Hayabusa

Birthdate: November 29th, 1968
Debut: May 5th, 1991
Retirement: October 22nd, 2001 (suffered career ending injury)
Ring Attire: Usually orange or white attire with a mask, see the picture above
Titles Held in FMW:  FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship, FMW Independent Heavyweight Championship, FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championship, and the FMW Six Man Street Fight Championship

Featured Signature Moves:
- Firebird Splash
- Moonsault to the Floor
- Phoenix Splash
- Shooting Star Press
- Tope Con Hilo

Other Signature Moves:
- Asai Moonsault
- Falcon Arrow
- Fisherman Buster
- H Edge
- H Thunder
- Moonsault
- Standing Moonsault
- Tiger Driver

Pictures:
- As H
- Hayabusa in 2007

Career History:

One of the most highflying and exciting wrestlers of the 90's was FMW wrestler Hayabusa. Whether it be in a barbed wire explosive cage death match or a lightweight classic against the likes of Liger and TAKA Michinoku, Hayabusa was sure to amaze with his daring arsenal of moves. While he is credited as invented or popularizing such moves as the Phoenix Splash and the Firebird Splash, unfortunately it was his high flying style that helped lead to his unfortunate and premature retirement. Even though in 2001 his wrestling career abruptly ended, Hayabusa is still remembered today for his great look, daring style, and his willingness to do anything to put on a good show.

Ever since he first saw FMW as a teenager, Eiji Ezaki knew he wanted to be a wrestler. In 1991 he went to the FMW dojo, and soon was having matches on official FMW cards. Ezaki entered the dojo with real-life friend, and soon to be fellow star of FMW, Mr. Gannosuke. After staying in the undercard acting mostly as a jobber, in 1994 Ezaki would make a major change at the advice of Jushin Liger: he would wear a mask and wrestle under the name Hayabusa. To help get Hayabusa over with Japanese fans, Liger booked himself to be Hayabusa's opponent in the Super J Cup. Even though Liger naturally won, he did allow Hayabusa to get his spots in and impress the crowd in attendance.

After wrestling in Mexico and Florida, learning new moves and practicing his new dare-devil style, Hayabusa was called back to FMW after Goto and Mr. Gannosuke left for IWA. With the two big stars of FMW both leaving and Onita retiring, Hayabusa was suddenly thrust into the main event picture. On May 5th, 1995, he would main event in front of 55,000 fans with Onita in an explosive cage death match. Even though Onita won, Hayabusa was very impressive and suddenly became the biggest star in FMW.

Over the next five years, Hayabusa would wrestle in many different gimmicks against anyone that challenged him. Besides leading FMW, he also held all the major titles and participated in every death match stipulation one could imagine, even a Spider Net Barbwire Caribbean Glass Death Match. Hayabusa also did a stint as a heel (as Darkness Hayabusa) and wrestled for almost a year without his mask (being simply called H). Through it all Hayabusa was considered the glue of the company, and without him the company would never have achieved the success it did after the retirement of Onita.

Unfortunately, Hayabusa's style would catch up with him. Through the first ten years of his career, Hayabusa had suffered dozens of injuries, ranging from burns to broken bones. On October 22nd, 2001, Hayabusa would break his neck in a match against Mammoth Sasaki while attempting to do a Quebrada... a move he had successfully completed dozens of times. Always a fighter, even though he lay on the mat paralyzed from the neck down, he asked the referee to continue the match. They do for a moment (the confused and worried Sasaki even applied a weak chinlock to Hayabusa, no doubt making the injury worse), but finally the referee waved the match off and Hayabusa was taken to a hospital. Paralyzed from the waist down, Hayabusa was confined to a wheel chair. Even though he made appearances for FMW after his injury, the company would go bankrupt soon after his injury. Hayabusa would start a new promotion, WMF, but it never took off and soon he had cut all ties to the company. Now, Ezaki is happy with his new singing career, as he continues trying to learn how to walk again. Recently he was seen walking with only the assistance of crutches, which is a great sign. While his career was tragically cut short, no one that has ever seen Hayabusa fly over the top rope down on Liger while still wearing his rope or performing the Phoenix Splash will ever forget him.


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