[1988-07-29-NJPW] Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Don Nakaya Nielsen

[Superstar Sleeze]

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Don Nakaya Nielsen - NJPW 7/29/88 Different Style Fight

So who the fuck is Don Nakaya Nielsen? He is an American Kickboxer/karate dude. Inoki loved bringing these dudes in. The footage from New Japan World in the 70s is littered with these odd names you have never heard of who are usually foreign kickboxers/karate/martial arts dudes that Inoki beats up. I saw on New Japan World that Maeda fought him back in 86. Checking his Cagematch he never fought Inoki, but he did fight Yamada (Liger). His real claim to fame in pro wrestling at least was being tapped in the Tokyo Dome at a PWFG show by Ken Shamrock. According to the notes, I read the match between Shamrock & Nielsen was supposedly a shoot and Shamrock's win was the impetus for Pancrase. 

Next question, what is a Different Style Fight? I have reviewed these type of matches for Hashimoto as he went through a bunch of Different Style Fights in the early 90s basically they are worked MMA matches. It is a round system. There are cornermen and the ropes look like boxing/MMA ropes. Usually the non-New Japan wrestler is wearing boxing gloves or a gi. Nielsen is wearing kickboxing attire. Interesting this match is on the same card as Inoki vs Vader. 

Watching Round 1 you would have no clue why this was rated so highly in the DVDVR 80s New Japan poll. Nielsen does some lame spin kicks and strikes. Fujiwara wraps him up in the ropes. However, when you watches Rounds 2  & 3 you get it because those rounds are electric! Round 2 Fujiwara throws one of those patented lunging Fujiwara headbutts in the ropes and Nielsen is fucking pissed he starts throwing haymakers and kicks. Good cut right above the left eye of Fujiwara. Third Round is the best round. Great shoot-style brawl. Fujiwara looks to choke him out but he gets the ropes. Nielsen is a great foreign dick heel and punches the shit out of Fujiwara head. It looked nasty. It pissed me off thats for sure. Great third round.  Rounds 4 & 5 are not that entertaining in my opinion. Fujiwara who I love and who I was rooting for has been beaten to bloody pulp. Nielsen charges and attacks him in the corner, Fujiwara covers up and collapses. Rinse lather repeat. Besides a leglock early in the fifth round there is no drama and no fiery comeback. Look you cant have Nielsen job to every New Japan worker and Fujiwara is perfect to get him over but at least give me the spirited comeback and have Fujiwara come up short. 

Obviously a hard match to judge based on typical star rating system. Rounds 2 & 3 are good enough to warrant a watch but other three rounds are not that great. I will probably watch the Maeda match at some point down the road. ***1/4

[Makai Club #1]

The Maeda match was huge at the time. It got a 28.9 prime time rating, according to the Observer and the actual match is pretty great as well from what I remember.