Hiro Matsuda
| Hiro Matsuda | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Yasuhiro Kojima |
| Born |
July 22, 1937 Yokohama, Kanagawa, Empire of Japan |
| Died | November 27, 1999 (aged 62) Tampa, Florida, United States |
| Cause of death | Prostate cancer |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Ernesto Kojima Hiro Matsuda |
| Trained by |
Diablo Velasco Rikidōzan Karl Gotch |
| Debut | 1957 |
Yasuhiro Kojima (小島 泰弘 Kojima Yasuhiro?), better known by his ring name Hiro Matsuda (July 22, 1937 – November 27, 1999), was a Japanese/American professional wrestler and trainer. He trained many professional wrestlers including Hulk Hogan, Keiji Mutoh, "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Scott Hall, Lex Luger, "Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr, and Ron Simmons.
Kojima adopted his Hiro Matsuda identity while competing in the southern United States, inspired by earlier wrestlers Sorakichi Matsuda and Matty Matsuda. He initially debuted under his real name at Rikidōzan'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.
Matsuda was the first Japanese to win a National Wrestling Alliance world singles title when he won the junior heavyweight championship on July 11, 1964, in Tampa, Florida by defeating Danny Hodge. He would win a second title in 1975 and lose it to Hodge.
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 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.
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