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Well, I thought last issue was going to be my last look at Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW), but fortunately I was able to obtain the final DVD to complete YBFREE.com's FMW Recap, and that collection wouldn't be complete without a look at one of FMW's best stars, Masato Tanaka. The Tanaka is one of the few Japanese stars to cross the Pacific and become famous in North America without having to play a ninja or throwing salt. Fans may know him for his days in ECW, but it all started in FMW.
This DVD focuses on the legendary career of Masato Tanaka, from his early skinnier days to his no nonsense claim to fame and how he came to lead FMW to the legacy it leaves wrestling fans. But before you go on here is a little background on how Tanaka climbed the ranks. When the legendary Onita retired and Hayabusa was out of the picture due to his many injuries, the WING, a renegade group, was running roughshod over FMW and the Japanese hardcore promotion needed a hero to stop the dastardly group. FMW called on Masato Tanaka, the hardest working wrestler in FMW.
Masato Tanaka teams with Kuroda and Ricky Fuji to battle Kanemura, Hido and Matsunaga in a bloody match where everything was legal including handcuffs, and a barbed wire baseball bat. Tanaka started the match off against Hido and every couple of minutes, a new wrestler would come into the ring to join one of his teammates. Kanemura joined Hido and the two men worked on Tanaka until Kuroda joined his partner and evened the odds. Kuroda climbed the ladder and grabbed the barbed wire baseball bat until Kanemura grabed the bat away and bashes Kuroda and Tanaka with it. Matsunaga joined the heel team and worked on Kuroda and Tanaka until Ricky Fuji came down and saved his friends. Blood was everywhere, but none of the men would relent. Tanaka showed the most courage landing a Dropkick on Kanemura from the top of the cage then slamming Matsunaga off the of the cage and landing a brutal Flying Elbow Drop to his opponent.
The match shifted back and forth; Kanemura tried to keep things going his way as he grabbed a table and jumped off the top ropes and attempted to throw the table at Tanaka, all in one stunning move. He threw the table at Tanaka and Kuroda continuing the assualt jumped off the top ropes and landed on Tanaka, but the table did not break. Kanemura pushed the table into the corner and threw Tanaka into it, finally breaking the table into two pieces. Kuroda picked up one of the pieces and in the move of the match, bashed the piece into Hido's head, leaving a big hole in the table. Kuroda receive payback for his deeds when the members of WING handcuffed him to the cage, giving the heels a 3-on-2 advantage. However, Tanaka would not be beat, taking two Powerbombs and kicking out of each pin attempt. Kuroda actually grabbed Hido in the match and held him back evening the odds so that Tanaka and Fuji could fight back and end the match when Tanaka lands a vicious Roaring Elbow to score the victory for his team.
Masato Tanaka teams with Kuroda and Nakagawa against Kanemura, Hido and Hosaka in a brutal match in which both teams bet in total $100,000 for the survior. This was a great match, the wrestlers traded the advantage back and forth, each team trying to throw the other into a bed of electrified barbed wire. The first casualty occured when Nakagawa prepared to slam Hosaka, who sliped, leaving Nakagawa open for an attack by Kanemura who Dropkicked Nakagawa into the electrified barbed wire ropes which sends him outside the ring onto a bed of electrified barbed wire. Nakagawa was burned badly and a small fire even started, keping the fan favorite from coming back into the ring for a majority of the match. Tanaka was also being beaten badly with barbed wire and hard chair shots. At the same time, Kuroda had a chain wrapped around his neck by Hido who dragged Kuroda around like a dog. Kuroda then turned the tables and used the chain to send himself and Hido out on the bed of electrified barbed wire.
Hosaka and Kanemura then double-team Tanaka. Kanemura powerbombed Tanaka on a pile of chairs when Nakagawa made his way back in the ring and sent Hosaka into the electrified barbed wire ropes and Kanemura into the bed of electrified barbed wire outside the ring. Tanaka sent Hosaka for another dose of electrified goodness and then hit a vicious Powerbomb for the victory.