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WRESTLER OF THE DAY: TIGER MASK IV


RIPPA

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I think I can safely say that one person I am definitely aging better than is Tiger Mask IV. God Bless.

 

Hey Yoshihiro, might be time to let there be a Tiger Mask V

 

 

 

 

And here is TMIV wrestling at like a shack in Milwaukee

 

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Hey Yoshihiro, might be time to let there be a Tiger Mask V

 

 

Um, there is/was Tiger Mask V.  Ikuhisa Minowa took over the gimmick in 2010.  There was a bit of a deal made about him being the first replacement TM to be endorsed by Sayama.  Cagematch indicates he's only wrestled as TM5 4-6 times, either in Real Japan or IGF.

 

He did revive the gimmick for an IGF show this year for Inoki's 72nd birthday show (iirc, he also worked as Minowa on the same card), so I guess he's still active?

 

Edit: I'm trying to remember the last time I wanted to see TMIV in a match and I'm drawing a blank.  It might have been... 10 years?

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I think Tiger Mask 4 is underrated. Or maybe just over-maligned? Something.

 

There was a point back in like 2010 When NJ/NOAH was going again and they finally put on a tag match with the KENTA/Koji Kanemoto matchup everyone thought they wanted. This was in Korakuen Hall. NOAH fans wanted this match up so bad that every time Koji tagged in Tiger Mask, the crowd booed just fucking mercilessly. And you can see TM4 trying to take it in stride early, trying to wrestle a normal match. Later, Koji gets concussed and has to tag out, and Tiger Mask gets booed even more. At some point in the match something just snaps inside of him and he just starts trying to kill Aoki by chest compression, just lighting him the fuck up and being a salty fuck. Ever since then, it seems like Tiger Mask has totally given up on the concept of being a junior and just goes rude all the fucking time, toe kicking people in the heart and hitting his signature spots like he's trying to mock those booing voices, tight and resentful.

 

I'm never going to say anything like he's a great wrestler or anything, but, as proven by who NJPW is liable to bring in to bolster their junior division, you can do a lot worse.

 

 

EDIT: Actually, now that I think about it, aside from 4 I have never liked a Tiger Mask while they were actually Tiger Mask, and would in fact argue that every Tiger Mask was significantly better after they stopped being Tiger Mask. UWF Super Tiger is fucking brilliant and Shodai Tiger Mask is at least fun to watch. Misawa's career went kaboom after being Tiger Mask. None of Koji Kanemoto's best matches happened while he was Tiger Mask. Minowa has like... two good matches? Neither were under the hood.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Or just retire Tiger Mask altogether.

 

That would work too.

 

You heartless monster! Think of the children! Think of the furries! Think of the plushies!

TM IV be all about expanding the base.

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