Missouri Wrestling Revival

Ryu Nakata and Harley Race were a winning combination and you could tell by their actions when they were together that they respected and cared for one another.

By Brian “Flair” Kelley

It is so hard to find the right words or say enough about someone when we lose them in our lives. With that said, please know that with this article we hope show a small tribute to Ryu Nakata

Pro Wrestling in the Midwest lost a true friend today when Japans’ Pro Wrestling NOAH Executive Ryu Nakata, passed away. Mr. Nakata, along with Ken Hirayama represented the NOAH promotion to further training for the students around the world every year at his close friend Harley Race’s World League Wrestling promotions’ annual WLW/WWE/NOAH week long camps.

Young wrestling students around the world would travel to the Missouri to the camp, with the hopes that they would be able to improve themselves enough to impress either the staff at WLW or make the trip overseas to work in front of the great Japanese fans.

Throughout the years Nakata was instrumental in bringing the likes of Takashi Suguira, Go Shiozaki, Takeshi Morishima, KENTA, Naomichi Marufuji, and Kenta Kobashi to the Midwest, while giving the opportunities to the students of the camps to go overseas such as Leland Race and the 2013 MWR Wrestler of the Year Jake Dirden.

There is no doubt that he was an important person in the world of pro wrestling in Japan, but on a personal level I would like to honor Ryu Nakata as well as his family and friends for the times that he gave his approval to allow myself the rare opportunity to cover the camps.

During the night of the shows I will always remember the times that he came before the WLW fans to thank them for their support and acknowledge how much he enjoyed coming to the United States. I remember laughing at the Eldon, Show when Mr. Hirayama stated to the crowd that Mr. Nakata was a huge fan of shopping at Wal-Mart.

Today the world lost a great man in Ryu Nakata.

Our hearts and thoughts goes out to the family and friends of Ryu Nakata in this very sad time.

We are thankful to say that we got to know you Mr. Nakata.