Tanaka wins ECW World Title
By JOHN F. MOLINARO -- SLAM! Wrestling
FMW star Masato Tanaka became the first Japanese star to win the ECW World title, defeating Mike Awesome Friday night at ECW's TNN television tapings in Nashville, TN.
The match was said to have been a brawl, living up to the levels of bruatlity their previous matches have achieved in the rings of ECW and the Japanese FMW promotion.
After the match, Awesome raised Tanaka's hand and put the belt around him, only to attack him and put him through a ringside table as he was leaving.
The title change comes on the heels of rumours that Paul Heyman was in the process of forming a Japanese affiliate of the ECW promotion.
Awesome was scheduled to defend the title next month at ECW's Guilty As Charged PPV in Birmingham, AL on January 9th against Spike Dudley. No word yet if they will chnage the main event to an Awesome-Tanaka rematch.
The title chnage is scheduled to air on next week's TNN show.
