The Godfather Explains Why He Didn’t Enjoy Wrestling In Japan

WWE legend The Godfather opened up about his experiences wrestling in Japan during the late 1980s and early 1990s, revealing that cultural restrictions made his time there challenging.

Speaking on his podcast, Godfather Live!, the former WWE superstar—who also performed under the persona of Papa Shango—explained why he struggled to enjoy his stint in Japan before joining WWE. One of the biggest hurdles he encountered was the perception of tattoos in Japan at the time. He recalled how heavily tattooed wrestlers like himself were often denied access to various establishments due to their association with organised crime.

“I didn’t have a good time in Japan because back then, you’re talking about the late 80s and early 90s, they weren’t really cool with tattoos. People like me and Bam Bam Bigelow weren’t really allowed in certain places.”

This stigma made daily life difficult for The Godfather and his fellow wrestlers, as they were frequently turned away from local venues, limiting their ability to enjoy their surroundings outside the ring.

“We couldn’t go to the bathhouses, we couldn’t go to a lot of places. They’d say, ‘No tattoos,’ they thought we were part of the mob. So, I don’t have a lot of good Japan stories.”

Despite these struggles early in his career, Godfather went on to establish himself as a fan-favourite performer in WWE throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, leaving a lasting legacy in the wrestling world.

How Did The Godfather Almost Break The Undertaker’s Character?

The Undertaker recalled how The Godfather almost caused him to break character and said that before they engaged in a scheduled match in 1998, Godfather offered Undertaker one of his ‘hos’ to get out of the match, this caused Taker to struggle to maintain his composure and almost break out into laughter. However, Taker was able to maintain his composure and did not break character.

H/t to ITRWrestling.com