FMW at E3 2000 (partially found footage of professional wrestling at gaming trade event; 2000)

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Fmwate320001.jpg

Screenshot of the six-man tag team match.

Status: Partially Found

From 11th-13th May 2000, the 2000 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) convention occurred at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Among organisations in attendance included TOKYOPOP, who showcased a number of new Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) DVDs. To promote this game, professional wrestlers from FMW competed in matches at the convention.

Background

In the early 2000s, TOKYOPOP were responsible for releasing English-language DVDs of various films and television in Japan, including FMW wrestling.[1] To promote a new of upcoming FMW DVDs, TOKOYOPOP decided to make a presentation at E3 2000, which is the largest annual computing game trade event,[2] but is also a convention that showcases other new media. Similar with Acclaim presenting various ECW matches to promote ECW Anarchy Rulz, the organisation had FMW talent compete in various matches throughout the convention.[3]

According to IGN, around ten FMW wrestlers competed in matches throughout the event.[3] This would be the first time that FMW wrestlers competed in California since 1992.[4] Based on information from Socal Uncensored, the fights included Kodo Fuyuki and Koji Nakagawa facing Ricky Fuji and Flying Kid Ichihara, while Hayabusa, Tetsuhiro Kuroda, and Hisakatsu Oya faced Mr. Gannosuke, Hideki Hosaka, and Yoshinori Sasaki in six-man tag team action.[5] For Hayabusa, this would not only allow him to promote the new DVDs, but to also film a scene in Los Angeles for Backyard Dogs.[6] This would ultimately mark Hayabusa's final performance in the United States, as he would end up paralysed during a match against Mammoth Sasaki on 22nd October 2001 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.[5][7]

Availability

A few highlights of the E3 2000 matches were included as part of the Story of the F - Stage IV DVD collection.[8] Based on a comment from Botchamania's Maffew regarding TOKYOPOP's FMW DVDs, the footage may have been interrupted by multiple replays.[9] However, the uncut matches remain scarce. The uncut Hayabusa six-man tag team match would be uploaded to YouTube by Web of Hair on 4th March 2006. According to the YouTuber, he recorded another FMW match at the event, the final day of the convention, and promised to upload it as well. However, seeing as the video is no long available on the channel, it has likely since been taken down. Analysis of the clip indicates that a TOKYOPOP or FMW cameraman was on-hand to capture footage, but this tape of the match has never been publicly released outside of the few highlights.

No footage or screenshots are available of the uncut Fuyuki and Nakagawa match, nor of any other matches that might have taken place on the other days of the event. It is possible that TOKYOPOP or FMW had ownership of the footage, but if was the latter, finding the footage may prove more difficult as the original FMW folded on 15th February 2002, in part due to the loss of their most popular wrestler in Hayabusa.[6]

Gallery

Video

Uncut footage of the six-man tag team match.

See Also

References

  1. ↑ Shoot Angle detailing some FMW DVDs TOKYOPOP released. Retrieved 22nd Dec '21
  2. ↑ Archived E3 Expo About E3 page. Retrieved 22nd Dec '21
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 IGN reporting on the FMW matches occurring during E3 2000. Retrieved 22nd Dec '21
  4. ↑ FMW Wrestling noting this was the first FMW event in California for eight years. Retrieved 22nd Dec '21
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 SoCal Uncensored detailing the E3 2000 matches and noting this was Hayabusa's final match in the United States. Retrieved 22nd Dec '21
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 FMW Wrestling detailing Hayabusa's motivation for competing at the show and how his accident would contribute towards FMW declaring bankruptcy. Retrieved 22nd Dec '21
  7. ↑ Archived SunSentinel reporting on Hayabusa being paralysed during a match. Retrieved 22nd Dec '21
  8. ↑ Story of the F - Stage IV containing highlights of the matches. Retrieved 22nd Dec '21
  9. ↑ Twitter post from Maffew criticising TOKYOPOP's FMW DVDs, which were continually interrupted by replays that could affect the length of the E3 2000 matches being shown. Retrieved 22nd Dec '21
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