Wrestling villain plans to unload mansion to fund LGBTQ+ Zen courses
Legendary TV wrestling villain Kendo Nagasaki is planning to sell off his £1.5million, 50-room mansion to fund new LGBTQ+ Zen Buddhism classes – as he also plots a return to the ring aged 82.
The World of Sport superstar – whose real name is Peter Thornley, from Stoke – was famous for his signature ‘Kamikaze Crash’ slam, and appeared in the ring under the guise of a masked ‘Japanese samurai’ and mystical sensei.
But decades after his heyday on the nation’s screens, he now wants to downsize from his huge Stoke-on-Trent home to Blackpool – where he owns a men-only hotel.
He hopes to teach the Lancashire LGBTQ+ community the art of Zen Buddhism at the seaside town, famed for its illuminations.
And he is even training to return to the sport as a pensioner on the 60th anniversary of his first showing – which would make him the oldest professional wrestler.
A spokesperson for Nagasaki told The Sun: ‘Peter is always looking to extend the reach of his Buddhist work, and this is a big motivator for the move away.
Kendo Nagasaki – whose real name is Peter Thornley, from Stoke – was famous for his signature ‘Kamikaze Crash’ slam, and appeared in the ring under the guise of a masked ‘Japanese samurai’ and mystical sensei. Pictured in 2006
Decades after his heyday on the nation’s screens, he now wants to downsize from his huge Stoke-on-Trent home to Blackpool – where he owns a men-only hotel. Pictured in 2005
In 2018, Nagasaki revealed he is bisexual and said he had been in a relationship with a man since the death of his wife Yvette aged 80 in 1993. Pictured: Kendo Nagasaki appearing for the first time with manager George Gillett at Dumfries, Scotland in 1986
‘Moor Court Hall has therefore become less than ideal for Kendo’s charitable work, and he seeks to evolve it into a better-suited venue in Blackpool.
‘Peter is driven to share Zen Buddhism with others who also need its transformative energy.’
They said that the workshops he previously ran at his huge home never recovered after the pandemic.
In 2018, Nagasaki revealed he is bisexual and said he had been in a relationship with a man since the death of his wife Yvette aged 80 in 1993.
He revealed he had had ‘flings’ with men in the 1970s, but had never been able to reveal his sexuality because of his ‘macho bad boy’ persona.
He has been running Blackpool’s Trades Hotel for several decades, with his spokesperson describing it as a ‘sanctuary for gay men’.
The 60-bedroom guest house has three bars, hosting karaoke nights and seasonal events.
After making his television debut on ITV in 1971, Nagasaki quickly became a household name due to his unique appearance.
Nagasaki has been running Blackpool’s Trades Hotel for several decades, with his spokesperson describing it as a ‘sanctuary for gay men’. Pictured in 2005
Wrestler Shirley Crabtree – aka Big Daddy – with fellow British wrestler Martin Ruane, more commonly known as Giant Haystacks in 1981
His fame grew to the extent he was also brought over to Canada to wrestle for the Hart family, but continued to appear on these shores.
The mask formed a central part of the character and perhaps the most famous moment in World of Sport was in 1977 when he took it off in a special ceremony (although Big Daddy had actually removed the mask two years earlier in a match).
Both Daddy and Giant Haystacks were common opponents for Nagasaki and he once even lifted Daddy onto his shoulders and performed his finishing ‘Kamikaze Crash’ slam, which saw him throw an opponent to the floor before rolling shoulder-first over them.
He continued to wrestle throughout the 1980s and early 1990s before going into semi-retirement, with sporadic appearances in the early 2000s.
Speaking to promote his autobiography, he said: ‘I knew about my sexuality as early as 17 but it wasn’t until I was 26 that I started to be really me.
‘By the time I became a TV star back in 1972 I’d had a flings with other men.
‘But there was no way Kendo Nagasaki, the macho bad boy of wrestling could tell his story back then.
Nagasaki continued to wrestle throughout the 1980s and early 1990s before going into semi-retirement, with sporadic appearances in the early 2000s. Pictured in 2005
‘People would never have accepted it but thank goodness we live in different times and I just hope my story helps others be the best they can be – like I have always tried to be – and that my fans understand and stick by me because they mean the world to me.’
The wrestler released his book to raise money for a charity set up by the family of murdered soldier Lee Rigby.
He also allowed the foundation to set up on his country estate.
But the soldier’s mother later claimed that Nagasaki told her she had to ‘buy it, rent it or lose it’ due to his financial difficulties, the Sun reported at the time.
What happened to Kendo’s fellow World of Sport heroes of yesteryear?
Professional wrestling has come a long way since the days of ITV’s World of Sport.
Today those two words are usually associated with flashy pyrotechnics, oiled-up muscle-bound men and convoluted storylines that would be rejected by most soap operas.
Trash talking characters like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena and Seth Rollins have dominated the airwaves in the decades that have passed since the show ended.
But whatever happened to the likes of Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks and Mark ‘Rollerball’ Rocco?
Stars including Big Daddy, left, and Giant Haystacks, right, lit up Saturday afternoons on ITV’s World of Sport in the golden age of British wrestling in the 1970s and 1980s
Presented by Dickie Davies, the show would broadcast wrestling at 4pm each week
Those yearning for a return to the glory days of British wrestling are in for a treat this Christmas when ITV brings back World of Sport for a one off special.
Although the names of the performers will be less recognisable, the cream of UK talent will be on show, whether laying each other out with chops and slams or showing off high-flying moves from the top rope.
Commissioned by Helen Warner for ITV and produced by ITV Studios Entertainment, World Of Sport Wrestling, or WOS Wrestling, will see some of the UK’s top names in the sport compete in a fun-filled afternoon of family sports entertainment.
A spokesman for ITV said: ‘The two hour special will see some of the UK’s finest pro wrestlers including, ‘The East End Butcher’ Sha Samuels, Dave Mastiff and ‘Viper’ Kimberly Benson, compete in front of a live audience across a series of fights; from singles to tag team and eliminations.
‘Commentary will come from America’s number one wrestling commentator, Jim Ross.
Now ITV is bringing it back for a one-off special, with commentary coming from WWE legend Jim Ross, pictured left alongside wrestling legend Mick Foley
‘Backstage, viewers will catch up with the wrestlers between fights and at the end of the show one fighter will take home the WoS Wrestling belt.’
Tom Mclennan, creative director, ITV Studios Entertainment added: ‘World of Sport Wrestling was a major event for millions of families every Saturday afternoon for over 20 years.
‘I’m excited about bringing back this iconic brand and celebrating the best British wrestlers in the country.’
World of Sport ran from 1965 to 1985 and wrestling from Joint Promotions was a mainstay for the programme throughout, airing at 4pm each Saturday.
Here MailOnline takes a look at some of the famous faces to grace the squared circle:
Big Daddy
His real name was the much less intimidating Shirley Crabtree, but as Big Daddy he ruled the ring in the UK for years.
A hulk of a man with a 64-inch chest, he started out as the ‘blonde Adonis’ in the 1950s, winning the European and British Heavyweight titles before initially retiring in 1966.
He was tempted out of retirement in the early 1970s and began appearing on World of Sport in his signature leotard, which was decorated with a letter ‘D’ sewn on by his wife Eunice.
Shirley ‘Big Daddy’ Crabtree, pictured, started out his career as an imposing villain who would steamroller all those in his path
Although he started out as a villain and formed a tag team with the equally imposing Giant Haystacks.
But by 1975 he was starting to be cheered by fans and, after a split with Haystacks that would create a long-lasting storyline feud, he became a firm favourite, particularly with children.
His finishing move was a big ‘splash’ on a prone opponent lying on the ring floor – essentially jumping belly-first onto him.
But his character changed in the 1970s after fans, particularly children, started cheering for him and he remained a ‘blue-eye’ goodie for the rest of his career
The move was part of a tragic incident in 1987 when Big Daddy ‘splashed’ onto Malcolm ‘King Kong’ Kirk at a wrestling show in Great Yarmouth, only for the latter to be rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
An inquest later ruled Kirk had a pre-existing heart condition which was the cause of his death, but the event is said to have devastated Crabtree.
Outside of wrestling he was a former rugby league player, worked as a miner and was in the Coldstream Guards.
The father-of-six died of a stroke in 1997 in Halifax aged 67 and received several tributes, with both the Queen and former prime minister Margaret Thatcher among his fans.
Giant Haystacks
Martin Ruane was one of the most iconic figures in wrestling around the world due to his unique look.
His trademark beard and costume – a vest/trouser combination tied together by a piece of rope and a fluffy cape – helped him stand out as much as his 6ft 11ins frame.
He began wrestling in 1967 for regional promotions before appearing on World of Sport in 1975, forming a villainous tag team with Big Daddy and winning the British Heavyweight Championship once.
Giant Haystacks, pictured, is one of the most famous British wrestlers due to his sheer size
When Daddy turned good, Haystacks remained the baddie and the two would go on to clash several times over the next decade until Daddy retired in 1993.
Haystacks then got a huge break when he moved to the US and began competing in World Championship Wrestling as ‘the Loch Ness Monster’ in the mid 1990s.
During his time with the organisation, he even feuded with megastar Hulk Hogan, but his career was ended after a cancer diagnosis in 1996.
Two years later he died of lymphoma in Manchester aged 51.
At his heaviest he weighed more than 48st while he had a raft of famous fans, including Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney.
The British Bulldog
He made his name in the WWF, but the British Bulldog got his start on World of Sport aged just 15.
Wigan-born David ‘Davey’ Boy Smith debuted for Joint Promotions as ‘Young David’, wrestling as part of a tag team with his cousin Tom ‘the Dynamite Kid’ Bullington.
But his talents were not on show on ITV for long as he was spotted by Bruce Hart – of the famous Canadian Hart family that produced WWF champion Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart – and whisked away to Canada to be trained in the famous ‘Dungeon’.
Davey Boy Smith, aka the British Bulldog, pictured, began his career on World of Sport before moving to the WWF/E in the US where he became a celebrated champion
He married into the Hart family when he wed Diana in 1984 and a year later joined the WWF, where he gained fame alongside his cousin as The British Bulldogs.
By 1992 he took the Bulldog name for himself and became popular in his home country due to Sky Sports’ coverage of WWF.
Perhaps his biggest moment was headlining the Summerslam event at Wembley Stadium in 1992, in which he was led out by Boxer Lennox Lewis and defeated Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Title.
He switched between WWF and WCW over the course of the 1990s but developed drug problems after becoming addicted to painkillers and steroids.
Smith died in 2002 after a heart attack and was survived by his ex-wife, whom he divorced in 2000, and their children Harry and Georgia.
The Bulldog remains one of the most decorated British wrestlers of all time having won the WWF Intercontinental, European, Hardcore and Tag Team titles.
Johnny Saint
In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Johnny Saint has a well-earned reputation as one of the finest wrestlers of his generation.
Now 75 years old, he has fought matches as recently as 2009 and even appeared on WWE programming earlier this year in which he grappled with 47-year-old fellow Brit William Regal to help mentor up-and-coming wrestlers.
Saint, real name John Miller, started out as a factory worker and amateur boxer before entering wrestling in 1958.
In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Johnny Saint has a well-earned reputation as one of the finest wrestlers of his generation
A lightweight, his style was much different from his heavier contemporaries, and he earned the nickname the ‘man of a thousand holds’ for his knowledge of submission moves, forcing opponents to quit due to pain.
He focused on speedy moves that confused those up against him, and his finishers were based around trick moves which are still being watched on YouTube today.
Despite winning a retirement match in Japan in 1996, he got back into the ring on several occasions in the 2000s despite being in his 60s.
Saint is another highly decorated British wrestler, winning the World Lightweight title 10 times alongside the European and British equivalents.
Marc ‘Rollerball’ Rocco
Another high-flyer, Marc Rocco, aka Mark Hussey, is a fourth-generation wrestler, although his father initially refused to let him go into the business and banned him from his Manchester gym.
It did not stop Rocco however, who took lessons from fellow wrestlers when his father went out on tours.
By the early 1970s he went professional and began appearing on World of Sport, where he became a rising star and won heavy middlewight titles.
Marc Rocco, aka Mark Hussey, is a fourth-generation wrestler, although his father initially refused to let him go into the business and banned him from his Manchester gym
In the 1980s he found more success, briefly competing in the WWF in the US, winning the Junior Heavyweight Championship once, before moving to Japan where he became the ‘Black Tiger’.
He continued to wrestle for the rest of the decade, leaving World of Sport’s Joint Promotions to join All Star Wrestling in 1983.
But his career was brought to an end in 1991 after he collapsed following a match in Worthing.
He was rushed to hospital where doctors diagnosed him with a heart condition that forced him to give up the sport.
More recently he has featured as a trainer for US promotion TNA on its British Boot Camp reality show meant to find new talent in the UK.
Kendo Nagasaki
One of the most recognisable characters from World of Sport, Kendo Nagasaki was actually nothing like his name and appearance suggested.
The masked ‘Japanese samurai’ and mystical sensei was really Peter Thornley from Stoke.
After making his television debut on ITV in 1971, Nagasaki quickly became a household name due to his unique appearance.
One of World of Sport’s most iconic figures was Kendo Nagasaki, pictured with artist Sir Peter Blake, who was really Peter Thornley from Stoke under his mysterious mask
His fame grew to the extent he was also brought over to Canada to wrestle for the Hart family, but continued to appear on these shores.
The mask formed a central part of the character and perhaps the most famous moment in World of Sport was in 1977 when he took it off in a special ceremony (although Big Daddy had actually removed the mask two years earlier in a match).
Both Daddy and Giant Haystacks were common opponents for Nagasaki and he once even lifted Daddy onto his shoulders and performed his finishing ‘Kamikaze Crash’ slam where he throws an opponent to the floor before rolling shoulder-first over them.
He continued to wrestle throughout the 1980s and early 1990s before going into semi-retirement, with sporadic appearances in the early 2000s.
Les Kellett
Yorkshireman Les Kellett was a former merchant navy sailor who entered the world of wrestling relatively late in life.
Born in 1915, he was well into his 50s when he was appearing on World of Sport.
Kellett was often a comic character on-screen and would often appear punch-drunk and on the brink of defeat only to pull out a surprise victory with a big move.
Les Kellett, pictured, was one of the more comical wrestlers but managed to keep his career going well into his 50s
But wrestling was just one aspect of Kellett’s life as he supplemented his income by running The Terminus cafe in Bradford with his wife Margaret.
He also kept two acres of farmland behind his Yorkshire home where he bred pigs and kept cattle.
Kellett died in his sleep in a nursing home aged 86 in 2002 and was survived by Margaret, his son Christopher and two grandchildren.
