As reported last year, legendary Japanese wrestler Bull Nakano announced that she would be retiring from wrestling in the early part of 2012.
The former WWF Women’s Champion held her retirement show earlier today (January 8th) to mark her 44th birthday.
Nakano unofficially retired in 1996 due to injuries, but has never had an official retirement. After leaving wrestling, she tried her hand at becoming a golfer and opened a restaurant. Last year she dropped down to 130lbs and got married.
Nakano’s retirement show took place at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in front of a crowd of 3000, reports PuroresuSpirit.com.
Results from the show below via PuroresuSpirit.com:
* Ayako Hamada def. Aja Kong with the AP Cross at the 15:14 minute mark.
* Bull Hirota (Sakura Hirota) won a battle royal at the 24:26 minute mark.
* Shinjiro Otani, Ikuto Hidaka & Daichi Hashimoto def. Hakushi, Osamu Nishimura & Super Delfin at the 11:51 minute mark. Otani pinned Delfin after a spiral bomb.
* Kayoko Haruyama & Ryo Mizunami def. AKINO & Maki Narumiya at the 13:34 minute mark. Mizunami won with a diving guillotine drop on Nrumiya.
* Dump Matsumoto, Kyoko Inoue, Leon, Sawako Shimono & Tsukushi def. Jaguar Yokota, Manami Toyota, Tomoka Nakagawa, Natsuki Taiyo & Cherry at the 16:15 minute mark. Inoue won with a powerbomb on Cherry.
* Kana def. Kagetsu with a chicken wing face lock at the 11:23 minute mark.
* Nanae Takahashi, Meiko Satomura & Emi Sakura def. Ayumi Kurihara, Yoshiko & Tsukasa Fujimoto at the 21:41 minute mark. Sakura won with a Nyann Nyann Press from the top on Fujimoto.
* Yuzuki Aikawa def. Hikaru Shida at the 15:11 minute mark with a Yazupon Kick Red.
The website reports that Nakano closed the show as follows:
Nakano had a 3 part retirement match which saw her recreating classic moments from her career against Shinobu Kandori and even Aja Kong. Following this lead to her proper retirement ceremony where they showed pictures/highlights throughout her career. Then it all came to a close when here husband Daisuke Aoki came out to the ring.
Happy birthday and happy retirement to the legendary Bull!
Image: @RceKnaO on Twitter
RSS
Email
Twitter
Tumblr
Facebook
YouTube
11 Comments
I thought she had retired years ago?
Jamal Reply:
January 8th, 2012 at 5:36 pm
She did but never got a retirement show. In Japan, it’s a big occasion when a wrestler decides to retire, especially one as popular as Bull.
Happy Birthday and all the best for her retirement years!
She was, she is and she will always be a legend for me and I’m sure for many others aswell! :)
I loved her japan, wcw and even the few wwf matches (her pairing with Luna was awesome).
Never saw her in wwe. Cause I guess I was too young at that time or maybe not even born (93 baby) but she looks like a unique wrestler and yea happy retirement. :)
Thank you so much Bull for the fantasticness! She is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. Definitely an influence on me to why I want to be a wrestler. I hope she doesn’t mind if I use some of her moves or the blue hair and make up. She is for sure one of the all time best wrestlers.
thejoshifanx Reply:
January 8th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Wow that card looks amazing. I would like if it could be uploaded to YouTube.
Thats a very impressive show, it has most of the big names of 3 decades of Joshi.
And Nanae Takahashi, Meiko Satomura & Emi Sakura all in 1 team is amazing, thats 3 of my current top5 of best in the world womens wrestlers.
The show was taped for TV, so it will probably be on youtube within a week.
Such a sad yet brilliant day for an amazing wrestler.
Bull Nakano is really the epitome of women’s wrestling in my eyes.
I can’t wait to watch this show, hopefully I’ll be able to find it!
44 years old? She’s so young! Happy Birthday!!!!!
If Kharma was in the WWE or in WCW back when Madusa and Bull Nakano were feuding that arena/house would had shook the foundation and tore the roof off the sucka,but oh well one can only dream of that matchup happening.
hAPPY Late bday Nakano!! U effin rock lady!!
Love ur matches with Madusa and Kong!!
Also love ur matches with Luna Vachon
Man only 44..Ivory is older o.0