Bull Nakano Interview: Wrestling Chigusa Nagayo, WWE, And More

Bull Nakano Interview
Credit: @hart_editing

Bull Nakano is a legend in the industry. Not only is she one of the all-time great Joshi wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling, but she managed to make a name for herself throughout the world, including in WWE, WCW, and CMLL!

However, it’s her work in All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling (AJW) that saw Bull Nakano rise to the mountaintop and have legendary matches with the likes of Aja Kong, Akira Hokuto, and Devil Masami.

No one can forget countless moments from her career including the insane Leg Drop she hit off a Steel Cage against Kong in 1990.

It’s someone like Nakano that helped pave the way for many of the great wrestlers today, both women and men. Her legendary run as the WWWA World Champion that lasted 1,057 days is one of the greatest title reigns in history after all!

The Five Star Network teamed up with Dark Puroresu Flowsion to bring together an excellent interview with the incredible Bull Nakano. Alex Richards, Dylan Murray, and Scott Edwards all contributed questions for Nakano to answer along with Flowsion to deliver a one-of-a-kind interview with the AJW legend.

Here’s what Bull Nakano had to say!


Q: If you make it to America this year. Would you have interest in traveling to the bigger indie promotions here & giving knowledge to the younger generations coming into their wrestling careers?

Of course! The times are different, but if my experience is useful, I want to tell all!

Q: While your home in the United States for a few years was the WWF, you briefly competed in WCW near the end of your career. In your experience, how did the cultures of each company and their treatment of Joshi talent differ?

WWF and WCW were different. WWF has history, games, interviews, daily tours, practices, food, and everything was supported. Focus on your daily game and how much will your customers enjoy? How exciting will you come back? I was just thinking about it every day. It was a tough day, but as a professional, I was fulfilled. WCW is a new organization. All the players, led by Eric, were full of energy. Every day was new and the players enjoyed themselves. Of course, I am too. The number of games was more than WWF, but I have a lot of fun memories. I think I had a lot of interaction with the players.

Q: Last time we talked you told us how much you love Panda’s! Everyone really enjoyed knowing this. How was your trip to Wakayama, Adventure World & more!

I had a wonderful time the other day at Adventure World in Wakayama Prefecture. The relationship between giant pandas and Japan is deep.

Fifty years ago, in 1972, two giant pandas named Kang Kang (male) and Lan Lan (female) were donated from China to Ueno Zoo in Japan free of charge. It was presented as a token of friendship after the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. At the time, many people flocked to Ueno Zoo to catch a glimpse of the first pandas to visit Japan. I was 5 years old at the time. I loved pandas. I think that all Japanese children at that time were captivated by giant pandas. At that time, all train stations in Japan sold stuffed pandas. Almost every household has a stuffed panda. I still like pandas, so if I have time, I go to a zoo where pandas live. When I can’t go, I watch pandas on YouTube. Recently, I have also been making pandas with wool felt. Childhood memories are never forgotten. I learned that there are giant pandas in America and that there is a zoo there, so I definitely want to go there.

Q: You’ve interviewed many wrestlers from this generation on your YouTube channel like Giulia, Unagi Sayaka, VENY/ASUKA, Prominence, and many more. How do you feel about the current crop of joshi wrestling, and how does it compare to the talent from your era?

There are many great players in this era. And they have limitless possibilities. Today there are many different groups. There are fun groups, deathmatches, and fiercely contested groups, each with its own personality, and the audience can choose their favorite group. In the past, there was only All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling, so fans couldn’t choose. It’s fair now. You can choose your favorite professional wrestling and watch it. I don’t compare past and present. In the past, there is the goodness of the past, and together with the background of the times, we have expressed the darkness and suffering of that era, the fun, the awesomeness, and everything in the match. I bet you are playing a game that fits the current era now. I respect their growth and expression.

Q: You went through many different costume and style changes throughout your career before landing on the Blue Hair and lightning facepaint in 1990. What was your inspiration for this look, and why do you think it became your signature style from that point forward?

From the 80’s, it has its own half-borrowed style. From the 90s, the style of stroking the hair backwards. In Japan at the time, there was a band boom, and that style was born. I wanted to be someone who wasn’t human, who wasn’t a woman, who wasn’t a man, who wasn’t of this world. That was Bull Nakano. That’s how it turned out.

Q: Your 2-year reign as WWWA Singles Champion came after the retirements of Dump Matsumoto, Lioness Asuka, and Chigusa Nagayo. How did your perspective change on wrestling as you went from a top heel to the most popular Anti-Hero in AJW?

Of course. This was a big change for me. Superstar, Dump Matsumoto, Yukari Omori retired, and then Chigusa Nagayo retired. It was painful. In effect, I, Bull Nakano, are on top. If there are no customers, it seems that the top is useless. I can’t tell you all about this story in the next five hours. I will talk again someday.

Q: You were active at the same time as some of the greatest women’s wrestlers in history. In your opinion, who is the most talented wrestler you ever got to face?

Kyoko Inoue

Q: Chigusa Nagayo and Lioness Asuka are two of the most popular wrestlers in the history of Japan. What was it like to wrestle them with such ferocious crowds?

Nagayo Chigusa, Lioness Asuka, Dump Matsumoto and three people at the same time. I was a junior for three years, so I played hard every day. 300 games a year. I was busy at the time and didn’t have time. Fighting Nagayo Chigusa and Lioness Asuka was tough, but it was a good learning experience. Being able to perform in front of so many fans gave me confidence for the rest of my life.

Q: You spent years with Dump Matsumoto in Gokuaku Domei. How much did you learn from Matsumoto?

There are many things I learned from Dump Matsumoto. Among them, I learned what it means to be a professional.

Q: AJW held a monopoly on women’s wrestling in Japan for a long time. What was it like to take part in events like Dream Slam and Big Egg that saw many women’s wrestling groups come together to showcase the best of women’s wrestling?

Dream Slam there were so many great players. I am proud that I was able to play on the big stage of Tokyo Dome.

A huge thank you to Bull Nakano for taking the time out of her schedule to complete this interview with us. It was an honor. You can follow Nakano on Twitter: @BULLNAKANO_

We’d also like to thank Dark Puroresu Flowsion for helping us make this interview happen.

You can check out the Five Star Network’s most recent interview with Unagi Sayaka here.

Stay tuned to the Five Star Network for all updates on the world of Joshi, Puro, and more. Make sure to check out our many podcasts as well!