Masato Tanaka embarked on his wrestling journey in the early 1990s. Initially training under legendary wrestlers such as Atsushi Onita and Katsuyori Shibata, Tanaka quickly displayed an innate talent for the sport.

In the history of extreme wrestling post the original ECW, Tokyo’s Masato Tanaka vs. Mike Awesome at ECW One Night Stand was one for the ages. Their match at ECW One Night Stand on 12th June 2005 showed the raw power, passion, and innovation that characterised the extreme championship wrestling of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. To have it on WWE programming truly brought a whole new level of extreme to an audience, who for the most part, were not used to it. Both competitors truly blew away the fans from both ECW hardcore and WWE communities. Not only stealing match of the night, but it stood out as one of the must watch matches on what has become one of the most popular non-WWE big 4 event PPVs in the history of WWE.

Masato Tanaka weighing in at 224 pounds, is renowned for his tenacity and power. His opponent Mike Awesome at 270 pounds, a heavyweight from Tampa, Florida revolutionised the concept of agility and brutality. With Joey Styles and Mick Foley on commentary, Tanaka v Awesome took place at New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom, one of the epicentres of the hardcore wrestling era. With Eric Bischoff in attendance, ECW One Night Stand truly brought together all aspects of WCW, ECW and WWE together under one roof. The stars from RAW would even turn their back on Mike Awesome as he made his way to the ring.

Chaos ensued as both men charged the ring, utilising steel chairs, tables and whatever else they could find as makeshift weapons. The crowd was treated to a showstopper unlike anything they had ever seen before – at least for a true WWE audience, as each near-fall reverberated through the stands. The Awesome Bomb through the table off the ring followed by an Awesome Splash made Tanaka even more of a legend. The chair shots were beyond brutal. Tanaka’s DDT through the table even made JBL show some respect and even break character. Even Joey Styles didn’t know how they kept going and there was a standing ovation before the match was even over with huge chants of ECW. “This Match Rules” was chanted throughout and when Awesome planted Tanaka over the ropes through the table and then vaulted himself over onto Tanaka for the win, Mick Foley said “Mercilessly this match is now over”.

It showed the value and nostalgia of ECW even if it wasn’t capitalised on with the reformed ECW that later followed which even had Vince McMahon as champion totally under valuing the prestige of the championship itself.

Masato Tanaka vs. Mike Awesome was more than just a match at ECW’s One Night Stand 2005; it was a statement of extreme competition and an ode to ECW‘s lasting legacy – both men wanted to show they should be on WWE on merit. It’s why ECW One Night Stand’s legacy lives on in professional wrestling today. Even more so with Paul Heyman being announced for the WWE Hall of Fame at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia. It showed the value in ECW even if it certainly wasn’t capitalised on with the reformed ECW a much lower level of what made it Extreme in the first place.

Masato Tanaka’s legacy goes far beyond the ring. He’s not just remembered for his accomplishments in the ring, but he’s also remembered for his role as a role model and mentor to thousands of up-and-coming fighters around the world. He’s passed on his knowledge and expertise to the younger generation of fighters, inspiring them to strive for excellence in whatever they do.