Bob Orton On The Fight That Left Him Unable To Enter A Japanese Island
WWE Hall Of Famer ‘Cowboy’ Bob Orton has recalled the reason why he was banned from an island in Japan after a run-in with some gangsters.
Orton had a stellar career that some him compete in numerous territories, most notably Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling, and have several runs with WWE. ‘Ace’ as he was known was part of the first-ever WrestleMania main event where he accompanied Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff to the ring for their bout with Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. Orton was instrumental in the outcome of that affair as he attempted to crash his trademark wrist cast onto the head of Hogan but missed and caught Orndorff instead. That allowed Hogan to claim the first of his many WrestleMania victories.
Bob Orton joined fellow WWE Hall Of Famers Gerald Brisco and JBL on their ‘Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw’ show. While talking to them, Orton relived a story from his time wrestling in Japan. According to the Cowboy, one island became a no-go zone for him after he got handy with the wrong person.
Orton explained:
“They left me in Osaka whenever they went over there too, What was the name of that? Kyushu I think yes, anyway. But anyway, I was – ah hell, I forget what I was doing. It probably involved a beer or two. And I guess I got into it with some of the gangsters and just slapped the sh*t out of them. And the gangsters were gonna get me if I ever came back to that island. So they’d leave me in Osaka, they’d go over and do the three days they went over for them islands they’d come back and pick me up in Osaka and away we’d go and hell I told them I’ll go over, I don’t care.”
Orton competed in Japan as far back as 1975 with his final bouts in the company occurring in 1993. During that time he competed for New Japan Pro Wrestling as both Bob Orton and Billy Gaspar. He shared the ring several times in tag team and singles matches with Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki.
Credit: Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw