Title History
- NWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/Kenji Shibuya defeating Pedro Morales & Pepper Gomez (July 13, 1968);
- NWA Florida Heavyweight title defeating Dale Lewis (December 22, 1969);
- NWA (Los Angeles) Americas Tag Team titles w/Kenji Shibuya defeating Goliath & Black Gordman (May 21, 1971);
- NWA (Los Angeles) Americas Tag Team titles w/Kenji Shibuya defeating Salvador Lothario & Pantera Negra (November 19, 1971);
- NWA (Los Angeles) Beat the Champ Television title defeating Dory Dixon (March 11, 1972);
- NWA (Los Angeles) Americas Tag Team titles w/Kenji Shibuya defeating Ray Mendoza & Raul Mata (June 30, 1972);
- NWA (Los Angeles) Beat the Champ Television title defeating Eric Froelich (September 16, 1972);
- NWA (San Francisco) World Tag Team titles w/Kenji Shibuya defeating Interns (September 1973);
- NWA (Vancouver) Canadian Tag Team titles w/Gene Kiniski defeating Wayne Bridges & Dan Kroffat (November 11, 1974);
- NWA (Vancouver) Canadian Tag Team titles w/Dale Lewis defeating Ricky Hunter & Guy Mitchell (August 10, 1975);
- NWA Florida Tag Team titles w/Ivan Koloff defeating Pedro Morales & Rocky Johnson (1977);
- NWA Florida Tag Team titles w/Ivan Koloff defeating Steve Keirn & Mike Graham (1977);
- NWA Florida Tag Team titles w/Ivan Koloff defeating Masked Maurauders [Tournament] (December 6, 1977);
- NWA Florida Tag Team titles w/Mr. Sato (aka Kabuki) defeating Steve Keirn & Mike Graham (1978);
- NWA (Florida) United States Tag Team titles w/Mr. Sato defeating Jack & Jerry Brisco (1978);
- NWA Florida Tag Team titles w/Mr. Sato defeating Jack & Jerry Brisco (March 1978);
- NWA (Florida) United States Tag Team titles w/Mr. Sato defeating Jimmy Garvin & Killer Karl Kox (January 1979);
- NWA (L.A./Japan) North American Tag Team titles w/Hiro Matsuda defeating Strong Kobayashi & Seiji Sakaguchi (April 5, 1979);
- NWA Florida Television title defeating Steve Keirn (May 6, 1980);
- NWA (Southeastern) Alabama Heavyweight title defeating Ray Candy (1981);
- NWA (Southeastern) Alabama Heavyweight title defeating Bob Armstrong (March 1981);
- WWF World Tag Team titles w/Mr. Fuji defeating Rick Martel & Tony Garea (October 13, 1981);
- WWF World Tag Team titles w/Mr. Fuji defeating Jules & Jay Strongbow (July 13, 1982);
- IWGP (Japan) Tag Team titles w/Riki Choshu defeating Kengo Kimura & Tatsumi Fujinami (June 10, 1988);
- IWGP (Japan) Tag Team titles w/Shinya Hashimoto defeating Takayuki Iizuka & Riki Choshu (September 20, 1989);
- AWA World Heavyweight title defeating Larry Zbyszko (February 10, 1990);
Career Highlights
- Masa Saito competed as a super heavyweight at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games placing 7th in freestyle..
- Masa Saito turned to pro wrestling following the Games and quickly became successful in Japan & North America..
- December 22, 1969: Masa Saito (of Japan) defeated Dale Lewis for the Florida Heavyweight title..
- Masa Saito formed a successful tag team with Mr. Fuji, together they won two WWWF Tag Team titles..
- 1980s: Masa Saito spent two years in prison after he and Ken Patera threw a boulder through the window of a McDonalds in Wisconsin..
- 1984: Masa Saito was also part of the exodus that left New Japan for All Japan..
- 1987: Masa Saito returned to New Japan for the best years of his career..
- 1987: Masa Saito had a famous feud with Antonio Inoki that did record business..
- October 4, 1987: Antonio Inoki defeated Masa Saito (by TKO) in an “Island Death Match”..
- ~~~They were dropped on Ganryujima Island and had a match all over the island without any audience that lasted two hours..
- Masa Saito has held the IWGP World Tag Team titles with both Riki Choshu and Shinya Hashimoto..
- 1990: Masa Saito was AWA World Heavyweight champion briefly, after beating Larry Zbyszko..
- Masa Saito is known as the master of the suplex, using many variations, including one named after him, the Saito Suplex!
- July 22, 1995 – NJPW: Masa Saito defeated Yuji Nagata.
- November 13, 1995 – WCW/NJPW World In Japan: Masa Saito & Riki Choshu defeated The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags).
- December 27, 1995 – WCW Starrcade: Johnny B. Badd [WCW] defeated Masa Saito [NJPW] by disqualification.
- March 10, 1996 – NJPW: Masa Saito, Satoshi Kojima & Shinya Hashimoto defeat Hugh Morrus, Scott Norton & Wild Pegasus.
- March 14, 1996 – NJPW: Black Cat, Masa Saito & Osamu Kido defeated Heisei Ishingun (Akitoshi Saito, Kengo Kimura & Michiyoshi Ohara).
- March 18, 1996 – NJPW: Hugh Morrus & Scott Norton defeated Masa Saito & Shinya Hashimoto.
- June 1, 1996 – World Wrestling Peace Festival: Lex Luger defeated Masa Saito.
- July 3, 1996 – NJPW: The Road Warriors (Animal Warrior & Hawk Warrior) & Power Warrior defeated Keiji Muto, Masa Saito & Tadao Yasuda.
- July 4, 1996 – NJPW: Power Warrior & The Road Warriors (Animal Warrior & Hawk Warrior) defeated Masa Saito, Satoshi Kojima & Shinya Hashimoto.
- July 7, 1996 – NJPW: Power Warrior & The Road Warriors (Animal Warrior & Hawk Warrior) defeated Keiji Muto, Masa Saito & Riki Choshu.
- July 11, 1996 – NJPW: Power Warrior & The Road Warriors (Animal Warrior & Hawk Warrior) defeated Keiji Muto, Masa Saito & Satoshi Kojima.
- September 13, 1996 – NJPW: Junji Hirata & Riki Choshu defeated Animal Warrior & Masa Saito.
- September 17, 1996 – NJPW: Keiji Muto & Rick Steiner defeated Junji Hirata & Masa Saito.
- January 4, 1997 – NJPW: Masa Saito defeated Great Kojika.
- February 14, 1999 – NJPW: Scott Norton defeated Masa Saito.
- July 16, 2018: It was reported on Monday by Weekly Wrestling out in Japan that former WWE star and Japanese wrestling legend Masa Saito passed away over the weekend at the age of 76 after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease.