is a Japanese entertainment personality and former

professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

. She wrestled under her maiden name for

Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989, by Atsushi Onita as (FMW). The promotion specializes in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fire. They held their f ...

, where she became the top star of the Women's Division. Kudo is primarily known for competing in brutal death matches, where the ring ropes were replaced with barbed wire.

Professional wrestling career

Kudo played

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

. She joined

All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling , nicknamed Zenjo (全女: 全 meaning "All", 女 meaning "Woman") was a ''joshi puroresu'' (women's professional wrestling) professional wrestling promotion, promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held th ...

at the age of 16, but did not achieve any substantial success. Kudo was released in March 1988. Following her release, Kudo worked as a

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

teacher. Kudo returned to wrestling in March 1990 with

. Kudo participated in Japan's first mixed tag team match in October 1990, teaming with

Ricky Fuji Ricky may refer to: Places *Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic *Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic *Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky" ...

in a losing effort to

Tarzan Goto , better known by his ring name , was a Japanese professional wrestler who wrestled on the independent circuit most of his career. He is best known for his exploding steel cage matches against Atsushi Onita in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling ( ...

and Despina Montagas. Her notable feuds were against

Shark Tsuchiya Eriko Tsuchiya (土屋恵理子, born February 19, 1970) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Shark Tsuchiya (シャーク土屋). She spent most of her career working for Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling. Pr ...

Combat Toyoda Noriyo Toyoda (豊田記代, born October 26, 1967) is a retired Japanese professional wrestler, best known under the name Combat Toyoda (コンバット豊田). She spent much of her career in Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling. Professional wres ...

and

Sumie Sakai is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. She is best known for her extensive tenure in Ring of Honor, where she was the inaugural and longest reigning Women of Honor Champion. Early life As a young woman, Sakai p ...

. In 1992, Kudo released a music album titled "Keep On Running," and starred in the action film

A Human Murder Weapon is a 1992 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike. This is the first of many Miike films to be based on manga, in this case one by Ikki Kajiwara. Cast *Megumi Kudo *Yoshika Maedomari *Hisao Maki as Teacher Omoto ''(voice)'' *Chika Matsui *Dais ...

. On December 6, 1993, Kudo returned to

for one night, losing to WWWA World Champion

Aja Kong is a Japanese professional wrestler better known by her ring name . She is the founder of the Arsion all-women professional wrestling promotion and has won several championships in both singles and tag team divisions throughout her career, prima ...

. Kudo competed in her retirement match on April 29, 1997 against

. The match was contested in a ''"No Ropes Barbed-Wire Double Landmine Glass Crush Death Match"''. Kudo officially vacated both of her title belts in a retirement ceremony on June 13, 1997.

Retirement

After retiring from professional wrestling, Kudo worked on various television programs, including as a color commentator for pro wrestling events. She also hosts a weekly radio show in Japan. Kudo married professional wrestler

Hido was a Japanese professional wrestler, better known under the ring name or simply . He is best known for his time with hardcore wrestling federations Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW), Independent Wrestling Association Mid-South (IWA-MS), Frontier Ma ...

on July 12, 1998, whom she met while in

FMW Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion founded on July 28, 1989, by Atsushi Onita as (FMW). The promotion specializes in hardcore wrestling involving weapons such as barbed wire and fire. They held their ...

Championships and accomplishments

WWA World Women's Championship The WWA World Women's Championship (''Campeonato Mundial Femilin de WWA'' in Spanish language, Spanish) is an inactive professional wrestling women's professional wrestling Championship (professional wrestling), championship promoted by the Mexic ...

(6 times) ** FMW Independent World Women's Championship (4 times) ** FMW Independent Women's / WWA World Women's Championship Tournament (1994) *''

Tokyo Sports is a Japanese daily sports newspaper founded in 1960. See also * Tokyo Sports Film Award * Tokyo Sports Puroresu Awards The are Japanese professional wrestling, or ''puroresu'', awards that have been handed out by the ''Tokyo Sports'' mag ...

'' **

Service Award A Service award was awarded by a country to a soldier or civilian for long service. It is comparable to a service medal but can be awarded to civilians as well as soldiers. Germany Kingdom of Bavaria * Königliches Ludwigsorden for 50 years' ser ...

(1997)

References

Official website (in Japanese)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kudo, Megumi Japanese female professional wrestlers 1969 births Living people 20th-century professional wrestlers FMW Women's Champions