Kaoru Matsumoto
Encyclopedia
Kaoru Matsumoto is a semi-retired Japanese
professional wrestler, known by her ringname Dump Matsumoto, who competed in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
as one of the leading female wrestlers during the 1980s. The longtime leader of the stable Gokuaku Domei—which included Crane Yu, Condor Saito and Bull Nakano
—she was one of the main rivals of the popular tag team Crush Gals. Their long running feud would become extremely popular in Japan during the 1980s, with their televised matches resulting in some of the highest rated in Japanese television as well as the promotion regularly selling out arenas. Such was her fame in Japan, she was often referred to as the Niall Quinn
of joshi.
for the AJW Championship
on January 8 and held the title for almost six months before losing the title back to Asuka on June 1, 1983.
During her feud with the Crush Gals, she would often team with Bull Nakano
and Crane Yu, who Matsumoto teamed with to defeat Lioness Asuka and Chigusa Nagayo
for the WWWA Tag Team title on February 25, 1985 although the two were forced to vacate the title two months later following Yu's retirement.
She later made an unsuccessful bid for the vacant WWWA World Heavyweight Championship
losing to Devil Masami
on December 12, 1985. She later lost to rival Chigusa Nagayo for the All Pacific Championship
in Tokyo, Japan on April 5, 1986.
as The Devils of Japan, defeating Velvet McIntyre in two separate tag team matches with Dawn Marie
in Boston, Massachusetts on March 8 and with Linda Gonzales in New York City, New York on March 16, 1986.
and Hyper Cat. She also made several appearances for the now defunct GAEA
promotion, and as recently as November 11, 2007, ran her own show under the banner of Atrocious Alliance Produce at Shinjuku FACE.
arcade game
Gokuaku Doumei Dump Matsumoto, which was released in some Western countries under the title Body Slam. The game was later ported to the Sega Master System
, but Western localized versions (renamed simply Pro Wrestling) removed her likeness and replaced the entirely female cast with male wrestlers.
Since her retirement from professional wrestling, she has appeared in a number of Japanese films during the late 1980s and early 1990s most notably portraying the character Bái Yá-Shàn in Ryoichi Ikegami
and Kazuo Koike
's Crying Freeman
series which includes Crying Freeman 2: Shades of Death, Part 1 (1989), Crying Freeman 3: Shades of Death, Part 2 (1990) and Crying Freeman 5: Abduction in Chinatown (1992). She has also starred in Scorpion Woman Prisoner: Death Threat (1991) and Okoge
(1992).
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
professional wrestler, known by her ringname Dump Matsumoto, who competed in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
, nicknamed Zenjo was a joshi puroresu promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held their first card on June 4 of that year...
as one of the leading female wrestlers during the 1980s. The longtime leader of the stable Gokuaku Domei—which included Crane Yu, Condor Saito and Bull Nakano
Bull Nakano
Keiko Nakano , better known as Bull Nakano, is a professional golfer and former professional wrestler. She began competing in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling as a teenager under the ring name Bull Nakano. As a wrestler she was a villain, who often teamed with her mentor Dump Matsumoto...
—she was one of the main rivals of the popular tag team Crush Gals. Their long running feud would become extremely popular in Japan during the 1980s, with their televised matches resulting in some of the highest rated in Japanese television as well as the promotion regularly selling out arenas. Such was her fame in Japan, she was often referred to as the Niall Quinn
Niall Quinn
Niall John Quinn honorary MBE is a former Irish international footballer, and the ex-chairman of Sunderland AFC. He still works at the club as an overseas manager. He is also heavily involved in the management side of horse racing...
of joshi.
All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (1980-1986)
Making her debut in 1980, within three years she defeated Lioness AsukaLioness Asuka
is a Japanese professional wrestler from Tokyo. Along with long-time tag team partner Chigusa Nagayo she formed The Crush Gals, known for their mainstream popularity in the 1980s, and the most successful women's tag team of all time.-Career:...
for the AJW Championship
AJW Championship
The AJW Championship was a secondary belt contested in the Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling . The first champion, in 1980, was Rimi Yokota. During the title's history, no one held the belt more than two times. The belt was abandoned in 2005, after...
on January 8 and held the title for almost six months before losing the title back to Asuka on June 1, 1983.
During her feud with the Crush Gals, she would often team with Bull Nakano
Bull Nakano
Keiko Nakano , better known as Bull Nakano, is a professional golfer and former professional wrestler. She began competing in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling as a teenager under the ring name Bull Nakano. As a wrestler she was a villain, who often teamed with her mentor Dump Matsumoto...
and Crane Yu, who Matsumoto teamed with to defeat Lioness Asuka and Chigusa Nagayo
Chigusa Nagayo
is a retired Japanese female professional wrestler best known for her mainstream popularity in the 1980s as a member of the tag team The Crush Gals with long-time partner Lioness Asuka. She was the founder of the GAEA Women's Professional Wrestling organization . She briefly competed as alter-ego...
for the WWWA Tag Team title on February 25, 1985 although the two were forced to vacate the title two months later following Yu's retirement.
She later made an unsuccessful bid for the vacant WWWA World Heavyweight Championship
WWWA World Heavyweight Championship
The WWWA World Heavyweight Championship was the top singles championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling from 1970 until it closed in 2005. It was also known in Pro Wrestling Illustrated and other London Publishing wrestling magazines as the All-Japan Women's International Championship...
losing to Devil Masami
Devil Masami
Masami Yoshida is a Japanese professional wrestler best known for her appearances in All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling, GAEA Japan and Japanese Women Pro-Wrestling Project under the name Devil Masami...
on December 12, 1985. She later lost to rival Chigusa Nagayo for the All Pacific Championship
All Pacific Championship
The All Pacific Women's Championship was the secondary singles title in the wrestling promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, or AJW. The belt was started as the Hawaiian Pacific Championship in 1977, and was renamed the All Pacific Championship in 1978.-History:...
in Tokyo, Japan on April 5, 1986.
World Wrestling Federation (1986)
In early 1986, she and Nakano made a brief appearance in the World Wrestling FederationWorld Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
as The Devils of Japan, defeating Velvet McIntyre in two separate tag team matches with Dawn Marie
Dawn Marie Johnston
Dawn Marie Johnston is a former professional wrestler, better known by her ring name, Dawn Marie. She was active in the 1980s and early 1990s...
in Boston, Massachusetts on March 8 and with Linda Gonzales in New York City, New York on March 16, 1986.
Return to AJW (1986-1988)
Once back in Japan, Matsumoto resumed her feud with the Crush Gals teaming with Bull Nakano to defeat Lioness Asuka and Kazue Nagahori (substituting for an injured Chigusa Nagayo) for the WWWA Tag Team title on August 23, 1986 however the two would eventually be forced to vacate the title the following year. Although Matsumoto officially announced her retirement on February 25, 1988 in which she wrestled the Crush Gals in a tag team match with Yukari Ohmori and then siding against her partner by switching with Nagayo against Asuka and Ohmori, she wrestled her final match against Bull Nakano and Condor Saito on February 28.Occasional appearances (1998-present)
She has since appeared on several All Japan Women "legends reunions", and in August 1998, Matsumoto and Crane Yu came out of retirement wrestling in a ten minute exhibition tag team match against Combat ToyodaCombat Toyoda
, better known by her ring name , is a retired Japanese professional wrestler who wrestled in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling most of her career.-All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling :...
and Hyper Cat. She also made several appearances for the now defunct GAEA
GAEA Japan
Gaea Japan was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. Gaea Japan (trademarked as GAEA Japan) was a Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion. (Japanese female professional...
promotion, and as recently as November 11, 2007, ran her own show under the banner of Atrocious Alliance Produce at Shinjuku FACE.
Other media
Matsumoto lent her ring name and likeness to the SegaSega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
Gokuaku Doumei Dump Matsumoto, which was released in some Western countries under the title Body Slam. The game was later ported to the Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
, but Western localized versions (renamed simply Pro Wrestling) removed her likeness and replaced the entirely female cast with male wrestlers.
Since her retirement from professional wrestling, she has appeared in a number of Japanese films during the late 1980s and early 1990s most notably portraying the character Bái Yá-Shàn in Ryoichi Ikegami
Ryoichi Ikegami
is a manga artist. He was assistant to manga artist Shigeru Mizuki in 1966. In 2001, he won the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga as the artist of Heat. He became a professor at Osaka University of Arts in 2005...
and Kazuo Koike
Kazuo Koike
is a prolific Japanese manga writer, novelist and entrepreneur.-Biography:Early in Koike's career, he studied under Golgo 13 creator Takao Saito and served as a writer on the series....
's Crying Freeman
Crying Freeman
is a manga by Kazuo Koike & Ryoichi Ikegami about an assassin who sheds tears after he kills his targets. Crying Freeman follows the title assassin, a Japanese man hypnotized and trained by the Chinese mafia to serve as its agent, and covered in a vast and complex dragon tattoo...
series which includes Crying Freeman 2: Shades of Death, Part 1 (1989), Crying Freeman 3: Shades of Death, Part 2 (1990) and Crying Freeman 5: Abduction in Chinatown (1992). She has also starred in Scorpion Woman Prisoner: Death Threat (1991) and Okoge
Okoge
is a gay-themed Japanese film written and directed by Takehiro Nakajima, released in 1992. It is also a common slang term.- Cast :- Awards :* 1992 Hochi Film Award: Best Actress , Best Supporting Actor...
(1992).
In wrestling
- Finishing moves
- Lariat
- Signature moves
- Superplex
Championships and accomplishments
- All Japan Women's Pro-WrestlingAll Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, nicknamed Zenjo was a joshi puroresu promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held their first card on June 4 of that year...
- AJW ChampionshipAJW ChampionshipThe AJW Championship was a secondary belt contested in the Japanese women's professional wrestling promotion All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling . The first champion, in 1980, was Rimi Yokota. During the title's history, no one held the belt more than two times. The belt was abandoned in 2005, after...
(1 time) - WWWA World Tag Team ChampionshipWWWA World Tag Team ChampionshipThe World Women's Wrestling Association World Tag Team Championship was the top doubles championship in All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling from 1970 until it closed in 2005...
(2 times) – with Crane Yu (1) and Bull Nakano (1) - AJW Hall of Fame (1998)
- AJW Championship
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameWrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of FameThe Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is a professional wrestling hall of fame that recognizes people who make significant contributions to the sport. It was founded in 1996 by Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame is not...
(Class of 1996)
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame
External links
- Dump Matsumoto by James Phillips
- Profile at Online World of Wrestling
- Tag Team Gallery, photo of Dump Matsumoto and Bull Nakano