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Control21

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  1. Of course you would!
  2. Are they going to vote in Yoshiaki Fujiwara this year, or nah? Voting in ZSJ before Fujiwara would be another example of how funky this actually works.
  3. Bossman defeating Jerry Lawler is huge! That will do wonders to put him over as one of the top stars in the country. I also like how you are using Steve Austin. Even around this time, his talent was undeniable, and he seems set for a great run here. I think Memphis is a perfect fit for him. Also, the Rock N' Roll Express is back on top of the tag-team mountain. They'll have Memphis in the palm of their hands again.
  4. UWF Newborn – “U-Cosmos Grand Prix 1990: Second Round” September 30th, 1990 Hiroshima, Japan Hiroshima Prefectural Gymnasium Attendance: 5,180 (sold out) Broadcast: WOWOW (live) The WOWOW broadcast opens with the commentary crew greeting the viewing audience, and they break down the card for the evening. They discuss potential upsets, favorites, and how the bracket looks before going into the second round. Fans finish shuffling into the arena before Nobuyuki Furuta officially opens the event, which is, of course, followed by a light show and fireworks as the UWF theme plays. The wrestlers make their way to the ring one by one for the introductions, with the loudest pops from the crowd reserved for the likes of Akira Maeda, Nobuhiko Takada, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Masakatsu Funaki, Atsushi Onita, Volk Han, Aleksandr Karelin, and Marco Ruas. Takada, Maeda, Fujiwara, and Funaki all give brief speeches welcoming fans to the event. Billy Robinson is also at ringside for some formalities, and we are eventually underway! Volk Han vs Salman Hashimikov For the first time, the Soviet dynamos would be meeting each other in the ring. The fans inside the arena were certainly amped up to witness an intriguing clash of styles on paper. The match opened with Hashimikov pressing forward, looking to force a clinch. Han responded by keeping his distance, flicking probing palm strikes, and feinting low kicks to distract. When Hashimikov finally locked his hands around Han’s waist, he launched a thunderous belly-to-belly suplex that rattled the canvas, drawing a gasp from the audience as Han absorbed the impact. Hashimikov immediately attempted to smother Volk on the mat, but Volk taunted Hashimikov in the process, signaling him to follow through. This forced Hashimikov to back off warily. This established the theme of the contest. Hashimikov used his power and size to bully Han, but the submission wizard constantly found ways to turn danger into opportunity. At around three minutes, Han baited Hashimikov into another takedown attempt, then spun into a rolling kneebar that nearly finished the bout early, only for Hashimikov to power out and drag himself to the ropes, costing him his first rope escape. The fans applauded Han’s ingenuity, and it rattled Hashimikov. The Chechen began to show urgency, pressing with heavy clinch palm strikes and another booming side suplex that earned him his first knockdown against Han after the Dagestani grappler took his time to get up. Midway through, the match accelerated. Han landed a surprise spinning backfist that staggered the bigger man, then dove low for a kani-basami scissor takedown, wrenching at the ankle and drawing another frantic rope break, tying the match at 1-1 on points. The pattern repeated; every suplex or throw Hashimikov landed looked like it caused serious pain, but Han’s creativity kept him alive. The Dagestani forced his countryman into awkward scrambles and more rope breaks. Volk eventually built up a 3-1 lead on points. At just past the eleven-minute mark, the end came when Hashimikov muscled Han into the corner and attempted a powerful Greco-style throw, only for Han to flow with the motion, rolling through the landing and clamping onto the leg in transition. In an instant, Han had threaded into a devastating cross heel hold, twisting sharply as Hashimikov pounded the mat in pain, unable to reach the ropes this time. Han defeats Hashimikov via submission (cross heel hold), 11:23 Atsushi Onita vs Marco Ruas Onita has been making some waves recently, with his profile increasing in UWF thanks to a couple of solid wins and his role as an ambassador of sorts with UWF’s Brazilian outreach. Ruas was already familiar with Onita, having trained under him several years ago before Onita returned to wrestling. Ruas was well aware of Onita’s brash approach and would be ready to show that the master was still the master for a reason. Onita charged in at the opening bell, swinging wild palm strikes and mixing in low kicks, immediately forcing Ruas into retreat. The fans roared as the Japanese fighter threw a flurry of body punches before dragging Ruas into the ropes for a clean break. Ruas, ever composed, weathered the storm and began chopping at Onita’s thighs with thudding low kicks, forcing his opponent to wince and stumble with each crack. Onita responded with his typical defiance, slapping his own chest, daring Ruas to hit harder. Onita lunged into a clinch where he tried to muscle a snap suplex, only for Ruas to counter with a hip throw and drop into side control. Onita twisted, trying to roll into a guillotine attempt. Still, Ruas calmly peeled his grip, postured, and dropped hard palm strikes into Onita’s ribs until Onita managed to fight off after a brief struggle on the mat. The pace continued with Onita repeatedly storming forward with looping kicks and reckless palm smashes, even landing a rough belly-to-belly that drew a gasp from the crowd when Ruas was stunned enough for a brief count, giving Onita the first knockdown edge. Yet the Brazilian’s composure held steady. He pressed forward and continued his punishing low kicks aimed at weakening Onita’s stance. By the eight-minute mark, Onita’s base had clearly eroded. Ruas pressed this advantage with precision; low kick after low kick, punctuated by a body kick that echoed through the hall and folded Onita in half, earning a knockdown that evened the score. The final stretch saw Onita press again with his remaining energy, desperate to pull Ruas into a scrap. Onita briefly saw some success on the mat when he managed to bring Ruas down with a guillotine attempt. Onita worked hard but managed to secure a rope break from Ruas. Ruas remained focused on his mission, though, and went straight back at punishing Onita with low kicks. At 13 minutes, Ruas clinched and drilled a series of short knees, then separated and unleashed a savage kick to the stomach that buckled Onita completely, sending him crashing to the mat in agony. The referee counted as Onita attempted to get back up. He collapsed again by nine, giving Ruas the knockout victory. Ruas defeats Onita via KO, 13:56 Eugenio Tadeu vs Tatsumi Fujinami Tadeu and Fujinami had crossed paths a few months ago, and the two were already familiar with each other. Fujinami was well aware of the danger Tadeu posed and came prepared. The Brazilian was looking for a major upset victory to continue his run. After the bell sounded, Tadeu immediately pressed his opponent, throwing exploratory low kicks. Tadeu was trying to draw Fujinami into overcommitting, but the veteran maintained composure. Soon after, Tadeu landed a sharp step-in knee to Fujinami’s midsection that forced him back toward the ropes, then followed with a spinning kick that connected flush enough to stagger him. Fujinami dropped to one knee, leading to the first knockdown count of the match. The crowd gasped, but Fujinami rose at five, tightening his guard and pressing forward with more urgency. Fujinami caught Tadeu’s next flashy kick and dragged him to the canvas with a quick ankle pick. From there, Fujinami tried to grind, applying a tight half guard ride and looking for openings to isolate a wrist, but Tadeu’s scrambles were lightning quick. Tadeu nearly gained control of Fujinami’s back, which forced Fujinami to the ropes for a clean break. The rhythm continued in this way. Tadeu’s creativity and speed caused danger in bursts, but Fujinami’s positional grappling slowly sapped the Brazilian’s explosiveness. A few more rope breaks came from both men. Around the seven-minute mark, Fujinami landed a heavy German suplex out of a clinch that earned him a knockdown in return, evening the score at 2-2. The audience, sensing a shift, rallied behind Fujinami as he went back to the mat game, weaving between half guard and side control, grinding down on Tadeu with leg locks and armbar attempts. Tadeu nearly caught him with a rolling triangle at around ten minutes, but Fujinami showed his veteran instincts, stacking hard and slipping free, then dragging Tadeu back down with a waistlock trip. Fatigue was beginning to show on the Luta Livre fighter, his flashy strikes losing some of their sting, and Fujinami capitalized, transitioning from a tight bodylock into back control after another scramble. The finishing sequence came when Fujinami patiently sank his hooks in, flattening Tadeu out as the crowd roared, then cinched up a crushing rear-naked choke, cutting off any chance of escape. Tadeu fought desperately, thrashing for the ropes, but Fujinami’s positioning was too precise, and after a few seconds, Tadeu finally tapped. Fujinami defeats Tadeu via submission (rear-naked choke), 12:14 Aleksandr Karelin vs Minoru Suzuki On paper, this was a mismatch. Suzuki was young, talented, and fearless, but Karelin was the dominant force in UWF, and it would take a lot to beat him. After the opening bell, Suzuki attacked with urgency, peppering Karelin’s legs with sharp, low kicks and darting in with palm strikes to the body. Karelin absorbed the strikes with his usual stoic calm, stalking forward with a heavy guard, and soon locked his hands around Suzuki in a crushing clinch. Suzuki desperately fired knees to Karelin’s midsection. Still, Karelin’s bear-like grip muffled each before the Olympian launched Suzuki overhead with a thunderous belly-to-belly suplex, sending him skidding across the canvas to a roar from the crowd and forcing a referee count. Suzuki answered at six and immediately dove into a grappling exchange. Suzuki somehow managed to catch Karelin by surprise with a flying armbar attempt. Suzuki latched onto Karelin’s arm in a flash for a cross-armbreaker attempt, wrenching with all his strength. The crowd cheered loudly as Karelin grimaced, but the Soviet gold medalist’s composure never faltered. He rolled to his hips, stood up, and stacked Suzuki onto his shoulders. Suzuki continued to hold on tight, and Karelin used a rare rope break to break the hold out of annoyance. After the reset, Suzuki pressed forward again and attempted to corner Karelin, but Karelin’s raw strength and positional mastery gave him the advantage. Karelin took control with an upper-body Greco-Roman lock and tossed his opponent to the mat. Karelin immediately established control from the top, grinding Suzuki into the mat with suffocating pressure. Karelin managed to force a rope break from Suzuki after a scarf choke attempt. Midway through, Suzuki’s persistence earned him a moment of triumph when he rattled Karelin with a flurry of body punches. But Suzuki’s assault only seemed to wake Karelin, who returned to his base strategy. Karelin closed the distance, clinched, and tossed Suzuki like a ragdoll with back-arching Germans and snapping overhead throws that drained the young fighter’s energy. By the nine-minute mark, Suzuki was visibly slowing down from the damage. Yet, he still fired defiant strikes whenever an opening appeared. Karelin, unmoved, corralled him one last time in a gutwrench position, the fans sensing the end. With terrifying power, Karelin hoisted Suzuki high and delivered the Karelin Lift, driving him brutally into the mat head-and-shoulders first. Suzuki lay flat, unresponsive, as the referee counted to ten. Karelin defeats Suzuki via KO, 10:11 Duane Koslowski vs Nobuhiko Takada While Takada was a clear favorite to advance deep in the tournament, Duane Koslowski was looking to make a statement tonight and defeat one of UWF’s leading wrestlers. His task wouldn’t be easy, though. The early moments were defined by Koslowski’s commitment to force the bout into his comfort zone, closing distance to smother Takada’s kicks before locking him into tight upper-body clinches. His strength was evident as he muscled Takada into the ropes and launched him with a thudding side suplex, drawing murmurs from the audience as Takada hit the canvas. On the mat, Koslowski immediately looked for a choke variation, forcing Takada to edge toward the ropes and take his first escape. Takada responded by approaching more cautiously, striking Koslowski’s legs with low kicks that snapped against the Olympian’s thighs. Each strike chipped away at Koslowski’s defense, though he managed to time one kick for a sudden counter throw, snapping Takada down into a headlock and grinding pressure across his jaw. Takada struggled but worked methodically, freeing himself with palm strikes to the body before forcing a scramble that ended near the ropes for a clean break. Koslowski pressed forward relentlessly, again shrugging off a strike to grab a bodylock and unleash a German suplex that stunned Takada long enough for a referee’s count of six, costing him his first knockdown. The crowd buzzed with unease as Koslowski’s plan began to pay dividends for a 1-0 lead on points, but Takada, visibly annoyed at the pace, reset his strategy, relying on feints and heavy leg kicks to erode Koslowski’s explosiveness slowly. The middle stretch of the match saw Takada finally seize momentum, using his striking to open Koslowski up for grappling counters. After one particularly sharp low kick buckled Koslowski’s stance, Takada followed with a double-leg takedown and a heel hook attempt that forced Koslowski to the ropes. Wanting to reassert control, Koslowski lunged into another clinch, but Takada used his opponent’s forward drive to trip him and land on top, immediately hunting for a double wristlock. Koslowski displayed his grappling pedigree by rolling out and reversing into a side ride, momentarily threatening a neck crank before Takada again scrambled out. Takada started to hunt for a rear-naked choke, which again forced Koslowski to the ropes. With the match tied 2-2 on points, the pace quickened as Takada began to blend his kicks more fluidly with his grappling. Takada landed a harsh mid-kick that staggered Koslowski, then pounced with an armlock attempt when the American shot in. Koslowski fought valiantly, gritting through palm strikes to hoist Takada into yet another suplex variation. Unfortunately for the American, the toll of sustained punishment became evident. Around the fourteen-minute mark, Koslowski tried to muscle into another throw from the clinch, but Takada sprawled, quickly transitioned into an arm entanglement, and snapped into a cross-armbreaker. Koslowski thrashed, trying to clasp his hands, but Takada extended with precision, forcing the tapout. Takada defeats Koslowski via submission (cross-armbreaker), 14:35 Satoru Sayama vs Dick Vrij Dick Vrij was heading into the next round with a fair amount of confidence. The Dutchman had scored a couple of key wins over the last several months and defeated Tatsuo Nakano without much issue in the opening round. Standing before him tonight would be the reigning Undisputed World Heavyweight champion and heavy favorite to repeat as champion. The crowd was amped up for the match. The opening minute was electric. Vrij immediately pressed Sayama with heavy low kicks and palm strikes that thudded against Sayama’s guard, driving him backward toward the ropes. Sayama circled and snapped off quick middle kicks to test Vrij’s timing, drawing loud responses from the crowd when one landed flush across the ribs. Vrij tried to pin him down with the clinch, firing knees into the midsection, but Sayama slipped free, countering with a stiff palm strike to the jaw that forced Vrij to his knees for the referee’s first count. The Dutchman beat the count quickly before the count of five. Vrij pressured his opponent again, hammering Sayama’s lead leg with punishing kicks and briefly stunning him with a palm strike to the nose, but Sayama’s counter timing kept him from sustaining momentum. When Vrij closed the distance again, Sayama ducked under, surprising the Dutchman with a takedown into a quick armbar attempt that forced Vrij to scramble desperately for the ropes, burning his first rope escape. Back on their feet, Sayama increased the pace, mixing snapping body kicks with high kicks that repeatedly beat Vrij’s slower guard, forcing him into his second knockdown after a crisp right high kick landed on the temple. Vrij beat the count again and did not seem ready to relent. The next stage of the match saw Vrij grow visibly frustrated, relying more heavily on the clinch to land knees, but Sayama punished each entry with sharp inside kicks and counter strikes, eventually flooring Vrij a third time after a lightning-fast body kick that landed right near the kidneys. The referee initiated another count, and Sayama held a 3-0 lead on points. Though visibly wobbled, Vrij fought on, returning fire with a furious combination of low kicks and body strikes that backed Sayama into the corner, but his lack of grappling defense was exposed when Sayama countered another clinch by tripping him down and attacking for a triangle choke, which Vrij barely escaped with a another rope break that cost him another point. Vrij managed to get one back when he caught Sayama with a desperate high kick that knocked Sayama off his feet, but the reigning champion was quick to beat the surprise count. The key moment came just past the eleven-minute mark, as Sayama feinted low, drew Vrij’s guard downward, and unleashed a clean spinning palm heel strike followed by a mid-kick that crumpled the Dutchman to the canvas for the fifth and final knockdown. The referee waved off the match, awarding Sayama a TKO victory. Sayama defeats Vrij via TKO, 12:06 Akira Maeda vs Dennis Koslowski After his brother’s elimination from the tournament earlier in the evening, Dennis Koslowski was looking to ensure at least one American would advance to the next round. He faced a difficult task, however, as Akira Maeda was determined not to suffer an early exit. From the opening exchange, Maeda tried to establish his authority with sharp body kicks. Koslowski, cautious not to be drawn into a striking battle, absorbed the blows with a guarded posture and used his Greco instincts to close the distance, seeking a clinch. On the first tie-up, Maeda dug in with palm strikes to the side of the head and ribs, only for Koslowski to muscle through with an upper-body lock and a heavy Greco-style throw that drove Maeda down. The fans rumbled as Koslowski clamped down, pressing his weight and searching for control on the mat, but Maeda’s grappling skills were nothing to thumb your nose at. He shifted his hips, constantly working toward a leg, and while Koslowski tried to tie up the upper body with rides and pressure, Maeda dragged the action toward his wheelhouse. A brief kneebar attempt forced Koslowski to edge toward the ropes, earning his first rope escape, and in the process, established that Koslowski could not simply grapple with Maeda without paying a price. With both back on their feet, Maeda went back to his striking, thudding kicks into Koslowski’s body and thighs, while Koslowski responded by keeping his hands active with body shots of his own, less damaging but enough to break rhythm. The next stage of the match was a grind, with Koslowski using his Greco-Roman skills to draw Maeda into more mat-based skirmishes, but Maeda’s defense was on point tonight. Regardless, Koslowski was able to get two rope breaks from Maeda during the process. Maeda answered back, though, with a beautiful leg sweep takedown that turned into a cross-armbreaker attempt. Koslowski was forced to go for the ropes again. With the match tied at 1-1, both men began to realize that this would be an increasingly grueling match. Twice, Koslowski managed to elevate Maeda with explosive suplexes, once a Greco back-arch that stunned the crowd with its height, and later a variation on a belly-to-belly that left Maeda briefly shaken. Maeda was on the mat long enough for the referee to initiate a ten-count in Koslowski’s favor. Maeda was quick to get back up, though. Slowing the pace, Maeda began forcing Koslowski into more patient grappling he was less comfortable with, and gradually took control of the tempo. A taut sequence saw Koslowski attempt to pin Maeda’s shoulders in a folkstyle-inspired ride, pressing hard across the chest, only for Maeda to slip into a cross-armbreaker attempt that sent Koslowski scrambling for the ropes again. The match was tied at 2-2 on points, and Maeda’s striking advantage became increasingly significant. Around the fifteen-minute mark, a crushing low kick from Maeda buckled Koslowski’s defense and set up another desperate clinch, where Maeda nearly trapped him in a heel hook before Koslowski dragged himself to safety with another rope break. Sensing the momentum shifting, Maeda pressed harder in the closing stretch. His strikes took on greater intensity, slamming into Koslowski’s ribs and legs until the Olympian was visibly laboring. Koslowski still had flashes of power, at one point driving Maeda down with a high-amplitude Greco throw, but the follow-through was waning. He could not maintain control without risking another rope escape or submission scare. Near the twenty-minute mark, Maeda found his breakthrough. After peppering Koslowski with a stiff left palm strike and a thudding kick to the midsection, he snapped into a clinch, hooked the leg, and executed his signature Capture Suplex. The crowd erupted as Koslowski crashed hard onto the mat. Maeda immediately went for the cover….the referee slid into position and completed the three-count as Koslowski was left staring at the lights. Maeda defeats Koslowski via pinfall, 20:02 Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Masakatsu Funaki The main event had arrived, and if Masakatsu Funaki was looking for a defining moment in his career, this would be it. Yoshiaki Fujiwara was his senpai since the days in the NJPW Noge dojo, and had remained his senior in UWF despite making a name for himself. Fujiwara would not be willing to let Funaki surpass him easily, and some would say that a Funaki victory tonight wouldn’t necessarily mean he was now better than his old dojo instructor. As Masami Soranaka made his final checks, both wrestlers were very focused on the task at hand. After the bell sounded, Funaki’s lively footwork kept Fujiwara busy. Funaki targeted the thighs and midsection, while crisp palm strikes tested the older man’s reflexes. Fujiwara, never one to rush, absorbed the early offense, using subtle angles to smother Funaki’s striking rhythm and close the distance. On the first grappling exchange, Funaki attempted to capitalize on a level change, shooting in with speed, but Fujiwara calmly caught his arm in transition, forcing a scramble toward the ropes. Funaki escaped without penalty on the first clean break, but Fujiwara had already sent a message. Every aggressive burst came with danger attached. Resetting in the center, Funaki snapped out a flurry of low kicks and body shots, forcing Fujiwara to cover up, and the first true momentum shift arrived when Funaki connected with a sharp mid-level roundhouse that staggered Fujiwara and earned the opening knockdown. The crowd roared as the referee counted. Fujiwara beat the count before Soranaka reached the count of four. Fujiwara’s methodical strategy took over in the next phase, dragging Funaki into his world of slow pressure and positional traps. A clinch in the corner saw Fujiwara dig hard into the body with punches, smothering Funaki’s attempt to break free and dropping his weight to sap the younger man’s energy. He transitioned to the mat with a smooth trip, locking down half guard and forcing Funaki to carry his frame. Each Funaki attempt at a scramble was met with Fujiwara’s mastery of control, cutting off escapes and teasing submission setups. Fujiwara attempted to execute his trademark Fujiwara armbar early in the match. Funaki, aware of the danger, used a quick bridge to create daylight and edged to the ropes, taking his first official rope break. Back to their feet, Fujiwara continued to stalk, now peppering the body with compact strikes. When Funaki lashed out with a fast roundhouse, Fujiwara snatched the leg and tripped him into a heel hook attempt, drawing another rope break. The match was now tied at 1-1 on points, and by the ten-minute mark, both men seemed to be playing a strategic game of chess. The third phase of the bout was fought at a higher tempo. Funaki shifted the flow of the match with sharper combinations. He landed a snapping palm strike that visibly rattled Fujiwara, then followed with a flurry of low and middle kicks that backed the veteran toward the ropes. Sensing urgency, Funaki accelerated, dropping Fujiwara with a sudden high kick that clipped the side of his head, earning a second knockdown. Fujiwara quickly got back up again, but Funaki didn’t give Fujiwara much time to recover and pressed hard for a finish, but Fujiwara’s defensive instincts held. The veteran ducked under wild strikes and clinched to slow the pace. Fujiwara was successful in dragging the contest into close-quarters grappling, where his methodical mat work again tested Funaki’s composure. Fujiwara nearly stole the match at the seventeen-minute mark, countering a Funaki kick by dragging him down to the mat and following up with a deep Fujiwara armbar, wrenching back as the crowd rose in anticipation of a submission. Funaki writhed in agony, but with a sudden burst of energy, twisted his hips and managed to lunge toward the ropes, forcing another rope break and escaping what could have been the end. The crowd applauded the resilience. The balance of the match leaned heavily on Funaki’s ability to survive Fujiwara’s traps while still finding the strikes to keep himself ahead. With both men visibly fatigued, the exchanges grew rawer. Funaki pushed the pace with palms and knee strikes, but Fujiwara managed to slow things down again with more clinch work. Funaki found himself on the mat once again, but managed to fight his former senpai to a stalemate in another grappling exchange. The final stretch of the match continued on a similar note. Neither Funaki nor Fujiwara could find a significant breakthrough, and both men were now tied 3-3 on points after a couple more rope breaks from each competitor. Near the twenty-four minute mark, Funaki sensed he could no longer allow Fujiwara to dictate the engagements. After a tense scramble on the canvas that ended in a clean break, Funaki came out firing, unleashing a vicious body kick followed by a searing palm strike to the jaw that staggered Fujiwara once again. Smelling blood, Funaki darted in with a knee to the midsection, collapsing Fujiwara to the mat before immediately securing position. Instead of pursuing a submission, Funaki displayed maturity beyond his years, shifting his weight and hooking the leg into a tight cover, pinning Fujiwara’s shoulders to the mat with precision. The clever pinning combination from Funaki caught his mentor by surprise. The referee’s count reached three as the crowd erupted. Masakatsu Funaki had achieved the moment he wanted, and would advance to the quarter-finals as one of the new tournament favorites. Fujiwara remained on his knees in a state of shock as Funaki celebrated on a turnbuckle. Funaki defeats Fujiwara via pinfall, 24:03 Fujiwara takes a moment to collect himself, and Funaki soaks in the moment as the fans continue to go wild and chant Funaki's name. The two eventually shake hands and embrace in the middle of the ring, with Fujiwara raising Funaki's hand. Afterward, the commentary crew recaps the main event before moving on to the other matches, and they put over Funaki's win as a major turning point for the young star. They note that he has a challenging path ahead, with Takada waiting in the next round, followed by Fujinami or Maeda. Still, the sky is the limit. They also seem to be pretty keen on the idea that Karelin will be the man to beat in the final rounds, as he looks practically unstoppable. Backstage, interviews are shown with Funaki and Fujiwara, who both have very kind words for each other. Fujiwara, in particular, puts over Funaki but says, with a slight grin, that he still hasn't made him submit in the ring. The commentary crew hype up the next show, which will be at Tokyo's NK Hall on October 30th. The updated bracket is shown, and we get the usual WOWOW sign-off with rolling credits set to Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down."
  5. Card Announcement: UWF Newborn - "U-COSMOS Grand Prix 1990: Second Round" September 30th, 1990 Hiroshima, Japan Hiroshima Prefectural Gym All matches second round tournament matches: Volk Han vs Salman Hashimikov Atsushi Onita vs Marco Ruas Eugenio Tadeu vs Tatsumi Fujinami Aleksandr Karelin vs Minoru Suzuki Duane Koslowski vs Nobuhiko Takada Satoru Sayama vs Dick Vrij Akira Maeda vs Dennis Koslowski Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Masakatsu Funaki
  6. Looking forward to Halloween Havoc. The Rockers/Freebirds sounds like a tremendous feud, and Michaels always makes things interesting, especially if he has his eyes set on bigger things....
  7. Ted Dibiase vs Steven Regal is an interesting match on paper. I'm sure those two gave the fans their money's worth. Martel vs Kawada is a really cool pairing as well.
  8. He would probably be eligible for a foreign exemption, I think
  9. Both would be ineligible, going by the rules
  10. I think Vampiro screwed around as a jobber/trainee in Montreal for a while before heading down to Mexico to start his actual career. IWD and Cagematch don't really show him doing much before that. He didn't wrestle regularly in the US until the late 1990s.
  11. UWF Newborn – “U-COSMOS Grand Prix: First Round” August 26th, 1990 Sapporo, Japan Nakajima Sports Center Attendance: 5,200 (sold out) Broadcast: WOWOW (live) The WOWOW broadcast opens with interviews featuring all 24 wrestlers in this year's tournament. They all hype up their chances and goals. A recap is shown of last year's tournament, and then we get the live commentary crew welcoming everyone to this evening's show in Sapporo. They break down the bracket and tonight's matches. After some previews, we get the parade of wrestlers as usual, with the UWF theme blasting in the arena. Lou Thesz and Akira Maeda give some opening remarks to formally kick off this year's Grand Prix, and Funaki, Backlund, Onita, and Yamazaki make brief comments as well. After a good firework and light show for the crowd, we are underway! Tatsuo Nakano vs Dick Vrij The 1990 U-COSMOS Grand Prix opened with a very interesting match on paper. Nakano had a consistent year in UWF and worked hard, although he didn’t have many big wins under his belt. This would be a good opportunity to change that. Dick Vrij had become a formidable opponent for anyone, with his bodybuilder-esque frame and a style that earned him the nickname “Cyborg.” Vrij opened the match by throwing sharp low and middle kicks that cracked against Nakano’s legs and body, while Nakano charged forward, eating shots to get inside and throw back stiff palm strikes and body shots. The opening minutes saw Nakano bull his way into a clinch, dragging Vrij to the mat with a basic takedown and immediately hunting for an arm, but the Dutchman wasted no time lunging for the ropes, burning his first rope break to escape. Back on his feet, Vrij wasted no time getting back to work, circling and stinging Nakano with heavy kicks, one of which landed flush on the thigh and caused Nakano to stumble to the mat, giving Vrij the first knockdown count. Nakano recovered with his trademark stubbornness, firing back with palm strikes that bloodied Vrij’s lip and kept the Sapporo crowd on edge. Nakano then seized an opening at around the eight-minute mark to trip Vrij into a scramble, nearly wrenching a leglock before Vrij clutched the ropes again to survive. The score was even at 1-1. Vrij’s striking skills were on display once again as he stuffed further takedown attempts and battered Nakano’s body with knees from the Muay Thai clinch. The knees were enough to send Nakano to the mat again for another knockdown, and Vrij now enjoyed a 2-1 lead. Nakano rallied, managing a raw side suplex for a clean takedown that drew cheers, yet he couldn’t hold Vrij down long before Vrij got back on his feet. Vrij remained poised, snapping Nakano’s head back with straight palm strikes and doubling up with kicks to keep him outside his comfort zone. The decisive moment came around the twelve-minute mark. After getting another rope break from Vrij and tying the match at 2-2, Nakano rushed forward, swinging with his palms, only for Vrij to clinch, pin him upright, and drive a crushing knee into his ribs. Nakano was slowing down, but tried to press on. Vrij unleashed a brutal right middle kick followed by a left high kick that cracked across the temple, sending Nakano sprawling to the mat in a heap. The referee dropped to start the count, but it was academic. Nakano was slow to recover and unable to beat Shimada’s count by the end. Vrij defeats Nakano via KO, 12:11 Minoru Suzuki vs Dave Taylor Nothing would do Suzuki more favors than a deep run in this year’s Grand Prix. Suzuki has been steadily improving and making a name for himself as one of the brightest UWF talents on the roster. With Masakatsu Funaki also gaining steam this year, it was quite important for Suzuki to keep pace. Dave Taylor was a new member on the UWF roster, but was quite impressive in his debut and earned a bid as a representative of the British “wing” of the UWF. It didn’t hurt to have Billy Robinson in your corner either. Taylor, schooled in the British catch tradition, immediately grounded the action. Taylor forced Suzuki into wrist control and methodical mat sequences, where he applied grinding pressure through chained submission wrestling that tested his opponent in multiple ways. Suzuki responded by firing short palm strikes to Taylor’s jaw in the clinch and kicking at his legs when space allowed, but the veteran Brit absorbed them and repeatedly funneled the fight back to the canvas, where he preferred to dictate. Early on, Taylor scored the first knockdown by catching Suzuki off a wild strike and dumping him with a German suplex. Suzuki hit the mat hard and was down long enough for Shimada to start the count. Suzuki responded early and quickly went back to work. Suzuki quickened his pace, chaining armlock attempts and leg entanglements in a furious bid to shift the momentum, forcing Taylor into burning his first rope break after a sudden transition into a cross-armbreaker. Suzuki’s aggression seemed to work in his favor. Each time Taylor seemed to establish control, Suzuki would slip free and then swarm into another attack. The two men traded rope breaks. Taylor leaned into them when Suzuki latched on too tightly, and Suzuki, after Taylor locked a deep double wristlock near the mat’s center. With the match now tied 2-2 on points at around the ten-minute mark, the contest evolved into a stalemate. Taylor relied on positional dominance, but Suzuki countered with bursts of submission chaining that kept the veteran on edge. Taylor seemed especially vulnerable to leglocks, and Suzuki worked again to get a heel hook or kneebar. The crowd, sensing the big moment, roared as Suzuki caught Taylor in a rear mount late in the match, raining open-handed strikes before Taylor rolled free and attempted to find a clever pinning combination. But Suzuki escaped Taylor’s bridging pin attempt. He then caught the Brit off guard with a sudden switch into a rolling cradle variation, pinning both shoulders flush to the mat. Shimada slapped the canvas three times, and the audience erupted as the young upstart scored a clean pinfall over the Englishman. Suzuki defeats Taylor via pinfall, 13:46 Ahmed Johnson vs Duane Koslowski Duane Koslowski and Ahmed Johnson were both power-based wrestlers, although Koslowski perhaps had more finesse to his game. Johnson started the match by pressing Koslowski constantly, relying on his explosiveness and heavy body punches to overwhelm the Olympian. Johnson connected with several thudding shots to the midsection that drew reactions from the crowd and forced Koslowski into defensive grappling early. A sudden body lock slam from Johnson earned the first knockdown of the match as Koslowski was slow to recover under the referee’s count, and the momentum stayed with the powerhouse as he attempted to keep the pace frantic. Koslowski steadied himself and forced Johnson into close quarters, sprawling on a double-leg attempt and cinching a front headlock before transitioning into an armbar attempt, which Johnson survived by grabbing the ropes for his first break. The pace stabilized a bit. Johnson continued to throw bursts of punches and tried to muscle Koslowski to the mat, while Koslowski increasingly found ways to close the distance, tie up the upper body, and slow the bout into a wrestling match on his terms. Koslowski displayed his superior skills on the mat and forced Johnson into another rope break after a double wristlock attempt. With the match tied at 1-1, Johnson nearly landed another clean slam but was reversed in the clinch, and Koslowski capitalized with a high-arching belly-to-belly suplex that stunned the crowd and forced a knockdown as Johnson struggled to regroup. Smelling the shift and leading 2-1 on points, Koslowski pressured with deliberate clinch work. Koslowski denied Johnson the space to throw bombs and soon delivered a crushing Greco back suplex that dropped Johnson hard on his shoulders. Johnson somehow quickly got back up and was just barely able to convince the referee to avoid another ten count. Johnson charged back with wild palm strikes and a final burst of body punches, but Koslowski maintained his composure, slipped into double underhooks, and powered Johnson overhead with a German suplex, bridging tightly for the pin. Johnson was stunned and could not muster the energy to kick out. The referee’s hand hit three, giving Koslowski the victory. Koslowski defeats Johnson via pinfall, 14:12 Eugenio Tadeu vs Joe Malenko The next match would be a very intriguing clash of styles, and the fans sensed it as they cheered for both competitors making their way to the ring. Malenko’s catch-as-catch-can foundation would meet Tadeu’s dynamic blend of Luta Livre, Muay Thai, and Capoeira. After the bell sounded, Malenko worked patiently, working for clinches to try and bring Tadeu down to the mat and neutralize his standing skills. Tadeu darted in and out with footwork and feints, throwing probing low kicks and palm strikes. Despite being frustrated early, Malenko weathered the storm and earned the first rope break when Tadeu’s rolling kneebar attempt was stuffed, and Malenko managed to bring him to the mat. Tadeu was able to defend well early, but Malenko continued to test his skills and found a heel hook that forced Tadeu to the ropes. Back on their feet, the Brazilian answered with a stiff kick to the shoulder that staggered Malenko briefly. Another takedown attempt from Malenko drew applause when he muscled Tadeu down with a catch-style double wristlock setup into a front facelock, but the Luta Livre fighter showed his improvisation skills, rolling free into a scramble and diving for a guillotine before Malenko found sanctuary in the ropes. The crowd was quite pleased that Malenko dropped Tadeu with a crisp German suplex that forced the referee’s first knockdown count of the bout. Tadeu got up quickly and established control on his feet, with his evasive movement beginning to frustrate Malenko, who was forced to lunge more aggressively, and that opened up angles for Tadeu’s creative striking that thrilled the Sapporo crowd. A sharp counter-leg kick followed by a sudden flying armbar nearly ended the bout around the ten-minute mark, but Malenko’s patience saved him as he stacked forward and used the ropes for a clean break. The match was tied 1-1 on points. The atmosphere grew tense as Tadeu landed more hard strikes on Malenko. Malenko succeeded in slowing the pace momentarily, pressing Tadeu into a corner and fishing for an armbar. After a brief scramble on the mat that ended with both men getting back on their feet, Tadeu’s explosiveness turned the tide. The Brazilian found Malenko in a clinch and immediately launched piston-like knees to the ribs that folded Malenko over, the sound echoing through the arena as the crowd rose in anticipation. A final crushing knee to the solar plexus dropped Malenko to his knees, gasping and unable to respond to the referee’s count, giving Tadeu the knockout victory. Tadeu defeats Malenko via KO, 13:36 Wayne Shamrock vs Salman Hashimikov Wayne Shamrock perhaps wished for a better draw here. Salman Hashimikov has been on a hot streak recently and looked to cement himself further by making a deep run in the Grand Prix. Shamrock was certainly up to the challenge. From the opening moments, the American tried to impose his speed, darting in with low body punches and sharp palm strikes to draw reactions from the Soviet. Shamrock then went for a quick single-leg, but Hashimikov’s size and balance stifled the attempt. The Chechen answered by muscling Shamrock into the ropes, where a clean break was called. Shamrock pushed the pace again, this time mixing in a quick exchange of body shots before exploding with a double-leg that got the Soviet strongman down. The crowd cheered as Shamrock worked to establish control on the mat. Hashimikov’s heavy hips smothered any chance at a leglock, and Shamrock was forced to work a bit more. Unable to get anything going, Shamrock seemed a bit perplexed, and eventually the referee got both men back on their feet. The next stage of the match started with Shamrock firing off more palm strikes and looking to create more opportunities to scramble. Hashimikov waited patiently to counter and caught Shamrock in a clinch for an impressive belly-to-belly suplex. Hashimikov quickly went for a keylock attempt, and this forced the American to get to the ropes quickly for the first rope break of the match. Hashimikov continued to be patient as Shamrock continued his high-energy approach. The Soviet fought off Shamrock’s striking attempts and found more success when the American overcommitted to a bodylock, allowing Hashimikov to arch back with a thunderous German suplex that brought the crowd to its feet and forced the referee’s first knockdown count against Shamrock. Shamrock, defiant, beat the count and charged back with another beautiful double-leg takedown that got the Soviet off his feet again. Shamrock found more success on the mat and forced Hashimikov to defend as he worked for a cross-armbreaker attempt. Shamrock scared him enough to earn a rope break. Another mat scramble almost immediately after saw Shamrock find similar success, and the match was now tied 1-1 on points. The later stages of the bout saw Hashimikov reassert himself. The Soviet baited Shamrock into another clinch, and Hashimikov scored another belly-to-belly suplex, sending Shamrock back to the mat. Hashimikov followed and crushed him with weight and positional control. The Soviet methodically worked and exhausted his opponent, using his size to grind Shamrock and pressure his defense. At around the twelve-minute mark, Shamrock attempted to use a burst of energy to catch Hashimikov by surprise with some smooth counterwork on the mat, but the Chechen snatched an arm in the scramble. With startling speed for a man his size, he dropped into a cross-armbreaker, fully extending Shamrock’s arm before the American could wriggle free. Shamrock fought hard, twisting and clawing for the ropes, but Hashimikov’s grip was immovable, and within seconds Shamrock tapped. Hashimikov defeats Shamrock via submission (cross-armbreaker), 12:28 Dennis Koslowski vs Victor Zangiev With the rivalry between the Koslowski twins and the Soviet duo of Zangiev and Hashimikov reaching fever pitch this year, resulting in the Koslowskis defeating the Soviets for the tag team title belts at the Anniversary show, these two had something to prove. Zangiev was eager to get one over the American, while Koslowski wanted to show that they would not allow the Soviets to get even with them. After the bell sounded, both wrestlers seemed willing to go to the mat early. Zangiev tried to impose himself, keeping Koslowski down with front headlocks. Koslowski answered with Greco-Roman upper-body control, digging underhooks and working for reversals, forcing Zangiev to adjust. The first big moment came when Zangiev slipped behind with a waistlock and hurled Koslowski into a rolling suplex, a heavy impact that left Koslowski briefly stunned on the mat. The referee seemed ready to start a ten-count, but Koslowski recovered quickly and went straight back to grounding Zangiev with steady mat wrestling. Koslowski went for Zangiev’s back with tight waist control, fishing for arm locks. Zangiev broke free and stood back up. The Soviet escalated the pace, hammering in palm strikes and landing a sudden hip toss into side control, from which he briefly threatened a SAMBO-inspired shoulder lock before Koslowski wriggled to the ropes, costing him his first rope break. The middle stretch was fought with more parity, as Koslowski repeatedly shot for bodylock takedowns while Zangiev countered with throws that tested the American’s balance. Neither could find much control on the mat for an extended period, and eventually both found themselves tied 1-1 on points after several rope breaks. Near the ten-minute mark, Zangiev exploded with a perfectly timed belly-to-belly that dumped Koslowski hard. Zangiev went to establish side control, but Koslowski’s folkstyle instincts allowed him to roll through with a sweeping motion. The Soviet found himself on the other side instead, and was forced to defend as Koslowski went for a straight armlock. Zangiev reached for the ropes again to escape and force a reset. The finish came shortly after another great scramble. Zangiev shot in low, but Koslowski sprawled, spun around to the back, and drove Zangiev flat to the mat. Koslowski immediately worked for a folkstyle-inspired half-nelson cradle. Koslowski trapped Zangiev’s arm and head, rolling him to his shoulders with a tight grip, pinning both shoulders square while grapevining the leg to block any escape. Zangiev bucked wildly, but Koslowski’s leverage and amateur control were not going to relent. The referee counted to three to confirm the pinfall. Koslowski defeats Zangiev via pinfall, 15:14 Kazuo Yamazaki vs Atsushi Onita With a huge win over Yoshiaki Fujiwara in Brazil, Onita was looking to keep his momentum going. A win in the Grand Prix would do just that. Yamazaki, on the other hand, was looking to get a new streak of wins going. Onita was becoming a feared member of the UWF roster, and tonight’s match would not be an easy task. Both wrestlers would leave everything on the table. The opening stretch immediately saw sparks fly. Yamazaki moved with precision, firing off sharp low kicks that cracked against Onita’s thigh and ribcage. Yamazaki used his striking skills to dictate the range and flow of the match early. Onita, true to form, lunged forward with palm strikes to the jaw and body punches in the clinch, throwing his weight into every exchange. Yamazaki stunned him early with a clean middle kick to the sternum, sending Onita stumbling backward for the first knockdown, but Onita responded with urgency and got back up quickly. Yamazaki held an early 1-0 lead, but this did not stop Onita. Onita rushed inside and caught Yamazaki off balance with a sudden belly-to-belly suplex that dropped him hard. Onita followed and attempted to establish control on the mat, but Yamazaki was alert and immediately utilized his defense to neutralize Onita’s quick attempt at a kneebar. Both men traded rope breaks in the grappling sequences that followed. Yamazaki dove into an armbar attempt from guard, forcing Onita into the ropes once, and later, Onita countered a takedown into a heel hook, which Yamazaki wisely broke with a grab of the ropes. After both men got back on their feet, Yamazaki went back to work with crisp kicks, while Onita pressed forward relentlessly, shrugging off punishment to hurl slaps and body shots in bunches. Yamazaki nearly ended it midway, catching Onita flush with a spinning back kick that sent him down for his second knockdown. Onita beat the ten-count with relative ease, but Yamazaki still maintained a 2-0 lead on points. Onita was then caught by a single-leg takedown. Yamazaki followed with a juji-gatame attempt, but Onita’s rope grab saved him. Yamazaki built up his lead to 3-0, but Onita quickly got a point back after he took down Yamazaki with an inside trip and locked in a kneebar, which Yamazaki broke with a rope escape. The bout’s intensity heightened as Yamazaki dug in with leg kicks and knee strikes, while Onita, bruised but undeterred, fired off his own palm strike barrages, even dragging Yamazaki down in a scramble and briefly mounting him with hammering strikes to the chest. The final minutes pushed the contest into a visceral struggle, with the audience rallying behind the underdog performance from Onita. Yamazaki, bleeding slightly from the mouth after absorbing a stiff palm strike, doubled down on his approach, looking to pick apart Onita systematically. He grounded him again with a smooth inside trip and flowed into a keylock, drawing gasps as Onita twisted in pain, but the charismatic brawler found the ropes a second time, costing him yet another rope break. Sensing his margin shrinking, Onita shifted to desperation. With about three minutes left, he baited Yamazaki into a kick exchange, absorbed a heavy low kick, and then surged forward with a clinch, smashing Yamazaki with repeated body punches and a wild palm strike flurry that staggered him down to a knee for his first knockdown. The crowd erupted, and Onita pressed his advantage. Yamazaki tried to reassert control, shooting for a bodylock, but Onita sprawled, spun to his back, and locked his arms tight around the neck. The guillotine choke was wrenched in brutally, Onita pulling guard and arching his back with all the ferocity of a man fighting not just for victory but for pride. Yamazaki kicked his legs, tried to posture, even attempted to roll, but Onita’s grip was suffocating, his forearms biting into the throat. The referee knelt close, checking as Yamazaki’s resistance weakened, and after several seconds of visible struggle, the technician finally tapped. Onita was tonight’s victor, and the crowd loved it. Onita defeats Yamazaki via submission (guillotine choke), 17:31 Masakatsu Fuanki vs Bob Backlund Inside the Nakajima Sports Center, the crowd awaited the main event with anticipation, knowing it would be a classic. Masakatsu Funaki, the young prodigy of the UWF system, against Bob Backlund. This would be a rematch from last year, where Backlund won via disqualification. A lot would be riding on this match. Backlund was looking to re-establish himself in the UWF as a top foreigner, and Funaki wanted to go far in the tournament to truly prove why he is considered one of the best talents in Japanese professional wrestling. The opening minutes saw Funaki test Backlund with probing low kicks and sharp palm strikes. Backlund, with his wide-legged stance and hunched guard, approached like a wrestler stalking for an opening, occasionally lunging with unorthodox feints or suddenly breaking into a grin. Funaki appeared unsettled at first, but this was fleeting. Funaki clipped him early with a pair of heavy kicks to the thigh, drawing audible reactions from the crowd, but Backlund quickly closed the distance with a snap double-leg takedown, driving Funaki to the canvas and immediately shifting into side control. Backlund’s folkstyle instincts shone through as he rode tight, grinding his forearm into Funaki’s face and looking for crossface cranks and half-nelson positions, not with the intent to submit, but to force a rope escape or sap energy. Funaki displayed his skill, twisted his hips, snuck a butterfly hook inside, and swept Backlund back to neutral, drawing cheers for composure. The first ten minutes established the bout’s framework. Funaki pressed Backlund with hard strikes and movement, while Backlund repeatedly dragged him into grappling exchanges where leverage and pressure reigned supreme. Backlund built up an early 1-0 lead on points after forcing Funaki to the ropes twice. Things picked up more when Funaki scored the first official knockdown with a sharp body kick followed by a sudden palm strike flurry that staggered Backlund to a knee, the referee administering a count as the American shook off the cobwebs with a peculiar, almost defiant smile. Backlund rebounded immediately, charging into the clinch and executing a powerful side suplex that rattled Funaki on the mat. Backlund went for the top position and started to pressure Funaki on the mat again. Funaki had no choice but to go for another rope break after Backlund attempted a double wristlock. The two continued to go back and forth on the mat and on their feet. The scoreline evened at 2-2 in knockdowns and rope breaks, and the sense of balance in the match kept the fans on edge. Funaki began to increase his striking volume, targeting the legs and ribs with heavy kicks, but Backlund answered with sheer persistence, at one point hoisting Funaki overhead in a sudden Olympic slam, the landing drawing a loud gasp from the arena. Backlund went down to the mat again to follow and forced Funaki to get back on his feet. Perhaps breaking up a crucial knockdown in the process. The later stages of the bout became a battle of attrition. Funaki relied on his Koppo-inspired palm strikes and calculated leg attacks, landing repeated inside kicks that slowed Backlund’s approach. Yet Backlund surged forward in bursts, dropping into scrambles and chaining takedowns with uncanny stamina. At one point, Funaki sprawled beautifully on a shot, only for Backlund to switch directions mid-motion and dump him with a cradle, the pressure forcing Funaki into the ropes for another rope escape, costing him his third knockdown. With Backlund leading 3-2 on points, the crowd sensed the stakes rising as both men chipped away at one another’s reserves. Funaki scored another knockdown with a stiff middle kick followed by a sudden high kick that caught Backlund’s temple, sending him crashing down for a referee count at around nineteen minutes. Backlund, however, beat the count with his trademark energy, slapping his own chest and charging forward as though the damage had only fueled his resolve. The match was tied again at 3-3. The audience roared at the sight of the veteran’s heart. Funaki, smelling blood, became more aggressive, mixing feints and palm strikes to push Backlund toward the corner. As Backlund ducked into another clinch attempt, Funaki pivoted sharply, landing a flush knee to the body that folded Backlund slightly. He immediately transitioned behind, locking his arms and dragging Backlund to the mat with a quick trip. From there, Funaki wasted no time. Funaki isolated the arm, stepping over and cinching in a textbook cross-armbreaker, the hold executed with the fluidity of years of Gotch and Robinson’s instruction. Backlund resisted initially, bridging and twisting with all his energy, but Funaki’s control was impeccable. The torque on Backlund’s elbow grew unbearable, and after several seconds of visible strain and a brief grimace that betrayed his pain, the American finally tapped out. The crowd erupted, applauding both men for a contest that would surely go down as one of UWF’s best so far this year. Chants for Funaki quickly broke out as he hopped on a turnbuckle and celebrated. Funaki defeats Backlund via submission (cross-armbreaker), 22:42 Funaki continues to celebrate, and the fans are going wild for Funaki's huge win tonight. Backlund takes his time to recover, but eventually approaches Funaki and shakes his hand. Backlund leaves the ring to give Funaki his moment, and he makes his way to the back as the UWF theme plays again. The commentators comment on how Funaki looks sharp and ready to advance farther in the tournament....but how far will he go? He has Yoshiaki Fujiwara next, and that won't be an easy match. They recap the other matches of the evening. They show the updated bracket and advertise the show for the next round, which will take place on September 30th in Hiroshima! Both Backlund and Funaki give taped interview remarks backstage, with Backlund congratulating Funaki on his progress and his victory. Backlund says that some have speculated about his future in UWF.....and while tonight was disappointing, he still has unfinished business and is looking forward to next year. Funaki says that Backlund was a worthy opponent and that he is now looking forward to wrestling Fujiwara. The crew signs off, and we get the rolling credits from WOWOW, with highlights set to Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down."
  12. PCW has had a strong summer so far. Really solid events, and the most recent one is no exception. Ted Dibiase keeps being pushed to the limits, but he knows how to win in the process. The Force of July beating the OWC is a bit of an upset for me, but they've been very consistent, and their time was going to come eventually. Bam Bam seems primed for a big run here eventually. Art Barr vs Too Cold sounded like a tremendous match.
  13. Steiners vs Road Warriors sounds like a tremendous feud. That would be a great match. Lawler is having a great run as champion. I'm not sure if anyone can touch him right now. He seems to be on course for a very long reign as champion. Keep up the great work! USWA continues to deliver a very unique flavor and knows when to push the envelope to advance the product and make the territory a lot more interesting across the board.
  14. Great work with WCW over the past several weeks! You do a great job at managing the roster and keeping the cards fresh and interesting. Scott Hall is primed for a major push, I think, and might be one of the most promising prospects on the WCW roster. Lex Luger has been solid champion as well. It'll be interesting to see if anyone can dethrone him before the new year.
  15. UWF is pleased to announce the bracket for the 1990 U-COSMOS Grand Prix! The event will start on August 26th with the first round in Sapporo. A press conference was held today in Tokyo, and the hype for this year's tournament is in full swing with tickets for the final at the Tokyo Dome on New Year's Eve already on sale. Who will come out on top and become the next Undisputed World Heavyweight champion? Or will Sayama run the gauntlet and defend his title?
  16. Israel is a pretty funny case because UWFi held a show there in 1995, which was a very well attended. UWFi Bushido was also apparently a very popular program on Israeli TV and often drew big ratings in prime time
  17. Wrestle Rock was a fantastic event up and down the card. I really enjoyed reading that. AWA seems to be on a roll right now with a lot of interesting programs and a very experienced roster that appears to deliver every night and gives the fans their money's worth. Ric Flair as AWA's champion is going to open up a lot of interesting doors for the promotion.
  18. Summerslam delivered as expected. The Rougeau Brothers beating The Commonwealth is a bit of an upset for me, but that match still sounded really solid! I was also impressed with Kevin Von Erich getting the win over Jake Roberts. The One Man Gang also came across as a huge threat after dispatching Bad News Brown with ease. Terry Funk also taught Dusty Rhodes a lesson, and I'm sure Dusty won't go away quietly. Looking forward to what comes next!
  19. UWF Newborn –“Brazil Martial Arts Festival” August 16th, 1990 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Ginásio Gilberto Cardoso Attendance: 20,000 (sold out) Broadcast: WOWOW (taped) The WOWOW broadcast team greets the viewing audience, who are there live at ringside in Brazil. They talk about the highly anticipated event and note how it's the first major professional wrestling event in Brazil since the early 1980s. They break down tonight's card and highlight the debut of Giant Silva, Wallid Ismail, and Murilo Bustamante. They also note Aleksandr Karelin vs Naoya Ogawa, Atsushi Onita vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara, and the main event where Sayama will defend his title against Marco Ruas. Karl Gotch, Billy Robinson, and Lou Thesz are also there at the event and are seen at ringside. Various interviews are shown, including with fans who bought tickets to the event. Various wrestlers on tonight's card also give their thoughts, including Akira Maeda, Satoru Sayama, Marco Ruas, and Giant Silva. Karl Gotch is also seen discussing the importance of this event not only for Brazil, but for the world of professional wrestling in general. He views Brazil as a country with a rich history of combat sports, and that the amount of talent in the country is just waiting to be tapped. He shoots on the Gracies as well and calls them cowards for trying to disrupt the event. Lou Thez and Billy Robinson also give their thoughts on the event. The broadcast switches to the official opening of the event, with Nobuyuki Furuta formally commencing the proceedings. The UWF theme plays in the arena, and the crowd goes crazy as the wrestlers make their way to the ring. Akira Maeda, Marco Ruas, Satoru Sayama, Atsushi Onita, and Aleksandr Karelin all give some remarks, which are, of course, translated too. Finally, some notable figures from the world of Luta Livre and Vale Tudo are greeted in the ring and are given some awards by Akira Maeda and other UWF representatives. Akira Maeda says he would like to have a minute of silence for Ivan Gomes, a Brazilian Vale Tudo pioneer who wrestled in Japan during the 1970s. Gomes had unfortunately passed away earlier in March 1990. Maeda also holds up a portrait of Gomes. After a minute, the crowd applauds, and the event is ready to get started. Giant Silva vs Tatsuo Nakano The Ginásio Gilberto Cardoso had eagerly anticipated the opening match, and were ready to go as they greeted the man known as Giant Silva. Silva marched slowly to the ring with a look of confidence. The 7’2 big man was a towering presence, a bit lanky but also with some muscle for balance. Tatsuo Nakano entered next and seemed a bit wary of the big unknown standing in front of him in the ring. Nobuyuki Furuta made the ring introductions, with the translator following afterward. Yuji Shimada made quick checks on both men and called for the bell soon afterward to kick off the historic event. Nakano darted in and out, testing Silva’s reach with low kicks and quick palm strikes to the midsection, but Giant Silva’s sheer size made it difficult to find a safe avenue to approach from. Silva, calm and deliberate, used his long arms to push Nakano back toward the ropes, eventually trapping him in a clinch where heavy knees to the ribs thudded audibly in the arena. With nowhere to go, Nakano felt the full force of Silva’s sharp knees and quickly went down for the first ten count of the match. Nakano got up quickly and didn’t hesitate to go back to work. Silva attempted to go in for another standing clinch, but Nakano managed to slip free, landing a sharp low kick and a couple of body shots before circling out. Giant Silva did not seem bothered and continued to stalk his opponent. Midway through the match, Silva caught him rushing in and wrapped him in a crushing collar tie, forcing him into the corner where more knees and forearm smashes landed. The size disparity became increasingly apparent as Nakano had no answer for Giant Silva’s reach and size. Silva made quick work of Nakano again. Nakano collapsed to the mat, and Shimada initiated another ten-count. Leading 2-0 on points, it was quite apparent that Silva was raw but impressively forceful in his approach. When Nakano tried to shoot for a takedown, Silva sprawled, muscled him upright, and delivered a heavy palm strike to the face that sent the smaller man stumbling to the mat for a third knockdown. The crowd roared as Nakano rose at eight, defiant but visibly shaken. Silva’s palm strike caught him in the nose, and blood started to pour out, much to the delight of the fans sitting near ringside. Silva had a commanding 3-0 lead and seemed to enjoy bossing around his opponent. Silva closed in another clinch, leading to a driving knee that bent Nakano forward. Silva worked in a few body punches for good measure as Nakano went down again for a 4th knockdown. Nakano was getting battered and took his time to get up again before beating the count from Shimada. A final sharp palm strike to the side of the head sent him crumpling to the canvas, the referee immediately stepping in to signal a TKO at the ten-minute mark. The hometown crowd erupted in approval for the Brazilian giant, whose raw power proved too much for Nakano tonight. Perhaps Nakano simply didn’t know what to expect from the former basketball Olympian. Giant Silva defeats Nakano via TKO, 10:04 Murilo Bustamante vs Yoji Anjo Yoji Anjo would be the next UWF wrestler to face quite a bit of an unknown tonight. Murilo Bustamante was a well-rounded Vale Tudo fighter recruited by Marco Ruas. Despite Bustamante’s background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the Brazilian grew closer to Ruas’ orbit after a political fallout with the Gracie family. He had a good opportunity tonight to make a name for himself against Yoji Anjo. After the introductions and checks were made, Shimada called for the bell to commence the match. The Brazilian maintained an upright stance while Anjo circled and flicked probing low kicks. Bustamante answered with sharp, straight palm strikes to the body, using his boxing background to keep Anjo from closing in. Anjo managed to slip inside for a quick clinch, landing short knees before breaking away, but Bustamante immediately reasserted control with a clean double jab to the midsection followed by a level change into a smooth inside trip. The takedown drew applause, but Anjo scrambled well, using his agility to reach to scramble out of Bustamante’s grip and roll towards the ropes for a clean break. Resetting in the center ring, Anjo tried to increase tempo with flurries of palm strikes to the head, forcing Bustamante to cover and counter with a stiff body punch that made Anjo recoil. Bustamante started to get a better feel for his opponent, and Anjo seemed to be a bit outclassed when Bustamante got the opportunity to take his opponent to the mat. Bustamante’s positional sense was top-tier, and Anjo struggled as he attempted to defend Bustamante’s timing at picking limbs and angles to attack. Bustamante was especially formidable with his counterwork, and Anjo could get little going. After exhausting a few rope breaks, Anjo was down 2-0 on points by the five-minute mark and seemed a bit desperate as time moved forward. Smelling an opportunity, Bustamante pressured forward, clinching against the ropes and hitting another crisp takedown into side control. This time, he locked his weight down, his hips pinning Anjo’s escape attempts. As Anjo attempted to defend from his back, Bustamante slid his arm under the neck, transitioning fluidly into an arm-triangle choke. Anjo kicked his legs and shifted to relieve the pressure, but Bustamante’s positioning was textbook. The crowd cheered with anticipation as the choke deepened; Anjo’s resistance slowed, his movements weakened until Shimada saw enough and intervented, calling for the bell in the process. Bustamante lept up and celebrated by jumping on the nearest turnbuckle while Anjo remained on the canvas almost motionless before slowly recovering. Bustamante defeats Anjo via submission (arm triangle choke), 9:42 Wallid Ismail vs Eugenio Tadeu The next match saw two hometown heroes facing off for bragging rights, with a potential for a violent match quite high between two Vale Tudo specialists. Neither wasted much time once the bell rang to begin the contest. Ismail forward instantly, closing the gap before Tadeu could set his rhythm. They locked in a tight clinch. Ismail peppered in short palm strikes to the head and body before hitting a well-timed inside trip. He landed in side control, driving his shoulder into Tadeu’s jaw and threatening with an arm-triangle choke. The crowd gasped as Tadeu twisted desperately, eventually reaching the ropes for the first rope break of the match. Resetting in the center ring, Tadeu’s capoeira-inflected footwork became more pronounced, weaving side-to-side with feints and light kicks to probe Ismail’s defenses. Ismail, undeterred, cut him off and secured another takedown, this time into half guard, where he worked for a keylock. Tadeu’s hips shifted suddenly, and in a slick reversal, he swept to top position. Rather than engage with Ismail’s highly respected grappling defense, Tadeu popped back to his feet and taunted Ismail to get back up. Ismail smiled and obliged. Tadeu used swift lateral movement to try and get Ismail off his preferred stance. Tadeu landed some sharp low kicks, which seemed to slightly bother Ismail despite his attempts to hide it. Tadeu attempted to clinch for a flying armbar setup, but Ismail defended well and seemed to know what Tadeu was trying to do. Ismail twisted around to gain control of Tadeu’s back and went for an inside trip to establish back control on the canvas. The crowd cheered as Tadeu was forced to go for another rope break to ward off a rear-naked choke attempt. Leading 1-0 on points, the first seven minutes belonged largely to Ismail. Although after the reset, Tadeu seemed to establish more of a rhythm as he landed more hard strikes on his opponent, and managed to secure a single-leg takedown that established an opportunity for Tadeu to try for a heel hook, forcing Ismail to the ropes for his first rope break. The tide turned sharply just past the ten-minute mark. Tadeu feinted a low kick, drawing Ismail forward, then exploded upward with a switch knee that cracked flush against the jaw. Ismail went down in a heap. Yuji Shimada counted to seven before he found his feet, clearly shaken. The crowd, sensing blood, erupted as Tadeu paced back and forth. Back on his feet, Ismaill tried to re-establish a clinch to buy more time, but Tadeu sprawled hard, stuffing the entry and firing knees into the ribs before breaking away. Now fully in control, Tadeu attacked in bursts, landing a stinging palm strike to the face followed by a quick step-off angle kick to the body. Ismail staggered but pressed forward stubbornly, only to eat a perfectly timed spinning back kick to the midsection that dropped him to his knees for the second knockdown. Tadeu was now leading 2-1 on points. The referee’s count reached six before Ismail stood, but his legs were unsteady. Tadeu closed the distance with the confidence of a man who knew the finish was at hand. A short exchange in the pocket ended with Tadeu slipping a wild palm strike and countering with a brutal high kick to the temple. Ismaill crumpled backward, and Shimada initiated the final ten-count as Ismail was unable to get up before it finished. The crowd cheered wildly as Tadeu’s hand was raised. Tadeu defeats Ismail via KO, 12:19 Casemiro “Rei Zulu” Martins vs Salman Hashimikov The crowd continued to be invested as the next match featured two international stars whose approaches to wrestling could not have been more different. Salman Hashimikov was a Soviet wrestling champion, trained in freestyle wrestling. The powerful Chechen was burly and a bit of an exotic sight for the Brazilian fans in attendance. Casemiro Martins was a Vale Tudo champion who had made a name for himself in the 1980s through a feud with Rickson Gracie. Martins was a powerful man himself who had blended indigenous techniques with traditional wrestling and street fighting. This would be a true “styles makes fights” bout. Zulu was the first to advance, bouncing lightly on his feet in a Capoeira rhythm, throwing off Hashimikov’s early attempts to measure distance. A series of darting feints drew the Soviet into reaching for a clinch, only for Zulu to pivot and fire a sharp body punch to the ribs that drove Hashimikov a step back. The crowd cheered as Martins taunted his opponent. The early minutes saw Martins continue playing to the crowd, swaying and shifting as if to dance, then lunging forward with wild palm strikes to force Hashimikov into defensive ties. A sudden bodylock takedown from Martins sent the Soviet to the mat, and Martins maintained his grip as he threw Hashimikov back with a raw Vale Tudo throw. The impact was enough to stun Hashimikov and keep him down for the first ten count of the match, but the Soviet quickly got back on his feet. Hashimikov responded by tightening his stance, smothering space, and forcing Zulu into a grueling upper-body battle. A clean rope break came after a prolonged tie-up near the corner. The tempo changed soon after as Hashimikov timed Martin’s entry perfectly, exploding with a belly-to-belly suplex that brought the Brazilian down hard for his first knockdown. The crowd gasped as Hashimikov displayed his brute strength against a man who might be among the few to claim they could match Hashimikov’s power. With the match tied 1-1, Martins got up quickly, but the impact had slowed his footwork just enough for Hashimikov to begin closing the distance with more authority. When Martins attempted another rushing clinch, Hashimikov shifted his hips and delivered a thudding uranage that forced a second knockdown on the Brazilian. This time, Martins seemed a bit shellshocked as Hashimikov returned the favor and taunted his opponent, with the crowd inside the arena at a fever pitch. Martins beat Ryogaku Wada’s ten count by the count of five and got signaled he was ready to continue. From here, the match settled into a bit of back and forth. Martins still had moments of control, using short knees and palm strikes inside the clinch to open space for another powerful body tackle. Martins established control on the mat and made Hashimikov work as he attempted to gain control of his back for a rear-naked choke. Hashimikov managed to fend him off and roll to the ropes for a clean break. The crowd roared each time Martins surged forward, but Hashimikov did not relent. A third knockdown for Martins came when Hashimikov caught him in mid-spin and launched him with a high-angle German suplex, the Brazilian landing hard and taking a seven-count to recover. Hashimikov took command with a 3-1 on points, and fatigue was now evident in Martin’s movements. His earlier looseness was replaced by heavier steps. Hashimikov resumed his advance on Martins, dumping him again with a side suplex before dragging him into the center for a grinding half-nelson ride. Martins fought the grip, but his arms were weak, and Hashimikov methodically transitioned into a neck crank before rolling into a seated arm-triangle choke. The pressure forced Martins flat, and the Soviet’s weight kept him pinned and gasping for air. Martin’s hand tapped the canvas, giving Hashimikov the submission victory in hostile territory. While the crowd showed disappointment at their hero’s defeat, they also acknowledged Hashimikov’s impressive display of athletic skill. Hashimikov defeats Martins via submission (arm triangle choke), 12:04 Aleksandr Karelin vs Naoya Ogawa The heavily publicized debut of Aleksandr Karelin in Brazil created a lot of buzz before the event, with Brazilian fans anxious to get their first glimpse of the 1988 Olympic gold medalist. Karelin was greeted by loud cheers from the fans as he made his way towards the ring. Naoya Ogawa had a lower profile, but there was still a ton of curiosity about his status as one of the most promising young Judokas in the world. After the referee made his checks and called for the bell, Karelin and Ogawa squared off, the size of the Soviet wrestler contrasting with the gi-clad frame of the young Judoka. The opening stretch saw both men measure each other out to gain a feel for their respective strategies. Ogawa probed Karelin’s arms in search of an opening to turn his balance. Karelin remained immovable, content to stalk forward and corral Ogawa into clinches where his Greco-Roman tie-ups began to smother the youngster’s mobility. Ogawa responded with sharp palm strikes to the chest, stinging shots meant to back the Russian off, before darting into an attempted harai-goshi. Karelin’s balance proved otherworldly, the attempt ending with him muscling Ogawa across the ring into the ropes, where a clean break was called. Karelin seemed unbreakable, but Ogawa still searched for an opening. Perhaps a bit too confident, Karelin relaxed his defense, which allowed Ogawa to establish some momentum as he launched a few palm strikes to get his opponent off his game. The Judo prodigy managed the first significant moment when he baited Karelin forward and snapped into a lightning-quick seoi-nage, dumping the Olympic gold medalist hard to the canvas. The building erupted, recognizing the danger posed by Ogawa’s explosiveness and in awe of Karelin being thrown to the canvas. Karelin got up quickly, shaking out his shoulders, and resumed his inexorable pressure. The next exchange saw him clamp a bodylock and lift Ogawa into the air with a monstrous belly-to-belly suplex, the impact knocking the air from the young Judoka and forcing his first knockdown at the seven-minute mark. Karelin grabbed the lead at 1-0 on points. Ogawa beat the ten-count quickly, but seemed a bit shaken. From that point, the contest took on a more suffocating tenor. Karelin forced Ogawa into increasingly desperate throws while refusing to yield an inch. Ogawa managed another flash moment when he ducked under and snapped Karelin over with a hip throw, but the Soviet rolled instantly through the landing, avoiding a potential knockdown, and snarling into a clinch that shut down Ogawa’s momentum. Karelin’s methodical progression became more pronounced. The Soviet wrestler threw heavy palms to the chest, short body punches, and then a relentless series of tie-ups that drained Ogawa’s energy. Another suplex, this time a crushing side suplex, earned Karelin a second knockdown on the young Japanese prodigy, who staggered up at nine with his gi disheveled. By the twelve-minute mark, Ogawa’s explosiveness had faded, and Karelin seized his moment. Snatching a gutwrench from the mat, he executed his signature Karelin Lift, hoisting Ogawa violently before slamming him headfirst into the canvas. The Brazilian fans gasped. Ogawa barely survived the referee’s next count, and Karelin immediately pounced with suffocating top control. Using his background in SAMBO, he locked in a brutal head-and-arm choke, his vice-like frame crushing down until Ogawa’s struggles slowed. Ogawa submitted after the pressure became too much. The Brazilian fans certainly got what they anticipated with Karelin, but they also gained an appreciation for Ogawa and his courage against the Soviet Olympian. Karelin once again proved the aura of invincibility that surrounded him was very real. Karelin defeats Ogawa via submission (head-and-arm choke), 13:06 After the match, Karelin is honored by the Brazilian amateur wrestling delegation and poses for pictures in the ring. Nobuhiko Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki The energy inside the building remained steady, and the opponents in the next match would not disappoint. Both Takada and Yamazaki would have something to prove tonight in front of the Brazilian fans. Yamazaki began the match on the front foot, circling and firing off sharp, low kicks meant to sting Takada’s legs and force him into movement. Takada answered in kind, his kicks landing with deeper thuds, snapping Yamazaki’s stance back to a more defensive one. The early exchanges were defined by a striking duel as each man sought an opening. Yamazaki seized the first big moment at the five-minute mark, slipping a kick and countering with a lightning palm strike to Takada’s jaw that buckled him to one knee, earning the first knockdown of the match. Takada got back up to his feet without much issue. The Brazilian crowd responded positively, sensing the upset potential. Takada immediately slowed the pace, shifting the fight toward grappling engagements where his methodical nature could come into play. After an extended mat contest that saw a few rope breaks exchanged, Yamazaki got back on his feet and lunged with another kick. Takada caught the leg and took him down, working deliberately into half guard. Yamazaki threatened with a juji-gatame attempt, but Takada’s defense was tight, keeping his arms close as he pried free and pressed his weight down. With the score tied at 1-1 now, this rhythm held for several minutes. Takada gradually imposed himself with positional control, but Yamazaki’s quickness on the mat meant no prolonged dominance. The two wrestlers eventually saw a score tied at 2-2 after another exchange of rope breaks. The contest turned heavier in the final stretch, with Takada and Yamazaki exchanging more hard strikes as the flow of the contest shifted to a striking-based affair. At around the eleven-minute mark, Yamazaki struck with a sharp high kick that snapped Takada’s head back. The crowd was a bit shocked as the UWF superstar staggered into the ropes. Yamazaki pounced, peppering him with palm strikes and shooting for a double-leg, but Takada sprawled expertly. Takada shifted the weight onto his opponent before countering with a vicious knee strike to the body. The impact folded Yamazaki, earning a knockdown that gave Takada a 3-2 lead on points. Yamazaki had to take his time to catch his breath again, but beat the count by eight. Now emboldened, Takada became more deliberate in cutting off space, walking Yamazaki down with his heavy low kicks and forcing him into reactive strikes. Another exchange of palm thrusts ended with Takada slipping inside, locking a clinch, and hurling Yamazaki to the mat with a tight suplex. From there, Takada showcased his effective catch wrestling skills, inching into side control, isolating an arm, and fighting through Yamazaki’s resistance. Takada cinched in a double wristlock, applying steady torque until Yamazaki was unable to resist. With nowhere to go and his arm extended dangerously, Yamazaki tapped, giving Takada the hard-earned submission. The Brazilian crowd applauded the effort from both men, and they seemed to be quite enthralled with Takada’s undeniable ring presence. Takada defeats Yamazaki via submission (double wristlock), 15:34 Atsushi Onita vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara For the Brazilian crowd, the next bout had intrigue. Onita had trained in the country years earlier and had made a name for himself as an undercarder on the Vale Tudo circuit. Meanwhile, Fujiwara represented the respected tradition of catch wrestling, which had influenced Luta Livre. The opening few minutes highlighted the difference in styles. Onita pressed aggressively, whipping palm strikes at Fujiwara’s guard and hacking kicks into his ribs, trying to force a firefight from the outset. Fujiwara was stone-faced and unhurried, catching one of Onita’s kicks and tripping him into half guard. From there, Fujiwara methodically worked to trap an arm. Onita had solid counterwork and worked to defend, slapping at Fujiwara’s body and twisting into a scramble until he reached the ropes. With both men near the bottom rope, the referee ruled it a clean break. Onita sprang back up to press forward again. Fujiwara answered with short body punches in the clinch and a sudden headbutt that staggered Onita, dropping him to one knee for the first knockdown at just under six minutes. The count reached five before Onita rose, grinning through the haze and gesturing defiantly at Fujiwara. The veteran stayed calm and seemed almost amused, but Onita’s determination began to make the fight messier. He charged in with palm flurries, backed Fujiwara into the corner, and hammered away until the referee pulled them apart, much to the chagrin of the crowd. Another exchange saw Onita lift Fujiwara and slam him with a rough belly-to-belly throw, a moment that drew a surprised roar from the crowd as Fujiwara rolled to the ropes to steady himself. Fujiwara got back on his feet quickly to avoid initiating a ten-count from the referee. Fujiwara remained in the lead on points at 1-0. As the contest entered its tenth minute, Fujiwara sought to slow the pace, especially on the mat, while Onita worked to draw Fujiwara into a more chaotic match. Onita attempted to bait Fujiwara into scrambles with his relentless forward pressure. Fujiwara nearly closed the match when he countered a desperate Onita palm strike flurry with a takedown into the Fujiwara armbar, wrenching back on the limb as the audience gasped. Onita barely managed to inch to the ropes. It became clear that Fujiwara had the advantage on the mat and seemed to have Onita’s number whenever the two found themselves in a grappling exchange. Eventually, Fujiwara built up a 2-0 lead through another rope break from Onita during a heel hook attempt. Onita’s urgency heightened. At the fourteen-minute mark, he turned the tide explosively. He caught Fujiwara low with a thudding body kick, then charged in with a flying palm strike that knocked the veteran flat to the mat for the first knockdown in Onita’s favor. Fujiwara rose at six. However, Onita was already on him, diving into a guillotine choke as they tumbled to the mat. He cinched the choke deep, wrapping his legs tight around Fujiwara’s midsection, wrenching upward until the veteran, caught with no route to the ropes, tapped. The Brazilian crowd erupted, recognizing the importance of Onita’s victory. The young sensation trained in Brazil a win secured a big win against one of Japan’s most revered technicians. Fujiwara bowed slightly to acknowledge Onita’s heart and grit. Onita defeats Fujiwara via submission (guillotine choke), 14:49 Onita continues to celebrate his win and calls for a microphone....he says the Gracies can storm all the dojos and buildings they want, but they can never lead a movement like this. That comment earns a huge pop from the crowd. Akira Maeda vs Dick Vrij Maeda, dressed in his familiar black trunks, cut a stoic figure; his reputation as the UWF’s ace was well-advertised in Brazil, and the fans received him warmly. Vrij, by contrast, looked loose and confident, aware that his striking could trouble anyone if he kept the fight on the feet. He was more of an unknown quantity for the Brazil fans, but his muscular build and wild, colored hair made him look like a bit of a character. The opening exchanges were based around both wrestlers attempting to exert their rhythm. Vrij opened with a stinging middle kick that drew a sharp slap from Maeda’s midsection, but Maeda returned fire with a crushing low kick that made the crowd wince. Vrij kept his hands high and answered with hard palm strikes, one catching Maeda clean and forcing him back a step. A clinch soon followed, where Vrij used his Muay Thai skills to dig in a pair of knees before Maeda muscled him into the ropes. After a bit of a stalemate, the referee forced a reset. The flow of the fight became clear as Vrij tried to catch Maeda with strikes. Maeda had a good defensive stance and looked for his chance to drag things to the mat or hammer away with his own powerful kicks. The first knockdown came at six minutes when Maeda ducked under a Vrij palm strike and countered with a brutal roundhouse to the body, folding the Dutchman briefly before he rose at a count of six. The knockdown did little to temper Vrij’s offense. He came forward harder, ripping palm strikes to Maeda’s guard and sneaking in a clean knee from the clinch that staggered Maeda. Maeda managed to stay on his feet and grappled with Vrij in an attempt to slow his opponent down. Vrij held his ground and attempted to create some distance with his knees, but Maeda blocked and caught him for a side suplex, planting Vrij squarely in the center of the mat. Vrij scrambled and had trouble finding his feet as the referee initiated another ten-count. Vrij managed to beat the count quickly again, but he did seem a bit shellshocked. As Vrij continued to hunt for a killer blow on Maeda, Maeda was able to wrestle Vrij down to the mat several times, and each time, Vrij was quick to use a rope break if needed to cut any grappling exchange short. By the ten-minute mark, Vrij had already given up three points. Still, his striking remained dangerous. A violent high kick late in the sequence caught Maeda on the shoulder and glanced off his jaw, nearly flooring him. The crowd stirred, sensing that Vrij had forced Maeda on the back foot. Maeda attempted to defend, but another striking combo from Vrij managed to knock him off his feet to give Vrij his first point of the match. Maeda got back up quickly, but Vrij now had some momentum. The finishing stretch did not disappoint the fans in the audience, as the two pushed each other to the limit. The two engaged in another extended striking exchange, with neither giving ground. Vrij managed to stay on his feet despite some sharp high kicks from Maeda, and Maeda ate some punishment as well after Vrij delivered a series of sharp knee strikes from a clinch. At the twelve-minute mark, Maeda again cornered Vrij, eating a few palm strikes to close the distance before unleashing a German suplex that landed Vrij hard on his back. The referee’s count reached seven before Vrij rose, now visibly weary as he knew he was down to his last point. Maeda wasted no time, blasting him with a left body kick that opened him up for a clinch from Maeda. Vrij tried to stand his ground bravely. Maeda stepped in and hooked Vrij’s leg before launching him through the air with a Capture Suplex. Vrij landed hard on his back again and was too slow to get up as the referee called for another knockdown and the final bell, awarding Maeda the TKO victory as Vrij’s five points were exhausted. The Brazilian crowd made their appreciation known for the contrast of styles and Maeda’s convincing victory. Maeda defeats Vrij via TKO, 15:02 Before the main event, Lou Thesz, Billy Robinson, and Karl Gotch are all welcomed into the ring by Brazilian dignitaries. They are given separate awards, and Lou Thesz formally presents the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship belt before the audience. Lou Thesz also gives a brief speech that is translated. He praises Satoru Sayama for choosing to defend the belt on foreign soil, and that Marco Ruas was a worthy opponent with an incredible pedigree. "May the best man win!" Satoru Sayama vs Marco Ruas After the pre-match ceremonies, both wrestlers made their entrances. Marco Ruas was met with a thunderous ovation as he marched to the ring in his black Vale Tudo trunks, absent anything else, including kickpads. Satoru Sayama entered the arena in black long tights trimmed with gold. Sayama, despite his status as champion, remained a bit of a mystery to the Brazilian fans, but they were informed about his reputation as one of the most accomplished wrestlers on the UWF roster and someone who had legitimate combat skills. Masami Soranaka presented the belt one final time in front of the audience, as Nobuyuki Furuta made the ring introductions. Both competitors were checked before the bell sounded, and the anticipation was palpable. The Ginásio Gilberto Cardoso was charged with energy; the fans were eager to see their countryman take on the reigning champion. The bell finally sounded, and the main event was underway. The opening minutes saw both fighters testing each other’s range. The crowd was buzzing at every strike thrown. Sayama worked behind his speed, cutting angles and tagging Ruas with quick low kicks and palm strikes. Ruas checked a kick and returned fire with a heavy low kick that made Sayama wince, and then followed him toward the ropes. Both men continued at a similar pace, and neither seemed interested in showing any signs of weakness. At the five-minute mark, Ruas closed the distance, forcing Sayama into a clinch where he ripped a knee to the body and executed a sharp hip throw into side control. Sayama, unwilling to give up position, twisted and slid toward the ropes, grabbing them to force the break. Back on his feet, Sayama adjusted. The champion answered back with a crisp middle kick followed by a palm strike combination that briefly stunned Ruas and set the tone that he could not be bullied outright. Sayama continued to remain clinical. He stayed light on his feet and used sudden flurries to keep Ruas from walking him down. At nine minutes, he caught Ruas stepping forward and drilled a head-level roundhouse kick that dropped the Brazilian to the mat, forcing the referee to administer the ten count. The sudden blast rocked the jam-packed arena, and the fans were immediately urging Ruas to get back up. Ruas, grimacing but defiant, rose back up at six. The champion pressed his advantage with rapid kicks to the thigh and midsection, but when he attempted to follow with another spinning kick, Ruas absorbed it and countered with a body lock, dragging Sayama to the ground. From half guard, Ruas worked deliberately to isolate Sayama’s leg, forcing the champion to stretch desperately for the ropes to avoid a kneebar. The crowd roared as the referee waved it off as a rope escape; the score was now tied 1-1 on points. Ruas enjoyed a good stretch of momentum afterward, as he was able to keep close to Sayama and prevent the champion from unleashing his powerful strikes. Ruas snagged a double-leg takedown and the two engaged in an extended contest on the mat. After a few more minutes of impressive grappling, Ruas secured a third and eventually fourth rope break from Sayama after he threatened him twice with another series of submission attempts. Ruas was now leading 2-1 on points. The middle of the bout saw Sayama enjoy more success as he tagged Ruas a bit more with kicks. Sayama relied on clever feints to throw Ruas off his defensive stance. At fourteen minutes, Sayama landed another sharp high kick, knocking Ruas off balance and forcing the referee’s second knockdown count against the Brazilian, tying the match at 2–2. Ruas was quick to get up again, but the crowd seemed to sense that Ruas felt he was in trouble. The champion followed with a flurry of palm strikes, but Ruas weathered the storm and turned the tide again with the backing of the fans. Ruas caught Sayama with a brutal inside low kick that buckled him. Sayama dropped to the mat, holding his thigh. Soranaka initiated the ten count, but Sayama got up, signaling to Soranaka that he was ready to go again. Ruas recognized that he was now leading 3-2 on points. The fans realized it as well, and they erupted, sensing Sayama’s movement was slowing. But the champion’s composure held. He retained his ability to change levels unexpectedly, slipping under a Ruas palm strike to drive through to attempt a German suplex, but Ruas defended well and shrugged off the attempt. Sayama tagged Ruas a few more times with sharp low kicks in an attempt to slowly weaken the formidable Brazilian. It seemed like Sayama recognized this was becoming a war of attrition. The final ten minutes saw both men dig deep. Sayama’s legs received a fair share of punishment from Ruas’ low kicks, and he seemed to be slowing down a bit more. Ruas stayed calculated, picking his moments to unleash more heavy body kicks and looking to clinch whenever Sayama’s back neared the ropes. The two found themselves on the mat again, but neither found an advantage as Sayama nullified Ruas on the canvas and prevented him from establishing top control. Ruas seemed flustered by Sayama’s grappling counterwork at times. At twenty-five minutes, Ruas finally forced Sayama into another dangerous scramble, nearly sinking in a heel hook before the champion barely rolled through and got free without touching the ropes. The crowd gasped at the narrow escape. Back on his feet, Sayama responded in kind with one of his best sequences of the night. After feinting low and landing a flush palm strike to Ruas’s jaw, Sayama slipped around him for a well-executed Tiger Suplex that sent Ruas crashing hard onto his shoulders. Ruas was stunned, and so was the crowd. The Luta Livre icon was slow to get up as Soranaka administered a count. Ruas finally found his feet at the count of eight. Both men were tied 3-3 on points. The final stretch played out with pure determination as the time limit neared. Ruas charged in, throwing a last desperate clinch knee that Sayama blocked with his forearm, while the champion answered with sharp counters to keep space. At twenty-nine minutes, Sayama slipped another body kick and fired a spinning back kick that drove Ruas into the ropes. Ruas stumbled but maintained his footing, perhaps due to the energy the fans were giving him. The two circled with exhaustion in the closing seconds, trading one last set of palm strikes before the bell rang at thirty minutes. With the score tied at 3-3, the judges were called upon. After what seemed like an eternity for the fans, the decision was announced for Sayama. The Brazilian fans, as expected, were livid. A good number of jeers could be heard as Furuta made the announcement. Those closest to the arena were on their feet and calling for extra time. Sayama defeats Ruas via judges’ decision, 30:00 Marco Ruas is quick to call for a microphone, and he attempts to calm the fans down by saying he believed it was a fair fight and that the judges arrived at their decision objectively. He raises Sayama's hand in the process, and this seems to help a bit, although there is still a bit of tension in the air. Marco Ruas shakes Sayama's hand, and they both bow to each other, drawing some applause from the fans as things seem a bit calmer eventually. Ruas gets on the microphone again and thanks the fans for attending, saying that he believes the UWF philosophy is an honorable one, and one that will show the world what real wrestling looks like. Sayama and Ruas embrace again as the UWF theme plays in the arena. Ruas steps aside as he lets Sayama have his moment to celebrate. The commentators recap the events of the evening and promote the first round of the UWF U-COSMOS Grand Prix, which will be held later this month, on August 26th, in Sapporo! Sayama is shown being interviewed backstage, giving his thoughts on the match. Ruas gives some brief remarks as well and says the Brazilian fans are passionate, but they understand the result. Some other wrestlers are shown being interviewed, including Maeda. The rolling credits for WOWOW's broadcast hit, and another successful international event for UWF is in the books.
  20. They finally killed NJPW. This will be the first G1 final I will not bother watching. This is just totally inexcusable. That company needs surgery to remove a deep cancer.
  21. Card Announcement: UWF Newborn - "Brazil Martial Arts Festival" August 16th, 1990 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Ginásio Gilberto Cardoso Giant Silva vs Tatsuo Nakano Murilo Bustamante vs Yoji Anjo Wallid Ismail vs Eugenio Tadeu Casemiro "Rei Zulu" Martins vs Salman Hashimikov Aleksandr Karelin vs Naoya Ogawa Nobuhiko Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Atsushi Onita Akira Maeda vs Dick Vrij Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship: Satoru Sayama(c) vs Marco Ruas
  22. UWF Newborn – “Second Anniversary” July 27th, 1990 Yokohama, Japan Yokohama Arena Attendance: 17,000 (sold out) Broadcast: WOWOW (live) The WOWOW broadcast opens, and the television viewers are greeted with a live pyro and light show and a jam-packed Yokohama Arena that is buzzing. The commentators hype up the card in the process. Afterward, Nobuyuki Furuta stands in the middle of the ring and officially opens the event. The UWF theme starts playing over the PA system, and the traditional parade of wrestlers commences. As expected, Fujiwara, Takada, Maeda, Fujinami, and Sayama all get pretty loud receptions. So do Aleksandr Karelin and Bob Backlund. Maeda, Takada, Sayama, and Fujinami all give brief remarks and hype up their respective matches. Sayama promises to walk out tonight as the reigning champion, while Fujinami says he is confident, and while he respects Sayama as an opponent, he will prove he is stronger. Karelin and Backlund also hype up their matches, with their remarks translated. Backlund says he recognizes Karelin is an opponent unlike anyone he has faced before, but his wisdom and skill will be the decisive factor. Backlund drops the serious facade for a moment by taunting the Soviet Union as the "world's sick man" while riling up the crowd with his usual antics. Karelin seems to be unbothered and responds by saying that he has come back to the UWF with only one goal in mind - to win at all costs. The commentators are also sure to note the tag team championship bout between the Koslowskis and the Soviet duo of Zangiev and Hashimikov. After the formalities, we are underway! Mitsuya Nagai vs Manabu Yamada Nagai had a solid debut last month, but still learned a hard lesson in the difference between dojo training and being inside a live ring. He faced a similar lesson tonight against Manabu Yamada, who was young but still Nagai’s senior according to the traditional dojo ranking system. Nagai started quite well, pressing Yamada with a flurry of kicks and palm strikes, even if they were a bit undisciplined. Yamada remained on the defensive for a few minutes, with Nagai putting the metal to the pedal with an all-out attack. Yamada attempted to find some success with takedown attempts, but Nagai defended well and reversed them to get some offense on the mat instead. Yamada had to use a rope break after Nagai nearly snagged a cross-armbreaker. After the reset, Yamada found more success in warding off Nagai’s offense and neutralizing it with counters and his takedown attempts. Nagai was easier to bring down after he exhausted his initial burst of energy. Yamada’s technical skill became more of a factor, and Nagai struggled to keep his defense up against his opponent’s awareness and quickness; Yamada’s submission wrestling skills were a lot better as well. After a series of rope breaks, Yamada tied the match up at 1-1 on points. Nagai attempted a high kick, but Yamada blocked and immediately dragged his opponent down again with a single-leg. After a brief struggle, Yamada locked in a kneebar, and Yamada had no choice but to reach for the ropes again. Yamada, perhaps choosing to prolong the match instead of finishing it early, continued to punish his opponent on the mat and scored another rope break after a single-leg Boston crab. The same pattern continued, and Yamada eventually found himself up 3-1 on points in just a few minutes. Luckily for Nagai, the end was near. Yamada hit him with a high-arching German suplex before transitioning to a rear-naked choke attempt. Yamada got a clean lock in, and Nagai tapped quickly to end the punishment. Yamada defeats Nagai via submission (rear-naked choke), 9:34 Yusuke Fuke vs Jerry Flynn Both wrestlers were looking to get a win in front of a molten-hot crowd at the Yokohama Arena. Of course, earning such a win would be a huge moment in the spotlight. Perhaps such a moment would serve as a breakthrough in their respective careers. After the formalities, Yuji Shimada called for the bell, and both men didn’t waste any time. Flynn opened up Fuke’s standing defense with several sharp kicks, showing off his Karate and Taekwondo skills. Fuke struggled with Flynn’s considerable reach advantage, but he managed to secure a single-leg takedown after catching one of his opponent’s kicks, and this earned an early boost from the crowd. Fuke went to work on the mat and established side control, going for a straight armlock. Flynn didn’t panic and made Fuke work for the hold. After a bit of a stalemate, Flynn managed to fight his way out of the predicament and get back on his feet. Fuke again chose a more defensive approach to deal with Flynn’s reach and picked opportune times to try and go for another takedown. On one occasion, Flynn timed him with a low knee and sent Fuke to the mat. Shimada initiated a ten-count after Fuke was slow to get up. Fuke beat the count quite quickly after recovering, but Flynn immediately pressured him and delivered another series of kicks to score another knockdown. Facing a 2-0 deficit, Fuke had to gather himself quickly. Fuke surprised the crowd when he managed to wrestle Flynn down to the mat with a bit of a half-suplex/half-takedown belly-to-belly maneuver. Fuke quickly went for a cross-armbreaker, which forced a rope break from his opponent. Fuke enjoyed more momentum over the next few minutes and managed to score another rope break, making the match 2-1 on points. Flynn was visibly exhausted, and this gave Fuke an opening. After Flynn attempted a roundhouse kick, Fuke ducked and went for a double-leg takedown. Caught in the center of the ring, Flynn felt Fuke apply serious pressure to his knee through a snappy kneebar. Despite his reach advantage, the pain was too much, and Flynn quickly tapped. Fuke defeats Flynn via submission (kneebar), 10:21 Ahmed Johnson vs Dick Vrij Ahmed Johnson was enjoying an undefeated streak and came into this match determined to keep his momentum going. Dick Vrij saw this as an opportunity to score a solid win against a credible opponent. Vrij opened the proceedings by testing Johnson with a series of low kicks, but Johnson defended well with leg checks and did not seem overly concerned. Johnson was good at closing the distance, and this gave the Dutchman trouble early on as he found himself being wrestled to the mat without much resistance. Vrij used a strategy to reach for the ropes as quickly as possible to avoid a prolonged affair with his opponent on the mat. Despite racking up rope breaks quickly, this was probably a wise decision. Johnson quickly built up a 1-0 lead and kept pushing his opponent, although Vrij’s kicks were starting to land and were sounding a lot harder despite the raucous crowd inside the Yokohama Arena. Johnson got put on his back foot after a clever combo from Vrij, and this allowed Vrij to attack with a series of palm strikes. Back into a corner, Johnson covered up, but another series of kicks from Vrij was enough to send him down to the mat for a ten count from Yuji Shimada. Johnson responded and got back on his feet early, but Vrij continued to make like difficult for him. Johnson was starting to get a little wobbly again, but an errant kick from Vrij allowed the American to wrap up his opponent for a huge side suplex that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Johnson immediately tried to pummel his opponent with some palm strikes, but Vrij was close enough to the ropes to end the onslaught early. Vrij’s troubles didn’t end there as Johnson managed to find another entry, and this time he delivered a full-nelson suplex that was enough to cause Shimada to initiate another ten count. Leading 2-1 on points, Johnson felt confident. Vrij had more to offer, though, and he wrestled out of another waistlock attempt from Johnson and delivered a sharp knee right to his opponent’s face. The strike was enough to open up the American’s defense again, and Vrij followed through with more kicks to the head. Johnson was sent back down to the mat for another ten count. This time, Johnson had to take his time before responding to the referee to break the count. Another clinch struggle ensued between the two, and Vrij managed to get the upper hand to deliver another series of knees to Johnson. This was enough to send him back to the mat, this time for good, as Shimada initiated another ten count. Johnson stumbled around before Shimada finished the count, awarding Dick Vrij the victory via KO. Vrij defeats Johnson via KO, 10:11 Kiyoshi Tamura & Masahito Kakihara vs Tatsuo Nakano & Yoji Anjo The crowd inside Yokohama Arena gave a warm reception to the four young competitors, who all entered the ring with a look of confidence. Tamura and Kakihara appeared eager in their corner, the former focused and composed, while the latter bounced on his feet, filled with the restless energy that had already made him a standout among UWF’s rising talents. Across from them, Nakano cracked his knuckles and gave Anjo a nod. They were the more experienced team on paper, but that didn’t guarantee a victory. Tamura and Anjo opened for their teams and immediately settled into a mat-based rhythm. Anjo was lively and twitchy in his movements, but Tamura methodically pulled him down with a well-timed switch into a waistlock and worked behind him. Anjo tried to scramble out, but Tamura transitioned quickly to a front headlock and then looked to hook the arm for a possible choke. Anjo wisely slid toward the ropes, prompting a clean break as both men reset. Tamura stuck to his strategy, keeping the match on the mat and denying Anjo the chance to engage in striking exchanges. After another brief scuffle, Tamura transitioned to the back again and spun through into an ankle lock, which forced Anjo into his first rope break. Kakihara tagged in next and wasted no time pressing the pace. He peppered Anjo with slapping palm strikes and quick kicks to the legs, pushing Anjo backward. The crowd reacted as Anjo answered back with a stiff low kick and a quick punch to the body, halting Kakihara’s momentum. A clinch followed, and Anjo hit a quick standing switch into a rear waistlock, dumping Kakihara to the mat with a sharp takedown. From there, he worked into a basic crossface and tried to isolate the arm, but Kakihara spun free and popped up, landing a jumping knee to Anjo’s body as he rose. That flurry brought the fans to life again, but Anjo turned the tide with a double leg that landed flush, bringing the match back to the mat. Nakano tagged in soon afterward and took a more direct approach, charging Kakihara and trading palm strikes in a heated exchange. Kakihara held his own at first, but Nakano’s experience showed as he ducked a wild strike and used a rolling trip to bring the youngster down. He worked for a double wristlock, but Kakihara escaped and held his own for the next few minutes. Eventually, both teams found themselves tied 2-2 on points after each had exchanged a knockdown throughout the action, mixed in with a few rope breaks. Tamura eventually got tagged back in, and his entry shifted the match again, as he slowed things down with deliberate mat control. Nakano struggled to get much going against Tamura’s technical base. Tamura nearly caught him in a triangle choke off his back. Nakano wisely used his positioning to scoot toward the ropes, earning a clean break. A reset followed, and Nakano fired a few kicks that Tamura blocked before catching one and taking Nakano down with a sharp inside trip. The bout continued to build tension, with Tamura starting to gain more momentum. He chained from side control into an armbar attempt, forcing Nakano into his first rope break of the match. The momentum shifted again when Tamura tried to take Nakano’s back but got too aggressive, allowing Nakano to roll through and scramble to his feet. Both corners tagged, and the match entered its final phase. Kakihara reentered full of spirit and took the fight directly to Anjo, landing a sequence of low kicks and stiff palms that briefly put Anjo on his heels. But Kakihara’s youthful arrogance was on display when he lunged for a takedown and got sprawled out by Anjo. The veteran capitalized, spinning behind and locking in a tight chicken wing facelock. Kakihara tried to roll through and fight free, but Anjo shifted his hips and transitioned smoothly into a grounded rear-naked choke. The crowd grew louder as Kakihara tried to twist free, but Anjo sank the hold in deeper, his forearm crushing across the chin and neck. Kakihara struggled, but couldn’t find a route to the ropes this time. With Tamura shouting encouragement from the apron, it was too late. Kakihara finally tapped, giving Nakano and Anjo a hard-fought victory. Anjo & Nakano defeat Tamura & Kakihara via submission (rear-naked choke), 14:07. Masakatsu Funaki & Wayne Shamrock vs Kazuo Yamazaki & Minoru Suzuki After Funaki’s loss against Akira Maeda last month, the young UWF upstart was looking to get back in the win column. With his UWF training partner, Wayne Shamrock, Funaki was confident his team would get a win tonight. On the other side, Minoru Suzuki and Kazuo Yamazaki had other plans. Funaki and Yamazaki opened with a brisk, upright striking duel, trading stinging palm strikes and hard low kicks with textbook precision, each man testing range before Yamazaki fired off a sharp left high kick that Funaki absorbed without staggering. They locked up after a brief exchange, Yamazaki trying to initiate grappling with a waistlock takedown attempt, but Funaki sprawled and slipped behind with a waistlock of his own before releasing to reset. Funaki tagged in Shamrock, who went low with a double-leg on the advancing Yamazaki and powered into top position near the ropes. Yamazaki tied him up with a triangle attempt, forcing Shamrock to lift and drop him with a basic powerbomb-style slam. The hold loosened, and Shamrock rolled free. Yamazaki tagged in Suzuki, who met Shamrock in the center with sharp low kicks, looking to chop away at his defense. Shamrock bit down and answered with a flurry of palm strikes, then surprised Suzuki with a lightning belly-to-belly suplex for the first knockdown at just under five minutes. Suzuki rose at seven and shook off the cobwebs. The match became more of a back-and-forth affair, with all four competitors finding some success. At around the 8:00 mark, the team of Funaki and Shamrock found themselves up 2-1 on points after Shamrock managed to send Suzuki to the ropes with a heel hook. Suzuki tagged in his partner afterward. Yamazaki fought with urgency, trading kicks with Shamrock until a hard left upper kick sent Shamrock down for another knockdown. Now tied at 2-2, Shamrock opted to tag in Funaki. Funaki returned, changing the pace with sharp palm strikes that backed Yamazaki into the corner. A clean break allowed Yamazaki to tag Suzuki again, and the match entered its most volatile stretch. Suzuki charged in with wild pressure, clinching and dragging Funaki to the mat. They scrambled through multiple transitions, Funaki surviving a tight guillotine before slipping behind and dragging Suzuki down with a rolling leg tie-up that drew a rope break. Funaki weathered a frantic surge from Suzuki, who fired off hammering palm strikes in the clinch before Funaki snapped off a kick to the ribs and locked in a front choke. Suzuki escaped with a quick sit-out, but when he re-engaged, Funaki used a lightning duck-under into a rear waistlock and tripped him back down. As Suzuki tried to roll free, Funaki trapped his leg and arm simultaneously and spun into a tight modified keylock, wrenching until Suzuki tapped at 15:19. Funaki & Shamrock defeat Yamazaki & Suzuki via submission (keylock), 15:19 Duane Koslowski & Dennis Koslowski vs Victor Zangiev & Salman Hashimikov The long-anticipated match between the American Greco-Roman Olympians and the formidable Soviet duo was finally here. It would decide the first World Tag Team champions. After both teams made their entrances, Lou Thesz entered the ring from his seat at ringside and gave a brief speech. After Ryogaku Wada checked both teams and asked if they were ready, the bell rang. The bout began with Dennis Koslowski opposite of Victor Zangiev. The two immediately locked up in a clinch battle that showcased their difference in style. Zangiev favored his SAMBO-infused freestyle control from over-under ties, while Dennis used short-level changes and folkstyle instincts to fight inside and duck under. Dennis briefly hit a snap takedown, but Zangiev rolled through, bringing the crowd to life. Zangiev continued to build up momentum and often caused Dennis some trouble with a very tricky stance, along with his creative entry moves. After a brief scramble on the mat that caused Dennis to roll for a clean rope break, Duane tagged in. Hashimikov tagged in as well, and the pace slowed under with a bit of a different approach. Hashimikov controlled the clinch with bull-like forward pressure, muscling Duane into the ropes twice. The first time was a clean break, but the second resulted in a leg trip takedown. Hashimikov quickly attempted a scarf choke, but Duane Koslowski reached for the ropes near him for a rope break. The Soviets drew first blood. However, Duane responded with a sharp hip toss moments later, landing Hashimikov hard. Though the referee began counting, Hashimikov returned to his feet by three. Regardless, the Americans were now up 1-0 on points. That suplex, a textbook Greco drop, helped establish Duane’s rhythm. As the match wore on past the 10:00 mark, both teams traded tags frequently, keeping the pace consistent and grounded in upper-body grappling. Victor re-entered against Dennis, and their exchanges were crisp, a blend of Greco-Roman and Freestyle throws and tight wrist control fighting. Dennis used duck-unders and snap-arms to frustrate Zangiev, eventually chaining into a folkstyle-inspired front headlock series that forced Victor into the ropes. That break, his first, didn’t cost points, but the next sequence did. After a belly-to-belly from Dennis and a quick transition to a high ride, Victor scrambled and kicked off the ropes again, resulting in a second rope break and a knockdown. The scoreboard now read 2-2, with both teams tied on points. As fatigue mounted, Hashimikov returned to square off against Duane in a stiff exchange. Duane’s throws were less fluid, but he used palm strikes to the body to bait Hashimikov’s base wider, finally hitting a rear trip that planted the Soviet heavyweight straight into the mat. Duane attempted a rear-naked choke, but Hashimikov defended well and the two ended up in a stalemate near the ropes that prompted the referee to stand both back up. Near the 16:00 mark, Victor tagged back in and caught Duane with a beautiful Sambo-style modified gutwrench for a knockdown. Duane struggled to get back on his feet, which prompted Wada to initiate it. The Soviets were now ahead 3-2 on points and seemed to be moving closer to a victory. Duane tagged his brother back in, who went to work with the crafty Zangiev. Dennis appeared to be gaining the upper hand against the Ossetian, but Zangiev managed to execute a uranage throw, catching Dennis by surprise. Zangiev opted to maintain control and went down with him, establishing side control to go for a straight armlock, but Dennis quickly scrambled and floated over, transitioning to establish back control over Zangiev with a half-nelson. In the closing sequence, Dennis maneuvered Zangiev into a precarious pinning position using a crossbody leg ride and tilt. Dennis used the unorthodox move to cradle up Zangiev and get his shoulders on the mat. Zangiev struggled to break the pin while Ryogaku Wada counted….1…2……3!!! The 1988 Olympic medalists had done it! The crowd cheered the loudest of the night so far as the two brothers celebrated in the ring. The Soviet pair gathered themselves near a corner and took a minute or two to recover from a shock defeat. Lou Thesz and Billy Robinson entered the ring to present the two shiny boxing-style gold belts to the brothers. Dennis and Duane Koslowski remained over the moon as they continued to celebrate. Dennis Koslowski & Duane Koslowski defeat Zangiev & Hashimikov via pinfall, 18:24 The Koslowski's continue to celebrate while Hashimikov and Zangiev make their way to the back. Their belts are put around their waists. They soak in the moment a bit more as the commentators explain how the Koslowskis climbed their way to the top of the UWF tag team division. Naoya Ogawa vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara The young Judo prodigy, Naoya Ogawa, has had an impressive start in UWF so far. Quickly making a name for himself, Ogawa has ascended to become one of the immediate young stars of the promotion. Opposite of the ring tonight stood Yoshiaki Fujiwara, who was eager to teach the young buck a lesson. Motoyuki Kitazawa would be the referee for this match, and he checked both competitors as customary before calling for the bell. Ogawa opened with a compact, low stance, his left hand gripping at Fujiwara’s wrist, while Fujiwara stood more upright, hands relaxed and floating. The early exchanges favored Ogawa’s pace. He faked a sasae tsurikomi ashi that caused Fujiwara to post his left leg, then yanked into a kosoto gari to off-balance the veteran and bring him to the mat in a scramble. Fujiwara wisely rolled through, catching a crossface as he recovered guard, forcing Ogawa to release and stand. Fujiwara rose and offered a half-smile, recognizing Ogawa’s intent to control from the top. At the four-minute mark, Ogawa executed a crisp ippon seoi nage that sent Fujiwara crashing. The move caught Fujiwara by surprise, and it was enough to make him take his time to recover, prompting a ten count from Kitazawa. Fujiwara was up at three, shaking off the impact and circling his opponent again. Ogawa pressed, looking to re-engage standing, but Fujiwara chopped into Ogawa’s stance with a quick leg kick and followed with palm strikes to the body to test his range. Another clinch formed, and Ogawa attempted a hip toss, but Fujiwara countered with a tight waistlock, dragging Ogawa down and immediately moving to trap the right arm. Ogawa reached the ropes once, giving up a rope escape. Fujiwara was building up a nice flow and managed to wrestle Ogawa back down to the mat again with some clever footwork, leading to a wristlock takedown. Fujiwara worked patiently from the legs and eventually found enough room to lock in a heel hook attempt that forced Ogawa to reach for the ropes again. With the score even at one apiece, the tempo subtly shifted as Fujiwara began to impose a slower rhythm. At around eleven minutes in, Fujiwara drew Ogawa into another clinch, but this time used a subtle underhook to step behind and attempt a rear takedown. Ogawa posted hard and rotated into a shoulder throw, but Fujiwara kept his base, shifting his weight and dragging both men down in a tangle. Fujiwara’s grappling knowledge began to surface. He slowly worked wrist control, pinning Ogawa’s elbow to the mat and isolating his shoulder with pressure. Ogawa, to his credit, resisted with urgency, managing to roll out and force another rope break after Fujiwara transitioned to a deep cross armlock. The young judoka, sensing he was in danger of losing control, responded. Ogawa regained some confidence after he managed to wrestle Fujiwara down to the mat with a clever leg entry. Fujiwara remained calm while Ogawa attempted to work in an entry for a rear-naked choke, but Fujiwara sprawled out and got back on his feet. Ogawa continued to remain on the front foot and shocked the Yokohama crowd with another knockdown with a monstrous uranage that dropped Fujiwara squarely on his back. The veteran absorbed the impact, and it was enough to keep him down for another ten count. Fujiwara was slower to get back up this time, but beat the ten count at six and never seemed concerned. Now leading 2-1 on points, Ogawa seemed more confident. Yet Fujiwara remained composed, continuing to chip away at Ogawa’s posture with punches to the body and low calf kicks before luring him into a clinch near the ropes. Fujiwara worked for wrist control and spun Ogawa through the air with another wristlock takedown. Fujiwara quickly followed and established side control. Ogawa had to defend from the bottom as Fujiwara worked for a Fujiwara armbar attempt, but Ogawa reached for the ropes again to force a break. The match was now tied 2-2 on points. Two minutes of patient engagement on both ends passed before Fujiwara managed to lure in Ogawa in another clinch, and surprised his opponent with a vicious headbutt. That was enough to send Ogawa to the mat and force Kitazawa to start another ten count. Ogawa seemed a bit shellshocked and took his time to get up before beating the count at eight. In the final minute, Fujiwara used a slick feint, pretending to collapse from a failed leg trip, to bait Ogawa into a front headlock attempt. In the ensuing scramble, Fujiwara captured the arm, rolled through, and torqued back with his signature Fujiwara armbar, flattening Ogawa’s hips and angling away from the ropes. Ogawa was at a fair distance away from the ropes now and sensed his arm being pulled in a painful direction. The pain was increasing every second. Ogawa, deciding to avoid serious injury, tapped out. The Yokohama Arena exploded as they chanted for Fujiwara, with the bell sounding to signal the winner. Fujiwara defeats Ogawa via submission (Fujiwara armbar), 18:22 Aleksandr Karelin vs Bob Backlund The highly anticipated clash between the renowned American icon and the 1988 Olympic gold medalist was finally here. Backlund did not have Karelin’s Olympic credentials, but he did have a prestigious background of his own. A multi-time WWF champion, Backlund had proved himself in the squared circle and was already a first-ballot hall of famer. Karelin had chosen to enter the world of professional wrestling in 1988 and came close to capturing gold in the U-COSMOS Grand Prix last year, but fell short. Karelin entered the arena first, with Metallica’s “For Whom The Bell Tolls” playing loudly. Backlund entered next, with Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, Movement 4 serving as the entrance music. Nobuyuki Furuta made the ring introductions as both men stared down each other. Kitazawa made quick checks and called for the bell once both men were ready. The crowd watched as Backlund, the eccentric but formidable technician, circled the stoic and imposing Aleksandr Karelin. Right from the opening tie-up, the contrast was stark. Backlund used erratic footwork and vocal taunts to test Karelin’s rhythm, while Karelin stood firm, unmoved by the psychological bait. Backlund initiated with a deep-level drop, trying to get under Karelin's hips with a single-leg, but Karelin countered with a heavy sprawl, flattening the American and wrapping him in a head-and-arm tie. Backlund scrambled, bridging to slip out before a clean rope break could be called, showing his impressive escape instincts. The two remained on the mat, with Karelin continuing to maintain front control. He worked from bottom to frustrate Karelin’s positional pressure, momentarily reversing position and attempting to spin to the back, but Karelin calmly re-established top control. Karelin worked for a scarf choke that almost served as a taunt, but Backlund defended well, and both men eventually found themselves back on their feet. Backlund used a palm thrust to the body and clinched high, trying to create a scramble into a suplex, but Karelin anchored down and delivered a crisp Greco-style bodylock takedown. Karelin forced Backlund to work for an escape out, grinding him down with his power and positioning. Karelin to side control and attempted to hunt for a cross-armbreaker, but Backlund was wise enough to reach for a rope break after sensing he was close to them. Karelin remained undeterred after the reset and wrapped up Backlund for a clinch again. This time, Backlund didn’t seem to have an answer for Karelin’s brute strength as he sent him flying with a SAMBO-style headlock suplex. Backlund eventually had to exhaust another rope break and handed Karelin a 1-0 lead on points after Karelin nearly caught him with an Achilles hold. Backlund came out more aggressively in the middle portion of the match, quickening the pace and using feints to dart into tie-ups, trying to prevent Karelin from dictating the tempo. He managed to surprise the Russian with a fast duck-under and executed a picture-perfect side suplex, lifting Karelin off his feet for a powerful slam. The move caught Karelin by surprise, and the force was enough to keep him down long enough for Kitazawa to start a ten-count. The crowd was audibly impressed as the aura of invincibility surrounding Karelin took its first visible dent in the match. Karelin beat the ten count quickly and got back on his feet, while Backlund sensed an opportune time to resume his advance. But of course, Karelin answered. He trapped Backlund’s next takedown attempt in a front headlock and transitioned into a brutal twisting neck crank that drove Backlund to the ropes. Backlund bounced off but was again dragged across the ring with a huge belly-to-belly suplex. Backlund grabbed his back in pain as he was slow to get up, costing him another knockdown. Kitazawa counted to ten, but Backlund got back up by the count of five. With Karelin leading 2-1 on points, the match grew more grinding and physical. Karelin bullied his way into over-under clinches, hammering Backlund’s ribs with gut punches to sap the American’s defense. Backlund responded with grit, using unorthodox movement to create off-balances and even securing a brief full mount from a scramble before Karelin calmly reversed position and locked in a head-and-arm choke that forced another rope break. A short time later, Karelin blasted Backlund off his feet with a fast, shocking German suplex that led to the third knockdown for Backlund as the referee counted to seven before he stood up, breathing heavily. The final minutes saw Backlund valiantly attempt to swing the momentum. After slipping another clinch, he drove through with a single-leg and forced Karelin to the mat, briefly threatening with a crossface neck lock and then a power half-nelson, but Karelin slowly worked free, showing patience and balance. Backlund managed to tighten his grip before Karelin powered to his feet and fought out. Backlund’s movements began to slow as Karelin’s relentless pressure and clinch fighting wore him down. After dragging Backlund down to the mat, Karelin established side control from the rear and picked up Backlund with brute strength for a deadlift gutwrench suplex. The impressive move sent Backlund reeling for a fourth knockdown. Backlund was slow to get up, but beat Kitazawa’s count by 9. In one final tie-up, Backlund tried to explode into an Olympic slam to change the tide. Karelin blocked, forced Backlund back to the mat while maintaining side control from the waist, and hoisted him clean off the mat, and launched him backward with the Karelin Lift. The gutwrench suplex with a terrifying spike folded Backlund right on his neck. Kitazawa, the referee, immediately began the count as Backlund lay motionless, eyes shut. The crowd roared in awe as Karelin stood over him, stone-faced. The referee reached ten and called for the bell as Backlund remained motionless on his stomach. Though Backlund gave a spirited performance, even scoring a rare knockdown on Karelin, the sheer force of the Soviet machine proved too much. Karelin defeats Backlund via TKO, 17:17 Karelin doesn't waste too much time celebrating and bows gently before the Japanese audience before leaving the ring while Metallica plays in the arena once again. Bob Backlund is helped to his feet by some UWF dojo trainees, ice packs in hand, and Backlund seems a bit shellshocked. He exits the ring with a disappointed look and makes his way to the back. Nobuhiko Takada vs Akira Maeda The fans inside Yokohama Arena were humming with anticipation as two of the primary pillars of UWF were set to meet each other once again. Maeda made his entrance first, with Camel’s “Captured” roaring through the arena as nearly 17,000 fans chanted “Ma-ae-da! Ma-ae-da!”. Maeda made his way to the ring confidently. Next, Nobuhiko Takada entered, set to “Training Montage” from the Rocky IV soundtrack. Takada nearly got an equally loud welcome, with chants of “Ta-ka-da!” following as he made his way to the ring as well. The two stood in their respective corners as Nobuyuki Furuta made the ring introductions. Masami Soranaka, the referee for this match, made checks on both men and asked if they were ready before ringing the bell. Maeda and Takada met in the center of the ring to begin their encounter. The first few minutes were filled with caution, both men acutely aware of the other’s ability to end things early with a well-timed kick. Takada stayed light on his feet, probing with low kicks, targeting Maeda’s lead thigh. Maeda didn’t rush, absorbing the damage without reacting outwardly, occasionally responding with a thudding body kick of his own. The first real contact came when Takada lunged in with a right palm strike that connected high on Maeda’s cheek, only to be immediately caught in a collar tie and dumped with a sudden belly-to-belly suplex. Takada scrambled to his feet, feeling a bit shaken by the sudden move. The crowd roared in approval as the pace quickened, each man trying to assert their rhythm without overcommitting. As Maeda began imposing his stalking pressure, peppering in sharp left kicks to the body. Takada adjusted, ducking into a clinch and nearly dragging Maeda into a double wristlock, but the veteran calmly twisted into the ropes. The two continued to land some strikes in a back-and-forth exchange, followed by some patient matwork as they tried to get one over each other. Maeda and Takada played the long game, choosing not to exhaust too much energy as they struggled for a submission hold. Maeda eventually managed to cause Takada enough concern with a kneebar attempt that forced the first rope break of the match. As the bout passed the ten-minute mark, the tone shifted to one of attrition. Maeda began targeting Takada’s legs more heavily, landing inside and outside low kicks with growing intensity, forcing Takada to rethink his stance. Takada returned fire with a high kick that barely grazed Maeda’s head and a palm strike flurry that opened the door for a single-leg takedown attempt, but Maeda stuffed it, sprawling low and slowly working into top position. The resulting ground battle showcased their mutual Gotch lineage. Maeda clamped down on an ankle and teased a heel hook, but Takada rotated through the pressure and reached the ropes, costing him his second rope break. Maeda was up 1-0 on points. Takada became more aggressive, stepping in with a left middle kick that Maeda caught. Takada bounced on one leg to throw Maeda off a bit and managed to get into a clinch. Takada’s smooth transition was enough to catch Maeda for a well-executed side suplex that sent Maeda crashing to the mat. That was enough to draw the first ten count of the match. Maeda didn’t waste any time getting back up after a brief pause. The next few minutes were spent engaging on more measured terms, with Takada targeting Maeda’s midsection with a series of kicks. A fast double palm strike combo staggered Maeda for a split second. Takada capitalized with a takedown into side control and briefly threatened a double wristlock of his own, but Maeda calmly nullified the angle and reversed the position after a tense struggle, working his way into mount. Maeda worked for a cross-armbreaker while Takada defended, and nearly got it before Takada rolled through and established control of Maeda’s legs on his feet. Takada quickly went for a kneebar attempt, while Maeda defended well, using his hands as leverage to prevent torque. The two continued to fight for position, and Takada eventually managed to secure a cross-armbreaker attempt. Maeda failed to prevent his arm from being snapped back, but was near the ropes to secure a rope break. Takada was now leading 2-1 on points and seemed to be in the driver’s seat. The match continued, and the even war of attrition eventually saw both wrestlers exchange more rope breaks. Tied 2-2 on points, Takada and Maeda engaged in a heated kicking exchange around the seventeen-minute mark, and Takada landed a hard right kick that sent Maeda down to the canvas again for a knockdown. Kitazawa counted to ten as the crowd cheered loudly for Maeda. Maeda managed to get up to beat the count before Kitazawa reached seven. Takada was leading 3-2 on points, and his fans were beginning to become the loudest inside Yokohama Arena. Dueling chants of “Ta-ka-da!” and “Ma-ae-da!” broke out, and it very much seemed to be in Takada’s favor. The final stretch of the match, now deep into the twenty-minute mark, saw fatigue settle in. Maeda’s sharp leg kicks had left Takada visibly limping, with his lateral movement now compromised. Takada landed one final palm strike combo and attempted a spinning back kick, but Maeda caught the leg and hoisted him violently overhead into a high-angle Capture Suplex that planted Takada on his upper back and neck. The impact drew a sharp gasp from the Yokohama crowd. Takada was flat on his back, and Maeda immediately latched onto Takada, dragging him up to his feet. Maeda secured his waist and dropped backward for a bridging German suplex. Takada was still out cold from the Capture Suplex and did not sense Soranaka going for the three count. 1….2…..3!!!! Maeda had prevailed after twenty-two grueling minutes. Maeda defeats Takada via pinfall, 22:03 Both men remained motionless for a moment, breathing heavily. Maeda slowly stood, acknowledging the fans with a subtle bow. Takada, aided to his feet moments later, received a respectful ovation of his own. They turn to each other and shake hands while exchanging quick bows. Takada is the first to leave the ring while Maeda celebrates for a little bit before heading back as well. Tatsumi Fujinami vs Satoru Sayama The main event had finally arrived. 17,000 fans in the Yokohama Arena were fully locked in as both wrestlers made their entrances. First to enter was Satoru Sayama. The reigning champion had been on a mission to keep his place on top of the mountain over the past several months, but faced a very tough challenge tonight. It was evident that Sayama’s fans were quite loud and numerous. Tatsumi Fujinami made his entrance next, and the challenger seemed very prepared and focused as he quickly made his way to the ring. He had vocal fans as well, although perhaps not as numerous compared to Sayama. With both wrestlers in the ring, Masami Soranaka presents the belt for the final time and makes his customary checks on both wrestlers. With both wrestlers signaling they were ready to start, Soranaka called for the bell, and the main event commenced. The atmosphere in the arena was electric. From the outset, the contrast was evident. Sayama moved lightly on his feet, darting in and out of range with short feints and sharp angles. The champion tested Fujinami’s reactions with probing low kicks and the occasional fast palm strike targeted at the head. Fujinami, as always, remained composed and centered. In the early minutes, Sayama’s speed was clearly to his advantage; his sharp middle kicks and quick entries forced Fujinami into a reactive posture. Still, the veteran caught a body kick around the six-minute mark and converted it into a crisp single-leg takedown, transitioning immediately into a cross-armbreaker attempt. Sayama remained calm, using a knee shield and his hips to slide toward the ropes. The referee called for a clean break, and both men disentangled mutually. Back on their feet, Fujinami continued to play the long game and refused to be reactionary against Sayama’s quick feet. He baited the reigning champion into another mistimed kick that he turned into a shoot-esque Dragon corkscrew that popped the crowd. Fujinami immediately went for a well-executed kneebar, and Sayama attempted to defend. Despite a brief struggle, Fujinami was able to lock it in, and Sayama quickly went for the ropes and exhausted the first rope break of the match. Sayama got one in return shortly afterward, after he wrestled Fujinami down to the mat with a double-leg that he turned into a heel hook attempt. For now, it seemed like a battle of leglocks. Sayama eventually managed to force Fujinami to the ropes. The match continued to be a mainly submission-based affair as Sayama did not seem to be able to land his kicks on Fujinami in the way he wanted. Fujinami was clever, and his defense and own approach neutralized Sayama’s striking so far. Eventually, both men found themselves tied 1-1 on points after two more rope breaks from each. The next phase of the match did eventually become more grueling for both. Bmen worked toward small positional advantages rather than dramatic shifts. Fujinami continued to show off his great timing, deflecting Sayama’s kicks more effectively and using underhooks in the clinch to shut down scrambles. At one point, he secured a waistlock off a missed kick and planted Sayama with a German suplex, bridging high and tight. Sayama kicked out just before the three count, and the crowd erupted. Fujinami transitioned smoothly into side control and began attacking the near arm, but Sayama used the rotation to spin free, climbing up Fujinami’s back as they reset. The pace quickened, and Sayama began to shine as his athleticism became more of a factor. Sayama flipped out of a wristlock, turning a grounded half-nelson into a slick armbar entry. Fujinami had to shift his hips quickly and grab the ropes to avoid the full extension. Fujinami seemed to be caught off guard, but he didn’t let the moment get to him. He responded with a sequence of chain wrestling that led to a near hammerlock, but Sayama managed to reverse into a triangle attempt from the bottom. It was clear both men had scouted each other quite well, with neither giving an inch without determined effort. Sayama finally started to find some luck in the striking game, baiting Fujinami with palm strikes and body jabs before going in with hard kicks. Fujinami was momentarily stunned by a sharp kick to the ribs, allowing Sayama to open up with a slick combo that got the crowd rocking. Fujinami was on his back foot, and a beautiful jumping roundhouse was enough to get Fujinami off his feet for the first knockdown of the match. Masami Soranaka initiated the ten count after a delay, but Fujinami was able to get on his feet before the count of six. Now leading 2-1 on points, Sayama continued to apply pressure on his opponent. Fujinami was forced to regain his rhythm quickly, and he managed to do just that. Fujinami managed to block a high kick and slipped behind to gain control of Sayama’s waist and delivered another beautiful German suplex. Fujinami maintained control of Sayama’s back and worked for a rear-naked choke, forcing Sayama to reach for the ropes for another break. Fujinami had seemingly regained control of the match around the sixteen-minute mark when he countered a palm strike from Sayama with a sharp one of his own, before delivering a snap suplex that he attempted to turn into a guillotine choke. Sayama somehow found his way to the ropes again, and the match was now tied 2-2 on points. By the final stretch, the fatigue had set in. It was visible in their breath, their sweat-streaked backs, and the slower movements, but Sayama still carried an edge in pace. A few more rope breaks from both wrestlers after more grappling on the mat saw the match now even at 3-3 on points. It was a back-and-forth struggle, and something had to give. Fujinami found a way to neutralize Sayama’s pace advantage again with deliberate wrist control. Fujinami slipped through a reversal attempt from Sayama and found his waist again. Sayama seemed a bit surprised, but couldn’t do much as Fujinami delivered another German suplex. Fujinami maintained waistlock control and lifted Sayama again, before opting for a Dragon Suplex. The suplex combo was enough to deliver a knockdown in Fujinami’s favor, and Sayama seemed to be on the edge as he stumbled his way back up. Soranaka nearly counted to ten before Sayama regained his footing and signaled his ability to continue. At 4-3, Fujinami was close to unseating the champion and claiming the belt for himself. Sayama still had something up his sleeve, though. A flush right palm strike caught Fujinami stepping forward and rocked him off balance, followed by a quick spinning back kick to the ribs that sent him retreating. Sayama pressed aggressively, with another middle kick, a low kick, and a left palm that grazed Fujinami’s jaw. Fujinami ducked in for a clinch and looked for another Dragon Suplex, but Sayama dropped his hips and rolled through, maintaining wrist control. With a sudden burst, he shifted behind Fujinami, locked in a tight waistlock, and arched violently into a high-angle Tiger Suplex. Fujinami landed hard, the back of his shoulders slamming the mat as Sayama bridged beautifully into a pin. Soranaka initiated the count….1…2………3!!!!!!!!! The bell rang, crowning Sayama the winner by pinfall. Sayama defeats Fujinami via pinfall, 24:17 Sayama slowly got to his knees, bowed toward Fujinami, and received a reverent ovation from the Yokohama crowd. Fujinami sat up slowly, nodding in acceptance, having pushed the champion to the edge. Fujinami gets plenty of cheers for his performance. Fujinami and Sayama have a quick embrace before Fujinami leaves the ring. Lou Thesz and Billy Robinson enter the ring to award Sayama his championship belt once again. Instrumental music fit for the occasion plays as the title is wrapped around his waist. Sayama is also presented with a few trophies for good measure. Everyone seems to be enjoying the moment. Sayama gives a brief speech and says he commends Fujinami for the great match and that he looks forward to facing him again soon. Sayama says his attention is now turned to Marco Ruas, who is sitting ringside as well. The camera catches Ruas as Sayama talks about their upcoming title match in Brazil. Sayama says he has huge respect for Ruas and that the test will be difficult but worthwhile. Sayama turns to Ruas and says he will see him in Rio de Janeiro. Ruas is seen with a stoic, but intrigued look on his face. Sayama celebrates a bit more, although the ring eventually clears as the show officially draws to a close. The commentators recap the events of the evening while commenting on who could stop Sayama, who seems to be on top of his game. They mention Ruas' skill and homefield advantage as factors Sayama will have to overcome next month. The commentators talk about the Rio de Janeiro event and break down some of the matches already announced, including Aleksandr Karelin facing Naoya Ogawa. After they talk about how much time has flown since UWF's debut two years ago, they wrap up the show with WOWOW's rolling credits sending off the TV audience.
  23. Card Announcement: UWF Newborn - "Second Anniversary" July 27th, 1990 Yokohama, Japan Yokohama Arena Mitsuya Nagai vs Manabu Yamada Yusuke Fuke vs Jerry Flynn Ahmed Johnson vs Dick Vrij Kiyoshi Tamura & Masahito Kakihara vs Tatsuo Nakano & Yoji Anjo Masakatsu Funaki & Wayne Shamrock vs Kazuo Yamazaki & Minoru Suzuki World Tag Team Championship: Duane Koslowski & Dennis Koslowski vs Victor Zangiev & Salman Hashimikov Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Naoya Ogawa Aleksandr Karelin vs Bob Backlund Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship: Satoru Sayama(c) vs Tatsumi Fujinami
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