VINCE MCMAHON: My goodness!
Oh no!
When he first came in, he was truly amazing.
VINCE MCMAHON: Yokozuna!
Oh!
I'd never seen anything like it.
Bonzai!
[inaudible]
BOBBY HEENAN: Bonzai!
The way that guy can move, he was incredible.
He was a big man, but he was an awesome big man.
VINCE MCMAHON: Oh!
It is an understatement to say he
has made quite an impression--
Yokozuna.
VINCE MCMAHON: My goodness!
Watching him perform in the ring, like, holy sh--
wow.
BRET HART: He walked out.
It was like a Stegosaurus walking out to the ring.
It's like, holy [bleep],, look at this guy [inaudible]..
As a fan, I was just like, wow.
I love seeing the big guys.
He represented me.
BRET HART: He came along when the WWE desperately
needed a monster heel.
[inaudible] bonzai!
Like, a big giant heel like King Kong
Bundy or Abdullah the Butcher.
YOKOZUNA: Bonzai!
VINCE MCMAHON: [inaudible].
Get this man away!
Get him out of here!
Is there dignity whatsoever?
[inaudible]
Most fans recognize that not too many guys are going to mess
with a guy like Yokozuna.
That's wath you could see coming out of him
that was the aura of him.
ANALYIST: Kind of like Andre the Giant in a way,
Yokozuna became an attraction immediately.
Just waiting to see the big guys
like Yokozuna coming out to wrestle,
maybe [inaudible] Earthquake.
BRUCE PRICHARD: And the arena just reacted
to every single thing Yoko did.
Vince knew what he had.
Yeah, he had a rare killer heel.
VINCE MCMAHON: Oh no!
Oh!
JERRY LAWLER: But Yokozuna backstage
was totally different than what the fans saw on TV.
He seemed like it was always in a good mood.
BRET HART: You know, what I remember
most was that how much fun he was in the dressing room.
He'd have the music going.
He'd be singing in the shower.
BRUCE PRICHARD: Watching Yokozuna eat
was a sight in and of itself.
We have a steak and shrimp for 10 people
with a huge amount of rice too.
BRUCE PRICHARD: We did a video one time with Yokozuna
at a steak house with the chef cooking
up steak and lobster and shrimp and everything for him.
GENE OKERLAND: I noticed you cut up two steaks for Yokozuna.
Oh.
BRUCE PRICHARD: And boats of sushi.
GENE OKERLAND: Oh, look a this.
Oh!
You've got to be kidding me.
BRUCE PRICHARD: We cooked enough food, no kidding,
for probably 20 people.
And Yoko--
GENE OKERLAND: Oh, my word!
He ate the whole thing.
Where's all them sushis you guys ate, man?
CAMERAMAN: Hey, you ate all the sushi.
You ate it all.
CAMERAMAN: You guys ate all the damn sushi.
We took it back.
PETER ROSENBERG: In the case of Yokozuna,
I'm sure it became that much easier for him to eat freely
because there's always a pressure for pro wrestlers
to look the part.
His look was incumbent on him being huge.
So you wonder whether or not it was semi-intentional
and whether he thought, oh, let me just keep building
to my size or if, at some point, it just becomes an unfortunate
part of your lifestyle.
But at that time, it was working.
GORILLA MONSOON: Yokozuna with the Macho Man Randy Savage.
One of them will become the challenger at WrestleMania IX.
WWE at that time was like, they
were giving them the big push.
GORILLA MONSOON: Oh, bonzai!
Vince liked the reaction he was getting.
That's what everything was based on.
So obviously, he was strong, and that's how
they moved you along the card.
GORILLA MONSOON: Oh, there you go!
Yokozuna on his wave to WrestleMania IX.
To get a push like that early was a phenomenal opportunity
for him.
AFA ANOA'I: Our whole family was like, we
could see it become reality.
BRUCE PRICHARD: Yokozuna, from introduction
to get to that point, I think it was kind of a hell
of a fairytale ride for Yoko.
And Yoko kind of went through it even keel.
But there was a bit of that kid from Kansas
in New York City, a little bit awestruck
and looking around going, wow, I'm here.
I don't think that he saw himself doing that.
The Daily News wants to wrestle you.
GENE OKERLAND: So much happening here.
And of course, the big one we're looking forward to
features the World Wrestling Federation champion Bret
"The Hitman" Hart squaring off against the 505 pound
challenger from Japan, Yokozuna.
SEAN MOONEY: You're going in there,
and you're a main eventer.
Nothing prepares you for that.
That's a lot of pressure.
BRET HART: As far as Yoko went, him
being the main event kind of guy, most wrestlers, I think,
thought he was ready.
JIM ROSS: Yokozuna-- oh my!
BRET HART: But in WrestleMania, he was a real pro in the ring.
JIM ROSS: Oh, [inaudible] Bret Hart.
What?
Hulk Hogan here.
The place was already electric, you know?
It's like we dropped a bomb in the ring.
JIM ROSS: The crowd wants [inaudible]..
SOLOFA FATU: To be on that card with the legend Hulk Hogan,
I don't think that Vince would have given
that opportunity to Rod or anybody
if Vince didn't trust the person.
JIM ROSS: Hulk Hogan's in the ring!
RANDY SAVAGE: Ding ding!
SOLOFA FATU: And knew that he can handle the pressure.
JIM ROSS: Yokozuna, Hogan, [inaudible]..
Hogan in the cover! BOBBY HEENAN: No!
JIM ROSS: Hooks the leg!
SOLOFA FATU: And then all of a sudden,
Yoko and Hulk was traveling all over the world together.
And that set up the championship match at King of the Ring.
JIM ROSS: Yokozuna drops the leg on Hogan.
Yokozuna [inaudible].
Yokozuna--
ANNOUNCER: We got a new champion.
[bell ringing]
AFA ANOA'I: It was another moment that touches my heart--
how proud I am to see one of our kids
was blessed for this opportunity.
And it brings me back to what we have always drilled
in them about hardworking.
You know, nothing's going to hand it to you.
BOBBY HEENAN: Yokozuna, obviously to me,
is a grand champion.
LLOYD ANOA'I: I know when he became champion, he broke down.
He was just happy.
You know, he-- he made it.