10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Sept 2)
6. Mr. Fuji Intentionally Angered A Referee So He'd Be Booted From Ringside
The late Mr. Fuji was paid tribute to by a short (yet excellent) video package on WWE programming this week. Once a wrestler himself, Fuji transitioned into the role of manager once retiring from the ring, working alongside the likes of Demolition and Yokozuna in featured roles.
In the early-1990's, he also managed The Orient Express. Former WWF/WWE referee Jimmy Korderas joined the Wrestling Reality show to share a story about the WWE Hall of Famer. One evening on a house show, Fuji felt ill and didn't want to go to the ring for a match against The Rockers. Unfortunately for the manager, agent Jack Lanza wasn't keen on giving him the night off.
Liaising with Korderas, Fuji asked the official to let him interfere, so he could be caught and then banned from ringside. Lanza warned the ref not to go along with these plans, but Korderas had no choice.
Several times throughout the first few minutes of the match, Fuji tripped Korderas with his trademark cane. Eventually, after not getting the result he wanted, the manager rattled the referee across the shins, and that was enough to get him sent to the back even though he was going against the script.