- Hayabusa, you aspired to become a professional wrestler while attending university in your hometown.

Hayabusa: That's right. When I heard from (Mr.) Gannosuke that there was an entrance test (for FMW), I couldn't wait any longer and went to take it. I didn't think I could become a professional wrestler. The general entrance regulations at the time were over 180 cm and over 75 kg, and a professional wrestler was equal to a monstrous size. When I was in college, I was 183 cm tall, but only about 55 kg.

- Despite that, why did you decide to take the role?

Hayabusa: In the end, it was simply because I love professional wrestling.

-There were New Japan and All Japan, but why did you join FMW?

Hayabusa: FMW didn't have that rule. I guess it was FMW that Gannosuke said he would join. It wasn't a specific organization that he wanted to join.

- How old were you when you decided to enter the school?

Hayabusa: I was 22 years old. I dropped out of college in my third year and was just hanging around. After that, I got a job at my uncle's company and had three days left to go to work, so I contacted Gannosuke and he told me that he would be taking the FMW exam in a week. After hanging up the phone, I thought about a lot of things. My friends who had been with me were trying to do what they loved, so I wondered if that was okay for me. When I realized that, as I said before, I couldn't sit still, so the next morning I packed my bags and went to Gannosuke's house saying, "I'll take the exam with you."

- What was your parents' reaction?

Hayabusa: I ran away from home without saying anything at that time... I took the exam on a night bus for a round trip of two days and two nights. Even so, I didn't think I would pass.

- And then you passed.

Hayabusa: It was like a lie. I couldn't believe it. The moment I sat down in the interview chair after the physical fitness test, Mr. (Tarzan) Goto told me, "You passed."

- Was it your height that was the deciding factor?

Hayabusa: I think so. For a moment I was like, "Huh?" Then he said, "What, you don't want to do it?" and I said, "No, I want to do it, but..." He just said, "Well, I'll contact you later."

- What happened after that?

Hayabusa: Before getting on the bus back from Shinjuku, I called my parents for the first time in a week. They said, "What are you doing? Come home soon." I was doing the job my parents had given me, and it seemed like it was tough. I went back to my parents' house and listened to my father's lecture for two hours, kneeling and rubbing my forehead on the tatami mat. My mother was crying next to me the whole time. At the end, I said, "I think what you're saying is 100% right. But it's my life, so can't I do what I want to do?" My father was silent for a while, then said, "Don't come back here again," and left the room. I really felt like I was disowned.

- …

Hayabusa: In the end, I didn't even get a send-off, and I didn't get to speak to him for a while. After my debut, my first match that was in Kumamoto, my father came to watch. My father told me at the time, because his family ran a business (an inn), "You're not going to make it anyway, so come back home quickly." I was the eldest son, so he wanted me to take over the family business.

- What was it like joining the FMW organization?

Hayabusa: I knew the training would be tough, and I knew I didn't have the stamina, so I was okay with that, but the hardest part was the part-time work. At the time, New Japan and All Japan had the image that if you entered a dojo, you just practiced. With FMW, the style was to go to a part-time job that the company had decided on, work there, and then practice.

- Was that for France Bed, which was a corporate sponsor?

Hayabusa: It was a job doing maintenance for Beds. At the time, FMW provided me with a place to live, but I had to pay for all my utilities and food out of my own pocket, so I was forced to go to part-time work. I'd wake up at 6am every morning, leave the Kawagoe dojo at 7am, and head to Kasukabe, where I had a part-time job. I'd finish work at 3pm, and get home at almost 5pm. Then I'd go buy chanko and practice from 6pm to around 11pm. After practice, I'd eat chanko and go to bed at 2am on average. It was normal to wake up at 6am again the next morning.

- It must have been really tough not having time to sleep. Was reality different from your ideal?

Hayabusa: It was completely different. It was a dormitory that had been converted from a warehouse, and we were crammed into a windowless room with Gannosuke and I, so it was hell in the summer. We just spent every day doing nothing, so we didn't even have the time to think about accepting that kind of lifestyle.

- So you weren't in an environment where you could devote yourself solely to practice.

Hayabusa: We were an independent team, so there was a tendency to say, "Indie guys don't even practice." But we tried our best to the best of our ability under that lifestyle. Of course I don't think we practiced enough, but it was painful to hear such words.

- Have you ever wondered why you had to work part-time?

Hayabusa: I thought about it every day, but in the end, if I didn't like it, I had no choice but to quit wrestling. The only way to continue wrestling was to go to a part-time job and practice. I had no other choice. I was being kicked out of my house, so wrestling was the only option. I was in a situation where I had no choice but to do it in order to continue wrestling.

- How was the training at FMW?

Hayabusa: I think Goto taught me exactly what he learned in All Japan. I was able to do some pretty solid training.

- It was a major class training, right?

Hayabusa: We weren't allowed to do anything flashy at the time. The techniques that Goto taught me were drop kicks, flying head scissors, and body slams. I think the only flying technique I was allowed to use was the cross attack. It may have been because I was a student wrestler, but I was able to go back to the basics and not go in the flashy direction. I think it was a time when I was able to learn what pro wrestling really is.

- What was the point at which you were freed from your harsh life?

Hayabusa: It was when I no longer had to work part-time after a year and a half of training. I remember very well the feeling of freedom and joy that I could finally concentrate on pro-wrestling. I could live off the money I earned from pro-wrestling. I know that I'm not really a full-fledged professional wrestler because I know that I'm not drawing in the customers myself, but I did feel like I was a professional wrestler.

- Having experienced both, what does student wrestling and professional wrestling mean to you, Hayabusa?

Hayabusa: I think it's a great pride to be a wrestler. I think student wrestling is just a hobby. Enjoying what you love. At least that's how I was. A professional is someone who is paid to communicate something to people. I think a wrestler is someone who is prepared and ready to communicate. We grew up learning a lot from wrestling. I think the difference is in the sense of responsibility when you're the one communicating it.

- What was the atmosphere like at FMW at that time?

Hayabusa: Onita said the same thing, but I think the word "family" really fits best.

- I'm sure there were a lot of things that happened between you and Onita later on, but what kind of leader was he in the early days of FMW?

Hayabusa: He was the one who exposed his way of life the most, and really got everyone involved by pouring out his feelings without any calculation. I never received any direct instruction from Onita, but the one thing that influenced me later on was, "The babyface is only as good as the beatings he takes." That may have been the basis of my life even after I became Hayabusa.

- In 1993, you went to Mexico. What was the process that led to your transformation into Hayabusa?

Hayabusa: Onita just told me, "You, go to Mexico after this tour is over." Arai (Shoichi) gave me a ticket to depart 10 days later, along with an open ticket with no return date. I was so unprepared that I didn't know what to do.

- Normally, I think people would be happy to hear about an overseas tour.

Hayabusa: I guess going overseas was a good way to get ahead, but at the time, I didn't think of it that way at all. So, I had 2-3 days left of the tour before I left, so I thought about a lot of things on the bus. My image of Mexico is a masked man. I got interested in pro-wrestling because of Mil Mascaras, and I'm a typical member of the generation that was obsessed with Tiger Mask, so I admired him. I thought I'd try wearing a mask just for a little while I was overseas, so I drew the design of the mask on the back of a receipt on the bus. About 80% of the prototype of Hayabusa as it is now was completed. The next day, I said to Mr. Arai, “I'd like to wear a mask when I go to Mexico...” He said, “That's a good idea.." That's when I thought, "Oh... I see!" I thought I'd be free when I went overseas. When I was at the dojo, the curfew was 9pm. The moment I thought I'd be free from being under house arrest 24 hours a day, I felt a little more positive and thought it wasn't so bad.

- When you were there, what did the promoter ask you to do?

Hayabusa: Nothing at all. Things were different when I got to LA. Even when I got to Tijuana, there were hardly any shows going on. Anyway, since I went across the sea, I had to bulk up, so I started going to the weight gym and ordered a mask. About a month later, my debut match was scheduled. I don't think my performance was perfect, but I really had that feeling, and I felt that the FMW fans and the media were all supporting me.

- Masato Tanaka and other teammates also encouraged Hayabusa.

Hayabusa: I had to make the W*ING and foreigners believe that they could trust Hayabusa through the matches. I was desperate to convey not only my ability as a professional wrestler, but also that I had the right mindset as a human being. As a result, I was injured a lot, but that didn't mean I could whine about it. I think that's why everyone was willing to do what they had to do internally.

- On the other hand, there is the reality of attracting spectators. Was it different before and after Onita's retirement?

Hayabusa: The first show was a shock after all. It was in Fukaya...I think it was a little over 500 people. I was worried about whether there would be 10 people or not at the first show. But the final show at Korakuen Hall was filled to capacity, partly as a celebration. That's when I got over it. I thought, "So many people are interested in us, if we convey our feelings with determination, they'll understand," so I performed the Phoenix Splash for the first time in Japan. From then on, Korakuen gradually became more stable. In inverse proportion to that, my physical condition got worse and worse. Knees, elbows, ankles. I was out of action within a year. All of this was because we had to make sure Onita didn't return to the ring again...I thought that it was our responsibility.

- It's not about your feelings towards Onita.

Hayabusa: It's about the purpose of our existence. It's not about being stubborn towards Onita, I know all too well how amazing a wrestler Atsushi Onita is when I was his assistant, so I don't really have any feelings against him.

- Hayabusa's feelings are probably the same everywhere in the world.

Hayabusa: I think that's probably the case.

- But then Onita came back to FMW.

Hayabusa: To be honest, I was disappointed at the time. Not towards Onita, but for my own disappointment in having made him come back... And then Onita came back. It was the start of something completely different from what we had been doing in the new FMW.

- It was like returning back to an era.

Hayabusa: Yes. The new FMW was not meant to reject death matches. After all, the original electric explosion test match was Atsushi Onita. No matter what you do, you can never beat the original. That's why the first step of the new FMW was to first get people to imagine it with a wrestling match, and then do a death match again, which would have more impact. With Onita's return, that foundation was completely destroyed. It was a difficult situation. Fans who supported the new FMW's style seemed to feel betrayed, and conversely, there were probably some who came back because they were Onita's fans. It was difficult for the fans, and for us too, to find the right balance. There are differences in the positions of superiority hierarchy.

- I don't think that Hayabusa or anyone else is right. However, from Hayabusa's position at the time, he had no choice but to hear bad things said about him from Onita.

Hayabusa: It is true that he didn't have a good impression of Hayabusa.

- What was that about? Was it a backlash against Onita's presence, was Onita a different person when he returned, or was Hayabusa and the others lacking in ability at the time?

Hayabusa: I don't think it was just any of those things. It's really weird, but there was a time when I didn't even want to see Onita's face. Onita was doing things the same as before, but there were also things that I thought were a little different from when I was his assistant. I was frustrated that I couldn't do things properly, and I had a lot of different thoughts. I felt guilty for betraying the fans who supported the new FMW, and I think I was probably jealous of Onita, who was supported so enthusiastically.

-In those circumstances, Kodo Fuyuki took control of FMW. What kind of person was Fuyuki to you, Hayabusa?

Hayabusa: One time I had a chance to talk at length, and I agreed with his idea of ​​making wrestling into entertainment. I didn't just dismiss it as show case wrestling, but also talked about why it was entertainment. One reason is that if you can reduce the burden on the wrestler's body, something like that can allow me to become the one name Ace on the poster. If you can make side stories work well to make those matches more interesting, rather than always having matches that are full of effort, then you won't put a burden on just one particular wrestler. I agreed with what Fuyuki said, so I was very cooperative.

- The entertainment route also started to look shady.

Hayabusa: Entertainment also started to go wrong somewhere. The withdrawal of DirecTV was the most fatal blow, but including that part, it means that the negative spiral will start again.

- In other words, you were counting on DirecTV's broadcasting rights fee, right?

Hayabusa: That was gone. I think that they couldn't spend money on production, and more vulgar entertainment increased in the second half. It is not that we were unaware of this, but we did not do anything about it. One of the reasons why FMW went wrong at the time was that it should have continued to be more sophisticated, but ended up becoming cheap, that's for sure.

- Then that accident happened. How do you feel looking back on it now, almost 14 years later?

Hayabusa: I think it was an accident that was bound to happen, but I'm not to blame anyone, and speaking of what happened, I think that it was just like everyone else stumbling while walking down the street, and that it just happened to me in the ring at that moment. At first, I was in despair, and when I was told that I would never be able to move from the neck down, I even wanted to die, but little by little I started to be able to move, and now I can stand up a little. I myself can't stand in the ring and I rarely go to venues, but I intend to continue wrestling. And I've always had the dream of returning to the ring someday. I'm working hard for that, too. Because wrestling has taught me not to give up. It's very painful for me to have made the people who support me sad because of my injury. That's why I think that if I can wear my full costume and return to the ring again, they'll definitely think that it was good that I loved wrestling and that it was good that I supported Hayabusa. In a year or three years, I might suddenly get better. It might take 20 or 30 years. I don't mind if it takes that long. In the meantime, I'll just continue to fight the situation I'm in.

- Do you remember your first impression when Hayabusa joined FMW?

Onita: My first impression was, "A promising newcomer with a lot of spring has joined us." He joined the company together with his classmate, Gannosuke.

- It was clear from the start that he had the talent.

Onita: That's right. So, I sent the young people at the time - Ichihara, Ueno, and Hayabusa - overseas. Hayabusa was still unmasked though.

- Hayabusa went on a tour of Mexico, didn't he?

Onita: So did Ichihara and Ueno, compared to the other young guys, I don't know why but they all shined from their time as newcomers.

- So, even when he was young, did you know that he would eventually become someone who would lead FMW?

Onita: I don't remember if I thought that way at first, but I think he had that much brilliance. And then, when he got injured later, I think he was the only one feeling the pressure. He was the ace of FMW. I think he was conflicted about whether he could bear the pressure of having to be the ace.

- When Hayabusa got injured, Onita had already left FMW.

Onita: When I heard that Hayabusa's accident happened in the ring, I thought that he must have been under a lot of pressure.

- You distanced yourself from FMW at the time, but you still heard those stories.

Onita: I was still curious about it. Because I gave FMW to them. If something like that happens in that ring, how can I not be concerned? I originally owned half of the rights to FMW. If I had insisted on it, I wouldn't have had to let go of FMW, because handing it over was like handing over my alter ego. But it's also true that at the time I thought I should be on my own.

- After retiring and returning, Onita left FMW, and made a huge impact by fighting alone against New Japan.

Onita: So I thought that separating from Hayabusa and the others at that time was probably a good thing for both of us in the end...but...

- After parting ways with Onita, FMW ultimately ended up collapsing.

Onita: Hayabusa is in that state now... Hideki Takahashi (who launched the new FMW in April this year) also wanted to keep FMW going and create a ring where Hayabusa could return. I agree with that idea. However, I have no idea when Hayabusa will be able to wrestle again. Only he himself knows the details of the situation.

- But even so, Onita also thinks it would be good for Hayabusa to return to the ring, which is why he is currently cooperating with FMW, right?

Onita: That's right. Takahashi and I have known each other for a long time, and that's one of the reasons why I'm joining FMW now.

- If Hayabusa could return to FMW now, that would be meaningful for FMW, right?

Onita: If Hayabusa could do whatever it takes, I would want to let him do it, even if it was just one match, even if it was his last match, even if it was his retirement match. That's why I want to keep FMW going.

- Although it's different from the FMW that Onita founded, Onita himself has a special attachment to the current FMW.

Onita: Recently, the structure of the organization has changed. To be honest, I've been half-hearted until now, but if I'm serious about it, I have to create a women's division. FMW started with both men and women, so I'm going back to the basics. In the current FMW, the women's division is like an add-on to the men's division. Since it's new, the women's division has to do their best...

- So that's how you ended up nurturing Ray, nicknamed "Female Hayabusa."

Onita: I think it would be interesting if a female Hayabusa could lead the women of FMW, which for some reason started with the idea of Hayabusa making a return to the ring.

- Returning to the topic of Hayabusa, the only singles match between the two took place on May 5, 1995 at Kawasaki Stadium, where Hayabusa was the opponent in Onita's retirement match.

Onita: I don't understand what ended up happening at the time, but it was because Kishindoh was disturbed haha.

- Initially, Tarzan Goto, who had been with FMW since its inception, was to be your opponent in the retirement match. But one week before the show, an emergency occurred when Goto left FMW.

Onita: That's right. So Hayabusa suddenly returned to Japan and became my opponent in the retirement match.

- Top wrestlers are the ones who can take advantage of opportunities that come in such emergency situations. Although he lost, do you think Hayabusa made the most of that opportunity?

Onita: In the end, Hayabusa's name became well known.

- In hindsight, it may have been good that Hayabusa was the opponent in that match, instead of Goto.

Onita: In that sense, yes. To be honest, I was thinking that if Tarzan and I had my retirement match, then Hayabusa would come back to Japan and I would have him fight Goto next... But when Tarzan quit, things fell apart, so I have nothing to do with it anymore.

- After Onita retired, FMW was reborn with Hayabusa as its ace. After that, there was some awkwardness when Onita returned...

Onita: But I gave him a chance in my own way. I met Baba frequently when he was alive. No matter what position I was in, we were master and apprentice. When I asked Baba, “Why don't we do electric current blasting? Baba-san would never shake his head in agreement So he wouldn't even let me enter the All Japan ring. But I asked Baba, “What if it's Hayabusa...."

- Hayabusa was active in the All Japan Championships while Baba was still alive. Before that, he also participated in the "Super J Cup," which was the catalyst for his breakthrough...

Onita: I asked to get him included in that as well.

- Did you think Hayabusa had the star quality to make it in the majors?

Onita: Yes. At one point in FMW he was acting as a character called H, but when I left I said "You should stay as Hayabusa"...

- Of the wrestlers who were Onita's disciples and grew up in FMW, Hayabusa and Masato Tanaka were the two bests who were good enough to make it in the majors. How did you see them as your mentors?

Onita: I think the all-around type is probably Hayabusa. Hayabusa can handle any style, but I think Tanaka is the one who is stronger in a straight line. Just as the first son and the second son have different personalities, the two of them have completely different personalities. That was interesting. They had an adversarial relationship. Then this year, they had a base again in the FMW ring.

- The wrestling styles and looks were completely different.

Onita: However, Tanaka must have had the desire to surpass Hayabusa, like the relationship between me and Tarzan. Even though he was the second son, he wanted to surpass the eldest someday. Goto would always have wanted to surpass me.

- It's great to see so many wrestlers come out of FMW, which was created by Onita, who is known as the evil one.

Onita: The emergence of Hayabusa and Tanaka is probably history made by FMW.

- Both of them have a track record in the major leagues.

Onita: I think these two are living proof of FMW, and also proof that Atsushi Onita is alive.

- You had been in contact with Hayabusa, but had a more recent relationship with Tanaka. This year, however, you have made contact with both of them in the FMW ring.

Onita: Now that I am celebrating my 40th anniversary, I have to nurture a successor in my mind. I am thinking of having a explosion match with Tanaka, and one of my plans is to bring up a female Hayabusa Ray in FMW. In addition, “"Super Fireworks" is also working on regional development and reducing bullying. The Super Fireworks has been well received by many people who want to see explosions in their local areas, and I would like to preserve that asset as well.

- You have set a goal to retire when you turn 60. You still have a lot to do in the remaining two years and two months.

Onita: I want Hayabusa to come back to the ring within the two years and two months that I have set as my final deadline. I think it is my mission to protect FMW in order to achieve that.

- When was your first contact with Hayabusa?

Shinzaki: Before we met for the first time in our lives, I spoke to him on the phone when I was in New York (WWF at the time). When I was in FMW as a Michinoku wrestler, Hayabusa was on an overseas tour and we missed each other, but I remember that at the point Onita had probably retired and he returned to Japan. I don't remember why we spoke on the phone, but I think we said, "We have the same scent." I had a premonition that we would meet someday in a different situation than the exchange between Michinoku and FMW.

- You sensed the same scent even on the phone.

Shinzaki: When we were in our lives, the wall between major and indie was much thicker than it is now. Both Hayabusa and I had a strong desire to overcome it, and I felt that before we even spoke, and when we actually spoke, that feeling was conveyed, so I felt that the day would come when we would fight against major as comrades...it was intuition.

- Your first match after returning from WWE was against Great Muta (April 29, 1996, Tokyo Dome), and just before that, the two of you were photographed in the studio for the cover of this magazine.

Shinzaki: That was the first time we met in person. At that point, it had already been decided that Hayabusa would be my comeback match in Michinoku after the Muta match, so I was surprised when Weekly Pro Wrestling approached me about it. We had made contact without even initiating the action.

- Do you remember what you talked about.?

Shinzaki: No, not at all... well, I think it was the same as now.

- The same as now...?

Shinzaki: Hayabusa without his mask makes a lame jokes. I don't remember if he told a joke, but that was the atmosphere.

- Your one-on-one match took place in October of that year, but it ended up being the first and last.

Shinzaki: The match itself showed that we had too many similarities between us, so we didn't do the "swing" that people often talk about. I guess we just cancelled each other out because we had the same strengths. So I thought that this wasn't a relationship where we could fight. So I didn't have any regrets about not wanting to do it again, but it was a sad match.

- Even if you're excited before you try it, there are cases where you realize it's not what you want after you try it.

Shinzaki: In my case, that was the only case where I did that match with Hayabusa. That's why the match remains special, and it was also big in the sense that it established the direction of the tag team.

- In fact, the following year, you participated in All Japan Pro-Wrestling's "World's Strongest Tag League" with Hayabusa.

Shinzaki: In those days, we traveled between three organizations, Michinoku, FMW, and All Japan, as a pair. We would drag our bags around and check the timetables ourselves and get on the train. All Japan and FMW are other organizations, so I think it would have been tough not only physically but mentally if I had gone around alone. But when I travel with Hayabusa, he becomes a mood maker. That really helped me. Until then, I only did group activities in Michinoku. Hayabusa is the only one who has traveled with me throughout my active career.

- You two really are like a pair of companions.

Shinzaki: It was beautiful because we would talk about our dreams for wrestling and had passionate discussions on the road about life. It felt like I was traveling with friends from school. I don't have many private relationships with any of the wrestlers, but Hayabusa is the only one I meet and eat with outside of tours.

- Maybe it was because of those experiences, but why do you think you two got along so well?

Shinzaki: I don't know why. We never really got angry with each other... I just found it annoying that sometimes I have to respond to a lame joke.

--Did you feel like you were a "big brother" to Hayabusa?

Shinzaki: Yes, it feels like we are brothers.

- Going back to the topic, were you surprised when you were entered into the Strongest Tag League?

Shinzaki: When we first entered into the Strongest Tag League, I never thought that indie wrestlers like us would be able to participate in the tournament. I took it as a chance that I got by teaming up with Hayabusa, but on the other hand, I thought it was a time that was always meant to come.

- Expectations were high, but it was actually the matches between Hayabusa and Jinsei that generated the most buzz during the tournament.

Shinzaki: This is the realization of what I had in mind when we first spoke on the phone. Among them, the two matches that stand out the most are the one between Kawada (Toshiaki) & Taue (Akira) in Sendai (Miyagi Prefectural Sports Center) and the one between Misawa (Mitsuharu) & Akiyama (Jun) in Sapporo (Nakajima Sports Center).

- With the venue packed to capacity, the audience was enthralled with every move the two made.

Shinzaki: I was able to run through the biggest stage of my wrestling career together with Hayabusa. It was seen as Hayabusa and Shinzaki, but to me, if Hayabusa was the sun, then I was the moon, and I thought that was natural.

- Although Shinzaki is older, it was not chosen as Jinsei & Hayabusa, it was Hayabusa & Jinsei.

Shinzaki: I felt that it was natural, and I never felt jealous or wanted to change it. At the same time, that strongest tag was a landing point for the two of us. Because we were able to sprint at full speed in a short span and share a rich time, it was a very natural flow that we gradually teamed up when it was necessary.

- For example, did you ever think about going into New Japan, which was considered another major organization, or continuing with FMW or Michinoku?

Shinzaki: That kind of thing was only possible because of the momentum. After that, we also took the Asian Tag Team Titles, but other than that, it wasn't the trend. But nothing changed about my relationship with Hayabusa. There was no break just because we stopped teaming up. I think that's what makes us special.

- What was your memory of hearing about Hayabusa's accident?

Shinzaki: I remember that I was on tour in Michinoku on that day, and I think I was contacted by someone from the media. But honestly, I don't remember it clearly. It was such a big shock... I felt scared when I heard about it. It was still at a stage where not much information had been spread, so I imagined what had happened to Hayabusa. I felt scared that something like that had happened to someone other than me, not to me. So I think that even now, my memories of the few days since that day are still shrouded in fear.

- What was the first time you met him after the accident?

Shinzaki: It was when I went to visit him in the hospital. He was still unable to move from the neck down... I wanted to encourage him but couldn't find the words. Still, I felt that I had to say something, so I could only say ordinary positive things. It was worse than I had imagined... the person who had fought and laughed with me until just a while ago was unable to move from the neck down. It's scary to think that this could continue for the rest of his life. As someone who saw that, I can only say that he had an incredible ability to recover.

- Were you still concerned about me even after he was released from the hospital?

Shinzaki: If I heard about a good treatment, I would research it and send it by email right away. Medical technology is evolving every day, isn't it? Considering that, I think that returning to the ring is not a dream. So, Hayabusa's hope of returning to the ring is also my own hope.

- The way you interact seems natural. There's a sense of distance between you that isn't due to a relationship or obligation.

Shinzaki: Ah... It's exactly the same as the distance between parents and siblings. That's what makes him so amazing... Sometimes I compare myself to him. I wonder if I could live with such strength.

- Is there anything you learned from him?

Shinzaki: No, it's not so much that I have learned from him, it's that I respect him.

- Is there anything you would like to do in the run-up to the day of his return?

Shinzaki: He often do live performances. I have been invited to perform him. Once I invited Motoko Baba to watch me perform in Sendai, and I sang in front of the audience, but I'd like to sing with him again.

-What was your impression of Hayabusa when you started with FMW?

Tanaka: Even when I was a fan, I thought he was a really cool wrestler. After I joined, he looked after me well and trained a lot, so he was someone I looked up to.

-What about in terms of generations?

Tanaka: He is three or four years older than me in terms of age, so in the end, it was Ezaki's generation, Nakagawa (Koji GOEMON)'s generation, and then mine. (Tarzan) Goto was in charge of the joint training, but it was Ezaki, Honda (Masashi = Mr. Gannosuke), and Nakagawa who showed me how to do it.

-Do you have any memories from back then?

Tanaka: Ezaki is a very nice person when he is alone, but when he is with Gannosuke, he is very mischievous (laughs). Ezaki and the others were university student wrestlers, and they all excelled in one skill. They graduated from university and had some experience in the workforce before joining, so I didn't know about the mischievous behavior of university students, but every day, Honda at the dojo would say to the juniors, "Do it!" while drinking. But before we did, Ezaki would do a dick trick, which was really funny. There was a gap because a cool guy would do something vulgar like that. Then we were told to do more than that, so I really wish I would have spoken out (laughs).

- That sounds like it was a pretty tough situation.

Tanaka: But there was no bullying, such as hitting, and I was sad when Ezaki went to Mexico. After I made my debut and got really good, my good older brother went far away.

- Did Hayabusa's departure have any impact on you?

Tanaka: At that time, I was too busy with my own things. I wondered what Ezaki would do before Onita (Atsushi)'s retirement match (May 1995). It was decided that (Tarzan) Goto and others would leave, so I was worried about what would happen to the retirement match card, and after Onita retired, I wondered what Hayabusa would do. At that time, I didn't know anything about the company, so I remember asking referee Ito, "What will Ezaki do?" Then I remember feeling relieved when I heard him say, "He says he's staying." I wondered who I should follow if Onita retired and Goto and Ezaki were gone.

- What kind of senior was he outside the ring?

Tanaka: He often took me out to dinner parties and things like that. There are a few people I got to know through Ezaki who I still keep in contact with. Ezaki often took young wrestlers out to dinner as well. Dragon Kid still meets Ezaki more than I do, and Milano Collection A.T. was also looked after by him when he was in FMW. He also took new apprentices who had just joined. At FMW, there was a senior like Ezaki, so I don't think there was any sneaky bullying or doting.

- When did you start to think of Hayabusa as an opponent?

Tanaka: I guess it was when we started being called the two biggest aces after the new generation. But I didn't feel like we were in the same position. After the new generation, Hayabusa had a series of injuries. He kept flying even when he was injured. Ezaki-san often said something like "The audience comes to see Hayabusa with that style, so I have to fly even if I am injured" - something like Hayabusa's mission.

- As someone from the same organization, how did you feel about it?

Tanaka: Ezaki is a good athlete, so if he kept jumping like that, he would hurt his elbows and other parts of his body. People said that if he continued doing it in that style, he would have to miss shows. So there was an atmosphere that if the people around him didn't try harder, they wouldn't be able to let Ezaki rest in peace. After the new company was formed, people like me and Tetsuhiro Kuroda were coming out quite a bit. Even if Ezaki was absent, we had to protect FMW. I think all the wrestlers probably thought that.

- Was Hayabusa a big presence in Tanaka's growth process?

Tanaka: Even Ezaki and I didn't have that much experience, we carried FMW on their backs behind the great Atsushi Onita. I saw that, so after the new company was formed, I thought I had to try harder too.

- Were you not aware of him as an opponent at that time?

Tanaka: He still felt like a friend. The two matches I had with Hayabusa that left a strong impression on me were when I wrestled with him before going on a tour to ECW and when I wrestled with him in Komazawa after I came back. Those two matches left a strong impression on me.

- What kind of match was it in May '98 before you went to ECW?

Tanaka: It was like a send-off match, the crowd was excited, and people around me said it was a good match. I think it was on the cover of Weekly Pro. It was a picture of me getting beaten (laughs).

- What kind of wrestler was Hayabusa as an opponent?

Tanaka: He was taller than me, had a well-proportioned body and could spin around like that, and he was very athletic and strong. He was like Kota Ibushi (if you'd call him that today). I respected him even when he was younger. Whatever he did, he was cool.

- Did you have FMW Hayabusa in your mind during your ECW trip?

Tanaka: Not at all. After coming back from ECW, I was showered with cheers, and the way people looked at me changed, so I thought I had to have matches with Ezaki. Instead of Ezaki being above me, I wanted to put myself out there more, so that I could stand next to him. I had gained confidence after going to ECW.

- So that was your mindset when you had the singles match at Komazawa in May 2000?

Tanaka: Yes. After all, if you think it's okay to be under someone else, you won't grow. Even if you don't think you've surpassed them, you have to have the mindset that you want to surpass them. I was allowed to go overseas, and if that doesn't change, it's meaningless. When Ezaki-san and Jinsei-san (Shinzaki) came to ECW, I was still here, so I thought I had to put on a more exciting match than those two. That's when the rivalry started. Even if I couldn't beat Hayabusa in terms of coolness, I honestly didn't want to lose in terms of match content.

- How did Hayabusa deal with the entertainment route?

Tanaka: Hmm... I don't know about that. At the time, Mr. Ezaki was one of the upper echelons, but I wasn't part of it at all. The company might have been annoyed that I wasn't on the entertainment route. Mr. Ezaki treated me normally, but I don't think we ever talked about that.

- And so Tanaka said goodbye to FMW.

Tanaka: There was a day when people who couldn't keep up with the entertainment route had to tell me by this date, and I suddenly decided to quit. If I had consulted with Ezaki at that time, it might have been a little different. But at that time, I was apart of the Complete Players, so I was with my friends there even in the waiting room.

- How did you feel when you heard about Hayabusa's injury?

Tanaka: I heard about it during the All Japan tour, I contacted someone and went to visit him in the hospital.

- About the accident...

Tanaka: I guess he was overworking his body out of a sense of responsibility. I saw the video, and if he was an ordinary wrestler, he would have fallen over the moment he stepped off the ropes. But Ezaki has great athletic ability, so he was able to turn around to some extent even in that condition. If it were me, I would definitely have fallen off my feet. It was a shock. I thought I would never wrestle in FMW again, but I still wanted to have another match with Ezaki someday.

-I would like to see you have another match with him

Tanaka: Now that my fighting style has changed, I wonder what would happen if we did it. In the past, I was about 20kg heavier than now, so I relied on strength, but now I have stamina and mobility, so I can compete with Hayabusa in speed. I wanted to fight as the current Masato Tanaka. But even now, he has outstanding star quality among the so-called indies. Since I became a professional wrestler, I don't think professional wrestlers are cool, but I think Hayabusa is cool.

- If Ezaki hadn't gotten injured, which organization would he be in now, and how active would he be? It makes my imagination run wild.

Tanaka: I still think about that. He was good friends with Mitsuharu Misawa, so maybe NOAH, or maybe New Japan...

Kota Ibushi, who debuted in 2004, has been using the Phoenix Splash as his finishing move ever since. He respects the move perfected by Hayabusa and continues to use it under the same name. What does Hayabusa mean to Ibushi? I think the first time I saw Hayabusa was in the Super J Cup match against Jushin Thunder Liger (April 16, 1994, Ryogoku Kokugikan). I think that was a shock to everyone. He was doing the tope con hilo while wearing his gown when he entered the ring. Since then, I watched FMW and I'm a big fan of Hayabusa. I also remember Onita (Atsushi)'s retirement match (May 5, 1995, Kawasaki Stadium) very well.

My favorite was the match against Gladiator. I was shocked by the Super Awesome Bomb, but Hayabusa countered with a Super Frankensteiner. It was amazing. Hayabusa was the first to perform a beautiful, authentic Phoenix Splash. It made what the original Tiger Mask and Liger had imagined a reality. I had never seen it on video before. I practiced as soon as I saw it. I bought quite a few of Hayabusa's videos.

I think it was around the end of sixth grade. I jumped from a tetrapod in the sea. It was about 180 centimeters high. I was imitating the shape of landing on the concrete ground from a height higher than the corner post. I was at a time when I liked doing dangerous things like that. There was a 5-centimeter-wide, 5-meter-long board between the two banks. It was a dangerous height if I fell. Even walking across the board was dangerous. I miraculously managed to cross there on my bicycle. There were about five boards, and I fell halfway through the second one. My heel came off (laughs). My shoes were destroyed. The concrete below was gravel and my heel was cut quite deep, and the inside of the wound was completely white. It was intense pain, but not enough to make me cry. I was curled up for about an hour.

My friends were worried, saying, "Ibushi fell?!?!", "That's too bad," and "Should we go to the hospital?" I couldn't come down, so I took a detour. After that story, I said, "No, I'll do it again." Compared to this experience, doing the Phoenix from the top of a tetrapod is not dangerous at all. That's how it felt. Also, the ring is softer than concrete because there is a mat. Now I use the Phoenix and I don't feel scared.

The first time we met was around 2009. Hayabusa suddenly invited me to an izakaya, but I was nervous at first, so I called (Michael) Nakazawa and we went together. Daichi Kakimoto was there too. Then Nakazawa started selling tickets to other customers, saying, "I'm going to do an Anus Explosion match for the first time at Ryogoku next time" (laughs). The second time, I was invited to Hayabusa's house. Shingo Takagi was there too. There was also a foreigner who had Hayabusa's entrance pose tattooed on his back. The four of us spent ages watching videos of Hayabusa. Flying techniques usually change over time, but Hayabusa's movements from about 15 years ago are still amazing. They are still considered the pinnacle of techniques. I sometimes find myself incorporating Hayabusa's movements without realizing it.

The movements in my flying techniques are heavily influenced by Hayabusa. There are very few people who use the same move as a finisher from their debut match. I've been using it for over a year. The Phoenix is ​​Hayabusa's technique, so I use it with the same name. I have a lot of respect for him and will continue to use it with care. (Ibushi)

Ezaki-san has been very kind to me since my FMW days, so I finally understood the situation. For information on how we met, please refer to this week's Human Story. So when I heard that he had been injured at Korakuen 14 years ago, I couldn't believe it. I first found out about it in Weekly Pro. I had to read about it in the article, so I didn't know how serious the injury was. Of course, I knew that he had hurt his vertebrae, but I couldn't imagine how serious it was. After that, I got information from various people, and I really wanted to go and visit him, so even though only family members were allowed to visit, I asked if I could go to the intensive care unit, and I was admitted to the intensive care unit.

At that time, he had a high fever for about a week, and bacteria had gotten into his heart, so it was a difficult time, but he said to me, "I'm sorry." He seems to have lost consciousness at the time, so he doesn't remember, but all I could do was cry. It took a while from then on, but he calmed down and has come to this day. I was always indebted to Mr. Ezaki, and in the past, we often went out drinking until the morning. Mr. Ezaki was also the one who taught me how to drink. He was strict about alcohol, and I remember him telling me, "It's rude, so drink with respect and taste it properly."

He was also the one who built the foundation for me as a man and a person. I entered this industry when I was 18 years old, and I was naive. The wrestling world is unique. He taught me a lot of things, and other than that, there were many things I learned from watching, including the matches. That's right. Without Mr. Ezaki, I definitely wouldn't be who I am today. It may sound cheesy, but I think I wanted to be like his younger brother.

The most memorable event in the ring was when I played Hayabusa at Shinjuku FACE on January 24, 2009. That was the best. I was Hayabusa, PAC (now Neville) was Darkside Hayabusa, and (B×B) Hulk played H. The mask was made to my size, and Ezaki did the eye makeup. I was completely transformed into Hayabusa. Kuroda (Tetsuhiro) also said that I looked just like Ezaki.

Also, Ezaki wrote a song for me for my 10th anniversary. Ezaki-san was originally a singer, and when I asked him, he said, "Okay, let's work together." So I wrote the lyrics and Ezaki-san composed the music for them. From there it actually became an album, with five songs sung by me and Ezaki-san. We also did live shows. It wasn't a national tour, we went from Kyushu in the south to Hokkaido in the north, and after the game we went straight to the live house and sang in front of everyone. I'm not good at singing, and I'd never done music in general, so I could hardly keep the rhythm, but I sang with a tambourine.

I would forget the lyrics, so I made mistakes, and a fan at the time made a lyric sheet for me, and I would sing while looking at it. It was chaotic, but fun. I'm really glad that he always looked out for me. Now he's doing so well, and I am really happy about that. For us, matches are works of art, they're art. Since he is in a state where he cannot leave a new art behind, I think we have created it instead and inherited his genes, or rather, his way of thinking. He is happy about it as if it were his own achievement, and I think it is a way of giving back to Ezaki.

My fighting style is heavily influenced by (Hayabusa). The pose I did when calling out in the early days of Dragon Kid was an arrangement of the Hayabusa pose, and I also incorporated the split-legged entry from the apron into the ring. The same goes for the techniques during the match. I was taught and advised by Ezaki about the Quebrada, and I always played matches with Hayabusa in mind. The Hayabusa I know is the one who was moving around energetically, not the Hayabusa of today. I think that Ezaki himself has not given up on his return, so we are moving forward little by little. My dream is to eventually stand in the ring together. (Kid)

In February 1991, when Hayabusa and Mr. Gannosuke joined FMW, Atsushi Onita had already established his popularity as the "Tearful Charisma" after his electric explosion death match the previous year and his successful first anniversary event in November.

Although he was calling himself an indie wrestler, he was already becoming a presence that surpassed major league wrestlers. The presence of heroes in the Japanese pro-wrestling scene was passed down from Rikidozan, Giant Baba, and Antonio Inoki. From the late 1980s, this was passed down to stars such as Jumbo Tsuruta, Genichiro Tenryu, Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu, and even Akira Maeda of the up-and-coming UWF.

Onita's popularity on a par with these was due to his uniqueness. He attracted the viewers with his appeal. Star wrestlers have ambition before the fans want them, they produce themselves, and when that is accepted, they gain support. Rather than being naturally born, Japanese professional wrestling has produced aces for each era.

In the midst of all this, Hayabusa, as his fate was decided by others, found himself carrying FMW on his shoulders. Originally, he wore the mask only for Mexico, but when he participated in the "Super J Cup", he made a tremendous impact in his match against Jushin Thunder Liger, and he could no longer go back to being Eiji Ezaki.

He himself had come up with many ideas for the image of Hayabusa, but in the end, it was the reaction of the fans that decided whether it was right or not. When people imagined a phoenix flying above the ring, he honed his original aerial killing technique to respond to that.

What was required of Hayabusa was a "heavyweight who could fly". In other words, when Ezaki put on the mask and became a person, he was destined to be a person who would carry the dreams and wishes of others. The position of ace of the new FMW did not come about because he wanted to be spontaneous.

After Onita retired, there was only one person with comparable charisma. Before joining FMW, Hayabusa did not attend college and lived a hand-to-mouth lifestyle. Although he did some student wrestling, it was a time when the barrier to entry was much higher than it is now, so he never even thought he could become a professional wrestler. A young man from Kumamoto who had no dreams for the future and could not decide what career he wanted to pursue, heard that his fellow student wrestler Gannosuke was going to apply to FMW and fell into self-loathing, thinking, "What am I doing...?"

In reaction, he decided to go to Tokyo with him. Ezaki's life changed completely when he met Hayabusa. "I want Hayabusa to be a hero to me too." Even back then, when Hayabusa spoke about the incarnation that continues to fly, carrying the fate of the group and the hopes of the fans, he always took a third-person perspective. It was clear that it was another self that was supporting his injured body. Unlike the active stars up until then, Hayabusa was the first passive hero who was supported by the dreams of his fans.

So the viewers could project themselves into his fights and share his pain and suffering. It has been almost 14 years since the accident on October 22, 2001. It is natural that his presence has always lived on among those who saw his phoenix dance in real time, but he is also recognized as a legendary man by wrestling fans all over the world who do not know him from that time.

He receives emails from unknown fans in countries he has never heard of, encouraging him by saying, "I was moved by the video. I look forward to the day you return to the ring." A few years ago, when he went to SummerSlam in a wheelchair, the McMahon family, John Cena and other WWE superstars came out to welcome him.

Although he sacrificed himself for others and ended up on that day, Hayabusa does not regret becoming a professional wrestler. This is because he has an unshakable belief that "if I had taken another path, I would not have been able to feel so fulfilled in my life."

However, those who entrusted their dreams to Hayabusa must still be feeling some remorse somewhere. And they must be waiting for the day when they can wipe that feeling away and step into the ring in full costume again. Many of the wrestling media who shared that era have always thought that they had to do something for Hayabusa. Despite this, even now that he has left the ring, we are still encouraged every time we see his miraculous recovery. As Hayabusa himself said in the recently published "FMW Fierce Fighting History," Hayabusa is still a wrestler who fights in the present tense, even though he is not in the ring. Therefore, I believe that it is our mission to continue writing match reports called life until the day he descends again as a phoenix. (Ken Suzuki)