Osamu Matsuda
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Osamu Matsuda | |
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Statistics | |
Ring name(s) | El Samurai Osamu Matsuda |
Billed height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) |
Billed weight | 92 kg (203 lb) |
Born | April 19, 1966 Hanamaki, Iwate, Japan |
Trained by | New Japan Dojo |
Debut | July 24, 1986 against Yuji Funaki |
Osamu Matsuda is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for New Japan Pro Wrestling, and is better known by his stage name El Samurai.
Contents |
[edit] Career
Matsuda graduated from high school in 1985, and joined the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo. He debuted a year later and spent a few years working in the bottom of the card. In March 1991 he went to Mexico, and while there adopted a mask and the El Samurai stage name. He returned to NJPW in early 1992, and quickly defeated Jushin Liger for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in June. In 1997 he adopted a new costume and won the Best of Super Junior tournament. Only a month later he defeated Liger, winning the unified J-Crown Championship which at that time consisted of 7 junior heavyweight championships. In April 2004 Matsuda unmasked for the first time since adopting the El Samurai character, for a match against Osamu Nishimura, but it was for one night only. Although Matsuda has not been a top contender in the NJPW Junior Heavyweight division for a few years, he still continues to be a veteran in it, recently winning a second IWGP Junior tag team title, this time with rookie Ryusuke Taguchi.
[edit] Finishing and signature moves
- Chickenwing arm lock
- Samurai Buster (Inverted brainbuster)
- Inverted DDT
- Super inverted DDT
- Reverse tornado DDT
- Samurai Bomb (One shoulder powerbomb)
- Frankensteiner
[edit] Championships and accomplishments
[edit] New Japan Pro Wrestling
- 2-Time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
- 2-Time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion (once with Jushin Liger and once with Ryusuke Taguchi)
- 1-Time British Commonwealth Junior Heavyweight Champion
- 1-Time NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion
- 1-Time NWA Welterweight Champion
- 1-Time UWA Middleweight Champion
- 2-Time UWA Junior Heavyweight Champion
- 1-Time WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Jushin Liger
- 2-Time WWA Junior Light Heavyweight Champion
- 2-Time WWF Light Heavyweight Champion
[edit] Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- 1992 Most Improved Wrestler