[1986-02-05-NJPW] Nobuhiko Takada & Osamu Kido vs Antonio Inoki & Keiichi Yamada

[Edwin]

Interpromotional matches in Japanese pro-wrestling are the best. This part of the New Japan vs. UWF feud and Takada is here to kick butt and to me he is clearly the star of this match. He puts an absolute beating on Yamada just blasting him with slaps, kicks and hitting him with one of the nastiest tombstone piledrivers I’ve ever seen in my life. Takada is not afraid of throwing hands with Inoki either, however the main focus of this is the Yamada beatdown. Kido is perfectly fine in his invading role as well, but he more so just along for the ride.

[KB8]

Maaaan early Yamada was so good. It's wild how easily we (or, quite simply, I) forget that. He was mostly here to take a shit-kicking and bring some fire when given the rare chance to and my goodness did he take a shit-kicking and bring some fire when given the rare chance to. Takada was a wrecking ball and wellied him with kicks while Kido was utterly determined to rip the wee fella's arm off with a kimura. Like, Kido went back to this kimura about seven times. He was relentless with it. Inoki kind of gobbled up Takada and Kido when he was in there, although I must admit it led to some amazing moments, one of which being him juuuust about catching a Takada spin kick and ripping him into a leglock. When Takada landed one on him properly, like when he came in and smashed Inoki in the ribs while he was grappling with Kido, it felt huge, but those moments were few and far between. Inoki would set up the field for Yamada who'd come in red hot, but it wouldn't last and inevitably he found himself getting wasted in short order, like when he came flying off the top and Takada caught him with a kick. The huge German suplex at the end was spectacular, enough so that Inoki offered a handshake to the UWF guys. Real recognise real.