Bull Nakano
A towering, menacing force in women's wrestling who brought Japanese villainy to global audiences and later reinvented herself as a pro golfer.
Born 1968 (age 58)·Japanese professional wrestler and golfer·Birthday: January 8·Generation X
Biography
Bull Nakano, born Keiko Aoki, entered the ring as a teenager, her face painted and her spirit defiant. Trained by the fearsome Dump Matsumoto, she became the archetype of the monstrous heel in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, a spectacle of power and intimidation with her signature spiked hair and kendo stick. Her dominance in Japan was absolute, but her legacy was cemented when she took her act abroad, becoming the first World Women's Champion in Mexico's CMLL and later a headline attraction in the WWF, where her 1994 match with Alundra Blayze is still discussed. In a stunning second act, she walked away from wrestling at 29, traded her boots for cleats, and qualified for the LPGA of Japan Tour, proving her athletic prowess extended far beyond the squared circle.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Bull was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bull Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Bull's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first-ever CMLL World Women's Champion during her stint in Mexican lucha libre.
- Captured the WWF Women's Championship in 1994, defeating Alundra Blayze.
- Held the AJW All Pacific Championship, one of Japan's top singles titles, for over a year.
- Successfully transitioned to professional golf, earning a spot on the LPGA of Japan Tour.
- Won the AJW Tag Team Championship twice, first with its creator, Dump Matsumoto.
Did You Know?
She began her professional wrestling training at the age of 15.
Her iconic ring name was inspired by a bull figurine she received from her father.
She is a licensed professional golf instructor in Japan.
She made a one-night return to wrestling in 2012 for a special match.
Her final wrestling match was in 1997, the same year she began her golf career.
“I painted my face to show I was ready for war.”
