The Natural Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Didn't know whether more people will see this here or to post in the puro section of the board. I just found out on Facebook thanks to Ligerbusa. Tokyo Sports reporting Hayabusa was found dead yesterday, 47 years old. Sad news. R.I.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virtualpros Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 In utter shock at the moment. He wasn't the first guy that I saw when I first got into puroresu, but he was definitely the one that had the biggest impact. So effortlessly cool always. RIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ligerbusa Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Obviously he made a big impact on me as well. Hayabusa matches were some of the first non-TV stuff I saw when I first got internet back in '99. Rest In Peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 My first introduction to Hayabusa: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamBroken Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Wow this is very sad. Feel like I was just seeing his posts on FB/Twitter. Hayabusa was one of my original favorites when I first got into puro thanks to WCW vs. the World and the VPW games, and later Fire Pro. Amazing flyer and a huge inspiration. RIP Hayabusa. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Z Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 This is just awful. He seemed to be making slow progress over the last few years. R.I.P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyMax46 Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 The cause will be weird, because I wouldn't think he'd have most of the issues associated with paralyzed folks since he could stand up and move around and what-not. I'm sure there's possible complications I'm unaware of of course. Maybe it's just natural causes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Meltzer's report says bleeding on the brain. I'm not sure how he'd get that or how they'd miss it, it's not like he's done anything active in 15 years. Perhaps, he'd fallen recently? Or an aneurysm or something. Very strange and out of nowhere. This just sucks. RIP and all that. A subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), or subarachnoid haemorrhage in British English, is bleeding into the subarachnoid space—the area between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater surrounding the brain. This may occur spontaneously, usually from a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, or may result from head injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 Great look, innovative high flyer, created the Phoenix Splash and Falcon Arrow plus THAT entrance music. R.I.P. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mysterious_w Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 I remember first seeing the Phoenix Splash creating a wrestler in the Smackdown 2 game, and thinking that can't be physically possible for someone to do. Massive innovator, RIP. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrolCB Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Damn it, enough with the deaths already. He and Onita are what got me into watching Japanese wrestling in the first place. Onita, for reasons obvious. But for Hayabusa it was different. Having grown up in South Jersey, I was able to watch ECW from its rise. Already privy to Sabu, I was luckily enough to see this guy on one of those FMW Angelfire/Geocities fan pages when I first got the Internet in '97, who not only looked like a cooler version, but was also as mysterious as Muta. I was hooked. Immaculately dressed, one of the greatest themes (as posted above by The Natural) and a joy to watch in that promotion and elsewhere. It's a shame he passed from these sudden circumstances. That video (below) of him walking with the other Puro legends in attendance was amazing and I was hoping he'd get even better. Sadly that's not happening. RIP to the Phoenix, now you've risen. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 IOU likes. This is an emotional watch: 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Natural Posted March 4, 2016 Author Share Posted March 4, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.H. Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Did Ezaki debut the Phoenix Splash before Liger did his first Stardust Press? I honestly cannot remember James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charro! Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Really sad news, the video of him getting out his wheelchair & walking again is one which is both truly inspiring & also very emotional at the same time. Hayabusa was definitely one of my favourite wrestlers, he had a super cool gimmick The Phoenix with the mask, the cool theme music & was also a great wrestler & high flyer. It's a huge shame that he had the tragic in-ring accident which ended his in-ring career and I also think he could have been a even bigger name outside of FMW and should be been a star on a grander stage in the WWE and/or WCW. Imagine how awesome matches against Rey, Eddie, Dean Malenko, Y2J during WCW's cruiserweight heyday would have been, but at least Hayabusa has a legacy of great matches against the Gladiator Mike Awesome, Masato Tanaka & Atsushi Onita among others. RIP Eiji Ezaki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrolCB Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Sad thing (though not surprising) is, was that WCW had actually brought him for Saturday Night tapings and had nothing for him (Observer notes, IIRC, maybe?). Like TNA with Okada and Tanahashi (for example). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 I'll just echo what everyone else has said here. Seeing him get out of the chair was such an amazing and emotional visual testament to the guy's will power and guts. Very sad, indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PetrolCB Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick B. Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Never saw a whole lot of Hayabusa matches until fairly recently. Was always really wanting to see him in a U.S. promotion and the Falcon Arrow(especially the spinning version) has always been one of my favorite finishers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie M. Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Always thought he was so cool. RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HumanChessgame Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 Damn it, enough with the deaths already. He and Onita are what got me into watching Japanese wrestling in the first place. Onita, for reasons obvious. But for Hayabusa it was different. Having grown up in South Jersey, I was able to watch ECW from its rise. Already privy to Sabu, I was luckily enough to see this guy on one of those FMW Angelfire/Geocities fan pages when I first got the Internet in '97, who not only looked like a cooler version, but was also as mysterious as Muta. I was hooked. Immaculately dressed, one of the greatest themes (as posted above by The Natural) and a joy to watch in that promotion and elsewhere. It's a shame he passed from these sudden circumstances. That video (below) of him walking with the other Puro legends in attendance was amazing and I was hoping he'd get even better. Sadly that's not happening. RIP to the Phoenix, now you've risen. I got into him in a similar way - seeing clips on random websites in the late 90s. Pretty much every tape of Japanese wrestling I bought was based on how many matches and how prominently featured he was. He's always been a favorite of mine and it really sucks his career ended when it did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCM Posted March 4, 2016 Share Posted March 4, 2016 One of my favorite guys from the mid 90's this is some crappy news. I think the first Hayabusa match I saw was on a Sabu comp tape, and I instantly became a fan. I've always loved the Heatwave 98 match, and it's a big reason that's one of my all time favorite shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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