Kotetsu Yamamoto
| Kotetsu Yamamoto | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Masaru Yamamoto (山本 勝, Yamamoto Masaru) |
| Born | October 30, 1941 Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | August 28, 2010 (aged 68) Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan |
| Cause of death | hypoxic encephalopathy |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Kotetsu Yamamoto Little Yamaha |
| Billed height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) |
| Billed weight | 100 kg (220 lb) |
| Trained by | Rikidozan Antonio Inoki |
| Debut | July 19, 1963 |
| Retired | April 4, 1980 (full time) December 18, 2008 (Last Match) |
Masaru Yamamoto (山本 勝, Yamamoto Masaru, October 30, 1941 – August 28, 2010), known by his ring name Kotetsu Yamamoto (山本小鉄, Yamamoto Kotetsu) was a Japanese professional wrestler, referee, and color commentator for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He was named "Kotetsu" ("Little Iron") by former Japanese pro wrestler Toyonobori after the famous knight, Aizu-No-Kotetsu. Originally a wrestler, Yamamoto was mostly known for his tag team the Yamaha Brothers with Kantaro Hoshino but made his biggest mark as a trainer in the New Japan Dojo having helped train Keiji Mutoh, Jushin Thunder Liger, Minoru Suzuki, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Masahiro Chono among others.