Control21

Who are you to doubt Orange Cassidy? All joking aside, I think Joseph put out a very good list, and a nicely balanced one at that.

News and Notes (6/1-6/5/1991) UWF Newborn ran their "Battle Dimension: Nagoya" show on 5/29 at the Tsuyuhashi Sports Center in Nagoya before a sold-out crowd of 5,000, taped for WOWOW. The undercard was largely what you'd expect from this group, with Billy Scott and Steve Nelson opening in a decent enough young lion match, Scott getting the submission win at 8:57. Koji Kanemoto looked improved against Koichiro Kimura, taking the win via Boston crab at 11:21. Chris Benoit had another strong outing against Tatsuo Nakano, picking up the win with a pinfall off a German suplex-to-choke transition that was creative as hell. Masahito Kakihara handled Eric Edelenbos from the Dolman gym in Amsterdam by KO at 12:03 in a decent match. The Tamura and Yamazaki tag against Joe Malenko and Erik Paulson was probably one of the most fun tag matches this promotion has done, with Tamura in particular looking like a star in the making. Yamazaki closed it out with a cross-armbreaker at 15:17. The top four matches are really where this show delivered. Wayne Shamrock pulling off the upset over Yoshiaki Fujiwara with a bridging Dragon suplex was a genuine shock, and the Nagoya crowd lost their minds for it. Shamrock fighting out of a double wristlock that Fujiwara trapped him with was incredible, and this was probably Shamrock's best performance in the company to date. Sayama and Onita against Ogawa and Fujinami was a solid tag match, with Onita tapping Fujinami with a guillotine at 15:01. The Takada-Han match was everything you'd want it to be, with Han delivering one of his trademark breathtaking sequences, turning a potential cross-armbreaker into a cross heel hold for the submission win over Takada at 16:46. The main event saw Maeda take a beating from Dick Vrij before gutting out the rear-naked choke win at 18:55. Vrij looked legitimately dangerous and Maeda's comeback from a rough middle stretch made for a compelling main event. Strong show overall, probably one of the better shows UWF Newborn has had this year. (Wrestling Observer, 6/4/1991) ----- Bonus! Dave Meltzer's Star Ratings! Chris Benoit defeated Tatsuo Nakano at 13:44 via pinfall. This was a good match. Nakano's palm strikes are legitimate, and Benoit had to adjust his entire game plan early after getting rocked. The story of Benoit figuring out how to duck under the strikes and attack the legs was well told, and the finishing sequence with the German suplex transitioning into the rear-naked choke that Nakano survived before getting caught in the pinning combination was creative and unexpected. Benoit continues to impress every time out in this promotion and is clearly one of the better workers they have brought in from the outside. *** Kiyoshi Tamura and Kazuo Yamazaki defeated Joe Malenko and Erik Paulson at 15:17 when Yamazaki submitted Malenko with a cross-armbreaker. This was the best tag match this promotion has done and one of the better matches on the show. The dynamic of Tamura and Yamazaki using speed and striking to counter the more methodical submission work of Malenko and Paulson was well conceived and well executed. Tamura in particular was exceptional here. There is a sequence where he knocks down both Paulson and Malenko in succession that got an enormous reaction and was completely deserved. Yamazaki's counter-grappling was sharp whenever Malenko or Paulson tried to slow things down. Tamura, at this point, looks like one of the best young workers in the world, and every performance reinforces that. ***½ Wayne Shamrock defeated Yoshiaki Fujiwara at 16:22 via pinfall with a bridging Dragon suplex. This was a genuinely great match, and the result was a legitimate shock. Fujiwara is one of the best ever at this style, and Shamrock came in aggressive, which was the right call, but Fujiwara, being Fujiwara, was patient and waited for the opening and got the first rope break with an arm entanglement off a rushed single leg attempt. Shamrock recalibrated and the match got very good from there with both men fighting for position on the mat. The spot where Shamrock fought out of the double wristlock was incredible, and the crowd completely turned for him at that point. For Shamrock to then immediately come back and catch Fujiwara with the bridging Dragon suplex for the pin was as good a finishing sequence as you will see. Fujiwara losing clean to Shamrock here is a big deal and is a significant rub for the American. ****1/4 Volk Han defeated Nobuhiko Takada at 16:46 via submission with a cross heel hold. This was everything you would expect from these two and then some. Han is simply one of the most creative submission wrestlers on the planet right now, and the range of holds he attempted from positions that should not allow for any offense at all is something that has to be seen to be believed. Takada was characteristically disciplined and smart, using his kicks to keep distance and refusing to engage on the mat unless he was confident in his position, which is the correct approach against Han. The finish was the highlight of the entire show. Takada going for a cross-armbreaker and Han rolling through and converting it into a cross heel hold in one motion was breathtaking and the crowd reacted accordingly. Takada tapping to Han is not a small thing and Han continues to look like one of the best workers in the world every single time out. Match of the night by a comfortable margin. ****½ Akira Maeda defeated Dick Vrij at 18:55 via submission with a rear-naked choke. Good main event. Vrij's kickboxing is as legitimate as it gets, and Maeda had no interest in letting this become a stand-up fight, which was the smart call. Vrij's takedown defense was much better than expected in the early going, and he was landing body kicks that were visibly hurting Maeda. The head kick midway through that dropped Maeda was the most dramatic moment of the match, and Maeda was genuinely fortunate to beat the count. What followed was a very good stretch of Maeda using ring intelligence and clinch work to survive before slowly reasserting himself as Vrij tired. Once Maeda started hitting takedowns and hunting submissions consistently, Vrij was in trouble, and the rope breaks piled up quickly. The rear-naked choke finish was decisive. Maeda looked genuinely vulnerable in a way that was good for business, and Vrij looked like a legitimate threat throughout, even in defeat. Strong main event to close out a very good show. **** ----- Vader is apparently close to returning to UWF Newborn in what would be a working arrangement between the promotion and World Championship Wrestling. The deal is not finalized, but sources indicate Vader is genuinely interested in renewing his relationship with UWF, and the feeling appears to be mutual. The natural direction if this comes together is a match with Akira Maeda at the anniversary show in July, which would make obvious sense given the unfinished business between the two from Vader's previous run with the promotion. Maeda is the current world champion and needs a credible big match opponent for what figures to be the promotion's most important show of the year, and there are very few names on the planet that fit that bill better than Vader at this point. The WCW working arrangement angle is worth watching closely. WCW has been increasingly aggressive about exploring working deals with Japanese promotions, and this would not be the first arrangement of this kind. Vader is one of the rare western wrestlers who has demonstrated he can operate credibly in a shoot-style environment, which is precisely why this pairing makes sense in a way it simply wouldn't with most WCW talents. If this gets finalized and Maeda vs. Vader happens at the anniversary show, it would be a genuinely big match and one of the more anticipated bouts the promotion has put together in some time. More on this as it develops. (Wrestling Observer, 6/4/1991) UWF Newborn officially announced their "New Generation" eight-man tournament at a press conference ahead of the Nagoya show, with first round matches set as Masakatsu Funaki vs. Manabu Yamada, Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Masahito Kakihara, Minoru Suzuki vs. Naoya Ogawa, and Wayne Shamrock vs. Yusuke Fuke. The tournament will begin in June, and the winner receives a cash bonus along with a significant bump in the UWF rankings, which, given how seriously this promotion treats its ranking system, is not a trivial incentive. The bracket is strong, and this is a genuinely interesting collection of young talent. The tournament concept is smart booking for UWF at this stage. Shamrock's recent upset win over Fujiwara has given him real momentum, and a deep run here would go a long way toward cementing him as a legitimate player in the promotion rather than just an impressive foreigner who got lucky on one big night. Funaki and Tamura are probably the two favorites on paper, and a potential final between them would be a very big deal. Suzuki vs. Ogawa is a fascinating stylistic clash and could be the sleeper match of the first round. The winner of this tournament is not going to be handed a world title shot immediately, given where the rankings stand, but a strong performance throughout could absolutely accelerate someone's trajectory in a significant way. Brackets and scheduled dates for the remaining rounds are expected to be announced shortly. (Wrestling Observer, 6/4/1991) ----- Now for the big story of the week.... After months of speculation and careful maneuvering behind the scenes, UWF Newborn has finalized deals with five American collegiate wrestling stars in what has to be considered one of the most significant recruitment efforts in the history of the promotion. The signings, which were brokered largely through the tireless efforts of Lou Thesz, represent a major statement of intent from UWF regarding the direction of their American roster. The news was announced at the UWF post-event press conference on Monday afternoon. The five wrestlers signed are Mark Kerr, Mark Coleman, Kurt Angle, Kevin Randleman, and Randy Couture. All five are legitimate amateur standouts, and the caliber of this group is genuinely exceptional. This is not a case of UWF scraping the barrel for any available American body with a wrestling background. These are serious, decorated amateur competitors, and the acquisition of all five in one swoop is a remarkable achievement for the promotion. The story began earlier this year when Tokyo Sports reported that Thesz would be making a scouting trip to the United States with the NCAA Wrestling Championships as his primary destination. Thesz attended the championships, held from March 14th through March 16th, and subsequently made visits to several additional American wrestling events being held to determine qualifiers for the 1991 World Championships. Upon returning to Japan, Thesz met with UWF officials and, by all accounts, was very enthusiastic about what he had found. Sources close to the promotion were keeping details extremely tight at that stage, with the fear being that American promotions could potentially interfere with recruitment efforts if word got out too early. As we noted at the time, there was legitimate skepticism from some corners about how successful this effort would actually be. With the 1992 Olympics on the horizon, convincing decorated American amateur wrestlers to bypass their Olympic dreams in favor of transitioning to professional wrestling in Japan was always going to be a difficult sell. One source familiar with American amateur wrestling circles told us flatly that most young wrestlers at that level have no interest in turning professional before chasing the Olympics, and that the transition from collegiate amateur wrestling to pro wrestling straight out of college remains exceedingly rare regardless of financial incentive. The success of Duane and Dennis Koslowski in UWF had not gone unnoticed in American circles, and Thesz's legendary status in the amateur world gave UWF a credibility that most Japanese promotions simply would not have had, but the Olympic factor was always the central obstacle. Thesz made multiple trips back to the United States to continue negotiations after his initial scouting run. A significant round of talks was held in Virginia, and it was following that meeting that sources close to the situation indicated deals were imminent. The contracts are described as financially very competitive, which clearly played a role in getting this across the finish line. It was also confirmed that the agreements include provisions addressing the Olympic question, with sources indicating that Olympic participation clauses and compensation structures for wrestlers who might withdraw from Olympic qualifying were among the details being ironed out in the final stages of negotiation. The specifics of those clauses have not been made available. The plan for all five is not an immediate debut but rather an assignment to the UWF dojo, where they will undergo several months of training before being introduced. Thesz was reportedly insistent on this point, wanting the recruits properly prepared for the UWF style before they were put in front of a crowd. Given the promotion's reputation for working a credible, shoot-style product, this makes obvious sense. Raw athletic talent is one thing, but the UWF style demands a specific kind of preparation that even the most accomplished amateur wrestlers will need time to absorb. The success of the Koslowskis suggests the model works when given proper time, and UWF appears committed to taking the same patient approach here rather than rushing anyone out for a quick publicity pop. The depth of talent in this group is worth emphasizing. Without getting too deeply into the background of each individual, this is a collection of wrestlers who collectively represent some of the best American amateur wrestling has produced in recent years. If even two or three of them translate effectively to the UWF style, this could prove to be one of the most important roster moves the promotion has ever made. The obvious comparison point remains the Koslowskis, but the sheer volume of signings here suggests UWF is making a much more aggressive and sustained commitment to building an American presence than anything they have done previously. There will be plenty of questions going forward. How long the dojo period actually runs before any of these five see action remains to be seen. How the Olympic clauses are structured and whether any of them ultimately decide the Olympic dream outweighs the financial opportunity will be something to monitor. And of course, translating elite amateur credentials into compelling professional performances in the UWF style is far from automatic. But as a statement of ambition and organizational reach, this is a genuinely impressive development, and Thesz deserves enormous credit for pulling it off. More details as they become available. (Wrestling Observer, 6/4/1991)

Volk Han vs Bryan Danielson Volk Han vs Blue Panther Volk Han vs Vader Volk Han vs Genichiro Tenryu Kiyoshi Tamura vs Samoa Joe Kiyoshi Tamura vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara Yuki Ishikawa vs Vader Yuki Ishikawa vs William Regal Daisuke Ikeda vs Kota Ibushi

Big thanks to @Grimmas and everyone else involved in running this project. This was a massive behemoth, and seeing it through despite the difficulties that come up with something like this is very commendable. I'm very happy with how this list turned out. I would take it over 2016's list any day of the week. I thought Danielson would take the #1 spot, but I guess I underestimated the depth and universality of Funker's appeal. No complaints though!

King of the Ring was an excellent tournament and seemed like a major success for WWF. Flair vs Santana is a tasty matchup on paper, and I would be surprised if those two didn't deliver at SummerSlam.

The last month or so has been really good for WCW. Several pieces are coming together in a big way, and I think Clash of Champions is setting up to be one of the best shows of the year. Tenryu in WCW is going to be blockbuster.

Well, that's my "Complete and Accurate" of UWF Newborn in the books. I would say 1990 was the promotion's strongest year by far. 1989 wasn't too bad either, but things felt very flat during the stretch between July and November. The ceiling is definitely raised when Fujiwara, Suzuki, and Funaki arrive in the promotion, and it feels like everyone is pushing each other to get better at that point. It would have been interesting to see UWF get more international talent. The Dutch guys definitely added some flavor (Dick Vrij especially), and some of the American wrestlers like Wayne Shamrock and Mark Rush added depth. It's also a shame that Kiyoshi Tamura was injured for most of 1990. We were robbed of potential classics like Tamura vs Funaki or Tamura vs Fujiwara. Another thing I noticed is that Takada is involved with a lot of high-level stuff in UWF Newborn. I think he's a much better wrestler than people give him credit for, and while he definitely has moments where he checks out, he steps up to the plate when the moment demands it. My Top 10 UWF Newborn matches: 1. Nobuhiko Takada vs Akira Maeda (6/21/1990) 2. Masakatsu Funaki vs Tatsuo Nakano (7/24/1989) 3. Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara (10/25/1990) 4. Kazuo Yamazaki vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara (7/24/1989) 5. Nobuhiko Takada vs Akira Maeda (11/10/1988) 6. Nobuhiko Takada vs Akira Maeda (1/10/1989) 7. Nobuhiko Takada vs Akira Maeda (1/16/1990) 8. Bob Backlund vs Nobuhiko Takada (12/22/1988) 9. Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Tatsuo Nakano (1/16/1990) 10. Akira Maeda vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara (7/20/1990) Honorable mentions: Masakatsu Funaki vs Yoji Anjo (6/14/1989) Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara (2/27/1990) Akira Maeda vs Masakatsu Funaki (10/25/1990) Masakatsu Funaki vs Wayne Shamrock (12/1/1990) Minoru Suzuki vs Masakatsu Funaki (4/15/1990)

UWF Energy (12/1/1990) Kiyoshi Tamura vs Masahito Kakihara I expected these two to deliver, and they did. While Tamura looked impressive in his previous UWF outings, I think this match is really the start of the Kiyoshi Tamura we would eventually fall in love with in UWFi and RINGS. He is sharp, and despite his size, he is quite a physical presence. Kakihara is still a little raw, but Tamura plays off this well, and the stiff, tense nature of this match is the result of these two recognizing how to play the music, so to speak. Tamura is still vulnerable despite his rapid improvement, and Kakihara picks him off with well-timed strikes, but Tamura is just better, and he knows how to get under Kakihara's skin. Kakihara exhausts a lot of rope breaks as a result and is increasingly vulnerable to Tamura's striking. The two are pretty much even on points down the stretch, and both are down to their last out. Kakihara actually gets back into the match with some well-timed counters, but Tamura keeps pressing, and Kakihara burns all of his rope breaks. Tamura looks a bit upset after the match. He's aware that he couldn't get Kakihara to tap, and knows the victory isn't quite decisive. Mechanically, this is a very impressive match, a great example of what made Kakihara and Tamura so good, even this early in their careers. ****1/4 Yoji Anjo vs Minoru Suzuki Mechanically, this was a very solid match. Both Anjo and Suzuki demonstrated good technique and pushed each other on the mat with some very nice grappling mixed in with stand-up exchanges as well. This probably went a little longer than it should have, but it didn't really have any slow points, and they kept up a solid pace to give the bout a nice flow. There's a very creative finish at the end, which I enjoyed quite a bit. **** Bart Vale vs Kazuo Yamazaki Nothing particular exciting here, I'm not the biggest fan of Bart Vale, and it is painful to see him try to work the mat when he should be sticking to being a ferocious striker. Still, this isn't as bad as I expected, and Yamazaki does a good job of keeping the match on track. I admit, this match kinda just "happened" for me. *** Shigeo Miyato vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara This was decent enough. Miyato doesn't pose much of a threat until the last minute or so, so this is all about Fujiwara dictating his junior around the ring, although this isn't the most spirited Fujiwara performance you'll find either. The technical quality wasn't bad or anything, but I felt this match could have benefited from Miyato posing more of a threat and gunning for the upset over Fujiwara. ***1/2 Nobuhiko Takada vs Tatsuo Nakano This is a frustrating match to some degree. It's not terrible, but I got the feeling these two were approaching things in a way that was counterproductive. They went a little longer than they should have, and I felt that they missed an opportunity to have more stand-up exchanges, which would have allowed them to ramp things up and take the match to another level. The grappling work was fine, but it's obviously not Nakano's strength, and when Takada isn't feeling motivated, there's a very noticeable lack of urgency in his grappling. Nakano can't really make up for this, so they overstay their welcome with some sequences. Mechanically, the matwork is good....it's just not where it should be, and I think these two could have played to their strengths more. ***3/4 Masakatsu Funaki vs Wayne Shamrock I suppose having Masakatsu Funaki vs Wayne Shamrock as the main event of the final UWF show is very fitting. Of course, they didn't know it would be the final show, but these two represented the future of Kakutogi, and the fact that they served as the final sendoff for the promotion is quite poetic in retrospect. Both stepped up to the occasion, and the result was a technically sound match, with both displaying their grappling skills in the first half, before they decided to ratchet things up with some intense striking and suplex exchanges. It's not quite a preview of Pancrase in the same way Funaki vs Suzuki was earlier in 1990, but we still see glimpses of the technical craft that would define 90s shoot-style throughout promotions like UWFi, RINGS, and PWFG. Funaki finds his match in Shamrock, and it's the beginning of what would be a beautiful rivalry for years to come. Shamrock isn't a pushover on the mat, and Funaki has to work extra hard to exploit any openings, because Shamrock is both strong and quick. Funaki can't use his speed against Shamrock as he did against Maeda and Fujiwara; he has to resort to a more methodical, scientific wrestling to keep control of the pace. Shamrock's calling card is his striking and suplexes, and he uses this as an advantage to force Funaki out of his comfort zone. Funaki finds his rhythm in the process and delivers one heck of a performance in the second half of the match. Shamrock is a prodigy like his opponent, but Funaki's confidence and zeal are just too much to handle in the end. It's not quite a full-blown classic, but it's a great, if not low-key, finish to one of the greatest promotions in wrestling history. A burning, bright star dies, but several more are waiting to be born. One of them will retain the elements that Shamrock and Funaki brought to the table, and in the process, a whole new solar system will be born. ****1/2

UWF Atlantis (10/25/1990) Masahito Kakihara vs Yusuke Fuke Another good showing for these two. This match had a really hot start after Kakihara took a swing at Fuke right before the bell, and they exchanged stiff strikes afterwards. The action wasn't as constant as in their previous two matches, but the quality was still way above what you would expect. They spend a little more time stalling with matwork, but the striking exchanges are still pretty good. Neither guy really has the advantage, so they just keep going back and forth until they both start running low on gas. The nice thing about both guys is that they look like legitimate threats, and the idea of either of them going toe-to-toe with another roster member like Tamura or Miyato isn't entirely far-fetched. **** Shigeo Miyato vs Minoru Suzuki Nothing too bad here. There was a nice pace to this match, and both Suzuki and Miyato pushed each other enough that they didn't lose the main thread, so to speak. Suzuki kept a good control of things, and it didn't really feel like Miyato was a real threat until the last few minutes or so. This did cause the match to get stuck in a certain gear. Certain mechanical aspects of this match were quite impressive, including how Suzuki remained fluid and kept hunting for submissions even when Miyato attempted to slow the match down. Miyato wasn't a passenger, but it felt like this was the Suzuki show. ***3/4 Wellington Wilkins Jr vs Tatsuo Nakano A short match. Wellington Wilkins Jr seemed totally lost and/or lazy here. Nakano carries most of the match, and Wilkins doesn't seem interested at all. **3/4 Wayne Shamrock vs Yoji Anjo This was a good debut for Shamrock. Anjo gave Shamrock plenty of room to breathe, which allowed him to showcase his athletic abilities and natural grappling skills. The fact that Shamrock already looks like a credible threat to any member on the roster is a feather in both caps. Anjo's ability to play off the strengths of other wrestlers is quite underrated. Shamrock knows how to transition from hold to hold and hunt for submissions, and the fluid dynamism that already defines his approach to this style of wrestling is notable already. Shamrock seems to be able to dictate things on the mat, but Anjo's calling card is his striking, which gives Shamrock trouble at first. Anjo makes the mistake of taking things to the mat again, which allows Shamrock to exploit an opening to secure a rear choke variation for the submission. Good stuff. **** Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara Fujiwara's performance in this match is one of the most cerebral I've seen in any style of wrestling, let alone shoot-style. Fujiwara knows he can get inside Takada's head, as we saw from the February 1990 match, and he tries the same tactic here, especially as he uses his facial expressions to try to throw his opponent off his game. Fujiwara is overconfident here, and Takada resists the same tricks and mind games that cost him earlier in the year. Instead, Takada waits Fujiwara out, rolling with Fujiwara's approach without giving an inch. It's a great display of Takada's development; he is wiser and knows he can't beat Fujiwara by sheer force. He needs to be patient and take his opportunities when they come. Fujwiara works harder as a result and is drawn into a position he is less comfortable with. He doesn't mind playing long chess games, but he is more vulnerable when he doesn't have control of them. Takada isn't afraid to use rope breaks when he needs them, unlike Fujiwara, who chooses to risk himself rather than opt for a reset. While Takada doesn't get Fujiwara in any real dangerous moments, he does wear him down. This makes his task easier, as Fujiwara is increasingly exhausted, leaving himself open to Takada's striking. Takada's strategic approach starts paying off. He doesn't get baited this time; you could even say that he is the one who is baiting Fujiwara in the end, especially as he lures Fujiwara into his favorite defensive spot near the turnbuckle, only to use the close distance to fire several knee strikes into Fujiwara's body. It's a huge victory for Takada because he doesn't just beat Fujiwara; he beats Fujiwara in one of the greatest wrestling chess matches of all time. ***** Akira Maeda vs Masakatsu Funaki This was a solid card, top to bottom. The only real disappointment was Nakano vs Wellington Wilkins Jr. Other than that, we had several good to great matches, including the debut of Wayne Shamrock. Shamrock looked very solid in his match with Anjo, and Takada vs Fujiwara was a bona fide classic, with a great psychological performance from Fujiwara. Maeda vs Funaki wasn't as good, but it was quite spectacular in its own way. Fuke vs Kakihara (****) - Probably not as action-packed compared to their previous two matches, but still entertaining, and it's fun to see these two continue their little feud. Miyato vs Suzuki (***3/4) - Solid if not a little restrained performance from both. I didn't feel like this match hit the level that it needed to, or that it should have reached, but it was mechanically very solid. Suzuki continues to improve. Wilkins Jr vs Nakano (**3/4) - Wilkins Jr is a lazy jerk in this match, and doesn't do much. He almost seems like he is forcing Nakano to carry the match because his head isn't in it. Disappointing. Shamrock vs Anjo (****) - A very impressive debut for Shamrock, who is already showing a ton of potential as a wrestling prodigy. Anjo gives Shamrock plenty of room to shine, and Shamrock returns the favor, which creates a very good dynamic. Fujiwara vs Takada (*****) - Read my full review for this match, but it is incredible, and Fujiwara delivers one of the most compelling psychological performances you will ever see in the wrestling ring. Takada ain't bad either. Maeda vs Funaki (****1/2) - A fantastic main event, with Maeda frustrating Funaki's hopes and dreams as Funaki realizes he doesn't quite have enough at the moment to overcome the UWF frontman.

I think it's a combination of people not knowing where to start and the footage quality generally being a bit worse compared to what is available with Japanese wrestling.

I think I see something similar when I look back at the first two wrestlers I fell in love with as a kid....Bret Hart and Blue Panther.

AWA has been on a roll lately. I really enjoyed the Puerto Rico event! That territory has always been one of my major blind spots, but everything I've seen from it was really solid, and I think you did the spirit of that particular strand of wrestling a lot of justice with that show.

Really enjoyable episode of SMW. I think this promotion is giving space for a lot of guys to shine, including Ahmed Johnson and Steve Austin. Looking forward to the future is always a smart play, regardless of promotion size.

I don't think the top 10 signifies a conservative list. It just signifies that the English-speaking wrestling fanbase consistently ranks 10-12 guys as the greatest of all time. I think the 2026 list has been much more balanced overall than 2016, which was the most conservative and American-centric of the three GWE rankings, if you ask me. Obviously, certain styles like Lucha and World of Sport suffered, but you always risk having things get overlooked when you open balloting up to the wider public. I expected the list to be way worse, though.

UWF Newborn – “Battle Dimension: Nagoya” May 29th, 1991 Nagoya, Japan Tsuyuhashi Sports Center Attendance: 5,000 (sold out) Broadcast: WOWOW (taped) Steve Nelson vs Billy Scott The two American young lions met once again, and although Steve Nelson got a bit more offense in than usual, Billy Scott held his ground and showcased his defensive wrestling abilities. Scott never lost control of the match despite an impressive effort from Nelson. Nelson, in particular, was very dangerous when it came to his suplexes, but Scott did well to survive the initial efforts before figuring out how to reverse one into a double wristlock. Nelson was caught by surprise and had to tap with no ropes in sight. Scott defeats Nelson via submission (double wristlock), 8:57 Koji Kanemoto vs Koichiro Kimura Koji Kanemoto is still quite raw, but the improvement he has made since his debut has been noticeable. Kimura was very conservative in his approach during the match, and this enabled Kanemoto to take some risks offensively. Kimura seemingly preferred to wrestle on the counter, and Kanemoto was happy to oblige. By controlling the tempo, Kanemoto found his comfort zone more easily than Kimura did, especially as he softened up his opponent with low kicks that frustrated Kimura more and more. While Kimura hoped to recover some momentum on the mat, Kanemoto was quite game and knew how to navigate Kimura’s attempts at more methodical grappling, and even found ways to quicken the pace by energetically moving from hold to hold. Kimura had plenty to think about in this match, and Kanemoto seemingly wanted to make a statement against a young lion with a similar skillset level. With a comfortable 3-1 lead on points after two quick knockdowns, Kanemoto caught Kimura with a rolling kick and quickly went for a Boston crab to secure the victory. Kanemoto defeats Kimura via submission (Boston crab), 11:21 Chris Benoit vs Tatsuo Nakano Benoit wanted to continue his impressive streak in UWF, and Nakano would be no slouch. The Canadian grappler had to contend with Nakano’s powerful striking, and had to adapt early after realizing his takedown-centered strategy would have no bearing if he couldn’t defend against Nakano’s relentless palm strikes. Benoit fired some back on his own, but Nakano didn’t seem too bothered. Eventually, Benoit learned a quick lesson after being caught on the counter by one nasty hit from Nakano. Benoit beat the ten-count after being sent to the mat and started gaining a better sense of Nakano’s approach. As a result, Benoit found more luck securing leg takedowns after ducking more palm strikes and started to find success on the mat by attacking Nakano’s legs. Nakano had to burn a few rope breaks to even the match, and a similar theme would continue as Nakano attempted to neutralize Benoit before he could utilize his strengths more and more. While Nakano wasn’t clueless on the canvas, Benoit clearly had the advantage, and his increasing knowledge of catch-as-catch-can paid dividends. After they found themselves tied 2-2 on points, Benoit hit Nakano with a powerful German suplex that he turned into a rear-naked choke. Nakano did well to leverage himself and prevent Benoit from getting all of it, but Benoit was quick and transitioned into a clever pinning combination that kept Nakano’s shoulders on the mat for the three count. Benoit defeats Nakano via pinfall, 13:44 Masahito Kakihara vs Eric Edelenbos Eric Edelenbos, coming from Chris Dolman’s Amsterdam gym, was a competent striker with decent submission skills, and he would be no pushover for Kakihara. Kakihara learned quickly that the Dutchman was not afraid to go toe-to-toe and offered a similar danger when it came to hard, fast palm strikes. Kakihara had to adjust quickly after suffering an early knockdown and attempted to change the pace of the match by attacking the Dutchman’s legs and going for takedowns. On the mat, Edelenbos was able to handle himself, but Kakihara dictated the tempo and was much better at finding gaps to exploit. Kakihata evened the match up on points after securing several rope breaks from Edelenbos. Back on their feet, Kakihara gained a better read on Edelenbos and started to threaten the Dutchman more with a variety of kicks and counter palm strikes. The two would trade one more point each after more knockdowns and rope breaks, but Kakihara would eventually find a way to put Edelenbos away for good with a high kick combo that was enough to cause Edelenbos to lose track of where he was, resulting in a full ten count and a KO. Kakihara defeats Edelenbos via KO, 12:03 Kiyoshi Tamura & Kazuo Yamazaki vs Joe Malenko & Erik Paulson With Tamura and Yamazaki pushing for a tag team title shot, a win here seemed critical. While Malenko and Paulson were not recent UWF regulars, they were still a formidable catch-based duo that presented plenty of danger on the mat. In a sense, this tag team bout turned into a clash between the striking skills of both Yamazaki and Tamura, and the submission-based wrestling of Paulson and Malenko. That is not to say Tamura and Yamazaki lacked abilities on the mat, of course not, but Tamura and Yamazaki knew that the most effective counter to the more methodical grappling of their opponents was to force the tempo with speed and precision. Tamura, in particular, presented a whole bunch of problems as Malenko, and to a lesser extent, Paulson could not effectively counter Tamura’s urgency early on. Yamazaki offered a slight deviation in his ability to frustrate their opponents on the mat with intelligent counter-grappling whenever Malenko or Paulson attempted to slow things down. While Malenko and Paulson managed to secure two points off Tamura and Yamazaki through rope breaks, the Japanese duo never seemed to be in real danger, and they controlled most of the match. A furious stretch from Tamura saw the young sensation knock down both Paulson and Malenko consecutively, and this secured a roaring pop from the audience. Eventually, Yamazaki delivered a powerful side suplex on Joe Malenko and promptly hunted for and secured a cross-armbreaker for the submission victory. Yamazaki & Tamura defeat Malenko & Paulson via submission (cross-armbreaker), 15:17 Satoru Sayama & Atsushi Onita vs Naoya Ogawa & Tatsumi Fujinami After a bit of a hiatus, Sayama had finally returned to UWF and was hungry to start a new climb to the top. Sayama and Onita's chemistry as a team was an open question heading into this bout. Ogawa and Fujinami were wise to the potential unpredictability of the two, and they worked in fluid tandem to neutralize Sayama whenever he attempted to quicken the pace. Onita’s grappling added a different dimension to his team's offensive game, and this occasionally caught Fujinami off guard when the two shared the mat. Ogawa was the standout performer on his side, using his considerable size and explosive wrestling instincts to give Onita trouble during their exchanges and limit the damage Onita could do with his Luta Livre skills. Sayama, for his part, was at his sharpest when targeting Fujinami's legs, and he managed to force two rope breaks in succession during a particularly sharp stretch of mat wrestling that energized the crowd. Onita's toughness kept his team in contention whenever Ogawa threatened to overwhelm him, absorbing punishment and wearing down the Judo prodigy that prevented Ogawa from ever fully establishing control. With the match tied on points, Sayama and Onita continued to gain momentum with smart tagging that kept both wrestlers fresh. Fujinami was targeted more, and this resulted in Onita gaining the advantage on the mat for the final time. After Fujinami attempted a dragon screw, Onita countered with a guillotine choke. Fujinami was trapped, and any escape seemed impossible. After some reluctance, Fujinami tapped. Onita defeats Fujinami via submission (guillotine choke), 15:01 Wayne Shamrock vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara Fujiwara's reputation preceded him, and Shamrock knew better than to be drawn into a patient, methodical chess match on the veteran's terms. Shamrock was aggressive from the opening exchange, attempting to use his athleticism and explosive takedowns to prevent Fujiwara from ever settling into a comfortable rhythm. Fujiwara, ever the craftsman, absorbed the early energy with quiet patience, happy to concede the tempo and wait for Shamrock to overcommit. That moment came sooner than Shamrock would have liked, as a rushed single-leg attempt gave Fujiwara the opening he needed to pounce on a wrist and drag Shamrock into a painful arm entanglement that forced the first rope break of the match. Shamrock recalibrated and became notably more measured in his approach, and the match entered a tighter, more competitive phase as both men fought for positional control on the mat. Shamrock's strength and physical gifts made him a genuine handful whenever he secured top position, and he forced rope breaks of his own by threatening Fujiwara with a rear waistlock that he looked to convert into a choke on two separate occasions. But Fujiwara's mat intelligence was always lurking, and the veteran seemed to study every movement Shamrock made with quiet calculation. After a knockdown from a sharp Fujiwara headbutt evened the points at two apiece, Fujiwara baited Shamrock into another aggressive scramble, and this time had a kimura waiting for him. Shamrock seemed trapped, but his athletic abilities and natural strength allowed him to fight out of it. This surprised the crowd quite a bit and got them behind the American as an underdog. Shamrock pulled off the impossible when he captured Fujiwara with a bridging Dragon suplex that suddenly pinned Fujiwara to the mat for a full three count from the referee. The arena exploded as Shamrock secured a stunning upset. The American celebrated by jumping up on the nearest turnbuckle and taking in the raucous ovation. Shamrock defeats Fujiwara via pinfall, 16:22 Nobuhiko Takada vs Volk Han The crowd was buzzing in anticipation, and the match delivered on every expectation. Han's reputation as one of the most creative submission wrestlers in the world was well established, and Takada had every reason to be wary of the Dagestani’s ability to conjure holds from seemingly impossible positions. Takada's approach was characteristically disciplined. He used measured kicks to establish distance, probing takedown feints to test Han's reactions, and refused to engage on the mat unless the position was clearly in his favor. Han was unhurried and almost hypnotic in the early going, inviting Takada to engage while carefully constructing his own angles. The match's first genuine moment of danger came when Han caught a Takada kick and converted it into a spinning heel hook in one breathtaking motion, forcing Takada to the ropes immediately. From that point on, Takada's striking became more conservative and deliberate, unwilling to offer Han any further invitations. The rope breaks accumulated in both directions as the match found more of a rhythm. Han threatened with an almost endless variety of arm, leg, and neck attacks from improbable positions, while Takada countered with his sharp combination striking whenever he created enough separation to unload. On the mat, Takada used his veteran knowledge to exploit any undisciplined openings Han left waiting. Two knockdowns apiece brought the match to its peak tension, with the crowd hanging on every scramble. Takada eventually manufactured enough space to land a thunderous high kick that visibly buckled Han, and he rushed in immediately to secure a cross-armbreaker before Han could clear his head. Han was prepared, though, and immediately rolled through, creating momentum to get Takada on his back. In one swift magisterial move, Han turned a potential cross-armbreaker into a cross heel hold that caught Takada completely by surprise. Unable to reach the ropes, Takada chose to tap and concede the victory to an impressive Volk Han. Han defeats Takada via submission (cross heel hold), 16:46 Akira Maeda vs Dick Vrij The main event brought two of UWF's most physically imposing figures into direct conflict, and the atmosphere in Nagoya was electric. Vrij's elite kickboxing pedigree made him a dangerous striker, and Maeda had no illusions about the punishment he could absorb if he allowed the match to become a pure stand-up exchange. Maeda's early strategy was sensible. He used his grappling range to smother Vrij's kicking game and drag the match toward the mat whenever possible. Vrij, however, was prepared for this approach and displayed impressive takedown defense in the opening minutes, shrugging off Maeda's collar ties and creating enough separation to pepper him with body kicks that started to take a visible toll. Maeda was rocked badly by a clean head kick midway through the match and was fortunate to beat the ten-count, spending the next several minutes in pure survival mode as Vrij smelled blood and pushed the pressure. To his enormous credit, Maeda weathered the storm with grit and ring intelligence, clinching at every opportunity and disrupting Vrij's timing enough to keep himself in the match. As the late rounds wore on and Vrij's output inevitably slowed, Maeda began to reassert himself, shooting for takedowns with more conviction and beginning to find the mat time he had been denied earlier. Vrij was forced to burn rope breaks in quick succession as Maeda hunted for submissions constantly. Vrij was just trying to survive, even if it meant giving up points easily. Eventually, Maeda had built up a 3-1 lead on points. Vrij was still dangerous, but Maeda was clearly in control. With Vrij visibly fatigued and no longer able to generate the same explosive kicking power, Maeda threw a sharp combination and followed a stumbling Vrij directly to the mat, wrapping him up in a rear-naked choke. Vrij struggled powerfully, but the position was locked, and he had no choice but to submit. Maeda defeats Vrij via submission (rear-naked choke), 18:55 News and Notes (5/25-5/29-1991) - UWF is getting closer to signing several "high-profile" collegiate American wrestling stars after a round of talks led by Lou Thesz in Virginia. Details are still being kept very close to the vest, but one source mentioned that the deals could be finalized and announced as soon as next month. The contracts will be very financially competitive, and the wrestlers will be assigned to the UWF dojo to begin several months of training before their debut. Some details are still being ironed out, including any potential Olympic clauses and compensation if they choose to withdraw from Olympic qualifying. (Wrestling Observer, 5/28/1991) The "New Generation" eight-man tournament will begin in June. The brackets were announced at a press conference before the upcoming UWF event in Nagoya. First round matches include Masakatsu Funaki vs Manabu Yamada, Kiyoshi Tamura vs Masahito Kakihara, Minoru Suzuki vs Naoya Ogawa, and Wayne Shamrock vs Yusuke Fuke. The winner will receive a cash bonus and a significant boost in the UWF rankings. (Tokyo Sports, 5/24/1991) Vader could be making his return to the UWF in the near future, as he is interested in renewing his relationship with the promotion in a working arrangement with World Championship Wrestling. With his unfinished business with Akira Maeda, he would seem like a natural opponent for the current world champion at the upcoming anniversary show in July. (Weekly Pro Wrestling, 5/25/1991)

Ehh...I don't think so. I ranked him #1, so I might be biased, but not many wrestlers had the same run he had from 1991-1997, and even the stuff before that was pretty good.

I expected these two to deliver, and they did. While Tamura looked impressive in his previous UWF outings, I think this match is really the start of the Kiyoshi Tamura we would eventually fall in love with in UWFi and RINGS. He is sharp, and despite his size, he is quite a physical presence. Kakihara is still a little raw, but Tamura plays off this well, and the stiff, tense nature of this match is the result of these two recognizing how to play the music, so to speak. Tamura is still vulnerable despite his rapid improvement, and Kakihara picks him off with well-timed strikes, but Tamura is just better, and he knows how to get under Kakihara's skin. Kakihara exhausts a lot of rope breaks as a result and is increasingly vulnerable to Tamura's striking. The two are pretty much even on points down the stretch, and both are down to their last out. Kakihara actually gets back into the match with some well-timed counters, but Tamura keeps pressing, and Kakihara burns all of his rope breaks. Tamura looks a bit upset after the match. He's aware that he couldn't get Kakihara to tap, and knows the victory isn't quite decisive. Mechanically, this is a very impressive match, a great example of what made Kakihara and Tamura so good, even this early in their careers. ****1/4

Aja missing out on the Top 10 is a bummer. I should have ranked her higher

Masakatsu Funaki is a phenom, but of course, Akira Maeda is a master of his craft who used to be a phenom himself. He knows everything that is on Funaki's mind. He was in Funaki's position before as a young gun who wanted to prove himself. A dangerous striker with a chip on his shoulder....sounds familiar, right? Maeda knows he can't keep up with Funaki in a straight shootout, so he attempts to exert control over Funaki by using a more methodical strategy. He gets Funaki to engage in a grinding mat battle at times, and this definitely has an impact as Funaki doesn't get too many chances to overwhelm Maeda on his feet. When Funaki gets that chance, though, he looks absolutely incredible. Maeda has little answer for Funaki here, and can only cover up and attempt to get the young sensation on the canvas again. Funaki exhausts a lot of rope breaks as Maeda's submission holds begin to take a toll. Maeda knows he doesn't need to go for a match ender every time; he just needs to apply enough pressure and pain to get Funaki to exert more energy and wear his body down. While Funaki is happy to go for the ropes and get a clean reset, he knows it is a losing battle every time. Funaki isn't afraid to go toe-to-toe with Maeda and fires off strikes whenever he gets a chance. He even bloodies Maeda's nose in the process. Maeda is just resilient, though, and has no problem taking the punishment because he knows he can outlast Funaki as long as the match remains on his terms. What strikes me as a key moment in the match is in the later stages, where Funaki appears to get a little frustrated and even begins to appear as if he is resigned to the inevitable. As good as he is, he isn't Akira Maeda yet, and Akira Maeda gets his way. This is specifically noticeable when Funaki attempts to go for a side suplex, but he doesn't get all of it, and Maeda lands right on top of him. I think this is where Funaki loses his edge, and Maeda realizes this. He just needs to add the finishing touches to crush Funaki's hopes for good. These two had a huge task following Takada and Fujiwara, and they succeeded. ****1/2

I don't think Kawada did anything to piss people off. All the major AJPW guys have gone on a downward trend so far. There's been some AJPW pushback in recent years as people re-evaluate it and compare it to other 90s wrestling that was overlooked, or how those guys compared to some of the other greats in their time.

Fujiwara's performance in this match is one of the most cerebral I've seen in any style of wrestling, let alone shoot-style. Fujiwara knows he can get inside Takada's head, as we saw from the February 1990 match, and he tries the same tactic here, especially as he uses his facial expressions to try to throw his opponent off his game. Fujiwara is overconfident here, and Takada resists the same tricks and mind games that cost him earlier in the year. Instead, Takada waits Fujiwara out, rolling with Fujiwara's approach without giving an inch. It's a great display of Takada's development; he is wiser and knows he can't beat Fujiwara by sheer force. He needs to be patient and take his opportunities when they come. Fujwiara works harder as a result and is drawn into a position he is less comfortable with. He doesn't mind playing long chess games, but he is more vulnerable when he doesn't have control of them. Takada isn't afraid to use rope breaks when he needs them, unlike Fujiwara, who chooses to risk himself rather than opt for a reset. While Takada doesn't get Fujiwara in any real dangerous moments, he does wear him down. This makes his task easier, as Fujiwara is increasingly exhausted, leaving himself open to Takada's striking. Takada's strategic approach starts paying off. He doesn't get baited this time; you could even say that he is the one who is baiting Fujiwara in the end, especially as he lures Fujiwara into his favorite defensive spot near the turnbuckle, only to use the close distance to fire several knee strikes into Fujiwara's body. It's a huge victory for Takada because he doesn't just beat Fujiwara; he beats Fujiwara in one of the greatest wrestling chess matches of all time. *****

Eddie Guerrero is one of those guys who seems to have universal appeal. He's been very consistent in the rankings the past two decades. Same with Vader

I hope TV Asahi doesn't waste time in changing up the booking, because it has needed a refresh for a very long time now.

This is the greatest shoot promo since Heyman at One Night Stand.

Card Announcement: UWF Newborn - "Battle Dimension: Nagoya" May 29th, 1991 Nagoya, Japan Tsuyuhashi Sports Center Steve Nelson vs Billy Scott Koji Kanemoto vs Koichi Kimura Chris Benoit vs Tatsuo Nakano Masahito Kakihara vs Eric Edelenbos Kiyoshi Tamura & Kazuo Yamazaki vs Joe Malenko & Erik Paulson Satoru Sayama & Atsushi Onita vs Naoya Ogawa & Tatsumi Fujinami Wayne Shamrock vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara Nobuhiko Takada vs Volk Han Undisputed World Heavyweight Title: Akira Maeda(c) vs Dick Vrij