Longtime puroresu fans (and New Japan fans in particular) may be familiar with Tiger Mask, the iconic masked wrestler based on classic Japanese comics that partially inspired fellow icon Jushin Liger and eternal nemesis Black Tiger (often portrayed the last two decades by Rocky Romero). Originally created by former wrestler Satoru Sayama, he unveiled the new Tiger Mask 7 today…but it’s not a wrestler. According to a Twitter post by Mark Pickering, who does English-language commentary for some Pro Wrestling NOAH events on WRESTLE UNIVERSE, TM 7 is actually kickboxing star Takeru Segawa, who will not be wrestling as the new Tiger Mask. Pickering indicates it’s a charity project as Sayama wants Segawa to continue his work and spread the TM name worldwide.
The current active Tiger Mask, TM 4, continues to compete in New Japan. Others to have been TM in the past include Sayama, Mitsuharu Misawa (TM 2) and Koji Kanemoto (TM 3).
The original Twitter source post is below.
