WrestleMagic Team Interviews Kyoko Inoue

All right, everyone, this episode of Wrestle Magic, we're having another interview with one of these legendary a j W women. This time we're talking to Miss in the Way. And as we begin, ma'am, how are you doing and what have you been up to lately?

I know, Ima, I know.

It's even.

Okay, she's wrestling still, She's still a wrestler. She's wrestling this bunch of matches still, and right now she's at her own shop and it's kind of busy. Her shot up his name a Kayu. It's very busy.

Now, oh wow. So what kind of shop is it? Would you say it was a bar or a restaurant? What kind is it?

What's it gonna? No, my lounge?

But wan.

There. So it's it's like a bar lounge.

It has it has drinks, alcoholic drinks, regular drinks, and it also has some food, little dishes that they usually make.

Okay, cool, So a nice little place to be sounds like a cool place. So is that over in Tokyo or somewhere state side or.

Tokyo discas okay, So it's in it's in Tokyo. Yes. The closest station is called musache Ikayama.

Station.

It's in closing Shinagawa Meguro area. It's it's it's right by the train station.

Okay. Cool, Very nice to see you've got a side hustle for yourself and you're still wrestling after it's been what like thirty years that you've been wrestling so far man it.

Koko s.

Medics.

It's been thirty six years this year.

Wow, that's impressive, I must say, and uh, congratulations on being able to have such a long lineage in the wrestling business. But I also do want to ask, so what does it take to be able to continue to wrestle for that long?

H Yeah? Snap, mine not range.

Need Okay. So really number one reason was she she lost the timing of retiring, but really she was. She used to be in the promotion a j W That's that's where she started, and in a j W old Japan Joshi Wrestling, twenty five year old was the the n cut off line for a lot of wrestlers. That age was you supposed to retire, but that they quit that retirement age of twenty five. So she kept wrestling for thirty six years that that she loved.

Wow, that's incredible and I'm glad to see they were able to still keep going and be healthy with it and everything. That is incredible. I'm very impressed with that now.

So the mother no ke Sizani sanjo uk income.

Still in the schedule, it ni money.

Okay, so really actually, I've been having a lot of injuries about like recently it's a little minor once, but like two years ago, she she cut she injured.

Her Oh okay, you kill yes, both both legs.

Oh wow, that's that hurts.

That was the big injury that she had two years ago.

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Wow. I am sorry that you've been dealing with that. But glad to see that you're still in good spirits and you still seem happy with where you're at.

I know.

The more the more this, I know make it a lot of people saying the retirement retirement to her, but she keep she could keep on wrestling, and she loves wrestling, so she's gonna keep on doing whatever as long as her body is allowing her to do.

Hey, if it's what you love, you might as well continue. And I don't blame you. Continue for as long as you feel that you can. Honestly, if you think you can go forever, do it till the end, if that's truly what you love. I don't blame you at.

All, Ada, I know I can't go there. Job. Thank you, thank you very much.

Okay, so let's get into the inner view portions. So let's start at the beginning. So can we talk about your childhood a little bit and what inspired you to become a wrestler.

And I know, but it is like listening show, so they know the got to.

Tell you this since.

You know.

Once in Nanita, you know there that the the guy is.

A lot of people do not believe her. But as soon as she came out crying as a baby, like she knew she wanted to be a wrestler. She already made up her mind as soon as she came out to this world. And she always wanted to be the strongest, and she wanted to be rich, and she wanted to be famous, and she thought the pro wrestling was what she wanted to do to be that to get her dream come true. And she always wanted to be the strongest woman, the strongest wrestler in the world.

I can definitely believe that. You know, sometimes you just know what you wanted to be from a very early age, so that's understandable. Something else that I also noticed about I've been watching a few of your matches and getting acquainted with a little bit of your career and seeing your move set. I've seen a lot of You've done

So they were so.

Haring. She's very happy for that. You you, I guess you knew all this stuff. Then you studied the study her wrestling.

Oh absolutely, and uh, Honestly, the matches that I was watching, I was very impressed with you, and I'm very glad that I have this opportunity right now after seeing it because a lot of the things that I saw in there, I was thinking it potentially has inspired some of the things that I saw in the early two thousands, sometimes even with the men's wrestling, and it was better than most of the women's wrestling I had seen up to a certain point in my life. So I'm very glad

I know, but I know, meet it, I know, meet it there, I know and dance I didn't think, buddy. So she's very very happy with your comment.

I'm glad. So another question that I do want to ask about, so what was your face paint that you always were inspired by?

No make so were.

The s and mine thanking? Yeah with this, but that's what baby Mamo to be America the pain and stated not the skettle and then the crow skettle on the guys there and Kai seven masters I know ia there and a cruise and all the on there had paint to hi Hi n you know pat nights.

Okay, So we actually in a j W there was three nos like you couldn't do and that was no liquor, no tobag gold cigarette, and no men. That was the three rules they cannot do. And actually she broke one of them and she had to either retire right then and there or she had to go. She really wanted to be a babyface, but she had to be the heel, so she started to do the makeup. She said, okay, I'll do the heel, but her favorite carlo was red,

Face mask. That's what she sells at her bar.

Okay, that's pretty cool. I like that a little bit of marketing too. That's pretty cool. But so was there any significance behind the design itself, like the ie mask shape or was that just something that you just came up with and liked.

I know, I know, Kyoko, I know no idea that.

Malanka.

It's it's really just original.

She she she made it up. That's her original. She never really seen like painted wrestler, painted face wrestler before, so that was her original design.

Okay. And I know that you had mentioned about the color red. From what I saw, it looked like there was either a green or a yellowish color that you used to wear as well. Was that Was there any significance to that or was that just something to throw off the red?

So it kind oh you know? Then?

Oh wow, I'm very impressed Maverick, that you know about that, because like a few a few times a year, she does change the color because they have a tag league and then whoever that she's with as a tag team, she's trying to match the color with them.

So that's a different color that you're seeing.

She's very impressed that you know about That's.

What.

Okay.

But all right, so what influences or role models did you have coming up in the business?

Indicated the more I know, do you know about you? So do you put that down there to him?

Okay, Before she became a wrestler, she really didn't have anybody who she was wanted to be, or who she was the fan, or she wanted was looking up to. She just wanted to be the strongest wrestler that's out there. But once she became a wrestler, yes, she she felt like wow, like it's very strong, very inspiring. But before that she didn't really have anybody.

I see, Well, sometimes you just become your own role model. I guess that's one way to see it.

Therebun Jibundy know Ja So used to must.

Send saw you Okay, Yes, she.

She always wanted to be somebody who she could inspire somebody else as a wrestler.

Okay, that's a pretty cool way to look at it.

Uh So.

Moving on to the next question. So you had debuted back in the late nineteen eighties, So what was the training process like? And uh what was the debut process like for.

A A j A W.

I was about to say a w by accident.

Okay, Uh, Kyoko someone thank you. I need no debut, so go there. I know, turining debut, what do you can't do it?

But Jaga it did scuat.

Okay. So her trainer the when she became a wrestler was a Jago Yokota, and back then it was so different. It was it was so different from now. It was squat one thousand times and set ups one thousand times and stuff like that. Was that number was just crazy. That was normal back then in a j W.

Okay, so they made sure you were in shape. That's impressive. Was there a time limit for how long you had to hit one thousand or was it just keep going till you can do it?

Put it? Discuss at all?

And so once the thousand is done, it goes the next training. So whoever, that's slow. The training times get longer and longer.

Mm hmm.

Interesting. Interesting. So did you feel like it was a good thing to have or did you think that it was overbearing and just not necessary.

I know, I know through.

It whatever.

More that.

I know.

Okay, So nowadays you have to take a water break, you have to take some break when they're practicing and training. But that time during the a j W, it was like more like a spartan exercise that you have to do it. They will let you know that, they will, you know, make sure you have to do it. They sometimes they get physical if you don't do it, and that was normal for them. So she went through that that time she was she wanted to just cry and leave and they not want to do any of those training.

I see, so it really did build you up in a way that it could not nobody could break you at that point. I like that thought process that it really did build you up.

It's sanderstands. I think that was the biggest thing, like mentally, especially physically of course, but mentally as it was, it became really important for her.

It became really strong from that training.

I see. So what do you remember most about your early days in a j W?

So Nanny can share the madam, Yes there be in this skettle Nanda mm hm, who can do?

Yes?

Share? You got and music? You got the musical, the lokotos and I just canno coming like you can cake and I too come okay. So you know the monakaka, the yep, you know, the can I took you are the sketle, I know even the kodak the we go get I okay.

So it's like she had to during the a j W run. She had to have over three hundred matches a year, so it's really was she if she had time, she just enjoyed sleeping. The sleeping was the most time. That that's all she remembered, the sleeping time. If she has time for sleep, like even if it's like, uh, she thought one time it was four o'clock. She thought it was four a m. But it was four pm.

Every time I see I see and you mentioning about sleeping a lot. That kind of makes me think of like how a teenager is after high school all the time. So now it's making me question, So how old were you when you made your debut and when you were in training for ajw it.

To Kukasawa on the Non Sign of Dooky debut, she Masakato.

Cut good.

She was nineteen years old. She just graduated high school. So she was nineteen.

Okay, okay, so pretty young but not like you know, not like sixteen or anything like that. That's very cool that you were able to get in there young, and I'm glad to hear that you were always constantly thinking about how can I do these different matches because you can see a little bit of your style and your philosophy in every match coming out in the storytelling that you were able to portray. And I really appreciated the work that you were able to put into it.

So no, ye, buddy, I know, but kyogo.

This so no he I take a come get it was there said the county. There are quite quite don't don't you this neck? But so you but said yeah, is gonna there my so yeah then okay some and I know most but saying.

Okay, so they while they were well, she was having mads. Certain opponents then not really get like show planned man that she'll go this way, but the opponent wouldn't really get into the same thing that she was thinking about. But certain wrestlers that she had a match with, they could go back and forth, back and forth, like if she get to do some style, they do some other styles, she'll do some other you know, she'd just keep on

I see, I see. That's really cool that you were able to bounce off each other's styles that way and create a great match afterwards. That's really awesome that you were able to figure out her feel that you could really do that with some opponents that way. I don't really like that you were receptive to bouncing back and forth like that.

So they were, isn't it think?

So you e E I did? Do you want.

To?

You must say, saying shoe Congo saying shoe, shoe, my Kui said thistle, and.

So it's like she didn't have to It feels like it was a conversation. They didn't have to conversate, but it was felt like a conversation where they were doing their each style and example, the most wrestlers that went against like that was Manami, Toyota, Aja Kon, and for her, those are like one of the best threes. Of course there were other wrestlers, but that was the most the best three wrestlers that she feels.

She feels like that, I see, totally understandable and I can agree with that. But one thing I do also want to ask about is so I did want to ask about this earlier, but it's just been in the back of my head. So how was your relationship with Jaguar Yakota and your training with her and everything.

Jaga san.

M you got the disc about so quo not cotes not.

More.

We're gonna same bike so that more coutes.

So you.

Know, I know she nice. The Mastasinami you see to not as soon as I did. Yoka is my personal Then the more you're takena I know, I know.

You okay, So when she when Jago your Quota became her trainer. It's it was because other people when she was still retau when she when she became Koko trainer, she just retired as a wrestler. She retired once, so she wasn't a wrestler, so she was just a trainer. But when she was like really wrestler. While she was she didn't retire, everybody couldn't really say much because she's a sempi. She has a higher authority in that world, so she wasn't a sempi anymore. She became she's she

Then, Okay, that's cool. I'm glad that you were able to have that relationship with your trainer at that point and not feel so on a or anything like that with her. That's a really good that you were able to have that relationship. I'm really glad for that. Okay, So next question that I did want to ask about. So I had read a little bit and I saw a matter or two about the tag team that you were in called double you know, and I wanted to ask about. So did they just put you two together

So I know, you know, you know, you know with you know.

Music Hi. I think so, I think that the a j W thought of in the beginning, it was like because they both had that same last name.

Okay, did they think that you guys were related or something or was that just coincidence? Uh?

I know?

No, H goes in in a way to you know my.

Hi, and the the that towlds you are, I know, I know what you know and Antonio know because you guys know course don't don't dremp gandastic to your car. You know that ant and I know mass g John my standing and that you know the Marquel.

I know.

Hi.

Okay, So back in the days in a j W, they were like more like really honest about things, and they used to be like, yeah, they did put together because their last name is together. But she was called the ugly you know a way, and the other one missed tacago you know, it was called the pretty you know way. So they called because if they both called their name, you know, they both turn around, so they had to call one ugly you know and the other one in the pretty you know way. So it was

That's what I was about to bring up, actually was I thought that your guys's move sets, from what I had seen, complimented each other very well. And I thought they were similar but not the same, and it worked well that you guys really did work well together, and I really appreciate watching. I believe it was YouTube versus Bnami Toyota, and there was I don't remember the last name of the other person. I want to say it was yum Motto. I don't remember the last name.

Santo stuck up.

I know.

Three could I could happy and there then I discover no, no there Iki very h's so big, but that was moster Henzo steps then not skettle and something personal there you know now you know market could I know three caculdn no saying Wami was that that is your net? That that mon because I know you could, I know

So I she think you watched the show that they with the Hagawa Toyota Manami versus. The story behind that was they were ninety ninth champion and they just wanted to be the hundredth champion, but you have to give the belt back once to be the hundredths champion. They cannot hold the belt to be hundreds champions, so they decided to give the belt back so they knew they

Themselves.

Ah, okay, that's a that's really cool that you were able to become the hundredth champion. That's interesting that you had to give it back so that you could do that.

I didn't I.

Didn't ever think about anything like that, and I didn't know that's what was going on either at the time. But I just looked up the name. It was Toshio Yamada was the name that I was looking for.

Oh ya, you know.

So YouTube, Okay, should exactly remember.

Okay, that's fair. It's been a while, so I don't blame you. But uh, all right, So moving on from there, So, did you face any resistance as a woman entering the wrestling business?

No, Susan I discover does know.

I know? Oh so, she said, as a female wrestler, it felt like because she was a female. Uh, female has a softer body move so she could do like a different style. And just because the women's wrestler when they come in as an entrance with the music, it's it's way more pizazz like, it's it's more costume, is looking nice more than like a men's wrestler. So as a woman's wrestler, she felt like there was so much she could do than a men's wrestler.

I see.

Uh, there's only one men's wrestler that I will say probably takes the cake on entrance and outfit being a little bit more crazy, And that would be seth Rawlins. If she's familiar with the things he's been doing.

Oh uh, dance, w war, skedo, chagar sonjo.

So oh.

Never yeah, because the entrance really make it, especially for the pro wrestlers. She wanted to be make it like a gorgeous, a beautiful. She wanted to make a good entrance, so she did her own things. She did her own style the entrance as a woman's wrestler.

I see, I see, and uh. Something that I noticed about uh, I think it was more in the early nineties. It sounded like you had van Halen playing as your entrance music. Was that accurate? And are you a fan of van Halen?

So cutue name so the new bank hitting national so no fun on the yeah you too.

Well you know.

Stem this. She became a fan once she listened to it. Somebody brought her.

The music and actually she did not know who it was, but once she heard that music in Japan, all the fans knew once that music come on. It was with music. So as soon as she heard the music, listen to the music, Yes, she became a fan.

I see, So what made you change you later on? Then if I'm okay with if you're okay with me asking that.

I know and I just got she she had to change it because of the copyright use and stuff like that. She's not sure, but it okay.

So back then, Fuji Television, a huge TV company, had the A j W back, so it was them who made a similar song to van Halen song. So I'm sure it was that TV company that said it's a copyright issue. So they made the song entrance music that was really similar to that.

Okay, that makes sense because I was going to say it did still sound like a van Halen esque once it was changed, just wasn't you know, it wasn't an actual like song from them, but you could still tell that it had some inspiration we could say from van Halen, which if that's what you liked, I'm glad they were able to stick with it for you and this.

Hi T.

Episode.

Hi Hi.

Okay. So you were part of some legendary matches in the nineties. Do any of them stand out as meaningful or challenging to you today.

It's a cute you know, you know it's I'm not.

I know, do you show sing?

I know? Want your mind? Is someone some accent plastics the schedule and look know it's the moon. This is only what you go, I'm saying. Someone see it took over sent the most look the knacka that's you go knocka look at it. I said, stop get scaling that buddy Oka my look at it was another st.

Okay so And during the nineties she had sixty minute matches, sixty minute match draw matches, and she went against Manami Toyota sixty minutes, lioniz Osca for sixty minutes, and she believed another person was calaru Ito for sixty minutes. But she was just so happy that she could wrestle the favorite wrestling that she loved for sixty minutes in front

Ah, that's really cool. I like that outlook that you just really liked being able to wrestle for that long in front of the crowd. If I may say so myself, I really enjoyed watching some of your matches with Manami Toyota. I thought they were very impressive. Both of your guys

I know, yeah Ti Manko and Ti Buddhist and Nan and Nano okay I got the actually taking Koko Sanga and shurely stand the skeeddo so there are in shok there and story most going I know, right, you know cuts to you so so they got suco ino sta.

Only do you know Mata when his start must see doing you only them what what the them? During the baron.

There?

I know.

Think you know you know Minnesota gid, but you know most the stand the schedule, so the more and money when the hotel are dated, theresetta know there I know in the schedule more what the guy then okay, okay, you can take so then you know the easy to you know had mot instantly know what share this.

M hm okay. So with Bono, yes, she was a Bonano all that time during the bus uh during when they had to move the the area to the next match, she was always with her and she did moon salt guilletine drop over and over again. And the respect was to take the take all the style that they kick each other, they put out each other, and that was like a respect not to to take it in with their body physically and just to win over Bonakano.

That was like a.

Most respectful way to tell her thank you, like appreciate, appreciation and with the respect. So that's what it meant. So she was really trying to win the match just to show her respect to Boncano.

See I see, and that's a it was a very good match, which I will say. But moving on from that, so I do want to ask about your time in w w F a little bit. It seemed like you had just a couple of matches there but you still performed very well. The tag team match you were in with Lundre Blaze, it felt like the spotlight really was on you and it showed your abilities very well. But I do want to ask you about how was your experience coming over to w w F versus working in a j W.

W W suppose buddy my so no kicking kicking kicking h.

Im not saying no, not that guy is there? Tony and me your knee, we said, go can master see and know.

Just what.

This? What that made you that? And does things?

No?

There made you gip it down this neck? That's Tuki with the debutsuki and know it's joking. And my my guy, I know we know personal and sty Toka and kip it you know them and then stand there maybe look and made you not not the schedule and let's go. I know, I know that's not I don't know others Adam the high like this.

Okay, Medusa, it's high.

Hoo this.

Okay?

So Alandro Blaze was her name is Medusa?

Right?

So actually when Medusa was out, she was like Kyoko was like a newcomer. So she was she was like attendant for Medusa in the beginning so when she had a song out in Japan, she had a song Medusa had a song out in Japanese, and they had to put the costume. She used to zip up her zipper in the back. She used to give her the microphone get ready for her and stuff like that for the song and stuff. And they used to call her adamo Chan.

Okay, So what about some culture shocks coming to the US. Did you see your experience anything that felt different than what you were expecting or anything like that, just in the US in general, not just performing.

American I know, Sam, I know, I know, I know, and trying to be Christmas Okay.

So the she was kind of shocked because they had doctor checked before the matches. The doctors make sure they good to go with the match. That was different from Japan. And they also said pro wrestler is a star, so they cannot wear no sweats. They have to look nice when they're entering even though they're entering the venue. They wanted everybody to look nice to come in, not the sweats and.

Stuff like that.

And the most thing that she was shocked was like they had a catering like a buffet, and she really wanted to eat a lot of the different things, but she already had, you know, she was having a match that day. But she did eat eat some because because that was like really different from Japan, they didn't have all the catering and all the food that was ready for the wrestlers.

Okay, that's an interesting thing to look at when you're going between different countries and seeing how they treat you. But uh, all right, so coming down to the end here, but so what do you hope your legacy on wrestling will.

Be kokos and dishing juve?

You know?

Do you?

No?

There s not so not there that they have because you send you so locause you like hiday me don this get up and the more high text them the gig and to you no no there and know its like you know on the name thanka, don't gonna eat them more. You know, I don't get up Nka that's a night. So this called mik epping omal.

The cart you see the car don'ts together but tosing me now image day this your no no there thnka se s I men.

I saw you linka sos in there. It's the more you ma and you look they musket about.

Okay. So as a as a pro wrestler. Back in the days when you had to be a wrestler, there was certain rule that you had to be one hundred and sixty centimeters that's about five foot three or something like that. But with the sixty kilograms that's about one hundred and thirty pounds or something. You have to have more than that. And that was like a minimum they got they had to have. This was a rule that you have to have that physic physical But she always

That's what she wants portray as a kilcoy.

I see, I see.

I like that.

You always want to be that side of you, that wrestling persona that you have created. But all right, so we are getting towards the end here, So I do want to ask you, ma'am, as we always ask at the end of Wrestle Magic, do you have any kind of recommendation for the audience? Could be a movie, TV show, restaurant, video games, poems, Catherine's dog greats, doesn't really matter. It just something that you like.

Now it's a psyg I know you must singer, must she must when you come to Japan, please come to my bar a kayu past And she's selling the face mask. Like earlier, I told you, it's like you could become Kyoko. Maybe Marick, you could take a picture of that, maybe put it up on the website or something anything. But she sells that, so you could be Kyoko you know where. Also everybody could be Kyoko you know where? And her I think it's posted on her Instagram also, And this

Okay, that's that's pretty awesome that you've got your own mural on the building and everything. But so if fans wanted to reach out to you, how would they do?

So? And jojok okay, So she does the ex the twitter at the Onama on Twitter handle. Excellent.

I thought that.

She'll send you the the ex handle. She can't. She don't have it in hand. She don't really remember right in hand right now. But she do also have an Instagram, but X she do keep putting up the new things.

So okay, no problem, I'll go ahead and I'll tag it once this is posted and everything. Uh so Keino do you have a recommendation for this week as well.

Okay, I forget about that.

Okay, do you know that?

Did I say that the wrestling movie.

That's the ring I think you did before?

Yeah?

Okay, oh gosh, I don't. Okay, So i'll you know what I'm gonna recommend she since she came out with the restaurant, I'm gonna recommend a restaurant. There's another restaurant around Koko's. If you go to Kioko's Bar, there's another restaurant who another wrestler is running and her name is

Sounds amazing, But uh, all right, so my recommendation for this week, I'm gonna say an old video game that I haven't played in a while but I'm thinking about getting back into. It's called Braid. It it's kind of like a Super Mario, has a very dark story behind it. But enough about that. So you guys know how I usually end the show do something nice for somebody you never know who needs it out there. And miss Kilko I thank you very much for being on the show.

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