Eiji Ezaki, known to any indie wrestling fan of the 1990s as Hayabusa, has reportedly died this past week. He was only 47 years old. The news came as a shock as the former FMW star, was recovering well from an incident in 2001 that left him paralyzed.
As Hayabusa, he took high flying innovation in the ring to the next level, gaining a rabid cult-like fan base in FMW, All Japan as well as other independent promotions. It was in a match with Mammoth Sasaki, where a springboard moonsault went terribly wrong, and left him with several cracked vertebrae. Ezaki was confined to a wheelchair for several years, but showed signs of improvement. Just last year, Ezaki walked to the ring, unassisted, for the first time in well over a decade. It was Tokyo Sports who first reported the news of Ezaki being found dead due to subarachnoid hemorrhage.
The Phoenix, as he is sometimes referred to, has passed. But may his spirit rise again and soar to the heavens.
