Hiro Matsuda

[Souder]

Just trying to find some information about him. Like when did he wrestle and what his style was like. What titles did he hold and did he have any good rivals with anybody? What promotions did he wrestle for? Also is there any good sites where I can find pics of him?

[Das]

Matsuda trained Ron Simmons (Farooq), Hulk Hogan, Paul Orndorf, Scott Hall, and Lex Lugerand I've also read that he trained Riki Chosu, and Mutoh(not sure on this but maybe someone can back me up). From everything I have read he was an excellent trainer.

He himself was trained by Rikidozan.


Sadly he died in November of 1999.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

He was a great wrestler. His most famous feud was the one against Danny Hodge for the world junior heavyweight title. He didn't need any gimmick to get over in the US in the 60s & 70s, which was/is very rare for a Japanese wrestler.

[Colin Douglas]

Awesome wrestler and one of the last real "policemen" in wrestling. He also trained Ted DiBiase. Lou Thesz mentions him in his autobiography.

[CrimsonMask]

Matsuda lived and worked primarily in Florida. He also trained with Karl Gotch, in fact there's a story there.

Matsuda and Danny Hodge were working a cross-territory program over the NWA Jr. title, and Hiro wanted to see how he could do with Danny for real. He spent about $10,000 training in hooking with Gotch in Tampa, and then Hiro and Danny got on the mat.

Within two minutes, Hiro shook his head ruefully and said (in English btw) 'Well, looks like I just wasted ten grand!'

No aspersion on Gotch's training---Hodge was just that **** good.

Hiro himself was one of the best (which just points up how good Hodge was). He broke in as 'The Great Matsuda' but reverted to 'Hiro' very soon. He teamed a lot early on with the veteran Duke Keomuka. The two of them ended up owning the Florida office years later, after Eddie Graham's suicide. After he had a couple years in he was the senior partner in another all-'Japanese' (Keomuka was Hawaiian) team that toured around the South, with a young man named Kanji Inoki, later to be known under the first name 'Antonio'. Matsuda was a great wrestler and tremendously athletic. I remember him during one live tag match entering and leaving the ring by jumping over the top rope with a scissor kick every time, no hands. He did the chop gimmick like all Japanese wrestlers at the time, but his style was pure wrestling. On Florida Tape 3 from the http://WrestlingClassics.com Video Store there is a match with an already veteran Matsuda vs. a very young Bob Orton Jr. which is one of the better scientific matches you will ever see.

So long from the Sunshine State!

[Colin Douglas]

Hodge was unscored upon in his years of dominating NCAA competition. And he only lost the gold medal at the Olympics because of some bogus call by the referee.

[Tradition Rules]

This is an intersting story I have to tell;

Back in February,I attented the Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet and Reunion in Las Vegas(if you are into the history or respect of the sport,this is a MUST for you to attend at least once in your life). I was lucky to speak with Tiger Conway Jr, for the better part of the night(bear with me,I'm getting there,)and he told us many stories and who who his legit toughest/stiffest opponents were. He listed Hiro Matsuda as one of the very STIFFEST ever for himself. I asked Tiger,"Did he stretch you out?"This was a common topic amongst the wrestlers in attendance,along with who was stiffest,who was really the most technichally sound,who was toughest (Harley Race was on EVERYONE'S toughest list!),who was was the WORST in any of these catagories.Anyway,back to the question I posed to Tiger,...he was quiet for a moment,and said,"He tried.I would'nt let him,because if I did,I knew I'd be in for some pain,but he tried!It was painful just to prevent him from stretching me out."

T.R!