Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW) had a long history of providing Japan with the best in hardcore wrestling action, often imitated in the states by ECW and the WWE. While in business, the company boasted a list of famous wrestlers that elevated the small company into a juggernaut successfully competing against All Japan Wrestling and New Japan, the two biggest wrestling companies in Japan. And unlike some federations that will allow nearly anyone hold a title, FMW only allowed the best in the business to win the most important championship in FMW history-The Double Title Championship.
The Double Title Championship has only held by five people in FMW's history. This DVD, Rule the Asylum: Champions of FMW takes a look at the history of the Double Title Championship. Rule the Asylum contains five exciting hardcore matches featuring Mike Awesome, Hayabusa, Masato Tanaka, Kintaro Kanemura, Kodo Fuyuki and Mr. Ganosuke, representing the historic figures that made FMW a success. Rule and Asylum begins with the first Double Title Championship: Mike Awesome vs. Kintaro Kanemura. At the time Awesome held the Brass Knuckles Championship and Kanemura was the Independent World Champion.
This hardcore battle started with Awesome demonstrating his tremendous power with tackles and vicious Clotheslines. However, things came crashing down on as Awesome attempted to jump over the ropes, screwed up and ended up having his leg caught between the top and middle ropes. Taking advantage of the situation, Kanemura bashed Awesome's leg with a chair for literally five minutes until Awesome's leg was freed from the ropes. But Kanemura didn't let something so small stop him from continuing the assault. For much of the match, Kanemura worked on Awesome's leg with Leglocks and more chair shots. He then set up a table and slammed Awesome onto the table. Kanemura jumped from the top ropes and came down across Awesome's stomach, sending the big man through the table.
Kanemura then took a piece of the broken table and started beating on Awesome's leg outside of the ring. Kanemura mocked Awesome by going back inside the ring and draping himself between the second and third ropes lying comfortably as he waited for Awesome to make his way slowly back into the ring. Insulted, Awesome mounted a comeback, but Kanemura just went back to the leg to bring the giant down. Slamming Awesome's head with a table piece, Kanemura was only able to get a two count as Awesome decided it was time to fight back. Awesome demonstrated his power, first crushing a piece of the table across Kanemura's head before slamming a chair across it, busting Kanemura wide open Awesome then flung Kanemura outside the ring through a table and against the hard floor below. Awesome continued to smash the piece of the table across Kanemura again leaving tons of blood on the wood.
However, Awesome could not keep his opponent down and Kanemura kept fighting back, countering moves and landing some powerful moves of his own including a Nutcracker a la Balls Mahoney and a Leg Drop from the top ropes. Kanemura could only get a two count; in fact there were a lot of two counts for both men as neither could get a clear advantage. The end came when Awesome hit two Awesome Bombs both resulting in two counts. The big man then decided enough was enough, smashed a table across Kanemura's head and then hit a final Awesome Bomb to get the pin and become the First Double Title Champion.
Of course, Awesome would then meet his match when facing his arch-rival Masato Tanaka. These two have a long history, feuding over the Double Title in Japan and the ECW World Title in America. Just like their matches before, these two put on a brutally stiff clinic of hardcore wrestling. Awesome took control of the match when he landed a very nice Shoulder Tackle as Tanaka was flying toward him. Both men grabbed chairs and dueled with one another until Awesome knocked Tanaka's chair away and cracked him over the head. Awesome continued to dominate most of the match with chair shots, before setting up two tables side by side. Awesome then grabbed Tanaka and dropped him off the apron with a Powerbomb through both tables. Both men looked hurt, but Tanaka got the worst of it and Awesome looked like he had it all in hand.
Awesome grabbed a piece of the table and cracked Tanaka over the head, but couldn't send him to the floor. He slammed him again with the table, but Tanaka staggered and stayed on his feet. Awesome then broke the table to pieces, but Tanaka still had enough presence to grab Awesome for balance. However, that proved to be not a wise move as Awesome landed a nasty Awesome Bomb for a 2 ¾ count as Tanaka barely kicked out, feverishly asking the ref if he beat the count. Relieved that he was still alive in the match, Tanaka slowly started to get back into it. Awesome set up a table and was about to send Tanaka through it once more, but it was reversed and Awesome ended up breaking wood, and being sent over the top ropes. Tanaka then slammed Awesome with a vicious Forearm, but Awesome got a sudden burst of adrenaline and asked for more. Unfortunately, Tanaka gave Awesome what he wanted, hitting a Roaring Elbow and a pin to capture the Double Title.
This match started off with quick action as Tanaka and Ganosuke exchanged vicious slaps across the face, showing no respect for one another. Tanaka then hit a Forearm Smash on Ganosuke outside the ring and then ran a chair shot into the dastardly rulebreaker's head. Ganosuke may be a rulebreaker, but he's intelligent and was able to counter a Tornado DDT from the top ropes, by sticking his knee up at the end of the move, hitting Tanaka in the stomach and sending him to the mat. Ganosuke used his bloodthirsty quest for the title to good use when he grabbed Tanaka in the first section of the crowd and Powerbombed him through a table.
If you thought that was vicious, you should have seen what happened next. Tanaka already bleeding from the head was jacked up some more by Ganosuke courtesy of broomstick. Ganosuke broke the broom in half and started carving the broken end into Tanaka's arm. Ganosuke continued to rip into Tanaka, weakening the powerful wrestler and stopping him from using the signature moves that have made him famous. Ganosuke even landed a Missile Dropkick from the top ropes across the arm, but it did not stop Tanaka, who grabbed away a piece of a table from Ganosuke and pounded his head in until the table broke to pieces. This was just an awesome match. Both men had tremendous hearts and continued to fight back, neither man allowing to be pinned. The Double Titles meant so much to both men and there seemed to be no end to this great match. Both men could barely stay on their feet and when it looked like there would be no winner Tanaka hit two Roaring Elbows, but when he went for the third and final blow, Ganosuke grabbed Tanaka's arm, dropped into an Armbar, which he turned into a Cradle Pin Fall, locking Tanaka's arms and legs and scoring the big win and the championship.
This match was action packed completed with some technical prowess from both men. From the beginning of the match, Hayabusa took advantage of Ganosuke's much talked about injured knees. Hayabusa locked in a Figure-Four Leglock, but Ganosuke feverously worked his way to the ropes breaking the hold. Frustrated, Ganosuke locked in a Submission Hold of his own and worked on Hayabusa's arms. Ganosuke continued to work on Hayabusa's arm while Hayabusa worked on Ganosuke's leg.
The battle continued as Ganosuke mocked Hayabusa by hitting the Flying Assassin with his own signature Falcon's Arrow Powerbomb. Ganosuke continued his assault using one of Hayabusa's friend, Hakushi's signature move, a Praying Powerbomb, but Hayabusa reversed it into a Hurricanrana. Hayabusa sent Ganosuke onto the arena floor and landed a Somersault Press onto his nemesis. Hayabusa landed his patented Phoenix Splash followed by a 450-Degree Firebird Splash, but only scored a two count for his troubles. Ganosuke could not do much, because his injured knees thwarted every attempt at a powerful move. Ganosuke land ed an inverted Piledriver and then would spend as much time on his back as the victim of the attack. Hayabusa was able to capitalize on this weakness and landed a vicious Full-Nelson Dragon Suplex, followed by a Bodyslam and a much better version of the Phoenix Splash right onto Ganosuke's stomach, allowing the masked flyboy to score the pin and take home the gold.
The storied history of the Double Title Championship ended with this very match. Fuyuki, a wily veteran with over two decades of experience is the bad guy of bad guys, manipulating his cohorts and his enemies. In the other corner, was FMW's hero, Hayabusa, who the fans adored without question. Both men, experienced grapplers, felt each other out, making for a very slow match at first as both men grappled with a variety of mat moves. Hayabusa worked on Fuyuki's arm and Fuyuki worked on the basis of Hayabusa's aerial assault-the masked man's legs, which never worked. Hayabusa changed the pace of the match by using his legs and springing all around the ring, while Fuyuki maintained his power with a vicious Brainbuster to keep Hayabusa in check. Another Brainbuster allowed Fuyuki to gain the edge with the first Pinfall attempt of the night resulting in a two count.
However, no matter what Fuyuki did to Hayabusa, the Flying Assassin would not allow himself to be pinned, even when the Fuyuki Special was applied. Also known as the Plastic Surgery Facelock, this move is just so awesome! One of Fuyuki's arms is tied to one arm behind Hayabusa's back. While Hayabusa's other arm is locked behind Fuyuki's leg, Fuyuki's uses his knee to jab into the high flier's head. Fuyuki's other arm crushed Hayabusa's face further into the knee, making for an extremely painful move. Still, Hayabusa would not give up and miraculously fought his way to the ropes to break the hold and sending Fuyuki outside the ring. Hayabusa fought hard and slammed Fuyuki to the mat and landed a beautiful 450-Degree Firebird Splash, but only manage to get a two count. Hayabusa went back to the top ropes, but Fuyuki came up from behind and placed Hayabusa's head on his shoulders and both legs locked up in his arms, before dropping back down on the mat and sending Hayabusa's head into his shoulders and onto the mat.
It seemed the match would never end, it was apparent that both men were fighting for something more than a title. This was for pride and a place in FMW history and neither man would give up. However, emotions can get the better of a wrestler and when Hayabusa hit a slam, he didn't make sure Fuyuki was completely out. Because of his mistake in judgment, Hayabusa missed a Phoenix Splash. Fuyuki got back to his feet, used a Running Lariat, but for only a two count. The next attempt was all Fuyuki needed and the vicious Lariat Clothesline Fuyuki loves using enabled him to score the pinfall and win the title- The Final Double Title Champion.
After the match, Fuyuki let Hayabusa know that he wouldn't win the title back, because he was going to create one championship from the two belts. After becoming Commissioner of FMW, Fuyuki renamed the title, the World Entertainment Wrestling (WEW Title).
The lineage back to the Double Title Championship is still well known, but with a new name, the title did not seem to hold the same significance. Still, the title belt was still a valued prize as Tanaka defeated Fuyuki on the Judgment DVD to take the gold before losing the title to Kuroda on the War of Attrition DVD. Everything came full circle as the last Double Title Champion and first WEW champion won the title back from Kuroda on the Backdraft DVD.
Unfortunately, this is the last FMW DVD as it appears no more titles will be released with the company's demise, after the death of its President, Shoichi Arai. Even with its demise, FMW will never be forgotten. Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling was created for the fans and will continue to live on in the fan's hearts and in every hardcore match ever attempted. FMW: Gone But Never Forgotten!
Send your comments and or questions to JMinners@ybfree.com.