Report: AEW Invited Atsushi Onita To Revolution

AEW invited FMW founder and deathmatch legend Atsushi Onita to the upcoming Revolution PPV on Sunday, but Onita had to decline due to other commitments.

According to a report from Yahoo Japan, Onita was personally invited to attend the show, but Covid-19 travel rules would mean he’d have to quarantine for two weeks on return to Japan, where Onita is set to wrestle an event on March 21.

Onita commented on AEW dipping their toes into deathmatch wrestling (translated from Yahoo Japan):

“Although AEW has just been established, it is an organisation that is trying to compete with the world’s largest WWE, and it can be said that it is a major. The current blast that organisation created is hung on the world title of the highest peak of the organisation. I’m honoured to do it.

Originally, I wanted to go to the United States and see it with my own eyes, but I gave up because of my in-law to Mr. Pogo. What kind of current explosion will AEW show? I’m looking forward to it. I would like to pay tribute to the major group AEW and the United States for accepting the form of [death matches]. It’s like being recognised by the United States, [it’s] like being recognised by the world.

Once calmed down, I could board the AEW and do a current blast, or maybe I could try to fight the AEW players with my real current blast, which is my home in Japan.”

Onita is credited with popularising deathmatch wrestling in Japan in the late 80s/early 90s, and through his company FMW promoted several Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatches. Although unable to attend Revolution in person, Onita appeared on the latest edition of AEW: Dynamite via video to give his thoughts on the bout.