RIP Gran Hamada

[PeteF3]

74 years old and probably still could go in the ring yesterday if he wanted to.

[Control21]

A huge loss. Gran Hamada was one of the best to do it. A constant innovator and someone who helped pushed pro wrestling forward in a lot of ways. RIP

[ohtani's jacket]

That's a shame. RIP. 

[InYourCase]

Wrote about his career for Voices. One of my favorite wrestlers ever and responsible for my favorite style of wrestling. 

https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2025/02/15/the-life-career-enduring-legacy-of-gran-hamada/

[ohtani's jacket]

1 hour ago, InYourCase said:

Wrote about his career for Voices. One of my favorite wrestlers ever and responsible for my favorite style of wrestling. 

https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2025/02/15/the-life-career-enduring-legacy-of-gran-hamada/

Excellent bio. Japanese wiki says he had been in rough shape for a while. He had surgery for prostate cancer in 2017 and suffered from a heart attack in 2018. Ayako revealed in November of last year that he was in hospital in critical condition with breathing and feeding tubes inserted. Apparently, he made a recovery and was able to leave hospital last month before succumbing to whatever illness it was. 

[rainmakerrtv]

A Classic. Loved him in all those Michi Pro multi man matches, showing the youngsters how it is done. 

[Graham Crackers]

A real titan in wrestling history. You're in safe hands when you look at the match listing and Gran Hamada is part of the tecnico trio. Some of the most precise yet spectacular offense in wrestling history. Nobody took a better back body drop, and his back body drop counter is one of my favorite sequences, a spot that works for me every time I see it. That's without talking about his legacy as a trainer.

[El-P]

On 2/16/2025 at 1:03 AM, InYourCase said:

Wrote about his career for Voices. One of my favorite wrestlers ever and responsible for my favorite style of wrestling. 

https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2025/02/15/the-life-career-enduring-legacy-of-gran-hamada/

Great article.

Papa Hamada was so awesome as already an older guy in those M-Pro 6 men. And of course, loved him showed up in ARSION to tag with his daughter Ayako. 

A truly understated but über-influential stylistic figure in pro-wrestling history.