Hiro Hase

Hiroshi Hase (born on May 5 1961 in Oyabe, Toyama, Japan) is a semi-retired Japanese professional wrestler who worked for New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling before transitioning to a position in the Japanese parliament.

Career

Hase started his career as an amateur wrestler, representing Japan at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He placed ninth in the Greco-Roman wrestling tournament. He began his professional wrestling career in Calgary, under a mask, in a tag team known as the Viet Cong Express with Fumihiro Niikura.

When he returned to Japan, Hase wrestled for NJPW's junior heavyweight division, winning the IWGP Jr. title twice in the late 1980's. He is one of a handful of wrestlers, Japanese or American, to successfully graduate from the junior to heavyweight class. In the 1990's, Hase had many memorable encounters with famous Japanese talents first in New Japan, and later All Japan. Hiroshi Hase was involved in a classic 1992 encounter with Great Muta, in which the "Muta Scale" was created, due to the incredible amount of blood shed by Muta.

In July 1995, Hiroshi Hase was elected into the Japanese House of Councillors. Hase is one of a number of professional wrestlers to transition into politics, other notables being Atsushi Onita and Great Sasuke. Known widely as one of the most unselfish wrestlers ever, Hase is a well loved and respected figure in the business.

He also won the top jackpot in a celebrity edition of the Japanese version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?.