Shang Tsung Said So

October 19, 2006 admin 0 Comments

When it comes to fiery pre-game speeches, there’s just no beating the guy who played the heavy in “Mortal Kombat.”

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa did the honors in the Damien Memorial High locker-room before last Friday’s football game against ‘Iolani. While older fans may know Tagawa from his roles in “The Last Emperor,” “Memoirs of a Geisha” and other films, the Damien players know him as Johnny Tsunami or, more often, as Shang Tsung from “Mortal Kombat.” So when Tagawa wrapped up his speech with the film’s now-immortal line – “Your soul is mine!” – the team went bonkers.

“They erupted with screaming and roaring,” said Tagawa’s representative, Pat Bigold. “It was a tidal wave of macho.”

Tagawa has become a frequent visitor to Damien in the past year. During the game, he hung out on the sidelines, cheering loudly and hugging the players as they left the field.

His testosterone-fueled pep talk worked: Damien won the game. Afterward coach Dean Nakagawa presented Tagawa with the game ball.