In 1953, Japan was in desperate need of a hero. After the national shame of WWII, the dreams and imaginations of Japan were captured by one man: superstar pro-wrestler Rikidozan. 5' 9" and 240 pounds of bulging muscle with a rakish smile that said, "Not only will I be just as good as you Yankee wrestlers, but I'll beat you at your own game." Billed as the villain when he wrestled in the U.S., Rikidozan was a national hero in Japan. At the height of his fame in the '50s and early '60s, millions of Japanese were glued to their TV sets to watch his fights. Strange then, that Rikidozan was in fact Korean, and kept his true identity secret.
Spoken Languages: Japanese, English subtitles. |
