Added: 12/31

Kintaro Kanemura and Tetsuhiro Kuroda wrestled in front of the largest crowd they had all year on the last day of the year, December 31st for HUSTLE's New Year's Eve HUSTLE Festival show which drew an announced crowd at 21,231 fans at the Saitama Super Arena. Kanemura and Kuroda who wore their masks for the show and wrestled as Kintaman and Kurodaman faced off against the team of the former Aja Kong in Erica and Ryouji Sai in a Dynamite Hardcore Hustle Weapons Match. The big surprise of the match would be when Mirko Cro Crop would enter the ring and attack Kintaman and lay him out with a kick so hard to the back of the head it allowed Erica to easily get the pinfall victory over Kanemura at 10 minutes, 15 seconds. The kick ended up being so hard to Kanemura that he was unable to wrestle later in the day for his scheduled Pro Wrestling Summit show at Korakuen Hall. Kanemura would choose for Tetsuhiro Kuroda to take his spot in the the main event on the show and the last match of 2007 in Japan.  

WMF's Mineo Fujita would make his return to Korakuen Hall for the first time since February 11, 2004 by teaming up with Asian Cougar, New Japan's Yujiro, and The Great Takeru as the New Generation teaming off against the Legend team of Ultimo Dragon, The Great Sasuke, Gran Hamada, and TAKA Michinoku. The match would turn out to be a dissapointingly short 8 minutes, 36 seconds before Sasuke would end up finishing Fujita with a Thunder Fire Powerbomb for the Legends victory. 

Jaki Numazawa who recently lost his Big Japan King of the Death Match Title to Ryuji Ito on December 14th at the Yokohama Bunka Gym would team up with Jun Kasai and Naoki Tanisaki to take on the team of Takashi Sasaki, Yuko Miyamoto, and Saburo Inematsu in a Fluorescent Light Tubes Death Match with Tanisaki getting the pinfall victory over my personal favorite wrestler and break out star of 2007 in Yuko Miyamoto with the Implant at 18 minutes, 40 seconds. Tetsuhiro Kuroda filling in for the injured Kintaro Kanemura would team up with K-Dojo's Kengo Mashimo and DDT's HARASHIMA to face Big Japan's Daisuke Sekimoto, Zero-One MAX's Yoshihito Sasaki, and El Dorado's Shuji Kondo with Sekimoto getting the pinfall victory over Kuroda with a German Supplex at 23 minutes, 40 seconds. 

The Apache Army ran their 5th and final Korakuen Hall show on December 30, 2007 although it turned out as the lowest attended Korakuen Hall show by any FMW related promotion when it announced only 500 fans attended. The main event was to set up for a match that still has no sign of taking place when Mammoth Sasaki teamed up with Takashi Sasaki to take on New Japan's team of Togi Makabe and Tomohiro Ishii in the main event with Mammoth nailing the 29 Years Old on Ishii to get the win at 17 minutes, 24 seconds. Tomohiro Ishii still is due a title shot for the WEW World Title in the near future. GENTARO wrestled Big Japan's Daisuke Sekimoto in the semi-main event to a thirty minute time limit draw. Kintaro Kanemura teamed up with K-Dojo's Kengo Mashimo to defeat the team of Tetsuhiro Kuroda and K-Dojo's KAZMA when Kanemura nailed KAZMAN with a face kick and score the pinfall at 14 minutes, 9 seconds.

Despite earning the right at the WEW World Title shot, Tomohiro Ishii will not be the next one in line for Mammoth Sasaki's title. Tetsuhiro Kuroda will be rewarded the next shot at the title on January 14, 2008 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring for the next Apache Army show. Kuroda who had never lost to Mammoth after 9 years of wrestling him fell to Mammoth for the first time back in March of this past year for the first time and now has a shot to gain revenge for that loss as well as a shot at the WEW World Title which he has not held since losing it to Hayabusa on May 22, 2001. The day before this show, several of the Apache Army wrestlers will participate for New Japan's LOCK UP Korakuen Hall show on January 13, 2008 with Kintaro Kanemura teaming up with Masao Orihara and former rivals Takashi Sasaki and Shadow WX to take on the GBH team of Togi Makabe, Tomohiro Ishii, Jado, and Gedo in a Steel Cage Death Match as the main event of the show. 

The WMF team finally score a win over the KHM at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring on December 29, 2007 in front of an announced 250 fans for the show. The team of Soldier, Kamui, and Kitten Kid defeated the KHM team of Mr. Gannosuke, Mineo Fujita, and Yasu Urano with Kamui getting the pinfall over Fujita with a Jackknife Cut Back at 25 minutes, 33 seconds in the best match of the show. It was the second win for the WMF team of the night when the WMF team of Kengo Takai and Kankuro Hirano defeated the KHM team of Hideki Hosaka and Leatherface when Hirano pinned Leatherface with a Diving Senton at 11 minutes, 37 seconds. The next WMF show on January 14, 2008 at the Osaka Quarter World Pavilion will be main evented by the KHM team of Mr. Gannosuke, Hideki Hosaka, and Leatherface teaming up against the WMF team of Soldier, Kengo Takai, and Kamui.

I will finally begin to start selling DVD's of FMW/Apache Army/WMF shows starting when I get back from Japan on January 10th. Right now, only videos that are 2 1/2 hours or less are for sale on DVD for 6 dollars. The VHS 6 hour tapes for 15 dollars still stands as well. 

I will not be able to process any deals from now until I get back from Japan on January 10th. I will be leaving for Tokyo on January 2nd and will be arriving in the late evening of January 3rd. l will be meeting with Hayabusa on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome Hotel, followed by attending New Japan's Tokyo Dome show later in the night. I hope to attend K-Dojo's January 6th Korakuen Hall show. I will then also be meeting with Kintaro Kanemura and Mitsuhiro Matsunaga on January 8th. I will be adding pictures of the trip to the site when I return.

Added: 12/10

The Apache Army renewed their going on four year rivalry with Riki Choshu on November 24, 2007 at New Japan's LOCK UP Korakuen Hall show in front of 810 fans. Kintaro Kanemura teamed with Tetsuhiro Kuroda and GENTARO to take on the New Japan Legend team of Riki Choshu, AKIRA, and Super Strong Machine with Choshu finishing off GENTARO with a lariat at 10 minutes, 20 seconds for the Apache Army loss. GBH's Tomohiro Ishii would defeat Big Japan's Daisuke Sekimoto in the main event of the show to earn the right to become the number one contender for Mammoth Sasaki's WEW World Title when Ishii would finish off Sekimoto at 21 minutes, 9 seconds with a Brainbuster off the top rope. 

Tomohiro Ishii now becomes the next contender for the WEW World Title at a future date. Ishii will team up with fellow GBH member Togi Makabe to take on the team of Mammoth Sasaki and Takashi Sasaki that will main event the next Apache Army Korakuen Hall show on December 30, 2007 before getting his shot at a singles match with Mammoth for the title. 

Mammoth Sasaki who defended his WEW World Title for the first time on October 22, 2007 at Korakuen Hall for the Jun Kasai promoted Apache Army show that drew 1,000 fans defeated Kasai in a Four Corners Glass Crash Death Match at 21 minutes, 56 seconds with the 29 Years Old also faced off against another former Big Japan wrestler in Tomoaki Honma at the New Japan LOCK UP Korakuen Hall show on November 24th and defeated Honma as well at 9 minutes, 56 seconds with the 29 Years Old. It looks like Mammoth will defend the title against Tomohiro Ishii on January 13, 2008 at New Japan's LOCK UP Korakuen Hall show, but nothing has been made official. 

Apache Army ran their successful "Hi69 AID" show on November 12, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring drawing a sell out crowd at 350 fans with all the profits going towards Hi69's hospital bills. Mammoth Sasaki teamed with Zero-One MAX's Masato Tanaka and Big Japan's Daisuke Sekimoto to take on Kintaro Kanemura, Zero-One MAX's Kohei Sato and K-Dojo's TAKA Michinoku with Tanaka getting the pinfall victory on Kanemura with the Sliding D at 13 minutes, 6 seconds. Tomohiro Ishii who injured Hi69 back on October 12, 2007 after giving Hi69 a hard kick to the chest that caused a vertebra dislocation got the only singles match on the show taking on promising Apache Army youngster Yusaku Obata and defeating Obata with a Powerbomb at 7 minutes, 4 seconds. Ryuji Ito, the former HERO! now HARASHIMA, Danshoku Dino, KUDO, GAMA, Yuki Miyazaki, Minoru Fujita, Ikuto Hidaka, MIYAWAKI, and Atsushi Ohashi also all took part in the show to help out their friend. Hi69 will be out for one year due to the injury. 

Besides Mammoth Sasaki teaming up with Takashi Sasaki to face the team of Togi Makabe and Tomohiro Ishii on December 30, 2007 at Apache Army's Korakuen Hall show other matches on the show will include a match between Daisuke Sekimoto against GENTARO, Tetsuhiro Kuroda teaming up with K-Dojo's KAZMA against Kintaro Kanemura and a Mystery Partner, DDT's boxer Tanomasaku Toba against Apache Army's boxer Shinjuku Shark, DDT's KUDO taking on Yusaku Obata, and in the opening match The Winger facing off against Big Japan's Katsumasa Inoue for the last show of the Apache Army in 2007. The first Apache Army show of 2008 will take place on January 14th at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring.

WMF continues with their WMF team vs. KHM team as the main selling point of the promotion. WMF ran a show on October 26, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring drawing only around 160 fans for the show. The KHM team of Mr. Gannosuke, Mineo Fujita, Hideki Hosaka, and Leatherface defeated the team of Soldier, Kamui, SYU, and Kankuro Hirano in a 4 vs. 4 Elimination Match where eliminations could take place from pinfalls, submissions, or from being tossed over the top rope. SYU got the first elimination for the WMF team by sending Leatherface over the top rope at 6 minutes, 35 seconds. Mr. Gannosuke then followed by eliminating SYU by getting a pinfall with the Thunder Fire at 7 minutes, 28 seconds. Kamui then scored a big upset by getting Gannosuke tossed over the top rope for the elimination at 8 minutes, 20 seconds. Hideki Hosaka eliminated Kankuro Hirano at 11 minutes, 52 seconds with a lariat. Mineo Fujita managed to eliminate Kamui at 13 minutes, 33 seconds with the KHM Style Downburst. Soldier was able to toss Hideki Hosaka over the top rope at 14 minutes, 29 seconds. Fujita then scored the last elimination over Soldier at 14 minutes, 55 seconds with a Reverse Gannosuke Clutch for the KHM victory. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFsDjtVGsKc - Highlights of Mr. Gannosuke & Mineo Fujita & Hideki Hosaka & Leatherface vs. Soldier & Kamui & SYU & Kankuro Hirano Elimination Match 10/26/07

That match then setup a KHM vs. WMF 4 vs. 4 Singles Elimination Matches on November 24, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring drawing a better crowd with 210 fans for the show. The KHM team of Mr. Gannosuke, Mineo Fujita, Hideki Hosaka, and Leatherface taking on the WMF team of Soldier, Kamui, SYU, and Kankuro Hirano with the winner of the match getting to keep SYU's Kitten Kid costume. Mineo Fujita started off the match by facing Kankuro Hirano with Fujita getting the submission of Hirano at 13 minutes, 2 seconds with a Cross Armbreaker. It would then be Kamui's turn as he would face Mineo Fujita but would also come up short with Fujita finishing off Kamui with a Cradle Cutback at 8 minutes, 47 seconds causing the WMF team to already be 2 men down. Soldier would manage to get the first success for the WMF team by quickly putting away Fujita at 41 seconds with a BUU off the top rope. Hideki Hosaka would then finish off Soldier even quicker by eliminating Soldier 8 seconds into their match with a Death Valley Bomb. SYU would then represent the last WMF man and manage to put away Hideki Hosaka with a hurricanrana. A bloody SYU would then face off against Mr. Gannosuke and the already beaten and bloody SYU would have now chance with Gannosuke as Gannosuke would put away SYU with the Fire Thunder at 11 minutes, 15 seconds for another KHM victory over WMF. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPj0abyrUGc - Highlights of Mr. Gannosuke & Mineo Fujita & Hideki Hosaka & Leatherface vs. Soldier & SYU & Kamui & Kankuro Hirano in Singles Elimination Matches 11/24/07

Despite the KHM victory over WMF thus earning them the rights to Kitten Kid's mask and even putting the head on a stake with Fujita mockingly wearing Kitten Kid's ears after the show, SYU will return as the Kitten Kid at the upcoming WMF December 29, 2007 Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring show. The KHM team of Mr. Gannosuke, Mineo Fujita, and Yasu Urano will face the WMF team of Soldier, Kamui, and Kitten Kid in the main event. 

Mr. Gannosuke ran his second show under his name on November 29, 2007 as the Mr. Gannosuke Productions show was able to draw 300 fans to the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. The main event was listed as an WMF Alumni match as Mr. Gannosuke would team with fellow KHM member Mineo Fujita to take on Mammoth Sasaki who had a very public split with Mr. Gannosuke due to his feelings that Gannosuke was focusing WMF too much on himself and was not paying enough causing Mammoth to join the rival Apache Army and Yuko Miyamoto who trained in the WMF Dojo and made his debut with the promotion and still wrestles in undercard matches due to 666's Onryo's friendship with the promotion. This would be the first time in 28 months that Mr. Gannosuke and Mammoth Sasaki would be facing each other in the ring after Mr. Gannosuke defeated the departing Mammoth Sasaki at the WMF July 31, 2005 Shin-Kiba 1st Ring show in a Barbed wire Death Match. Gannosuke would manage to get the pinfall victory over Miyamoto at 18 minutes, 27 seconds with the Fire Thunder. In the Semi-Main Event of the match AKIRA would defeat Yasu Urano at 19 minutes with a Musasabi Press. Mr. Pogo would also face off against the former Mr. Pogo # 2 in Gosaku in a Street Fight with Pogo getting the victory over his former pupil at 8 minutes, 55 seconds due to the Referee stopping the match. 

I wanted to make a couple of notes. First off that last month marked the 9 year anniversary of this website. Second, that I apologize for the lack of updates. My last year of college has been incredibly time consuming, but I will keep up with lineups of shows with Apache Army/WMF wrestlers coming up as well as results of shows that have those wrestlers in the news section despite not marking on the front page that the news page has been updated. I want to make mention for people interested in tape dealings that I will be out of town in Tampa, Florida from December 14th to the 20th. I will then also be going to Tokyo, Japan from January 2nd to January 9th. As I made mention a couple of months ago I am scheduled to meet with Hayabusa, Kintaro Kanemura as well as Yoshihiro Tajiri and Mitsuhiro Matsunaga. I will also be attending the New Japan Tokyo Dome show on January 4th and hopefully will be able to attend the K-Dojo show on January 6th at Korakuen Hall as I am very much hoping to be inside of Korakuen Hall before a new Korakuen Hall is opened and will takes the old Korakuen Halls place later next year. There is a NOAH show taking place at the same time on January 6th at the Tokyo Differ Ariake but I personally am more interested in seeing The Great Sasuke, Masato Tanaka, Takashi Sasaki, and Yuko Miyamoto live than Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, or Jun Akiyama live. 

There will probably be one more update this year around December 30th or 31st that will cover the recent WMF December 29th show and Apache Army December 30th Korakuen Hall show. Also, I know I have been making mentions of this for months but I really am trying to get my VHS tapes into DVD disc to sell on the website. But if I am unable to get it started by later this month I don't see it happening until June of next year. 

Added: 10/20

Mammoth Sasaki captured the WEW World Title for the first time in his career on September 23, 2007 at Korakuen Hall defeating New Japan's Toru Yano with the 29 Years Old at 14 minutes, 9 seconds. The show drew 1,100 fans to Korakuen Hall which still would have to be labeled a disappointment for the promotion. Capturing for the WEW World Title which he had been challenging for since taking on Hayabusa for it on July 30, 2001 in Fukuoka would mark his second singles title in his ten year career. Mammoth defeated Kintaro Kanemura for the WEW Hardcore Title back on April 1, 2001. Mammoth will make his first defense of the title at the upcoming Apache Army Korakuen Hall show on October 22, 2007 against Jun Kasai in a Death Match in the main event. The show is being promoted by Jun Kasai who has ran two successful Shin-Kiba shows over the last year. 

New Japan's Togi Makabe defeated former Big Japan King of the Death Match Champion Takashi Sasaki in the semi-main event of the show in a Hardcore Rules Match. Sasaki was bloodied up during the match, but made sure to use a barbed wire baseball to try and take out his former TPG partner. Makabe would eventually put away Sasaki by covering a chain over his arm and delivering a clothesline to Sasaki and then eventually finishing off Sasaki with the Diving King Kong Knee Drop at 14 minutes, 26 seconds for the win. Takashi Sasaki will move on to another former tag team partner in GENTARO in a Death Match one more time on October 22, 2007 at the upcoming Korakuen Hall show. Sasaki who has had much more success than GENTARO by becoming a two time King of the Death Match champion and main eventing Apache Army and Big Japan shows regularly has had much trouble against his former friend this past year and looks to change that by fighting in a Death Match against him. GENTARO who has become the main heel of the promotion teamed up with another former partner of Takashi Sasaki in The Winger managed to come away with the WEW Tag Team Titles on September 23, 2007 after defeating the team of Jun Kasai and Jaki Numazawa after The Winger pinned Numazawa with a Small Package at 14 minutes, 40 seconds. The current Big Japan King of the Death Match Champion Jaki Numazawa will face off against The Winger in another Death Match on the Jun Kasai promoted show. 

The next schedule Apache Army show after the October 22, 2007 Korakuen Hall show will be on November 12, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. The show has been entitled "Hi69 AID" and profits will be made to help pay for Hi69's hospital bills. Hi69 who teamed up with Mammoth Sasaki and Tetsuhiro Kuroda against Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, and Tomohiro Ishii for a New Japan LOCK UP show on October 11, 2007 at the Toyohashi City Gym # 2 ended up suffering vertebra dislocation damage after being kicked so hard in chest during the match. All the Apache Army wrestlers, TAKA Michinoku, Masato Tanaka, Ikuto Hidaka, Kohei Sato, Sanshiro Takagi, Yuki Miyazaki, and GAMI are the confirmed wrestlers for the show although there will be more from the K-Dojo, DDT, and Big Japan promotion for the show. 

The WMF faction finally got revenge on Mr. Gannosuke's KHM group on September 29, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. Gannosuke who got pinned by Kitten Kid in a tag match back on July 21, 2007 in a major upset was so upset that he grabbed a pair of scissors and cut off Kitten Kid's tail. A singles match between Mr. Gannosuke and the Kitten Kid was then made for August 25, 2007 at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring with Gannosuke making Kitten Kid tap to the Strangle Hold Nirvana. Gannosuke respected Kitten Kid's wrestling ability and offered a peace offering between the two by giving Kitten Kid his tail back. Kitten Kid shook Gannosuke's hand, accepted his tail back and agreed to join Gannosuke in the KHM Army to do battle against WMF. The Kitten Kid teamed up with Mr. Gannosuke and Mineo Fujita on September 29, 2007 to take on Soldier, Yuko Miyamoto, and Kamui in the main event on the show that would draw 200 fans. Kitten Kid would get his revenge on Gannosuke for cutting off his tail by turning on the KHM side during the match and making the match a four on two fight that would allow Soldier to finish off Mineo Fujita at 18 minutes with the Styles Clash. Kitten Kid would also show that he would not forget about his tail being cut off by attacking Gannosuke backstage and grabbing a pair of scissors, snipping a piece of Gannosuke's ear off. Kitten Kid would join back with the WMF side after show and announce that he was no longer going by his Kitten Kid persona anymore and will return under the name SYU. SYU will team up with Soldier, Kamui, and Kankuro Hirano on the upcoming October 26, 2007 Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring show against Mr. Gannosuke, Mineo Fujita, Hideki Hosaka, and Leatherface in a Elimination Match in the main event. It was also announced that Mr. Gannosuke will be promoting his second show under his own name on November 29, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring after the first show was a success.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKJkX6q_X30 - Highlights of Mr. Gannosuke & GOEMON vs. Soldier & Kitten Kid and Mineo Fujita & Yasu Urano vs. Kengo Takai & Kamui 7/21/07

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKl_eZlxIIo - Highlights of Mr. Gannosuke vs. Kitten Kid and Mineo Fujita & Hideki Hosaka & Yasu Urano vs. Soldier & Kengo Takai & Kamui 8/25/07

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AZCyVKIDSA - Highlights of Hideki Hosaka & Yasu Urano vs. Kengo Takai & Kankuro Hirano and Mr. Gannosuke & Mineo Fujita & Kitten Kid vs. Soldier & Yuko Miyamoto & Kamui 9/29/07

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hcl2Fpw4iWw - Music video of Mr. Gannosuke by WalpurgisMoon 

Hayabusa's third CD will be released on November 14, 2007 entitled "Trust!". Helping with Hayabusa with the CD this time was friend Dragon Kid. Dragon Kid helped write two of the songs called "Mother's Heart" and "It's Monday 2 Sunday" as well sing most of the songs with Hayabusa. The CD has 8 tracks. 

Sorry, about the long time gap between updates. Life has gotten extremely busy, but I always manage to post WMF & Apache Army results as soon I get them. Misc Result/upcoming show lineups are also updated a lot more recently than I manage to update the News section itself. I will also be adding YouTube links of FMW highlighted matches on there in the FMW History section in the Biographies part of the site. 

Added: 9/3

Kenichi Kono wrestled his last match in his short career on August 25, 2007 at WMF's 5th Year Anniversary show at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. Kenichi would lose in his last match to Soldier at 4 minutes, 58 seconds to a lariat. A post match retirement would be held for Kono afterwards with Katsura Hirano, Kamui, and Yuko Miyamoto coming to the ring and presenting Kono flowers. Kamui would lift Kono on his shoulders as streamers would be thrown into the ring to celebrate Kono's career. Kono's career only lasted 20 months before making the decision to get out of the business. Kono who never scored a pinfall victory in his entire career as a professional wrestlers made his wrestling debut at WMF's January 20, 2006 show at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring where he would lose to Mineo Fujita in the opening match. Kono would go on to face the likes of Flying Kid Ichihara, Muneki Sawa, Chocoball Mukai, Shota Takanishi, Mr. Gannosuke, isami, Katsura Hirano, Kengo Takai, Dragon YUKI, and Soldier. Kono would also get to teams with the likes of GOEMON, Onryo, Ricky Fuji, and Tomoya Adachi. 

Mammoth Sasaki became the number one contender for the WEW World Heavyweight Title after defeating the champion Toru Yano in a tag team match at the Apache Army's September 2, 2007 show at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. Toru Yano who defeated Kintaro Kanemura back on July 29, 2007 for the title back on New Japan's LOCK UP show at Korakuen Hall faced off and defeated Mammoth Sasaki back on August 19, 2007 in a singles match between the two at a LOCK UP show. Mammoth got revenge on the Apache Army show teaming with Takashi Sasaki to defeat Togi Makabe and Toru Yano when Mammoth nailed Yano with the 29 Years Old for the victory at 13 minutes, 36 seconds. It looks like Mammoth will be next in line for a shot at the WEW World Title at the upcoming Apache Army Korakuen Hall show on September 23, 2007 against Yano. 

Kintaro Kanemura returned to action on September 1, 2007 after suffering a knee injury last month that caused him to miss the Apache Army shows in mid August as well as a HUSTLE event and a Big Japan Korakuen Hall show. Kintaro Kanemura teamed up with Tetsuhiro Kuroda, Mammoth Sasaki, and Hi69 to represent the Apache Army against the New Japan team of Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii, Jado, and Gedo with the New Japan team getting the win after Yano would pin Kanemura with the Lariat + Oni Koroshi for the pinfall victory at 14 minutes, 22 seconds. Yuko Miyamoto also suffered an injury that forced him to miss time in a Fire Death Match at Big Japan's August 12, 2007 show in Osaka that caused Miyamoto's arm to be severely burned and force him to miss a main event match for Big Japan's August 20, 2007 Korakuen Hall show. Miyamoto was able to make his return to the ring for WMF's August 25, 2007 show teaming with Kazushi Miyamoto to defeat the team of Ricky Fuji and Kankuro Hirano after Yuko nailed the Moonsault Press on Hirano to score the victory at 12 minutes, 53 seconds. Yuko Miyamoto will make his return to Big Japan on September 9, 2007 in Saitama where he will face Ryuji Ito in the main event of the show in a Weapons Death Match. 

Takashi Sasaki's second reign at Big Japan King of the Death Match came to an end on August 26, 2007 in a surprising result to The Dark Angel Jaki Numazawa at the Pro Wrestling Summit at the Tokyo Differ Ariake. Numazawa defeated Sasaki with the Altitude Lariat and scoring the pinfall at 19 minutes, 50 seconds in the main event of the show. Sasaki had held the title since December 3, 2006 after defeating Numazawa for the vacant title at the Yokohama Bunka Gym in a Fluorescent Light Tubes Shrine Death Match.

Added: 7/23

Mammoth Sasaki and Kohei Sato defeated the team of Kintaro Kanemura and Masato Tanaka after Mammoth in the main event of the Apache Army July 20, 2007 Korakuen Hall show. The victory now puts Mammoth in line for a shot at Kintaro Kanemura's WEW World Title. Kanemura is scheduled to defend the title first against New Japan's Toru Yano at the New Japan LOCK UP Korakuen Hall show on July 29, 2007 first. Click here for Notes and Pictures of the Apache Army 7/20/07 Korakuen Hall show.

Jun Kasai announced the lineups for his upcoming three Apache Army shows in August at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. Kasai will first battle against Takashi Sasaki's partner Yuko Miyamoto in a Death Match as the main event of the first show. Kintaro Kanemura and Tetsuhiro Kuroda are scheduled for a HUSTLE show that day so they will be unable to participate on the show. The next day, Jun Kasai and Jaki Numazawa will defend their WEW Tag Team Titles against Takashi Sasaki and Yuko Miyamoto in a Death Match that Sasaki had asked for helping Kasai and Numazawa win the titles in the first place last month. The last show will have Jun Kasai face Takashi Sasaki in a rematch of their November 2, 2006 Korakuen Hall show match with the same stipulation of a Glass Crash Alpha Death Match. GENTARO will get the chance to face Takashi Sasaki's partner Yuko Miyamoto as well on the show. 

WMF returned to the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring for their July 21, 2007 drawing a disappointing 150 fans to the show. Soldier and Kitten Kid would team together to score the upset of the show as they would defeat the team of Mr. Gannosuke and GOEMON in the semi-main event. Kitten Kid would roll up Gannosuke with a modified inside cradle for the pinfall victory at 15 minutes, 51 seconds. This would enrage Gannosuke who would grab some scissors and would cut off Kitten Kid's tail. Gannosuke would demand a singles match with Kitten Kid for the WMF August 25, 2007 5th Year Anniversary show. Kitten Kid would end up accepting for the singles match. Mineo Fujita and Yasu Urano would team up in the main event to defeat the team of Kamui and Kengo Takai after Fujita would pin Kamui with the Victory Roll at 22 minutes, 35 seconds. Kamui would afterwards challenge Fujita to a singles match for the next show, but Fujita would not have an answer on whether he accepted the challenge for a singles match.

WMF recently uploaded several music videos of highlights of certain matches of their shows in June to YouTube. Here are three of the videos that were uploaded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFHahimmbNg - Highlights of Mr. Gannosuke & Mineo Fujita & Yasu Urano vs. Soldier & Kengo Takai & Kamui 6/9/07

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIeGPpnBcng - Highlights of Mr. Gannosuke & GOEMON & Hideki Hosaka & Yasu Urano vs. Soldier & Ricky Fuji & Kamui & Kankuro Hirano 6/30/07

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uudMZhn_MC0 - Highlights of Mineo Fujita vs. Kengo Takai 6/30/07

I hopefully will be starting turning many of my VHS tapes into DVD's and putting them up for sale as DVD's in the very near future. The DVD's will be able to hold just 2 hour shows and the price range will end up being 5 dollars for a DVD. Also, I am scheduled right now to go to Japan from January 2, 2008 to January 9, 2008 to attend a couple of wrestling shows in that time period including New Japan's Tokyo Dome show on January 4th. I will also get the chance to meet Hayabusa and Kintaro Kanemura during that week. 

Added: 7/9

The Apache Army has cancelled its upcoming Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring on July 15th and July 29th. The July 29th show was cancelled due to New Japan's LOCK UP show being booked for Korakuen Hall on July 29th with Kintaro Kanemura, Tetsuhiro Kuroda, Mammoth Sasaki, and GENTARO being booked on the show. I would guess that the July 15th show was cancelled due to being too close to the upcoming Apache Army July 20th Korakuen Hall show. In place of the two cancelled shows, Jun Kasai will promote three shows at the building from August 15th to August 17th. 

The Apache Army announced their upcoming July 20th Korakuen Hall lineup. The main event will be Kintaro Kanemura and Zero-One MAX's Masato Tanaka teaming up against Mammoth Sasaki and Zero-One MAX's Kohei Sato. This looks to be a match to setup Mammoth challenging Kanemura for the WEW World Title at the September 23rd Korakuen Hall show. The former Akrangers will face off against each other in the semi-main event of the show. Takashi Sasaki who defeated Ryuji Ito on July 8, 2007 at the Yokohama Bunka Gym to defend his BJW King of the Death Match Title despite having much more success than GENTARO since the split up of the team has had trouble defeating his former tag team partner with GENTARO owning the last two pinfalls over Sasaki in matches. Tetsuhiro Kuroda will get a rematch against Dragon Gate's Don Fujii on the show. Fujii defeated Kuroda at Dragon Gate's July 1st show at the Kobe World Hall. Daisuke Ikeda will return to the Apache Army and face off against Hi69 who challenged him to a singles match back on June 24th. Kanemura, Kuroda, Mammoth, and GENTARO all return to Korakuen Hall for New Japan's LOCK UP show on July 29th. Kanemura will face off against Toru Yano who recently defeated Kanemura to win a Battle Royal back on July 1st. Kuroda, Mammoth, and GENTARO will team up with Dick Togo to face off against New Japan's Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe, Jado, and Gedo in a eight man tag. 

Mr. Gannosuke recently promoted his own successful show at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring on July 5, 2007. Mr. Gannosuke Productions drew 320 fans for the show with the main event seeing Dick Togo team up with Apache Army's GENTARO to defeat Mr. Gannosuke and GOEMON in the main event with Togo making GOEMON tap to the Crossface at 23 minutes, 58 seconds. K-Dojo's Madoka defeated WMF's Mineo Fujita in the semi-main event at 16 minutes, 59 seconds with the Ranhei. AKIRA defeated 666's Yuko Miyamoto at 11 minutes, 20 seconds with the Flying Squirrel Press. Kitten Kid and Ice Ribbon's Emi Sakura defeated the team of Lingerie Muto and Makoto when Sakura pinned Makoto at 12 minutes, 27 seconds with a Reverse Splash Senton. Big Japan's Abdullah Kobayashi opened the show by defeating Gosaku at 8 minutes, 49 seconds with a dive off the top rope using a barbed wire baseball bat to get the pinfall victory.

WMF's next show will be on July 21, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. KHM's Mineo Fujita and Yasu Urano will team up to face the team of Kamui and Kengo Takai in the main event. Mr. Gannosuke and GOEMON will team up once again to face the team of Soldier and Kitten Kid in the semi-main event. Hideki Hosaka will take on the former EAGLE now WMF representative Kankuro Hirano. Former K-Dojo wrestler Tomoka Nakagawa will take on the wrestler going by the name Ray. Onryo will open up the show teaming up with Kenichi Kono as they face off against Ricky Fuji and Dragon YUKI.

Added: 6/30

Kintaro Kanemura won back the WEW World Title in his last chance against New Japan's Togi Makabe on June 24, 2007 at Korakuen Hall. Click here for Pictures and Notes of the Apache Army 6/24/07 Korakuen Hall show.

It was announced that Dick Togo's mystery partner for the upcoming July 5, 2007 Gannosuke promoted show at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring will be GENTARO when facing Mr. Gannosuke and GOEMON. It will be the first time any Apache Army member will be wrestling on the same show as Mr. Gannosuke since April 16, 2005 for the WE LOVE SABU show due to Gannosuke and Apache Army leader Kintaro Kanemura's falling out in the Summer of 2004. 

Added: 6/8

Big news was announced on June 7, 2007 by Apache Army President Go Ito that the Apache Army had come to terms with a big time sponsor for the promotion. A food business enterprise that takes in about 900 million yen (7.42 million U.S. dollars) in a annual turnover will be transferring 50 million yen (412,250 U.S. dollars) right away to the Apache Army. The money will be used to expand the roster of the promotion. They are already looking at trying to get WEW World Champion Togi Makabe who has a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Title on July 6th to leave New Japan to become a full time Apache Army wrestler and the ace of the promotion. Go Ito also announced with the large sum of money he is looking for the Apache Army to return to Kawasaki Stadium for their big show instead of the Korakuen Hall shows every couple of months being used. Go Ito is looking for more general viewers for the promotion stating how FMW use to draw around 50,000 people for Kawasaki Stadium and even WEW was drawing over 10,000 people for their big shows held at the former parking lot of what was Kawasaki Stadium back in 2002 and 2003. They are also looking to revive the FMW name by creating the name for the promotion as FMW Golden Age.

Due to a time limit taking place in the match on May 26, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring between Kintaro Kanemura and Daisuke Sekimoto against Mammoth Sasaki and Tetsuhiro Kuroda with the man scoring the pinfall getting a shot at Togi Makabe's WEW World Title, there will be now another match scheduled with the same reward for the man who scores the pin. The match will be Kintaro Kanemura and Tetsuhiro Kuroda against Mammoth Sasaki and Daisuke Sekimoto on June 10, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring and there will be no time limit to the match this time.

Added: 5/20

Soldier was turned on for the second time in two shows when his friend and partner dating back to 2005 in Mineo Fujita turned on him during their six man tag team match on May 19, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in front of 200 fans. Soldier who teamed with Mineo Fujita and Kengo Takai against the former FMW wrestler group of Mr. Gannosuke, GOEMON, and Hideki Hosaka was turned on by Fujita when Fujita blew a fireball in Soldier's face allowing Mr. Gannosuke an easy opportunity to hit Soldier with the Fire Thunder and score the pinfall victory at 17 minutes, 6 seconds. After the match Mr. Gannosuke announced that he was forming a new group called the KHM Army which would consist of all former FMW wrestlers except Fujita in himself, GOEMON, Hideki Hosaka, Yasu Urano, and Leatherface. They will rivaled against the WMF Army led by Soldier along with Kamui, Kitten Kid, Ricky Fuji, Kengo Takai, Kankuro Hirano, and Kenichi Kono. Hisakatsu Oya who was originally scheduled to face Kitten Kid in the semi-main event ended up suffering an injury days  before the show. Rick Patterson who was Leatherface in IWA and the last two months of FMW in 2002 ended up taking Oya's spot and defeating Kitten Kid at 13 minutes, 47 seconds with a diving double chop. Gannosuke also announced he would be promoting his first show under his name on July 5, 2007 teaming with GOEMON at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring against Dick Togo and a Mystery Partner. The show will include talent from the Ice Ribbon and WMF as the former Emi Motokawa in Emi Sakura will team up with Kitten Kid against Lingerie Muto and Makoto. Gosaku will also be facing off against Big Japan's Abdullah Kobayashi on the show. June 9th will be the next WMF show. 

The next Apache Army show will be on May 26, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. GENTARO who defeated his former tag team partner Takashi Sasaki back on the last show on April 29, 2007 will now face off against Takashi Sasaki and Jun Kasai in a Triple Threat Death Match. The winner of the match will get to choose what kind of stipulation match they want for the upcoming June 24th Apache Army Korakuen Hall show. Kintaro Kanemura and Daisuke Sekimoto will be teaming up to face Mammoth Sasaki and Tetsuhiro Kuroda in the semi-main event with the winner scoring the pinfall of the match becoming the number one contender for the WEW World Title and will most likely be facing Togi Makabe in the main event at the Korakuen Hall show on June 24, 2007. Apache Army announced another Korakuen Hall show coming up on July 20, 2007.

Added: 5/5

Even though FMW ended over five years ago there's always one day of the year that is still remembered for everything FMW provided and that's May 5th. This year is only the third year in the last fourteen years that FMW or any other promotions based on FMW (ZEN, WEW, Fuyuki Army, Apache Army) did not run a show on this date. It was originally announced that Kintaro Kanemura was interested in having a FMW reunion show on May 5th at Kawasaki Stadium again this year, but the idea ended up being dropped as most likely due to the inability to put the money in for the show as they're struggling to be able to make money for Korakuen Hall show and it would also include having to come to terms with Mr. Gannosuke who still has bad blood with him. Ten years ago marked the first time there was no Kawasaki Stadium show on May 5th in five years as the scheduled event that was to include Megumi Kudo's retirement match ended up taking place at the Yokohama Arena on April 29, 1997 instead due to Kawasaki Stadium being renovated at the time. There has not been a show at Kawasaki Stadium since May 5, 2004 for the last Fuyuki Army show which turned out to be a financial disaster but was already planned to be the last show that Kodo Fuyuki's widow Kaoru Fuyuki would finance. 

Mr. Gannosuke who in an angle quit WMF to become a freelancer announced that he was joining the Ice Ribbon promotion which is a Independent women's promotion that includes former FMW wrestler Emi Sakura (back then was called Emi Motokawa). WMF announced their upcoming lineup for the May 19, 2007 Tokyo Shi-Kiba 1st Ring show with the WMF wrestlers of Soldier, Mineo Fujita, and Kengo Takai taking on GOEMON, Hideki Hosaka, and a Mystery Partner. It's not even being kept a secret that it will most likely be Mr. Gannosuke as WMF announced that they are trying to negotiate with Gannosuke to be the third member for the former FMW wrestlers team. Gannosuke who originally stated he would not be on the show has not yet replied to WMF. Hisakatsu Oya will be returning to WMF for the first time since March 3, 2006 as he will take on Kitten Kid in the semi-main event. 

Added: 4/16

WMF returned to the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring on April 14, 2007 with an announced crowd of 252 people. The main event of the show saw the Marvelous Future Tag Team Tournament winners square off with Mineo Fujita facing Kitten Kid. Fujita would end up putting away Kitten Kid with a Tiger Supplex at 20 minutes, 51 seconds in the best wrestling match on the show. Much praise has gone out lately to former WMF Dojo student Yuko Miyamoto for his work in Big Japan over the last couple of months, but it's a shame that Fujita is not seen anywhere near by the audience that Miyamoto is as Fujita has improved greatly and is just as good if not better than Miyamoto at this point. 

Mr. Gannosuke reformed his team with his Marvelous Future Tag Team Tournament partner Soldier to take on GOEMON and Hideki Hosaka. But the big shock of the show was Gannosuke turning on Soldier during the match and with the help of GOEMON and Hideki Hosaka laying out Soldier with a Super Powerbomb off the top rope. The former long time FMW wrestlers Gannosuke, GOEMON, and Hosaka all were pounding on Soldier when the WMF wrestlers of Kamui, Kengo Takai, Kankuro Hirano, and Kenichi Kono would rush to the ring to try and save Soldier causing the referee to rule the match a no contest at 15 minutes, 25 seconds. Gannosuke would announce afterwards that he was resigning from WMF and was now officially a Freelancer. A very angry Soldier would challenge Gannosuke to a singles match for the next WMF show on May 19, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st but Gannosuke would decline citing he would no longer work for WMF. 

Kamui got his first victory in WMF under the mask since debuting under the name back on August 27, 2006 by defeating Gosaku in a Loser Leaves WMF Scramble Bunk House Barbed wire Board Death Match after reversing a Gosaku choke slam and turning it into a hurricanrana for the victory at 14 minutes, 5 seconds. Tomoya Adachi and Kengo Takai teamed up to defeat the team of Onryo and Kankuro Hirano when Takai hit the Atomic Bomb on Hirano for the win at 16 minutes, 33 seconds. Ricky Fuji defeated Dragon Yuki at 9 minutes, 42 seconds with the 9999 DDT. Muneki Sawa who also goes by the name Lingerie Muto defeated Kenichi Kono in the opening match at 7 minutes, 42 seconds with the STF. Kono who made his debut over a year ago in WMF is still looking for his first professional win. 

The Apache Army a day after on April 15, 2007 would draw an announced 300 fans fat the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring for their show. The main event would see Togi Makabe once again defend the WEW World Title against Mammoth Sasaki and once again walk away still the champion after defeating Mammoth with the King Kong Knee Drop at 17 minutes, 11 seconds for his first fourth title defense. It was a rematch of their match on February 4, 2007 at Korakuen Hall that saw Makabe defeat Mammoth in a Cage Death Match. Kintaro Kanemura looks to be the next challenger for the title, but Makabe stated he will not defend the WEW World Title for another couple of months. The next shot the Apache Army will have at Makabe will be in a 2 out of 3 Falls match for New Japan's LOCK UP show on May 6, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. The match will consist of Kintaro Kanemura, Tetsuhiro Kuroda, Mammoth Sasaki, and GENTARO taking on the team of Togi Makabe, Shiro Koshinaka, Toru Yano, and Tomohiro Ishii in the main event of the show. 

Added: 3/22

Yuko Miyamoto who made his debut with WMF on August 2, 2003 and would eventually leave the promotion after February 11, 2004 due to the promotions hiatus and would join the 666 promotion had the biggest match of his career on March 14, 2007 for Big Japan's Korakuen Hall show by challenging Takashi Sasaki in the main event for the King of the Death Match Championship in a Scaffold Death Match.

Miyamoto and Sasaki squared off with fluorescent light tubes surrounding the ring as well as the scaffold in the corner of the ring. Both men would send each other into the fluorescent lights early into the match causing Miyamoto to bleed early. Both Miyamoto and Sasaki would head for the scaffold and begin climbing it up at the same time. Miyamoto would end up winning the first battle of on top of the scaffold by knocking Sasaki off and then diving off of it with a flying foot stomp on Sasaki. Sasaki and Miyamoto would eventually begin a battle of the clotheslines with both men knocking the other down. Sasaki would eventually gain control of the match and setup the fluorescent light tubes on a chair where he would powerbomb Miyamoto through the tubes. Miyamoto would fight back and deliver a moonsault to Sasaki while holding the tubes. Miyamoto would then climb the scaffold and deliver a moonsault onto Sasaki. Both men would then climb up the scaffold and begin brawling on top of it with Sasaki bringing down Miyamoto with the D-Geist off the scaffold onto the table. Sasaki would eventually finish off the match with a light tube assisted D-Geist to score the bloody over Miyamoto at 24 minutes, 7 seconds. The two would end up collapsing in the locker room after the match and hugging after the brutal performance the two had put each other through. Miyamoto has joined alliances with Takashi Sasaki and Ryuji Ito in Big Japan.

Although Yuko Miyamoto really did not have a shot at winning the match, I do hope Big Japan capitalizes on this and pushes Miyamoto as one of the top guys in the promotion despite "only" being in the business for 3 1/2 years and not being a Big Japan contracted wrestler. I feel the most frustrating thing in Japanese wrestling today is the younger wrestlers are not allowed to beat anyone that they have not been in the business longer then. It's a very frustrating situation as it seems like all the wrestlers that were at the top of the business five years and ten years ago are still the top wrestlers and the wrestlers that have made their debut in the 21st century still are struggling to make a name for themselves.

Mammoth Sasaki who made his debut almost ten years ago is still feeling the effect of being grouped in as one of the younger wrestlers (despite turning 33 in July) it seems like managed to score his first ever singles victory over Tetsuhiro Kuroda in the main event of the Apache Army March 18, 2007 Tokyo-Shin Kiba 1st Ring show. Mammoth who had gone 0-3-1 against his former Team Zero, Team FMW, Team Kuroda, Team WMF, and Apache Army team mate finally defeated Kuroda with back to back 29 Years Olds at 19 minutes, 38 seconds. The closest Mammoth had come to defeating Kuroda and the most memorable match the two had was back on December 12, 2002 for WMF's first Korakuen Hall show when both Mammoth and Kuroda ended up knocking each other out and both were unable to make it back up for the 10 count for the Double KO decision in the best match in the WMF promotion's history. Mammoth has issued that he wants another shot at the WEW World Title but understands that Kintaro Kanemura is first in line once again for a shot at Togi Makabe's title. Shinjuku Shark debut his new gimmick of Michael Osumi teaming with Janet Ozawa to form the team of the Osumi 5. The next Apache Army show will be on March 31, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring and will be the second show promoted by Jun Kasai with the announced main event of Kasai against Naoki Numazawa in a Glass Death Match.  Here is the history of singles matches between Tetsuhiro Kuroda and Mammoth Sasaki over the last 9 years.  

FMW 1/10/98
Yamaguchi Hofu Sports Center
1700 Fans (Sold Out)

Tetsuhiro Kuroda d. Yoshinori Sasaki (6:15)

FMW 7/2/01
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
2050 Fans

Tetsuhiro Kuroda d. Mammoth Sasaki (11:27)

WMF 12/12/02
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1700 Fans

Mammoth Sasaki vs. Tetsuhiro Kuroda (23:05) went to a Double KO

Apache Army 8/5/05
Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring
200 Fans

Tetsuhiro Kuroda d. Mammoth Sasaki (11:39)

Apache Army 3/18/07
Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring
250 Fans

Mammoth Sasaki d. Tetsuhiro Kuroda (19:38)

666's child star Kaicho Ramu made her Korakuen Hall debut on March 21, 2007 for the UWAI STATION promotion teaming up with Onryo in the opening match against Kikutaro and Chon-Shiryu. Ramu who is still in grade school has been competing for the 666 promotion over the last two years did all her signature spots including the 619 and the Swinging DDT before she finished off Shiryu with the chokeslam at 11 minutes, 29 seconds for the win. 

I had a chance to watch the Apache Army February 2, 2007 Korakuen Hall main event match of Kintaro Kanemura and Tetsuhiro Kuroda against Togi Makabe and Takashi Sasaki. The match definitely lacked something as the heat was not there that it had been for previous Apache Army main events. It was definitely better than the Kanemura vs. Makabe Chain Match from September 24, 2006 but a step below the Kanemura/Kuroda/Mammoth vs. Tenzan/Makabe/Koshinaka match from November 2, 2006 which had great heat and definitely a step below the Kanemura/Kuroda/Kojima vs. Sasaki/Makabe/Koshinaka in a Barbed wire Street Fight on August 28, 2006 which had great heat, and a great finish. 

Added: 2/25

Many of the former FMW wrestlers were very saddened to hear that one of their companions over the last year in The Gladiator had taken his life. Here are some comments left by some of the wrestlers.

Hayabusa mentions how he wish the report of The Gladiator's death was the same false of Super Leather from last year, but has accepted that it's not. Hayabusa who stayed with Mike Awesome at his house in Florida in early 1995 would go the Gym every morning and work out together. How he came to visit him while Hayabusa was in the hospital in 2003 and that he really appreciated that. But what he just can not believe is that Mike took his own life. Hayabusa mentions how after becoming paralyzed in 2001 that he hoped he would die but could not take his life because he couldn't even move to kill himself. Although he barely remembers anything after being paralyzed for the rest of 2001, he does remember hoping that the heart surgery would not be a success so that his life could end. When the certain medicine was taken off after the heart surgery that caused most of his memory to be lost for the 2 months following the injury, he knew he wanted to live. He stated that he knows how lonely times can get, but that the chest is always full of desire, and to live life is the most important thing. He finished by saying thank you to Mike for everything he had done for him.

Masato Tanaka stated that The Gladiator became one of his best friends and best rivals from FMW and that the two went drinking together many times. Tanaka mentioned that he won both the FMW and ECW titles for the first time from him, and that he will always remain his best rival even though he is in heaven now. 

Mr. Gannosuke wrote about how when he was a young boy he would take the Awesome Bomb almost everyday and blood would be vomited. He then mentioned how he was united with The Gladiator for both the Funk Masters of Wrestling and ZEN in 1997. That it was too early for the death of a wonderful wrestler and that it was unbearable thinking about his family that is left with out him. He hopes Mike is resting peacefully and is in his prayers. 

Megumi Kudo wrote how she met The Gladiator at the New Tokyo International Airport for the first time back in 1990. How he was the one foreigner that came with her and Combat Toyoda to a South Korea expedition for FMW. There was when the first time they actually talked with one another but not many words were said. She mentioned how he was a wonderful wrestler and that he was one of the members of the FMW family. 

Click here for a Bio on Mike Awesome's career

It was announced on February 24, 2007 that due to the split of the Jun Kasai and Tomoaki Honma due to Honma joining the GBH stable that is linked to the TPG heel stable in the Apache Army that the WEW Tag Team Titles had been vacated. Due to winning the 4 team tag team tournament back on February 8, 2007 to become the number one contenders the WEW Tag Team Titles were being rewarded to the team of Takashi Sasaki and The Winger. 

Tetsuhiro Kuroda promoted a successful "Black Steel" show on February 25, 2007 selling out the 350 seats available for the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. Kuroda just like he did back on May 5, 2006 managed to defeat Takashi Sasaki at 18 minutes, 5 seconds with a supplex. The match that changed several times before finally being set turned out to be a win for the TPG group as WEW World Champion Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, and The Winger defeated Jun Kasai, Mammoth Sasaki, and Tomohiko Hashimoto when Makabe hit the Jumping Kneedrop on Hashimoto for the win in the Hardcore Rules match at 15 minutes, 19 seconds. MAZADA end up being pulled from the card the day before the show so his match along with a mystery TPG assassin was pulled from the card instead. KUSHIDA faced Yusaku Obata who was scheduled to be his partner originally on the show and defeated him at 13 minutes, 55 seconds with the Yurikamome. GENTARO & Hi69 were moved to the opener instead and got their first win as a a tag team against Kintaro Kanemura and Yuko Miyamoto when GENTARO hit a Diving Elbow Drop on Miyamoto at 14 minutes, 11 seconds. 

WMF usually only has the money to run one show a month. They booked two shows for February so there will be no show March show with the next show being on April 14th. WMF ran at the Osaka Azeria Taishou on February 24, 2007 announcing 300 fans attending the show. The main event consisted of Soldier teaming up with Mineo Fujita against Kengo Takai and Kitten Kid. Fujita and Kitten Kid who only last week won the Marvelous Future Tag Team Tournament squared off against each other in the tag match. Kitten Kid ended up getting the pinfall victory over Fujita at 16 minutes with a jumping aerial assault. This will most likely lead to a singles match between Mineo Fujita and Kitten Kid at the next WMF show in April. Gran Hamada made his WMF debut teaming with Onryo to face GOEMON and Kamui in the semi-main event. Hamada ended up getting the victory after pinning Kamui at 14 minutes, 18 seconds with a beach cutter off the top rope. Mr. Gannosuke who had depushed himself greatly to allow the younger talent more of an opportunity to show their own teamed with Ricky Fuji and Kabuki Kid and defeated the team of Gosaku, Yuko Miyamoto, and Kyoko Kimura with Gannosuke hitting Gosaku with the lariat for the at 12 minutes, 25 seconds to get the victory.

Added: 2/19

"The Gladiator" Mike Alfonso also known as Mike Awesome passed away on Saturday February 17, 2007 at the age of 42. Taking his life the same way that his boss of over three years in Shoichi Arai did it by hanging himself. Strangely enough I found out about his death this morning by Stuart over at Strong Style Spirit while making a Best of The Gladiator in FMW tape for someone. He is now the fifth along with Shoichi Arai, Kodo Fuyuki, Sambo Asako, and Victor Quinones FMW personality to die in the last five years. I actually got the chance to talk with Mike Awesome back in 2000 about Hayabusa and it was a privilege of getting to hear him talk about Hayabusa and his FMW days. Click here for a Bio on Mike Awesome's career

Mammoth's second bid for a title came up short once again as he challenged Ryouji Sai for his NWA United National Heavyweight Title on February 18, 2007 at Korakuen Hall. Mammoth who teamed with Daisuke Sekimoto last month to beat Ryouji Sai and Yoshihito Sasaki on January 19th with Mammoth scoring the pinfall over Sai to earn a shot at the title. Mammoth made the match his type of style early bringing a table into the match and sending Sai through the table on the outside, followed by bringing in chairs into the match, but Sai and his hard kicks to the head and face would become too much as Sai would end up putting Mammoth away with the Sidmouth at 15 minutes, 15 seconds for his second title defense. It was the second title shot for Mammoth in two weeks that he failed to win after losing to Togi Makabe at Korakuen Hall for the WEW World Title.

Mineo Fujita and Kitten Kid (who also goes by SYU) ended up winning the 8 team Marvelous Future Tag Team Tournament on February 17, 2008 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. Fujita and Kitten Kid first upset the heavy favorite team of Mr. Gannosuke and Soldier. Soldier who last month stated the tournament was already theirs feeling that no team equaled up to him and Gannosuke. Gannosuke who warned Soldier to not to get too confident before winning the tournament showed he knew what he was talking about as Kitten Kid scored the major upset after Soldier set up Kitten Kid for the BUU with Kitten countering it and delivering the BUU to Soldier instead to get the upset win at 12 minutes, 59 seconds to advance to the finals of the tournament. Gosaku and Kamui would also advance in the tournament after defeating the team of Hideki Hosaka and Tomoya Adachi after Gosaku would hit the Gosaku Drop on Adachi at 13 minutes, 43 seconds to advance. Mineo Fujita and Kitten Kid would then win the Marvelous Future Tag Team Tournament defeating Gosaku and Kamui in the finals after Fujita would nail the Fire Bird Splash on Kamui for the victory at 13 minutes, 33 seconds for both mens first ever tournament victory. Gosaku upset after the loss issued a challenge to Kamui for the next Shin-Kiba 1st Ring show on April 14th in a Death Match which Kamui accepted. 

The two will winners of the tournament will now face each other next week in a tag team as Mineo Fujita will team up with Soldier to face Kitten Kid and Kengo Takai (the former Perro, a dog character in Osaka Pro) in the main event of the WMF February 24, 2007 show at the Osaka Azeria Taishou. Another set of tag team partners will face each other in the semi-main event as GOEMON who now has his head shaved will team up with Kamui against Gran Hamada who is making his WMF debut and Onryo.

Tetsuhiro Kuroda announced the full lineup for his promoted Apache Army "Black Steel" show on February 25, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. The main event will be Kuroda challenging Takashi Sasaki in the main event of the show in a rematch of their May 5, 2006 match that Kuroda won. If Sasaki wins this match, then Kuroda will be forced to kiss Sasaki's boots. The semi-main event has gone through numerous changes throughout the past week. Jun Kasai and Tomoaki Honma were originally scheduled to defend their WEW Tag Team Titles on February 8, 2007 against Takashi Sasaki and The Winger as well as GENTARO and Hi69. Jun Kasai ended up with an inflamed knee and was not able to participate in the match. It was then turned into a one night tournament to see who would become the number one contenders for the WEW Tag Team Titles and would earn their shot on February 25th. Takashi Sasaki and The Winger won the tournament and were originally scheduled for the match against Kasai and Honma for the WEW Tag Team Titles. Sasaki then told Kuroda the promoter for the show that he didn't want to wrestle twice in such big matches on the show back to back and wanted his WEW Tag Team Title shot at a later date and chose Togi Makabe as his replacement in a non title Hardcore Rules Match. But the match was changed yesterday after Tomoaki Honma revealed that he was the newest member of New Japan's GBH stable which TPG leader Togi Makabe is also a part of. Honma and Kasai have now broken up as a tag team and the match was changed once again. Now the match will be a 6 man Hardcore Rules Match with Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, and The Winger going up against Jun Kasai, Mammoth Sasaki, and Tomohiko Hashimoto. The WEW Tag Team Titles will now most likely become vacated due to the split of Kasai and Honma. Mammoth and Hashimoto were originally scheduled to face each other in a singles match on the show, but that match has now been canceled to make the 6 man. GENTARO and Hi69 will team up to face MAZADA and a mystery masked TPG assassin on the show as well. Kintaro Kanemura will only be wrestling in a opening tag match with Yuko Miyamoto against KUSHIDA and Yusaku Obata due to an injured shoulder. 

Added: 2/4

Mammoth Sasaki got his first shot at the WEW World Title since July 30, 2001 when he challenged Togi Makabe at New Japan's LOCK UP show on February 4, 2007 at Korakuen Hall in a Cage Death Match with the match only being decided by a KO finish. Weapons were allowed in the cage and used as both men bloodied each other early in the match. Both men climbed the top of the cage and fought at the top before crashing down back into the ring. Mammoth used a stack of chairs to deliver his Mammoth Home Run on Makabe but was unable to keep Makabe down for a 10 count. Makabe ended up using his chain and delivering three lariats to Mammoth with the chain wrapped around his arm and then delivering a King Kong Knee Drop on Mammoth's face to finally knock Mammoth out at 16 minutes, 14 seconds as Mammoth was unable to make it back to his feet at the 10 count for the KO victory for Makabe and his third successful defense of the WEW World Title over an Apache Army member. Makabe got on the mic and mocked the Apache Army members stating them as week causing Kintaro Kanemura to hit the ring and challenge Makabe again screaming at Makabe that he would kill Makabe if given another chance. Overall it was a bad night for the Apache Army as Kanemura and Tetsuhiro Kuroda also lost to Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii when Yano pinned Kuroda and the team of Jado, Gedo, and Dick Togo defeated Tomoaki Honma, GENTARO, and Hi69 when Gedo hit the Superfly Splash on Hi69 for the loss. Mammoth will get another shot at a singles title as he challenges Ryouji Sai for the NWA United National Heavyweight Title on February 18th at Korakuen Hall in Zero-One MAX. 

The Apache Army held their "Not for Sell" Korakuen Hall show on February 2, 2007 drawing an announced 1100 fans for the show. The main event would see Kintaro Kanemura and Tetsuhiro Kuroda team up and put their hair on the line against the team of WEW World Heavyweight Champion Togi Makabe and BJW King of the Death Match Champion Takashi Sasaki in a Captain Falls Barbed wire Spider net Double Hell Death Match with Kanemura and Makabe as their teams captains. Click here for Pictures and Notes of the Apache Army 2/2/07 Korakuen Hall show.

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Mr. Gannosuke made his return to Korakuen Hall for Muga World's January 28, 2007 show that drew 1300 fans. It was the first time Gannosuke had wrestled at Korakuen Hall since February 28, 2006 for the King's Road promotion and the first time he had won a singles match in the building since August 19, 2004 at a Riki Pro show when defeating GENTARO. Gannosuke faced Buck Quartermaine in the second match on the show and deliver the usual Gannosuke offense including the Praying Powerbomb, flying dropkick and the Gannosuke Clutch before finishing off Quartermaine with a Japanese Leg Lock for the pinfall victory at 10 minutes, 2 seconds. 

WEW World Champion Togi Makabe stated that Mammoth Sasaki had still not accepted his challenge for the LOCK UP Korakuen Hall show on February 4, 2007 at a press conference on January 26th. Makabe issued a challenge to Mammoth to show up at New Japan's Korakuen Hall show on January 27th. Mammoth ended up showing up but he brought company as well as both Mammoth and Kintaro Kanemura showed up during Makabe's match with Hiroyoshi Tenzan against Masahiro Chono and Giant Bernard as Kanemura and Mammoth both attacked Makabe before and during the match, with Kanemura using scissors to cut open Makabe badly. Makabe could not last much longer as he ended up getting put away by Chono at just 5 minutes, 19 seconds due to the Apache Army attack. Mammoth ended up accepting Makabe's challenge for the WEW World Title in the Cage Death Match. 

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Mammoth Sasaki over a two week plus span will be one of the booked wrestlers in Japan and it will also be one of the most important times in his career. It started on January 19, 2007 by appearing for Zero-One MAX for the first time in years at Korakuen Hall teaming with Daisuke Sekimoto to defeat the Zero-One MAX team of Ryouji Sai and former FMW wrestler Yoshihito Sasaki when Mammoth hit the 29 Years Old on Sai at 15 minutes, 47 seconds. Then on January 21, 2007 along with Kintaro Kanemura and GENTARO were cheerleaders for the Tokyo Apache pro Japanese Basketball team as they took Osaka at the Tokyo Ariake Coliseum. Mammoth will then return to Korakuen Hall on January 25, 2007 for Masaaki Mochizuki's promoted show teaming with Kintaro Kanemura  against the team of Daisuke Sekimoto & Magnitude Kishiwada in a Hardcore Rules Match. He will then attend Big Japan's show at the Saitama Koshigaya Katsura Studios on January 28, 2007 but has no match scheduled yet. He will then main event the big Apache Army January 31, 2007 show at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall # 3 where he will team with former All Japan Triple Crown Champion Toshiaki Kawada and Yoshihito Sasaki against Kintaro Kanemura, Satoshi Kojima, and Daisuke Sekimoto. Then two days later he will return to Korakuen Hall for the Apache Army "Not for Sell" show to face off against another former All Japan Triple Crown Champion Satoshi Kojima in the biggest match in almost three years since he faced the late Shinya Hashimoto at Kawasaki Stadium. Mammoth will then return to Korakuen Hall for an even bigger match as he will main event New Japan's LOCK UP show on February 4, 2007 show. Mammoth will challenge New Japan's Togi Makabe for the WEW World Title in a Cage Death Match. It will be Mammoth's first Korakuen Hall main event singles match since taking on Genichiro Tenryu on December 27, 2003 in WMF and his first shot at the WEW World Title since July 30, 2001 when he lost to Hayabusa at the Fukuoka Hakata Star Lanes. Mammoth who is expected to win as both Kanemura and Tetsuhiro Kuroda have failed at returning the WEW World Title to its home promotion over the last few months would be winning his first singles title since winning the WEW Hardcore Title on April 1, 2001 in FMW. 

WMF's Marvelous Future Tournament's first round took place on January 13, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring drawing 200 fans. The team of Mineo Fujita and Kitten Kid were the first to advance into the semi-finals after defeating the team of GOEMON and Kenichi Kono when Fujita put away Kono with the Down Burst at 15 minutes, 58 seconds. Tomoya Adachi and Hideki Hosaka were the second team to advance when they defeated the team of Ricky Fuji and Yuji MORIMORI when Adachi put away MORIMORI with his SOD finisher at 16 minutes, 44 seconds. Gosaku and Kamui advanced after defeating the team of 666's Shinobu and Kyoko Kimura when Gosaku put away Shinobu at 21 minutes, 49 seconds. Mr. Gannosuke and Soldier the favorites of the tournament defeated the 666 team of Onryo and Yuko Miyamoto in the main event of the show after Soldier put away the former WMF Dojo student Miyamoto with the BUU (an F5 off the top rope) at 14 minutes, 48 seconds. Soldier afterwards got on the mic and stated that the tournament was pretty much theirs already although Gannosuke warned Soldier about being too confident for his own good. The semi-finals and finals of the tag team tournament will be held on February 17, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring again as Gannosuke and Soldier will face the team of Mineo Fujita and Kitten Kid, as well as Gosaku and Kamui will take on Tomoya Adachi and Hideki Hosaka with the winners of the matches moving on to the finals in the main event of the show. 

Mr. Gannosuke made his MUGA World debut on January 19, 2007 at the Sapporo Teisen Hall as he took on Mitsuya Nagai in the second match on the show as he took the loss from the Okakiba at 10 minutes, 4 seconds. Gannosuke faired a little better the next day on January 20, 2007 at the Asahikawa Local Industry Promotion Center as he took on Tatsutoshi Goto whos friendship with got Gannosuke booked on the tour in the first place as they opened the show and went to a 20 minute time limit draw in a rematch of their WMF December 9, 2006 match that Goto won. Gannosuke's next and final booked match on the tour will take place at Korakuen Hall against Buck Quartermaine on January 28, 2007. It will be the first time Gannosuke will be wrestling at Korakuen Hall since appearing at the Kings Road Korakuen Hall show on February 28, 2006. 

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Takashi Sasaki promoted a very successful Apache Army show for the first show of the year on January 8, 2007 drawing a sell out of 350 fans at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. Togi Makabe retained the WEW World Title for the second time defeating Tetsuhiro Kuroda in the main event of the show. It was the first time Kuroda was challenging for the title he had held twice since April 29, 2003 and once again failed to come away with the title after Makabe used a chain to hang Kuroda over the neck with and then finished off the bloody Kuroda with a King Kong Knee Drop at 13 minutes, 19 seconds. 

Kintaro Kanemura and Tetsuhiro Kuroda who have failed at managing to defeat Togi Makabe issued a challenge for Makabe as well as his partner Takashi Sasaki for the Apache Army Korakuen Hall "Not for Sell" show on February 2, 2007. Kanemura requested that the match be a No Rope Barbed wire Spider Net Death Match under Captain Falls Rules with Kanemura and Makabe being the captains for their respective teams. Makabe then requested that if Kanemura and Kuroda lose the match, they will have to shave their heads bald afterwards. Mammoth Sasaki will be wrestling in his biggest match since his May 5, 2004 Kawasaki Stadium match against Shinya Hashimoto when he faces Satoshi Kojima in the semi-main event of the show. Kojima who has already defeated former FMW wrestlers Mr. Gannosuke, Kintaro Kanemura, Tetsuhiro Kuroda, and Hido will be facing Mammoth for the first time in a singles match. Mammoth and GENTARO failed to win the BJW Tag Team Titles against Daisuke Sekimoto and Yoshihito Sasaki on January 8th when Sekimoto used a German Supplex on GENTARO at 18 minutes, 19 seconds to retain their titles and afterwards GENTARO made an alliance with Hi69 on the show. GENTARO and Hi69 will team up for the first time to the team of Ikuto Hidaka and Minoru Fujita at Korakuen Hall.

WMF announced that the semi-finals matches and finals match of their Tag Team Tournament will be held on February 17, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. The winning team between Mr. Gannosuke & Soldier against Onryo & Yuko Miyamoto will face the winner of Mineo Fujita & Kitten Kid against GOEMON & Kenichi Kono and the winner of Gosaku & Kamui against Shinobu and Kyoko Kimura will face the winner of Ricky Fuji & Yuji MORIMORI against Hideki Hosaka & Tomoya Adachi on the 17th in February. 

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Kintaro Kanemura, Tetsuhiro Kuroda, Mammoth Sasaki, Onryo, and GENTARO all started out 2007 wrestling at Korakuen Hall for Big Japan's January 2nd show. Mammoth Sasaki and GENTARO had a warm up match for next weeks challenge for the BJW Tag Team Titles by taking on the team of Yuko Miyamoto and isami with Mammoth putting away isami with the 29 Years Old at 13 minutes, 40 seconds. Kanemura, Kuroda, and Onryo teamed up to face the team of Daisuke Sekimoto, Zero-One MAX's Yoshihito Sasaki, and Hiroyuki Kondo. Although the former FMW team were the favorites of the match, they were unable to put away the younger team as Sekimoto, Sasaki, and Kondo all looked impressive in the best match of the show as the thirty minute time limit ended before a winner could be declared. Kanemura who literally has made Daisuke Sekimoto's life a living hell outside of the ring and still treats him as a young Dojo boy despite being the business for years now offered Sekimoto a shot to team with Kanemura and Satoshi Kojima against Toshiaki Kawada, Mammoth Sasaki, and Yoshihito Sasaki for the Apache Army January 31, 2007 show at the Nagoya Rainbow Hall which Sekimoto jumped at the chance to be apart of. 

WMF announced that they would be holding their first ever Tag Team Tournament which will span the next two shows in January and February. The tournament will be an eight team tournament consisting of Mr. Gannosuke & Soldier who are pretty much locks for the finals, Gosaku Goshogawara & Camiod, Mineo Fujita & Kitten Kid, Onryo & Yuko Miyamoto, Hideki Hosaka & Tomoya Adachi, Shinobu & Kyoko Kimura, Ricky Fuji & Yugi MORIMORI, and GOEMON & Kenichi Kono. The first round matches will take place on January 13, 2007 at the Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring and the semi-finals and finals match will take place at the February show. Mr. Gannosuke and Soldier will be taking on Onryo and his fellow 666 partner Yuko Miyamoto in the main event of the January 13th show. 

Mr. Gannosuke will be participating in his first tour another promotion since the June 2004 tour in Riki Pro as he has gotten himself booked for the upcoming January 2007 tour for the Muga World promotion due to his recent bookings of Tatsutoshi Goto in WMF. Gannosuke so far is booked for three of the four shows as he will have his debut match for the promotion against Mitsuya Nagai on January 19th, a rematch against Tatsutoshi Goto on January 20th, and his return to Korakuen Hall for the first time since February 28, 2006 on January 28th against Buck Quartermaine. 

Kintaro Kanemura and Tetsuhiro Kuroda made their return to Osaka Pro on January 3, 2007 at the Hyogo Prefectural Budokan teaming with Miracle Man, the former Hayato Nanjyo in FMW against Osaka Pro's team of Billy Ken Kid, Asian Cooger, and Masanori Ishikura when Miracle Man got the pinfall in the special attraction match over Ishikura at 17 minutes, 40 seconds. Kanemura and Kuroda will next be participating for New Japan's Korakuen Hall show on January 7rh against WEW World Champion Togi Makabe and Tomohiro Ishii.

WMF & Apache Army News 2006 (January - December 2006)