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Rating: 
Summary: So-So Video
Review: BackstoryThe card all of this footage comes from took place sometime in '97 (they mention the date on the tape, though I don't recall it), and we get three "complete" matches in addition to highlights from some of the undercard. The DVD version allegedly has a couple more full matches, but I haven't made the commitment to that level of technology yet. According to our Tokyo Pop announce team, the entire show was revolved around the final match of FMW's top lady Megumi Kudo and managed to sell out Yokohama Stadium...the first time a predominantly male promotion had even tried something like this with a female main event. The Commentary I thought I'd throw in a segment about the announcing since early releases by Tokyo Pop caught some heat for theirs. The first set of videos in the series featured what I here were some pretty cheesy scripts where writers gave the announcers fictitious backstories to put over and lame jokes to go along with them. That's gone now. In its place are "Straight Up" John Watanabe and Dan "The Mouth" Lovranski who call the action and set up matches from a nice little studio set. Their commentary is a bizarre mix of in and out of kayfabe, and that aspect of it really doesn't work. Hearing the guys using phrases like "babyface" and "angle" one second and then hearing them trying to put over the action in the ring as legit is just outright odd. Once they do slip in to kayfabe mode, however, things really aren't too bad. Watanabe has the obnoxious JR "call every move three times" habit, but they do a good job of bringing up history and attempting to educate the fans to various aspects of the product (angles, what a guy's finisher is, etc). Particularly good is the calling of the main event, as they actually have time to spread things out instead of trying to crowd everything in to a two minute highlight package. Match #1 (Highlights): Tetsuhiro Kuroda & Hayato Nanjyo vs. Crypt Keeper & Flying Kid Ichihara There's probably no more than a minute of stuff here, so I can't really form an opinion on it one way or another. Ichihara wins with a moonsault, if I remember correctly. Seems like, if nothing else, this was just thrown on the video so viewers could get acquainted with some more of the FMW roster. Match #2 (Highlights): Kaori Nakayama, Michika Oomukai, Chikako Shiratori, Mizuki Endo and Yoko Ikeda vs. Lioness Asyka, Eagle Sawai, Crusher Maedomari, Michiko Nagashima and Miss Mongol (Ten Woman Tag Team Match) This gets more time than the previous match, but the clips are pretty much turned in to nothing more than an exhibition of Nakayama's offense, presumably to establish her as something of a star to the folks watching at home. If nothing else, this segment's notable for the announce team making fun of North American women's wrestling in comparison to this match. Match #3 (Highlights): Jinsei Shinzaki vs. Super Leather The WWF pasts of both men are mentioned, though commentator Dan Lovranski flubs a bit and says Shinzaki's WWF feud (as Hakushi) with Bret Hart was for the IC Title. Unfortunately, they don't mention Mike Kirschner choking out Vince McMahon. Pretty much just a compilation of Shinzaki's key spots with Leather getting in something here and there. I'd assume we have this on the tape to a.) utilize whatever name recognition Jinsei still might have left with a US audience and b.) play up a relationship between Shinzaki and Hayabusa, explaining Jinsei making the save for H later on the show. Match #4 (Highlights): Kodo Fuyuki, Jado and Gedo vs. Hisakatsu Ooya and The Head Hunters I'm glad they didn't give us a full Fuyuki match, 'cuz I've heard some not so nice things about him. The primary focus is the Headhunters' high flying ability. We get shots of a missile dropkick, swandive headbutt, and moonsault (the finish) from the big boys. It'd be pretty impressive to watch this if you hadn't seen the Hunters in action before...but, other than that, it seemed to serve no purpose. Video Package: Recap of the Hayabusa vs. Mr. Gannosuke feud Not being an FMW follower, I don't know all of the ins and outs of the angle myself...but the package does seem to present something that's compelling and actually well thought out, involving much deeper emotion than what's normally involved in American storylines. Torn between his friendship with Gannosuke and loyalty to FMW, Hayabusa actually breaks down and cries at one point, something that we'd probably never see on Raw. (And, for you anime fan boys who actually care about this sort of thing, the wrestlers' speaking parts during the video packages are subtitled, not dubbed.) Match #5: Hayabusa vs. Mr. Gannosuke (Hair vs. Mask Match) This is treated as being a full match by the announcers, but I have this feeling that it's been clipped down a good deal. Regardless, it's still five minutes plus, so it's not quite in the "highlights" category. It seems like just a collection of spots, however, with Hayabusa flying around like a madman and Gannosuke really doing nothing of note save the occasional powerbomb. Hayabusa eventually takes the win with a particularly brutal Falcon Arrow, which dropped 'Suke on the top of his head instead of providing the normal suplex-style release I'm used to seeing. Though Hayabusa's stuff was pretty sweetly executed (except for the Lionsault that saw his face colliding with Gannosuke's knee), there was no flow, and the match really did nothing for me. If the match really consisted only of what was shown, we'll call it about *. Gannosuke/Hayabusa Post-Match Hyjinx This being a hair vs. mask match, we'd expect some shaving now...right? Nah. Hayabusa gets on the mic and gives his friend one last chance to side with him. As you can probably all imagine, Gannosuke doesn't take it and instead pummels the H-man. We also get an unmasking, despite the fact that Hayabusa won the match. As if THAT weren't enough, Gannosuke attempts to set his former best friend on fire...but Jinsei Shinzaki makes the save, as foreshadowed above. Pretty darn good angle advancement in my book, if not rather predictable angle advancement. Highlights: Cactus Jack vs. WING Kanemura (Some form of Deathmatch involving lots o' barbed wire) This match not only allegedly sets up the next fight, but is ALSO featured on the Tokyo Pop release FMW: King of the Deathmatch. WHAT A HAPPY COINCIDENCE! If you've seen Mick Foley falling in to barbed wire before (And who hasn't?), there's nothing new here. Cactus Jack, Mike "Gladiator" Awesome, and Terry Funk vs. WING Kanemura, Masato Tanaka, and Atushi Onita (Six-Man Texas Tornado Street Fight) Historical Significance Factor (?): Lovranski mentions this is the last match Foley wrestled as Cactus Jack before he revived the character in WWF rings. Do you want lame weapons shots? Do you want use of barbed wire that obviously tears away a man's shirt and leaves his body unscathed? Do you want something that's too damn hard to follow because there's twenty things going on at once? This'd be the match for you. Forget Crash TV, it's Crash Ringwork! Onita does eat a rather large fireball courtesy of Funk, but, other than that, the only real redeeming quality of the match is watching Awesome nail a few particularly wicked powerbombs, as well as he and Tanaka trying to out-tope each other. I recall Team Onita winning, though I don't exactly recall how...it was that forgettable. 1/4* for Gladiator and Masato. Video Package: Recap of Megumi Kudo's career and feud with Shark Tsuchiya Kudo gets the big babyface treatment, as a speech about her retirement is show, as well as Tsuchiya getting the win in a previous match. Geez, the only way they could make the result to this thing any more obvious would be if they threw in an injury angle on top of it. Megumi Kudo vs. Shark Tsuchiya (No-Rope Explosive, Electrified Barbed Wire Match, Kudo's Retirement Match) Ring setup: There's barbed wire replacing the ropes on two sides of the ring, and nothing at all on the other two. However, on those sides, the floor is covered in barbed wire. There's allegedly 160 explosives in said wire. You know, for barbed wire that's electrified, they really don't sell it like there's current....some twitching would be nice. That, however, is my only complaint about what was otherwise a pretty good little match. Teases of the big tosses in to the wire were strong, and they managed to work some nice wrestling in there too, despite being limited by the lack of any ropes. A sickle was introduced, and it resulted in Kudo doing the best blade job I'd ever seen from a woman. In total, there were five trips to the wire...three for Kudo, one for Shark (result of a very sweet reversal sequence), and one double shot.
Rating: 
Summary: FMW Is Hardcore
Review: I have watched this DvD and must say that for anyone who is a fan of TRUE Hardcore wrestling they should get this. For those unfamiliar with FMW, it is the TRUE Originator in Hardcore, Extreme Wrestling. It was the first to have the King of the Deathmathc Tournamet. It originated using lightbulbs, electrified barbwire, and EXPLOSIVES!!! The matches on the tape are some of the most extreme I have ever witnessed and I have been watching and following wrestling for 20 years. If you like Extreme and want to see the Real Mick Foley, AKA CACTUS JACK, and witness one the greatest wrestlers in the world before his injury, HAYABUSA, then Get this tape because if you don't then you are truly missing out.
Rating: 
Summary: This is NOT "King Of The Death Match" - But its still great!
Review: I know this has not been released yet, but I know what event it is from, reading the statment in the last lot of FMW DVD's. It is not the IWA "King Of The Death Match" like eveyone thinks its is, but it does still feature Cactus Jack and Terry Funk. What this tape is, is a copy of the Japan only released: FMW Yokohama Arena "Megumi Kudo Retirement Show" Commercial Tape 4/29/97 The matches at the event were: Ricky Fuji & Ricky Morton v Hido & Dragon Winger Crypt Keeper & Flying Kid Ichihara v Tetsuhiro Kuroda & Nanjyo Hayato Koji Nakagawa v Katsutoshi Niiyama Kaori Nakayama & Michiko Omukai & Chikako Shiratori & Mizuki Endo & Yoko Ikeda v Miss Mongol & Eagle Sawai & Crusher Maedomari & Michiko Nagashima & Lioness Asuka Kodo Fuyuki & Jado & Gedo v Hisakatsu Oya & Headhunters *FMW 6 Man Street Fight Tag Titles* Hayabusa v Mr. Gannosuke *Hair vs. Mask* Atsushi Onita & Masato Tanaka & W*ING Kanemura v Cactus Jack & Gladiator & Terry Funk *Texas Western Street Fight Death Match* Megumi Kudo v Shark Tsuchiya *No Rope Barbed Wire Electrified Death Match* I'm not sure which of these matches made it onto the tape (The info given says there are only 7 matches in total make it onto the DVD) The event was a masterpiece with the last match being a true great. This one I know is on the tape, as well as the one featuring Cactus Jack, and also the match with Hayabusa - as the info in the last batch of FMW DVD's talked of Hayabusa being unmasked, along with the return of Cactus and Terry, aswell as the retirement match of Kudo.) Well worth you hard earned bucks, or pounds sterling as we have in the UK!
Rating:
Summary: damn replays
Review: I was really disappointed with this video. The main reason for my disappoitment is the stupid highlight videos (instant replays)that kept on popping up during the matches. I hated these highlight videos because they ruined the flow of the match. It wasn't like they showed the videos while the wrestlers were laying exhausted on the floor doing nothing (like after a wrestler hits a plancha and then rests on the arena floor for a little while). They would do these instant replays during the middle of heated action. I remember even missing a 2 count (u could hear the ref counting to 2 in the background) due to one of the instant replays. What made it even worse was that the same instant replays that were shown during the matches, were also shown after the conclusions of the matches. What was the point of showing the same clip twice? I really hope that FMW will get rid of the instant replays for the next tape it produces.
Rating:
Summary: CACTUS JACK VS. TERRY FUNK
Review: If you`ve heard of Cactus Jacks` crazy hardcore matches and heard him being referred to as the King of the Deathmatch, but didn`t know what this was, then look no further because this video has the three goriest matches of his career...Thumb tacks, beds of nails, chains, plate glass, barbed wire boards, barbed wire ropes, explosive boards and even an exploding ring! It`s all here and uncensored!
Rating:
Summary: FMW Yokohama Deathmatch
Review: Not the longest FMW dvd but still very good. Basically this is good for 3 main matches. Hayabusa vs Ganosuke in a Mask vs Hair Match, not a huge Hayabusa fan but this is definitely one of his better matches it's fast paced and it doesnt drag on forever rating 8, with background story about 24 min. Cactus Jack + Terry Funk + Mike Awesome vs Onita (FMW founder) + Kanemura + Tanaka in a 6 man Texas Tornado Match, barbed wire bat's, fire, tables, rematch from the fallout of The King Of The Death Match dvd, with background story about 20 min rating 8. Megumi Kudo vs Shark Tsuchiya in a 200 Volt Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match. This match is very good even better than her last match on KOTDM which I thought was slow. Shark pulls out everything trying to rid Kudo, blood, barbed wire and dangerous fire stunts in this match, with story about 27 min rating 9.
Rating: 
Summary: LAME DO NOT BUY
Review: the first FMW video i got and the last... WTF is this????
the four(ya thats right more than half of the whole show) first matches were about twenty(20) seconds long.
then we have Hayabusa who i have heard so much about vs. Gonosuke
Atcually not horrible but in TNA it would be less than average let alone WWe. O by the way horrible stupid lame ending with hayabusa telling gonosuke to change his life.... really stupid **`(of five)
Six man tornado tag match no rules
kinda cool actually a cool match, i was expecting more like this. Anyway it was a treat. (****)
barbed wire no rope electric crap match- to women- Jino vs. Shark or something like that..... STUPID MATCH i found it too slow going in Fast Forward. basiclly the entire match is just two women trying to put each other in barbed wire with fake explosions... i know it sounds cool but it really isnt.................... Horrible(*1/2 for the fire spot only)
Do not get this lame stupid video it really isnt worth it(unless u want to belive the profigahnda)
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