THE MOSS COVERED THREE HANDLED FAMILY CREDENZA
ARTICLE #8
OCTOBER 8, 2001
FMW: It’s DA BOMB!!!
Barbed Wire & Land Mines Death Match: Atsushi Onita vs Mr. Pogo 5/6/91
On each side of the ring on the ground were a board with coils of barbed wire and explosives. Onita’s left shoulder was heavily taped. Pogo attacked Onita early and tried to shove him onto the barbed wire explosives. Pogo succeeded at 1:30 as Onita fell onto the barbed wire and “land mines” on one side. Pogo hit Onita with a chair back in the ring and piledrove him. Pogo again tried to shove Onita onto a side of explosives on the floor and succeeded by pushing him off the ring apron at 3:40. Onita’s second fall onto the barbed wire explosives produced a sizeable gash on his right arm. Pogo piledrove Onita in the ring and gave him a top rope splash for a near fall. Onita fought back with some headbutts as his head was also bleeding. He attempted to maneuver Pogo onto the barbed wire explosives but was unsuccessful. Onita tried a second time and succeeded at 8:00 setting off a big explosion. Onita then left the ring and whipped Pogo onto another side of barbed wire explosives less than 30 seconds after the previous explosion. Pogo was a bloody mess at this point as well. Onita DDTd Pogo twice and gave him a bulldog for a near fall. Onita gave Pogo another DDT for a near fall. Onita finally scored the pin on Pogo at 13:27. Action-wise, this was better than some of their later matches because they both had greater mobility.*1/2
This match was one of the first explosion death matches FMW staged. Its setup was rather primitive by today’s standards, although the explosions were spectacular. While Onita was a horrible worker who rarely had “good” matches, his command of psychology and selling made his death matches more dramatic and engaging than the average death match. Also, Pogo wasn’t exactly the type of opponent who could carry Onita. However, their feud was a centerpiece of FMW in part of 1991 and especially 1994 & 1995 because of the level of violence they would reach against each other at a time when FMW was the leader in hardcore wrestling.
Electrified Pool and Barbed Wire Double Hell Death Match: Atsushi Onita, Mr. Gannosuke & Katsutoshi Niyama vs Mr. Pogo, Gladiator & Hideki Hosaka 9/28/94
All 6 fought at the start. Pogo immediately used a barbed wire bat on Onita to bust him open. Onita tried to push Pogo off the raft the ring was on and into the water. Niyama gave Gladiator a Rock bottom for an early near fall. Gannosuke gave Hosaka a northern lights suplex for a near fall but Gladiator then assaulted him with the barbed wire bat. Gladiator powerbombed Niyama for a near fall. Onita and Pogo fought on the raft. Gladiator threw Niyama into the water for the first explosion and elimination. Hosaka northern lights suplexed Gannosuke for a near fall. Onita charged Pogo but Pogo moved and Onita crashed into a side of explosive barbed wire. Pogo then carved up Onita with a sickle. Onita fought back and used the sickle and barbed wire bat. Gannosuke tackled Gladiator causing him to crash into the water and be eliminated amidst another explosion. Pogo carved up Gannosuke with his sickle and shoved him into a side of explosive barbed wire. Pogo torched Gannosuke with a fireball for a near fall. Pogo threw a fireball but Onita moved out of the way. Gannosuke gave Pogo a flying bodypress and they both crashed into the water for an explosion. Onita whipped Hosaka into a side of exploding barbed wire and gave him a thunderfire powerbomb for the pin at 11:30. Not a great match, but an entertaining concept. **1/4
So here you had FMW’s standard double hell death match taken one step further in terms of creativity. Again Onita and Pogo provided little quality action, but their teammates were good enough to carry the match in between explosions.
Electrified Barbed Wire Cage Time Bomb Death Match: Atsushi Onita vs Hayabusa 5/5/95
Onita’s left arm was heavily taped. They actually shook hands before the bell.. Not too much early on except them teasing the idea of someone connecting with the explosive barbed wire cage. Onita threw several chops but Hayabusa held his own. Hayabusa superkicked Onita but couldn’t send him into the cage. Onita tried to escape a headlock by shoving Hayabusa into a side of the cage but Hayabusa held on and they both crashed into the cage, setting off a big explosion that even knocked the ref, who was wearing a thick protective suit, down. Onita’s right arm was busted open from the explosion. Onita DDTd Hayabusa for an early near fall. He DDTd Hayabusa again and whipped him into the barbed wire cage for the second explosion at 7:55. Onita suplexed Hayabusa and gained a near fall. He locked Hayabusa in a sharpshooter and then a half crab. The crowd heat began to increase and Hayabusa whipped Onita into the cage for the third explosion at 11:54. At 12:00 the sirens began to sound as a warning of the impending time bomb explosion at 15:00. Hayabusa back suplexed Onita and moonsaulted him for a heated near fall. Hayabusa applied a figure 4 leglock as time trickled down. Onita powerbombed Hayabusa for a near fall at 14:12 and gained another near fall after a DDT. Hayabusa crashed into the cage as the time bomb explosion took place, encompassing the entire ring in a cloud of smoke. Onita gave Hayabusa a thunderfire powerbomb for a great near fall at 16:19. Hayabusa powerbombed Onita and then climbed to the top of the cage (all explosives were set off at the 15:00 big explosion). He missed a moonsault on Onita. Onita then gave Hayabusa a thunderfire powerbomb for a dramatic near fall but pinned Hayabusa at 18:49 after two more powerbombs. Onita was limited, but Hayabusa did a great job given the limitations of the cage. They did a good job of getting heat with the near falls in the second half. A very good death match. ***
This was originally to be Onita’s retirement match. In some ways this was a symbolic match in that you had the master of the explosion match, in the most dramatic of that variety of matches, taking on his successor as FMW’s top star. After this match, Hayabusa failed to catch fire (no pun intended) as FMW’s franchise player and Onita returned 19 months later.
Electrified Barbed Wire Land Mine Double Hell Time Bomb Death Match: Hayabusa & Masato Tanaka vs Terry Funk & Mr. Pogo 5/5/96
Again not much action early on except for the teasing of explosion spots. Tanaka DDTd Funk for an early near fall. Funk gave Tanaka a spinning toehold as Pogo applied a cross armbreaker on Hayabusa. Pogo moved out of the way and Tanaka crashed into a side of barbed wire for the first explosion at 5:58. Pogo used a jagged sickle to carve up both Hayabusa and Tanaka. Funk attacked Hayabusa with a chair. Pogo then sliced Tanaka’s back with a machete. All four men were bleeding by the 8 minute mark. Hayabusa fought back and hit Funk with a chair. He and Tanaka hit simultaneous DDTs on their opponents. They slingshot Funk onto the barbed wire side for the second explosion at 9:27. Hayabusa moonsaulted Pogo off the barbed wire for a near fall as a siren began to sound warning wrestlers of the time bomb explosion at the 15 minute mark. Funk hit Tanaka with his branding iron. Pogo went to throw a fireball at Tanaka but Hayabusa dropkicked him. Hayabusa and Pogo fell onto the barbed wire and explosives at ringside for an explosion at 11:30. Tanaka gave Funk a spinning toehold. Hayabusa cleared the landmines with a spectacular dive onto Pogo at ringside. Hayabusa gave Pogo a falcon arrow for a near fall. Tanaka gave Funk a tornado DDT for a near fall. Hayabusa powerbombed Funk with Tanaka’s help. Funk and Tanaka fell onto one side of exploding barbed wire landmines and Pogo threw Hayabusa into a side of explosive barbed wire. The time bomb then detonated at 15:00 with everyone selling like they were shot. Funk piledrove Hayabusa for a near fall twice. Pogo brought in a flaming chair and gave Hayabusa a bulldog onto the chair for a near fall. Pogo torched Tanaka with a fireball. He and Funk threw simultaneous fireballs at Hayabusa. Funk pinned Hayabusa at 19:01 after a double team powerbomb. While some of the work was lackluster, the explosions were spectacular. Tanaka, Hayabusa and Funk contributed enough to make this a good match. ***
This was sort of the zenith of Hayabusa’s period as FMW’s top star. However, the man that drew the large crowd (33,231) was Terry Funk, who was revealed as Pogo’s mystery partner a couple weeks before the show. Appropriately enough, it was Funk who pinned Hayabusa with Onita looking on near ringside.
Electrified Barbed Wire Death Match/WWA & Independent Women’s Titles: Combat Toyoda (c) vs Megumi Kudo 5/5/96
This was Toyoda’s retirement match. Toyoda won a stiff exchange of blows. They teased sending each other into the barbed wire explosives and did a good job at it. Kudo relied on skill to dominate Toyoda early although Toyoda used her power to nearly send Kudo into the barbed wire. Kudo nearly sent Toyoda into the barbed wire with a series of kicks. Toyoda powerslammed Kudo for an early near fall. Toyoda dropkicked Kudo into the barbed wire causing en explosion that drew a huge reaction. Kudo sold the damage like she was dead. Toyoda slammed Kudo for a near fall as heat increased. Toyoda turned a torture rack into an airplane spin and gained a near fall. Toyoda applied a Romero special on Kudo in a spot uncharacteristic of Toyoda. Kudo fought back, ducked a clothesline, and Toyoda crashed into the barbed wire explosives at 10:00. Toyoda began to bleed from the arm and Kudo’s left arm was also bleeding. Kudo locked a choke sleeper on Toyoda. Kudo hit an enzuguiri and applied a dragon sleeper. Kudo went to whip Toyoda into the barbed wire but Toyoda simply collapsed. Kudo fell into non-exploding barbed wire (it had already detonated) when Toyoda gave her a lariat. Toyoda German suplexed Kudo for a heated near fall. Toyoda went for a powerbomb but Kudo countered with a DDT for a near fall. Kudo gained another near fall on Toyoda with a northern lights suplex. Toyoda gave Kudo almost a backdrop driver for a near fall and gained another near fall with a dynamic bomb. Toyoda gave Kudo two Niagara driver-like powerbombs for two heated near falls. Toyoda attempted another powerbomb but Kudo countered with a sunset flip for a near fall. Kudo gave Toyoda a hip attack but they both fell backward into the barbed wire for another explosion. After a lengthy period of selling the damage, Kudo gave Toyoda a tiger driver for a great near fall. Kudo powerbombed Toyoda, dropping her almost like a tiger driver ’91 on her head, for a dramatic near fall. Kudo then gave Toyoda her reverse Gori special suplex and pinned her at 21:26 to win the titles. Given the extreme limitations of the barbed wire explosives this was a super match. The last eight minutes were awesome and dramatic. One of the best matches of both women’s careers and the best explosion death match ever. A great way for Toyoda to end her career, even in defeat. ****1/4
Kudo and Toyoda had been the two cornerstones of FMW’s women’s division since FMW’s birth. They feuded off and on several times during the federation’s first several years. Kudo therefore was the appropriate opponent for Toyoda in her final match. Adding to the drama was the type of match: the first ever women’s explosion death match. Kudo, work-wise, was always the better of the two women, working a somewhat athletic and fast-paced style for most of her career. Toyoda had in recent months evolved from a dull, one-dimensional heavyweight style worker to a well-rounded worker who didn’t need to be carried to have a good match. To her credit, this match was one of the best of her career. While Kudo was probably the better of the two in this match, it wasn’t like Toyoda was being carried. Toyoda entered the stadium to Onita’s entrance music, symbolic of her role as the leader of FMW’s women’s division.
WWA and FMW Women's Independent World Title No Rope Electrified Barbed Wire Land Mine Double Hell Death Match: Shark Tsuchiya (champion) vs Megumi Kudo
They mainly teased barbed wire spots in the first couple minutes. Tsuchiya whipped Kudo into a side of electrified barbed wire for the first explosion at the five minute mark. She dominated Kudo with rather dull offense. Kudo went for a German suplex but Tsuchiya countered and pushed Kudo into the other side of barbed wire for the second explosion. Tsuchiya then used a sickle to carve up Kudo's head for a while. Tsuchiya used a sleeper on Kudo. She went to throw Kudo out of the ring but Kudo reversed the move and threw Tsuchiya onto the barbed wire explosives on the floor. Kudo gained a near fall with a DDT and another with a northern lights suplex. She countered a powerbomb with a sunset flip for a near fall. Kudo gained another near fall with a tiger driver. Tsuchiya caught Kudo and powerbombed her onto the barbed wire explosives on the floor. Tsuchiya gained a near fall after three backdrop drivers as heat picked up. Tsuchiya piledrove Kudo on a chair for a near fall. She gained another near fall after she scorched Kudo with a fireball. Tsuchiya gained a near fall with a powerbomb. She charged at Kudo and they both fell into a side of electrified barbed wire. A limp Kudo fell on top of Tsuchiya and scored the pin at 21:47 to win the titles. 17:43 of this match aired. Not great, but acceptable given the limitations caused by the barbed wire and explosives. **1/4
This match featured the queen of hardcore wrestling against her main rival. It took the Kudo-Toyoda explosion setting one step further by staging a double hell death match. Throughout her career Kudo was able to carry limited and generally inferior workers to decent matches, and this occasion was no different. Since Tsuchiya had much less value in 1997 than Kudo in 1996, it was appropriate for Kudo to win her last match. Unfortunately, Kudo’s retirement brought on the eventual death of FMW’s women’s division since no marketable or very talented women remained.
NEXT ISSUE: Honorable Mention Part 3
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