Pro-Wrestling Keshi from Japan (Part 5)

The colourful and seemingly endless array of Keshi (Japanese figure
erasers) coverage continues!

For blog #121, we'll be stepping back in time to the early 1980's to
check out another obscure series of 1" Keshigomu Pro-Wrestler
figures.

                              

Say your prayers, eat your vitamins and collect your Keshi with this
light green variant of Hulk Hogan!

Right off the bat, the most notable feature of this Keshi set is just how
bulky each figure is.

                                

Hulk Hogan brown variant.


                                      

This is one of the earliest pre-Hulkamania era Hogan figures that were
released only in Japan.

Hulk Hogan yellow variant.

With thumb up pose, Hogan was affectionately known in Japan as
"Ichiban" (which means "Number One" in Japanese).

                             

One of the most elusive figures from the set is Andre The Giant
in dark green.

With Afro in-check, this particular design also represents the late
1970's early 1980's pre-Hulkamania era Andre.

Easily the friendliest looking Bruiser Brody figure around in dark green.

Bruiser's keshi design for this series of figures is one of the most detailed;
with lines in Brody's beard and tied-back hairstyle.

                              

Bruiser Brody wouldn't be complete in this set without Brody's legendary
tag partner Stan "The Lariat" Hansen - orange variant!

With arm raised in Hansen's signature "Western Lariat" pose.

Quite possibly the world's very first Dusty Rhodes figure in light green.

Despite Dusty's legendary status in Japan, this Keshi is one of the very
few figures released of the legend in Japan.

Dusty Rhodes yellow variant.

There are no markings or copyrights on these bulky figures.

Funky like a monkey - Dusty Rhodes blue variant.

Dusty Rhodes orange variant.

Handsome Harley Race sporting a mustache and stern facial expression.

Like Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race only received a handful of figures
in Japan before LJN/Hasbro created the duo's first American figures.

Harley Race light green variant.

Harley Race yellow variant.

Next is Kim Duk (better known to 1980's WWF fans as "Tiger Chung Lee")
blue variant.

As is the case with several Keshi figures, this is the only known figure
of Kim Duk/Tiger Chung Lee.

Kim Duk yellow variant.

He may be hard to recognize at first, but one of my favorites from the
set is The Great Kabuki.

Kabuki's ring pants, Tabi footwear, facial hair and Kabuki style wig
are all featured in Kabuki's Keshi figure.

There's even a headband (used to hold Kabuki's entrance mask up)!

Sadly, this depiction of Kabuki sticks to this particular Keshi series'
simpler design scheme; omitting Kabuki's signature facepaint in the
process.

The Great Kabuki blue variant.

The Great Kabuki yellow variant.

Some of the rarer figures from the set (who are not pictured) include Tiger
Mask, Terry Funk, Akira Maeda and Abdullah The Butcher.

In total, each figure is available in the following variants:

Yellow
Red
Orange
Blue
Brown
Light Green
Dark Green
Cream

Additionally, each Keshi was also released as an even more obscure
keshi stamp topper!