Admiring Analyst Masataka Itsumi
NTV announcer Daisuke Sugaya, who was active in news and variety shows as well as Hakone Ekiden and pro wrestling, had been battling pancreatic cancer since 2022 and was still working the day before his death. Kazuo Tokumitsu, a freelance announcer from Nippon Television Network Corporation (NTV), said of his passing: “I was very sad to hear about Sugaya-kun’s death. I loved Sugaya’s personality. He was 30 years younger than me, but I am very glad to have met him. He was not a dexterous announcer, but his sincerity oozed from his speech. No matter what genre, you tackle it with sincerity and full commitment. The reason for his wide range of fields is that all the staff wanted to work with him. He is a rare man with no sarcasm. Even though he had cancer, he was positive and never changed.” Born in 1971 in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture. After watching Masataka Itsumi, he aspired to become a person who could convey the news in an easy-to-understand manner. After completing graduate studies at International Christian University, he joined Nittele in 1997. Her first program was the variety show “Super Jokey. In the popular “Hot Water Commercial” corner, his role was to ask female celebrities difficult questions such as, “What color, shape, and material is your underwear today? Mr. Sugaya, an aspiring journalist, was bewildered, but repeated the exercise. Sugaya is not good at joking around,” he said. But he does his best. Talent people watch people very carefully, and Mr. Sugaya was recognized as a beloved character and a character to be teased. He is gentle but has a core. He treats others with his true heart and respect, and that is why he is trusted.
He never stirred things up in a funny way.”
He never stirred things up in a funny way,” said Mitsuo Momota, Rikidozan’s second son and a professional wrestler. He faithfully told the story of the matches. They didn’t make fun of or stir things up. He is also very careful about the condition of the wrestlers during interviews and does not force them to do anything. Even though he was modest in character, he had done a lot of research in advance and asked questions in an enthusiastic and polite manner. Takao Kuramochi, a former announcer for Nittele, who was called a master of live pro wrestling commentary, said, “You have to love pro wrestling to tell the story. You have to love professional wrestling to be able to convey what is going on in front of you immediately and in the most appropriate language. Even if you have only a few opportunities to use it in a live situation, you must be able to cover the relevant content on your feet and get it on the air. I once received a call from Mr. Sugaya saying, “I respect you as a senior staff member.”