Senate Resolution No. 3578

BY: Senator RANZENHOFER

HONORING Richard John Beyer upon the occasion of
his bestowal of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold
and Silver Rays on February 3, 2018

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor those
individuals whose exceptional athletic prowess leaves an enduring legacy
in their communities; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Richard John Beyer upon the occasion of his bestowal of the Order of the
Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays by Ambassador Reiichiro Takahashi, the
Consul General of Japan in New York, to be presented at a Ceremony on
Saturday, February 3, 2018, at The Buffalo Club in Buffalo, New York;
and

WHEREAS, The Order of the Rising Sun is a Japanese order,
established in 1875, by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the design of the Rising
Sun symbolizes energy as powerful as the rising sun in parallel with the
"rising sun" concept of Japan (Land of the Rising Sun); and

WHEREAS, The order is awarded to those who have made distinguished
achievements in fields such as international relations, promotion of
Japanese culture, advancements in their field, development in welfare or
preservation of the environment; and

WHEREAS, In 1981, the modern version of this honor was first
conferred on non-Japanese recipients, and women received the Order
beginning in 2003; the awarding of the Order is administered by the
Decoration Bureau of Office of the Prime Minister, and is given in the
name of the Emperor; and

WHEREAS, Known by his ring name, "The Destroyer", Richard J. Beyer
is still considered to be one of the most popular wrestlers in Japan,
even after retiring professionally in 1993; he began wrestling in the
United States in 1954, and after moving to Japan in the 1960s, he
actively competed in the ring for three decades; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his esteemed wrestling career, Richard J. Beyer
greatly contributed to the promotion of sports exchanges between Japan
and the United States, and to the development of Japanese professional
wrestling; for these long-lasting contributions, the Consul General of
Japan in New York conferred him with the Consul General's commendation
in April of 2012; and

WHEREAS, The Destroyer will always be recognized for enhancing the
sport of Japanese professional wrestling through his bouts; his riveting
matches against Rikido-zan on May 24, 1963, and Noboru Yutaka on
February 26, 1965, garnered impressive television program ratings; and

WHEREAS, Through his larger than life persona on the mat, The
Destroyer was instrumental in building a large professional wrestling

fan base in Japan; through his hard work and vision, he helped build a
bridge of understanding between Americans and Japanese citizens; and

WHEREAS, Since 1988, Richard J. Beyer has contributed to the
promotion of sports exchanges between youth from Japan and the United
States by sending young wrestling and swimming teams to Japan and, in
turn, by hosting Japanese wrestling teams; he also assisted in
introducing Park Golf, a newly created sport in Japan, to the States;
and

WHEREAS, Always willing to meet with his fans and promote the sport
he loved, Richard J. Beyer enjoyed signing autographs for charity at an
annual summer festival in Tokyo for 30 years; for this valuable
contribution, he received a letter of appreciation from the Mayor of
Minato, Tokyo, on August 24, 2009; and

WHEREAS, This remarkable man also provided disaster assistance for
survivors of the 3.11 Great East Japan Earthquake by hosting a
fundraiser in the United States, and organizing a charity professional
wrestling match in Japan; and

WHEREAS, Richard J. Beyer has clearly been an inspiration to the
people of both the United States and Japan, and accordingly merits
recognition and applause for his impressive dedication to others; and

WHEREAS, Sports competition instills the values of teamwork, pride
and accomplishment, and Richard J. Beyer has clearly made a contribution
to the spirit of excellence which is a tradition of his country; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Richard John Beyer upon the occasion of his bestowal of the Order
of the Rising Star, Gold and Silver Rays on February 3, 2018; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Richard John Beyer.