Yasuhiro Kojima
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| Yasuhiro Kojima | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Ring name(s) | Hiro Matsuda Ernesto Kojima (Peru) |
| Born | July 22, 1937 Yokohama |
| Died | November 27, 1999 |
| Trained by | Rikidozan, Karl Gotch |
| Debut | 1957 |
Yasuhiro Kojima (July 22, 1937 – November 27, 1999) was the trainer of Hulk Hogan, "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, Keiji Mutoh and many other professional wrestlers. He was better known as Hiro Matsuda, an identity he adopted while competing in the southern U. S., inspired by earlier wrestlers Sorakichi Matsuda and Matty Matsuda. As a trainer, Matsuda was famous for being very stiff with his trainees to toughen them up and teach them to respect the business. His most famous story involved him being very tough on a young Hulk Hogan in his 1st day of training and broke 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.
He initially debuted under his real name at Rikidozan's Japanese Wrestling Association, but then left Japan to pursue wrestling in the Americas. Once in a while he would return to Japan, where he formed a tag team with Antonio Inoki that was only the outward reflection of the long-time friendship between the two men.
He came to work in Jim Crockett Promotions in 1987 as a heel to participate in a feud between Dusty Rhodes and Lex Luger. Matsuda was in Luger's corner. During the feud, he was billed as "The Master of the Japanese Sleeper", which was a Cobra Clutch. He famously locked Johnny Weaver, who was in Rhodes' corner, in the hold. The prolonged application of the hold caused Weaver to bleed profusely from the mouth.
He later on worked briefly for World Championship Wrestling acting as Ric Flair's manager in early 1989 and then being involved in Terry Funk's stable, The J-Tex Corporation as their business agent from Japan.
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
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- AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Michiaki Yoshimura
- World
- National
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- NWA North American Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Masa Saito
- Regional
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- NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
- NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Ciclon Negro (2), Tim Woods (1), and the Missouri Mauler (1)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida Version) (5 times) - with Duke Keomuka (4) and Dick Steinborn (1)
- NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America Version) (1 time) - with Antonio Inoki
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