UWF Newborn

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UWF Newborn – “UWF ’91 2nd”

March 29^th, 1991

Sapporo, Japan

Nakajima Sports Center

Attendance: 5,200 (sold out)

Broadcast: WOWOW (live)

Mitsuya Nagai vs Koji Kanemoto - 15:00 draw

A testy match between two promising young lions went back and forth, and both Nagai and Kanemoto had moments that looked like they were on the verge of victory, but neither could finish the job before the 15:00 time limit expired. Nagai and Kanemoto continue to look promising in their development.

Billy Scott def. Koichiro Kimura via submission (cross-armbreaker), 12:32

The young American seemed very sharp in his match against Kimura, another talented young lion from the latest UWF dojo class. Kimura appeared dangerous at times, but Billy Scott seemed prepared and held out until he managed to snag a cross-armbreaker dead center in the ring. 

Jerry Flynn/Steve Nelson def. Yusuke Fuke/Tatsuo Nakano via knockout, 15:11

Flynn and Nelson secured a solid win over the experienced duo of Nakano and Fuke. The Americans have continued their development, with Flynn looking dangerous with his range and striking ability. Nelson was formidable on the mat, showing off his wrestling skills against Fuke, pushing the latter to the limit. Nakano appeared to get the upper hand in the second half, but Nakano was caught square on by a high kick from Flynn, giving the Americans a well-earned victory in a tough match. 

Masaaki Satake def. Willie Peeters via knockout, 13:44

Satake, who recently joined the UWF roster from the kickboxing/karate circuit, was a very tough opponent for the fiery Willie Peeters, who was eager to impress after a promising run in the Netherlands under Chris Dolman's tutelage. The two engaged in a very hot, hard-hitting match that got the Sapporo crowd rocking at times. Both secured numerous knockdowns, but it was Satake who got the victory after hitting Peeters with a devastating combo.

World Tag Team Championship:

Dennis Koslowski/Duane Koslowski(c) def. Minoru Suzuki/Masakatsu Funaki via pinfall, 17:56

The reigning Tag Team champions earned another successful defense of their championship after Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki both pushed them to their limits. The Koslowski brothers were threatened several times throughout the match, and Masakatsu Funaki looked like he was going to continue his hot streak by nearly putting away Duane Koslowski with a well-timed kneebar. Ultimately, the Americans rallied, and Dennis Koslowski hit Minoru Suzuki with a huge suplex and a pinning combination to earn the victory. Masakatsu Funaki did not look happy with his partner after the match.

Atsushi Onita def. Yoshiaki Fujiwara via submission (knee scissors), 18:02

Onita would not be denied against the UWF veteran, but Fujiwara made him work for it. The two engaged in one of the best matches of the night, with brilliant matwork and strategy on display. Fujiwara appeared to be on the verge of victory with a Fujiwara Armbar, but Onita fought out of it and launched a brilliant comeback to secure the win. Fujiwara congratulated Onita on his well-earned victory. Perhaps this will be Onita's year?

Volk Han def. Tatsumi Fujinami via submission (cross heel hold), 17:15

In a bit of an upset (but not to those who are Volk Han fans), the Dagestani SAMBO specialist made Fujinami tap to the surprise of the fans in Sapporo. Volk had to work extra hard and was down to his last point with Fujinami leading as well, but Volk pulled another rabbit out of his hat with a stunning takedown that led to a cross heel hold. Fujinami fought to get to the ropes, but Volk held on, and Fujinami tapped. Fujinami's masterful catch wrestling was on display, but Volk's SAMBO magic was just too much to deal with.

Nobuhiko Takada def. Naoya Ogawa via pinfall, 16:21

In another closely fought bout, the young Judo prodigy nearly caught Takada with an almost perfect STO, but Takada kicked out at the last second to launch a comeback. With both wrestlers tied on 3 points each, it looked like Ogawa was on the edge of a breakthrough, but he needed more to put away Takada down the stretch. Takada's striking seemed to be a major factor here, and Ogawa struggled throughout with his defense against Takada's timing. Takada hit Ogawa with a combination of high kicks before a bridging German Suplex put Ogawa down for good. Takada congratulated Ogawa on the well-fought match. Ogawa will be back for more, that's for sure.

Akira Maeda def. Salman Hashimikov via submission (kneebar), 15:50

Salman Hashimikov was eager to get revenge for Karelin from last December, when Maeda triumphed over the Soviet machine to win the U-COSMOS Grand Prix. Maeda was game, though, and despite Salman Hashimikov working his tail off against the reigning Undisputed World Heavyweight champion, the reigning champion was just too good. Hashimikov was impressive at times, defending well against Maeda's strikes and posing a huge threat on the mat with sharp wrestling and matwork. Maeda came away with the victory after catching Hashimikov with a Capture Suplex that sent the Sapporo fans into a frenzy. Maeda quickly followed up with a kneebar to make the Soviet wrestler tap.

 

News and Notes:

- UWF announced a brand new dojo class for 1991, and they will begin training shortly. Among names mentioned are: Yoshihiro Takayama, Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Sanae Kikuta, Yuki Ishikawa, Hiromitsu Kanehara, and Masakazu Maeda (no relation to Akira Maeda). This is UWF's largest dojo class yet, and there is a ton of excitement over the talent now working hard in the dojo. It is hoped some debuts will occur later this year. (Baseball Magazine)

- Lou Thesz announced he will be taking a scouting trip to the US this spring. It is expected that Thesz will be attending the NCAA wrestling championships to look for potential talent to add to UWF's growing American roster. (Tokyo Sports)

- UWF's next event will be on April 26th in Hiroshima. (Tokyo Sports)

- More on the strange story about Oleg Taktarov and the finish with Gerard Gordeau from UWF's February event in Amsterdam. Apparently, Taktarov was annoyed with Gerard Gordeau's antics and wanted to give the "cheapshot artist" a taste of his own medicine. He was invited to the show after a UWF scout noticed him at an underground NHB event in the Soviet Union. The Dutch were apparently livid with how Taktarov handled himself and nearly caused a huge brawl backstage, but Chris Dolman managed to calm things down. UWF officials were very high on Taktarov, but it remains to be seen whether or not Taktarov will be invited back to the promotion after nearly causing an international incident. (Wrestling Observer)

- Potential departures are expected soon from the UWF. The UWF front office is apparently looking to downsize to a degree while moving further away from pro-wrestling elements. (Wrestling Observer)

- UWF plans to do another overseas summer event, with Moscow and a return to Brazil both in contention. Lou Thesz is also pushing for American UWF shows, but there is skepticism that the American audience would be open to UWF's style. (Wrestling Observer) 

- UWF officials are apparently keeping an eye on AJPW's continued success with Misawa and Kobashi both becoming prominent players over the past year. AJPW sold out Nippon Budokan earlier in January, which marks their 5th consecutive sellout in the venue. (Wrestling Observer)