[1984-12-05-UWF] Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Super Tiger (Death Match)

[GOTNW]

This is my favourite Fujiwara/Super Tiger match. They work it with Fujiwara having the upper hand on the mat and Tiger being the dominant striker but the gaps aren't huge and both can hang and fire back in both departments. Fujiwara is awesome here, busting out awesome takedowns, countering Tiger's strikes, reversing his holds on the mat etc. but he also has all time great punches and just rocks Tiger with them when they're standing. There's a really great moment when Fujiwara starts choking Super Tiger with a Sleeper and Sayama sells it with this disgusting cough. Finishing stretch is just unreal with Sayama killing Fujiwara with brutal kicks seemingly forever and his knee drop is also up there with the best there have ever been. Fujiwara is the master at blocking kicks and reversing everything so you can buy he could come back at any time but Sayama just keeps on kicking him in the head and destroying him and it's this super dramatic struggle and then one time when Fujiwara finally gets a comeback in he gets cocky and throws a headbutt that knocks HIM down. That spot played up so many things, from Fujiwara's arrogance to the damage of Sayama's offence neutralizing a spot that I don't think had ever been neutralized before. And he just keeps on killing him and pretty much invents the shoot style KO/TKO finish in the process. FIVE STARS.

[Jetlag]

The previous match saw Fujiwara mangling Tiger for the entire match before getting caught in a whirlwind of kicks. If Fujiwara has learned that Tiger has the edge standing, he tries to even things out a little here by using Sayama as a punching bag. That corner punch combo is easily the greatest I've seen in a worked match. He also mangles Sayama even worse than in the last match. Sayama doesn't have quite the mat skill to really be a great matchup for Fujiwara on the mat besides a nice move here or there, it's pretty much irrelevant as Fujiwara is so great at working holds. Eventually though Fujiwara gets what's coming to him as Tiger discovers that he can just kick him in the head while he's down over and over. He dishes out such a savage beating that it's almost hard to see the two halves of the bout as one match as they are so distinct. It really gives out the vibe that the ruleset (and referee) that UWF was using at the time was not prepared for this kind of dangerous violence, and Fujiwara is very believable at selling that he's at a point human beings previously haven't been at and therefore close to getting killed on his not so easy mission. I did love the two Fujiwara comebacks though, one of which involves him stepping on Tiger's toes. So yeah, in a sense this the original BattlARTS match. Really good wrestling and savage street fighting.

[superkix]

By now, Super Tiger is familiar with Fujiawa and knows he can’t take him on the ground so he doesn’t hold back with the kicks early on. Really terrific footwork from Tiger complimented by Fujiwara’s selling. Similar to their September match, Fujiwara is looking for that German suplex but Tiger’s able to take him down with a beautiful armbar takedown into the kimura. As brutal as Tiger’s kicks and knees are, Fujiwara’s striking is just as awesome, especially when he’s unloading on Tiger in the corner with relentless body blows. He locks in a grounded choke sleeper and Tiger’s hacking and gagging adds an organic component to the match. When Fujiwara tries for his signature armbar, Tiger freaks out and hustles to the ropes. Fujiwara continues focusing on the arm, forcing Tiger to exert his own energy to find a rope break and each break pisses Fujiwara off more and more, as he stomps and kicks at Tiger. Suplexes are thrown but the final minutes are the real meat-and-potatoes of the match, as Tiger is unremitting with his kicks. He stuns Fujiwara with the solebutt and when he lands that high kick to Fujiwara’s head, the crowd explodes. His kneedrops to the back of Fujiwara’s head are incredible and while Fujiwara is still fighting, trying to keep Tiger at bay, he’s beaten and exhausted and he seemingly sacrifices himself to hit that big headbutt. Tiger sinks his teeth in with those kicks and won’t let up, kicking and kicking until Fujiwara can’t fight back any longer. Terrific match, and very likely my favorite of the series.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Super Tiger - UWF 12/05/84

Perhaps the greatest and most influential match of all time. 

First Half: Fujiwara throws his flowers into the crowd. He is pissed he lost in September and came to play. They establish the story early. Tiger is going for knockout head shots and Fujiwara is looking to counterpunch with takedowns and grappling. The key for Tiger is not to overrotate on his kicks. The very first kick he does and misses. Fujiwara gobbles him up and applies a double wristlock. Tiger safely makes the ropes. You see Tiger rifle some kicks but he is much more control of his body does not leave himself as open to the counterattack. He goes for a headshot and clips the head. The crowd "Oooohs and Aaaaahs", but it was a glancing blow and Tiger overrotated and Fujiwara pounces. Sayama digs in his heels to block and actually gets a double wristlock of his own.  This morphs into the second story of the match whenever Sayama starts with control on the mat he ends up losing control. After a couple instances of this, you believe he has to win by KO, Fujiwara is just too good on the mat. Tiger makes his first major in roads when a check kick to the leg crumples Fujiwara. He got him just right. Fujiwara goes into traditional pro wrestling selling as Tiger pounces on the leg with wicked kicks. After needing the ropes on several occasions to force a break, this is Tiger's first big break, but he cant capitalize on the mat. Fujiwara retaliates with a flurry of wicked body shots in the corner. Sayama desperate starts throwing knees and one catches Fujiwara pretty good in the head. Tiger unleashes one wicked kick to the head and then drops down with a knee drop. Wow what a sequence! Again, Sayama loses control on the mat. He just does not have the ground acumen of the crafty Fujiwara. Then comes my favorite sequence of the whole match. Fujiwara grabs a rear naked choke and YANKS Tiger into the middle of the ring. Tiger is coughing and struggling to breathe. It really builds the drama and tension. You can hear the coughing subtly at the beginning of the match, but he goes full bore here. I also love that when Fujiwara goes for the armbar how desperately Tiger scrambles for the ropes. It really puts over the danger of the hold. Then Sayama keeps selling the choke with more coughing! Fantastic! There needs to be more coughing in wrestling. Fujiwara wants to apply a Crossface Chickenwing the same hold he submitted to in September, but Tiger makes the ropes and as the first half closes Tiger is trying for the same hold on Fujiwara. Sayama settles for a side mount triangle choke, which Fujiwara alleviates the pressure by bearhugging his own knee. God Bless Fujiwara, he is a boss. Absolutely thrilling first half where they established the key offensive strategies of  both wrestlers and completely hooked you into the fight. 

Second Half: In typical Tiger fashion, he loses control of the Triangle Choke and falls prey to a Triangle Choke, but gets to the ropes. Fujiwara is pissed and tries to keep attacking, but the ref points out Sayama is still under the rope. Fujiwara throws him with a butterfly suplex to restart the submission game. Tiger makes the ropes on a double wristlock and then throws a German suplex. He goes for a cross armbreaker, but again loses control on the ground. Then it happens when they stand back up. The roundhouse kick to the solarplexus that changes the match. Fujiwara has the wind knocked out of him by the lightning kick. From then it is a relentless barrage of kicks by Sayama to the head of the fallen Fujiwara. Fujiwara desperately tries to cling to the kicks of Super Tiger to create offense, but he is too weak. When he does stand, Tiger nearly kicks Fujiwara's head off to the great excitement of the crowd. Sayama then drops brutal knees using the top rope for added leverage on the prone head of Fujiwara. I love that one camera angle where it is on Fujiwara standing reeling and all of sudden Sayama with just flash onto the screen whacking Fujiwara. Fujiwara has one last flurry punctuated by a big headbutt, but knocks himself loopy. He is easy pickins' for Super Tiger that continues his brutal onslaught with furious kicks to the head. Eventually, Fujiwara is left in a heap knocked out by Super Tiger. 

No Irish Whips. No Moonsaults. No Tombstone Piledrivers. Just close contact grappling and swift kicks. On this day, Mixed Martial Arts was born to a man in a tiger mask. *****

 

[Makai Club #1]

That finishing stretch was pretty amazing. So definitive as well. It’s just a seemingly endless barrage of the hardest kicks and jumping knees you’ll see. Fujiawara had no answer for it. He would only take the kicks and try and push through only to get a kick in the jaw for his troubles. I had no real idea of what the “death” match rules would mean in this case but this finish defined it. The rest of the match was a classic struggle of Tiger trying to defend against Fujiwara’s relentless grappling. Laser focused attack on the arm with endless supply of great holds and counters from Fujiwara. ****3/4