Bull Nakano

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Bull Nakano
Nakano in 2011.
Birth nameKeiko Nakano
Born (1968-01-08) January 8, 1968 (age 56)[1]
Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Bull Nakano
Keiko Nakano
Billed height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2]
Billed weight91 kg (201 lb)[3]
Billed fromKawaguchi, Japan[2]
Trained byAll Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
Debut1983
Retired1997[2]

Keiko Aoki (青木 恵子, Aoki Keiko, née Nakano (中野), born January 8, 1968) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler and professional golfer better known as Bull Nakano (ブル中野, Burunakano). She began competing in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) as a teenager under the ring name Bull Nakano. As a wrestler she was a villain, who often teamed with her mentor Dump Matsumoto. In Japan, she held several of AJW's singles and tag team championships. After being phased out by the company in the early 1990s, she traveled to North America, where she first competed in Mexico's Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), becoming its first World Women's Champion. In 1994, she made her way to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), where she had feuded with Alundra Blayze over the WWF Women's Championship. After holding the title once, she also competed in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). In 1998, Nakano began competing as a professional golfer, and in 2006, she joined a tour with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). She was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame on 2001 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2024.

Professional wrestling career[edit]

All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (1983–1996)[edit]

Nakano's career as a professional wrestler began in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW) organization in Japan when she was 15 years old.[2][4] After winning the AJW Junior Championship at the age of 16 in 1984,[5] her ring name was changed to Bull Nakano.[4] In July 1985, she won the AJW Championship, which she held for the next three years.[6] Meanwhile, she teamed with Dump Matsumoto, who was also her mentor, as a pair of heels.[4] With Matsumoto as her partner, Nakano won the WWWA World Tag Team Championship in August 1986.[7] Nakano and Matsumoto also wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation in 1986 against the team of Velvet McIntyre and Dawn Marie Johnston.[2][8]

After Matsumoto's retirement, Nakano won the WWWA World Tag Team Championship a second and third time, with Condor Saito in 1987 and Grizzly Iwamoto in 1988.[7] As a singles wrestler, she won the 1988 Japan Grand Prix in June.[9] One year later in June 1989, she also defeated Mitsuko Nishiwaki to win AJW's All Pacific Championship, which she lost to Noriyo Tateno in November.[10] Around the start of the 1990s, Nakano began to be positioned as the ace of AJW.[11] In January 1990, Nakano won a tournament final to win the vacant WWWA World Single Championship.[12] She held the title for nearly three years,[4] before dropping it to Aja Kong in November 1992.[12] Afterward, AJW's use of Nakano in storylines and matches decreased.[4][12]

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (1992–1993)[edit]

After she stopped working for AJW, Nakano traveled to Mexico in June 1992, where she was a finalist in a 12-woman battle royal and later defeated Lola González to become Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre's first World Women's Champion.[13] She lost the title to Xóchitl Hamada in March 1993.[13]

World Wrestling Federation (1994–1995)[edit]

She then made her way to the United States and competed for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) once again. Debuting as an associate of Luna Vachon, Nakano competed against the WWF Women's Champion, Alundra Blayze in August 1994 at SummerSlam, but failed to win the title.[14][15] Nakano eventually defeated Blayze for the title on November 20, 1994, in Tokyo at the Big Egg Wrestling Universe event.[2][16][17] Among her defenses was a victory over Kyoko Inoue in March 1995 in the semi-main event of AJW's Wrestling Queendom Victory show.[18][19] Nakano's title run lasted for approximately five months, until she lost it back to Blayze on the April 3, 1995, episode of Raw (in a match taped weeks prior) ending her reign at 134 days.[16][20] The rematch occurred in the wake of Wrestlemania XI the night before. The WWF had planned on bringing in Bertha Faye to feud with Nakano while Blayze got plastic surgery on her nose and breasts.[21]

It would be her last match in the company, having been released soon after for allegedly being found in possession of cocaine.[22]

World Championship Wrestling (1995–1996)[edit]

In 1995, Nakano also traveled to North Korea, where she was part of the joint New Japan Pro-Wrestling/World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Collision in Korea event in Pyongyang that set a record for attendance at a professional wrestling event with 150,000 spectators.[23] At the event, Nakano and Akira Hokuto defeated Manami Toyota and Mariko Yoshida.[23] Later that year, she competed at WCW's World War 3 pay-per-view event, teaming with Akira Hokuto to defeat the team of Cutie Suzuki and Mayumi Ozaki.[24] Nakano—with Sonny Onoo as her manager—continued her feud with Blayze, who was now known as Madusa, at WCW's Hog Wild event in August 1996; Madusa defeated Nakano in the match with the stipulation that she was then allowed to destroy Nakano's motorcycle.[3] In subsequent years, Madusa called Nakano "a good-hearted person" and an "incredible talent", with whom she had some of her best matches.[25]

Retirement[edit]

Due to injuries, Bull Nakano retired from professional wrestling in 1997.[2] On January 8, 2012, Nakano produced her own professional wrestling event, titled "Empress", which saw her recreate her most famous matches with her old opponents. The event ended with Nakano's official retirement ceremony, though she had not been an active wrestler for several years.[26]

Rise Wrestling (2017)[edit]

It was announced at Rise Wrestling's Bellatrix 26/Rise 4 event on September 15, 2017, that Bull Nakano would join the promotion as a facilitator, along with Cheerleader Melissa and Madusa, Nakano's former rival. Nakano turned heel during her appearance at Rise 6 on December 1, when she attacked Melissa during her match against Kikyo, and formed a modified version of her heel faction, Gokumon-To; aligning with Kikyo, Dynamite DiDi, and Kris Wolf. Nakano appeared later in the event as a heel manager for Kris Wolf in her match against Shotzi Blackheart (who had Madusa in her corner), and provided interference that led to Wolf defeating Blackheart.

Sukeban (2023–present)[edit]

On September 21, 2023, Bull appeared at the inaugural show for the US based, all-female Japanese pro wrestling promotion Sukeban, where she announced she would be the acting commissioner; she revealed the Sukeban World Championship, and announced the winner of the main event, Ichigo (Unagi) Sayaka, would face Commander (Arisa) Nakajima at the next show—crowning the first champion.

WWE return and Hall of Fame (2024)[edit]

On 6 March 2024, it was reported by ESPN that Nakano would be an inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024.[27] She was later inducted into the Hall of Fame by Alundra Blayze.

Professional golf career[edit]

Nakano became a professional golfer in 1998.[1] In November 2004, Nakano played in the Futures Tour Qualifying Tournament in Florida, but ended the tournament in 250th place of 251.[28] The following year, she ended the tournament in 261st place of 271.[29] As a result, she failed to qualify for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).[30] Nakano later qualified for the LPGA and joined the Duramed Futures Tour in January 2006.[1]

Championships and accomplishments[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Keiko Nakano". Duramed Futures Tour. Archived from the original on 24 June 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Shields, Brian and Kevin Sullivan (2009). WWE Encyclopedia. DK/BradyGAMES. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-7566-4190-0.
  3. ^ a b Reynolds, R.D. and Bryan Alvarez (2004). The Death of WCW. ECW Press. p. 76. ISBN 1-55022-661-4.
  4. ^ a b c d e Spears, Jim (4 January 2005). "Women's wrestlers today are tougher, better". The Times and Democrat. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  5. ^ a b Duncan, Royal; Will, Gary (2006). "AJW Junior Championship". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4. Information also available at Solie's Title Histories.
  6. ^ a b "All Japan Singles Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  7. ^ a b c "WWWA World Tag Team Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  8. ^ Nevada, Vance; Rodgers, Mike (30 June 2005). "Wrestling Results Archive: Velvet McIntyre". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ^ a b "Japan Grand Prix Results 1980s". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  10. ^ a b "All Pacific Title". Wrestling Titles. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  11. ^ Saito, Fumi; Fain, Thom (17 May 2023). "Bull Nakano & 1990s AJW". Monthly Puroresu. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d "World Women's Wresting Association World Singles Title". Wrestling-Titles.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
  13. ^ a b c Duncan, Royal and Gary Will (2000). "MEXICO: EMLL CMLL Women's Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 397. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
  14. ^ "Alumni: Luna Vachon". World Wrestling Entertainment. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  15. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated: 2008 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts, Historical Cards: WWE - SummerSlam 1994". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Vol. 29, no. 5. p. 122. ISSN 1043-7576.
  16. ^ a b "Pro Wrestling Illustrated: 2008 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts, Title Histories: WWE Women's Title". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Vol. 29, no. 5. p. 95. ISSN 1043-7576.
  17. ^ a b "Women's Title History: Bull Nakano". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  18. ^ "Joshi Spotlight- AJW Wrestling Queendom- VICTORY - Scott's Blog of Doom!". 18 November 2019.
  19. ^ "AJW Wrestling Queendom 1995 Victory". Cagematch.net. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  20. ^ "Women's Title History: Alundra Blayze (2)". World Wrestling Entertainment. Archived from the original on 21 June 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  21. ^ Laroche, Stephen (9 January 2001). "SLAM! Wrestling Canadian Hall of Fame: Rhonda Sing / Monster Ripper". SLAM! Wrestling. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  22. ^ "Joshi Spotlight: Bull Nakano - Scott's Blog of Doom!". 6 December 2019.
  23. ^ a b Woodward, Buck (28 April 2009). "This Day in History". Pro Wrestling Insider. Retrieved 9 May 2009.
  24. ^ WCW World War 3 '95 (VHS). Turner Home Entertainment. 1995.
  25. ^ Carolan, Vinnie and Ed Symkus (2004). Wrestle Radio U.S.A.: Grapplers Speak. ECW Press. p. 104. ISBN 1-55022-646-0.
  26. ^ “女帝”ブル中野、超満員の観客の前で涙の引退 伝説のクラッシュ、神取、アジャと「引退試合」. Sports Navi (in Japanese). Yahoo!. 8 January 2012. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  27. ^ Chiari, Mike. "Bull Nakano Named to 2024 WWE Hall of Fame Class; Joins Paul Heyman". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  28. ^ "Futures Tour Qualifying Tournament". Golfweek. 2004. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  29. ^ "Futures Tour Qualifying Tournament". Golfweek. 2005. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  30. ^ "Final round scores and positions Friday". LPGA. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  31. ^ "The Best Tag Team League 1985". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  32. ^ "All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling Hall of Fame". Puroresu Dojo. 2003. Retrieved 9 October 2007.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Keiko Nakano.
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