TL Carpenter

Satoru Sayama - the Original Tiger Mask - showed up to the SSPW press conference and left absolutely no doubt about where his recovery stands. Having battled Parkinson's disease, at times reliant on a wheelchair, Sayama stunned the crowd at Tiger Mask IV's retirement ceremony on 7th July with a nimble Tiger Step that sent Korakuen Hall into raptures. Asked about it today, his smile said everything: "My physical condition is great. I feel like it's gradually returning. Before, I couldn't express my emotions well, but now I can." On the Tiger Step itself, he couldn't resist a gentle dig at his disciple: "I thought he would do it too, but he didn't - he just stood there blankly with a surprised face." He then casually raised the stakes with a new target: "Next time I'll do my best to aim for a somersault kick." The recovery has been built on treatment from several quarters, with medicine recommended by Akira Maeda among the factors he credited: "I'm in really good shape. I used to not be able to speak like this. Even at home, my martial arts theory is progressing rapidly, my head is clear, and it feels like everything has been revived." Super Tiger, who has stood by Sayama's side throughout, witnessed the press conference banter - Sayama jumping in unprompted on a joke between wrestlers - and recognised exactly what it meant: "When he was healthy in the past, Mr. Sayama would initiate the banter himself. Seeing him casually jump in today made me think, 'He really is doing great!'" The 45th Anniversary Party takes place on 8th August in Toyosu. The legend of the Original Tiger Mask is very much still being written…