About Shinya Hashimoto
Shinya Hashimoto (橋本 真也, Hashimoto Shin'ya; July 3, 1965 – July 11, 2005) was a Japanese professional wrestler, promoter and actor. Along with Masahiro Chono and Keiji Mutoh, Hashimoto was dubbed one of the "Three Musketeers" that began competing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in the mid-1980s and dominated the promotion in the 1990s. He is one of three wrestlers (the others being Keiji Mutoh and Satoshi Kojima) that have held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and is an overall five-time world champion. == Professional wrestling career == === Early years (1984–1988) === Hashimoto grew up in Toki City in Gifu and began training in judo and karate in his late teens. His training helped him in his transition to professional wrestling, as he joined the NJPW Dojo in April 1984. He made his debut for NJPW in September 1984 at the age of 19, wrestling against Tatsutoshi Goto. Hashimoto worked on becoming a skilled wrestler over the next few years, traveling whenever necessary to gain more seasoning, such as over in the United States (Continental Wrestling Association), Canada (Stampede Wrestling), and Puerto Rico (World Wrestling Council). It was in Puerto Rico in 1988 that Hashimoto formed The Three Musketeers with Masahiro Chono and Keiji Mutoh. === New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1988–2000) === Upon Hashimoto's return to New Japan in July 1988, he started to climb his way up the NJPW ladder. By this time, he introduced a martial artist gimmick based on his background, which he represented by wearing a hachimaki during his ring entrances and utilizing a wrestling style based on shoot kicks, karate strikes, and submission holds.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.