[1992-02-29-UWFi-Sekai Gannen 3rd] Hiromitsu Kanehara vs Masakazu Maeda

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

This was spectacular, and I know nothing at all about either of these guys. The body is simply not meant to bend the way it did in a few of those half crabs, and there were more palm strikes than in typical UWFI matches as well, which I always enjoy. Had the feel of two guys really trying to make it and putting it all out there. They start really selling the toll of the match and their own exhaustion toward the finish, which is really cool.

 

With great matches happening in three countries, February 29, 1992 may have been the best day of wrestling ever.

[MJH]

These guys only debuted at the tail-end of 1991, am I right?

 

What I can say is that this match happened as the opener on just about every UWFi show for six months straight. A quick check of my list has them fighting on 12/22/91, 1/9/92, 2/15/92, this match, 3/17/92 and 5/8/92.

 

I'm not sure why this made the cut rather than any of the others (12/9 has Takada/Burbick in the main event, this show has Allbright squashing Kakihara, 3/17 is Allbright/Yamazaki and 5/8 is the first Allbright/Takada matches so it's not as though they were "rare" shows) but I do remember them all being fun, hard-fought, though I do remember thinking Kanehara was the better of the two.

[Loss]

UWFI was entirely based on matches in red on Tabe's list.

[Tim Evans]

Awesome fight against two guys I've never heard of. It was like they were fighting for a contract or title shot. No downtime whatsoever.

[shoe]

These guys worked hard here. This is usually not my cup of tea but what is the score thing that would pop up in the corner from time to time.

[MikeCampbell]

Wow, I really liked this. Both of these two were fighting like they had something to prove. This isn't at all what you'd expect from the opening match between the two green horns. I thought the German suplex spot was strange, since Albright was killing people with suplexes, but in this match a German wasn't even able to soften up someone enough for an armlock.

[WingedEagle]

This was GREAT. Awesome matwork early which saw them battle over an armbar, stiff kicks from both and a German from Kanehara that came across as an incredibly big move given the style and layout of the match. Kanehara gets the win with an awesome looking crab that he just wrenches back incredibly and drags Kanehara to the center to prevent a rope break. More UWFI!

 

****1/4

[PeteF3]

This is great stuff between two guys I've never heard of, who wrestle like seasoned pros. Crowd is way into this by the end.

[xlynwoodx]

These guys had an incredible pace. They went at it from the opening bell and didn't let up. Amazing to learn that both guys had been working for under a year. Looked like two young guys who were trying to steal the show. Great striking and groundwork on display, there was a spot where Kanehara got kicked in the face while going for a leglock that just looked brutal. Really enjoying the UWFi stuff.

[garretta]

This might be the best shoot-style match I've ever seen. The action is back and forth from beginning to end, and the momentum switches between both guys seemingly with every strike or takedown. If this is what they can do with just a little less than three months under their belts, I'd love to see them after they gain a little experience.

 

After never seeing a match end on points before, this is the second time I've seen it on this set. Yes, I know Maeda tapped, but he would have lost no matter what unless he somehow kicked Kanehara off, since he was out of rope breaks.

 

As I said above, I'd love to see more of these two, either against each other or against a veteran so we can see how far they've really progressed.

[ohtani's jacket]

#349

 

This was a nice preliminary bout. Scrappy, but in a good way. Kanehara took most of the fight and looked like he might have a future in the sport, but of course the shoot guys could never keep their groups together.

[dawho5]

Really good shootstyle match. Both guys kept up an incredible pace and sold the exhaustion well towards the end. Never heard of either and probably never will gain, but they put a good show on for 17 minutes in a way that is different from most shootstyle matches you see.

[superkix]

Yeah, this was a fun, competitive match with two scrappy young dudes going out there and showing off what they've learned over the past few months. Nothing fancy -- Maeda's a little smoother on the ground and had some nice counters/reversals. He also throws a few nice suplexes. Kanehara is the better striker with his quick open hands and knees. I liked the sequence where he had Maeda in the single leg crab and turned it into a facelock as Maeda inched his way to the ropes. By the end of it, they're both very exhausted -- Maeda a little more so -- and after Kanehara hits a German, he taps him with the armbar.