Weekly Pro Wrestling in Japan is reporting that Masa Saito has passed away. He was a legendary tough guy and a great worker for a long time.

Sad news for indeed, he was a tough one for sure.

I'm going to do a mega-piece later with thoughts from as many people as possible on Saito. If anyone wants their thoughts added, either add them here or PM me. If you add them here but would rather not be attributed, please just say so and I'll leave you out of it.

Sad indeed. I was only familiar with some of his work in the AWA when he was paired with Nick Bockwinkel when Hulk Hogan rose to stardom. Seemed like a solid worker.

The PWI description of the Island death match made me BADLY desire to see it. I gladly finally added to my DVD collection some 15 years later. The back story. Saito's screaming. The fire on poles. The helicopter filming. The blood loss. Man what a spectacle! 

Fuck that island deathmatch, go watch his Inoki match where they remove the ring ropes, get handcuffed together and beat eachother to a bloody pulp

 

Masa Saito was one of those dudes. One of the baddest ever.

He became one of my favorites as we went through all the New Japan footage from the '80s. He was kind of the Arn Anderson to Choshu's Flair -- equally believable as a bad ass and a bit of a stooge, great tag worker, game to have a low-key killer singles match with anyone from Kengo Kimura to Larry Z. Obviously he was the rare Japanese worker who also thrived in the U.S. And you absolutely believed that if you crossed him in an alley, he could break you in half as easily as wipe his nose. RIP to one of the great legit hosses.

Anyone remember Masa Saito randomly showing up in WCW in the mid-'90s? It might have been for that WCW vs. NJPW Starrcade, but I can't be sure since I still haven't seen that PPV (I really should make a point to finally watch it). The one thing that sticks out at me from that "run" is Bobby Heenan proudly mentioning on commentary that he used to manage Masa Saito.

I think he wrestled at Starrcade 95 in the whole WCW vs New Japan Cup thing.

We reviewed a great big boy tag Saito/Hashimoto vs. Kokina/Vader over at SC today, may they all rest in power

http://segundacaida.blogspot.com/2018/07/my-eyes-may-grow-dim-but-shinya.html

Saito/Fuji vs Strongbows feud is a hidden gem from 1982 WWF. RIP

Saito was one of those guys who could excel at any role. In an era where wrestling was much less homogeneous than it is today Saito was able to adjust his style and get over in regions and promotions where many of his more renowned Japanese contemporaries failed. What made him succeed in the US was different than what madr him succeed in Japan. He was incredibly versatile. Great offense, great selling, great tag wrestler, great stooge and so much more. One of my all time favorites.

 

My impression of him has always been that he's best as the surly, no-nonsense tough guy half of a tag team. Kind of the Neidhardt or Arn type of role, I guess.  That impression was formed when I was about ten years old, when he teamed up with Gene Kiniski (the biggest star on the local Vancouver NWA show) to win the tag belts. 

He really was a great tag team wrestler: Looking it up, he won the Vancouver version of the tag titles twice, held the WWF titles twice with Mr. Fuj,  had multiple reigns with Kenji Shibuya in California (and one with Hiro Matsuda), held tag straps in Florida multiple times (including three reigns while teamed with Ivan Koloff), and he won the IWGP Tag Team Championship with Choshu and with Hashimoto. 

The other things that stand out in my memory are the Island Death Match vs Inoki and the incident in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

The only man who could make capris seem badass. RIP.

RIP Masa Saito, Mr. Torture was a treat to watch in his AWA stuff which was where I first saw his stuff online then his epic stuff in NJPW in the 80's against Inoki. He was so believable and legitimate looking and just looked like a bad mofo.

 

Funny side note the one match I've never seen of Saito which never popped up anywhere despite various handheld versions showing up online was from the World Wrestling Peace Festival he where he wrestled Lex Luger. I know it probably wasn't the best match but it's literally the only match on the card I've never seen and I'd love to see Saito locking horns with Luger.

RIP Masa Saito

He won the AWA title shortly after I started watching wrestling and distinguishing how there were multiple companies.  Still remember him in the Unknown Soldier angle against Zbyszko as one of my first AWA memories on ESPN.  Such a big part of the WCW/New Japan relationship as well.  He had a pretty cool career, a little bit of everything.

I just watched the match where he won the AWA title from Larry (in the Tokyo Dome no less),  and I remember how surprised I was since most of my memories were him being lumbering WWF tag team guy. 

I really hope Florida is next on the list of footage to make it to the WWE Network, I really need to see a Saito/Ivan tag team run. 

The other side to Saito was the bungling yet affable commentator who often made gaffes like calling Jushin Liger or El Samurai by their real names. And his love of the Calpis soft drink was legendary. Rumour had it that he would eat the sachet without diluting it but apparently that's untrue. 

Hey, I have a question and if anyone would know it's you guys. That Saito/ Inoki island deal, was that a match? And if so, was there a ring or was it falls count anywhere? Was there a ref? How did you win? Or was it a two hour "backstage"segment? There's no way I'll ever watch it, but I gotta know. 

It was a match, kind of like a proto-hardcore match. 

Nice tribute at Korakuen Hall during the G1. Sakaguchi has gotten old though.

My favorite Saito memory was the first NJPW Tokyo Dome show from April of 1989. He wrestled one of the Russians that Inoki brought in, Whaka Evelov or something to that effect. Saito put him over in the end, but before doing so, he clobbered him with some brutal lariats.