Yokozuna was not really Japanese, but try telling that to those of us that saw this guy debut in the early 1990s and become a main event player right away. He never spoke because he had managers like Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette to do that for him. All we knew was that this guy was an absolute monster that was bigger than everybody else. He's a two time WWE Champion that dominated the title scene for much of 1993 and 1994. His status as an anti-American led to a huge angle in July of 1993 when Lex Luger showed up to answer his Bodyslam Challenge. Nobody was able to give Yokozuna a bodyslam until Luger showed up and he slammed him down. From that point on, Luger rode around America in the "Lex Express" bus while receiving a push as an All-American hero. That angle wouldn't have worked with somebody other than Yokozuna. His status as a top guy really helped it. The early 1990s were a tough time for WWE, but Yokozuna was the perfect kind of anti-American heel that fans could hate. He's one of those guys that we probably didn't appreciate while he was around, but when he was there he really was good at his job.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
