BIO: The Great Kabuki

Real Name: Akihisa Mera

Hometown: (billed from) Singapore

Height/Weight: 5'10"/240

Signature Moves: Thrust kick, nerve hold, poison mist

WCCW Titles Held: WCCW American Heavyweight title, WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles title (twice) and WCCW Television title.

Notable WCCW Feuds: Kerry, David and Kevin Von Erich, Jose Lothario, Chris Adams and Scott Casey

Need to Know Facts: Born September 8, 1948 in Nobeoka, Japan, Akihisa Mera made his professional wrestling debut in 1964 for the now-defunct Japanese Wrestling Association (while also wrestling for All-Japan).

As the JWA was folding, Mera made his US debut winning the NWA United National title in 1973, going on to win several more titles in the U.S. during this time under the aliases Takachiho, Mr. Sato and Akio Sato.  Wrestling under the persona of Akihisa Takachiho, Mera competed throughout the United States in territories such as Mid-Atlantic and Mid-South before finally arriving in World Class Championship Wrestling, where he adopted the evil Great Kabuki character.

While in World Class, Kabuki became a protégé of the evil Gary Hart and often teamed with the late Magic Dragon (Haru Sonoda), making life miserable for the Von Erichs and other World Class babyfaces. The evil duo would go on to swap the All-Asian tag team titles with Kevin and David Von Erich, proving themselves to be worthy and highly formidable challengers who combined scientific skills with martial arts maneuvers that were unusual for the time. The Asian superstars won the titles using highly underhanded means, setting a feud in motion.

Kabuki continued to be the highly influential centerpiece of Gary Hart and Arman Hussein’s H and H Limited partnership, evoking the martial arts with his blinding red and green mist, ring attire and nunchakus, much to the dismay of Texas wrestling fans and opponents. Japanese wrestling greats such as Kendo Nagasaki, The Great Muta (Keiji Mutoh), Yoshihiro Tajiri and others have used moves and gimmickry originated by Kabuki to advance their successful careers.

After lengthy feuds with the Von Erichs and Bruiser Brody, Kabuki left World Class in early 1983 shortly after a vast influx of legendary World Class wrestlers like The Fabulous Freebirds, Jimmy Garvin and Chris Adams entered the territory.

Kabuki returned to WCCW -- incredibly enough as a babyface -- at the 1985 Parade of Champions at Texas Stadium. During that summer, Kabuki scored probably his most publicized singles victory over “Gentleman” Chris Adams at the July 4th Wrestling Star Wars card at the Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth.

His babyface days, though, would not last long. At the Cotton Bowl extravaganza on October 6, 1985, after Kabuki won a DQ victory over Mark Lewin, the "Maniac" and his manager Gary Hart began attacking Kabuki and Sunshine, when crowd favorite Scott Casey ran in for the save. After Sunshine gave Scott a congratulatory kiss, Kabuki, in a jealous rage, attacked both Casey and Sunshine.

Kabuki disappeared from the World Class scene for over a month, but reappeared at Thanksgiving Star Wars at Reunion Arena.  At the end of that evening's Scott Casey-John Tatum steel cage match, Kabuki again viciously attacked Casey inside the cage, as a horrified Sunshine looked on.  Under the tutelage of Percy Pringle III, Kabuki continued to wrestle in WCCW as a mid-card heel while the promotion's bookers tried (but seemingly never succeeded) to find a niche for the man "from the melting pots of sin".

Kabuki would next pop up -- again managed by Gary Hart -- in Jim Crockett, Jr.’s NWA in 1989, where The Great Muta was billed as his son, and the two began a brief tag team partnership.

Returning to Japan in the late 1980's as the All-Japan alliance broke with the NWA, Kabuki became Jumbo Tsuruta's replacement partner when Yoshiaki Yatsu jumped to the SWS promotion in early 1990, but just when things started going well for Kabuki (he won the Double Cup: All-Japan World tag title), he too abruptly left All-Japan for SWS.  Kabuki would spend 1991 feuding with Japan wrestling legend Tenryu in SWS and WAR.  He later became a co-founder of IWA Japan.

U.S. fans would next see Kabuki when he returned to the U.S. to participate in the World Wrestling Federation’s 1994 Royal Rumble.  In his 1998 retirement match, Kabuki teamed with The Great Muta to defeat Tatsutoshi Goto and Michiyoshi Ohara.

Kabuki continues to be involved in Japan’s IWA operation, briefly coming out of retirement for a six-man tag match in 2005. He currently resides in Tokyo, where he operates a restaurant.