Episode #41 – Funk v Onita NO ROPE EXPLODING BARBED WIRE TIME BOMB DEATH MATCH May 5, 1993
We review a death match classic. Possibly the quintessential death match to which all others are compared. This match is amazing. This podcast is amazing. Funk. Onita. Wild thing. Stuff blowing up. Sirens. Insanity. Chaos. WILD THING. YOU MAKE MY HEART SING.
Black Cat I’m pretty sure you pronounced Atsushi Onita correctly 🙂
At first I was just happy that Onita came out to the version of Wild Thing heard in the movie Major League. I was later even happier that Dre recognized it as such.
It’s amazing how much Japanese ring announcers add to building anticipation for a match.
I’m sure I’ve seen this match before but this podcast makes me want to see it again.
Dre, thank you for excusing me from researching the family ties of the Garvins and Andersons. I’m currently a month behind on Raw, Impact and Smackdown and currently have almost 40 episodes of the 1960’s Batman TV show to catch up on. No way will I successfully research the Garvin and Anderson family lineage by the time the next podcast rolls around.
I would argue you need to see Dennis Rodman and Scott Hall on the Merrionette Park indy show instead of Terry Funk on the La Salle one, but Rodman and Hall canceled because of Hall’s health issues. The Merrionette Park show’s getting Sabu instead now. Who was more important to ECW?
The Merrionette Park show is now not only getting Sabu, but also Big Stevie Cool, Da Blue Guy, Hollywood Nova…and Billy F’n Corgan.
What the f is Bily Corgan doing? I know he’s a wrestling fan, but that’s just weird. And what promotion is this?
Billy’s Corgan’s advertised as “making an announcement regarding the future of AAW.”
So this is AAW? How weird. The Pumpkins are taking over!
FWIW, Billy Corgan seems to have far more time on his hands than I would’ve imagine.
40 episodes of Batman TV. I’m seriously questioning your honorary OSWP wrestling historian status. I’m most curious because I suspect all wrestling families trace back to one man.
First of all my name is pronounced Track.
Onita’s name is pronounced the way his name was first pronounced. Onita the first true graduate of the All Japan Dojo (If you count Jumbo Tsurta going to Amarillo to be trained by the Funks) was a junior heavyweight who retired in 1985 due to injuries. He came back in 1988 and year later he founded FMW which was based around his time in Memphis. Of course Onita was just like his “teacher” Terry Funk in that he had several retirement matches.
Some of the other wrestlers who competed in FMW besides Onita and Terry Funk include Hakushi, Sabu, Mike Awesome and Masato Takana (who brought their FMW feud to ECW).
Another famous Death Match you might want to check out is the final match of the 1995 King of the Death Match Tournament between Mick Foley and Terry Funk
If you want to see another Onita deathmatch wrestling as the Great Nita watch his No Rope, Barbed Wire, Barricade Electric Land Mine, Double Hell Death match vs. the Great Muta from 1999.
By the way Onita wanted to bring a no ropes exploding ring match to the ECW arena, but of course the athletic comission said no.
Here is an Anderson family tree: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anderson_family
along with a wrestling family tree:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_family_relations_in_professional_wrestling
Keep up the good work.
Good info. Thanks.
What retired wrestler hasn’t had at least a half dozen retirement matches (besides Shawn Michaels)
I should’ve known someone already did the family trees.
The only retired wrestler I could think of besides Shawn Michaels that actually retired was the former NWA Champion the late Jack Brisco who left the WWF in 1985 and never came back.
Speaking of Shawn Michaels and FMW he did referee a match in FMW between H and Hayabusa II in October of 1999. The reason he was the ref was that FMW was owed a favor by WWF through Victor Quinones. When Steve Williams FMW’s first choice didn’t want to do the show WWF sent Shawn Michaels instead. It’s on Youtube if want to see it.
This match, as well as just the Japanese wrestling presentations, really sells the sizzle, the steak, the parsley and the 2 scotches that compliment one hell of a satisfying meal. They build drama and tension so well. And for a payoff that really happens after the match almost unnecessarily! Great show as always, friends!
The payoff after the pin was the best part and honestly was better than if the ring blew up before the pin. Awesome drama.
You guys singing Wild Thing on top of your coffee induced lungs makes want to put on the only wrestling merchandise I’ve ever owned, Terry Funk’s “Go Funk Yourself” t-shirt, down a diesel-fueled triple espresso and breathe fire on my screen. This, of course, is the polite way to say “love your work” at the Double Cross Ranch. And that’s exactly what I’m trying to say.
The podcast was created while fueled on coffee, espresso, and coke zero, so I approve of this activity.
“No Rope Exploding Barbed Wire Time Bomb Death Poem”
Tick, tick, tick, boom!
Funker’s blood spattered all over you.
The Funk got funked,
1-2-3.
Couple of explosions,
More-or-less six.
Where was Cactus,
When we needed him Jack!
Onita was the victor,
He shed blood too,
Covered Terry to save his life,
Could that be why Terry’s still sore?
A brutal listen from my iPod,
Remembering King of the Death match,
As well as the ECW Arena Barbed Wire Brawl.
40 plus minutes of Heaven
Ran throughout my ears,
Excited for episode 42,
Only time will tell.
Will Funk get funked one last time?
Another one bites the time bomb death match.
Here’s another poem for you guys. Hope you enjoy, once again!
As long as his heart is still beating, Funk will always get funked one more time.
Will he be funked one more time on OSWP?
I offer up this Haiku:
Terry Funk Hardcore
Onita thinks he is too
The ring exploded
I appreciate the simplicity of this one. 😉
I love the fact that other people are submitting poems too! YES!
I stand corrected, I’ve never seen this match before but watched it for the first time yesterday. I saw a similar match that had a canopy above the ring, but can’t remember who was participants were.
How about that gash on Onita’s arm? That was sick!
Loved the gash and loved the point when I thought he lost a finger.
Excellent story-telling here, a ton of drama.
It is strange that Onita would be in much better shape years later after coming out of retirement, but this was still quite the spectacle.
The pre match videos of Funk and Onita backstage, Onita trying to save Funk and emerging from the smoke as the guitar begins to play, and the final Onita speech to the fans outside before he gets into the ambulance as the credits roll.
Very cinematic , incredible. Thank you for introducing this to me guys. Really cool.