Control21

Bob Orton and Jimmy Garvin get important wins in the Starrcade Series. I'm sure fans are already dreaming of the potential Bob Orton vs Kamala blockbuster. The Road Warriors and Beasts of Burden continue their rivalry. Who's going to emerge from two of the best tag teams in North America clashing? Looking forward to seeing how the Starrcade Series shakes out with Kamala vs Robert Fuller on the horizon. The leaderboard definitely helps as a reference point!

Aldo gets a huge win! Didn't see that one coming. The Mankind promo was very true to the era. Great job recapping that moment. Steve Austin vs Mero was a good match and Austin advances to face either Razor Ramon or Davey Boy Smith. Both will be formidable opponents. The bracket is shaping up to be very interesting.

I'm cooking...

He did wrestle in December 1988 for Ryuma Go's promotion so I don't think a few months is a big deal.

FMW in 1988 would be pretty fun, maybe you can bring some of that magic here.

You just gave me a cool idea...

UWF Newborn drops Ryuma Go and adds Atsushi Onita

Sure but he wasn't a rookie at this point and he would be eligible to be picked up by someone now if they wanted him

Also worth noting Atsushi Onita didn't work any North American dates in 1989. At that point, he was getting ready to launch FMW (late 1989) and wouldn't make any North American appearances until much later.

Yeah... there are some interviews that Karl Gotch did on YouTube and elsewhere (look up his conversations with Jake Shannon, they are interesting). He also did an interview with the Observer in 1990 where he famously called Harley Race a "kamikaze." The impression I got is that he didn't really pay attention to kayfabe when talking about wrestling, and he wasn't particularly fond of the American scene at the time. So I guess when I have him say "educate the audience" here, it is meant in more of a "stop goofing around and take it back to the basics" kind of way. There are probably people who could capture Gotch's voice a lot better than I can.

WXFL Channel 8 goes into their nightly news report, and the sports segment features a rare TV interview with Tampa’s very own Karl Gotch recorded earlier in the week. First, we get scenes of Karl Gotch doing conditioning and demonstrating the use of Indian maces for bodyweight training, and the narrator covers Karl Gotch’s background and accomplishments, including the invention of the bridging German Suplex. The narrator goes into Karl Gotch’s emphasis on conditioning and strict requirements before anyone can be instructed on his grappling knowledge. Karl Gotch: I require everyone to meet these strict standards because if you are exhausted in a match, you can’t think clearly and you’ll leave yourself open. If you are not thinking about how exhausted you are, you’ll already have an advantage. Wrestling is the toughest sport because you have to know how to attack and defend from three different positions. Standing up, on all fours, and underneath. In amateur wrestling these days, rounds are a lot shorter than they used to be so they go for 3-4 minutes and then you see nothing. Back in the 1930s, rounds were for 20 minutes so the conditioning requirements I’m used to are a lot higher. The narrator goes into Karl Gotch’s philosophy and describes how Karl Gotch sees grappling while old footage of Gotch in a wrestling match with Antonio Inoki is shown. Karl Gotch: Wrestling isn’t about strength, it’s about timing, balance, and knowledge. It’s circular. If it doesn’t come back full circle, then it won’t make sense. People often see wrestling as linear, from point A to point B, but it’s like geometry or mathematics, you deal with an equation and figure it out. Catch wrestling is all about using your opponent’s reaction against him. That’s why the key bodyweight training principles I teach incorporate circular motion. Footage is shown of Gotch doing Hindu and Moon pushups. Scenes are shown of Gotch watching a wrestling show on TV, with Gotch having a bit of a stone face. The narrator covers Gotch’s feelings about professional wrestling today and how his philosophy differs from promotions people are familiar with today, like AWA or WWF. Karl Gotch: I’m not afraid to say it because there used to be 34 territories in this country, and I got kicked out of all of them. It’s like watching a dance, but there’s no song or music. There’s too much emphasis on the entertainment aspect and choreography. When people do diving headbutts or acrobatics, I roll my eyes. I think wrestling has moved away from authenticity to getting the most reactions out of people with flash and pomp. I understand it’s a business, but I believe people appreciate authenticity. The narrator says that Karl Gotch keeps in touch with his trainees in Japan, including Akira Maeda and Yoshiaki Fujiwara. The creation of UWF Newborn is discussed, and the narrator also says that Karl Gotch has at least one wrestling promotion that follows his philosophy. Video is shown of Karl Gotch going through old pictures from his trip to the first UWF dojo in 1985. Karl Gotch: I taught those boys in Japan a lot, and I am very glad to see them carry on my lessons in a wrestling promotion that stays true to the things that make wrestling great. Fujiwara told me a few months ago that when he realized UWF was being launched, he couldn’t turn down the opportunity because it was the best way to honor me as a teacher. I am very grateful for that. UWF has stayed true to the fundamentals of wrestling, they’ve minimized the theatrics and focused on presenting a legitimate sporting contest. It’s refreshing compared to what is on TV today. I don't agree with everything they do, of course, I told Maeda that he should bring back pinfalls. For some reason, they took those out. I don't understand why. TV reporter (also the narrator): Do you think that version of wrestling can be successful in America today? Karl Gotch: I think it’s possible, you have to educate the audience. I don’t think wrestling fans are dumb, but you have to explain why certain holds are dangerous, and why you should be on the edge of your seat when someone applies an ankle lock. You know, no matter how big you are, everyone’s ankle size is the same. That’s what Billy Robinson said to me once and he was pretty popular here in America for a while. People appreciate authenticity. Footage is shown of Karl Gotch teaching the TV reporter the Gotch toe hold in Gotch’s garage, and of course, both laugh about it while the TV reporter is put through the baptism of having one’s ankle in a bad place. TV reporter: Who would you say is the greatest wrestler of all time? Karl Gotch: No one could touch Strangler Lewis. That’s the first name that comes to mind. Lou Thesz and I didn’t always see eye to eye, but he was very good. Ever heard of Waino Ketonen? He was a Finnish wrestler. George Hackenschmidt deserves a lot of credit as well. You know, they said America has the greatest wrestlers in the world. The reason for that is that this country has a mixture of nationalities, they all came here and added lessons of their own. The English with Lancashire Catch, the Germans with what they knew, the Finnish…and of course, the Eastern Europeans and Iranians as well. They combined all of that and called it American catch-as-catch-can. It was part of what we call the melting pot of America I suppose. The narrator closes the segment by saying that even if Karl Gotch keeps his distance from professional wrestling today, Tampa should be proud to call a wrestling icon and living legend one of their own. More footage is shown of Karl Gotch putting the TV reporter in several other holds and Gotch doing a handstand against his garage wall. The segment cuts back to the TV news anchors, with one of them saying Tampa’s mayor is due to issue a proclamation declaring a day to honor Karl Gotch in the future. Karl Gotch and Billy Robinson on a ferry in Japan, circa 1971

Wrestling in Nashville! Things are off to an interesting start with a seemingly repentant Tojo Yamamoto. Miss Elizabeth's presence will certainly be making waves and it looks like she sees something in Jamie Dundee. That's a huge endorsement.

Two very good shows. Everything is structured well and there is a clear identity already. Chris Candido is already making a name for himself, and while he has the talent to carry himself far, he's doing things the easy way. Not everyone expected to see Mantell win the title, but perhaps he will bring early heat to the title chase picture, which will attract attention. Dutch Mantell vs Jim Duggan is the type of match that will certainly bring a lot of buzz to the promotion. Things are already looking promising for the SMW revival.

Thank you! Speaking of the Olympics, I plan on debuting the Koslowski brothers next month and I think by December, the Russians will be fully involved. Lots of interesting things are planned for UWF over the next few months.

I completely forgot about that.

Yeah, the 1990s were a crazy time with spoofs and grandstand challenges. No worries on that end. Onita and Maeda were definitely no strangers to talking trash about other wrestlers. Maeda might fire back at Onita at some point so keep an eye out for that. You definitely have a clear idea of what you want to write about and how to incorporate humor and all the other crazy stuff with good wrestling. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing Terry Funk in W*ING. He brought a lot of the Funk magic to FMW, so I'm curious to see how he does in W*ING.

If you are on mobile, it appears using your native keyboard will allow you to delete the box. Using a third-party keyboard appears to cause a bug. https://invisioncommunity.com/forums/topic/464151-deleting-quotes-on-mobile-device/

Press backspace a few times. Usually works for me

Another really entertaining show to read. You capture the essence of an outlaw promotion run by Onita perfectly. It's even crazier than reading about ECW in the 1990s. The Meltzer segment in the Bikini contest gave me a laugh. I imagine the event would be quite chaotic, but super fun to watch. Keep it coming!

Fighting Network RINGS - "Korakuen League I" September 12th, 1996 Korakuen Hall Tokyo, Japan Attendance: 1,525 After the wrestlers are introduced one by one to the RINGS theme, Maeda takes the microphone and thanks the fans for coming, promising a great event. Maeda says that the fans will see hard-hitting action and some new elements added to RINGS. Kazuyuki Fujita vs Sanae Kikuta The two debutants quickly get to work as Fujita attempts to use his strength and power to keep Kikuta on the canvas. Kikuta, of course, is quite comfortable grappling, even with someone with Fujita’s size and strength. While Fujita is a good amateur wrestler and knows how to keep someone grounded while making them work to escape from his clutches, Kikuta is a world-class judoka and grappler and doesn’t have much trouble going to work against Fujita. Both are still a bit raw in terms of technical development, but Kikuta grows into the match a bit easier. Fujita eventually has his hands full with Kikuta’s counterwork and ability to find limbs regardless of positioning. By the 11:00 mark, the match is 4-2 in Kikuta’s favor, with both using rope breaks exclusively. Kikuta gets a single-leg takedown on Fujita and snags a heel hook for the victory. Kikuta defeats Fujita via submission (heel hook), 12:04 Caol Uno vs Hayato Sakurai Uno and Sakurai are both promising talents from SHOOTO and despite their age (both being 21), they demonstrate why they are both considered grappling prodigies with some lightning-quick grappling and counterwork to open the match. Uno hunts for Sakurai’s limbs like a U-boat hunting for cargo in the North Atlantic. Sakurai has some great defense though and keeps Uno moving, perhaps trying to get his opponent to exhaust his energy early. They both have to use rope breaks by the 4:00 mark and the crowd cheers as they test each other on the stand-up. Uno’s palm strikes are snappier, but Sakurai gets some good combos which sends Uno to the canvas for the first knockdown of the match. The match remains highly energetic throughout, and the finish comes at the 15:00 mark as Sakurai holds the advantage at 4-3. The two grapple with Uno seeking to get the advantageous position on Sakurai, but Sakurai finds Uno with a triangle choke in the center of the ring for the submission victory. Sakurai defeats Uno via submission (triangle choke), 15:21 Akihiro Gono vs Naoyuki Taira Gono, another prodigy from SHOOTO, faces up to Naoyuki Taira, who has made a name for himself as a shootboxer and a wrestler in recent years, including RINGS in the early 1990s. Taira is a bit older than Gono, and his experience shows as he keeps an impressive Gono from doing anything too dangerous despite his natural grappling abilities. Of course, Taira’s nickname, “Baki the Grappler,” isn’t just for show. Taira scrambles quite effectively against a quick but focused Gono. Taira’s defense pays off as he gets Gono back in the stand-up, which is arguably right where Taira wants him. Taira’s kicks prove tough to handle, and Taira scores two knockdowns relatively early on the SHOOTO talent. As Taira holds a 4-0 lead at around the 6:00 mark, Gono begins to work his way back into the match as the two resume their flashy grappling on the canvas. Gono gets a few rope breaks in his favor and he climbs his way back into the match, making it 4-2 at the 10:00 mark. The rest of the match is quite testy for both, as Gono continues to demonstrate some good offense, but Taira’s striking ability comes back into play as he knocks down Gono again. Taira follows it up soon afterwards with a match-ending KO which sees him landing a sharp roundhouse kick right into Gono’s cranium. Gono tries to get up by the count of 10 but is on another planet as he stumbles around. Taira scores his first victory in RINGS since 1992. Taira defeats Gono via KO, 15:55 Kevin Randleman vs Wanderlei Silva Randleman and Silva both arrive from the world of Vale Tudo in Brazil. Randleman, a former two-time NCAA wrestling champion, has built a reputation as a very gifted athlete who is also a great technician. Wanderlei Silva, on the other hand, has been scouted for his incredible striking skills and menacing physique. From the start, this is a hard-hitting match as you would expect. While the two aren’t using Vale Tudo gloves, they both throw incredibly stiff palm strikes which sends the Korakuen crowd into a frenzy. Randleman clinches with Silva, attempting to find an opening to unleash his patented suplexes. Silva has great clinch defense though, and demonstrates the power of his knees by launching them sharply into Randleman’s abdomen. Randleman somehow stays on his feet and fires back with more palm strikes. Silva is on the backfoot now, and Randleman seizes the initiative by going for a double-leg takedown. Randleman uses his strength to lift Silva from his legs and spins around for a spinebuster-esque maneuver. Korakuen Hall pops for the display from Randleman, and the former collegiate star quickly gets a full mount on Silva. Randleman smartly realizes this isn’t Vale Tudo, and doesn’t risk losing any points by punching Silva in the face, but he does use his fists to punch Silva’s sides, which causes Silva to loosen up his guard. This enables Randleman to go for a katagatame, and Silva feels the pressure enough to go for the match’s first rope escape at the 5:00 mark. The match continues to be quite exciting, with Silva growing into the match and proving his deadly striking abilities by knocking down Randleman twice in the next four minutes. Randleman, in return, showcases his suplexing ability by getting Silva in a belly-to-back suplex, which again sees Randleman go for a submission. Silva again scrambles for the ropes, making the match 4-2 in Silva’s favor. Randleman gets his first knockdown in due course by hitting Silva with a modified version of the Karelin Lift, and this sees Silva get dumped on his head! Silva stumbles around and the referee begins a ten count, but Silva gets up in time. At the 17:00 mark, the match reaches its climax when Silva and Randleman engage in another striking battle. Silva hits Randleman with a palm strike combo and uses an opportunity to hit Randleman with a jumping knee! Randleman collapses to the canvas and is out cold. Ryugoku Wada calls for the bell immediately and Silva wins via KO! The crowd gives a nice standing ovation for both as Silva attends to his fallen opponent to make sure he is alright. Afterward, they shake hands and raise each other’s arms for the approving crowd in Korakuen Hall. Silva defeats Randleman via KO, 17:22 Rumina Sato vs Carlos Newton The golden boy of SHOOTO is now in RINGS, and his first opponent is Carlos Newton, who is a similarly talented grappler from Canada. As you would expect, the opening minutes of this match are a great grappling contest between two of the world’s finest in that particular art. The pace is what you would expect, with both executing quick transitions and brilliant counterwork to get the advantage. Sato’s background becomes quite apparent in particular and has great defense and guard. For the first 7:00 or so, neither competitor opts to use a rope break with the match taking place exclusively on the canvas. Even in moments of danger, Sato and Newton choose to fight their way out of it instead of going for the ropes. Newton’s determination does pay off though, and manages to find two of Sato’s limbs by the 8:00 mark and Sato finally has to use the ropes to get his way out of danger. Facing an early 2-0 deficit, Sato takes it another gear, hitting Newton with a few quick combos of palm strikes and kicks, and takes his opponent back to the canvas where he grows into his comfort zone. Sato works from his back and lures Newton in from half-guard, locking in a triangle choke before transitioning into a full cross armbreaker. Newton quickly scrambles to the ropes and it is now 2-1. The two resume striking afterward, and Sato eventually scores a knockdown on Newton, hitting his opponent with hard palm strikes that force Newton to stumble backward. Newton doesn’t take long to get back up though, and the two clinch in the middle of the ring where Sato sweeps his opponent back to the canvas with a takedown. Sato’s experience becomes more valuable as the match continues, and after another extended grappling contest where both manage to show off their slick waza, Sato finds Newton’s leg for a heel hook after trying for another cross armbreaker, but instead opts for the easier submission as Newton scrambles to get free. Sato is applauded by the Korakuen crowd and Newton gets his share of approval as well as Sato congratulates him on the good match afterward. The fans chant "RINGS! RINGS! RINGS!" as Sato takes in the moment. Sato defeats Newton via submission (heel hook), 15:55 The new RINGS debutant celebrates in the ring as the RINGS fans give him a warm welcome. Sato will have no issues transitioning to RINGS and looks set to work his way up the ladder relatively quickly.

UWF Newborn adds Billy Robinson as a ringside commissioner and dojo trainer.

Good catch! I must have been distracted when I wrote that part.

UWF Newborn – “Fighting Network Hakata” September 5th, 1988 Hakata Starlanes Fukuoka, Japan Attendance: 4,000 (sold out) After the wrestlers are introduced individually as customary, Takada speaks to the audience and says that Akira Maeda is in Russia representing UWF at a sports and culture festival. Takada says that he will make the audience proud tonight and thanks everyone for coming, putting over Norman Smiley in the process. Sayama speaks afterward and says that it feels good to be in the ring again and that he will continue to prove why Shooto is the strongest. Sayama tells the fans that he hopes they continue supporting UWF as they enter a new season. Minoru Suzuki vs Wayne Shamrock As one would expect, this was a highly technical match. While everyone is aware of Suzuki’s grappling skills by this point, Shamrock proved himself as a quick learner and proficient in the grappling arts as well. Suzuki used his quickness and ability to put together smooth transitions to keep Shamrock working from defense, but Shamrock had good counterwork and prevented several moments of danger. Shamrock’s ability to detect moments of vulnerability while Suzuki spent a ton of energy on offense enabled the UWF newcomer to pose some questions to his opponent even while working from the bottom. To the delight of submission connoisseurs in the crowd, most of this match takes place on the canvas, and the two continue to demonstrate excellent knowledge of the art of catch wrestling. By the 8:00 mark, the match is tied 2-2 on points, with both causing each other to eventually expend several rope breaks. The two test each other’s striking ability for the first time, with Suzuki getting the better of Shamrock early with nice palm strike combos, causing the American rookie to stumble to the canvas, giving Suzuki his first knockdown. Shamrock gets up without much of an issue and continues coming at his opponent with his palm strikes. Shamrock clinches with Suzuki and lands a strong belly-to-belly suplex, immediately allowing Shamrock to work from side control. Shamrock immediately works for the cross armbreaker, but Suzuki’s defense prevents Shamrock from locking it in. Suzuki transitions to a full guard, but Shamrock smartly recognizes an opportunity and transitions into a mounted guillotine choke! Suzuki finds himself struggling to break free and is unable to find the ropes, and eventually taps. Shamrock is your winner! Shamrock defeats Suzuki via submission (mounted guillotine choke), 12:17 Masakatsu Funaki vs Tatsuo Nakano In a clash between Funaki’s grappling and Nakano’s striking, it was Funaki who proved to be the better man. While Funaki has enjoyed a run of victories since his UWF debut, Nakano has struggled to put together something similar. Nakano was eager to prove himself, starting the match strong with a series of stiff palm strikes and low kicks. Nakano seeks out an early knockdown, but Funaki does well to stay on his feet and begins to counter with some good strikes of his own. The Hakata Starlanes crowd buys into the hot start and the two competitors keep testing each other like prize fighters. As the match continues, Funaki tests Nakano’s grappling ability and Funaki is a lot better here, using his timing and awareness to get Nakano to the canvas. Nakano struggles to free himself of Funaki, who stays on top of Nakano at every opportunity. Funaki takes an early 1-0 lead in points as gets Nakano to grab the ropes twice in the span of a few minutes. Nakano does manage to knockdown Funaki following the extended grappling exchange, catching Funaki by surprise with a palm strike before following up with several kicks to Funaki’s abdomen. Funaki returns the favor after getting back up, delivering a sweet combo after countering Nakano’s attempts. Funaki wins the match when he blocks a suplex attempt from Nakano, and reverses it by getting Nakano’s back and locking in a rear-naked choke. Nakano tries to get to the ropes but passes out before being able to grab them. Funaki defeats Nakano via submission (rear-naked choke), 10:37 Shigeo Miyato vs Yoji Anjo Anjo and Miyato are both eager to get a win tonight, especially Miyato as he seeks his first victory in UWF after missing out on the Ariake Coliseum show. Miyato is quite explosive with his striking early on in the match, testing Anjo early with palm strikes and knees as Miyato manages to clinch with Anjo several times. Anjo manages to stay on his feet, but Miyato keeps him on the back foot. Anjo struggles to answer back with his own strikes, and Miyato takes the early lead in the match by knocking down Anjo twice in 5 minutes. Facing a 2-0 deficit, Anjo is desperate to get the match to the canvas. Finally, facing a third knockdown, Anjo gets a single-leg takedown on Miyato and tries to change the flow of the match by controlling Miyato’s back on the mat. Miyato is fine in terms of his grappling skills, but Anjo’s desperation proves to be key here as he works for a katahajime. Miyato recognizes he is close to the ropes and goes for a quick break to avoid Anjo’s grip. Anjo continues to put pressure on Miyato as Yuji Shimada, the referee, gets the two to stand back up. Anjo clinches with Miyato as he goes for a leg sweep to get the match back to the canvas. Anjo finds himself on top of Miyato again, and he works from side control this time. Miyato plays good defense and prevents Anjo from doing anything too dangerous. Anjo does switch up and goes for Miyato’s legs and tries for various leg holds before Miyato rolls for the ropes again and gets another rope break. Miyato takes control of the next stage in the match, as his striking ability comes into play again. Despite Anjo’s attempt to launch a comeback, Miyato is undeterred as he gets several more knockdowns on Anjo and finally ends the match via TKO as he corners Anjo around the 14:00 mark and slaps him several times and finishes things off with a hard knee strike to Anjo’s stomach. Anjo is knocked down for the fifth and final time. Miyato defeats Anjo via TKO, 14:21 Bart Vale vs Kazuo Yamazaki Bart Vale, a Kenpo specialist and a decent grappler as well, is equal in stature to Kazuo Yamazaki with both standing at 6’2. As the match begins, Vale immediately shows off well-time high kicks which prope Yamazaki’s defense. Yamazaki answers back with low kicks that test Vale’s commitment to his approach. The two have a bit of a stare-down from distance before Vale comes in with a high roundhouse kick, which catches Yamazaki by surprise. Yamazaki stumbles backward but immediately regains his composure and delivers a middle thrust kick to Vale’s abdomen. Vale is sent backward and has a bit of a smirk on his face before he sets himself again to continue with the match. The long-haired Vale responds with a combo of palm strikes followed by a high axe kick, which Yamazaki smartly dodges. The crowd gives their approval at the display of talent and Yamazaki quickly tries to lock in with Vale to test his opponent’s ability on the canvas. Vale tries to block a takedown attempt but Yamazaki catches Vale’s leg and trips him, bringing him down to where he wants him. Yamazaki tries to work in a simple yet effective collar choke on Vale, but Vale has too much energy and willpower at this point in the match to fall prey to this, and his defense is effective enough to where Yamazaki changes plans and goes for Vale’s long legs instead, trying to work in a heel hook but Vale works Yamazaki’s legs as well and the two have a battle of leg locks before the Yuji Shimada forces the two to stand back up due to the eventual lack of action. The match continues with things turning out to be fairly even, as Yamazaki and Vale trade knockdowns with their patented kicking abilities, but neither is in real danger of being beaten by the count. Yamazaki gets Vale to the mat a few more times where Vale plays mostly defense and prevents Yamazaki from locking in any dangerous submissions. Vale grabs the ropes a few times to prevent any significant developments as well. By the 16:00 mark, the match is tied 3-3 on points after Yamazaki and Vale trade knockdowns again, with Vale growing into the match and gaining the front foot after connecting with a high kick on Yamazaki. Vale makes the mistake of allowing Yamazaki to clinch with him, and the two find themselves on the canvas again. Vale gains Yamazaki’s back, but Yamazaki has great defense as well and Yamazaki eventually finds Yamazaki’s arm for an inverted armbar. Vale tries to reach for the ropes but even with his long limbs, they appear to be out of reach, and Vale taps. The crowd cheers for Yamazaki as he celebrates a well-earned victory. Yamazaki defeats Vale via submission (inverted armbar), 17:11 Satoru Sayama vs Ryuma Go While Ryuma Go has proven his skills so far in UWF Newborn, he hasn’t had a win since his first match with Masakatsu Funaki. Of course, this motivates Go to come out firing once again as the bell sounds. Sayama, of course, is prepared. Go’s palm strikes are mostly defended by Sayama, who appears to be calmer in demeanor and isn’t entirely worried by his ambitious opponent. Sayama answers back with pointed low kicks, which causes Go to take the backfoot as Sayama begins to dictate the flow of the match. Sayama hits Go with some palm strikes of his own. Go tries to answer back but Sayama does a nifty move where he takes down his opponent with a low leg sweep that resembles one of Sayama’s patented kicking motions. Sayama takes hold of Go’s free leg and begins to work in a single-leg Boston crab, which eventually causes Go to scramble for the ropes. The first half of the match follows a similar pattern, with Sayama waiting patiently for openings to take Go to the canvas while keeping his opponent busy with tentative strikes, but nothing too dangerous yet. Go lands some shots and does get some offense in the canvas, but Sayama controls the match by the 10:00 mark with a 2-0 advantage on points by forcing Go to go for the ropes three more times within the timeframe. The second half of the match picks up, with Go finding an opportunity to corner Sayama near a turnbuckle, allowing him to land a nice palm strike combo as Sayama struggles to defend himself. Go backs off, luring Sayama in as Sayama tries to recover while staying on his feet. Go seizes the initiative and takes Sayama’s back for a side suplex delivered with intent. Ryuma is tempted to go a dangerous (and illegal) soccer kick as he gets back up but restrains himself as Sayama tries to recover on the canvas. Ryogoku Wada calls for a count, giving Go his first knockdown of the match. Sayama recovers by the count of seven and immediately goes on the offensive to re-establish himself. Sayama lands several high kicks on Ryuma, which is followed up by a well-executed high roundhouse kick. Go stumbles backward and hits the canvas as Sayama gets his immediate payback for the previous knockdown. Go faces his first count and gets back up by the count of eight. Sayama opts to take the match to the canvas again, and the two have an extended grappling fight on the canvas for the last few minutes of the match. Go manages to make the score 3-2 after he surprises Sayama twice with some clever submission attempts, but Sayama’s conditioning from Shooto proves to be a key factor here, as he takes advantage of Go’s growing fatigue and finds one of his legs for a knee-crusher. Go gets a taste of his own medicine here as he is caught by surprise by how quickly Sayama finds the opening and locks in the hold. The pain is too much and Go has no choice but to tap, giving Sayama the victory. Sayama defeats Go via submission (knee-crusher), 19:52 Nobuhiko Takada vs Norman Smiley Norman Smiley proved to be a very capable wrestler in his first outing with Osamu Kido last month and has been awarded a main event spot against Nobuhiko Takada, who is on quite a hot streak as he seeks to continue establishing himself as the clear alternative to Akira Maeda. Smiley is already somewhat of a crowd favorite after wowing the Ariake Coliseum audience with his slick grappling skills and chain wrestling. Takada is very well aware of the danger Smiley poses on the canvas. As the bell sounds, he seeks to keep things in the stand-up as he tests his opponent early with sharp kicks, which mostly serve as a tool to keep his distance from Smiley and inflict damage to his opponent when the opportunity arises. Smiley invites Takada to grapple after a minute or two, extending out his arms and locking hands with his opponent. Smiley immediately works in a position where he has side control of Takada’s back as it appears he is looking for an early manjigatame, or Octopus hold. Instead, Smiley opts for a banana split takedown, as he traps one of Takada’s legs with his own and keeps the other within the grasp of his arms. Takada’s tall frame helps him here, enabling him to find an escape route quickly as he positions himself for a cross-armbreaker. Smiley has no problems defending this as he rolls Takada over and goes for a quick heel hook, which sends Takada to the ropes for the first time in the match. Takada steadily grows into the main event bout as it continues, although Smiley continues to find openings to get Takada to the canvas, and as one would expect, Smiley proves to be very capable here. Smiley’s quickness and ability to read Takada on the canvas allows him to find openings when he needs to, and Takada has to have an excellent defense to keep Smiley from doing anything too dangerous. Takada, of course, proves to be the better striker and knocks down Smiley twice in the span of a few minutes to get the match even at 2-2 as we head into the 15:00 mark. Smiley is undeterred and gets up both times, seemingly relishing the challenge Takada is presenting. Takada throws some palm strikes and more kicks, closing the distance in the process and clinching with Smiley. Takada attempts to take control of Smiley’s back for a suplex, but Smiley reverses while maintaining wrist control. Smiley pulls Takada’s arm in for a single-arm takedown and promptly transitions into a cross-armbreaker attempt. The move catches Takada by surprise, which forces him to quickly go for the ropes as he is unable to fully process the chain of events that just occurred. With that rope break, Smiley takes a 3-2 lead on points. As the two stand back up, Smiley comes right back at him with a series of forearm uppercuts. Takada is reeling here! Smiley follows up with an unorthodox high kick and promptly locks up with Takada to position himself for a snap suplex. Smiley converts it, and quickly finds Takada’s back on the canvas as he catches Takada for a Crossface Chickenwing! Smiley gets all of it as he also applies the body scissors, and Takada looks to be in a bad spot. The crowd is becoming quite vocal by this point as they chant for Takada. Fortunately for Takada, he senses the ropes are next to his feet and finds them after a brief struggle. The referee for this match, Motoyuki Kitazawa, stands the two back up and Smiley is a little amazed that Takada was able to get out of that one. Takada comes right back at Smiley, hitting him with some sharp kicks to the abdomen. Smiley stumbles backward as Takada hits him with a roundhouse kick to the same area, which catches Smiley off guard as he feels that one. Takada grabs Smiley as closes the distance and hits him with a devastating Saito Suplex. Smiley grabs his ribs and grimaces, which enables Takada to quickly find Smiley’s free leg for a heel hook! Smiley feels this one pretty tight, and taps. Motoyuki Kitazawa calls for the bell and the crowd roars as they celebrate Takada’s victory over Norman Smiley. Takada defeats Smiley via submission (heel hook), 21:45 Takada celebrates his victory over Smiley and takes in the moment as the crowd cheers "TA-KA-DA! TA-KA-DA! TA-KA-DA!" Smiley gets his share of the applause as he works his way to the back, even in defeat. Takada bows in all four cardinal directions and sends the crowd home happy. Maeda is certainly building connections for UWF abroad, but at what cost? Takada has clearly cemented his place as the primary rival to the hottest wrestler in Japan, at least for now...will they meet in the ring soon? Only time will tell. And what of Sayama? Perhaps he's biding his time in the slow lane. picture top - Bart Vale lands a high kick in Yamazaki's face. picture bottom - A magazine cover highlighting Takada's win over Smiley

I agree that Gary Hart's promos are very well done. Abdullah the Butcher and Tarzan Goto have been established as a brutal force to be reckoned with. I also like how Ron Simmons is being established. The Horsemen vs Luger/Gordy interaction hit the mark as well. Another enjoyable show overall.