[1989-07-24-UWF] Masakatsu Funaki vs Tatsuo Nakano

[stomperspc]

For a match that wraps up in under 10 minutes, there is a lot do it.

Funaki is wrestling his fourth match for UWF 2.0 and already has losses to Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Yoji Anjo, plus a DQ loss to Bob Backlund on his record sheet. Nakano came up through the original UWF and while by no means a star, is positioned as both the veteran and fan favorite against Funaki. There is very much an “our guy” versus “this other guy we are unsure about” vibe from the fans throughout.

The match has excellent heat form the start. Just that total anticipatory shouting and yelling type of heat. Hakata Star Lane only holds a few thousand fans (and it shows) but man, those fans made a lot of noise. An awesome big fight atmosphere that is made even more remarkable by the fact that these fans just sat through a 30 minute draw between Mark Rush & Minoru Suzuki. You would never know that this match was coming of the heels of a 30 minute draw and was positioned second on a five match card by the crowd reaction.

They take advantage of that anticipation by going at it right away and cutting a remarkable pace. This is a brawl in every way possible. They throw hard kicks and slaps in a reckless but still skilled manner. There is almost no separation between the two wrestlers, save for few times the times when one is trying to answer a ten count and a couple of timeouts for the doctor to check on Nakano. The doctor looks at Nakano because he gets a busted up and has his nose bloodied early. The blood adds another dimension to the match and heat, as blood tends to do. Nakano and Funaki had a better pro wrestling brawl by staying in the ring and not using any weapons than most guys who lean on those gimmicks do.

The mat work is overall very good. They were able to take the intensity from the standup stuff and transition it the ground, which is not always easily done. There was a real struggle and stiffness to the mat portions of the match, with both guys constantly in motion trying to counter and escape. There are shoot style matches that have higher level submission attempts and escapes, but given the intensity they were wrestling with it didn’t make an ounce of difference. They fell into the somewhat common shoot style trap of getting tied in dual leg locks, but got out of it quickly without losing any of the momentum they had built.

In fact, they only gained crowd momentum as the match wore on. As hot as the crowd was at the start, they only got louder in throwing their support behind Nakano. One the blood starting flowing, the crowd threw all their weight behind Nakano by chanting his name and screaming during his comebacks. Nakano lifting his fist towards the crowd after the doctor decides that the match can continue was a great moment and only served to get the crowd even more behind him. Funaki jumped right back on top him after that. Funaki never allowing Nakano to gain much space was a big factor in the match working as well as it did.

Nakano’s low-to-the-mat suplexes are great. I loved how he teased one signature snap suplex only for Funaki to half-block it in this really realistic manner. Funaki didn’t just put on the breaks or get on a knee like you would normally see. Rather, it came off like he was holding his weight back as much as he possibly could, but still ended up being driven halfway into the mat on his head. When Nakano pulled off the same suplex cleanly later in the match, it got a big reaction.

I could see the argument that they could have used a couple more high level near-submissions for Nakano near the end, but the ones they had felt like more than enough. It would have been difficult for them to draw more heat for a near-victory than what they were already drawing. The finish felt like it came at just the right time, plus Nakano milked it just long enough before giving up that it had time to sink in. It is a cliché, but this was one of those matches where both winner and loser came out looking strong.

My first thoughts after watching this was “that’s what some people think Ishii matches are” and “that’s what Ishii matches should be.” I am not picking on Ishii or at least I don’t intend to. But this was a hard hitting, super intense brawl of a match that never let up and got there without burning through a bunch of stuff or going long. I read a lot of people talk up matches from Ishii, Sekimoto and the like because they gravitate towards matches where two guys take a lot of punishment and go down swinging. That is fine, but matches like this are an example of how that can be done without resorting to no-selling, burning through moves, or going long. A match like this is potentially appealing to a far wider offense because it doesn’t do those things, while keeping the positive elements (drama, intensity, the feeling of a throw down brawl) of an Ishii-type bomb fest.

Awesome match overall and probably one of my favorite sub-10 minute matches of all time. It is quick, heated, and hits almost all of the right notes.

http://www.crossarmbreaker.com/masakatsu-funaki-vs-tatsuo-nakano-uwf-2-0-07241989/#more-3100

[superkix]

Holy shit, this match rules. The crowd's nuts for these two just beating the shit out of each other. Funaki keeps trying to land knees and Nakano is going after the leg and whenever he gets him on the ground, Funaki smacks him repeatedly until he lets go. When Nakano catches a foot and tries for the dragon screw legwhip, Funaki blocks it and busts him open with a hard smack. Funaki's downright nasty in this match with his little punt kicks and headbutts. Nakano gets some revenge on Funaki with his own slaps and kicks -- Funaki's selling off one of the kicks is amazing. Nakano's comebacks are fiery and he's gushing blood but still wanting to fight. Funaki with the badass crab hold finish really sealed this match as another all-time favorite for me.

[Microstatistics]

Off the charts intensity and aggression, classic underdog story, Tatsuo getting his face busted, great heel work by Funaki, great crowd. ****1/4

 

 

[Superstar Sleeze]

Masakatsu Funaki vs Tatsuo Nakano - UWF II 7/24/89

Funaki should have been a massive star in puroresu in the 90s. Funaki vs Tenryu, Funaki vs Takada, and Funaki vs Hashimoto should have been huge draws. 

Holy shit! What a match, I thought the Anjoh match was great, but this was superb. Balls to the wall for ten insane minutes. It is just a wild shoot style brawl. Nakano is a huge favorite. The crowd is red hot and they are chanting for Nakano throughout. The first three minutes are brutal and electric. Funaki explodes Nakano's face with palm strikes. Funaki gets cut right under the eye by a vicious knee and it looks like he is crying blood. It is unconformable. Funaki gets spiked on his head because he refuses to go over a take down at one point. The trainer has to tend to Nakano. Nakano is the first one to score a knockdown as he escapes a leg lace and blasts Funaki in the head with a kick. Funaki is one of the best shoot-style sellers I have ever seen. He comes up woozy. Who knows if he was selling? Funaki's matches always incorporate really cool organic throws. I love him not letting Nakano complete a Dragon Leg Screw and just stomping on his head. Yes! Yes! Yes! Pro wrestling needs more of this. Pro wrestling should not be easy. Funaki gets a wild spinkick that pops me and then a back drop driver for his first knockdown. That spinkick would make Kawada jealous. He nailed it. Nakano is a bloody mess in the single leg crab. Nakano is kind of a humpty-dumpty looking muthafucka. Trainer is back in. Nakano says he is ready for more punishment. This has been a war. I could see Inoki absolutely loving this. This is Inokiism at its finest. Funaki attacks the knees once the trainer leaves. Nakano thrust kick creates separation and then a roundhouse kick to the head downs Funaki. Wicked suplex/DDT from Nakano. Funaki EXPLODES~! Palm strikes, headbutts and in his furious flurry he leaves himself open for Nakano counterattack who pops him with a knee. This is an insane ending just a wild brawl. Nakano throws a snap German Suplex into a Single Leg Crab and Funaki writhes out. Funaki picks Nakano up and just does a wicked Somersault Alabama Slam! WOW! DEEP BOSTON CRAB! Liontamer-esque and Nakano has to tap out. WOW! I am speechless. A shoot-style brawl that just delivers in spades. ****3/4

 

 

[RingoPlaysDrums]

I'm familiar with Funaki as the co-founder of Pancrase alongside MInoru Suzuki, I remember his feud with Yuji Nagata in New Japan and he had quite substantial runs with All Japan and Wrestle-1 in recent years too. But I don't think I've seen too many of his matches. I knew nothing of Tatsuo Nakano when I watched this. Here he is the established UWF veteran, having competed for the original UWF in the mid-80s, and he's treated like the hometown boy by the crowd. They absolutely love him. That said, he's surely the clear underdog here against Funaki. They beat the piss out of each other early on and the crowd is molten. The aggression is off the charts. Slaps, fists, kicks, stomps. But it's Nakano who comes off worse from the opening exchanges and he may have a broken nose as blood pours down his face. They tease ending things early but the doctor gives the all clear and Nakano lifts his fist to a huge roar from the crowd. He makes a comeback with, amongst other things, some sick looking roundhouse kicks. Funaki tries to get back to his feet at one point but his legs buckle and he falls down again. It's top class selling. Or at least I assume he's selling.

Funaki does a sort of flipping Alabama Slam on Nakano towards the end which looks strange but cool. Nakano comes close to pulling off the win but can't quite manage it and Funaki wins with a Boston Crab. This all clocks in at under 10 minutes. Crazy little war and I fancy seeing more Tatsuo Nakano matches.

[cactus]

This is what I want out of shoot style. Short, minimal downtime, big strikes and nuclear heat. Nakano and Funaki bring the haterd right out the gate after a simple handshake gets rejected and they start teeing off on each other's faces. Nakano bleeds like a pig after a strike looks to of broken his nose. Nakano acts just as sleazy as he looks and Funaki sells his ass off. Probably the best ever match that clocks in under 10 minutes. 

★★★★¼