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Post by autisticgeordie on Jan 8, 2020 16:44:23 GMT -5
I mean, Yokozuna is the obvious one here where he was played be the Samoan Rodney Aona'i (I know he's not from Hawaii, but he's part of the famous Anoa'i wrestling family, so I think he kinda counts.), I believe that Mr. Fuji was also Hawaiian, too and even Pat Tanaka of the Orient Express tag team was Hawaiian and I just can't help but wonder why the WWF especially had so many Hawaiian's portray Japanese heels? I think all the examples were from around the same time period, it's amazing that the WWF didn't have the Orient Express as Yokozuna's running buddies with Fuji managing the whole faction of "Japanese" wrestlers.
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Jan 8, 2020 16:55:53 GMT -5
Hawaii has a sizable Japanese or Japanese descent population. The Japanese wrestling scene wasn't really old enough to have a lot of expat performers, though you of course got the occasional international acts, like Tiger Mask, Great Muta, etc.
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Post by Brian Suntan on Jan 8, 2020 17:08:48 GMT -5
For the same reasons Rusev was originally billed from Russia rather than Bulgaria, presumably.
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Post by autisticgeordie on Jan 8, 2020 17:13:11 GMT -5
Hawaii has a sizable Japanese or Japanese descent population. The Japanese wrestling scene wasn't really old enough to have a lot of expat performers, though you of course got the occasional international acts, like Tiger Mask, Great Muta, etc. Out of curiosity, why does Hawaii have a sizeable portion of people with Japanese descent? I mean, I imagine that the Japanese individual wanting to start a fresh life in America would've gone to the mainland as opposed to a small island like Hawaii? (not to disrespect Hawaii or it's people.)
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Jan 8, 2020 17:16:09 GMT -5
Hawaii has a sizable Japanese or Japanese descent population. The Japanese wrestling scene wasn't really old enough to have a lot of expat performers, though you of course got the occasional international acts, like Tiger Mask, Great Muta, etc. Out of curiosity, why does Hawaii have a sizeable portion of people with Japanese descent? I mean, I imagine that the Japanese individual wanting to start a fresh life in America would've gone to the mainland as opposed to a small island like Hawaii? (not to disrespect Hawaii or it's people.) Hawaii is much, much closer, and there are also some Japanese businesses, families, etc, with financial stakes there. It's complicated, but it wasn't just the US that took interest in the islands and wanted to set up shop, not always in the most scrupulous of ways. It's way too complex a topic to get into here, though, and you would be better served looking up native thoughts on the topic.
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Post by Ronny Rayguns Is All Elite on Jan 8, 2020 17:19:28 GMT -5
They thought it would be easier to get crowds to boo somebody from Japan than Hawaii?
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Post by autisticgeordie on Jan 8, 2020 17:20:59 GMT -5
Out of curiosity, why does Hawaii have a sizeable portion of people with Japanese descent? I mean, I imagine that the Japanese individual wanting to start a fresh life in America would've gone to the mainland as opposed to a small island like Hawaii? (not to disrespect Hawaii or it's people.) Hawaii is much, much closer, and there are also some Japanese businesses, families, etc, with financial stakes there. It's complicated, but it wasn't just the US that took interest in the islands and wanted to set up shop, not always in the most scrupulous of ways. It's way too complex a topic to get into here, though, and you would be better served looking up native thoughts on the topic. Fair enough, not to get too deep into it, but it is interesting how WWF went to the 'Give the Hawaiian a Japanese character' so often around the same time period, like they didn't really try anything different.
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Post by BorneAgain on Jan 8, 2020 17:26:48 GMT -5
Between the lack of a language barrier, likely unfamiliarity with various Japanese stars, and greater ease at doing tours with people who likely live US, utilizing Hawaiians as "Japanese" talents was probably just considered much less of a hassle.
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Post by Stone Coke Miami Watson 🥃 on Jan 8, 2020 17:27:43 GMT -5
Why did so many Hawaiians portray Japanese wrestlers? Same reason many bald-headed Americans portrayed Russians, non-Native Americans portrayed Native Americans, and Col. DeBeers and Akeem portrayed Africans... Because pal!
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Post by OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 on Jan 8, 2020 17:35:25 GMT -5
It was cheaper than flying out legit Japanese wrestlers.
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Jan 8, 2020 17:42:12 GMT -5
For the same reasons Rusev was originally billed from Russia rather than Bulgaria, presumably. He was always Billed as Bulgarian. Even when doing the Pro-Putin spiel he was the Bulgarian Brute. (now residing in Russia) Kinda hard to state he's Russian with the pretty notable Bulgarian Flag in the shape of Bulgaria with the word "Bulgaria" written on his arm.
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Post by Viking Hall on Jan 8, 2020 18:09:44 GMT -5
You post some odd threads mate. I did enjoy that your first example wasn't a Hawaiian though.
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Post by autisticgeordie on Jan 8, 2020 18:22:56 GMT -5
You post some odd threads mate. I did enjoy that your first example wasn't a Hawaiian though. He was part of the Anoa'i wrestling family which is legendary in Hawaii.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2020 19:01:25 GMT -5
Hawaii has a sizable Japanese or Japanese descent population. The Japanese wrestling scene wasn't really old enough to have a lot of expat performers, though you of course got the occasional international acts, like Tiger Mask, Great Muta, etc. Out of curiosity, why does Hawaii have a sizeable portion of people with Japanese descent? I mean, I imagine that the Japanese individual wanting to start a fresh life in America would've gone to the mainland as opposed to a small island like Hawaii? (not to disrespect Hawaii or it's people.) It's fiction but I recommend a novel called 'Hawaii' by James Michener, a wonderful account of Hawaii's history from the first settlers from Bora Bora and subsequent waves of immigration from America, China and Japan all predating it becoming a US state or territory.
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Post by Joe Neglia on Jan 8, 2020 19:44:54 GMT -5
I mean, Yokozuna is the obvious one here where he was played be the Samoan Rodney Aona'i (I know he's not from Hawaii, but he's part of the famous Anoa'i wrestling family, so I think he kinda counts.) Yokozuna and the Anoa'i family are not Hawaiian in any regard whatsoever. It doesn't "count" at all.
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Post by Viking Hall on Jan 8, 2020 20:13:54 GMT -5
You post some odd threads mate. I did enjoy that your first example wasn't a Hawaiian though. He was part of the Anoa'i wrestling family which is legendary in Hawaii. I mean Stan Hansen was legendary in Japan, last time I checked he was still very much an American though.
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Post by Hit Girl on Jan 8, 2020 20:40:43 GMT -5
Because they look Japanese to an American audience and can speak English.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 8, 2020 20:53:55 GMT -5
1. Less paperwork to just hire an American citizen that kinda/sorta looks the part
2. They speak English, which means match planning is immediately easier.
3. I imagine any real Japanese talent aren't going to be interested in playing racist gimmicks based on WWII.
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Jan 8, 2020 21:09:59 GMT -5
Because they look Japanese to an American audience and can speak English. A lot of them were Japanese Americans. Fuji for instance was half Japanese half Native Hawaiian.
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Crappler El 0 M
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Post by Crappler El 0 M on Jan 8, 2020 21:30:16 GMT -5
Fans didn't know any better. There was no internet. Promoters must have thought portraying them as Japanese would work better, particularly as heels and playing off stereotypes.
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