Gran Hamada

Professional wrestling career

Hamada 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.

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 and death

Hamada died on February 15, 2025, at the age of 74.

His 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)At the time EMLL was part of the National Wrestling Alliance
• 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)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.
• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Intercontinental Tag Team Championship (1 time, inaugural and final) – with Perro Aguayo
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (2025)

Luchas de Apuestas record

Footnotes

References

References

1. "Gran Hamada". Online World of Wrestling.
2. Madigan, Dan. (2007). "Mondo Lucha a Go Go: the bizarre & honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling". HarperCollins Publishers.
3. Madigan, Dan. (2007). "Mondo Lucha Libre: the bizarre and honorable world of wild Mexican wrestling". HarperCollins Publishers.
4. Johnson, Mike. (April 13, 2022). "4/13 This Day In History: ECW Debuts On PPV With 'Barely Legal'". PWInsider.
5. (15 February 2025). "Former WWF Star Gran Hamada Passes Away at 74". Ringside News.
6. "AJPW Junior Tag League 1984". Pro Wrestling history.
7. "B.J.W. Heavyweight Title". wrestling-titles.com.
8. Royal Duncan & Gary Will. (2006). "Wrestling Title Histories". Archeus Communications.
9. "Tiger Mask IV's Purolove profile". Purolove.
10. Royal Duncan & Gary Will. (2006). "Wrestling Title Histories". Archeus Communications.
11. "One Night Eight Man Tag Team Tournament". Cagematch.net.
12. (May 21, 2003). "Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 of the PWI Years: 87 Gran Hamada". Sports and Entertainment publications LLC.
13. Royal Duncan & Gary Will. (2000). "Wrestling Title Histories". Archeus Communications.
14. Royal Duncan & Gary Will. (2000). "Wrestling Title Histories". Archeus Communications.
15. Royal Duncan & Gary Will. (2000). "Wrestling Title Histories". Archeus Communications.
16. Royal Duncan & Gary Will. (2000). "Wrestling Title Histories". Archeus Communications.
17. Royal Duncan & Gary Will. (2000). "Wrestling Title Histories". Archeus Communications.
18. Royal Duncan & Gary Will. (2000). "Wrestling Title Histories". Archeus Communications.
19. Royal Duncan & Gary Will. (2006). "Wrestling Title Histories". Archeus Communications.
20. Hoops, Brian. (April 17, 2020). "Daily pro wrestling (04/17): WCW Spring Stampede 1994". [[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]].
21. "WWF Intercontinental Tag Team Title history". Solie.org.
22. L.L. Staff. (2008). "Lucha Libre: Conoce la historia de las leyendas de cuadrilátero". Rene Guajardo (1933 - 1992).
23. (September 2007). "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Signo.
24. Enciclopedia staff. (August 2007). "Enciclopedia de las Mascaras". Aníbal.
25. 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]].