More from an Audience with Peter Thornley on Kendo Nagasaki...

This video goes back to basics - how much of an influence Count Bartelli was on young Peter and the emergence of Kendo Nagasaki, and what it was like wrestling Giant Haystacks! Peter entertainingly makes you feel like you were there...
These videos have been released to promote Peter's book, "Kendo Nagasaki and the Man Behind the Mask", a fascinating personal and wrestling autobiography, the profits from sales of which will be donated to the Lee Rigby Foundation, which Peter passionately supports.
For a video preview and to buy a book, please see kendonagasakibook.com - thank you for supporting the Lee Rigby Foundation.
The footage is courtesy of Roland Platt and Jonathan Smeed who kindly filmed the book's 'Private Preview' at the Nagasaki Retreat on 21st October 2018.

[@vordman]

He was my favourite wrestler (always preferred the villains) and he always came across as a supreme athlete. The unmasking was phenomenal. With those red eyes he looked god-like, as if he was not of this Earth.

[@rudy673]

@vordman. CAROL..!!!😮

[@user-mu2xq4gy3o]

Me and my best mate were wrestling fanatics in the late 60s/ early 70s. Loved going to The civic hall in Wolverhampton to see Kendo. Great entertainment and now , we know what a genuine person he really is ! Well done Kendo for giving us something to look up to !!!

[@kiragrandad]

Come on Peter let's have more videos and more wrestling memories.. I really enjoyed these..

[@GEricG]

This is incredible really. This man truly lived his character so I think that if any wrestler was ever going to have a shoot interview, I think that he would have been one of the least likely but it's brilliant that he's happy to talk about it. One of the greatest villains in UK wrestling history without a doubt. Certainly one of the most intriguing characters.

[@weementaldavy5987]

What a super nice polite guy and finding out he is or was quite local to me having the same accent .

[@Isabelthompson99]

Peter seems like a really nice man and a very intelligent man too, it's funny how it's always the quiet ones that are the most interesting

[@kevcatnip7589]

Looking forward to reading the book and bless your service to the unlucky ,,

[@Oioisaviloy]

Legend. I was young when watching him. Every Saturday.

[@macobyrne7913]

Kendo,always delivered and great value for money.The only guy who could handle Haystacks who was built like a wall,get him on the floor and keep him there..Fascinating character with a very interesting biography.

[@garethwatkins6347]

a down to earth guy

[@michaelfirth1075]

Peter created a Legend.

[@placidrenegade]

Kendo! Was a fan of kendos back in the day. Remember him unmasking in the ring once and everyone at school was talking about it for months

[@rudy673]

Brilliant....never knew until today who Peter Thornley was..😮 Thankyou ❤ I miss those days.. World of Sport Dickie Davies And 4.00pm on a Saturday afternoon..😢😊

[@geoffsimms3013]

After all these years. A true Master.

[@terrywrigley5988]

can't believe he's so human

[@petercartwright4321]

Kendo Nagasaki is a true living legend and his meditations are unbelievable. He deserves to be given true recognition. An OBE for rewards to wrestling maybe or an honour from Stoke On Trent

[@BeasleyStreet]

whilst a agree,too much time has passed, it's a pity because he was as famous as the prime minister

[@agnostic47]

Kendo was the biggest draw in wrestling for years while at his peak. And what a normal guy he turns out to be after all those years of keeping up the image.

[@honoredutrey]

Nice to hear a pro.wrestler telling the truth "You all know it's a show".Instead of pretending it's a genuine competition.

[@glynroberts8832]

I remember kendo wrestling the count like it was yesterday. Mask vs mask. As Peter said, you had to have certain respect and trust for the wrestlers. I think that kendo would also have had great success as a face if the audience wanted it that way. It probably would have been easier for Peter to leave the kendo persona in the ring and not take over his life. Sometimes it was also hard for me to switch off the character afterwards. Peter is a true living legend. Thank you kendo nagasaki for all you did inside and outside the ring. Happy new year to you and Lawrence.

[@johnny5805]

What an amazing, class guy. For 60 years he kept kayfabe. That's dedication to your art. 77 years old too ! Looks 30 years younger. He could still kick the ass of anyone reading this.

[@brianjames9828]

Legend

[@thebutcherychannel5881]

This is brilliant

[@briangeorge7027]

Kendo Nagasaki's first opponent Jim Hussey the father of Mark “Rollerball” Rocco.

[@SuperNeildavies]

So the silent man speaks at last. He is articulate, intelligent and has a good memory. Yes he does look younger than his years, I think the black wig helps. I'd really like to read his book.

[@weementaldavy5987]

I don't think it's a wig but he must definitely dye it .

[@mikeyoung7660]

You haven't aged. I remember watching you when I was a boy.

[@connallong3080]

This was all long before my time but my interest was piqued after stumbling upon the BBC 1992 Arena program centred around the phenomenon and mystery of Kendo Nagasaki a few months ago. Mr Thornley himself seems interesting. Good he decided to explain Kendo rather then maintain the mystery and ultimately leave someone not as intimately acquainted or qualified to do that.

[@liverpix]

Wow, he seems like the complete opposite of the Kendo Nagasaki character.

[@leenwctv1]

Brilliant

[@leenwctv1]

A lot of the boys used a blade for effect, not always genuine claret, but great entertainment and Kendo was the King for me

[@robertdickinson9838]

If it had not have been for Kendo I would not have taken up martial arts and found my identity.

[@andrewescalona8447]

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE KENDO NAGASAKI'S MATCHES IS WHEN GIANT HAYSTACKS HAD A CUT EYE WHICH WAS MARCH 1977.

[@GuyFawkes15]

Yes, do you know if that match is available on-line? It used to be. I do remember seeing it on World Of Sport all those decades ago.

[@thewomble1509]

@@GuyFawkes15 It's on You tube.

[@thedrumdoctor]

Razor blade under the towel during the break between rounds according to Lloyd Ryan. That's a trick they used a lot apparently.

[@frankthomas4253]

Until I read his biography I was unaware of the link between Peter\Kendo and Count Bartelli.

[@glynroberts8832]

There was a great chemistry between them and a fantastic atmosphere in the audience when they hooked up together in the ring.

[@kurtvanderbogarde8402]

You took your time getting your homework done.

[@albertkevinlloyd1247]

Kendo was my hero as child it amazing to hear him speak I am still a fan agree should be given o.b.e for services to sport Les resurging people have got them why not a true icon of his sport

[@gavinreid8937]

The WrestleMe guys said he ran an old folks home & would take the residents to bills he was on , leave them briefly to change into Kendo and come back for them later,. He also looked after manager Gorgeous george when he got aids, & they made him a heel!

[@iainrobertson5670]

How did the kamikaze crash come about?

[@iainrobertson5194]

Every so-called wrestling bout, conformed to a specific script, and followed an approved storyline, it had to, the crowd didn't pay to see a genuine sporting contest, they paid to see a play, a performance, a theatrical act. It was all show, and in some instances very good show at that.

[@vordman]

That's right, but many of them were genuinely tough guys, Fit Finlay, Marty Jones, Kendo, although they knew the primary objective was to entertain. Real wrestling, as seen in the Olympics, is incredibly dull unless you understand what is going on, but these guys took it and turned it into a brilliant piece of entertainment. And I thank them all for it.