(May 17, 1972 – April 19, 2000) was a Japanese

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

who is best known for his appearances in

WAR War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

and

NJPW (NJPW) is a Japanese professional-wrestling promotion founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, and based in Nakano, Tokyo. It is currently majority owned by card-game company Bushiroad, with TV Asahi and Amuse Inc. owning minority shar ...

. He also joined a short-lived

stable A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...

known as ''Fighting Club G-EGGS'', the stable included

Manabu Nakanishi is a Japanese retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler, who was primarily associated with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). He is a one-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, one-time G1 Climax winner and three-t ...

Yuji Nagata is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler, and former mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and amateur wrestling, amateur wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Considered one of the greatest Japanese wrestlers ...

Brian Johnston Brian Alexander Johnston (24 June 1912 – 5 January 1994), nicknamed Johnners, was a British cricket commentator, author, and television presenter. He was most prominently associated with the BBC during a career which lasted from 1946 until h ...

and

Yutaka Yoshie was a Japanese professional wrestler, who worked as a freelancer in Japan, performing most notably for All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW), where he was a former World Tag Team Champion. He had previously worked for promotions such as New Japan Pr ...

Death

On April 14, 2000, Fukuda suffered a fatal head injury during a match with

Katsuyori Shibata } is a Japanese professional wrestler, trainer, and former mixed martial artist. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of The Opps and is one-third of the AEW World Trios Champions with Samoa Joe and Powerhouse Hobbs. ...

in the Young Lion Cup Tournament after taking a flying elbow drop. He was rushed to the hospital but died five days later on April 19 due to a

brain hemorrhage The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

; he was 27 years old. Fukuda had suffered a similar cerebral hemorrhage and undergone brain surgery in October of the prior year and was out of action for roughly four months as a result. He had also reportedly collapsed in-ring during his first match back, which was roughly two months before his death. According to reports regarding the match with Shibata, Fukuda never landed on his head during the match and took nothing more than a few stiff elbows to the head, the likes of which were normal in a New Japan opening match at the time. The rest of the 2000 Young Lion’s Cup was dedicated to Fukuda's memory and was honored with a

ten-bell salute In professional wrestling, a ten-bell salute is given to honor a wrestler who has died, especially when the wrestler is a current member of the professional wrestling promotion, promotion or a distinguished former member of the promotion. It is th ...

and a tribute show in September of that year.

Championships and accomplishments

* Wrestle Association "R" :*

WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship The is a professional wrestling tag team championship contested for in the Japanese promotion Wrestle Association R, and later Dragon Gate and Tenryu Project. This title was the first tag team championship in Japan dedicated to junior heavywei ...

( 1 time)Masakazu Fukuda
/ref> - with Hiroyoshi Kotsubo :* WAR International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Tournament (1997) - with Hiroyoshi Kotsubo

References

External links

Cagematch profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fukuda, Masakazu 1972 births 2000 deaths 20th-century male professional wrestlers 20th-century Japanese professional wrestlers Japanese male professional wrestlers Accidental deaths in Japan Sport deaths in Japan Professional wrestling deaths Professional wrestlers from Tochigi Prefecture Tenryu Project International Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions

Death

Championships and accomplishments

See also

References

External links