wrestler Kendo Nagasaki (real name Peter Thornley) who made his name in ITV's World of Sport. This version of the Nagasaki character dates back to November 1964.

A Japanese wrestler named Kazuo Sakurada also used a variation of the gimmick in the United States during the early 1980s. He would wrestle in the American Wrestling Association, Florida Championship Wrestling, and Continental Wrestling Federation before going on to wrestle on WCW television, changing his ring name to The Kamikaze King and joining the J-Tex Corporation stable.

Career

On Friday 13th November 1964 Kendo Nagasaki had his first professional contest against "Jumping" Jim Hussey at Willenhall Baths. Nagasaki's most notable achievement during the 60's was in March 1966 when Nagasaki defeated and unmasked Count Bartelli (Crewe born Geoff Condliffe) at the Victoria Hall, Hanley.

One of the bizarrest of reverse journeys was the 1968 Japanese tour by Kendo Nagasaki. He wisely chose not to use the samurai swordsman routine, and wrestled...
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