Yasuhiro Kojima (July 22, 1937 – November 27, 1999) was the trainer of Hulk Hogan, "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, Keiji Mutoh, Ric Flair, 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. is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... For a tire company, known by Yokohama Tyre, see Yokohama Rubber Company. ... is the 331st day of the year (332nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... is the 331st day of the year (332nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Terrence Gene Bollea (born on August 11, 1953) is an American actor and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan. ... Paul Orndorff (born October 29, 1949 in Brandon, Florida) is a former National Football League player and former professional wrestler, best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1980s as Mr. ... Lawrence (Larry) Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), is an American former bodybuilder, professional wrestler, and American football player better known by his wrestling ring name, Lex Luger. ... Ron Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler and retired American football player. ... Keiji Mutoh , born December 23, 1962), also called the Great Muta, is a Japanese professional wrestler who gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. ... Ric Flair (born February 25, 1949 [1] and named Richard Morgan Fliehr upon his adoption several weeks later), is an iconic American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its RAW brand. ... ... Sorakichi Matsuda was a professional wrestler. ... To be stiff in professional wrestling is to hit an opponent with more force so as to make the attacks seem real to the fans. ...

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. Rikidōzan (Japanese: 力道山, Korean: 역도산, November 14, 1924 - December 15, 1963) was a professional wrestler, known as the Father of Puroresu and one of the most influential men in wrestling history. ... Nihon Puroresu Kyōkai (日本プロレス協会, Japan Pro Wrestling Alliance or Japan[ese] Wrestling Association) was the first professional wrestling promotion to be based in Japan. ... Antonio Inoki (アントニオ猪木), real name Kanji Inoki (猪木寛至 Inoki Kanji, born February 20, 1943) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides in New York City. ...

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. Jim Crockett Promotions was the name of a professional wrestling promotion owned by Jim Crockett, Jr. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Lawrence (Larry) Wendell Pfohl (born June 2, 1958), is an American former bodybuilder, professional wrestler, and American football player better known by his wrestling ring name, Lex Luger. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Johnny Weaver (born as John Meyers in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States) was a professional wrestler and wrestling commentator in the National Wrestling Alliance. ...

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. He died in 1999 in Tampa, Florida of cancer. World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. ... Ric Flair (born February 25, 1949 [1] and named Richard Morgan Fliehr upon his adoption several weeks later), is an iconic American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment on its RAW brand. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... In professional wrestling, a stable is a group of wrestlers within a promotion who have a common element -- friendships, either real or storyline, a manager who manages all of them, or a common storyline, which puts them together as a unit (recent examples include Evolution, La Résistance, The Cabinet... Nickname: Location in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida. ...

Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Pro Wrestling

• AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Michiaki Yoshimura

• Championship Wrestling from Florida

• NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship (4 times)
• NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Mr. Wrestling (1), Bob Orton (1), and the Missouri Mauler (2)
• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Florida Version) (5 times) - with Duke Keomuka (4) and Dick Steinborn (1)
• NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship (2 times)

• NWA Mid-America

• NWA World Tag Team Championship (Mid-America Version) (1 time) - with Antonio Inoki

• New Japan Pro Wrestling

• NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles/Japan version) (1 time) - with Masa Saito