Birthday: 1957-11-27
Birthplace: Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned
Satoru Sayama (佐山 聡, Sayama Satoru) 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.
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 started 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. He is also the founder of the martial art Seikendo and professional wrestling promotion Real Japan Pro Wrestling.
Year | Title | Character | |
---|---|---|---|
The Best of Eddie Gilbert | Tiger Mask | ||
2003-10-26 | AJPW Road To Re-BirthxRe-Verse 2003 - Day 11: 31st Anniversary | The Mask Of Tiger | |
1997-10-10 | Michinoku Pro 4th Anniversary | ||
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1997-02-13 | Special Cabinet Investigator ORDER 2 | |
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1997-01-01 | Special Cabinet Investigator ORDER | |
1996-12-13 | WAR Ryogoku Crush Night | Tiger Mask | |
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1996-10-10 | Michinoku Pro 3rd Anniversary: These Days | Tiger Mask |
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1995-01-01 | Roppongi Soldier |