Junji Hirata - Career

Career

Hirata made his debut in New Japan on August 26, 1978 against Yoshiaki Fujiwara. In November 1982, he left on an overseas training expedition to Mexico, and later Canada, where in Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling he would create the famous Super Strong Machine persona, as well as use a First Nations gimmick as Sonny Two Rivers. In April 1986, he left New Japan with Riki Chōshū for rival wrestling promotion, All Japan Pro Wrestling. In June 1987, he returned to New Japan and would soon capture the IWGP Tag Team Championship on four separate occasions with George Takano, Hiro Saito, and Shinya Hashimoto as his tag team partners.

In December 1994, he finally unmasked, dropping the Super Strong Machine character and wrestling under his real name. He revived the Super Strong Machine persona for the first time in six years in October 2000, having a brief feud with T2000 Machine (Tatsutoshi Goto). In 2005, Hirata, as the masked persona of Black Strong Machine, became a regular fixture on New Japan shows as part of Masahiro Chono's Black New Japan. He also had a brief stint in AJPW as Super Love Machine, the leader of the Love Machines. Whatever role he plays, Junji Hirata is a very respected veteran and is well liked by wrestlers, officials, and fans alike.

In the fall of 1986, the World Wrestling Federation introduced a stable of wrestlers called The Machines -- "The Giant Machine" (André the Giant), "Big Machine" (Blackjack Mulligan), and "Super Machine" (Bill Eadie) -- based on Junji Hirata's popular Super Strong Machine gimmick.

These days Hirata works for New Japan Pro Wrestling, where, under the Super Strong Machine gimmick, he is part of the Blue Justice Army, which also includes Yuji Nagata, Wataru Inoue and King Fale.

In 1989, a Nes game Tecmo World Wrestling, there is a final boss opponent called "Blue King" Earl of Doom who is loosly based on Japanese masked wrestler Junji Hirata, also known as the "Super Strong Machine".