[1989-05-04-UWF] Nobuhiko Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki

[Superstar Sleeze]

Nobuhiko Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki - UWF II 5/4/89

First Half: Well this is not the most exciting 15 minutes of wrestling ever. I found myself zoning in and out. The match picked up at the first rope break when Takada needed to escape a kneebar. Good selling from him. Interesting that Yamazaki went back after that leg not always a strategy in shoot-style. Bundle of legs where both guys are working leg laces is my least favorite hold. My favorite part of the match thus far is when Takada catches a kick and headbutts Yamazaki and then powerslams him. So pro wrestling, but great. Takada cant capitalize and Yamazaki armdrags and applies a sleeper. There is an escape and Yamazaki tags Takada good with a kick and scores a knockdown. Takada comes roaring back and gets a knockdown of his own with well-placed kicks. This match would be a lot better if it was all stand up. Takada works a single crab and then a kneebar that Yamazaki sells really well forcing a rope break. It is all even now. 

Second Half: Takada loses the momentum and needs a rope break to escape a single leg crab after Yamazaki kicked out his plant leg. The match gets a lot better as they do some really nice stand up with both men earning knock downs. More interesting and they are just better at it. Takada goes for a cross armbreaker and Yamazaki needs the ropes to escape. Takada goes for a Fujiwara armbar but Yamazaki escapes. Yamazaki hits three massive kicks to the head to score a knockdown. Takada responds with a choke attempt that Yamazaki ferociously struggles against. Here we go! Picking up now. Yamazaki makes this rope and this is scored as a knockdown. Maybe he ran out of rope breaks. Yamazaki applies a Boston Crab and Takada is down to his last knockdown. There is a lot more throws in this than I expected as Takada starts throwing Yamazaki all around. Takada picks Yamazaki back up to knock him down with kicks. I would consider that lame in a normal pro wrestling match never mind a shoot-style match. It is down to whoever knocks down the other first wins. Takada has the momentum, but it turns into one big last knockdown drag out stand up slugfest which Yamazaki wins with a big kick. 

Too many long stretches of dullness to call this great, but there is enough material to check out. It feels oddly pro-style at times. ***1/2