FMW King Of Fight II 07/10/98 DirecTV PPV

Korakuen Hall
Attendance 2,100

Previously In FMW…

In between PPVs, Onita decided to take a two month sabbatical so he could finally make his debut in ECW on May 27th. He was revealed as Sandman & Dreamer’s partner against The Dudleys before he turned on them immediately. New Jack made the save while Onita did his best to look threatening while wearing a kimono. Maybe he should have stripped at the top of the arena?

And that was it for Onita in ECW in what turned out to be a complete nothing of an appearance, up there with the greats like Kareem and Dirt Bike Kid.

Tetsuhiro Kuroda (Team No Respect) vs. Hideki Hosaka (Team No Respect)

Both lads are in TNR unwillingly but only Kuroda had an amazing match with Tanaka last month. Hosaka has been ropier than a bridge in Indiana Jones so it’s kept simple for his benefit so this isn’t anything remarkable. Hosaka’s limb-based work means Kuroda struggles to throw lariats. Hosaka manages a decent tope and tope rope Frankensteiner as the crowd remain polite. Bigger moves start getting introduced as the crowd clap more with Kuroda’s wonderful Lariats keeping Hosaka in check until it’s too much for him and a third Lariat puts Hosaka away at 11:17.

Kuroda is upset at having to do that to his friend so TNR mock him afterwards by yelling at him and presumably giving their honest thoughts about the match we just saw.

Mr. Pogo #2 & Yoshinori Sasaki vs. Mach Junji & Mamoru Okamoto

This made it onto a PPV? I know they’ve got three hours to fill now but there has to be a better way. At least Brit Wres shows would have a game of bingo. Okamoto was a Battlarts student who retired in 2000 but Junji carried on until 2020. Yeah great. Pogo #2 finishes with a stunner off the top rope at 13:56.

Afterwards, Sasaki and Junji trade hard slaps to the face with both men grinning to show it’s all good. That was nice.

Super Leather vs. Hido (Chain Match)

Leather isn’t wearing a mask or holding a chainsaw tonight so he’s as much Leatherface as Barry Windham was The Stalker at the end of 1996. Crowd are going nuts at the visual because it’s the most interesting thing he’s done for months. I appreciate they’re doing something with the character and it means I have something to type about while both wrestlers are brawling through the crowd in the dark. So Leatherface was in Team No Respect but he kept losing so much that they threw him out and he’s vowed revenge on them. Because he sucks.

Leather does the same slow-mo brawl around the Hall he always does that has inexplicably given him a positive reputation after all these decades. After much punching and travelling around the venue that gives me an opportunity to catch up on episodes of Lexx, Hido sleepers Leather who counters into a Jackhammer (on his knees) before a terrible second rope headbutt (on his knees again) sets up a Powerbomb Pin (on his knees but makes sense this time) at 16:51. Christ.

The Gladiator Mike Awesome vs. Yukihiro Kanemura

Gladiator has nothing going on so fuck it, let’s give him a big bumping fat man match.

Kanemura tries to show he can go bounce-for-bounce with the bigger man but Gladiator shuts him down by overheading him half way across the ring. Kanemura shows the closest to common sense he’s ever displayed by side-stepping Gladiator’s over-the-ropes shoulder tackle and sending Mullet Man outside with a Cactus Clothesline. Awesome sends him into the front row and soars with a massive plancha to impress and terrify the fans. Back in, the bigger man soars with an over-the-ropes splash and top rope back elbow. God he was crazy to be getting this much air on offence that consisted of 90% power moves.

Flying clothesline and jumping splash keep the pressure on but Kanemura neutralises Awesome Is His Name’s knee with a chair. Kanemura fetches a table because if there’s one thing Awesome can’t deal with it’s a table. Awesome attempts to Air Sabu himself towards Kanemura but even he thinks that’s a bit much so he sidesteps again to drop the bomb that is his back senton. Kanemura’s good with pressing people’s buttons at the right time, he’d have loved Parappa The Rappa. Kanemura thinks he may be getting the advantage until Awesome spears him out his little yellow boots. The pace here has been furious for two hard-hitters of their size. Awesome in particular is letting it all hang out, as he dives off the top onto the apron to squish Kanemura with an elbow before falling to the floor. I think he’s happy having a willing dance partner after weeks of rubbish opponents.

Gladiator then delivers an absolutely stunning looking running Awesome Bomb off the apron and into the entrance way to obliterate a table and the fans’ shoes. Jesus.

Kanemura appears to be dead but still manages to kick out of an Awesome Splash. Kanemura’s grease allows him to sneak out of another Awesome Bomb attempt and get two from a backslide before Side Suplexing the Fat Chick Thriller onto his mullet. Crowd are buzzing wildly now. Awesome shuts up Kanemura up with a crazed German Suplex into the corner before setting up another table. Kanemura attempts a Superplex but Awesome blocks so Kanemura jumps off and suplexes the table into Awesome’s face. Ha! The table bounces to the outside enabling Gladiator to finish this encounter with an Awesome Bomb off the top rope and very nearly onto Kanemura’s poor bastard head in an insanely dangerous moment at 12:40 to cause one of the commentators to tell “OH SHIIIT”.

Fan-fucking-tastic display of crazy big lad bumping from two of the best of the late 90s to do it. Downright terrifying in certain moments too.

Kanemura is checked on by TNR but in typical fashion he’d be fine and wouldn’t take any time off. Those Love Hotels don’t pay for themselves, y’know.

While Onita was thrilling people in ECW, FMW announced during a press conference that they’re going all-in on this Entertainment Wrestling concept. Just in case people weren’t watching the PPVs and not paying attention.

Elimination Match

Hayabusa & Daisuke Ikeda & Hisakatsu Oya & Ricky Fuji vs. Kodo Fuyuki & Koji Nakagawa & Jado & Gedo

It’s a rematch of last PPV’s main event but under elimination rules. Well last time was all about getting Ikeda and his cheap-looking gear so let’s concentrate on someone else this time.

Oya dismantles Nakagawa and the traitorous bitch has nothing so Gedo has to save him with chokes. Match takes it’s time getting going as everyone gets their chance to start off and feel each other out with TNR reminding the crowd that they will run-in on any signs of offence on their behalf. Also Ikeda and Hayabusa are still trying to get the double spinning wheel kick over but it still looks rubbish. Nakagawa demonstrates his new Miz/Dominik Mysterio style character by only getting offence after his mates have done the work. So it’s up to Ricky Fuji to man the fort, leading to Gedo to eliminate him with a frog splash at 10:18.

Fuji’s a sore loser so like Hogan at Rumble 1992, he distracts Gedo long enough for Ikeda to lariat him out at 10:54.

Oya uses his expert mat skills to kick Nakagawa repeatedly in the balls. TNR double lariat the balding one who is able to get one decent backdrop suplex out the way before Jado lariats him out of the match at 14:03.

Hayabusa springboards into Jado before he can even turn around, sending him outside and taking him out with a beautiful Asai Moonsault. Back inside the Dream Sequence is cut off by Fuyuki but the Ace kicks out of his Yelling Lariat. Jado and his possibly-sober possibly-not offence can’t put Hayabusa away but he still has to take a lot of lariats because it’s the style at the time. Falcon Arrow and 450 Splash puts Jado away at 17:21.

Fuyuki removes Hayabusa’s mask, annoying and shocking the crowd. Ikeda’s mid-speed kicks are no match for Fuyuki’s girth and screaming. Ito prances around at ringside wearing Hayabusa’s mask while Nakagawa starts stabbing Hayabusa with a fork. Fuji returns to really look like a sore loser and his distraction allows a Superbomb on Ikeda, which he kicks out of. Fuji saves Ikeda from a Stretch Plumb to a few noticeable boos, before a Yelling Lariat eliminates Ikeda at 20:01.

The heat is on now as there’s so much action occurring and only Hayabusa remaining on Team FMW. Nakagawa continues stabbing away at his forehead to really pump up the plasma and cause fans to scream. Hayabusa can do little but take a battering from Fuyuki and little bitch Nakagawa but he’s still able to kick out. Big fat powerbomb and crossbody won’t end Hayabusa who always seems to take a beating in his matches. Fuyuki accidentally lariats Nakagawa so Hayabusa uses this opportunity to…take his eyes off the prize and crossbody Fuyuki outside. Dummy. Upon re-entering the ring, Nakagawa kicks him in the groin but Nakagawa is able to grab his fork and…

…no, Hayabusa removes the fork from him but just as he’s about to use it, Nakagawa mists him in the face and rolls Hayabusa up to end the match at 24:59.

Fairly standard for the first half but then it started rocking and rolling in the last third. Match was mostly based on getting Nakagawa over as a guy who homages the likes of Abby and Tiger Jeet Singh with his bitch stabbing, and the crowd reactions would say this was a success.

Post-match a bloody unmasked Hayabusa tells Nakagawa that if he wants to get dark then he can get dark too.

Overall: Dismal undercard aided by an barnburner in Gladiator vs. Kanemura match and a passable main event. I mean at least we get one great match per show but right now FMW’s best positive is the fast-forward button.

Next Week: FMW goes Dark.

I’ve been Maffew.