Okay, wrestling fans, let’s talk Onita. Specifically, Onita's FMW. And yeah, I'm bracing myself for the tomatoes.
Dark Side of the Ring did a number on this, right? Made it seem like pure, unadulterated torture. But…was it *really* that bad?
The Explosions, The Barbwire, The…Everything
Look, I get it. Exploding barbed wire deathmatches aren't exactly Sunday school. Seeing guys get blown up is, well, intense.
But let’s be honest: isn’t pro wrestling, at its core, *supposed* to be a little over the top? Aren't we all secretly a little entertained by the spectacle?
I mean, who hasn't watched a wrestling match and thought, "Wow, that's insane!" FMW just took that feeling and cranked it to eleven.
Maybe It Was All…Performance Art?
Here’s my potentially blasphemous take: maybe Onita's FMW was a form of performance art. Think about it.
These guys were pushing their bodies to the absolute limit. They weren't just wrestling, they were telling stories with their pain.
Sure, the stories were usually "good guy fights evil guy in a ridiculously dangerous environment," but still! There was a narrative there.
Was It Safe? Absolutely Not.
Okay, let's address the giant, exploding elephant in the room. FMW was dangerous. Like, seriously dangerous.
Guys got hurt. Sometimes badly. No one is arguing that it was a bastion of wrestler safety.
But let’s not pretend like other promotions weren’t also reckless. Chair shots to the head? Pile drivers on the bare floor? It's all risky business.
The Crowd Loved It, Though
Here's the thing that always gets overlooked: the crowds *ate it up*. They were rabid for FMW.
They weren't just passively watching, they were invested. They were screaming, crying, and probably throwing things.
Onita knew how to connect with his audience. He gave them what they wanted. Even if what they wanted was to see someone get set on fire (metaphorically speaking, mostly).
He wasn’t just a wrestler; he was a showman. A slightly unhinged showman, maybe, but a showman nonetheless.
A Guilty Pleasure? Maybe. But…
I’m not saying Onita's FMW was the pinnacle of wrestling. I'm not saying it was ethically sound. But I am saying it was undeniably memorable.
It was a spectacle. A train wreck you couldn’t look away from. And, dare I say, it was kind of…awesome? In a twisted, messed up sort of way.
So, next time you're watching Dark Side of the Ring and shaking your head at the insanity of FMW, remember this: Someone, somewhere, was probably having the time of their life.
And maybe, just maybe, a tiny part of you was too.
"Embrace the chaos," - Probably Onita (or someone).
