Atsushi Onita (大仁田 厚, Ōnita Atsushi; born October 25, 1957) is a Japanese actor, politician, and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW) and is credited with introducing the deathmatch style of professional wrestling to Japan. He is a former 7-time FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Champion and 3-time All Asia Tag Team Champion alongside partners Masanobu Fuchi, Yoshitatsu, and Toy Kojima.
Onita founded FMW in 1989, defeating martial artist Masashi Aoyagi under his own martial arts rules in the main event of the second night of the promotion's inaugural event. FMW later emerged as a full-fledged touring organization, moving away from martial arts-inspired shoot style matches and moving toward the rasslin'-inspired deathmatch style – which became popular with Japanese fans. He was the promotion's top star, wrestling in main event matches at sold-out events, making FMW a financially successful company, particularly for a Japanese independent promotion. Onita sold FMW to Shoichi Arai and retired from wrestling in 1995 to pursue an acting career, which was unsuccessful, forcing him to return as a wrestler in 1996. After returning to FMW, he led stables ZEN and Team Zero but departed the company in 1998 after disagreements over his position in the company.
He held the FMW Brass Knuckles Heavyweight Championship a record seven times and headlined the first six editions of FMW's premier Anniversary Show event from 1989 to 1995.
Read more...The October 25, 1957 was a Friday under the star sign of ♏. It was the 297 day of the year. President of the United States was Dwight D. Eisenhower.
If you were born on this day, you are 67 years old. Your last birthday was on the Friday, October 25, 2024, 350 days ago. Your next birthday is on Saturday, October 25, 2025, in 14 days. You have lived for 24,822 days, or about 595,735 hours, or about 35,744,157 minutes, or about 2,144,649,420 seconds.
Date: 26 October 1957
IAPA charges Cuba, Dominican Repub, Venezuela and Paraguay are undemocratic because of press curbs; asks Nicaragua, Bolivia and El Salvador to repeal curbs
Date: 26 October 1957
Ct denies A Franciosa appeal, rules he must serve 10-day term for assaulting news photographer
Date: 25 October 1957
Special to The New York Times
Govt cancels 2d class mailing privileges of Opposition newspapers
Date: 25 October 1957
presentation; special citations to J T O'Rourke, P Bittencourt, M Lanza Duret, L Franzini, J S Knight, C Mantilla Ortega, G Martinez Marquez, J G Stahlman, T Wallace
Date: 26 October 1957
Date: 25 October 1957
Special to The New York Times
Locke, Walter
Date: 26 October 1957
52 Japanese fishermen feared lost off Okinawa