 Watanabe as Matsuyama in 2011 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1984-04-13)April 13, 1984 (age 41) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Chiharu Watanabe Kanjyuro Matsuyama |
| Billed height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) |
| Billed weight | 85 kg (187 lb) |
| Trained by | Último Dragón Jorge "Skayde" Rivera |
| Debut | February 22, 2004 |
Chiharu Watanabe (渡辺 千春,Watanabe Chiharu)[1] is a Japaneseprofessional wrestler, better known for his ring nameKanjyuro Matsuyama (松山 勘十郎,Matsuyama Kanjūrō). He has worked inToryumon andMichinoku Pro Wrestling, but is more famous for his long career inOsaka Pro Wrestling. Along withKikutaro andStalker Ichikawa, he is considered one of the greatest three comedy wrestlers in Japan.[2]
Watanabe trained in the Último Dragón Gym and graduated in the 13 Toryumon school class term, debuting inToryumon Mexico in 2004 againstSmall Dandy Fujii. He adopted thegimmick ofKanjyuro Matsuyama, a flamboyant,kumadori-wearingkabuki actor. Matsuyama still competed in Mexico until 2006, teaming up withMilanito Collection a.t. and wrestling in low profile matches. In 2005, however, he was sent toChikara as a Toryumon representative, accompanying his masterSkayde and trying to apply for the Young Lions Cup before being eliminated byIcarus. Upon his return to Toryumon, he left for Japan and never came back to Mexico.
He started working inMichinoku Pro Wrestling in October 2006, teaming withThe Great Sasuke to compete in the Futaritabi Tag Team Tournament, although only to be eliminated at the first round by Osaka Pro Wrestling representatives Ebessan andKuishinbo Kamen. Afterwards, hefeuded withOtoko Sakari, having a series of five matches which Matsuyama won by 4–3. Watanabe oscillated between MPW andOsaka Pro Wrestling through 2007, until he settled down in Osaka Pro in 2007.
Matsuyama was a mainstay of Osaka Pro Wrestling until 2014, when he left the promotion. He continued making sporadic appearances over the years.
He currently runs Matsuyamaza Pro Wrestling, which is based out of Osaka, Japan and hosts many top Japanese wrestling stars from the past and present, as well as international pro wrestlers.
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanjyuro Matsuyama (hair) | Otoko Sakari (hair) | Tokyo, Japan | Michi Pro Ride High | February 24, 2007 |
