Mister Danger, You're Just A Stranger

Mitsuhiro Matsunaga VS Tarzan Goto - FMW 12/4/1989

JJZ: I ignored all the Tarzan Goto matches that kept coming up while I was searching for a Matsunaga match to play forward to you. Besides the Cactus Jack match we shared with each other here, I'm usually not a fan. But after not loving what I watched, I figured what the hell. Picking this match solely because of the VHS feels I got and I was so fucking happy. I never expected to stumble upon a  UWF/Battlearts style match with such fucking hate pouring through my screen. These cats were laying it in. That headbutt to the mouth made my teeth hurt. I tried to look up what promotion this was real quick and had no luck. Could've been BJPW? I didn't notice any logos on the mat. Felt like I found a rare gem but you tell me babycakes.

CJD: I think calling this a hidden gem is totally fair, this is FMW's fifth show and as far as I can tell one of the only pro wrestling events ever held at the Handa Municipal Hall. The couple thousand (maybe) people there certainly witnessed something they never saw before, or never would see again that night! Holy shit John, thank you so much for playing this forward, especially with your aversion to a) Tarzan Goto and b) stiff headbutts. This match is a CJD fever dream for certain and I loved every second of it!! Well maybe not the finish, but I don't know how much better I expected from a match that was such perfect absurdly chaotic violence up until that point. And such a late 80s vibe. I love it!! Karate man Matsunaga rules, svelt all yellow Goto in his swankiest tights ever rules even more, I can't wait to explore deeper in the jungle baby!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Forever Forward Fridays

Hayabusa/Masato Tanaka/Koji Nakagawa vs WING Kanemura/Mitsuhiro Matsunaga/Bad Boy Hido - FMW No Rope Barbed Wire Spider Net Double Hell DeathMatch 1/10/1996

JJZ: Before I even start talking about the match, shout out to Bret FMW for making this insane top 100 FMW matches playlist that we're sharing this from. Now Chris, if I had to describe this match to you in only a few words it would be a car crash. This match is crazy man. All over the place to the point if you blink you're gonna miss something. The way they are filming so far out makes it seem a little less brutal, but the match is the definition of brutal. I can not tell you the last time I watched a Matsunaga match and you know how much I loved him back in the day. Poor Tanaka man. He took some rough bumps. Blows my mind he still works at a high level to this day. Everyone added to this match honestly. Looks like they were building to a rematch that I'd love to see one day...

CJD: So this is taking us far from our Forever Forward Fridays themes here. But I know where I'm going to take this little detour next, and it's going to loop right back into the highway my friend. And as far as FFF pays tribute to the independent spirit of pro wrestling, well this is sure fucking it right here. What they're doing for this size crowd, with this level of bells and whistles, you can really see how FMW had that brief moment of blazing glory. In a strange way this reminded me of our Funks tag last Tuesday, in how it never stopped building and stuck the landing. Every spot added purpose and a feeling of escalation. Nakagawa wrestled like half the match wrapped in barbed wire!! Hayabusa had such a hero aura about him and it was awesome seeing such opposite sides of his career with these two matches of his. Bret is good people indeed, he's done amazing work chronicling the history of FMW over the years and I never would have seen this absolute gem of a match without him. Thank you BAHU!!