At 69, Atsushi Onita is already looking for the next generation to carry on FMW's legacy and he has named two candidates. At the past weekend's FMWE event, Onita celebrated his birthday by beating The Great Sasuke in their first Current Blast singles match in 23 years. But the match wasn’t the main talking point. Afterwards, he explained why he still believes in the format. “Japan’s GDP has dropped, and the country lacks energy.” From his generation’s perspective, he said, the next generation of children needs livening up, and the only thing he can do is shout from inside the ring. His hope is that the energy spreads across Japan. With his 70th birthday approaching, the obvious question was who might inherit these high-risk matches. His answer was unexpected: All Japan’s Saito Brothers, Jun and Rei. They have a history with it, having fought Onita in Current Blast deathmatches in both the FMWE and All Japan rings in 2023, finishing with a record of one win and one loss each. Onita’s respect for the pair goes beyond the ring. On a recent trip to Sendai, he appeared on Miyagi TV’s OH! Bandes, where they have a regular segment and saw their popularity first-hand as shop after shop greeted them. He believes mainstream recognition won’t grow without appearing on general television and says their TV exposure helps fill their Sendai shows. Creating buzz, in his words, is a necessary part of the business. Even so, Onita insists this isn’t really about teaching anyone. He says he’d rather just fight them one more time in a Current Blast match. @onitafire123