On November 6, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, during the event marking Tatsumi Fujinami’s 55th anniversary as a wrestler, Fujinami’s eldest son LEONA faced off in a singles match for the first time against Strong Machine J, the son of Super Strong Machine. Back in May 1985, Fujinami’s outburst exposing Machine’s true identity with the line “You’re Hirata, aren’t you?” is still remembered 41 years later as one of the most legendary moments in pro wrestling history. The match saw J take an early lead by brawling outside the ring, while LEONA fought back with a Dragon Rocket, and it ultimately ended in a 15-minute time-limit draw. On the thread, users debated how funny the original unmasking incident actually was, and discussed examples of successful second-generation wrestlers both in Japan and abroad.
Dradition’s event celebrating Tatsumi Fujinami’s 55th anniversary as a wrestler, “DRAGON EXPO2026,” was held on the 6th at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, where Tatsumi Fujinami’s eldest son LEONA (33) squared off in a singles match against Strong Machine J, whose father is Super Strong Machine.
At the Kumamoto event on May 17, 1985, Fujinami exposed Machine’s true identity, declaring, “You’re Hirata, aren’t you?” Even 41 years later, it’s still passed down as one of the most legendary lines in pro wrestling history. The sons of both men went on to become wrestlers themselves, and in August they even teamed up as a “second-generation duo” in Dragon Gate’s tag league.
But now, the one-on-one showdown has finally happened. J immediately took the fight outside the ring and gained the upper hand, but LEONA struck back with the Dragon Rocket — a move he said he “hadn’t broken out in a while.” The two put on a fierce battle, and before anyone knew it, the 15 minutes were up, ending in a time-limit draw.
Honestly I'd rather watch some Osaka night-view video channel on YouTube than watch Peace-kun from Omiya Park (a local park mascot) — way more entertaining.
3AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:02
He was originally supposed to be Kinnikuman, but they couldn't get the licensing rights.
4AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:03
Feels like second-generation pro wrestlers never really amount to much. Was there ever one who actually made it big?
7AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:04
Re: #4 Maybe it's just Japan — overseas there are plenty, right? Like Cody (Rhodes).
23AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:21
Re: #4 The Von Erich brothers. Though it's just Kevin left now (lol).
33AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:35
Re: #4 Father: Dory Funk Sr. Older brother: Dory Funk Jr. Younger brother: Terry Funk Jr.
8AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:05
It's famous, but I honestly don't get what's so interesting about it.
82AnonymousNov 7, 2026 02:20
Re: #8 I think it's simply the "don't say it out loud!" factor.
13AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:06
There was a stretch where wanted posters outside police stations had the line "You're Koike, aren't you" written on them. Is that where this came from?
48AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:55
Re: #13 That one's actually "Oi! Koike!" — a different, older catchphrase.
15AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:08
So basically the sons of Fujinami and Machine fought each other? Pro wrestling's really turned into something like rakugo or kabuki — isn't it about time somebody took on the name "Antonio Inoki II"?
17AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:10
Re: #15 Japan aside, isn't it pretty much the same overseas? Feels like American and Mexican wrestling have plenty of second-generation guys too.
24AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:22
Re: #15 With kabuki's hereditary system, you can't reach the top unless you're a blood son or an adopted heir, but in wrestling and rakugo you don't have to be second-generation to make it to the top. If wrestling had a hereditary system like kabuki, maybe one of Rikidozan's sons (Yoshihiro Momota or Mitsuo Momota) would have taken the name "Rikidozan II" and become the ace.
18AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:15
Isn't there a "Dr. Wagner Jr. Jr."?
34AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:35
Re: #18 Dr. Wagner Jr.'s son is El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. ("El Hijo del" means "the son of" in Spanish).
19AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:16
Pro wrestling, rakugo, kabuki — worlds like club activities where regular people have almost no way in — inevitably turn into closed little communities. Horse racing jockeys are the same, lots of second-generation ones there too.
20AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:16
Fujinami: "You're Hirato! No wait, Hirai! Or was it Hirano…! Got it now — you're Hiraki! (lol)" Machine: "That's just cruel (tears)."
21AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:16
Did nobody ever tell Liger "you're Yamada, aren't you" or tell Muta "you're Muto, aren't you"?
22AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:18
Re: #21 If it were Masa (Saito), maybe he would have.
26AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:23
The Von Erich family, known as "the cursed family."
27AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:25
The Funk brothers are surely the prime example of second-generation wrestlers, and the most successful at that.
81AnonymousNov 7, 2026 02:20
Re: #27 Mascaras.
29AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:28
I wonder if Matsunaga-san, who managed him, is still alive…
30AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:29
Both Fujinami's son and Machine J are smaller than their dads, huh…
31AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:31
In America, second-generation wrestlers include Nick Bockwinkel, Dory Funk Jr., Terry Funk, Dick Murdoch, Bob Orton Jr., the Von Erich brothers, and more — and the Orton family even has a successful third generation.
63AnonymousNov 7, 2026 01:22
Re: #31 The Rock too.
35AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:36
Is this where "you're Arita, aren't you" comes from?
36AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:36
Bruno Sammartino's son (David) didn't really pan out, huh.
37AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:37
The next day, the crowd at the arena was chanting "Hirata! Hirata!" Even when Inoki told him to take off the mask, Hirata wouldn't do it.
38AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:37
Greg Valentine (son of Johnny Valentine) was successful too.
40AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:47
Not a wrestler himself, but Dory Funk Jr. has a son — Dory Funk Jr. Jr. (lol). If I remember right, when his dad was getting beaten down by Hansen and Brody, the son tried to help and took a full King Kong Knee Drop from Brody, busting open and bleeding. This is super famous in certain circles (lol).
42AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:50
Re: #40 Dink-kun (Dory Funk III) became a doctor, huh.
44AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:53
Re: #40 Around that time, Hansen was still with New Japan.
54AnonymousNov 7, 2026 01:07
Pro wrestlers barely make any money in Japan, so why do second-generation guys still want to become one?
Re: #40 No, Brody actually pulled the move off properly — take another look.
41AnonymousNov 7, 2026 00:49
Re: #39 Ted DiBiase was his mother's son from a previous marriage, so he's not actually blood-related to Mike DiBiase.
53AnonymousNov 7, 2026 01:04
Still, it's impressive how famous Machine managed to become. He was originally supposed to be Kinnikuman but the network couldn't clear it, so there must've been a lot of pressure. But Machine's fame wasn't just thanks to Fujinami — Wakamatsu stepped up more than expected, and Hirata could actually wrestle properly too. The "Mashin Windmill Hold" (a pun — mashin means both "Machine" and "measles") looked cool too, and honestly, Machine's face was just easy to draw (lol).
55AnonymousNov 7, 2026 01:08
Re: #53 Machine was the opponent Fujinami first unleashed the Dragon Suplex on.
58AnonymousNov 7, 2026 01:10
Re: #53 At one point there were like five or six guys playing Machine, right? Besides No. 1, there was one Machine with insane athletic ability who could pull off a no-touch tope — blew my mind at the time. Honestly, after Ishin Gundan and the WWF crew disappeared, if the Machine Army hadn't been there, New Japan wouldn't be what it is today.
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
The 1985 “You’re Hirata, aren’t you?” incident saw Tatsumi Fujinami publicly reveal the real name — Junji Hirata — of Super Strong Machine, a masked wrestler who had been marketed under a secret, unidentified persona. It’s been passed down ever since as a moment that broke pro wrestling’s usual “gimmick” and mask-related conventions. On the thread, reactions were split between people who didn’t quite get what made the episode so entertaining, and others who found it charming, reaction of the exposed wrestler included. Another major point of discussion was how second-generation wrestlers are viewed: Japan has few examples of ones who truly made it big, while overseas — the Funk brothers, the Von Erich family, the Orton bloodline, and others — there are many who succeeded across generations. This likely comes down to differences in the scale of wrestling promotions and training environments between countries, though it’s worth noting that bloodline alone doesn’t determine success or failure.
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