"Pardon me for my evil ways" - Atsushi Ohnita

[Guest Asplagis]

Wrestler of the day for 02/05/02 :

 

Atsushi Ohnita

 

1974, Mr. Ohnita makes his debut

 

To this man, there is no "wrong way", or rather, there are evil ways but without them he would have nothing else. It's certainly not his fault - he tried, very hard in fact, but people abused him at every opportunity. At one time, he was the proud assistant of a living legend who ust happened to be one of the most important men in his line of business (some would say he was powerful even outside of his particular field !) Not only was he fortunate enough to have such a man to guide him, but was also chosen as the representative of a new wave of men - the junior heavyweight wrestler.

 

In those days, All Japan Pro Wrestling - headed as always by the legendary Shoei "Giant" Baba - was perhaps the most powerful wrestling organisation in Japan. Thus, for a young man to find himself employment as one of his assistant was certainly no small feat not to mention a great honour. And so, a young Atsushi Ohnita began his career in the mid 70's ('74 to be precise) in rather ordinary fashion by losing to Akio Sato (better known for his stints in the AWA and WWF) He would hit a certain stride by the early 80's as a tag team wrestler alongside All Japan mainstay Masanobu Fuchi. The team even wrestled in the United States outside of the west coast territories winning the American Wrestling Association's (AWA) southern tag titles. Little did the fans in Memphis know that the man who nearly got his ear (accidentally) ripped off one night during a concession stand brawl would go on to do much worse in the decade to come...

 

Thanks to his natural charisma and skill at wrestling in a "spectacular" style involving a fair number of aerial manoeuvres, he impressed the people of All Japan and was given the opportunity to be the official "cornerstone" of the promotion's growing junior heavyweight division. Alas for Ohnita fans this sudden interest shown by All Japan officials was also in part due to certain events in the other major promotion of the time, New Japan Pro Wrestling.

 

1982, the life and times of a junior heavyweight

 

In the late 70's and early 80's, puroresu experienced a considerable shock as two awe inspiring workers set the tone for a new generation of faster and more "exciting" wrestlers. The two men in question were Satoru Sayama and Tom Billington - better known to fans as the original Tiger Mask and Dynamite Kid. With them came the increasing importance of what is considered the "new junior heavyweight" style of wrestling. One part lucha libre, one part classic puroresu and one part suicidal attitude - this fairly new style quickly found its way into the hearts of the fans and years later it gave us another astonishing (not to mention legendary in his own right) wrestler in Jushin "Thunder" Liger.

 

In the meantime however, All Japan needed an answer to their eternal rival New Japan Pro Wrestling and their Tiger Mask/Dynamite Kid matches. This is why All Japan initially chose to promote Ohnita up the ranks of this division so quickly : of all the men on the roster, it seems only he had the charisma and skills necessary to counter the Tiger Mask phenomenon. Unfortunately, there were a few problems with their plan...

 

Firstly, All Japan didn't have junior heavyweights quite like Dynamite Kid and Tiger Mask, in fact, they had very few junior heavyweights at all ! Point in case, most of Ohnita's better early matches came when he faced off against the Guerrero brothers (All Japan had a working agreement with NWA Los Angeles which helped to boost their budging junior heavyweight division) Secondly, while talented in his own right, Ohnita wasn't nearly as skilled as the aforementioned duo of Dynamite Kid and Tiger Mask. He was popular and could hold his own in the ring with his high flying style, but he couldn't hope to rival Sayama and Billington in the ring. Lastly, the style itself is filled with perils of all kinds, including career ending injuries which can rapidly deplete a roster of its active wrestlers.

 

Sasuke cracked his skull, Billington is in a wheelchair now and Jushin Liger's knees were almost completely demolished - such is the price of a life of risk taking and high flying wrestling in Japan. As luck would have it, on one fateful night in 1983 Ohnita injured his knee in a match with Hector Guerrero (aka the Gobbledygooker aka LazerTron - though "The Crippler" might be a good fit in this case) and would enter (temporary as always) retirement in '84 after a match with Mighty Inoue. Yet, he would not be defeated so easily...

 

1985, freelancing in Japan

 

Though his days as a top junior heavyweight prospect were now behind him for good, he resumed wrestling as a freelancer - a wrestling vagabond who accepted whatever bookings he was offered, sometimes for unreasonably low monetary compensation. This is where Ohnita's life took a distinctive turn and also where the stories diverge...

 

You see, if one is to believe certain individuals (Ohnita apologists sounds about right), Atsushi Ohnita was clearly screwed out of a promising career by a twist of fate, but his treatment at the hands of promoters after his injury prove that it was more than this injury that killed his career. Why did they abuse him ? Why did they treat him as a cheap talent when he was, in the not so distant past, a rising new star of the Japanese wrestling world ? Had they no idea who he really was ? Did his name lose all its value that quickly ? Was this any way to treat a man who was given wild hopes and impossible dreams ?

 

On the other hand, critics might say that Ohnita was lucky to even be invited to wrestle after his injury ; it's not like wrestling promotions had any real use for injured, washed up junior heavyweights like him. The Japanese rings can be quite competitive indeed. As Kevin Von Erich once revealed, it takes a strong mind and a very healthy body (not to mention a gritty toughness found in men such as Stan Hansen and Genichiro Tenryu) to survive the nightly abuse which awaits an average wrestler in the land of the rising sun. This is especially true of those very tough All Japan rings. Ohnita had no business being in there considering his condition and thus it's his own fault : you reap what you sow... (simplistic individualism would be a better term)

 

Be that as it may, Ohnita grew bitter and angry with each ridiculous pay ; he knew very well that he was being taken advantage of and soon his frustration would reach a critical point ! He would explode, and, like the phoenix, rise from his ashes to a rebuild his career based on what would be referred to as "evil ways" !

 

1988, the revolution will be televised

 

His "return" to the wrestling limelight came when he announced his intentions to wage war on those who slighted him in the past. In 1988, while working for an independent promotion ran by Ryuma Go, he began plotting his future course of action and made strategic alliances with peculiar individuals...

 

If the name Atsushi Ohnita was once associated with that of men like Giant Baba, Masa Fuchi and the Guerrero brothers, it would now be associated with that of men such as Tarzan Goto, "Mr. Danger" Mitsuhiro Matsunaga and Mr. Pogo - outcasts and misfits of puroresu who plied their trade in a most unusual of way... How the mighty have fallen indeed...

 

Desperate men do desperate things and, once more, the stories concerning these events vary greatly depending on how one feels about Mr. Ohnita. Legitimate contender or not, Ohnita attempted to join the then recently created and rapidly growing UWF in what resulted in public humiliation for the angry former junior heavyweight.

 

1988, Shootin' Maeda

 

For the sake of clarity, this UWF was a "shoot style" fed that tried to do away with the more "spectacular" aspects of puroresu and "purify" the fights. This UWF in question was actually the newly reformed promotion headed by another rather frustrated individual, the legendary Akira Maeda.

 

It all started when Maeda returned to New Japan from a highly successful run in the original UWF. While he was poised to become the new star of New Japan, Riki Choshu decided to make his own return to New Japan, stealing his thunder in the process. During one infamous tag match, Maeda had enough of Choshu's attitude and refusal to "sell" his manoeuvres... then came the stiff kick heard around the world. It was a kick so powerful, so carefully and precisely timed and placed that it cracked the veteran's cheek bone while the later had his opponent in his trademark Scorpion Deathlock finishing hold. safe to say that Choshu was humiliated and the fans were completely confused. New Japan didn't take Maeda's actions lightly and reprimanded him for his unprofessional behaviour. Maeda, feeling unjustly punished for his actions, stormed out of New Japan and reformed the UWF. (for more on this and other subjects related to shoot/shoot style fighting, please refer to local historian and all around intelligent fellow Rubio of the Valis Ezboard)

 

This rather ambitious undertaking led to a number of clones as shoot style became the newest fad to sweep the landscape of staged fighting in Japan. How Ohnita imagined he could fit into this promotion is beyond understanding for he was growing older and, although he certainly did exhibit tenacity and particularly strong determination, he wasn't equipped to face the competitors that graced the UWF rings of the time. Indeed, the UWF proudly displayed a roster filled with mean and vicious (no to mention dangerously tough) fighters, men who could easily re-injure poor Ohnita. Still, he made his demand and, as expected, was promptly rejected on account that he didn't fit in at all with their style. Undaunted, Ohnita decided to "invade" UWF shows where he was treated as a casual fan rather than a former star ( "Do you have a ticket ?" said the UWF officials) - a slap in the face as well as a blow to his already bruised ego.

 

Embittered by the snobby attitude displayed by the UWF and Maeda in particular, Ohnita decided that puroresu was about showmanship first and foremost - "everything fits into wrestling" claimed the future icon of what would be known as "garbage wrestling". With that, Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) was born and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

1989, "A wrong way? Fine! But if you take the wrong way away from me, what would remain!?"

 

Now Ohnita was anything but rich. In fact, his days as a freelancer had impoverished him greatly and he wasn't going to attract any major talents to work for him either with his unusual attitude. He was very well aware of those facts and needed to adapt himself to those rather constraining realities before accomplishing anything.

 

Filled to the brim with oddballs and freaks, FMW was to become the home of anyone willing to work cheaply and under very uncertain conditions. You had fire breathing madmen along with scantily clad women and glass eating geeks - nothing short of a veritable side-show circus ! A far cry from the sober traditions of Ohnita's former home (All Japan)... In fact, nothing else really came close to resembling FMW - with the possible exceptions of the bloody mayhem found in WWC and IWA (infamous Puerto Rican federations known for bloody matches featuring barbed wire) and the silly antics of the old Memphis/Nashville territory (especially the old CWA with dumb horror movie gimmicks like Freddy Krueger and friends) Yet, despite all this, Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling would go further than anyone in every single one of those aspects... They would be... extreme...

 

Ohnita's master plan actually consisted of bringing in every single misfit and stray dog that crossed his path or knocked on his door, no questions asked. He decided to give a home to those without one, to give fame to those who would go unnoticed anywhere else, in short, he'd give them the opportunity that he himself had been refused by Maeda. These stray dogs came in many shapes and sizes : crazed wrestlers who fought in everything from barbed wire to broken glass ( Pogo and Goto); suicidal "spot artists" (Eiji Ezaki aka Hayabusa); oddball gaijin (Cactus Jack); ancient veterans (The original Sheik and Tiger Jeet Singh); and, of course, questionnable shoot/shoot style workers (Katsuji Ueda)...

 

As it was mentioned before, Ohnita held a grudge towards Akira Maeda for the whole UWF invasion fiasco. FMW would thus regularly feature an abundance of matches between old, untalented or washed up shoot/shoot style workers, ranging from former boxers (Leon Spinks) to kickboxers ( Katsuji Ueda) to other martial arts specialists (Gregory Veritchev). All this consisted in a concerted effort to mock the UWF and Maeda's steadfast belief that puroresu could be more "legitimate" and "realistic" than it had been in the past. Ohnita is an irreverent man to say the least (not to mention petty and disgraceful in defeat), however, if there's one thing Ohnita despises it's those he considers holier than thou elitist "stars". Everyone from Maeda to Inoki to Choshu were going to feel his wrath - no one would be spared in this war.

 

The first order of business was to find a way to increase business. Why would Japanese fans pay to see the aforementioned freaks and oddballs ? Granted men like Tiger Jeet Singh and The Sheik had their own quasi-following in Japan thanks to their age and reputation as horrible madmen, but what could Tarzan Goto, Mr. Pogo and others like them bring to the table ? Why, a complete and utter lack of concern for their own bodies that's what !

 

With this in mind, Ohnita took a page out of Puerto Rico's IWA/WWC by combining barbed wire matches and explosions to create a spectacular, if not terribly frightening, concept. In August 1990, Ohnita and then arch nemesis Tarzan Goto fought in the first ever no-rope exploding barbed wire match.

 

While the idea of barbed wire matches had been a staple of Puerto Rican pro wrestling for years now (Pogo had his own baptism in blood while down in Carlos Colon-land), Ohnita expanded upon the original idea by making it even more extreme. Nothing could compare to the sublime spectacle of these explosions. A madman's crazed fantasy; a grandiose mise en scène of electricity and landmines coated in rich crimson blood. More importantly though, he introduced these ideas at a time when fans were used to the seriousness of shoot style promotions and their growing influence on wrestling in Japan. Obviously, Ohnita had chosen the time to unveil this masterpiece of violence quite judiciously...

 

The audience was aghast. Such violence and bloody mayhem was unheard of at the time and through this innovation Ohnita left an undeniable mark on the history of puroresu. Soon enough, clones of FMW started appearing all over Japan, ironically, in much the same way as Maeda's UWF spawned its own countless imitators. Not bad for a dirt poor, washed up former All Japan junior heavyweight...

 

And so began Ohnita's reign of terror : devising one insane setting after another where streams of blood would flow, all to the tune of frightening explosions and the sinister buzzing of electrified barbed wire. The sickening scent of charred flesh didn't bother him at all, in fact, the more violent the match, the greater the danger, the more money he'd make. As was said before, to this man there is such a thing as a "wrong way", but, it's HIS way - his EVIL ways !

 

1993, bring in the renegades of Funk !

 

FMW grew by leaps and bounds, attracting a clientèle of drunken "salaryman" looking to escape the dreariness of their work (if not of life itself) and rebellious youths wishing to distinguish themselves from traditions and, as one might expect, the "establishment". Up to that point Ohnita had placed himself as the central figure of his promotion by taking on the guise of a gutsy, charismatic underdog faced with insurmountable odds. The blood thirsty Mr. Pogo, the boorish Tarzan Goto, judoka Gregory Veritchev, washed up one hit wonder Leon Spinks, Fake Razor Ramon err Big Titan and the crazed senior citizens duo of Tiger Jeet Singh and the original Sheik were his opponents of choice for the first few years. While they were promoted as true to life monsters, they weren't exactly setting the world puroresu on fire - before FMW that is (well, Pogo might be the exception to the rule here as he was setting quite a few things on fire already... and the crazy old men were also hotheads in their own right...)

 

Ohnita's "classic booking" made these men into stars (well, Veritchev wouldn't really catch on, while the old men were already big names) and himself into a legend. A constant pattern : a narrative that revolved around the conflict between the monster and the underdog. The Japanese love underdogs, it's been that way since the stories surrounding Minamoto no Yoshitsune first appeared - we'll get back to this point later - suffice to say for now that talent was not a necessary quality for his opponents. But for FMW to grow and reach new audiences he needed more than ultra violence and excessive blood flow...

 

In the early 90's, a grizzled American veteran made his return to Japanese rings. Disappointed with All Japan Pro Wrestling's plans for him, he sought out a new challenge that suited his image as the middle aged madman from Amarillo, Texas... This man had a classic feud with Ric Flair, one of the most celebrated wrestlers in America. He was also a former National Wrestling Association (NWA) champion, not to mention how he bested some of the best workers of the 60's and 70's ( Jack Brisco and "Handsome" Harley Race amongst others...) In Japan, he was a highly respected gaijin and helped train one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Jumbo Tsuruta. In short, the accolades surrounding this man should have made him a superstar, yet age was holding him back. No one wanted a washed up old man... no one except Atsushi Ohnita that is.

 

Starting in 1993, living legend Terry Funk went on to become one of the most hated men in FMW's history for his attacks on Ohnita. Funk found a place where his crazy antics were not only accepted but encouraged while Ohnita found that brand name star he was missing. They settled their differences in pure FMW fashion : with a no-rope explosive barbed wire landmine death match. In any case, if FMW was good enough for a man such as Funk, then surely it was good enough for other stars ! Once again, Ohnita proved that he was a shrewd man. By the time Funk left (for FMW clone IWA Japan) another legend was already knocking at his door...

 

The "classic Ohnita booking" involved more than an underdog (Ohnita) fighting off the dirty tactics of some monstrous heel, culminating in some wild garbage match. Ohnita is also famous for his wild claims that he'll invade this or that promotion in hopes of fighting its major superstar, or, better yet, its head booker/president (who often happens to the same man). In '88, Ohnita tried to invade Akira Maeda's UWF, he even went as far as challenging Maeda to a match. Throughout the 90's, Ohnita would repeat the same pattern over and over. In '93 however, someone would answer his challenge - enter Genichiro Tenryu and the Wrestling And Romance promotion (also known as Wrestling Association R and Wrestling and Roses)

 

1994, FMW is WAR !

 

Genichiro Tenryu, without a doubt one of the toughest individuals to ever work a Japanese ring. One of the only men to have held both the IWGP and All Japan titles and to have pinnd both Giant Baba and Anonio Inoki, a true living legend and highly respected for his work. Bored with life in All Japan as a stepping stone for newer talent, he defected to sign up with Megane Super (an eyeglass company) alongside other fairly big names of the time for a considerable sum of money. They would form a new wrestling promotion Super World Sport (SWS) where the emphasis was put on big name talent (the Takano borthers, Kendo Nagasaki and Naoki Sano) and foreign stars (Hulk Hogan and the WWF) much to the dismay of Japanese purists and some important figures. This surprise defection came at a time when up and coming youngster Toshiaki Kawada was paired off with the highly touted grappler in hopes of furthering his training and to make him into a future superstar. This was obviously a great blow to Giant Baba as well as a controversial move on the part of Tenryu; breaking the trust of a man like Baba for money was considered a shameful act indeed, something only a foolish man would dare.

 

Alas, even with his name value SWS wasn't drawing as well as Tenryu and Megane Supers had hoped. New Japan and All Japan still had an iron grip (better make that an iron claw) on the Japanese wrestling industry with independent promotions popping up and dying like ephemeral bad weed. When SWS failed, Tenryu came back with another concept : Wrestling and Roses/Romance. The emphasis would now be put on "entertainment" rather than the stiff, brutal work that had grown as the standard for puroresu (which is not to say that it disappeared altogether though) Desperate measures had to be taken this time to ensure the survival of WAR and perhaps attract new talent into its fold - anything to avoid the failure of the SWS. It just so happened that one Atsushi Ohnita (almost) single handedly made his own independent federation into a viable business thanks to his controversial ways and abundant charisma. He even attracted respected gaijin Terry Funk ! No stranger to controversy himself and a victim (to an extent) of the traditions of puroresu, Tenryu felt it was time to act. Thus, in late '93 a marriage of convenience would take place between Tenryu's newly established WAR and Ohnita's FMW... independent leagues banding together to fight for their lives in the shadow of the NJPW and AJPW.

 

Ohnita "invaded" a WAR card and made his demands clear : if Tenryu was as tough as they said he was, then he should agree to face Ohnita in his signature match : the exploding barbed wire death match. The two men came to terms on talent exchange and joint cards would be held as the FMW invasion took place. This was a rather unique situation to say the least and added some new wrinkles to New Japan's Heisei Ishingun angle. Things were different now, this wasn't an nWo-like "invaders already under contract with the federation" story, but rather a tentative working agreement between two independent promotions run by very large egos fed up with their standing in the world of puroresu.

 

In May '94, Genichiro Tenryu had his first foray into "Ohnita county" as he stepped inside the explosive barbed wire. However, the ante was raised significantly by making this encounter into an exploding barbed wire cage match. Questions arose as to why Tenryu would lower himself to the level of Ohnita and his inferior product : had the man not shamed himself enough as it was by betraying Giant Baba ? Was money so important to him that honour lost all value ? The same questions would be asked to every other legend that agreed to take a step into the wild barbed wired frontiers of Ohnita's warped little world...

 

1994, New Blood Rising...

 

Still, Ohnita and his FMW received much more attention after the visits by respected veterans Funk and Tenryu, one could say he gained more out of their involvement than either of them ! More misfits came to Ohnita's door including Puerto Rico's wrestling jack-of-all-trades Victor Quinonnes and his goofy movie monster gimmicks. While Quinonnes brought some questionable talents and ideas with him, a new set of workers who seemed to have a much brighter future ahead of them than any of the previous FMW "stars" also made their official FMW debuts. These were young lions waiting for a chance to shine, but were unable to find a home anywhere else for various reasons...

 

The Gladiator (aka Mike Awesome) - a monster of a man, a gaijin who towered above the other wrestlers and yet showed no fear of climbing the ropes or flying through the air.

 

Masato Tanaka - a talented rookie and without a doubt the best pure wrestler out of Ohnita's rag tag family.

 

Mr. Gannosuke - a wily newcomer trained by Tarzan Goto and a central character in post-Ohnita FMW for some time to come.

 

Lastly...

 

Hayabusa (Eiji Ezaki, later known as H and Darkside of Hayabusa) - former friend of the famous Jushin Liger and the man who would go on to be the biggest star in FMW since Ohnita himself (until things went horribly wrong last year and he is now almost fully paralysed)

 

While these young men were still cutting their teeth in '94, Ohnita was up to his old antics once again. After wooing Mitsuhiro Matsunaga into FMW after the failure of W*NG (Wrestling International New Generation a rival promotion headed by that folded that very year) He paid a visit to an unusual masked fellow by the name of The Great Sasuke up in Michinoku Pro-Wrestling. The insane icon of death matches met with the diminutive flying devil, issuing a challenge to him and his equally odd men.

 

1994, Ohnita and the flying devil

 

Michinoku Pro, set in northern Japan, was the home of strange masked men and masters of the "lucharesu" style that would become extremely popular in America's tape trading community. Even Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation and Ted Turner owned World Championship Wrestling imported representatives of this style (WWF had Jinsei "Hakushi" Shinzaki and Kaientai DX while WCW had The Ultimo Dragon and later added men like Kaz Hayashi and Tokyo Magnum) because of their exciting fast paced matches and acrobatic abilities. If anything, they are a natural extension of Mil Mascaras (the true innovator of "lucharesu") and the original Dynamite Kid/Tiger Mask matches. As a matter of fact, a talented young Canadian by the name of Chris Benoit had a "DK/TM tribute" match with The Great Sasuke in which he played the role of Dynamite Kid while his masked opponent represented Tiger Mask Sayama.

 

Sasuke had no problem with the showy style of Ohnita, M-Pro was built on a foundation of showmanship ! Sasuke would even announce his desire to turn into a male stripper some years later, so it's not like controversy was unknown to him. In any case, seeing as M-Pro needed the increased publicity, a new marriage of convenience was arranged between Sasuke's Michinoku Pro and Ohnita's FMW. The formula was the same as with the former WAR/FMW arrangements : brief talent exchange, inter-promotional matches and Ohnita squaring off against the main star of the promotion in a crazed death match. No one will deny that this was the same old formula but it worked very well and the fans loved seeing Sasuke vaulting over the barbed wire. Be that as it may Ohnita was growing weary and, after a few hundred stitches and a brush with death in a '93 garbage match, he felt it was time to take some well deserved rest... for now...

 

1995, sweet dreams are made of...

 

1995 was an extremely important year for garbage wrestling. Fans saw the birth of the Cactus Jack legend at the IWA Japan "Kawasaki Dream" card due to his victory in the infamous "King of the Death matches" tournament held at this pay per view. Later on, the impressive fanbase of FMW were shocked to hear that its most prominent figure and faithful promoter - not to mention the subject of this essay - was retiring and leaving someone to take his place at the top.

 

By this time Ohnita had already challenged just about every major star in Japan and succeeded in meeting Tenryu, Funk and The Great Sasuke. Nevertheless, New Japan ignored him since Riki Choshu felt Ohnita was below him and garbage wrestling had no place within a New Japan ring. As expected, Ohnita replied by creating the Great 'Nita character : a near carbon copy of Keiji Mutoh's alter ego, the Great Muta. Pogo and Tarzan Goto joined in on the fun as the Great King Pogo and Ho Chi Win. Amused by his own silliness, Ohnita eventually killed the Great 'Nita before entering into a no rope, exploding barbed wired cage with a time bomb for one (*cough*) final match (*cough*)... His opponent ? The masked spot artist known as Hayabusa.

 

Once upon a time there was a young lad by the name of Eiji Ezaki. Ezaki had a wild dream : he wanted to become a pro wrestler. Inspired by men like Satoru Sayama, he decided to train with his good friend Gannosuke... but where would they go ? One night, the two friends went to a FMW show and were so impressed by the wild and insane action that they instantly enlisted at the promotion's dojo (ran by none other than Tarzan Goto himself) They did everything that was asked of them, from doing backbreaking chores for the obese Goto to living under harsh conditions. They didn't complain and continued to lick the mud off of Goto's boots while dreaming of their great debut.

 

Ezaki turned into a suicidal junior heavyweight not unlike the Sheik's infamous nephew (and another household name in the garbage style) Sabu. Under the guidance of his then friend Keichii Yamada, Ezaki took on the masked identity of Hayabusa (Phoenix) and was subsequently given exposure in New Japan again thanks to Yamada and his junior heavyweight tourneys. Ezaki's loyalty didn't lie within New Japan or Yamada and he felt no desire to become Liger's faithful sidekick - he had endured too much at the hands of Goto for this. Ohnita always had an innate sense of what would sell and he knew that Ezaki was the future of FMW. That's why he took the decision of booking him as his final opponent and successor.

 

With a deafening roar, the crowd cheered and chanted the name of Ezaki. On that hot night in May, his body spent as he laid on that stretcher, Eiji Ezaki heard the thousands and thousands of rabid fans expressing their respect for the effort and courage displayed by the young man. More importantly, they were accepting Ohnita's choice of successor in a bizarre and cruel ritual where he men bonded in blood, explosions and scars.

 

The match itself is now considered a classic amongst fans of garbage wrestling, despite its flaws, and most feel that this is where Hayabusa truly came into his own. Ohnita had just ensured the future of his twisted world by making young Ezaki into a veritable superstar. This would be the first and last time Ohnita showed so much humility...

 

1996, Burn, baby burn ! One more time...

 

Then, one night in August of 1996, Mr. Pogo took an accidental fall neck first onto a platform. The long time adversary of Ohnita and fire breathing beast faced a difficult choice : retire of face permanent paralysis. Pogo wasn't known for taking dangerous "bumps", but his old body had accumulated numerous injuries over time and he didn't exactly work in the safest of conditions either. FMW organised a special retirement card in honour of one of the man who had been there since the very beginning, risking his body's well-being by participating in countless death matches against Ohnita. For the first time since his FMW debut, Mr. Pogo was the unlikely hero and heard the fans' cheers. To add some excitement to this retirement match, they decided upon a story involving the Funk army - Terry Funk's stable of villainous characters. Pogo couldn't face Funk and his troops alone, so who else would come to his aid but his age old nemesis and founder of FMW himself, Atsushi Ohnita !

 

Some fans never forgave Ohnita for betraying them like this. The retirement of Ohnita was as spectacular and violent as one would expect from this icon of garbage wrestling, however, it was of the same temporary nature as the retirement of Terry Funk. Ohnita's a rebel, so he cared little about rules and traditions, however, certain things are just too sacred...

 

This said, Ohnita's sudden return to action stole the show. Ohnita didn't shy away from this either - using every trick in his book to gather the sympathy of the crowd, including one of his classic spiel complete with tears and his characteristic intensity. Where did Mr. Pogo fit into all this? Well, one might surmise that teaming with the Great 'Nita was enough compensation for years of faithful service. After a wild Texas Street Fight Tornado Death Match (featuring Ohnita, Pogo, Masato Tanaka and Tetsuhiro Kuroda on one side and Funk's army composed of Funk, the Headhunters and Hisakatsu Ohya on the other), Pogo and (especially) Ohnita basked in the fans' cheers and shared a beer backstage as a video package played to pay homage to the retiring pyromaniac.

 

1997, life shows no mercy, but the yellow goblin shows no respect...

 

 

The life of a garbage wrestling icon is never easy. With Funk's army defeated and Pogo retired, Ohnita had to deal with invasions again - only this time it would be FMW that hosted the invasion and not the other way around. In 1997 "Fuyuki promotions"/"Team No Respect", headed by Kodoh Fuyuki, began causing problems for the nice people of FMW. So, Ohnita enlisted the help of rival promotion W*NG (well, what was left of it anyway) and its main star Yukihiro "W*NG"/"Kintaro" Kanemura  to drive back those invaders and begin wrestling full time again. He even brought back the Great 'Nita to battle Jadoh, Gedoh and Fuyuki !

 

As a side note, this feud marked the beginning of the stable heavy FMW as one stable after another formed from the remains of defunct stables. The honeymoon didn't last and soon enough the W*NG warriors (workers associated with defunct promotion W*NG) and Ohnita feuded in something of a semi-nWo angle. Ohnita won the feud and the W*NG stable was forced to disband - although Ohnita gave them a nod of respect foreshadowing a new stable and a major change...

 

Ohnita did the unthinkable and in late 1997/early 1998 turned his back on FMW and in the process created ZEN wrestling : a stable/quasi-promotion similar to the fabled GAEA/Oz Academy angle/stable. If 1996 saw Mr. Pogo as an unlikely hero, 1997/1998 would give us Atsushi Ohnita, dastardly villain. Strange times these were indeed...

 

W*NG Kanemura (now returning to his first name of Yukihiro) along with many former W*NG workers/stable members and some FMW heels joined forces with Ohnita to wreck havoc on both the good guys (FMW) and the bad guys as well (TNR) ! If that wasn't enough, Paul Heyman's American clone of FMW ( ECW - Extreme Championship Wrestling formerly Eastern Championship Wrestling) entered into negotiations with FMW president Shoichi Arai (man of the cute sailor fuku wearing daughter) and Fuyuki for some joint events and talent exchange. Yukihiro "W*NG" Kanemura had already visited the United States and wrestled under the ECW banner so this was a logical step.

 

In any case, by this time Fuyuki had been installed as the head booker and these "stable/promotion wars" were clearly his idea, along with Ohnita as the dreaded turncoat legend. Ohnita still enjoyed himself, taking this sudden change of persona in stride and making the most of this unique opportunity to test his acting skills. But sometimes angles have a way of crossing the line between "real" and "scripted". For example, Benoit stealing Nancy from Sullivan turned out to be much more than a story in the end. In this case, the conflicts of interest between Fuyuki and Ohnita were obviously not just part of the story. By the end of the year, things were growing tense and Ohnita was fired from/walked out of Frontier Martial Arts...

 

Once Ohnita fans overcame the shock of seeing their beloved garbage wrestling icon gone from the promotion he had built from the ground up, they received another shock - Ohnita would appear in New Japan Pro Wrestling after years of proposed invasions.

 

1999, Ohnita in the lair of the giant... egos that is

 

In 1999, New Japan Pro Wrestling was suffering from a dark period. Liger was bored with his junior heavyweight division, Chono's body was deteriorating with each passing year and we won't even mention Mutoh's squeaky knees. Kensuke Sasaki was a dominant figure for better or worse with old man Tatsumi Fujinami still sticking around the upper card and a booking crisis could occur at anytime between Choshu, Fujinami and Inoki. Worst of all, attendance all over Japan were dropping, sending many promotions into panic. In such a context, drastic measures had to be taken to ensure the financial security of the promotion - enter Atsushi Ohnita problem solver.

 

Free of his FMW obligations, Ohnita stepped into New Japan with mixed reactions. Obviously he had a following even in the most faithful of "New Japan crowds", but this wasn't Kawasaki stadium anymore. The boos he received were from fans conditioned to hate garbage wrestling and its flag bearer Ohnita. Ohnita enjoyed this... he enjoyed this a great deal indeed. It was akin to a sweet revenge : not only was he making one of the biggest promotion jump in the history of puroresu (well, at least the biggest of the year), but he was also inching closer to facing Choshu. There was something else that Ohnita enjoyed about this situation : the realisation that New Japan needed him. They couldn't ignore his existence any longer for there he was eating up the jeers, more jeers than any villain in NJPW received at the time. No one could believe it : Choshu had cracked and things were never going to be the same again or so they said...

 

The deal was simple : Ohnita had four "dream matches" in New Japan with the match gimmick of his choice against three main event calibre heavyweights and central characters in New Japan  : Masahiro Chono, The Great Muta and Kensuke Sasaki, as well as the bookerman himself - legendary Riki Choshu. One problem though, Choshu was retired and apparently didn't feel like facing Ohnita, but that would change...

 

1999, Where the big boys play, but don't cooperate...

 

The expectations were clearly high and just how New Japan would deal with Ohnita remained at this point a complete mystery. Would they treat him as a legend ? Take him to school and deliberately hurt him ? His first major match pitted him against Kensuke Sasaki and the fans caught a glimpse of things to come. To put it simply, Sasaki was uncooperative throughout the match while Ohnita did everything to protect Sasaki from either looking weak or taking any and all actual "bump". Despite Ohnita's best efforts, including riling off the crowd with his usual array of irreverent mannerisms (spitting water, flipping them off, smoking), Sasaki killed the match and the ending consisted of Ohnita being disqualified for using fire...

 

1999, Choshu's boy...

 

Fans of Ohnita were sceptical; they knew something wasn't right, that it was more than Sasaki's ego that ruined the match ... New Japan was screwing Ohnita ! Chono's match with the hardcore legend was under the old no rope exploding barbed wire gimmick and ended up being another clear New Japan victory. Chono wasn't quite as unprofessional as Sasaki, yet, he didn't give Ohnita the match of a lifetime either. Obviously his banged up body wasn't up to the risks of a garbage match and it was a bad idea from the very start. Muta was next and for this occasion an old friend would come back from the dead...

 

1999, The Great 'Nita rises from the grave !

 

The Great 'Nita resurfaced to face the Great Muta - the original versus the parody, how cute ! This match was also fought under the no rope exploding barbed wire gimmick, but considering how both men were fully in character, it didn't matter much. While the Great Muta character could wrestle, Keiji Mutoh could also very well begin acting like a wild man to properly play the character in question. He chose the later rather than the former much to the dismay of many wrstling fans. Ohnita did the same and the fans were treated to a display of mist spitting, howling, strange posing and other assorted unusual antics. The two men did eventually wrestle, but the explosions were rather disappointing, much like the actual wrestling. It seems as this was merely a chance for Muta and 'Nita to be at their weirdest all the while preventing Ohnita from scoring any manner of victory (even moral) on the New Japan wrestlers. Point in case, the pre-match and post-match skits featuring the Great 'Nita and his coffin were the best part of this dream match. Rest assured though, 1999 didn't provide us with the worst of Ohnita in New Japan - we"d have to wait another year for his last and perhaps worst showing...

 

2000, "I respect you Mr. Bookerman !"

 

July 2000, after spending most of '99 issuing challenges to Riki Choshu and demanding that he come out of retirement to face him in a death match, Ohnita saw his wish granted : Riki Choshu agreed to his demands after years of challenges in a shocking turn of events. A symbolic victory some might say, as Choshu was forced to swallow his pride and concede to Ohnita's demands, but then the actual match took place and any remaining doubts about New Japan's (and Choshu's) intentions were revealed as truth. Ohnita was his usual self, playing to the mixed crowd by lighting a cigarette and flipping off the fans. Then the match turned into a true fiasco with Choshu being not only uncooperative but clearly acting as if Ohnita was little more than a preliminary worker. One single DDT and a few low blows was all Ohnita could muster while Choshu casually dumped him in the exploding wire. For all the blood shed by Ohnita, Choshu remained unscathed and looked bored by the idea of even sharing a ring with the legend of garbage wrestling. Why would Ohnita agree to such a match you ask ? How does a 100,000 dollar payday sound ?

 

Considering the fact that Ohnita's New Japan debut coincided with the grand opening of Ohnita Pro, the money offered to him by New Japan to basically be humiliated by their main event stars and Choshu probably found a good home. Could it be that Ohnita sold himself out to finance the operations of Ohnita Pro and ensure a bit of free publicity for his pet project ? What about Choshu, did he sell his soul and step on his steadfast belief that garbage wrestling is below him for a few (hundred thousand) dollars worth of profit at the gates ?

 

1999-2000, The more things change...

 

Ohnita Pro was supposed to be a bold new adventure for Ohnita, a whole new beginning. Sadly, it so falls out that Ohnita Pro was merely a clone of FMW's early days with men such as kickboxing fossil Katsuji Ueda and even the now venerable Mr. Pogo (who had been back in action for some time now, plying his trade - i.e. cutting up people and blowing fire - in Big Japan Pro Wrestling) That's merely the tip of the iceberg, for along with those crazy old men one could find wrestlers dressed up in panda suits and others looking like members of the Chinese army. Just your regular independent league madness or was there something more to this China fixation ?

 

Actually, there is, for Mr. Ohnita was also planning his campaign for a seat in the Japanese Diet. His platform was about as bland as that of any regular Japanese politician outside the communist party : family, education, environnement etc, etc... He ran as one of Junichirou Koizumi's boys, riding the future primer minister's coattails to a surprising victory. Ohnita the politician won't be making headlines oiutside of his involvement with garbage wrestling - with the possible exception of that semi-Clinton controversy surrounding a nubile young woman he may or may not have slept with...

 

Getting back to the panda and red army fellow, what better way to start a campaign than by mocking those "evil Communists" in a good ol' fashionned Japanese way ? To think it was once so innocent...

 

"Pardon me for me evil ways" ("Jado de Gomen ne"), pled the icon of contemporary hardcore wrestling. As if apologising to average Japanese for years of rebellion and mayhem, for a decade of blood, sweat, tears and exploding barbed wire. This mea culpa sounded wrong - there was a residual feeling of dissonance, as if something sounded out of place in this almost pathetic plea for forgiveness. This was no longer the Atsushi Ohnita who invited us to rebel and break the rules, to follow "evil ways". No, this Ohnita was now as dead as the Great 'Nita; he was buried alongside any shred of innocence left in the man's actions.

 

Ohnita Pro would face financial troubles despite managing to sell out various venues after (and despite) the NJPW fiasco. Ohnita fans are faithful if not rather dim sometimes. Still seeking more media attention, Ohnita claimed he would return to where it all began over 20 years ago... All Japan Pro Wrestling.

 

2000, Welcome home Mr. Ohnita...

 

He didn't leave AJPW on bad terms, in fact, he had a meeting with Giant Baba in '97 to reach an agreement on talent exchange. The success of these talks at a time when All Japan was still strong showed that Baba held no grudge towards his former assistant and that All Japan was far from hostile territory. But the times had changed and All Japan in 2000 was not at all the same promotion that Ohnita visited in '97. Mitsuhara Misawa, second Tiger Mask and former head booker of All Japan Pro Wrestling, left the promotion after Giant Baba's death to form his own promotion, NOAH, bringing with him just about every single Japanese wrestler in the federation except for a few workers (Masanobu Fuchi, Taiyo "Maunaukea Mossman" Kea and well known bad ass, Toshiaki Kawada) The exile from AJPW dealt a crushing and almost deadly blow to All Japan (not to mention how it made Baba's widow, Motoko Baba, seem powerless) In this context, New Japan seized the opportunity by entering talks with Empress Baba, using her promotion's weakness to bring in crown jewel Kawada for a talent exchange/strategic alliance.

 

Ohnita knew just as well as New Japan that All Japan was in need of something - anything - to regain fan interest and, as one might expect, the icon felt he was that spark which AJPW desperately needed. Obviously some people had their concerns about inviting Ohnita over : it's one thing to bring in some of his more talented goons, but the icon of hardcore was another story altogether. Still, Baba's widow, Kawada and Ohnita had a number of media spots set up in order to generate some interest in the possible signing of Ohnita with the now classic "serious main event star refuses to give in to the entertainment aspect and wrestle Ohnita" angle. Of course, Kawada is not the same kind of man as Choshu or Choshu's boys for that matter. Serious and loyal, Kawada is one of a dying breed of genuinely tough and capable wrestlers who rejoice in stiff, brutal battles. Ohnita isn?t afraid of mixing it up with dangerous opponents - Leon Spinks certainly didn't pull any punches in their match in '93 (figuratively AND literally speaking) This said, Ohnita was now way past his prime and probably unable to cope with Kawada's trademark kicks... then again... considering his past antics, who knows what he's capable of !

 

In any case, he did "invade" AJPW and recruited Jadoh and Gedoh to his side. Unfortunately for him, All Japan just didn't seem as interested in his services as he initially thought. He has however mentioned a desire to invade other federations now... like FMW for example...

 

2001, The more things change - the sequel

 

Apart from invading various promotions, Ohnita has been busy trying to keep his own projects afloat, Project X being one of them. Actually, Project X isn?t very different from Ohnita Pro, which in turn wasn't that far off from early FMW - nostalgia or last resort ? Whatever the case is, he's now made it known that with his new political role (and brand new high school diploma) he feels it's time to mingle with the big fish : Antonio Inoki.

 

It does make sense for Ohnita to challenge Inoki, after all, he?s already faced off with Choshu once and many times with Tenryu. Why, Tenryu can't seem to get enough of Ohnita, going as far as fighting him in Ohnita Pro ! He's appeared in New Japan, All Japan and even in smaller independent promotions. He might not have fought with Maeda, but he has Inoki in sight now. Seeing as it is quite unlikely that Inoki will face off with our dear hardcore icon (especially in Afghanistan), someone else decided to get into the mix and milk Ohnita's fame for all its worth. This man has been more or less cast aside thanks to Inoki's staunch belief that one of his protégé will be the second coming of himself and he was forced to build his own promotion to escape New Japan's ploys. This man was part of the Chono/Mutoh generation of New Japan heavyweights but never did take part in the dream match series with Ohnita... Of course, we're talking about Shin'ya Hashimoto (aka Fat Elvis)

 

2001, I said I'm evil !

 

Zero-One, a promising new promotion where Shin'ya Hashimoto rules and many more or less disgruntled New Japan workers go to get some peace of mind, away from the Choshu/Inoki internal war. Now, this promotion isn't quite as independent as one might believe and will probably never escape fully from New Japan's triangle scissor hold on puroresu. Be that as it may, Hashimoto invited Ohnita to join him - possibly a ploy to regain some of his lost fame and bring up attendance to Zero-One events.

 

Indeed, Hashimoto isn't quite as important as he once was after being beaten one too many times by one Naoya Ogawa and the subsequent stories in which he was booked (including his "retirement"). Ogawa is a shoot fighter/shoot style wrestler and protégé of Inoki who has the benefit of working only very few, select matches with handpicked opponents. Inoki dreads the idea of Ogawa facing off with someone who'd clean his clock and thus is very careful in building Ogawa as the second coming of himself. The problem is that Ogawa isn't Inoki and might never be like his mentor. This didn't stop a semi-shoot feud between his protégé and Hashimoto, the idea being that Hashimoto's credibility would give Ogawa the rub with the fans. To Inoki's credit, it did help Ogawa tremendously, sadly, Hashimoto looked weak and was left scrambling to regain his previous status as one of the toughest men in New Japan.

 

At this point in his career Hashimoto is desperate. Zero-One needs to make alliances with other federations since it lost the backing of Inoki. Misawa, head of NOAH, has had an on/off love affair with Zero-One while Keiji Mutoh let us believe that perhaps ties with New Japan weren't out of the question even if it did turn out sour in the end... This might explain his interest in challenging Ohnita. His career took a drop and he knows neither Inoki nor Choshu have any real productive plans for a Zero-One/New Japan alliance, so he's in (some ways) the same position as Tenryu was in '93-'94 (highly regarded worker in need of something to bolster his value and that of his promotion) and Ohnita might be the quick fix he needs if ever Misawa runs off again...

 

Conclusion "Pardon me for my evil ways"

 

Ohnita the author, Ohnita the politician, Ohnita the high school student, Ohnita the media figure, but what about Ohnita the wrestler ? What does the future hold for Ohnita ? His old antics aren't shocking anymore - whatever he did in the past, others have done worse (Matsunaga got his head set on fire, Nakamaki got a barbed wire covered drill head shoved down his mouth) As for his independent promotions, they are merely pale imitations of FMW's early days (this explains the often used "FMW revival" moniker) and he has yet to receive any respect from the "powers that be" in the world of puroresu (Inoki and Choshu mainly)

 

Yet, this man is a legend in his own right isn't he ? No one can deny the impact FMW and Ohnita had on puroresu and even on American wrestling (Heyman's sleazy ECW, Zandig's even more sleazy CZW, and Black's extra super duper sleazy XPW - which he endorses by the way...) After all, without him, ECW might not have come into being. Without him, Cactus Jack might still be touring the independent scene and Terry Funk would be stuck teaming with Dory Jr. for the rest of his career (not that Dory had any problems with that) Were it not for Ohnita's desire to make Eiji Ezaki into a star, Hayabusa might have been just another one of the numerous junior heavyweights struggling to make a few yen in M-Pro style promotions or losing to Lyger in New Japan. He made careers - though critics might complain that his "stars" were lacking in talent. He changed the landscape of Japanese wrestling - though, again, critics might say it was for the worse...

 

Ancient Japan had its own form of crude, popular entertainment which still lives on to this day in Kabuki, Kyogen and Bunraku. The Kabuki and Bunraku plays often featured excessive violence and bloody beheadings were plentiful. It's no wonder then that Ohnita's FMW found a niche in Japan - there have always been those forms of entertainment that appeal to a downtrodden public in need of excess to cope with the harsh conditions of their daily lives (Numerous young professionals unwind with excessively violent hentai/ecchi manga for example)

 

FMW entertained with crude humour (akin to the tradition of Kyogen) along with explosive and exaggerated performances that defied all logic (the excesses of Kabuki stemming from its origins as a prostitute's theatre and its predecessor, the puppet play or Bunraku) Just like Kabuki, and to a certain extent Kyogen and Bunraku, FMW faced severe criticism for its larger than life style that opposed the much more formal and ritualised esthetics of the classic style of theatre (Noh). At first, Kabuki was bound by no rules, then again, its founders were non-persons (prostitutes actually) and until the bushi class took a liking to this particular form of theatre it would remain this way. The samurai were the ones who decided that Kabuki was as legitimate an art form as any other - then who would be the equivalent of the samurai class who could legitimise garbage wrestling ? Men like Tenyu, the Great Sasuke and Terry Funk of course. Respectable individuals who braved the negative judgements and faced the explosive barbed wire time and time again.

 

In the end, it's truly difficult to hate the man, especially in his early days. Giving a home to various freaks, misfits and geeks is a generous deed on the part of a man who knew all too well what it felt like to be rejected. These men had something to offer the world and if it meant fighting in broken glass and blowing fire, then so be it. Ohnita gave them a purpose in life when no one else would, he gave them a chance when everyone was writing them off. That, in of itself, is a very commendable act indeed, no matter what Ohnita critics might say. Be that as it may, there were perhaps less dangerous paths for these men to take but its hard to shake off certain dreams - Bob Orton Jr. became a pro wrestler despite his father?s refusal and Keichii Yamada dropped out of high school to train for his wrestling career. Seeing as not everyone can have a mentor like Inoki (Ogawa) or Tenryu (Kawada), it can be difficult to find a niche in wrestling promotions and their often saturated rosters. This is why independent leagues exist, but then business comes in the way and it all breaks down...

 

That's what happened with Ohnita. It all started rather innocently, even some "serious" fans found themselves cheering for Ohnita as he went on his tirades against the UWF and Akira Maeda. We've all dealt with "stuffy" individuals who simply refuse to change their ways. The conflict which erupts between us can be quite stimulating at times and might lead to some very positie changes. Ohnita was positioning himself as the rebel and Maeda as the "establishment", but at least it seemed believable - Ohnita WAS persona non-grata thanks to his peculiar style and Maeda WAS the highly respected and influential promoter/wrestler. We can pinpoint the shift in Ohnita's demeanour in 1996, around the time Pogo retired.

 

While FMW had been built around Ohnita himself up and to the time of his retirement match, it seemed like the only real option - it was his war, his cause after all. Moreover, he had no real superstars to speak of besides the senior citizens (Singh and the Sheik) or the fat boys (Pogo and Goto) so he was the only plausible man for the job. In other words, we could forgive him for placing so much emphasis on himself. However, this was Mr. Pogo's retirement match - this was HIS night - so why would Ohnita take this opportunity to return from retirement and steal the show ? Had he no shame or respect for a man who gave up his body for the sake of Ohnita's promotion ? Ohnita's true colours began to show and things only got worse from that point on. His appearance in New Japan and his new "FMW revival" projects are purely instrumental in nature - any and all passion seems now forever lost as Ohnita is no longer the Ohnita we could all admire in a twisted sort of way...

 

Conclusion part II - Minamoto no Yoshitsune, pity for the underdog...

 

He was a frail looking youth, almost feminine in his graceful beauty. Before him stood a beast of a man, a creature that spent almost two years inside its mothers womb and had defeated 999 swordsmen who tried in vain to cross this very bridge. On that night, the monstrous man named Benkei intended to capture his 1000th sword by confronting the handsome youth. Little did he know that this young man was none other than Minamoto no Yoshitsune. With a flick of his wrist, Yoshitsune disarmed the towering giant, humbling him and, eventually, befriending the huge man. The lesson is clear : beware of the underdog, especially pretty ones, for they hold mysterious powers.

 

Later in his adventures, Yoshitsune, determined to reach his half brother Yoritomo and clear up the matter of the bounty on his head, saw himself stopped in his track by Yoritomo's men. Benkei spun an unlikely story about Yositsune being his prisoner and when confronted by the guards, he gave his friend and "master" a violent beating. The pretty young man looked so feeble and helpless as the mammoth monk struck him with all his might that the guards were brought to tears. They knew very well that this was all a ruse, that his man was indeed Minamoto no Yoshitsune and his assailant the warrior monk Benkei, nevertheless, they let them pass if only out of pity for the underdog.

 

Yoshitsune's quest to have an audience with his estranged half brother was a lost cause from the very beginning ; a fruitless undertaking that would lead him to his own grave before his journey could be completed. Yet, various individuals from all walks of life followed him despite their better judgement - there is amazing power in pity. The purity, the naive hopefulness of Yoshitsune stirred the souls of those men who became his followers. Yoritomo's bid to control Japan was hampered by the very existence of his half brother so the chances of Yoshitsune ever meeting with the future Shogun were obviously slim.

 

The truth to the matter is that Yoshitsune was a relatively minor historical character who saw new life breathed into him thanks to the tales spun long after his physical death. Indeed, historical records claim he was apparently a pale youth with crooked teeth and bulging eyes - a far cry from his mythic effeminate beauty ! Still, it's the myths that mattered more than the truth. While he might have been a mere strategist (albeit an exceptionally talented and important one), the Japanese preferred to see him as a tragic, beautiful youth who could defeat giants with a mere swat of his fan.

 

The story of Yoshitsune gives us an intriguing insight into Ohnita's popularity : while everyone knew that Ohnita was just a dirt poor disgruntled former star trying desperately to regain his former fame, his fans didn't care and accepted the illusion of Ohnita as the cool rebel. Every single time some crazed villain demolished Ohnita's body, bloodying him, tearing his flesh on the unforgiving barbed wire, the fans gasped. The fans knew very well that it was all a ruse, that Ohnita was planning everything in order to make himself look more pitiful than he really was and by the same token, make men like Goto and Pogo seem like monstrous beings capable of the worst. Still, they bought into the illusion willingly - they couldn't help it - Ohnita inspired pity in them. While he was no beauteous, effeminate youth, he was an underdog nonetheless - his body broken, but his heart and soul still burned with passion.

 

Yoshitsune died in a battle agains his half brother's men, joined in death by his allies. Yoshitsune is a tragic hero as well as an underdog, as he eventually resigns himself and is carried by his friends, especially the somewhat dim but very brave and determined Benkei. Ohnita on the other hand never lost hope since he found himself gradually accepted by a number of important individuals, from Tenryu to Funk. Even New Japan felt a need to acknowledge and deal with him... eventually... Granted, he might never fight Inoki or have a competitive match with Riki Choshu (or Akira Maeda for that matter), at least he's written a book, got a seat in the Japanese Diet and is poised to become a fairly (in)famous media figure. The wrestling world can no longer ignore Ohnita - he's a proven draw and his style has had it's own influence on puroresu. In their time of need, even the mighty Riki Choshu and Motoko Baba are forced to swallow their pride and look to Ohnita for help. Unlike Yoshitsune, his cause isn't so desperate after all ! The problem is that even today Ohnita wants us to believe otherwise...

 

Pardon me for my evil ways indeed...

 

Asplagis

[Guest Hayabusa Moleman]

Wow, very good.  Thanks for the post.