From: hekunze@jeeves.uwaterloo.ca (Herb Kunze)
Subject: Re: FMW (was Re: The Sheik an
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 20:37:04 GMT

In article <2824.137.uupcb@ssr.com> dave.scherer%acc1bbs@ssr.com (Dave Scherer)  writes:
>>Eric writes:,
>MC>In the Observer, I read about these FMW matches involving Atushi Onita where
>  >the ring is wrapped with explosive barb wire, the ring is electrified, the r
>  >is on fire, barb wire covers the ring mat.  These matches sound
>  >very dangerous.  Has anyone seen any of these matches?  If so, what really
>  >happens?
>FMW matches are basically juicefests, at least the main events.  On the
>undercard, there are usually some young, OK workers who are not good
>enough to make All or New Japan, and some FMW women, who are nowhere
>near good enough to work for the All Japan Women.  Onita cuts himself
>more, and in more places on his body, than anyone I have ever seen.
>Quite frankly though, once you get past the blood and gimmicks, FMW
>cards are generally pretty poor.

  I saw an Atsushi Onita vs. Mr. Pogo barbed wire landmine match on the
  weekend on video.  The barbed wire was strewn around ringside in big
  wads.  It was laid on top of plywood boards underneath which were the
  explosive triggers.  The actual explosive was just past the end of the
  board.  That is, there's a three foot range or so of ringside that
  has plywood covered with barbed wire.  If you land on the plywood
  you trigger the explosive that's maybe three and a half feet from 
  the ring.  (i.e. don't screw up much).  

  Anyhow, the match was a major juicefest.  Onita got dumped out of the
  ring, there's a big bang and lots of smoke and the ref and Pogo take
  a bump to sell the explosion.  The camera zooms in as the smoke clears
  and Onita's laid out in the barbed wire.  When he gets up, they show
  a tight shot of the barbed wire tearing at his shirt and skin.  Lovely
  stuff.  Onita paints the mat red before finally dumping Pogo out of
  the ring to trigger that whole side of explosives it seems.  Since it's
  now safe to go out that side of the ring, Onita does and dumps one
  of Pogo's henchmen on the other "bank" of explosives.  After a little
  more bloodshed, Onita got the pin with a power bomb (his "patented"
  finisher).  

  I was at my parents' house for the weekend for Canadian Thanksgiving
  when I was watching this.  My mom thought that this match (and the
  WrestleMarinpiad cage match between Bull Nakano & Aja Kong) were the
  wildest things she'd ever seen.  She loved them.  I was a little less
  keen on the FMW match.  

>A certifiable lunatic.  He used to wrestle for New Japan in the
>lightheavyweight division.  He had a bad knee injury though and it
>severely hampered his mobility.  He then started his own group, with
>this new style.

  On my early 80s Japan tapes, he wrestles for All Japan, not new Japan.
  He actually held the NWA Jr. International Title three times in 1982:
  
        82   Chavo Guerrero                                     
  03/07/82   Atsushi Onita                                       North Carolina
  04/11/82   Thungure Chikano                                    Guadalajara
  04/30/82   Atsushi Onita                                       Mexico City
  07/30/82   VACANT - Onita & Guerrero go to double pin
  11/04/82   Atsushi Onita                                       Tokyo
             VACANT - Atusushi Onita injured   
  05/26/83   Chavo Guerrero (wins tourney)                       Tenryu

  I've seen him wrestle a few very nice matches from this era.  It's quite
  different from what he does now and far more appealing IMO.  

  I suppose, just like Akira Maeda, he carved his little niche into the
  Japanese pro-wrestling scene.  Whatever sells.  
                                                                Herb...