UWF Newborn

[kevinmcfl]

Thanks for the videos.... It adds a lot to my understanding of your promotion.

Really enjoying learning about the different wrestlers and styles in UWF.  I was amazed at the stat by Lowblow about Karelin... 887-2.  WOW!

I still find myself rooting for people I know like Backlund and Shamrock and I can't wait to see your end game with the whole Backlund thing.  

Great work!  So interesting and educational.

[spaldoni]

First off, I loved that hype piece for Karelin. This is going to be huge! 

I agree with AD, Paulson really made his mark tonight.

I'm sure Kazuo made Sayama proud. 

Great comeback from Nakamura. I really thought Hug was going to take it. 

Sayama sends the fans home happy after Smith puts up a solid fight. 

Fun card. 

[Control21]

 

Quote

July 14^th, 1989

UWF made somewhat of a surprise announcement at their last event in Yokohama when it was revealed that UWF will be running a stadium show in Moscow in August. There had been some rumors a few months earlier about this possibility, but things had gone relatively quiet leading up to the announcement. It will be the first major wrestling show that we know of in the Soviet Union, and it is a huge accomplishment for the UWF to get the support of the Soviet government to run such a show at Luzhniki Stadium. UWF's ability to expand internationally will only make it tougher for rival promotions in Japan to catch up with UWF's blazing-hot momentum. Of course, this deal probably ties into the earlier deal between the two parties last year that enabled Soviet athletes to appear on UWF shows. No matches have been announced so far, but the Japanese press is already speculating about potential matches, especially ones between Soviet and Japanese wrestlers.

The Yokohama event at the brand new Yokohama Arena was another sellout success for the promotion, with Akira Maeda defeating Salman Hashimikov in the main event. Fans also saw the debut of Vladimir Berkovich, who lost to Nobuhiko Takada in the semi-main event. Maeda’s win was considered important after his previous loss to Bob Backlund a month before. Backlund secured another important win by defeating Satoru Sayama via pinfall. Aleksandr Karelin continued to cement himself as a quickly rising contender in the promotion after defeating Yoshiaki Fujiwara, also via pinfall. UWF also ran its Shooto event at Korakuen Hall on July 5^th, which was quite different from other UWF events. The first four matches appeared to be actual shoot fights, under the Shooto ruleset. The last two matches were more like regular UWF matches according to reports from those who watched the event live or on WOWOW. The event generated a lot of buzz, although a lot of effort was made in most Japanese publications to blur the line between actual “shooting” and UWF’s “real wrestling” with some suggesting that both were real, with just different goals and practices. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out in the future because having Shooto-branded shows with actual competitive shoots could quickly become much more distinctive compared to UWF’s brand of wrestling, which is still worked despite the focus on realism. For now, it appears the fans haven’t noticed much of a difference and haven’t drawn a distinguishing line between the two. Several fans were interviewed by Baseball Magazine and they all seemed to think that Shooto was just like UWF, but “tougher.”

The upcoming anniversary event at Osaka Baseball Stadium will feature Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada in the main event. It will be a highly anticipated rematch between Maeda and Takada. Takada previously defeated Maeda at the January Budokan show. From a booking perspective, it would make sense if Maeda got his win back here, especially with Takada on top of the food chain for most of the year. UWF has had a few surprises up its sleeve in recent months though. Bob Backlund vs Masakatsu Funaki is also in the plans and is expected to be confirmed in the coming days.

 

[Autistic Dragon]

Interesting to see how fans in-universe react to developing events.

[Control21]

Card Announcement:

UWF Newborn – “July History: 1^st Anniversary”

July 26^th, 1989

Tokyo, Japan

Osaka, Japan

Osaka Baseball Stadium

Masahito Kakihara vs Kiyoshi Tamura

Yusuke Fuke vs Manabu Yamada

Shigeo Miyato vs Yoji Anjo

Minoru Suzuki vs Wayne Shamrock

Volk Han vs Dick Vrij

Kazuo Yamazaki vs Victor Zangiev

Bob Backlund vs Masakatsu Funaki

Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Satoru Sayama vs Aleksandr Karelin & David Gobejishvili

Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada

[Autistic Dragon]

A loaded card for the first anniversary.

[kevinmcfl]

Very interested in why you chose an event in Moscow?  Was there a relationship between the UWF and Russia or was this just for the fun of the game?

[Control21]

On 7/25/2024 at 5:34 AM, kevinmcfl said:

Very interested in why you chose an event in Moscow?  Was there a relationship between the UWF and Russia or was this just for the fun of the game?

In reality, NJPW formed a relationship with the Soviet Union in 1988 when Inoki struck a deal with them. That's when Salman Hashimikov, Victor Zangiev, and some other Russians like Berkovich debuted in 1989. NJPW hosted an event in Moscow in December 1989, which was the first pro-wrestling event to take place in Russia. In our game, UWF beat NJPW to the punch and I'm simply following the same playbook. 

[Control21]

UWF Newborn – “July History: 1^st Anniversary”

July 26^th, 1989

Osaka, Japan

Osaka Baseball Stadium

Attendance: 30,000 (sold out)

Broadcast: WOWOW (live)

The WOWOW broadcast opens with the commentary crew welcoming the viewing audience. They break down the matches and discuss expectations and hopes as the crowd begins to take to their seats for the big event. Soon, we see Nobuyuki Furuta standing in the middle of the ring as he opens proceedings and the parade of wrestlers begins, set to the UWF theme. They come out one by one, with Maeda, Takada, Sayama, Fujiwara, Karelin, Volk Han, Backlund, Funaki, Fujiwara, and Yamazaki all getting pretty good receptions from the crowd. As the wrestlers take their place in the ring, Maeda gives a few words. He thanks the fans for their support over the past year and that without them, UWF wouldn't have had the success they did. He thanks UWF's global partners in the Soviet Union and Holland for allowing the promotion to grow, as well as other wrestlers like Bob Backlund. Takada takes the microphone after Maeda finishes, and promises a great main event. He says he is looking forward to proving why he is the best wrestler in UWF. Backlund cuts a quick promo as well, and sort of brushes off Funaki as a nuisance. Funaki is seen by the cameras as cracking a smile. Some other wrestlers like Satoru Sayama, Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Kazuo Yamazaki give quick statements as well.

Shinji Jin enters the ring and thanks the fans personally for coming out. He says he has a surprise. The Osaka crowd erupts as they see a large man walking into the arena on the big screen. They quickly realize it is none other than Vader! There is a huge eruption of cheers as Vader enters the crowded ring, but there is room for him. Vader, wearing a UWF shirt and baseball cap, takes the microphone and gives a quick statement that is translated to the audience:

"Konbanwa, you might already know who I am. I've heard a lot about a promotion called UWF (cheers). I hear so much from my friends in Japan about how incredibly popular UWF is in this country. Bad News Brown told me this was the place to be and I believed him. I hear other promotions in Japan are jealous and this is where the best wrestlers in the world prove themselves now. Well, no one has proven anything. They haven't faced me yet. I was growing a bit frustrated with politics as usual in America, and Mr. Maeda gave me a call. He promised that this was real wrestling. I will take on any challenger, and next month, I will be in Moscow. Who knows, I might even stick around after that. I hear there is a tournament being hosted soon by Mr. Lou Thesz to determine the best wrestler in the world. No one will be able to beat me if I enter. I will be watching from the front row tonight. Starting next month though, my conquest begins!"

Vader raises his fist in the air and makes a hand motion across the UWF logo on his chest. Vader exits the ring and the WOWOW commentators are quite excited and recap Vader's announcement and his plans. With that, we are underway and the event begins.

Masahito Kakihara vs Kiyoshi Tamura

The two “young lions” went at each other full speed from start to finish, once again impressing the fans and demonstrating why they are perhaps the two best rookies in the first class of UWF dojo trainees. Kakihara had his wild, raw strikes and Tamura answered back with smooth counters and takedowns. It was mostly a back-and-forth affair, with both trading knockdowns down the stretch. After the 10:00 mark, Tamura finally established some momentum and took control of the match with his superior grappling skills. Tamura blocked a palm strike combo from Kakihara and caught one of his hands to jump into a flying armbar for the submission victory. Tamura was quite pleased with himself and celebrated his victory. Tamura defeats Kakihara via submission (flying armbar), 10:52

Yusuke Fuke vs Manabu Yamada

In a more controlled affair compared to the previous match, Fuke and Yamada had more of a grappling-centered contest and both were willing to be patient enough to pick their spots while steadily wearing down their opponent. Yamada, with his Shooto background, was very much focused on trying to surprise his opponent with grappling counters and reversals, while Fuke was more measured and calculating as he attempted to focus on snatching a leg or two. Both seemed unwilling to go for the first rope break, and it was a bit of a stalemate for the first several minutes as they continued to work on the mat. Fuke was finally forced to break a hold using the ropes when Yamada broke his turtle defense for a cross-armbreaker. After the break, Fuke started launching palm strikes and kicks. Yamada was happy to exchange as well, but Fuke managed to score an early knockdown. Yamada eventually regained control of the match and got a 2-1 lead on points. Down the final few minutes, Fuke tried his best to even the score and eventually got Yamada to go for the ropes a fourth time to even the score at 2-2. There was a rush by both to regain the lead before the final bell, but neither could find an opening or land a knockdown. With 15 minutes expired, the match was declared a draw. 15:00 draw

Shigeo Miyato vs Yoji Anjo

Miyato’s confidence came up against the fire and willpower of Anjo, who constantly applied pressure on his opponent with strikes. Anjo also came up with some creative moves to take Miyato down to the mat, who gained the edge with his refined grappling skills. Anjo continued to be relentless though, and kept giving Miyato a pretty good struggle as the two continued to work on the mat. Miyato succeeded in finding avenues to find hooks with a patient approach and built himself a 1-0 lead after getting a few rope breaks from Anjo. Anjo continued his approach at full-throttle though, and eventually evened things up with a knockdown after catching Miyato with a high kick. After some more back and forth, the score evened up at 2-2. Anjo found the critical breakthrough when he managed to best Miyato on the mat, reversing a cross-armbreaker attempt by rolling through it and turning it into a full Boston crab. Miyato tried to get to the ropes, but Anjo applied even more pressure and finally forced Miyato to tap. Anjo was very pleased with himself and celebrated just as he approached the match with a ton of energy. Anjo defeats Miyato via submission (Boston crab), 14:44

Minoru Suzuki vs Wayne Shamrock

Although they were tag team partners a month before, the sporting nature of UWF can always put two partners against each other in the blink of an eye. And of course, both are prideful competitors so the match was a respectful but intense contest between two quickly improving talents. Shamrock at first used his strength and power to get Suzuki to the mat, executing an almost perfect German suplex in the process. The two were evenly matched when it came to the struggle on the canvas and neither could find a significant breakthrough as both had similar backgrounds and skill levels. What did matter was Shamrock’s conditioning, and he looked a bit sharper as a result as the match went on. Still, Suzuki continued to put up a fight. Shamrock was able to get a few more suplexes in, and this seemed to slow Suzuki down a bit as Shamrock gained a 2-1 lead in points. Suzuki found his fighting spirit though, and started to launch a comeback when he caught Shamrock with a sharp palm strike to the head. After Suzuki surprised Shamrock with a double-leg takedown and kneebar that forced another rope break, Suzuki knocked Shamrock back again with another combo of palm strikes. This allowed the crowd favorite to hit his opponent with a Gotch-style piledriver. Suzuki quickly went for the cover. 1…2…3!! Suzuki secured the pinfall and victory. Suzuki defeats Shamrock via pinfall, 15:39

Volk Han vs Dick Vrij

After besting Maurice Smith last month, Volk Han found himself up against another capable, perhaps more vicious, striker in Dick Vrij. Right out of the gate, these two brought a ton of energy and immediately treated the crowd to a thrilling display of grappling vs striking. Volk Han opened things up with a kani-basami leg entry attempt, which successfully took Vrij down to the mat. Han was relentless in looking for a leg hook and this had Vrij scrambling around, looking for a rope break. After some struggle, Vrij was finally able to reach the ropes to escape Han’s grasp. The break allowed Vrij to open the distance some with his strikes, and he targeted Han’s lower legs to try and trip him up. Han got knocked down briefly, but quickly got back up and was able to beat a call for a knockdown. Vrij continued to throw some pretty hard strikes, but Han managed to get within Vrij’s range again and immediately took him back down to his comfort zone on the canvas. After a clever cross-armbreaker attempt, Han was able to score a second rope break for the first point of the match. Vrij stuck to his game plan despite the deficit and softened up Han enough to where it looked like the Soviet SAMBO wizard was slowing down. Vrij’s grappling skills were actually improving to some degree, and he was able to hold his own with Han at times. Of course, Han was better in this department and he racked up another rope break through Vrij’s weak defense. Vrij scored his first point after hitting Han in the gut with a knee strike. Han took his time to get up but beat the count at 7.

Things continued to heat up after Han attempted a nice sweeping leg entry into a kneebar attempt, but they fell close to the ropes, prompting a clean break. Vrij managed to surprise Han with a spinning back elbow, and this knocked down the Dagestani for another knockdown. Han beat the count again and seemed to taunt Vrij by going down to the canvas and slithering around, a bit like Antonio Inoki against Muhammad Ali. Han beckoned Vrij to go back to the ground with him. Han attempted to sneak in a leg hook takedown, but Vrij fended him off. After two straight knockdowns from Vrij, Han was down to his final point and seemed to be cornered by Vrij’s strategy. Vrij even managed to get a rope break from Han after securing a rear naked choke on his opponent. Sensing an opportunity, Vrij assailed his opponent with a series of high kicks but Han caught one of them and took him down for an Achilles hold. Vrij immediately tapped and Han secured the victory much to his delight. Han celebrated by briefly lifting the referee, Motoyuki Kitazawa, up in the air. Of course, the crowd was delighted and celebrated with Han. Han defeats Vrij via submission (Achilles hold), 13:27

Kazuo Yamazaki vs Victor Zangiev

Zangiev presented a formidable challenge for Yamazaki, and Yamazaki focused on his striking abilities to keep his distance from the powerful grappler. As such, this was another exciting striker vs grappler match where Zangiev seemed to overpower Yamazaki whenever he got his hands on him. Zangiev was able to get a variety of suplexes on Yamazaki and tried one or two pinfall attempts. Yamazaki, on the other hand, went for powerful kicks to the exposed legs of Zangiev. This allowed Yamazaki to steadily wear down his opponent. Zangiev and Yamazaki traded knockdowns over the next few minutes in between all the suplexes and sharp kicks. The two were tied 2-2 on points when Zangiev managed to get Yamazaki down to the ground again, and Zangiev attempted a hammerlock choke. Yamazaki struggled to get to the ropes but finally managed to pull enough body weight to use his leg to break the hold. This gave Zangiev a 3-2 lead, and Yamazaki had to go full throttle as unleashed a furious combo of strikes. After scoring one knockdown to the crowd’s delight, Yamazaki quickly followed up with another knockdown to get a 4-3 lead on points. Zangiev attempted to close the distance one last time to wrestle down his opponent, but Yamazaki managed to keep the distance and hit a sharp kick to Zangiev’s kidney area to end the match via TKO. Yamazaki defeats Zangiev via TKO, 14:01

Bob Backlund vs Masakatsu Funaki

Funaki has cemented himself as one of the top young wrestlers in the company and has held his own in the top 10 rankings for quite some time. A clash against Bob Backlund was probably the most logical step forward for him as a competitor. Backlund, who has been undefeated since December, presents a tough task for Funaki. Backlund always takes his competitors seriously though, and no matter how much he thinks Funaki is inexperienced, he won’t take him lightly. After the bell sounds to commence the match, Backlund sizes up Funaki and locks up wrists with him, as both try to outmuscle each other with an armdrag. Backlund quickly wins this battle and takes Funaki down to the canvas and the American looks for an angle to hook his opponent early. Funaki is quick to escape though, and gets back on his feet. The two square off once again, with Funaki offering a few low kicks to check Backlund in the process. The pace quickens up a bit as Backlund and Funaki both find creative ways to bring each other down to the mat, and the opening few minutes are a bit of a grappling affair with both Funaki and Backlund testing each other with various leg lock exchanges. Both get a rope break before they find themselves on their feet again.

Funaki threw some more low kicks, and this seemed to frustrate Backlund to some degree as he got more agitated. The grappling contest devolved into a stiff striking exchange as each threw some pretty hard palm strikes that caught each other in the face. Funaki mixed things up with some kicks, and Backlund was getting stiffed pretty hard. Funaki certainly got some receipts back though, but held tough. Backlund received another sharp palm strike followed by several knee strikes to the face as Funaki clinched and bent Backlund over. Backlund quickly fell to the mat and took some time to beat the ten count as the crowd firmly got behind Funaki after the clinical display of striking. Kitazawa reached the count of eight before Backlund got back up on both feet. The former WWF star came roaring back and hit Funaki with several stiff forearms, and this allowed Backlund to set his opponent up for a very impactful gutwrench suplex. Backlund followed Funaki to the mat and attempted to get a double wristlock in place, but Funaki found a way to defend himself before reversing the hold and getting his own double wristlock on Backlund. Backlund quickly moved towards the ropes to break the hold though, and the intensity ratcheted up once again as they engaged in another striking exchange that popped the crowd. Funaki seemed to get the upper hand and followed up with a dropkick that caught Backlund by surprise. The two found themselves on the mat again. Backlund eventually set up a Gotch lift and raised Funaki into the air, impressing the crowd. Backlund pushed Funaki against a turnbuckle and had him seated on the top. Kitazawa called for a clean break, which allowed Funaki some distance.

Perhaps in a moment of frustration or youthful indiscretion, Funaki leaped off the top and hit Backlund with another dropkick. This caught the crowd by surprise because under the UWF ruleset, using the ropes or turnbuckles as leverage for a move is illegal. Kitazawa called for the bell. Backlund seemed a little surprised but celebrated his victory nonetheless, while Funaki seemed upset about something and eventually left the ring. He was clearly frustrated with himself, of course. Backlund defeats Funaki via DQ, 14:21

Satoru Sayama/Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Aleksandr Karelin/David Gobejishvili

The two heavyweight gold medalists from Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling respectively were powerful adversaries by themselves, but as a team, they were sure to almost unbeatable. Sayama and Fujiwara, however skilled they were, quickly discovered this. Sayama’s striking abilities were on full display as he found himself up against Karelin early on, but the Soviet did very well to defend himself and managed to close the distance easily on his opponent. Sayama did not want to be on the ground with Karelin much and did his best to escape each time he was. Fujiwara also had some difficulty with Gobejishvili and his unorthodox offense. The 6’8 Georgian used a variety of creative throwing techniques influenced by his background in Georgian wrestling. Fujiwara’s ground game was neutralized by this approach as the Georgian gold medalist shifted the focus from grappling to a more strength-focused approach. Fujiwara lost an early point after he lost his footing from a fireman’s carry throw and prompted a knockdown count from Soranaka.

Karelin continued to apply the pressure after he was tagged back in, and his opponent was once again Sayama. The rope breaks started coming for Karelin as Sayama found himself in a world of trouble with Karelin’s Greco-Roman takedowns and joint locks meant to control the pacing of the match in his favor. Sayama was still formidable though, and found a way to fight back using his wide knowledge of the grappling arts. It was in the standup where Sayama found his strength though, and his furious kicks kept softening up Karelin despite his incredible size. Fujiwara and Sayama tried a rapid tag technique on Karelin, and that seemed to work as Fujiwara was able to get a rope break from Karelin after managing to surprise him with an ankle pick and ankle lock attempt. The match continued to see a brief resurgence from Sayama and Fujiwara, but Karelin and Gobejishvili managed to re-establish themselves in due course and their grappling skills and momentum were eventually too much to resist. Fujiwara was eliminated first by Karelin who knocked him off his feet for the final point with a huge belly-to-belly suplex. Sayama was alone and was pinned by Gobejishvili around the 15:00 mark who caught him with a shoulder lock that also acted as a pinning maneuver. Karelin & Gobejishvili defeat Sayama & Fujiwara, 15:37

Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada

Maeda was determined to firmly establish himself as the top wrestler in UWF Newborn and wanted to beat Takada decisively. This would be no easy task of course. Takada had proven he was just as good as Maeda, if not better at times. The crowd at Osaka Baseball Stadium was rocking for this one, and as soon as the bell sounded, dueling chants for both Maeda and Takada broke out. Both wrestlers started trading hard strikes, with a variety of kicks, palm strikes, and body punches thrown in for good measure. At first, it seemed like Maeda had the upper hand. Maeda was forceful and seemed to enjoy stalking Takada around the ring as the latter defended himself from Maeda’s constant kicks. Takada answered back, but nothing seemed to particularly bother Maeda. Takada did manage to bring Maeda down to the mat with a single-leg takedown, and the two grappled for several minutes at a relatively slow pace. Both were patient and didn’t rush into any sort of danger.

While the two aren’t the most exciting grapplers in UWF, they did catch the crowd’s attention with their methodical work and the jam-packed Osaka Baseball Stadium watched intently. Maeda built up an early 1-0 lead on points after sending Takada to the ropes twice with a variety of holds. Takada found himself on the mat again in due course and started a bit of a comeback by working on Maeda’s leg. Takada struggled to even the score, however, and had to resort to luring Maeda back into a standup exchange where he struggled to match Maeda’s intensity once again, resulting in Takada being knocked down. Maeda built his lead to 2-0, and seemed to be enjoying the momentum for a few more minutes until Takada answered in return with a surprisingly sharp high kick followed by a kidney shot. Maeda collapsed to his knees and Soranaka called for a ten count, but Maeda was able to get up without sweating too much about beating the count. There was another wild striking exchange and Maeda returned the favor with another knockdown following several knee strikes from the clinch. Takada just couldn’t get anything going, either on the mat or canvas. Maeda asserted himself even more with a 3-1 lead as Takada tried everything in the book to get back on the board. After another extended grappling exchange, Takada did manage to get a single-leg Boston crab that extracted another rope break from Maeda, making the score 3-2. But this is where Takada’s luck ended. Maeda spent the next few minutes softening up Takada once again with more strikes. Takada did his best to answer back with more high kicks, but this played right into Maeda’s hands as he blocked one of Takada’s kicks and caught it, turning it into a huge Capture suplex! Takada faced another ten count but managed to find his footing. He was weak though, and Maeda caught him for another Capture suplex as he stumbled around. Takada quickly found himself in a kneebar, and Maeda had the hold locked in tight…..Takada taps! Maeda’s fans erupt with joy as Osaka Baseball Stadium turns thunderous for the victor. Soranaka raises Maeda’s arm as the result is made official, with Takada recovering near a turnbuckle. Maeda defeats Takada via submission (kneebar), 20:32

Akira Maeda continues to celebrate in the ring for a few minutes as he soaks up the atmosphere. Maeda is also given a ceremonial trophy to commemorate the occasion. Takada, clearly disappointed with himself, reluctantly shakes hands with Maeda and exits the ring. The WOWOW commentary team recap the events from the evening. They promote the show next month in Moscow, with clips airing of Akira Maeda and other UWF dignitaries in Moscow earlier this month as they tour the scenery of the city. We see clips of them near the Kremlin, touring Luzhiniki Stadium, and meeting Soviet officials at a fancy dinner. The team closes off the show with their final thoughts. They promote Vader's surprise appearance again, mentioning that they were sure he was under contract with WWF but something must have been worked out. We get the rolling credits set to Queen's "We Are The Champions" mixed in with highlights as WOWOW caps off a memorable first anniversary for UWF Newborn. 

[Autistic Dragon]

It's Vader Time in the UWF!

Maybe I'm misremembering but I believe Funaki is the first man to get disqualified in the UWF.

[spaldoni]

The night kicks off with a bang with the arrival of Vader!!! 

I always know the young lions are going to get the crowd warmed up. 

Fuke and Yamada were so evenly matched that they go the limit. Hopefully we get a rematch. 

I totally agree with that final statement. Anjo brought the energy tonight and it paid off well. 

I thought Shamrock was going to take it, but Suzuki finished strong by perfectly setting things up for that piledriver. 

Vrij sticks to his plan and scored some knockdowns, but Han's patience and skills pay off to secure him a well earned victory. 

Zangiev was on his wrestling A game, but Yamazaki's onslaught at the end takes it. Those kidney shots are brutal 

Very interesting finish in the Funaki/Backlund match. Funaki was doing well for himself. I wonder what happened and what made him upset. 

Very impressive outing for the Russian team. 

Maeda was in true forum and shines tonight in the main event. That finishing sequence was amazing. 

Great stadium show. This proves the UWF is at the top of their game. 

You've done a great job building this promotion. We all got to see this from the ground up. Excellent work! 

 

[LowBlowPodcast]

With the Olympics going on - I have been thinking about UWF. I am rooting for Backlund to be the baddest dude on the block here. the stadium shows are always special... you've delivered.  Love the use of your gifs... they make everything easier to get into!

[jeff5819]

Not all that familiar with UWF out of Japan so this is all new to me but i love the feel to your show and the more technical hard hitting style that's associated with Japan. 

The mix of none Japanese wrestlers that you've chosen fit perfectly. 

Great show.

[Control21]

Card Announcement:

UWF Newborn - "Moscow Martial Arts Festival"

August 24th, 1989

Moscow, USSR

Luzhniki Stadium

Masakatsu Funaki vs Minoru Suzuki

Wayne Shamrock vs Nikolai Zouev

Andrei Kopylov vs Volk Han

Atsushi Onita vs Vladimir Berkovich

Marco Ruas vs Timur Zalasov

Judo Jacket Match:

"Bad News" Allen vs Grigory Verichev

Gary Albright & Steve Williams vs Salman Hashimikov & Victor Zangiev

Vader vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara

Nobuhiko Takada vs Aleksandr Karelin

Akira Maeda vs David Gobejishvili

 

(OOC: This month was a bit busier than expected, so I will be 1-2 days late. Rest assured, it's cooking in the oven!)

 

[Autistic Dragon]

Looks like a card worth waiting for.

[rainmakerrtv]

Andrei Kopylov vs Volk Han! Just watched a bunch of their matches, can't wait to see what you do with it!

[Control21]

UWF Newborn – “Moscow Martial Arts Festival”

August 24^th, 1989

Moscow, USSR

Luzhniki Stadium

Attendance: 70,000

Broadcast: WOWOW (taped)

The broadcast on WOWOW opens with a ceremonial lighting of the Olympic torch located in the stadium, with several Soviet and Japanese dignitaries who medaled in previous Olympic events from Judo, Wrestling, and Boxing. In what is described as a "display of peace and friendship," the group gathers to light the torch as one. Orchestral music is heard playing in the stadium as the fans cheer, and then the regular proceedings begin. Nobuyuki Furuta makes the show introduction in the ring, with Japanese translated into Russian for the audience. The parade of wrestlers follows, and of course, the Soviets get the loudest cheers of the late afternoon. Akira Maeda and Shinji Jin give a statement (which is also translated) thanking everyone for coming and for the cooperation of the Soviet government in making this event possible. Aleksandr Karelin is chosen to speak for the home team, and he also thanks the fans for coming and promises a victory over Takada. Some more statements are given by various dignitaries who honor the origins and history of martial arts in both the Soviet Union and Japan. The WOWOW broadcast then briefly plays behind-the-scenes footage of the UWF crew exploring the sights and sounds of Moscow. The commentary crew then break down the matches of the evening before the event gets officially underway. 

Masakatsu Funaki vs Minoru Suzuki

The jam-packed Luzhniki Stadium was treated to an opening bout between two bright talents who are beginning to make a strong push to stake their claim in the UWF hierarchy. Funaki and Suzuki opened things up with a grappling clinic in the first few minutes, wowing the crowd with impressive wrestling and counterwork on the mat. Funaki, in particular, was very sharp as he made things difficult for Suzuki, who had a lot to offer as well. Suzuki attempted to catch Funaki by surprise with a few pinfall attempts, but Funaki was alert and fended his opponent off. Suzuki continued to try and mix things up by trying to outstrike Funaki, and he seemed to have his rival on the backfoot at first as he mixed in various palm strikes and low kicks. Despite Funaki’s attempt at regaining some momentum, Suzuki scored a knockdown to tie the match at 1-1 on points after Funaki established a lead earlier through rope breaks. Suzuki continued to build on his momentum and had Funaki in some dangerous positions on the mat as he was able to find angles to attack Funaki’s legs with a variety of hooking attempts. Funaki weathered the storm though, and eventually found the breakthrough when he caught Suzuki for a huge side suplex that knocked Suzuki right on his neck. Funaki seized the initiative and finished things off with a high-angle Boston crab, which was enough to cause Suzuki to tap out. Funaki gleefully celebrated a huge win in Moscow as a good amount of cheers filled the air. Funaki defeats Suzuki via submission (Boston crab), 12:37

Wayne Shamrock vs Nikolai Zouev

Another outstanding display of technical wrestling followed as Nikolai Zouev and Wayne Shamrock illustrated their respective skill sets in SAMBO and catch wrestling. Zouev’s reach made things difficult for Shamrock as Zouev found ways to get his opponent down to the mat and control the tempo in the process. The Soviet crowd provided a second wind for Zouev as well whenever Shamrock tried to reverse his fortunes, but Zouev had a great strategy and kept moving on the canvas while not giving Shamrock any openings either. Zouev scored the first point of the match after sending Shamrock to the ropes twice by the 5:00 mark. Shamrock used the opportunity to get back on his feet again to try and outmuscle Zouev with a show of strength, attempting to set him up for a German suplex. Zouev managed to fend off the attempt and had to defend himself against a furry of strikes from Shamrock, and answered back with a few of his own. Despite Zouev’s position of strength, Shamrock did manage to claw his way back and hit a bridging German suplex for a pinfall attempt, but Zouev managed to kick out just in time. Shamrock continued to press Zouev though, and eventually tied the match back at 1-1 on points after getting a few rope breaks out of Zouev. Zouev answered back with a beautiful rolling kneebar and sent Shamrock to the ropes once again to regain the lead at 2-1. After another striking exchange between the two, Zouev caught one of Shamrock’s kick attempts and kicked his other knee out for a lightning-fast heel hook that forced Shamrock to tap out, delighting the fans in Luzhniki Stadium. Zouev defeats Shamrock via submission (heel hook), 13:18

Volk Han vs Andrei Kopylov

Volk Han has had an impressive streak in UWF so far, wowing the Japanese fans with his skilled technique that combines flash with precision. The Dagestani grappler had another opportunity here to add to his win column and get his win back from a formidable Soviet rival. Kopylov, to his credit, has had some impressive wins as well and seemed to have the upper hand over Volk Han at first. Volk wasn’t able to get much going with Kopylov keeping his distance with some strikes and picking his spots to get to the ground with Volk and using a similar strategy that Zouev employed to control the tempo of the grappling. Volk Han was able to break through at times with his counterwork though, and the two built up a 1-1 tie on points several minutes into the match. Kopylov impressed the crowd with some slick throwing techniques, and Volk seemed to be in a pickle as Kopylov managed to score a knockdown a few after with a series of body punches. Just as when Kopylov seemed to be in control after another scramble on the mat led to a rope break from Volk Han, the Dagestani grappler caught Kopylov with a spinning backfist which really impressed the crowd in Luzhniki stadium. Volk regained control of the match and took Kopylov down to the mat with a spinning armbar takedown. Kopylov eventually found himself tangled up with Volk Han, who submitted his opponent with a figure four-esque knee crusher. Han defeats Kopylov via submission (knee crusher), 13:43

Atsushi Onita vs Vladimir Berkovich

On paper, Onita appeared to be outclassed against a 6’2 323 lbs Greco-Roman wrestler, but as we have seen, no task seems impossible to Onita who continues to be confident in his abilities. Berkovich immediately tried to use his power to overwhelm Onita with a variety of suplexes, but Onita managed to fight off most of them and only fell victim to one belly-to-belly suplex. Berkovich attempted to keep Onita grounded and even went for a pin attempt, but Onita fought off the big man quite well. Berkovich continued to swarm all over Onita, and Onita found himself in a world of trouble as Berkovich continued to lift him in the air for a few more suplex attempts. With each one, Onita seemed more stunned and the Soviet crowd was firmly behind Berkovich as he gained a point after Onita had the wind knocked out of him for a ten count. A similar story continued for the next few minutes as Berkovich built up a 3-0 lead with Onita taking a ton of punishment from the much stronger wrestler. When Berkovich wrestled Onita to the ground with a Greco-Roman hold, Onita was seemingly struggling to break free but somehow he managed to find a way to catch Berkovich in a triangle armbar, and Berkovich attempted to power his way out of the hold by slamming Onita onto the mat, but Onita kept the hold firmly locked in. With his arm being pulled even tighter, Berkovich had no choice but to relent and tap out, shocking the fans in Luzhniki Stadium. Onita defeats Berkovich via submission (triangle armbar), 9:22

Marco Ruas vs Timur Zalasov

Timur Zalasov was a lanky freestyle wrestler who had a significant reach advantage on Ruas, but Ruas was also much more skilled, and determined to beat his Russian opponent. Zalasov’s strategy simply seemed to get Ruas to the ground for a pinfall, but Ruas was just too strong and did not relent. Ruas caused a lot of problems for Zalasov on the canvas, and the Soviet crowd urged on their compatriot as he quickly racked up the rope breaks with Ruas earning a lot of points quickly. It was evident Zalasov was outclassed, and with a 2-0 on points within a few minutes, Ruas went for the kill. Zalasov attempted a side suplex, but Ruas reversed the attempt into an armdrag takedown and snatched a cross-armbreaker in the middle of the ring. Zalasov did his best to reach the ropes but couldn’t quite get there and tapped out. Ruas defeats Zalasov via submission (cross-armbreaker), 6:01

Judo Jacket Match: Bad News Allen vs Grigory Verichev

Allen “Bad News” Coage was a 1976 Olympic bronze medalist in Judo and a two-time gold medalist from the Pan-American Games. Even 13 years later, he was still a formidable Judoka. On the other side of the ring was Grigory Verichev, also a Judo bronze medalist from the recent 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Verichev was also a gold medalist from the World Championships in 1987. Verichev was also fourteen years younger than Bad News Allen and seemingly had youth on his side. Allen had the benefit of being much more experienced in the squared circle and is a veteran of a few “Judo Jacket” matches as well. Verichev also had the crowd on his side and this quickly became apparent with the opening bell. Both Verichev and Allen were quite strategic in their approach, like true Olympic Judokas. Allen seemed to favor a more offensive approach and pressed Verichev in the opening minutes, with Verichev doing well to fend off Allen’s strength whenever the two locked up and pulled on each other’s Judo gi. The Soviet crowd grew more vocal whenever it seemed like Verichev was setting himself up for a takedown, but Allen managed to stay on his feet. Allen continued to settle into the match and eventually got Verichev off his feet with a nice takedown, and quickly went for a cross-armbreaker. Instead of going for the ropes, Verichev rolled through the attempt to relieve pressure and managed to break Allen’s hold to the delight of the crowd. The match evolves as time passes, with both Allen and Verichev finding more luck in getting their respective opponent to the canvas with a variety of takedowns and throws. Verichev gives Allen fits at times, and builds up a 2-1 advantage on points after he catches Allen with a collar choke which forces the American to go for the ropes. Allen responded with a Harai Goshi hip throw and goes for a pinfall attempt, which Verichev kicks out of just in time. As much as the crowd was with Verichev, Allen’s experience and wit inside the wrestling ring appeared to be the ace up the American’s sleeve. After Allen tied the match at 2-2 after getting Verichev with another cross-armbreaker attempt, Verichev attempted to get Allen off his feet again with an Uchi Mata, but Allen defended well and scored a shoulder takedown that he turned into a pinfall attempt, and Verichev was unable to kick out in time. The Soviet crowd was disappointed that Verichev couldn’t beat the American, but a few rounds of applause broke out for Bad News Allen. Allen defeats Verichev via pinfall, 15:49

Gary Albright/Steve Williams vs Salman Hashimikov/Victor Zangiev

(Unlike previous UWF tag team matches, this match is announced as a contest decided by the usual UWF rules, and not by elimination)

Just like their previous match in January, these two teams brought heavy metal wrestling to the forefront as neither held back right out of the gate. Gary Albright and Hashimikov were the first to lock up, and they traded heavy suplexes before Albright took Hashimikov to the mat and kept him grounded with a straight armlock attempt. Hashimikov struggled at first, but managed to break free from the hold and the two resumed wrestling on the canvas, with Albright looking for a clever pinfall attempt but Hashimikov was well aware of Albright’s strategy and avoided any dangerous situations. After a few minutes, Zangiev and Williams were tagged in. Williams continued the suplex focus while Zangiev wanted to get Williams down to the mat and they both had equal success. Zangiev worked his way out of a bridging German suplex and took Williams’ back for a rear naked choke, which Williams did well to survive. A smooth ankle pick from Williams caught Zangiev off his feet and Williams took the opportunity to lift the Soviet for another German suplex. The Americans seemed to have the Russian team’s number, although Hashimikov and Zangiev earned their team a few points by forcing Williams and Albright to the ropes as the minutes passed.

Albright and Hashimikov found themselves back in the ring eventually, and Hashimikov took it to Albright to fire up the home crowd. Hashimikov scored a double-leg takedown on Albright, who had to work from the bottom as Hashimikov attempted a shoulder lock followed by a pinfall attempt, which Albright managed to kick out of. While this match lacked striking so far, Albright managed to switch things up a bit by landing a few body shots on Hashimikov to soften him up. The Chechen wrestler had to survive a huge belly-to-belly suplex from Albright before managing to tag in Zangiev. Zangiev, a bit slicker than Hashimikov, managed to get some offense going against Albright by bringing him to the mat, and Zangiev enjoyed a good stretch where he managed to force Albright to tag in Williams, and then Williams found himself on the mat due to Zangiev’s aggressiveness. Just as when the Soviet team was seemingly enjoying a shift in momentum, Williams found himself up against Hashimikov who was caught by an Alabama slam from “Dr. Death.” Hashmikov struggled to get on his feet as Williams locked him up for a bridging Fisherman’s Suplex for the pinfall attempt. 1…2….3!!! Steve Williams secured the victory for his team and silenced Luzhniki Stadium as he celebrated with his partner. Williams & Albright defeat Hashimikov & Zangiev via pinfall, 18:22

Super Vader vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara

After a good amount of hype, Vader finally made his debut in UWF Newborn in the most interesting way possible. Clad in black and red attire, the red-masked wrestler marched his way down to the ring and seemed to be focused on the business at hand. Nobuyuki Furuta introduced him as “Super Vader” and he promptly took his mask off. Vader was also wearing Vale Tudo-style gloves and awaited his opponent who followed next. Yoshiaki Fujiwara had a stern look on his face and did not seem deterred by the massive size of his opponent. Motoyuki Kitazawa checked both men for their readiness and signaled for the bell. Vader immediately pressed Fujiwara and commenced firing off several hard closed-fist body shots on his opponent. Fujiwara was backed into a turnbuckle pretty quickly as Vader continued to wail on him. Fujiwara managed to get off a few palm strikes, but Vader did not seem bothered by them and grabbed onto Fujiwara for a quick throw out of the turnbuckle. Surprisingly, Vader followed him to the ground and although Vader was no mat genius, he displayed some competence as he went for a straight armlock and almost got it locked in too easily, forcing Fujiwara to go for an early rope break. Vader seemed very determined to win the match and continued to dominate over the next several minutes, with Fujiwara getting very little offense in as he found himself getting knocked down twice in quick succession from more body shots and a few hard palm strikes. Fujiwara did not give up though and did his best to soften up Vader with a series of low leg kicks that almost seemed to catch the big man by surprise. The more experienced veteran actually managed to get his larger opponent to the canvas a couple of times using clever takedown techniques, but Vader’s massive presented an issue on the mat as Fujiwara had very little luck in locking his armbreaker and heel hook attempts in. When they found themselves back on their feet, Vader continued to pile on the knockdowns and established a 4-0 lead on points eventually, causing Fujiwara to unleash everything he had. Palm strikes, low kicks, and even a headbutt attempt that Fujiwara immediately regretted as he stumbled to the canvas in a daze. Vader seized the initiative and lifted Fujiwara for a bodyslam. The Russian fans were enamored with Vader as he exerted his dominance and finished the match with a huge powerbomb. Fujiwara faced another ten count but the referee didn’t bother to finish the count as Fujiwara clearly could not get back on his feet despite a brief attempt at doing so. Vader defeats Fujiwara via TKO, 10:45

Akira Maeda vs David Gobejishvili

David Gobejishvili made Akira Maeda look much smaller than really is, and that isn’t particularly easy. Maeda, who stood at 6’3, was dwarfed by the long frame of the 6’8 Georgian freestyle wrestler. Maeda focused on his strategy of slowly cutting down his opponent with sharp kicks, but he wasn’t afraid to grapple with him either. David’s grappling background was probably better and more unique, and that became evident as he surprised Maeda with a few takedowns and throws. Maeda opted to be more calculated in his approach and managed to present a challenge to the Olympic gold medalist on the mat. The two traded rope breaks in the first several minutes, leading to a 1-1 tie on points by the 8:00 mark. Maeda’s calm catch wrestling approach flustered David who seemed to be more comfortable with trying to throw Maeda around instead of trying to beat his submission game. David did appear quite strong at times on this end and got the Soviet fans excited by getting his opponent off his feet several times with Chidaoba-inspired moves, but ultimately Maeda prevailed when he landed a combination of devastating kicks on his opponent. David did his best to beat the count, but couldn’t respond sufficiently enough to Masami Soranaka’s liking in time. Maeda defeats Gobejishvili via KO, 15:33

Nobuhiko Takada vs Aleksandr Karelin

The much anticipated main event was finally here. The crowd at Luzhniki Stadium went ballistic as “For Whom The Bell Tolls” by Metallica played through the stadium’s sound system, with Karelin returning to his home country triumphantly. The 1988 gold medalist marched his way to the ring with a confident swag, backed by his cornermen. Karelin, wearing a red singlet, seemed quite focused on the task at hand as he awaited his opponent. Nobuhiko Takada entered the stadium to Rocky IV’s ‘Training Montage” theme and while it appeared he had confidence, it also seemed like he had a hint of nervousness. The two waited in their respective corners as Nobuyuki Furuta made the ring introductions, and Masami Soranaka made checks on both before signaling for the bell.

From the start, it seemed evident that Takada’s strategy was to immediately soften up Karelin’s legs with a series of low kicks. Karelin wanted to get close, but Takada did well to keep the Olympic gold medalist at a distance. Things were at a bit of a stalemate with Takada continuing to lay kicks in at opportune moments, but Karelin managed to catch one of his kicks and turned it into a single-leg takedown, taking Takada down to the canvas. The crowd in Luzhniki roared as Karelin established side control on Takada, and Karelin quickly went to work as he attempted a double-wristlock, which Takada had to break by using the ropes much to the delight of the jam-packed stadium. Back on his feet, Takada stuck to the same strategy by going after Karelin’s legs, but Karelin did much better here to check Takada’s kicks and minimize their damage. Karelin was once again able to close the distance on Takada and applied a Greco-Roman body lock on him, while Takada struggled to break free and avoid going down to the canvas. Karelin's strength won out though, and Takada once again found himself on the canvas as Karelin worked to lock in another hold. Takada did well to defend and forced a clean break by making Karelin get close to the ropes with him. Takada continued to rely on his striking abilities, while Karelin focused on getting Takada down to the canvas to rack up more points through rope breaks. Karelin continued to seem the more dominant wrestler out of the two, and frustration was becoming more visible on Takada’s face.

Karelin built up a 3-1 lead on points after several minutes and even managed to knock Takada off his feet after a well-executed Dragon suplex. Takada, for his part, managed to get a high kick on the Olympic medalist and the Soviet machine briefly displayed a moment of weakness before beating the count. The Luzhniki crowd continued to urge Karelin on as Takada resumed his striking-based assault. Karelin seemed more comfortable with grappling rather than striking and latched onto Takada for a devastating overhead belly-to-belly suplex. The Soviet pressed the advantage and grappled with Takada on the canvas as he tried to look for a rear-naked choke, but Takada had a few tricks up his sleeve and managed to get into the position needed for a heel hook attempt. Karelin was caught off guard and scrambled to the ropes pretty quickly. Takada seemed to be enjoying a second wind as he caught Karelin with a few kicks to his midsection, but sooner or later, the inevitable was going to become reality. Just as when Takada seemed to be on the verge of a second knockdown, Karelin managed to latch onto Takada for a gutwrench suplex, followed by another. Luzhniki Stadium roared as Karelin finished the series of events with the “Karelin Lift” for the third and final act of the finish. Takada landed sharply on his head and Karelin followed him to the ground, hooking both of Takada’s legs for the pinfall. 1…2…..3!!! Karelin had defeated one of the top stars in UWF on Russian home soil. Karelin defeats Takada via pinfall, 18:23

After the match, Karelin celebrates with his cornermen who lift him up on their shoulders and parade him around the ring as fans desperately reach out to greet their hero. Karelin is given a bouquet and a ceremonial trophy by UWF officials and other dignitaries present at ring side. The UWF theme plays in the arena once again to close the show, with the commentators hyping up the huge win for Karelin. They break down the other matches before a graphic appears on screen, which unveils the bracket for the U-COSMOS Grand Prix tournament starting next month back home in Tokyo. The commentators hype up the start of the tournament and praise the historical show that just took place before the rolling credits set to Queen's "We Are The Champions" close out the program.

 

[rainmakerrtv]

Han vs. Kopylov sounds epic, as it should be. The Terror Collective rules in Russia, just as it does everywhere else. Karelin over Takada is huge, I can just imagine how the fans reacted. Eagerly waiting for U-COSMOS!

[Autistic Dragon]

Bit of a rough night for the home team but I'm sure that just made the crowd go nuts when Karelin got it done in the main event.

The Terror Collective goes international!

Solid bracket for the big tournament.

[Scarlet-Left]

Solid write-ups as always! Vader could win all his matches in ten minutes and I'd be a very happy man!

[spaldoni]

Funaki took a lot of punishment but comes back strong to get the win. Good match to kick things off in Moscow. 

I think having the home crowd behind him helped Zouev edge out Shamrock. 

That devastating back fist was enough to lead Han to an impressive victory. 

WOW! Onita's resilience impressed me here as he weathered a big storm from Berkovich to prevail in the end. 

Ruas makes relatively short work of Zalasov. Experience was the key factor here. 

Allen gets respect in Russia after that win. He's still got it! 

I could imagine the silenced crowd after Williams finished things off. Willams and Albright are a force! 

Moscow had the pleasure of watching Vader's debut and he didn't disappoint. It's going to take a lot to beat the man they call Vader.

David put his wrestling skills to work, but Maeda's kicks were too much to handle. It was cool seeing a big name like Maeda get the win in Russia. 

Takada gave the Fans a few scares but Karelin stuck to his plan and sent them home happy. 

After this show and the attendance, I'm sure the UWF will be back for more. 

[Control21]

 

Quote

September 14^th, 1989

UWF Newborn held their major stadium show in Moscow and by all accounts, including the WOWOW broadcast which was on tape delay, it was another big success for the promotion. The show had an announced attendance of 70,000 (although this couldn’t be verified) and featured the debut of Vader, as well as a somewhat surprising win for Aleksandr Karelin over Nobuhiko Takada. People who have seen the WOWOW broadcast have said that the show was solid as expected, and Karelin’s win over Takada was very well-received by the crowd. People in the Soviet Union are probably not very familiar with professional wrestling, but they seemed to pick up on things as the show went on. The attendance figure is interesting. The capacity of Luzhniki Stadium is around 75,000 and some reports in Japan have suggested that the Soviet Union encouraged residents in Moscow to attend with free tickets, although the exact mechanics of how this worked still appear to be relatively unknown.

Vader looked quite strong in his debut against Yoshiaki Fujiwara, which was of course a very interesting match on paper. It was a bit of a surprise when UWF announced Vader would be with the promotion until the start of the next year, and some questions were raised about Vader’s ability to adjust to the UWF style but those questions were put to rest. Vader imposed himself as a hard-hitting big man with incredible punches mixed in with traditional power moves. Fujiwara meshed with Vader well and lots of praise came from Japanese outlets over the past few weeks. Honestly, Vader might be one of the more underappreciated wrestlers in the world today with his ability to adapt to almost any style of wrestling. UWF is billing Vader as “Super Vader,” and that appears to be quite fitting considering how good he was in his first match.

UWF announced the bracket for the UWF U-COSMOS tournament set to start later this month in Tokyo on September 27^th. First round matchups include Volk Han vs Wayne Shamrock, Dennis Koslowski vs Shigeo Miyato, Duane Koslowski vs Atsushi Onita, and Vader vs Tatsuo Nakano. The bracket itself appears to be setting up a Nobuhiko Takada vs Akira Maeda semi-final, but it’s interesting to note that Takada could be wrestling either Bob Backlund or Vader in the quarter-finals, with both Vader seemingly set to wrestle Bob Backlund for that opportunity unless something strange happens with his match with Nakano. A Bob Backlund vs Vader match probably would be any US booker’s dream matchup, and fireworks could be flying in that match as soon as the bell rings. Another wrestler to keep an eye on is Satoru Sayama, who could also make a deep run. Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Aleksandr Karelin are both on his side of the bracket, so lots of interesting scenarios could happen. A Tokyo Sports fan poll found that most UWF fans would like to see Akira Maeda vs Satoru Sayama in the final, which would certainly be one to watch if both managed to advance that far.

Bart Vale hasn’t shown up on any UWF cards recently, but he has been busy running his dojo in Florida and word is going around that he is very excited about a recruit, Jerry Flynn, who has been training with Vale and Joe Malenko for the past few months. Vale has apparently told a few people that he believes Flynn could be the “American Akira Maeda” as he is both quite tall at 6’4 and has a strong background in Karate. Obviously, any comparison to Akira Maeda is lofty praise, and it would take a lot for Flynn to reach that level, but Vale feels very strongly he has the talent to go far. It is expected Flynn will debut in UWF towards the end of the year if everything continues to go well. UWF is also keeping tabs on a few other potential recruits in the states, including a local Tennessee wrestler by the name of Billy Scott. Steve Nelson, a Texas-based wrestler who has done stints in Mexico, has also caught the eye of Billy Robinson who has made a few stops here to help identify talent.

 

[LowBlowPodcast]

 

watched this gem the other day and thought of what you’ve got going on.

[Control21]

Card Announcement: 

UWF Newborn - "U-COSMOS Grand Prix 1989: First Round"

September 27th, 1989

Tokyo NK Hall

Chiba, Japan

First Round Matches:

Minoru Suzuki vs Yoji Anjo

Norman Smiley vs Erik Paulson

Dennis Koslowski vs Shigeo Miyato

Volk Han vs Wayne Shamrock

Masakatsu Funaki vs Chris Dolman

Super Vader vs Tatsuo Nakano

Salman Hashimikov vs Dick Vrij

Atsushi Onita vs Duane Koslowski

Special Tag:

Akira Maeda & Joe Malenko vs Nobuhiko Takada & Chris Benoit

 

 

 

[rainmakerrtv]

That tag match is super intriguing. Top match for me would be Shamrock against my guy Volk Han.