Misplaced Pages

Hiroaki Hamada (浜田 広秋, Hamada Hiroaki), better known by his ring name Gran Hamada (グラン浜田, Guran Hamada, born November 27, 1950), is a 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 Japanese-Mexican wrestlers.

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). 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. However, wrestlers began to leave the group in 1993 and in 1995 Hamada closed the promotion to join Michinoku Pro, which had been formed by former Universal Lucha Libre wrestlers. On April 13, 1997, Hamada teamed with Great Sasuke and Masato Yakushiji (who substituted for Gran Naniwa, who was injured) to defeat Taka Michinoku, Dick Togo and Mens Teioh (AKA "Terry Boy") at ECW Barely Legal.

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"). 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.

Personal life

Hamada's daughters Xochitl and Ayako are also professional wrestlers.

Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Pro Wrestling
  • International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team League (1984) – with Mighty Inoue
• Arsion
  • P*Mix Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ayako Hamada
• Big Japan Pro Wrestling
  • BJW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre
  • NWA World Middleweight Championship (1 time)
• Michinoku Pro Wrestling
  • Apex of Triangle Six–Man Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with The Great Sasuke and Tiger Mask
  • Fukumen World Tag League (2000) – with Tiger Mask IV
• NWA Hollywood Wrestling
  • NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• New Japan Pro-Wrestling
  • One Night Eight Man Tag Team Tournament (1994) – with Shinjiro Otani, El Samurai and Great Sasuke
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #87 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003
• Universal Lucha Libre
  • UWA/UWF Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time)
  • UWF Super Middleweight Championship (1 time)
  • WWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Universal Wrestling Association
  • UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Championship (5 times)
  • UWA World Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
  • UWA World Middleweight Championship (3 times)
  • UWA World Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with Riki Choshu (1), Perro Aguayo (1) and Kendo (1)
  • UWA World Welterweight Championship (1 time)
  • WWF Light Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time, inaugural and final) – with Perro Aguayo

Luchas de Apuestas record

Footnotes

1. At the time EMLL was part of the National Wrestling Alliance
2. Hamada 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.

References

1. ^ "Gran Hamada". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
2. Madigan, Dan (2007). "A family affair". Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 128–132. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
3. ^ Madigan, Dan (2007). "Okay... what is Lucha Libre?". Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre and honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 29–40. ISBN 978-0-06-085583-3.
4. ^ "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 of the PWI Years: 87 Gran Hamada". Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States: Sports and Entertainment publications LLC. May 21, 2003. p. 21. June 2003.
5. "AJPW Junior Tag League 1984". Pro Wrestling history. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
6. "B.J.W. Heavyweight Title". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
7. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Mexico: EMLL NWA World Middlweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. pp. 389–390. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
8. "Tiger Mask IV's Purolove profile". Purolove. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
9. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Los Angeles: WWA/NWA Americas Title (Gene LeBell & Mike LeBell)". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. pp. 295–296. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
10. "One Night Eight Man Tag Team Tournament". Cagematch.net. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: Universal Wrestling Federation Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 397. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
15. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: UWA Middleweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 399. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
16. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: UWA Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 399. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
17. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: UWA Welterweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. p. 400. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
18. Royal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Mexico: UWA WWF World Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 399. ISBN 0-9698161-5-4.
19. Hoops, Brian (April 17, 2020). "Daily pro wrestling (04/17): WCW Spring Stampede 1994". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
20. "WWF Intercontinental Tag Team Title history". Solie.org. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
21. L.L. Staff (2008). "Lucha Libre: Conoce la historia de las leyendas de cuadrilátero". Rene Guajardo (1933 - 1992) (in Spanish). Mexico. p. 49. Grandes Figuras de la Lucha Libre.
22. "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Signo (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico. September 2007. p. 31. Tomo V.
23. Enciclopedia staff (August 2007). "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Aníbal (in Spanish). Mexico City, Mexico. pp. 16–17. Tomo I.
24. Centella, Teddy (June 6, 2015). "En un día como hoy… 1981: Promociones Mora llega a la Arena México, Los Misioneros, pelones… Black Shadow se despide de Pantitlán". Súper Luchas (in Spanish). Retrieved June 26, 2015.

External links

• Hiroaki Hamada at IMDb
• Gran Hamada's profile at Cagematch.net , Wrestlingdata.com , Internet Wrestling Database

Links to related articles

v t e Junior Tag League/Junior Hyper Tag League/Jr. Tag Battle of Glory winners 1984: Gran Hamada and Mighty Inoue 2002: Kaz Hayashi and Jimmy Yang 2006: Mazada and Nosawa Rongai 2008: Katsuhiko Nakajima and Ryuji Hijikata 2009: Minoru and Toshizo 2010: Bushi and Super Crazy 2011: Kaz Hayashi and Kai 2012: Kaz Hayashi and Shuji Kondo 2013: Atsushi Aoki and Kotaro Suzuki 2014: Atsushi Aoki and Hikaru Sato 2015: Atsushi Aoki and Hikaru Sato 2016: Atsushi Aoki and Hikaru Sato 2017: Atsushi Maruyama and Masashi Takeda 2018: Yoshihiro Tajiri and Koji Iwamoto 2019: Hikaru Sato and Yusuke Okada 2020: Evolution (Dan Tamura and Hikaru Sato) 2021: Total Eclipse (Hokuto Omori and Yusuke Kodama) 2023: Kaito Ishida and Kotaro Suzuki Category v t e BJW Heavyweight Champions Kamikaze Daikokubo Benkei Daisuke Sekimoto Men's Teioh Gran Hamada v t e NWA World Middleweight Champions and NWA World Historic Middleweight Champions NWA World Middleweight Champions Gus Kallio Octavio Gaona Tarzán López Black Guzmán Gory Guerrero Mike Kelly Sugi Sito Enrique Llanes El Santo Rolando Vera René Guajardo Antonio Posa Rayo de Jalisco Benny Galant Jerry London Ray Mendoza El Solitario Mashio Koma Aníbal Perro Aguayo El Faraón Ringo Mendoza Joe Plardy Tony Salazar Satoru Sayama El Satánico Cachorro Mendoza Sangre Chicana César Curiel El Jalisco Lizmark Gran Cochisse Gran Hamada La Fiera Chamaco Valaguez Kung Fu El Dandy Atlantis Emilio Charles Jr. Ángel Azteca Mano Negra Oro Corazón de León Último Dragón The Great Sasuke Averno Místico Black Warrior NWA World Historic Middleweight Champions Averno La Máscara Volador Jr. Prince Devitt Dragón Rojo Jr. La Sombra Último Guerrero Carístico/Místico Flip Gordon (current) v t e UWA World Light Heavyweight Champions Universal Wrestling Association (1975–1995) Ray Mendoza Audaz El Solitario Gran Hamada Perro Aguayo Fishman Villano III Sangre Chicana Villano I Zandokan El Signo Villano V El Texano Silver King Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (1995–2007) Adrian el Exstico Prince Maya El Cobarde Heavy Metal Electroshock El Zorro Mr. Águila Charly Manson Hator Chessman Professional Wrestling Just Tap Out (2021–present) Black Eagle Carbell Ito Naoya Akama Sumika Yanagawa Misa Kagura Bomber Tatsuya (current) v t e UWA World Middleweight Champions Universal Wrestling Association (1975–1995) Rene Guajardo Gran Hamada Aníbal Jungla Negra Centurión Negro Super Astro El Satánico Cachorro Mendoza El Solar Valente Fernández Cuchillo Yoshihiro Asai/Último Dragón Negro Casas El Samurai Kōji Ishinriki El Texano Héctor Garza Michinoku Pro Wrestling Toryumon Japan (1995–2015) Masayoshi Motegi Tiger Mask Shoichi Funaki Minoru Tanaka The Willow Silver Wolf/Mr. X3 Hi69 Yasu Urano Sambo/Makoto Oishi Onryo Gentaro Boso Boy Raito Psycho Shiori Asahi Men's Teioh Quiet Storm Shinobu Kaji Tomato Daigoro Kashiwa Yuki Sato Taka Michinoku Ryuichi Sekine Kaientai Dojo/2AW (2015–present) Hiro Tonai Ayumu Honda Masamune Fuminori Abe Kyu Mogami (current) v t e UWA World Tag Team Champions Universal Wrestling Association (1982–2008) Riki Choshu and Gran Hamada Los Brazos (Brazo de Oro and Brazo de Plata) Gran Hamada and Perro Aguayo Gran Hamada and Kendo Los Cowboys (Silver King and El Texano) Can-Am Express (Dan Kroffat and Doug Furnas) Los Villanos (Villano IV and Villano V) Emilio Charles Jr. and Scorpio Jr. Tokyo Gurentai (Nosawa Rongai and Mazada) Pro-Wrestling El Dorado (2008–2010) Kagetora and Kota Ibushi Speed of Sounds (Tsutomu Oosugi and Hercules Senga) Brahman Brothers (Brahman Kei and Brahman Shu) Kohaku Pro-Wrestling Wars (2010–2014) Masamune and Minoru Fujita Hiroki and Yasu Urano Union Pro-Wrestling (2014–2015) Hiroshi Fukuda and Men's Teioh Fuma and Isami Kodaka Masato Shibata and Shuji Ishikawa Michinoku Pro Wrestling (2015–2022) Ikuto Hidaka and Minoru Fujita Super Stars (Ayumu Gunji and Rui Hyugaji) Gaina and Taro Nohashi Bad Boy (Ken45° and Kengo) Yapper Man #1 and Yapper Man #2 Skull & Nones (Jinsei Shinzaki and The Great Sasuke) Big Japan Pro Wrestling (2022–present) Hub and Eisa8 Kohei Kinoshita and Yasshi Tomato Kaji and Kota Sekifuda Aijin Tag (Masato Kamino and Takato Nakano) (current) v t e WWF Light Heavyweight Champions UWA/MPW/NJPW (1981–1997) Perro Aguayo Fishman Chris Adams Gran Hamada Villano III El Signo Rambo Sangre Chicana Pegasus Kid Aero Flash The Great Sasuke El Samurai Último Dragón Jushin Thunder Liger Shinjiro Otani WWF (1997–2001) Taka Michinoku Christian Gillberg Essa Ríos Dean Malenko Scotty 2 Hotty Crash Holly Jerry Lynn Jeff Hardy X-Pac Tajiri

• 1950 births
• Japanese male professional wrestlers
• Living people
• People from Maebashi
• Japanese professional wrestling trainers
• 20th-century male professional wrestlers
• 20th-century Japanese professional wrestlers
• NWA World Middleweight Champions
• UWA World Tag Team Champions
• 21st-century male professional wrestlers
• 21st-century Japanese professional wrestlers
• UWA World Junior Light Heavyweight Champions
• UWA World Middleweight Champions
• UWA World Light Heavyweight Champions
• NWA Americas Heavyweight Champions
• WWF Light Heavyweight Champions
• 20th-century Japanese sportsmen