No Rope Barbwire Electrified Exploding Cage Death Match (FMW), May 5th 1995

Atsushi Onita vs. Hayabusa

The Setting:

Atsushi Onita was a huge star in the 90’s due to his ‘garbage’ or ‘Hardcore’ company FMW. ‘Wild Thing’ was known for his extreme matches. They became increasingly violent as he had many ‘Exploding Cage’ bouts and even took part in a ‘Jungle Death Match’. This one was his ‘retirement’ match. Eiji ‘Hayabusa’ Ezaki gained a rep for being a colourful and innovative high flyer for FMW who didnt mind getting bloody too. He was deemed the companies next ‘figurehead’ once Onita retired.

The Match:

Onita slowly walks to the ring as the crowd go crazy and his theme, a cover of ‘Wild Thing’, plays away. In the cage they oddly started with a lock up and grapple on the mat. They tease Onita going into the mesh straight away to a big ‘Oooh!’ from the audience. Side headlock by Atsushi who keeps a tight grip as Hayabusa struggles. He starts chopping the masked man across the chest. Hayabusa floors him with a leaping back heel kick. Onita no sells this and responds with a couple of kicks of his own and whips H towards the cage. Luckily, for Hayabusa, he just manages to slide to a halt as the crowd ‘Ooooh!’ again. He then whips Onita towards the cage and exactly the same thing happens. H slaps on a side headlock but Onita shoves him so hard he nearly goes into the cage. He puts the brakes on and drops Onita to the mat while still holding onto a side headlock. Crowd are getting restless. Atsushi lifts up and hits a back suplex but H won’t break his grip. Out of desperation Onita pushes Hayabusa from behind sending both men into the cage. It explodes into a wall of sparks and smoke with a loud bang as the crowd begin to hyper ventilate with excitement. Both men are down and seem in agony as the crowd chant for Onita.

Their hero staggers to his feet, with a big slice across his stomach, in order to boot his opponent in the face. He hits another back Suplex for a nearfall. He lands a big DDT and whips Hayabusa into the cage for another huge explosion. Gasps from the fans as a battered H falls from the cage and the attached barbwire tears his flashy ring attire and no doubt his flesh, too. Atsushi gives him a Suplex and a legdrop for only a one count. The crowd applaud this. ‘The Great Nita’ locks on a Sharpshooter. He oddly breaks the hold to apply a single leg Crab. It appears Hayabusa is trying to get to where the ropes should be: the sick logic being if he touches the cage he and Onita will be shocked, forcing the hold to be broken. He manages to power out but Onita gets a side headlock again. H fights it and a struggle ensures – the pair dart from side to side implying they might fall into the cage at any moment. Hayabusa then pushes his foe into the wall for a huge explosion. However, Hayabusa staggers backwards with exhaustion into the corner of the ring and he is set ON FIRE briefly when the fireworks detonate wrongly.

The audience are rightly worked into frenzy by this as a countdown clock indicates three minutes before the ring will ‘explode’ if there is no winner by zero. Sirens blare and the ring is flooded with dry ice smoke (why?) while the two still battle on. They are both covered in cuts and blood. Hayabusa applies a Figure Four Leglock. Onita breaks free and lands a Powerbomb for a nearfall. DDT gets a nearfall too. The crowd are going nuts now as the announce begins the final countdown. Just at the moment of explosion Hayabusa charges Onita but he ducks and H fly’s into the cage essentially causing a double explosion. The blast is so huge it shoots out dust and smoke into the crowd who duck as it happens. As the smoke clears we see Onita is on top of the ref – he heroically covered the pipsqueak to protect him from the blast. Hayabusa is flat out on the canvas.  Onita pulls him up for a Powerbomb but somehow doesn’t get the pin. Another Powerbomb is reversed into a Hurricanrana. Hayabusa hits a Powerbomb of his own and climbs to the top of the ‘un-electrified’ cage and launches off it with a Moonsault. Onita rolls out of the way. He gives H yet another Powerbomb but this still doesn’t get the three. He staggers up and blasts Hayabusa with a further two Powerbombs for the three count. The crowd roar in approval.

The Aftermath:

Based on the success of his ‘retirement’ bout Onita would keep making comebacks then retiring again – each time stating it was ‘for good’. He is still wrestling as of today (Feb 4th 2013). He is also a former member of Japanese parliament! Hayabusa did become the top guy, at least to international fans, of FMW. Sadly, in October 2001, Hayabusa would slip off the ropes while attempting a ‘Lionsault’ and landed on his head. He was paralyzed from the neck down instantly. Thankfully, however, in recent years he has got the feeling and use back of his body and can now walk with the aid of two walking sticks for brief spells of time. He is now a pop singer, I kid you not! FMW closed shortly after this as they had no top star and became involved in a Yakuza (Japanese mafia) scandal. Check out this great website, http://fmwwrestling.us/ , for more on Hayabusa and FMW in general.

See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycb4R_dQkWQ

James Simpson (@KnowYourPuro)