Kinnikuman 60

It's a two-sided Choujin war on three fronts as the WSA attempts to retake their dominance over the WSC and WSF on the American front! But can Kinnikuman take on one of the lead Choujins on their own turf...and how will he do it anyway?

Chapter 60: Defeat the Emperor of New York!

85.
WSC Champion: Beauty Rhodes
WSA Champion: Kinnikuman

86.
Narrator: New York
Narrator: The WSC is based in New York, where at the main assembly grounds of Madison Square Garden they sell fights of super-strong Choujin warriors. Their popularity is far, far greater than the WSA.
Narrator:
Choujin Council (WSC)
Chairman: Iyadesu Harrison
Champion: Beauty Rhodes
Narrator: At MSG currently, there is a match of Beauty Rhodes vs. Hulk Dogan.
(TN: It’s obvious that “Hulk Dogan” is a parody of US wrestler Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea. While a massive wrestling superstar in the mid-late 1980s [and the inspiration for a wrestler in this series much, much further down the line], Hogan was just coined during the period of ’79-’80 and was beginning his notable rivalry with WWF superstar Andre the Giant, of whom Beauty Rhodes has some resemblance to now that I think about it)

87.
Crowds: American Dream!!
Crowds: Beauty Rhodes!!
Crowds: Emperor of Madison!!
Crowds: Rhodes!! Rhodes!!
Crowds: Rhodes!! Rhodes!!

88-89.
Announcer: And now the WSC Champion…Beauty Rhodes is entering the ring!!
Crowds: Rhodes! Rhodes!
Crowds: Rhodes! Rhodes!
Announcer: There it is~~!! Rhodes’elbow!!

90.
Announcer: And here’s Rhodes’ prideful strategy!!
Announcer: And to end it, an elbow drop…
Announcer: From the top rope!!
(TN: I sort of wanted to make the elbow drop right when Rhodes did it, but it made more sense in translation to write it as I did)
Referee: 1, 2, 3

91.
Announcer: He did it--!! Rhodes defended his title!!
Crowds: Rhodes Rhodes Rhodes!! Rhodes!! Rhodes!! Rhodes!!

92.
Suguru: Ha hahahaha, you move well with that body, Rhodes.
Suguru: Wouldn’t it be fine to have some Hi-Mannan tomorrow!?
(TN: Hi-Mannan is a notable Japanese diet supplement)
Harrison: What~~!? Rhodes, he’s a quiet drunk…
Rhodes: No, chairman. From that physique, he’s a Choujin like me……
Rhodes: Can you tell me what you’re called!!
Suguru: The name that I’m called is……

93.
Suguru: THE CHANELMAN!!
Assistant: Chanelman?
Crowd: I’ve never heard of him……
Rhodes: Ha hahahahaha…
Harrison: Perhaps he’s a weakling Choujin unattached to any organization!!
Suguru: Well then, can a weakling do this!!
Rhodes: Uwa, that’s an accident!!

94.
Harrison: Rhodes!!
Rhodes: Uooooo!!

95.
Suguru: Ke…you didn’t know which of us was the weakling Choujin…!
Harrison: Rhodes, Rhodes!

96.
Harrison: Someone…someone…arrest that man~~~!!
Suguru: Oho, it’s getting scary!
Police: Wh…where did that guy go!! Look for him over there!!

97.
Harrison: S**t—
Harrison: That jerk left his sunglasses behind after he vanished……
Suguru: Ohohohoho…I bought those sunglasses for 20 dollars for this troublesome disguise……where did I drop them……
Meat: Let’s give this up already, Prince……

TN: I guess I really need to start with this: I apologize to all Africans and African Americans in the audience for the racist nature of the plan involving Kinnikuman. The whole aspect of using shoe polish and Suguru's "big lips" to turn him into an African Choujin is obviously not a politically correct matter but unfortunately that's the nature of the beast: Japan (at least at this time, I'm not sure of today) really never had the same problems regarding the racist nature of this as many other parts of the world and always sort of figured that doing this sort of thing was no problem at all. This is a country that read "Little Black Sambo" and thought all of these depictions were fine and dandy, even if many other parts of the world see it otherwise. So once again: no offense, this is just what was seen as entertainment and natural then (of course it's still touchy with characters like Mr. Popo and even Chocolove still depicted as such...)

With that apology out of the way, I think this chapter pretty much solidifies Beauty Rhodes as an homage to the famous Andre the Giant...even with his blond hair, his large build and quiet nature shows who he was respecting. Heck, this chapter even sort of parodies one of his many confrontations with the rising star Hulk Hogan, whom while not in his massive "Hulkamania" phase that would come in the mid-80s (and lead to a more famous Kinnikuman character), was known as being a consistant thorn on the side of the classic giant wrestler. Oh, and while Suguru handling him rather easily is rather no surprise, I am starting to get a bit sick of the shrill nature of Harrison...oh, but I did like the joke about Suguru losing his sunglasses turning into Chanelman's trademark.