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Bios

Great Matsuda

Nickname: The Master of the Japanese Sleeper

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 230 lbs.

From: Yokohama, Japan

Birthday: Jul 22nd

Pro Debut: 1957

Aliases: Yasuhiro Kojima, Hiro Matsuda, Matti Matsuda, Ernesto Kojima, Kojima Saito, Matsuda, Mr. Samurai, Rising Sun, Yasuhiro Kojima

Feds Worked For: MSW, NWA-West, TSW, UWF, NWA, WCW, All Japan Pro Wrestling (Japan), Central States Wrestling (IA/KS/MO), Championship Wrestling from Florida (FL), Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (Mexico), Empresa Mexicana De La Lucha Libre (Mexico), Georgia Championship Wrestling (GA), Gulas Wrestling Enterprises (TN), Gulf Athletic Club (TX), Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling (AL/KY/TN), Japan Wrestling Association (Japan), M & M Promotions (NM/TX), Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (NC/SC), New Japan Pro Wrestling (Japan), NWA Mid-America (AL/TN), St. Louis Wrestling Club (MO), Stampede Wrestling (Canada)

Finisher: Japanese Sleeper (Cobra Clutch)

Career Highlights: -AJPW/JWA All Asia Tag Team Champion (w/ Michiaki Yoshimura)
-NWA (Florida) Southern Champion (5x)
-NWA Florida Tag Team Champion (4x; 2 w/ Missouri Mauler, 1 each w/ Tim Woods and Bob Orton)
-NWA (Florida) World Tag Team Champion (5x; 4 w/ Duke Keomuka, 1 w/ Dick Steinborn)
-NWA (Los Angeles) North American Tag Team Champion (w/ Masa Saito)
-NWA (Mid-Atlantic) Southern Champion
-NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion (2x)
-NWA World Tag Team Champion (w/ Kanji Inoki)

Affiliates: Lex Luger, The Yamasaki Corporation, The J-Tex Corporation, Michiaki Yoshimura, Missouri Mauler, Bob Orton, Tim Woods, Duke Keomuka, Dick Steinborn, Masa Saito, Kanji Inoki, The Four Horsemen, Kendall Windham, Butch Reed, Michael Hayes, Kanji Inoki, Homer O'Dell, Masa Saito, Giant Baba

Notable Feuds: Sam Steamboat, Eddie Graham, Danny Hodge, Don Curtis, Jack Brisco, Tim Woods/Mr. Wrestling, George Scott, Sandy Scott, Abe Jacobs, Johnny Weaver, José Lothario, Nelson Royal, Bob Orton, Paul Jones, Dale Lewis, Art Thomas, Jerry Brisco, George Becker, Rocky Smith, Cyclone Negro, Ronnie Garvin, Missouri Mauler, Louis Tillet, Ramón Torres, Great Mephisto, Rene Goulet, The Assassins, Amazing Zuma, Bob Roop, Grizzly Smith, Alberto Torres, Dick Murdoch, Bobby Duncum, Lester Welch, Dan Miller, Ole Anderson, Curtis Smith, Dusty Rhodes

Other Facts: -Real name was Yasuhiro Kojima
-Played baseball in Japan, but eventually came to the United States because wrestling was his first love.
-As Hiro Matsuda, he used the nickname "The Shogun"
-Trained many professional wrestlers including Hulk Hogan, Paul Orndorff, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, Ric Flair & the Great Muta.
-Famous for being extraordinarily stiff during training. He did that in an effort to toughen up the wrestlers and teach them respect for the business. His most famous story involved him being very tough on a young Hulk Hogan in his first day of training and breaking his leg. After Hogan healed, he came right back to Matsuda's school, looking to continue his training. Matsuda was so impressed by his display of "guts" that he trained him properly from that day on.
-Former leader of Yamasaki Corporation
-Former co-leader of The J-Tex Corporation
-Passed away on November 27, 1999 from colon & liver cancer at the age of 62
-Posthumously inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in 2018 (as Hiro Matsuda)
-Posthumously inducted into the Legacy Wing of the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018