7 months ago
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WWE
Japanese wrestling legend Bull Nakano was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by longtime rival and close friend Madusa, also known as Alundra Blayze, during the 2024 ceremony on Friday. Despite coming from different backgrounds, the pair were intrinsically linked throughout their careers, battling over the Women's Championship multiple times when Nakano arrived to WWE in 1994. Madusa introduced Nakano and said she continues to influence talent today, and underneath the face paint and shocking hairstyle, Nakano was made of steel.
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"We weren't just colleagues, we were gladiators ... [we] defined the very definition of women's wrestling," she said, adding that together, they created an "international standard" and pushed the boundaries of what women's wrestling was "back in the day." She also mentioned Nakano's nunchucks and kendo sticks contributing to their hard-hitting style of matches.
Nakano joked she had been "waiting a long time" to receive the award. She said she had a great experience in the company when she was just 26 years old. Nakano said working with WWE was tough, because she had a hard time with travel, not being able to speak English, as well as navigating without a cell phone, but with the help of her friends, she continued with her WWE tour. Nakano got emotional during her speech and thanked Madusa, "who continued to fight alongside me," in addition to WWE for giving her the opportunity and the WWE fans for accepting her.
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"If there is such a thing as being reborn, I want to be professional wrestler Bull Nakano again," she said.
