(NOAH) Akira Taue talks about happy and peaceful times after overcoming 400 million yen in debt.

14th October 2023

Nifty.com

Akira Taue, along with Mitsuharu Miswa, Toshiaki Kawada and Kenta Kobashi, led the Heisei golden age in All Japan Pro Wrestling in the 1990s. To celebrate the ten years since his retirement in December 2013, he has published his biography, "Dignified and Majestic" (via publisher Takeshobo) on October 11th. 

400 million yen in debt and stomach cancer...confronting the headwinds with dignity

Speaking of Akira Taue, he is famous for grumbling*. As expected, about his first autobiographical publication he said, "Well, when I heard from the publisher I thought it would be a good idea to take a fresh look as I am in the final stages of my life, so I accepted the offer...but I feel a bit embarrassed. What will be useful in the lives of those who read it? It won't be of any help!"

Taue rose to the rank of jūryō in sumo wrestling and turned to professional wrestling in the summer of 1987 at the age of 26. After that, he was selected as Jumbo Tsuruta's partner, and became World Tag Team Champion. After Tsuruta retired in 1993, he formed the Holy Demon Army with Toshiaki Kawada, and faced off against The Super Generation Army of Misawa and Kobashi. In 1996, he achieved a grand slam by winning Champion Carnival for the first time, winning the Triple Crown for the first time, winning the World Tag Team and winning the "World's Strongest Tag Determination League" at the end of the year. In July 2000, he participated in Pro Wrestling Noah's launch, and in November 2005, he became the GHC Heavyweight Champion at the age of 44, marking his "Grandpa's last fart"*. He had created an era known as the "Taue Volcano" or "Dynamic T". 

However, his life after this was full of ups and downs. In June 2009, after Misawa the company president and ace, suddenly passed away due to an accident during a match, he decided to take over as company president and take on two roles*. In November 2016, three years after his retirement, due to financial difficulties, the company transferred it's business to EstBee (and subsequently changed it's name to Noah Global Entertainment), with all of its wrestlers and employees transferring. Taue shouldered Noah's 400 million yen debt, and gave away all of his assets to repay the debt and became bankrupt at the age of fifty-five. In order to provide for his family, he took a part time job as a sorter for a delivery company. However, Taue, who is famous for grumbling, never complained. He said calmly, "It's just not cool to complain. It would be nice if complaining would get something done, but it won't. How did I overcome it? I just tried my best because I had no choice but to do something about it because I couldn't survive." The way he silently, nonchalantly and diligently faced his difficulties without saying anything unnecessary, is reminiscent of his rival, Misawa. 

This was not Taue's only trial. 

After learning how to prepare meat from Mitsuhiro Matsunaga, a wrestler junior to him, who runs the steakhouse "Mr Danger", he started his own Izakaya, STEAK CHAMP, in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki. However, in March 2018 he was diagnosed with stomach cancer and was forced to undergo total removal surgery. Taue calmly makes fun of even a serious illness, "Apparently, I had a hole in my stomach due to an ulcer, which caused me to bleed profusely. When I was taken to the hospital, there was a possibility that I would die from hemorrhagic shock, so the whole family was called in. Well, I started drinking alcohol about a month after I got my stomach removes (laughs). My doctor says, "as long as you can handle it", but since I don't have a stomach, I end up drinking and suddenly getting drunk (laughs)"

A peaceful time surrounded by wrestlers, fans...and family. 

Taue overcame bankruptcy at the age of fifty-five, and cancer at fifty-eight, to get the store back on track. In recent years, he has had many opportunities to participate in talk events with his comrades in the Four Heavenly Kings, such as Kawada and Kobashi, as well as Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono, who too built an era as The Three Musketeers in New Japan Pro wrestling at the same time. It wasn't a good way for him to leave pro wrestling, as he was saddled with Noah's debt, but his stance is flat, "I didn't enter pro wrestling because I admired it; I quit sumo and entered it as a job, so I don't really have any attachment. However, there is no reason to stay away from it, so if I am asked to do a talk, or an event or commentary, I will go. I didn't expect Kawada to be so talkative, and Kobashi is still a narcissist (laughs), Mutoh is Mutoh and seems to be living his life as he pleases. Is Chono the sane one?" 

Junior wrestlers and fans also come to Taue's restaurant to eat steak. Some fans have even come all the way from Germany. Taue says, "I always just drink alcohol at my designated spot at the bar, but if fans ask me, I will take a picture with them, and I guess that is what I'm looking forward to now thinking, "They still come". 

Taue celebrated his sixty-second birthday on May 8th 2023, but what does he think of the future? Grumbling Taue went into full swing, "Nothing. I'm just tired. My back hurts and I'm not having fun. I don't go fishing, I don't ride my motorcycle, I don't do anything. So what's fun about me? My life has been turbulent enough. My grandson is four years old now, and I am living a peaceful life while watching him grow up quickly (laughs). Recently, my grandson has been making me look at him in the wrong way, he gets jealous when I talk to customers at the store and take pictures with them, but they think it's cute (laughs)."

He has entered a peaceful time that has finally arrived after overcoming the turmoil. The Taue Volcano is now finally dormant, but still his passionate feelings are evident, "Well, my life has been like this, but your life is yours and so it's best to live it the way you want and not have any regrets. At the time, when I accepted the position of Noah's president, I had no choice but to do so, and now there are Noah wrestlers who are eating here all the time*"

Hot magma is still bubbling beneath the Taue volcano.

Translated from Nifty.com

Picture credit: Nifty.com

Notes

Taue grumbling: See "Donmai Donmai" about someone's (turns out it was Misawa) snoring.

Grandpa's Last Fart: Comes from a cornered weasel using this as a diversionary tactic, in the case of Taue, it means more someone's last charge or final tactic. The GHC Heavyweight was the only title that Taue would hold in Noah.

Taking on two roles: In Japanese this is to do two roles at the same time. This doesn't mean to step into someone's shoes, and there is no equivalent in English.  

Taue's cancer: Kawada believes this was from stress of running Noah. He also too tried to get him to stop drinking (and smoking), but Taue refused. 

Noah wrestlers at STEAK IZAKAYA: Junta Miyawaki took on the Steak Champ challenge, Takashi Sugiura and Go Shiozaki got drunk, with Sugi getting his backside out for the camera, which Shiozaki posted to social media, and even ultra fussy eater HAYATA turned up one day. 

Three generations of Noah