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Junji Hirata (平田 淳嗣, Hirata Junji) (born December 20, 1956) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler currently working as a trainer for the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion, known primarily by his ring name Super Strong Machine (スーパー・ストロング・マシン, Sūpā Sutorongu Mashin).

Professional wrestling career

Hirata applied and was approved to the New Japan dojo on May 13, 1978, and made his debut for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) on August 26, against Yoshiaki Fujiwara. In November 1982, he left on an overseas training expedition to Mexico, and later Canada, where in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling he would create the famous Super Strong Machine persona, as well as use a First Nations gimmick as Sonny Two Rivers (billed as the son of Billy Two Rivers, an actual First Nations chief). In April 1986, he left NJPW with Riki Choshu for rival wrestling promotion, All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW). In June 1987, he returned to NJPW and would soon capture the IWGP Tag Team Championship on three separate occasions with George Takano, Hiro Saito, and Shinya Hashimoto as his tag team partners.

In the fall of 1986, the World Wrestling Federation introduced a stable of wrestlers called The Machines -- "The Giant Machine" (André the Giant), "Big Machine" (Blackjack Mulligan), and "Super Machine" (Bill Eadie) -- based on Junji Hirata's popular Super Strong Machine gimmick. In 1984, Hirata had tried to make his own "Machines" stable with Korean wrestler Yang Seung-hi and veteran Yasu Fuji as Strong Machine #2 and Strong Machine #3 respectively, but this version of the stable did not have the exposure or push of their American counterparts. Hirata briefly turned face and became "Super" Strong Machine, feuding with his former partners. When Hirata left for Japan Pro, Fuji retired and Yang went back to South Korea.

In December 1994, after Masahiro Chono turned on him, he finally unmasked, dropping the Super Strong Machine character and wrestling under his real name. He revived the Super Strong Machine persona for the first time in six years in October 2000, having a brief feud with T2000 Machine (Tatsutoshi Goto). In 2005, Hirata, as the masked persona of Black Strong Machine, became a regular fixture on NJPW shows reconciled with Chono and part of his Black New Japan stable. He also had a brief stint in AJPW as Super Love Machine, the leader of the Love Machines, this time taking as partners Arashi as Love Machine Storm and Gran Hamada as Mini Love Machine. Whatever role he plays, Junji Hirata is a very respected veteran and is well liked by wrestlers, officials, and fans alike.

In the late 2000s, Hirata was a founding member of the Legend and Seigigun stables. He wrestled his final match on April 2, 2014, at Wataru Inoue's retirement event. He now works as a trainer at the NJPW Dojo. On April 12, 2018, it was announced that he was retiring from active competition. His retirement ceremony was held on June 19 at Korakuen Hall.

Kizuna Road 2018 (June 19) ~Super Strong Machine Retirement Ceremony~ - Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan

Personal life

Hirata's son trained in the Dragon Gate Dojo and debuted for the promotion in 2019 under the name Strong Machine J. He formed the Strong Machine Dantai with Strong Machine F (Don Fujii), Strong Machine G (Gamma), and Strong Machine K (Shuji Kondo).

Championships and accomplishments

• All Japan Pro Wrestling
  • All Asia Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ashura Hara
• New Japan Pro-Wrestling
  • IWGP Tag Team Championship (3 times) – with George Takano (1), Hiro Saito (1) and Shinya Hashimoto (1)
• Polynesian Pacific Championship Wrestling
  • NWA Polynesian Pacific Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI ranked him #105 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 1997
• Stampede Wrestling
  • Stampede British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship (1 time)

References

1. ^ スーパー・ストロング・マシン. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-08-28.
2. NJPW. "Super Strong Machine – スーパー・ストロング・マシン | NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING". NJPW. Retrieved 2021-01-12.
3. Meltzer, Dave (November 5, 2017). "'Tokyo' Joe Daigo passes away at 75 years old". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
4. Graham Cawthon (June 24, 1986). "WWF Show Results 1986". Retrieved 2007-07-01. (Shown: July 5) featured Vince McMahon interviewing Bobby Heenan in which he showed Heenan footage of Gene Okerlund finding the Machines in Japan, with the Machines saying they were coming to the WWF and would have Capt. Lou Albano as their manager
5. cagematch.net - Strong Machine matches
6. Road to Invasion Attack 2014 〜井上亘引退記念大会〜. New Japan Pro-Wrestling (in Japanese). Retrieved 2017-02-13.
7. ^ "共闘ことばRPG コトダマン Presents KIZUNA ROAD 2018 – 東京・後楽園ホール 6/19（火）". www.njpw.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-01-12.
8. Hoops, Brian (October 30, 2015). "DAILY PRO WRESTLING HISTORY (10/30): A SLEW OF TAG TEAM TITLES CHANGE HANDS". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
9. "Wrestlingdata.com - The World's Largest Wrestling Database".
10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-19. Retrieved 2014-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

• Junji Hirata's profile at Cagematch.net , Internet Wrestling Database
• Super Strong Machine's New Japan Pro-Wrestling profile

• Japanese male professional wrestlers
• Masked wrestlers
• Living people
• People from Hiratsuka, Kanagawa
• 1956 births
• Japanese professional wrestling trainers
• Stampede Wrestling alumni
• Faux First Nations professional wrestlers
• IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions
• 20th-century male professional wrestlers
• 20th-century Japanese professional wrestlers
• 21st-century male professional wrestlers
• 21st-century Japanese professional wrestlers
• Stampede Wrestling British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Champions
• 20th-century Japanese sportsmen