[1997-05-13-FMW] Hayabusa & Ricky Fuji & Ricky Morton vs Mike Awesome & Hisakatsu Oya & Mr Gannosuke

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Morton fits in like a glove in FMW and even gets to work FIP in this one. He puts on a really terrific performance and I think he could have worked as a long-term guy in this promotion. Gannosuke gouges him with a stick and he bleeds like crazy to build to a hot tag. He even teaches Ricky Fuji (who is remarkably like babyface Chris Jericho) how to do a Fargo strut later in the match! Aside from the stick gouging, this is worked as a pretty straight up six-man tag, or at least as straight up as FMW's version of that can be. Hayabusa and Gannosuke are clearly in the top rivalry in FMW and their interactions seem special. Really classic finishing sequence too. Great match, the best from FMW so far I think, aside from maybe Kudo/Kandori.

[FLIK]

Hayabusa and Gannosuke are clearly in the top rivalry in FMW

Naw, at this point they're about 50/50 with Kanemura/Tanaka

 

The majority of 97 was built around their two feuds as the top things and really Kanemura/Tanaka may have been pushed slightly more as they got more main events and also had Onita in the middle playing both sides. Then at the end of the year it all merges together

 

This particular match was semi main underneath Tanaka, Kuroda & Onita vs Kanemura, Hido & Dragon W*INGER, which didn't make the set but I liked about as much as this one, maybe a little less.

 

Course, in the end Gan/Busa did become the bigger feud but that wasn't really until next year or so

 

He puts on a really terrific performance and I think he could have worked as a long-term guy in this promotion.

Yeah, he only really has maybe 2-3 months in the company totall spread out over a few tours. Gibson originally came in with him but lasted like 1 tour

[goodhelmet]

This almost didn't make the set because there is some shaky VQ but we needed to see Morton wrestle in FMW.

[Childs]

I got a huge kick out of watching Morton do all the classic Morton stuff in this setting. And he totally got himself over! Really good match overall, with exciting momentum shifts and a sense of genuine rivalry centered on Hayabusa and Gannosuke.

[Kevin Ridge]

Morton jumping up on to Awesome’s shoulders for the hurricarana had me thinking he might get powerbombed instead into the second row. Luckily, Ricky was able to pull it off. Morton totally fit in with this match in FMW. He’s gets busted open and draws the sympathy from fans. Morton still had something to give after all.

[soup23]

Morton rolling out here was a great WTF moment even though Ian mentioned it in the IWA-MS match. This was a much better showing for him. He was bleeding like crazy and looked like a mess. One thing about FMW so far though is that the heels are really getting over on the babyfaces in the glimpses we have seen. I probably liked this less than everyone else but it was still a load of fun.

[FLIK]

One thing about FMW so far though is that the heels are really getting over on the babyfaces in the glimpses we have seen

Wasn't that lopsided in reality so I wouldn't read much into it

[PeteF3]

Morton was a jarring sight here, but this is easily the best he's looked since the heyday of SMW. He bleeds, he bumps, he executes his offense, he gets over, and his timing with his partners and opponents is remarkably smooth for his FMW experience level. "Smoothness" actually is a running theme throughout this match, which is odd to say for FMW. But the execution, even on complicated stuff like Hayabusa's springboard flying attacks, is almost letter-perfect. And the timing throughout, down the stretch of the finishing sequence in particular, is superb. The only weird spot is Hayabusa and Awesome sort of staring at each other for awhile as Awesome is on the floor, but even that serves a purpose: it's so the crowd can see the stereo topes from Morton and Fuji. *Then* and only then does Hayabusa launch himself at Awesome. As of May this really feels like a top-10 MOTYC--remains to be seen if it stays there.

[JKWebb]

Late to the party since I'm watching this YB about 7 years after most, but really glad this made the set.  Not the hugest fan of FMW, but loved seeing Ricky Morton here.  Loved his performance, and I'd have to say this is my favorite FMW match to date.