Bull Nakano On Her Iconic Look: 'I Wanted To Be Someone Who Wasn't Human'
Bull Nakano is widely recognized as one of the most legendary professional wrestlers in history. While her tenures in both WWF and WCW in the 1990s feuding with the legendary Alundra Blayze made her a reputable entity in the United States, it was her home country of Japan where she made her name, competing as a part of the All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling promotion throughout the majority of her career.
The "Boss of the World" is perhaps best known for her signature blue hair and lightening blue face paint. While she didn't begin to utilize this style until she defended the WWWA Singles Championship against Manami Toyota in 1990, the look persisted throughout the rest of her time in professional wrestling. In a recent interview conducted by the Five Star Network in partnership with Dark Puroresu Flowsion, Bull was asked about her inspiration for this look and how it differed from her various hairstyles and gear sets in the 1980s. "From the 80s, it has its own half-borrowed style," Nakano explained, referencing her being less in control of her look when she was lower on the card.
As Bull became a main eventer in AJW, her style evolved with the times. "From the 90s, the style of stroking the hair backward. In Japan at the time, there was a band boom, and that style was born." Bull elaborated.
The unique and discernable look aided in further creating the overall character of Bull Nakano in the 1990s. When describing how her style contributed to her otherworldly identity, she concluded, "I wanted to be someone who wasn't human, who wasn't a woman, who wasn't a man, who wasn't of this world... That's how it turned out."