Jackie Sato: Difference between revisions

{{nihongo|'''Naoko Satō'''|佐藤尚子|''Satō Naoko''|October 30, 1957 – August 9, 1999}}, better known as {{nihongo|'''Jackie Sato'''|ジャッキー佐藤|''Jakkī Satō''}}, was a Japanese [[professional wrestler]]. In the 1970s, while wrestling for [[All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling]] (AJW), she formed the [[tag team]], the {{ill|Beauty Pair|ja|ビューティ・ペア}}, with {{ill|Maki Ueda (wrestler)|lt=Maki Ueda|ja|マキ上田}}. Following in the steps of {{ill|Mach Fumiake|ja|マッハ文朱}}, the Beauty Pair was part of an important shift in the culture of Japanese women's wrestling, attracting more female fans by becoming pop icons. In their mainstream success, Satō and Ueda paved the way for the [[Crush Gals]] of the 1980s.<ref name="Nippon">{{cite web|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/column/g00251/|title=The Furious Theater of Women’s Professional Wrestling in Japan|work=Nippon.com|first=Yanagisawa|last=Takeshi|date=February 25, 2015|access-date=August 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220710190444/https://www.nippon.com/en/column/g00251/|archive-date=July 10, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sato joined [[All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling]] (AJW) in 1975 and was part of the 1975 AJW rookie class alongside {{ill|Maki Ueda (wrestler)|lt=Maki Ueda|ja|マキ上田}} and {{ill|Yumi Ikeshita|ja|池下ユミ}}. She had her debut match against her future tag team partner, Maki Ueda, on April 27 of that year. On February 24, 1976, the {{ill|Beauty Pair|ja|ビューティ・ペア}} was formed, and they won the [[WWWA World Tag Team Championship]] that night. DuringAt theirthe championshippeak reignof throughoutthe mostBeauty ofPair's 1976popularity, theAJW Pairachieved createda excitement[[Audience bymeasurement|television usingrating]] theirof topover ten20 hitpercent.<ref>{{cite singlenews to|last=Abrams announce|first=James their|date=October entrance7, and1977 were|title=Lady regularlywrestlers fetedare byteen-age theirhit adoring|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-messenger-lady-wrestlers-are-teen-ag/113867475/ fans|url-status=live who|work=The threwMessenger confetti|location=Kyodo and|publication-place=Madisonville, streamersKentucky into|agency=Copley News Service |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212000703/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-messenger-lady-wrestlers-are-teen-ag/113867475/ |archive-date=February 12, 2024 |access-date=February 11, 2024 ring|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

Sato also had success as a singles wrestler. She won the [[WWWA World Single Championship]] on November 1, 1977, from Maki Ueda in a Beauty Pair showdown, and held it twice more during the late 1970s, defeating [[Rhonda Singh|Monster Ripper]] and {{ill|Nancy Kumi|ja|ナンシー久美}}. She lost the title the final time to the younger [[Jaguar Yokota]] on February 25, 1981.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Molinaro |first1=John |editor-last1=Marek |editor-first1=Jeff |editor-link1=Jeff Marek |editor-last2=Meltzer |editor-first2=Dave |editor-link2=Dave Meltzer |year=2002 |title=Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time |publisher=Winding Stair Press |location=Toronto, Ontario |page=166 |isbn=1-55366-305-5}}</ref> On February 27, 1979, Sato defeated her former partner, Ueda, in a "loser retires" match. Satō's own retirement ceremony was held on May 21, 1981.

In 1986, inspired by the current boom in interest in women's wrestling in Japan due to the success of the [[Crush Gals]], Sato, along with wrestler {{ill|Nancy Kumi|ja|ナンシー久美}}, [[Boxing|boxer]] [[Rumi Kazama]], and others, formed the first women's [[professional wrestling promotion|promotion]] to compete against the [[All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling|AJW]] monopoly, [[Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling]] (JWP). Satō returned from retirement on JWP's first show on August 17, 1986, in a match against [[Shinobu Kandori]]. Sato was involved in an infamous incident on July 18, 1987, when a match involving her and [[Shinobu Kandori]] turned into a shoot match.<ref name=ME>{{cite web | url = https://middle-edge.jp/articles/rVAhn?page=2| title = 神取忍 野生的な動き、技のキレ...| date=November 25, 2015| access-date=March 22, 2019 | work=Middle-Edge| language=ja}}</ref> This incident led to her retiring for a second and final time on March 20, 1988. Under Sato's influence, JWP did not offer the "mandatory retirement" policy common in AJW, allowing female wrestlers to compete until they wished to retire, rather than until the promoters ordered them to retire.

:*[[WWWA World Tag Team Championship]] ([[WWWA World Tag Team Championship#Title history|3 times]]) — with {{ill|Maki Ueda (wrestler)|lt=Maki Ueda|ja|マキ上田}} (2) and {{ill|Nancy Kumi|ja|ナンシー久美}} (1)

:*[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame]] ([[WrestlingClass Observerof Newsletter2023) Hall– ofwith Fame#Inductees|ClassMaki ofUeda<ref 1996]])name="TBPHOF2023"/>

[[Category:Deaths from stomach cancer in Japan]]