Fisherman Fukajina

They ask, "Why does he fish, only to catch and release?" "Does he fish to clear his mind?" "Is he a man of peace?" Well, APPW fans, grab a chair because I'm gonna tell you something that I've never told anyone before. He doesn't fish to protect himself from the world. He fishes to protect the world from him... From Okinawa, Japan. From sea to shining sea. He'll hook and reel you in for the 1-2-3! He is the man of peace, tranquility, and destruction! He is Fisherman Fukajina!

At 18, Yoshitaka Fukajina enlisted in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces (JGSDF) and served five years, including time in special forces. After completing his military service, he immediately joined the High Japan Wrestling League (HJWL) dojo. One year later, a 24-year-old Fukajina participated in the Air Raid Pro Wrestling (ARPW) Japan International Round-Robin Tournament in Jacksonville, NC. Advancing to the semi-finals, Fukajina was disqualified for not letting go of a leg-hook submission when his opponent grabbed the ropes, despite the referee not giving a five-count to break the hold. Speaking little English, an angry Fukajina took his match purse and hired a cab to the North Carolina coast. 

While fishing on the pier, Fukajina saw a distraught Japanese girl hiding behind a rock-covered dirt mound. When he whistled to get her attention, she ran. A concerned Fukajina followed her. When he got closer, he saw ruffians trying to grab the girl. He intervened and fought off the two ruffians. The girl hugged Fukajina and explained that she had been taken from Saka, Japan. Police arrested one of the two ruffians and took in the girl. Fukajina later returned to Okinawa and took a year off from wrestling, spending much of that time in Hiroshima. 

2 years later, Fukajina left HJWL and returned to North Carolina after hearing that promoter and pro wrestler "Jumping" Jerry Hamilton had sold ARPW to Waldo Wagner, who rebranded the company as All Petalverse Pro Wrestling APPW following a joint event by HJWL and APRW in Shinjuku City, Tokyo. Fukajina wanted to help the new struggling company gain recognition and strengthen ties with HJWL.

One afternoon, Fukajina went on a fishing trip to Red Moose Lake, a place he had visited before during joint training with the elite 404th Stormfist unit of Fort Calloway as a member of the JGSDF special forces. Afterward, he visited Eito-shin Karate, owned by Calico Aster Middle School band teacher Eito Ogawa. 

Ogawa, a fellow Okinawan and pro-wrestling fan, was delighted to speak to Fukajina in Japanese, a rare occurrence in Calico Aster. Ogawa mentioned a new female Japanese wrestler from APPW whom he admired for representing Japan. Ogawa showed Fukajina a Calico Aster Exchange picture of the female Japanese wrestler, but Fukajina was shocked by who he saw in the photo. It was the same girl he had rescued years ago, going by the name "Spooky" Sakaya Hayes. 

APPW Recruitment

Wagner offered Fukajina a contract to help with his extended stay in the US through Calico Aster's Path to Citizenship program, created by city council member and mayoral candidate Zara Halliburton. He adopted the moniker "Fisherman Fukajina" rather than using his legal name as he did in HJWL. However, he needed a PSE score above 50/100 and would need to maintain it during his stay to remain in the program.

PSE Score

The Petersburg Screening Evaluation is administered by Dr. Edna Petersburg, regulated by the Calico Aster Athletic Commission, and governed by the City of Calico Aster. As part of a public-safety initiative, the PSE determines whether a professional wrestler is classified as a heel or a babyface. Wrestlers who score from 1 to 49 are classified as heels and assigned to the Heel Locker Room, while wrestlers who score from 50 to 100 are classified as babyfaces and assigned to the Babyface Locker Room. A score of zero results in disqualification. Active wrestlers who are disqualified are suspended immediately.

A wrestler may apply for reevaluation one month after the previous evaluation. The CAAC Director may also order a reevaluation at their discretion based on the wrestler’s in-ring or out-of-ring conduct.

Score: 56/100 (Babyface)
Placing him in the Babyface Locker Room.