Gran Hamada
| Gran Hamada | |
|---|---|
| Ring name(s) | Gran Hamada El Gran Hamada Little Hamada Hiroaki Hamada Mini Love Machine Makai Masked Hurricane |
| Billed height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 92 kg (200 lb)[1] |
| Born | November 27, 1950 [1] Maebashi, Gunma, Japan[1] |
| Debut | March 16, 1972 |
Hiroaki Hamada (浜田 広秋 Hamada Hiroaki), better known by his ring name Gran Hamada (グラン浜田), (born November 27, 1950) is Japanese professional wrestler, the first to adopt the high-flying Mexican lucha libre style. He has wrestled for New Japan Pro Wrestling, the Universal Wrestling Federation, Michinoku Pro, and All Japan Pro Wrestling, and was the founder of Universal Lucha Libre. He has also had stints with the World Wrestling Federation and Extreme Championship Wrestling in the United States. His daughters Xóchitl Hamada and Ayako Hamada are professional wrestlers.
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[edit] Professional wrestling career
He was one of the first dojo trainees at New Japan Pro Wrestling, being known as Little Hamada in the beginning. He was sent to Mexico's Universal Wrestling Association because of his lack of size, and he found a lot of success there - so much so that Mexican fans and promoters began calling him Gran Hamada (Great Hamada).[2] He also competed in Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre, which added El (The) to the front of his name: El Gran Hamada.
In 1984 he became a member of the initial roster of the original Japanese UWF, but found that his flamboyantly acrobatic style clashed with the martial arts-inspired style and focus on realism of the UWF, and soon left for All Japan Pro Wrestling. He eventually broke off from AJPW to form his own promotion in 1990: Universal Lucha Libre.[2] However, wrestlers began to leave the ULL in 1993, and in 1995 Hamada closed the promotion to join Michinoku Pro, which had been formed by former ULL wrestlers.
In 2001 he began competing for All Japan again, this time as a free agent. He briefly was part of the "Love Machines" stable under a mask as "Mini Love Machine" with "Super Love Machine" (Junji Hirata of New Japan, reprising his old role as "Super Strong Machine") and "Love Machine Storm" (Arashi, whose stage name literally means "storm").[1] They used Morning Musume's hit song "Love Machine" as their entrance theme. He would also briefly work for New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Land brand as Makai Masked Hurricane but only wrestled two shows under that name.[3]
His daughters Xochitl and Ayako, who are half-Mexican, are also professional wrestlers.[4]
[edit] In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Hama-Chan Cutter (Elevated cutter)[1]
- Signature moves
- Belly to back suplex
- Hurricanrana[1]
- Tornado DDT[1]
- Headbutt
- Wakigatame
- Dropkick - sometimes from the top rope
- Ankle Hook
- Tilt-a-whirl slam
- Frankensteiner - sometimes from the top rope
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
- ARSION
- P*MIX Grand Prix (2000) - with Ayako Hamada
- Michinoku Pro Wrestling
- APEX OF TRIANGLE Six–Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Great Sasuke and Tiger Mask IV[1]
- Fukumen World Tag League (2000) - with Tiger Mask IV[7]
- Universal Lucha Libre
- UWA/UWF Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time)[10]
- UWF Super Middleweight Championship (1 time)[11]
- WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
- WWF Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Perro Aguayo [12]
- Universal Wrestling Association
- UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship (4 times)[13]
- UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[14]
- UWA World Middleweight Championship (3 times)[15]
- UWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Riki Chōshū (1), Perro Aguayo (1) and Kendo (1)[16]
- UWA World Welterweight Championship (1 time)[17]
- WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times)[18][Note 2]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ At the time EMLL was part of the National Wrestling Alliance
- ^ Sangre Chicana won the WWF title during a time that it was promoted by the UWA and exclusively in Mexico. The title reigns are not officially recognized by World Wrestling Entertainment. No reign with the championship prior to December 1997 is officially recognized or acknowledged by the World Wrestling Entertainment.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Wrestler profiles: Gran Hamada". Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/g/gran-hamada.html. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
- ^ a b Madigan, Dan (2007). "Okay... what is Lucha Libre?". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre and honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperColins Publisher. pp. 29–40. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
- ^ "Matches von Gran Hamada (as Makai Masked Hurricane)" (in German). CageMatch.net. http://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=910&view=matches&gimmick=Makai+Masked+Hurricane&jahr=&liga=®ion=&land=&art=&artmatches=&partner=Partner&gegner=Gegner&suchbegriff=Suchbegriff. Retrieved APril 17, 2010.
- ^ Madigan, Dan (2007). "A family affair". Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizare & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperColins Publisher. pp. 128–132. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
- ^ "B.J.W. Heavyweight Title". wrestling-titles.com. http://www.wrestling-titles.com/japan/bigjapan/bj-h.html. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "Mexico: EMLL NWA World Middlweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 389–390. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "Tiger Mask IV's Purolove profile". Purolove. http://www.purolove.com/njpw/profiles/tigermask.php. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "Los Angeles: WWA/NWA Americas Title (Gene LeBell & Mike LeBell)". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 295–296. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Top 500 Wrestlers of the PWI Years". Wrestling Information Archive. http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/pages/pwi/pwi500yr.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "JApan: Universal UWF Intercontinental Tag Team TItle (Hisatsune Shinma)". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 384. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Japan: Universal/FULL Federacion Universal de Lucha Libre UWF Super Middleweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 384. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ "UWA WWF Intercontinental Tag Team Title history". Solie.org. http://www.solie.org/titlehistories/uwaittwwf.html. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: Universal Wrestling Federation Junior Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 397. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: Universal Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 397. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: UWA Middleweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 399. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: UWA Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 399. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: UWA Welterweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 400. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
- ^ Royal Duncan & Gary Will (4th Edition 2006). "Mexico: UWA WWF World Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 399. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
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