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Kaoru Matsumoto, the Japanese professional wrestler who rose to prominence in the 1980s, is the central subject in the Netflix sports drama show ‘The Queen of Villains.’ The show presents a dramatized recount of the wrestler’s journey through her on-screen counterpart, Kaoru. Hailing from a challenging upbringing—with a poor household and an abusive father—Karou faces many hardships as she pursues her dreams of becoming a wrestler. Her path remains intrinsically tied to Lioness Asuka and Chigusa Nagayo—a.k.a The Crush Gals—her contemporaries and biggest competitors. Consequently, the show effectively highlights the highs and lows of Dump Matsumoto’s career as becoming one of the most iconic Heels of her time. For the same reason, after witnessing the cinematic account of the wrestler’s story, fans must have grown curious about the real woman and her off-screen life.
Kaoru Matsumoto Keeps Her Legacy in Pro-Wrestling Alive
Kaoru Matsumoto charted an incredible path for herself in the 1980s after she took on her ring name, Dump Matsumoto, in January 1984. During her renowned rivalry with the Crush Gas, the wrestlers put on some of Japan’s highest-rated televised wrestling matches and sold out arenas with their impassioned fan base. Even though Matsumoto mostly received negative fanfare on account of her villainous role as the “Heel” in matches, her celebrity reached far and wide. Eventually, on February 25, 1988, she announced her retirement during a legendary match with the Crush Gals and Yukari Ohmori and officially retired three days later.
Nonetheless, despite Matsumoto’s departure from official professional wrestling, she has continued to be a part of the sport. In 1998, she momentarily came out of retirement for an exhibition tag team match with Crane Yu and has participated in several legends reunion events over the years. More recently, she participated in the Tomiko Kubota comeback competition in March, where she donned her Dump Matsumoto persona and smashed steel boxes on her opponents’ heads to the crowd’s cheers. Likewise, she continues attending various wrestling events, maintaining her connection to the sport and its fans.
From Tokyo’s 2024 Super Bad Festival Shinkiba Tournament in June to NAON’s YAON 2024 event in May, fans can catch a glimpse of Matsumoto at several events. She even ventured out to America and visited San Francisco for another wrestling event in March. On this trip, her former rival-turned-friend Chigusa Nagayo accompanied her alongside many other wrestlers. The group found themselves enjoying each other’s pleasant company, delicious food, and the various sights that the Californian city has to offer. Thus, even though Matsumoto has exited the gloriously violent matches she used to partake in during the 80s, the 63-year-old wrestler continues to contribute toward the sport and culture of wrestling.
Kaoru Matsumoto Enjoys Good Food and Fitness
While Kaoru Matsumoto has been actively in the public eye for a long time, she bridged the distance between herself and her fans at the start of 2024 through her social media accounts. As such, these days, fans can get professional and personal updates about the former pro-wrestler through her Instagram and Ameba profiles. Through her profile, Matsumoto often shares tidbits of her life. As a result, she was able to share her grief with her fans earlier this March on the anniversary of her beloved dog, Ulan’s tragic passing. On the other hand, fans also get to participate in the highlights of her life, which seems to be full of loving moments with friends, family, and fantastic food!
Recently, she shared her exciting experience at Muto Tourist Farm, where she went grape picking and enjoyed a delightful day outside. She also shared some of her recent favorites, expressing her love for Ministop soft serve ice cream, coffee jelly, and udon. As the former athlete shares her appreciation for tasty delicacies, she simultaneously showcases her sustained love for fitness through occasional exercise videos. Similarly, she also seems to have an inclination toward adorable online dance trends, which she often participates in herself.
Kaoru Matsumoto Gave Yuriyan Retriever Advice for Her Performance
Since ‘The Queen of Villains’ dramatizes Kaoru Matsumoto’s real life and pays tribute to her well-known and loved career, the former wrestler naturally found herself supporting the project. During production, she visited the set and met with the cast, including Gave Yuriyan, the comedian/actress who becomes the face of Matsumoto’s on-screen counterpart. The meeting remained special for both parties, as the actress came out of the experience with a key piece of advice that fueled her compelling performance. In a conversation with Japan Times, Yuriyan shared the advice she got from Matsumoto, saying, “You shouldn’t care about other people. Just do it. Just be a villain.”
Likewise, Matsumoto also supported the show by attending a promotion event at Tokyo’s famous sports arena, Korakuen Hall, in early September 2024. At the event, she reunited again with her long-time friend, Chigusa Nagayo, and the two instilled an exciting, energetic atmosphere in the arena. As such, the former pro wrestler’s life continues to remain ripe with new endeavors that she’s as passionate about as her wrestling career. Outside of her professional life, Matsumoto enjoys trips to the beaches and sightseeing in the mountains with her close friends and family. Ultimately, she seems to sport the same sense of adventure as she did all those years ago when she first put on her Dump Matsumoto stage persona.
Read More: The Queen of Villains: Is the Netflix Show Based on a True Story?
