A Japanese wrestler named Kazuo Sakurada also used a variation of the gimmick in the United States during the early 1980s. Before adopting the gimmick, Sakurada, like Thornley, had wrestled for Stampede and held the North American title there. This version of Nagasaki would wrestle in the American Wrestling Association, Florida Championship Wrestling (where he was managed by James J. Dillon, World Wrestling Council in Puerto Rico and Continental Wrestling Federation before going on to wrestle on WCW television, changing his ring name to The Dragonmaster and joining the J-Tex Corporation stable.
Like Thornley, Sakurada wore a Kendo men to the ring. Unlike the British original, Sakurada wore face paint instead of a mask and carried a kendo stick rather than a sword. Sakurada also used Asian mist as part of his repertoire.
Read more about this topic: Kendo Nagasaki