When Bret Hart mentioned on a recent Legends of Wrestling Roundtable that the best wrestler to come out of Canada was the Stomper, Archie Gouldie, the rest of the panel thought it was a real stretch.  It may still be, but the more you think about it the accomplishments of Gouldie, it isn’t as far out of leftfield as originally thought.

Hiro Matsuda was a very good wrestler and fairly successful both Japan and in the Florida territory.  Like other Japanese wrestlers, he played the stereotypical foreign heel and fans delighted in booing him.  However, it was not his in ring performances that he is most known for.  His contributions as a Professional Wrestling trainer is really what made Matsuda valuable in the industry.  The endless list of his students included Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger, Ron Simmons and The Great Muta.  Had Matsuta had more widely known in ring career he would be a far more viable candidate.

There really are two careers of Atsushi Onita.  The first was as a young Japanese wrestler working his way up the ranks and becoming one of the early figures of All Japan’s Junior Heavyweight Division.  However, that isn’t the career he is known for is it?

The winner of the first J Crown Championship made a lot of impact in World Championship Wrestling winning titles there as well.  Dragon was rare in that he was a Japanese wrestler who sought to develop his skills in Mexico.  After becoming a star there, he returned to Japan ready to conquer Asia.  After Japan, it was only a matter of time before he would do the same in the United States.