FMW SKY PerfecTV! PPV on 11/28/00
review by Stuart

After the big Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium super-show on 11/12, it's back to Tokyo Korakuen Hall for the last show of November. Although this is a much less important rally than the Yokohama one, it only drew 450 less fans (claimed), with 2,050 in attendance. Tetsuhiro Kuroda, the self-proclaimed new ace of FMW, arrives, after his stinging betrayal of Hayabusa earlier in the month. Clips of the Yokohama show are screened, including Kuroda retiring Mr. Gannosuke and Hayabusa losing his final match before double elbow surgery, failing to take the WEW World Title from Fuyuki. Back at Korakuen, Ricky Fuji walks to the ring and says, "Welcome to F... M.... W!". Ricky sings "Sexy Storm" and does the boy toy gimmick, which I think he's getting a little old for.

Chocoball Mukai & Yoshito Sasaki vs. Tomokazu Morita & Satoru Makita

The rookies do very basic fundamental matwork, with some near submissions. There are no real moves until Chocoball is tagged in, although his first move isn't done well, as he more or less botches a kneel kick, just like he did (twice) in Yokohama. He connects with a far better one to Morita though. He applies a crab hold and just rests after that with a faux sleeper hold. He DDT's Morita, then leg lariat's the rookie in the corner. Chocoball hits a Fisherman's suplex hold for 2, Makita saving. Morita ducks a high kick and dropkick's Mukai. Morita has all kinds of trouble with a Japanese leg roll clutch hold, not really getting it on. After some more rookie grappling, Mukai gets Makita in a camel clutch and he taps out (5:44). The rookies again looked very, very green, struggling through the match. They only seem comfortable with the ultra-basic matwork at this point, but even that had some sloppiness. At least they aren't getting ahead of themselves though.
[3/4*]

Ricky Fuji & Flying Kid Ichihara vs. Hisakatsu Oya & Shinjuku Shark

Ricky and Oya do some perfectly fine wrestling, which may not sound like much, but this is FMW's undercard we're talking about. They bust out old school moves, like a Cobra Twist and Octopus hold, before Shark is tagged. A pretty funny spot follows, with Fuji dropping to his back and kicking at Shark's legs (the old Inoki trademark with shooters). Ricky tries his Kamikaze, but Shark punches out of it and like Morita, has trouble with a Japanese leg roll clutch hold, Ricky saving it by pushing Shark into the ropes, on which Ichihara drops him throat-first. Fuji lariat's Shark, then tags the Flying Kid. He connects with a second rope dropkick for 2. He dropkick's a knee from under Shark and the camera keeps flicking to and from Kaoruko Arai. Oya thankfully returns soon enough, hitting a fast jumping neckbreaker drop on Ichihara, then bringing down a diving kneedrop. Ichihara dropkick's Oya out and hits a dodgy quebrada. He re-enters with a missile dropkick for 2. He returns to the top, but Oya catches and throws him down. Oya escapes a backslide and transitions into a wakigatame. After that, he brings back Shark, who throws some of his lousy punches, then hits an avalanche-style Frankensteiner for 2. He connects with a moonsault press, Ricky breaking the cover this time. Ricky Kamikaze's Shark and Ichihara follows with his own moonsault press, which looks awful. Shark accidentally decks Oya with a punch and Ichihara capitalizes with a German suplex hold for 2. Ricky tope suicida's out to Oya and Ichihara uses a backdrop suplex on Shark for 2. He misses a second moonsault press and Oya spikes him with a stiff backdrop suplex. Shark makes the cover, Ricky again saving. Shark catches Ichihara out of nowhere with an uppercut and covers for the win (6:45). Ricky teases a heel turn after the match, giving Flying Kid a DDT, but shakes his hand right after it. That's one of the weirdest things I've seen in wrestling for a while. This was better than I thought it might be, because Shark is bad enough to kill a match. However, the other three made it solid. Ichihara was pretty sloppy with his move execution though.
[*3/4]

GOEMON is shown backstage, handcuffed to the Belt of Curse. He looks weak, his eyes closed.

Aja Kong & Kyoko Inoue vs. Azusa Kudo & Emi Motokawa

Aja and Kyoko drop Emi with a big double press slam early on. Aja accidentally strikes Kyoko with a metal box, but they don't tease dissension. Kudo works an arm for ages, until Aja clobbers him with the box too. After some goofing around, she connects with a corner charge lariat for 2. A second rope body press also lands, Emi having to break the cover. Kyoko squashes Kudo against the ropes with a lariat, then turns him inside out with a regular running lariat for 2. Kudo ducks a Uraken from Aja and reverse low blow's out of a waistlock. Aja sells this, as part of the whole questionable gender overtone thing. Motokawa is finally tagged, entering with a missile dropkick to Aja and following with a flurry of regular dropkicks. She does a really nice cartwheel "through" a union lariat and uses some trickery to take both of her bigger opponents down. They roll out and Emi hits a nice plancha. Kudo follows with an apron dive somersault body attack. Emi rolls aside to avoid a second rope body press from Aja, then hits a cool Frankensteiner, where she's having problems, so "pushes" her feet off the ropes as leverage. Kudo returns and tries to kiss Aja, but she resists. Kudo does his dOWnstairs sex spot too. Kyoko hits him with a reverse low blow, but here we go again... Kudo doesn't sell much (although it seems to hurt him legitimately, so he does sell a little). He connects with a slingshot shoulderblock to Kyoko, then a running Ace Crusher. A face crusher follows for 2. Emi hits Kyoko with a catapult (via Kudo) Frankensteiner for 2 1/2. More miscommunication sees Kyoko accidentally lariat Aja, before Emi backslide's her for a near fall. Virtually out of nowhere, Kyoko gives Emi the Niagara Driver, as Aja hits Kudo with the metal box repeatedly. Kyoko covers and wins the match (12:32). Not a good match, just average and too many sex/comedy spots. It should have been better, because Kudo is the only terrible one. Aja mailed it in, Kyoko was just average and Emi was the only one who performed decently.
[*1/2]

Backstage, President Arai swallows some pills and gives a dose to Flying Kid Ichihara. What's this, drug night in FMW? Well, every night is a drug night for Kodo "forever high" Fuyuki.

GOEMON vs. Onryo

This is a rematch from 11/12, where Onryo got the upset win and forced GOEMON to wear the Belt of Curse. GOEMON staggers to the ring, the belt still handcuffed to him. The referee takes the handcuffs off, which would slow his descent to the grave I imagine. The action is pretty slow and sluggish early, unlike the fast start to their Yokohama match. GOEMON hits an Exploder/uranage combination, but runs into a Frankensteiner and goes out. Onryo hops on the ropes for a springboard plancha, but GOEMON throws the Belt of Curse at him, sending him flying back into the ring. GOEMON goes up top, but jumps into a BLINDING WHITE POWDER attack. Onryo hits two beautiful jumping and spinning elbow smashes. He connects with a missile dropkick, but GOEMON throws out of a double-arm powerbomb attempt. He dropkick's a knee from under Onryo and that EVIL THIEF traps the ghost in an Onryo clutch for 2. In turn, Onryo quickly dropkick's a knee, then tries his clutch, but GOEMON counters nicely and cradle's him for 2. GOEMON hits a high-angle double-arm facebuster and slowly covers for 2. Onryo catches a lariat and drops GOEMON with a super-stiff double-arm powerbomb for 2 1/2. He goes up and brings down a diving headbutt for 2 1/2. Onryo hooks on his Onryo clutch for 2 3/4! He follows with a crucifix cradle and gets the sudden win (7:08). GOEMON accepts the Belt of Curse without a challenge, because there is no escape. He takes his half-mask off and the part of his face that was covered is now ghost white, indicating that he's dying. Onryo smiles again, because GOEMON is soon to meet the same fate as he. This is the most interesting sports-entertainment angle that FMW has done for a long time. I think I said it in an earlier review, but the GOEMON persona really revitalized Koji Nakagawa, who's Mr. Double Cross gimmick had been long stagnant. This was similar to their Yokohama match in how it worked, only a little longer. If not for the sudden and flat finish, I'd have rated it higher, but with that, it was about the same. Cool angle though, which intrigues me.
[*3/4]

It's intermission time. Some guy talks in the ring and it's back to bush league, because suddenly a UFO appears! Naohiro Yamazaki, the UFO worshipper, walks out and both start crying. They hug and stuff. Spot show highlights are screened. Firstly, Masato Tanaka & Tetsuhiro Kuroda vs. Kodo Fuyuki & Kintaro Kanemura from 11/18. This seems like an okay match, but Fuyuki doesn't look good. Kuroda pins the WEW World Champion, hitting his Technan buster (15:56). The other match highlighted is from 11/19 and has Kanemura defending his WEW Hardcore Title against the upstart, Mammoth Sasaki. Kanemura uses a barbed wire baseball bat in this, DDT'ing Sasaki on it. Both guys take some big bumps and Kanemura eventually seals it, slamming Mammoth on some chairs and dropping a diving senton for the win (15:30). Backstage, Kuroda loans Yamazaki some money.

Mammoth Sasaki & Hideki Hosaka (c) vs. Supreme & Pogo The Clown for the WEW Hardcore Tag Team Title

After dethroning XPW's Supreme & Homeless Jimmy in Yokohama, Supreme returns with Pogo The Clown to re-challenge. Pogo's gimmick is patterned after serial rapist, John Wayne Gacy. Yes, it's absolutely disgusting, but Rob Black and XPW's existence is disgusting in general. The XPW guys attack and the match goes straight to a brawl at ringside. Back in the ring, Mammoth charges down fat Pogo (where have I heard that before?) with a shoulderblock. Hosaka actually manages to Frankensteiner bloated Supreme, sending him out. Hosaka follows with a tope suicida, almost falling short after his feet hit the ropes. More weak brawling commences, with Pogo cursing at the fans. Supreme catapult's off Pogo's back with a FAT BOY TOPE CON HILO, only he doesn't actually hit them much. Pogo squashes Mammoth with a body press for 2. The champions manage to double suplex Pogo, who seems around 400lbs at least. After more bad wrestling, Supreme hits a chair-assisted diving body press for 2. He spends FOREVER positioning a table, even though it's already set up. Mammoth and Supreme scuffle on the top, Hosaka helping out his buddy. A chair is placed over Supreme's head, then Hosaka powerbomb's the fat man, but the slob barely hits the table. His head seems to clip it, which has to hurt. Mammoth hits Supreme with the Mammoth Home Run, then a jumping neckbreaker drop. Hosaka covers and Supreme EXPOSES THE BUSINESS AGAIN by forgetting the kick out, the referee having to stop! The champions nodowa Supreme on the flat table, Hosaka getting the 3 count (13:23). Words cannot do the crappiness of this match justice. There was not one good thing about it. The XPW guys were off the charts BAD. I said in my last review that I was torn between Supreme and Shinjuku Shark as worst FMW undercarder ever, but HELLOOOO, Pogo laps them ten times over. The only thing stopping me from labeling him the worst "wrestler" to ever step foot in an FMW ring is the fact that Tiger Jeet Singh has also worked for FMW, so I'm trying to figure out which one is worse. I felt sorry for Hosaka and Sasaki, two fully trained wrestlers, having to work with these bloated disgraces.
[-*1/2]

Masato Tanaka & Tetsuhiro Kuroda vs. Jado & Gedo vs. Kodo Fuyuki & Kintaro Kanemura

Tanaka shakes hands with Jado and Gedo, while Kuroda isn't so interested. He grabs Jado's hand and short lariat's him. He then turns heel on Tanaka. The crowd goes mild, because he turned heel two weeks ago as well (on Hayabusa). Fuyuki and Kanemura seem on the same page, taking Jado and Gedo out of the ring. Kuroda gives Masato the Technan buster! He assaults Tanaka with a chair, while in the ring, Jado and Gedo gain control of Fuyuki and Kanemura. In a flash though, Kuroda returns and takes them both down. He walks over to Kanemura. Will he!? Will he!? He and Kanemura... kiss! The two and Fuyuki embrace, a new faction formed it appears. Kaori makes the difference, clobbering Fuyuki and Kuroda with her cane. Kuroda grabs her and hits the Technan buster, a 100% cheap heat spot. He grabs her cane and hits her with it, before giving the referee the Technan buster too! Things get repulsive, even for Kodo Fuyuki-booked FMW, when Kuroda starts stripping Kaori of her clothes. Tanaka intrudes before much can be done and throws Kuroda out. Kaori is carried off to the back and Tanaka loses it, destroying Kuroda in the crowd. This is Japan and the fans aren't going home without a main event. President Arai gives his consent and we have...

Masato Tanaka, Jado & Gedo vs. Kodo Fuyuki, Tetsuhiro Kuroda & Kintaro Kanemura

Straight to another brawl. Gedo tries to 'rana Fuyuki, but finds himself powerbombed. Kanemura summons the W*ING SPIRIT!, putting both Tanaka and Jado through a table outside with a diving body press from the top! The heels work over Gedo and Kanemura hits the worst FAT BOY Lionsault ever, landing on Gedo's feet. He seems to laugh at it himself though and strikes a goofy pose. Fuyuki works over Gedo with a Stretch Plum, then holds him over the ropes, allowing Kanemura to bring down a board shot to his back. Kuroda catches Gedo on the charge with a drop toehold to the middle turnbuckle, then lariat's him for a near fall. Fuyuki takes over, hitting a Fisherman's buster for 2. He bodyslam's the SUPAHFLY in position for Kanemura's slingshot rotating body press, which gets another 2 count. Gedo's eventual comeback sees him hit a DDT of sorts, then tag Tanaka. He hits a Stunner/DDT combination on Kanemura and Fuyuki, then SPE-YAH's Kuroda down with force. He catches a board shot from Kanemura and cracks it across his old rival's cranium. Tanaka connects with his rope charge elbow, then another spear. He spikes Kanemura with a super-stiff tornado DDT and tags in Jado. Jado unloads with lariats for all and crotches poor Kanemura up top. He suplexes Kanemura down for 2. Jado runs the ropes, but Fuyuki clips him from behind. Fuyuki becomes the legal man and is taken down into Jado's crossface hold, as Tanaka and Gedo take out the others. Fuyuki fights and slides on his big belly to the ropes. Jado ducks a short lariat and takes Fuyuki back down into the crossface hold, Kuroda saving this time. Jado drops Fuyuki with a Tiger Driver. Tanaka then hits a diving body press and Gedo follows with a BEAUTIFUL Superfly splash for 2 1/2! Gedo ducks a Fuyuki lariat and takes him down with a crisp crucifix cradle for 2. He ducks another lariat and throws a thrust kick to the chest for 2, moving aside when Kanemura brings down the UNBREAKABLE wooden board, which hits Fuyuki.

Tanaka tries the Diamond Dust on Fuyuki, but Kuroda stalls him and brings him down throat-first on to the top rope. Fuyuki follows with a lariat to Tanaka for 2 1/2! Kuroda lariat's Tanaka also, as Kanemura sweeps his legs (similar to Total Elimination), covering for 2 1/2! Fuyuki powerbomb's Tanaka in position for Kanemura's diving senton, Kuroda covering for 2, Gedo saving! Kuroda backs off and charges with a lariat, covering for 2 3/4! He blocks another lariat and catches a rolling lariat, then seems to be backsliding Kuroda, but instead raises him and hits a GREAT Black Tiger bomb for 2 3/4! Kuroda fights out of the Diamond Dust and accidentally lariat's the referee (BAH!). Tanaka ducks a lariat and throws his rolling elbow, covering for... 0, because the referee is still dead. Ricky Fuji confronts Kuroda, but gets thrown out. Kuroda drops Tanaka on his head with a release German suplex and readies his arm for the kill. Tanaka counters the lariat though, killing Kuroda with a super-stiff backdrop suplex! Kuroda stands and they strike each other. Tanaka is first to gather his senses though, hitting another rolling elbow for... 0. No referee. Azusa Kudo and Naohiro Yamazaki arrive and start beating up Kuroda's enemies. Kyoko Inoue, Aja Kong, Chocoball... screw it, THE ENTIRE ROSTER, including the XPW balloons, enters the ring and it's a big clustermess. In the midst of this, Kuroda gives Tanaka the Technan buster, sealing the win (14:22). Kuroda glorifies himself after the match and Fuyuki applauds. When everyone is gone, Ricky Fuji remains, flat on his stomach in the ring. Shinjuku Shark takes his clothes and Ricky is naked. Is Fuyuki trying to set a record for how many tasteless, vulgar angles can be done? Thankfully, the cameras go off before Ricky can turn over. A very good main event was partially ruined by a stupid, idiotic finish. It was one of those re-aligning of the troops situations, except no one could make any sense about who was paired with who. Everyone always seems to be turning face or heel, because Fuyuki is like a giddy boy and the wrestlers are his toy soldiers. Before that nonsense, this was a very good match. Tanaka was awesome and Gedo was only a step or so behind. It was a traditional FMW sprint, with some nice sequences, mostly involving Tanaka, but the finish brings it down a notch.
[***]

The show finishes with a Tomomi Tanimoto music video, where she goes to different cities and dances with the nation of Japan.

Overall:

Usual bad undercard, although it was better than the 11/12 set, which was awful. However, the Yokohama show had a much better set of feature matches. As good as the main event here was, the screwiness involved with it and the absolute crappiness that was the match before it, kind of neutralizes it's positive effect. GOEMON vs. Onryo was again cool, probably the most interesting part of the show. The two would meet for a third time at the next PPV, with GOEMON's life on the line... literally. The absence of Hayabusa and Gannosuke was already hurting an already struggling FMW, and the situation would only get worse.

For more of Stuart's thoughts and opinions on puroresu, visit www.puroresufan.com


Back to FMW Reviews