Atsushi Onita vs. Terry Funk
No Rope Barbed Wire Exploding Ring Time Bomb Deathmatch
FMW 4th Anniversary Show (May 5, 1993)
Sticking with Onita and FMW, we fast-forward a few years to their 4th Anniversary Show. Now an FMW signature and the regular main event of the Anniversary Shows, this match had an added twist. The ring mat was rigged with explosives, set to go off every fifteen minutes. Every time I watch this match, I smile at not only the referee’s outfit but the fact he checks both wrestlers for foreign objects in a time bomb match with exploding barbed wire ropes! Deathmatch staples!
The match starts with one of the most intense collar-and-elbow tie-ups in wrestling history. Again, Onita is the first to hit the ropes and trigger an explosion after a left hand from Funk. Onita ends up attached to the ropes following an Irish Whip from Funk. Onita manages to send Funk into the ropes face-first. Funk sends Onita through the exploding wire to the outside of the ring – leaving Onita trying to find a safe way to return. The five-minute countdown to the first timed explosion sets both men into punch-drunk overdrive, swinging at each other with wild abandon. Onita kicks Funk off of a Spinning Toe Hold, with Funk backed into the barbed wire and another explosion. With just over two and a half minutes left on the countdown, Onita wins with a DDT. After the bell, Funk attacks Onita, and the two continue fighting. Onita lays out Funk with two powerbombs and leaves the ring. But, as the countdown is now under 30-seconds, and Funk can’t leave, Onita slides back in to try and remove Funk, covering him as the explosions go off.
This is a much better match, both in action and presentation. Onita had developed the psychology of wrestling this type of match, and Funk’s style was a natural fit. Every move, no matter how small, felt like it had a consequence – and the struggle to connect with (and avoid) the ropes felt genuine. Funk’s wobbly-leg staggering after receiving a beating was on full display, and the crowd legitimately believed he’d hit the barbed wire every time, adding to the atmosphere. Overall, this is a very good example of how to work with the conditions and get the crowd invested.
Cactus Jack vs. Terry Funk
Barbed Wire Rope, Exploding Barbed Wire Boards and Exploding Ring Time Bomb Deathmatch
IWA Kawasaki Dream (August 20, 1995)
The International Wrestling Association of Japan (IWA Japan) was the successor to the W*ING promotion – which was FMW’s main competitor for the “extreme” fans in Japan. A year and a half into their run, the IWA Kawasaki Dream event ran – and was IWA’s most successful show. The two main highlights were Dan Severn defending the NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Tarzan Goto and the 8-man King of the Deathmatch tournament. By the time the final came around at the end of the night, Terry Funk had defeated Leatherface and Tiger Jeet Singh, while Cactus Jack had beaten Terry Gordy and Shoji Nakamaki. While there were no explosives in the ropes, four barbed wire boards were rigged with explosives; and the ring was set to explode on the ten-minute mark.
If you’ve made it this far in the article, you clearly have an interest in the matches. The video shared fears retrospective commentary highlights from Cactus Jack himself, Mick Foley, so I urge you to watch and listen to that rather than read anything I can write here. The interference from Tiger Jeet Singh and the double whip into an exploding board is a great sight – but the timed explosion, not so much. Mick goes into detail, but the fact that Cactus Jack and Terry Funk were so quickly able to win back a crowd disappointed by the “time bomb” aspect of this match is a testament to their ability.
The fact that two fairly large names in the United States had wrestled this kind of match in Japan was big news. The injuries suffered quickly became things of legend, and the notoriety of the tournament – and especially the final – reached a larger audience than most deathmatch events from Japan. This event was hugely popular with tape traders and helped spawn several promotions in America bringing this style of “hardcore” wrestling to a new audience. This match was mentioned regularly on WWF programming after Mick Foley debuted as Mankind – especially when Terry Funk turned up as Chainsaw Charlie – which brought yet more interest and demand for tapes and coverage. Even today, most wrestling fans will cast their mind to this match when hearing “exploding barbed wire deathmatch” – or any kind of deathmatch, more to the point – even if they’ve never seen it. You can’t ask for much more of a legacy than that.