FMW STORY OF THE F VOL. 1
Running Time: almost 5 hours
This is the first of three videos that would become the ultimate collection of highlights and matches for FMW fans from mid-1995 to mid-1998. This tape chronicles FMW’s notable moments and matches from 5/17/95 to 3/30/96. Actually, this is a two tape set, with one tape focusing on the women’s division and the other the men’s division. Each tape is comprised of a ton of match highlights and brief clips along with some longer match airings and a few complete matches as well. One of the drawbacks of this format is that some obviously great matches are given little airtime while certain other matches are given too much airtime, like some of the matches from the latter months of the tape coverage. Trying to summarize FMW’s major developments as they are covered in this tape isn’t very easy or worthwhile, so I will focus on match reviews like most of my other tape reviews.
-Women-
2) 12/10/95 WWA & FMW Independent Women’s Titles: Combat Toyoda (c) vs Shark Tsuchiya
Toyoda attacked Tsuchiya at the bell and used a chain on her. Toyoda piledrove Tsuchiya through a ringside table. Nakamura interfered and hit Toyoda with a chair. Tsuchiya tried to bring a sickle into the ring but Toyoda fought back. Tsuchiya regained the advantage when Sato and Nakamura interfered again. Tsuchiya gained a near fall with a back suplex and another with a powerbomb. Toyoda German suplexed Tsuchiya for a near fall as Megumi Kudo prevented Sato and Nakamura from interfering. Toyoda powerbombed Tsuchiya for a near fall. Toyoda gave Tsuchiya a tiger driver and pinned her at 10:56 (6:22 aired). A decent, heated match. **1/4
3) 1/5/96: Combat Toyoda & Hikari Ishketa vs Megumi Kudo & Kaori Nakayama
The focus was on the rookies early and they looked fine given their limited offense. Kudo and Toyoda then traded offense, including a Toyoda airplane spin. Ishketa gained a near fall on Kudo with a double arm suplex. Nakayama dominated Ishketa and gained a few near falls. Kudo gave Ishketa a hip attack. Toyoda dropkicked Kudo and hit a top rope splash for a near fall. There was some decent action during the body of the match although it never seemed to kick into high gear. Nakayama gained a near fall on Ishketa with a standing moonsault. Nakayama pinned Ishketa at 15:21 after a top rope moonsault (11:01 aired). A decent match, but dull until the last couple minutes. **1/4
4) 1/10/96: Combat Toyoda vs Aja Kong
They brawled at ringside early with Toyoda gaining the advantage. Toyoda hit Kong with Kong’s trash can. Toyoda attempted a tope suicida but Kong hit her in mid-air with the trash can. Kong dominated a brawl into the crowd, hitting Toyoda with a chair and using a table. Kong continued to dominate Toyoda, who was busted open, in the ring. Kong gained a near fall with a piledriver and another with a second rope splash. Toyoda fought back with a lariat and gained a near fall after a top rope splash. Kong was busted open by this point as well. Kong gained a near fall with a back suplex and another with a top rope elbow. Kong missed an uraken and Toyoda German suplexed her. Toyoda gained a near fall after a top rope dropkick and another with a top rope senton. Kong fought back with an uraken and gave Toyoda a released German suplex and another uraken for the pin at 12:20 (10:24 aired). A good match between the two heavyweights. ***1/4
5) 1/10/96: Megumi Kudo vs Chigusa Nagayo
Chigusa hit two spin kicks early. Kudo fought back and applied a sleeper. Kudo gave Nagayo a hip attack but Nagayo took her down on a second hip attack attempt. Nagayo and Kudo traded various offense. Nagayo locked on a sleeper of her own. Nagayo gained a near fall with a German suplex and another with a dragon suplex. She also back suplexed Kudo for a near fall. Kudo fought back with a northern lights suplex for a near fall. Nagayo caught a flying Kudo and powerbombed her for the pin at 6:51. A short and disappointing match given their talents. *3/4
6) 2/23/96: Megumi Kudo, Kaori Nakayama & Yukie Nabeno vs Shark Tsuchiya, Crusher Maedomari & Bad Nurse Nakamura
Early action took place in and out of the ring. Tsuchiya used a sickle to bloody her opponents. She gained a couple near falls on Nakayama. Kudo hit a double DDT on Tsuchiya and Nakamura. Kudo gave Nakamura two hip attacks and a flying bodypress for a near fall. Nabeno gave Nakamura a 4-locomotion double arm suplex for a near fall. Nakayama gained a near fall on Nakamura with a rollup and another with a bulldog. Nakamura gave Nakayama a rolling cradle for a near fall. Kudo rolled up Tsuchiya for a near fall. Tsuchiya back suplexed Kudo with Maedomari’s help for a near fall. Tsuchiya back suplexed Kudo for a near fall. Maedomari gained a near fall on Nakayama with a big splash. Nakayama hit a plancha on Nakamura and Kudo hit a tope suicida on all three opponents. Kudo gained a near fall on Nakamura with a northern lights suplex. Kudo gave Nakamura her reverse Gori special suplex for the pin at 17:47 (10:46 aired). A good match since Kudo was good, Nakayama worked hard and Nakamura was better than usual. ***
-Men-
8) 2/23/96 War Games Cage Match: Masato Tanaka, Ricky Fuji & Tetsuhiro Kuroda vs W*ING Kanemura, Hido & Mitsuhiro Matsunaga
Hido and Tanaka started out with Tanaka looking good on offense. Kanemura was the next man to enter the fight followed by Kuroda. Hido won a slugfest with Tanaka on a ladder but Kuroda kicked the ladder over. Kuroda climbed the ladder and grabbed the barbed wire bat but Kanemura took it and hit Kuroda with it. Tanaka hit Hido with the barbed wire bat and Kuroda splashed Kanemura with the ladder. Matsunaga and Fuji then entered the cage. Tanaka dropkicked Kanemura from the top of the cage for a near fall. Tanaka threw Matsunaga off the top of the cage and elbowed him for a near fall. Tanaka was the most dominant as he attacked all three opponents. Kanemura brought a table into the cage and hit Tanaka with it. Kanemura hit a splash off the cage onto Tanaka, who was on the table. Kuroda hit Hido over the head twice with a table piece. Fuji gained a near fall on Hido with a tiger driver. Kanemura gained a near fall on Kuroda with a powerbomb on the table (flat on the canvas). Matsunaga gained a near fall on Kuroda with a powerbomb on the table as well. Hido piledrove Tanaka for a near fall. Kanemura hit Tanaka hard with the ladder. He powerbombed Tanaka twice for a heated near fall. Fuji gave Kanemura a brainbuster on a chair. Tanaka unhinged the ladder so the two parts could fit across the top rope, and slammed Matsunaga through the ladder. Fuji splashed Matsunaga off the top of the cage. Tanaka and Fuji rammed Hido head first into the cage and gave him a double brainbuster for a near fall. Tanaka powerbombed Kanemura for a heated near fall and gained another with a tornado DDT. Tanaka and Kanemura traded elbows, then Kanemura gave Tanaka a brutal released German suplex. Tanaka hit Kanemura with a roaring elbow and pinned him at 16:50 (14:06 aired). Afterward, the Headhunters and Mr. Pogo entered the cage and attacked everyone, cleaning house in the process. Excellent, heated, intense match with something always happening. ****
9) 3/15/96: Masato Tanaka & Koji Nakagawa vs Headhunter A & Shoji Nakamaki
Nakamaki and Nakagawa brawled at the start. Tanaka and Nakagawa gave Headhunter A a double back suplex early. Nakagawa hit a plancha on Headhunter A. Headhunter A used a chain on Nakagawa. Nakamaki gained a near fall on Tanaka after a bulldog. Headhunter A hit a bloody Tanaka with a chair and gave him a top rope elbow for a near fall. Headhunter A gained a near fall on Tanaka with a tiger driver. Nakamaki hit a tope suicida on Tanaka and Headhunter A powerbombed Tanaka through a table at ringside. Nakagawa applied a sharpshooter on Nakamaki as Headhunter A splashed Tanaka from the apron to the floor. Nakagawa gained a near fall on Nakamaki after a German suplex. Headhunter A gave Nakagawa a top rope splash through a table. Nakamaki powerbombed Nakagawa and Headhunter A pinned him at 14:21 after a moonsault (7:55 aired). Spotty heat but otherwise a pretty good match. **1/2
10) 3/30/96 World Brass Knux Tag Team title: Super Leather & Jason The Terrible (c) vs Headhunters A & B (w/Victor Quinones)
The Headhunters gave Jason a drop toehold/elbowdrop combo. They took Jason’s mask off and pounded him with a chain, busting him open in the process. They also gave Jason a big splash/legdrop combo. Jason sunset flipped Headhunter (HH) A for a near fall. Leather hit a DDT and attacked HH B with a stick of nails (which looked like the devil’s toothbrush). HH B fought back with a suplex but Leather superplexed him for a near fall. Leather and Jason back suplexed HH B and Jason gained a near fall. Leather and Jason gave the Headhunters lariats and top rope dropkicks for a near fall. Jason actually hit a somersault plancha on one of the Headhunters and Leather followed with a plancha of his own. Headhunter A hit an incredible somersault plancha on everyone. Jason gained a near fall with a top rope bulldog. The Headhunters superbombed Jason for a near fall. HH A moonsaulted Jason for a near fall. HH A superplexed Jason and HH B gave Jason a top rope elbow for the pin at 20:44 to win the titles (9:33 aired). The match was okay when Jason was in, boring with Leather on offense and decent when the Headhunters carried things on offense. **
One thing I noticed with the selection of matches that were given sizeable airtime was actually one of the tape’s strengths in a way. A fairly wide variety of FMW’s performers were featured in such matches, which gives especially an introductory FMW fan a good picture of what the talent pool was like in 1995 and 1996. From a quality standpoint, their workers ranged from fantastic to hideous and just about every level in between. Overall, they mixed the wrestlers well and even the more limited workers could produce somewhat when in with the right talent. Overall, a recommended tape, but not a must-see tape.