Love him or loathe him, there is no denying that Will Ospreay is one of the most talented performers in the world, and this past Sunday, he defended the IWGP United States Heavyweight Title Championship against Shota Umino. However, he sported a very different look for the match by dressing as Hayabusa and initially entering wearing a reproduction mask. And now the New Japan star has taken to social media to reveal he did this with permission from the Hayabusa family and did so to honor one of his all-time favorite performers.
Hayabusa, real name Eiji Ezaki was a Japanese death match wrestler that transcended the genre due to his high-flying and charisma to become a legitimate star and helped establish FMW as a significant promotion in Japan. And American fans likely remember him best for wrestling alongside Jinsei Shinzaki against Rob Van Dam & Sabu at ECW Heat Wave 1998. Tragically though, he broke his neck when attempting a springboard moonsault off the middle rope and would be paralyzed for years. With many believing this was the beginning of the end of FMW. He would ultimately pass away 15 years later, aged just 47, leaving behind two daughters.
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