Fumihiro "Sambo" Asako: 1964-2004

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Taken from BahuFMW.com (thanks Bahu)


"Tetsuhiro Kuroda reported today that another former FMW wrestler in Fumihiro "Sambo" Asako died earlier today, May 18th at the age of 40 due to an extreme case of diabetes. Asako who had lost his leg, and sight in one eye due to diabetes remained in extremely bad shape. Asako had fought the disease for years, and lived his life with one leg, and one eye for the past few years. Asako's friend Atsushi Onita held an Onita Pro charity show with WMF wrestlers on it to help raise money for Asako last year on May 25th due to the severity of it, and the hospital costs as a result.

Asako who made his debut in FMW on December 1, 1989 at Korakuen Hall, defeating Mitsuteru Tokuda via Count Out. His biggest match of his career was on August 17, 1991 at the Torisu Stadium where he headlined the show against Atsushi Onita in a Exploding Barbwire Death Match in front of 48,221 fans before losing via KO in just under 10 minutes to Onita.

Asako remained as a midcarder throughout the early years of FMW teaming with the likes of Ricky Fuji, Mr. Gannosuke, and Katsutoshi Niiyama taking on the likes of Big Titan, The Gladiator, and Horace Boulder in Street Fights. Asako would make the decision that due to Onita retiring and leaving the promotion, that he would retire at the beginning of 1995. Asako would retire on January 5, 1995 at Korakuen Hall losing to Atsushi Onita in his final FMW match.

Asako would ultimately be persuaded to come out of Retirement by Onita for his USO 12/11/98 Korakuen Hall show. A gimmick of the show, was that many of the former FMW wrestlers would come out of Retirement for the show including Sambo and Combat Toyoda. The show would also hurt the friendship of Atsushi Onita and Megumi Kudo after Kudo refused to wrestle on the show, and only agreed to referee. The promotion would change to Onita Pro in 1999 where Asako would work regularly with Onita in 6 man street fights. His last show would be on 11/7/01 for an Onita Pro show against Viking Taniguchi before the diabetes forced him to retire for good.

Hayabusa wrote, that Sambo Asako was one of the funniest and kindest people he has ever met. He was always nice to the young Dojo boys when visiting with them, except when he would pull a prank on them. He went through extreme struggle at the end of his life with only one leg and one eye, and it is now his time to rest slowly."

FMW has lost another legend. Rest in peace Asako San.

[edgehead1984]

Whoa..40 and to die of diabetes, there's a shock.

Rest in peace and I hope you make to the great ring in the sky.

[Luds]

darn, too many deaths this last 2 years! That's another sad one!