Takumi Tsukamoto (塚本拓海, Tsukamoto Takumi) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Japanese…Takumi Tsukamoto (塚本拓海, Tsukamoto Takumi) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Japanese professional wrestling promotion Big Japan Pro Wrestling (BJW).
Masashi Honda (本田雅史, Honda Masashi; born June 20, 1968) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known…Masashi Honda (本田雅史, Honda Masashi; born June 20, 1968) is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) under the ring name Mr. Gannosuke (ミスター雁之助, Misutā Gannosuke). Honda was quickly pushed as "Mr. Gannosuke" due to his resemblance to the actor Ashiya Gannosuke and he began competing as Atsushi Onita's tag team partner in main event matches during his rookie year. He left the company in 1995 with his trainer Tarzan Goto due to differences with Onita and worked in International Wrestling Association (IWA) for nearly two years. He returned to FMW in 1997 and became the main rival of Hayabusa for the next four years. He was the company's most popular villain from 1997 to 1998 and the second top villain from then onwards. He would be a member of villainous groups Funk Masters of Wrestling, ZEN, Team No Respect and Shin Fuyuki-gun. He held many titles in his FMW career including being a one-time Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Champion and a two-time Independent Heavyweight Champion. He was also the winner of Over the Top tournament in 1999. He headlined many pay-per-view events for FMW including the company's flagship event Anniversary Show in 1998, 1999 and 2001.
Chigusa Nagayo (長与千種, Nagayo Chigusa; born December 8, 1964) is a Japanese professional wrestler best known for her…Chigusa Nagayo (長与千種, Nagayo Chigusa; born December 8, 1964) is a Japanese professional wrestler best known for her mainstream popularity in the 1980s as a member of the Crush Gals with long-time tag team partner Lioness Asuka. In 1995 she founded GAEA Japan and in 2014 created its successor Marvelous That's Women Pro Wrestling. Nagayo is often regarded as the most popular and one of the greatest and most influential female wrestlers of all time. Wrestling Journalist and historian Dave Meltzer has stated that in the 1980s, the Crush Gals reached a level of popularity in Japan equatable to Hulk Hogan in the United States in the same period, and thereafter Chigusa Nagayo was the most popular woman in wrestling for an extended period until her first retirement in 1989.
Atsushi Onita (大仁田 厚, Ōnita Atsushi; born October 25, 1957) is a Japanese actor, politician, and semi-retired…Atsushi Onita (大仁田 厚, Ōnita Atsushi; born October 25, 1957) is a Japanese actor, politician, and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) and is credited with introducing the deathmatch style of professional wrestling to Japan. He is a former 7-time FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Champion and 3-time All Asia Tag Team Champion alongside partners Masanobu Fuchi, Yoshitatsu, and Toy Kojima. Onita founded FMW in 1989, defeating martial artist Masashi Aoyagi under his own martial arts rules in the main event of the second night of the promotion's inaugural event. FMW later emerged as a full-fledged touring organization, moving away from martial arts-inspired shoot style matches and moving toward the rasslin'-inspired deathmatch style – which became popular with Japanese fans. He was the promotion's top star, wrestling in main event matches at sold-out events, making FMW a financially successful company, particularly for a Japanese independent promotion. Onita sold FMW to Shoichi Arai and retired from wrestling in 1995 to pursue an acting career, which was unsuccessful, forcing him to return as a wrestler in 1996. After returning to FMW, he led stables ZEN and Team Zero but departed the company in 1998 after disagreements over his position in the company. He held the FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship a record seven times and headlined the first six editions of FMW's premier Anniversary Show event from 1989 to 1995.
Susumu Hara (原 進, Hara Susumu) (January 8, 1947 – April 28, 2015) was a Japanese rugby player and professional…Susumu Hara (原 進, Hara Susumu) (January 8, 1947 – April 28, 2015) was a Japanese rugby player and professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ashura Hara (阿修羅・原).