UWF Newborn

[kevinmcfl]

Great interview segment.  I am really in the dark as I really new almost nothing of Gotch before you came along other than I had heard of him.

[spaldoni]

I'm with Lowblow. Your presentation is incredible with both the in ring action and behind the scenes info. I really like how you're building the anticipation for the Russians. Keep up the outstanding work. 

[Control21]

LOS ANGELES TIMES - THE SEOUL GAMES / DAY 4 : TWIN TROUBLE : Koslowski Brothers Are Best Bets for a U.S. Medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling (September 20th, 1988)

(A pretty interesting article I found from 1988 that has some relevance for this timeline.)

[Autistic Dragon]

Oooh....*waves hands ominously* foreshadowing.

[Control21]

UWF Newborn – “Fighting Network Nagoya”

September 26^th, 1988

Tsuyuhashi Sports Center

Nagoya, Japan

Attendance: 5,000 (sold out)

Before the show starts, the UWF theme plays in the arena and each competitor is introduced individually with loud receptions for the returning Akira Maeda, Nobuhiko Takada, and Yoshiaki Fujiwara, who gets his first main event tonight. Akira Maeda takes the microphone and welcomes the fans, thanking them for their continued support. He says he looks forward to facing Yoji Anjo and being in the ring again. Maeda also talks about his trip to the Soviet Union and promises good things in the future for UWF, noting that Billy Robinson is also in Seoul to help scout talent that will be coming in the near future. Fujiwara speaks afterward and says that he is eager to face Dick Vrij in the main event, putting over the Dutch kickboxer as a dangerous opponent.

Erik Paulson vs Yasuto Sekishima

In a battle between two of Sayama’s Shooto students, Sekishima got the better of Erik Paulson. A good display of grappling and striking from both, as both were able to demonstrate the modern techniques both learned in Shooto. Erik Paulson’s catch wrestling skills proved dangerous at times, and Sekishima had to have good counterwork to survive. Paulson got an early 1-0 lead through rope breaks, but Sekishima didn’t panic and remained in the match by slowly working for openings and wearing down his opponent through his striking abilities, where he had the advantage. By the 10:00 mark, both wrestlers were tied at 2-2, and Sekishima was able to snag one of Paulson’s legs for a kneebar in the center of the ring for the submission victory. Sekishima defeats Paulson via submission (kneebar), 10:28

Mark Fleming vs Wayne Shamrock

The young and up-and-coming Wayne Shamrock meets a formidable opponent in Mark Fleming, who makes his debut in UWF Newborn and already comes in with a reputation with the audience as a prized student of Lou Thesz. Fleming immediately illustrates why this is the case as he clinches with Shamrock right after the opening bell and locks him in for a powerful belly-to-belly suplex. Shamrock has to quickly recover as Fleming immediately drags Shamrock back up to his feet and hits him with another suplex variation, this time a German suplex. The crowd is in awe as Fleming grabs Shamrock’s legs and tries to lock in a full Boston crab. Shamrock scrambles to the ropes before Fleming does any lasting damage, but the message has been sent. Shamrock tries to stake his territory in striking as the two resume the match, but Fleming shows that he is just as dangerous here as well with well-timed palm strikes. Shamrock isn’t able to get anything going in this match as he is outclassed by very well-conditioned Fleming, who takes the lead in the match with a 2-0 advantage after sending Shamrock to the ropes again and hitting another devastating German suplex which forces a ten count on Shamrock. Shamrock gets back up but is eventually submitted by Fleming around the 7:00 mark as the former student of Thesz locks in an armdrag into a shoot STF variant in the center of the ring. Shamrock taps and Yuji Shimada raises Fleming’s arm in victory. A solid applause comes from the crowd as they welcome a well-respected wrestler back to Japan. Despite the hot 2-0 start, Shamrock still has a lot to learn. Fleming defeats Shamrock via submission (STF), 7:34

Chris Dolman vs Shigeo Miyato

Dolman, the Dutch judoka and SAMBO champion is a tough outing for Miyato as the UWF native talent seeks to build on his win against Yoji Anjo. Dolman isn’t afraid to grapple with Miyato, as he manages to get his opponent to the canvas early. Dolman uses smart positioning to control Miyato on the mat, and while he may not have the speed some other wrestlers may have, he lures Miyato in and snags limbs when it counts. Miyato struggles with his defense as Dolman continues to apply the pressure, and looks for an opportune ude-garami (arm entanglement lock) when he gets side control. Miyato is near the ropes and escapes without much fuss, but he doesn’t find any relief over the next few minutes as Dolman stays on top of Miyato and gets him back to the canvas. Over the next several minutes, Dolman gets a 2-0 lead through rope breaks. Miyato, determined not to have another one-sided match, comes alive and begins to detect opportunities to apply counterwork on the canvas as Dolman’s submission skills begin to become more dangerous. Miyato manages to get into a leg lock battle with Dolman, where he somehow gets the better of Dolman and gets a heel hook on his opponent. Dolman is quick to grab the ropes and Miyato enjoys his first point as the match is 2-1 through Dolman’s second rope break. Miyato evens the match at 2-2 after he gets a knockdown on Dolman, using a combination of strikes and kicks to get the curly blonde Dutchman down to the canvas. Dolman is quick to get up by the count of five and launches his own comeback as he manages to catch Miyato with a nice judo throw. Dolman immediately applies a kneeling rear-naked choke on Miyato and gets it in tight as Miyato decides to pass out rather than tap. Dolman celebrates his victory as Miyato’s fellow UWF young lions work to wake him back up. Dolman defeats Miyato via submission (rear-naked choke), 11:07

Yorinaga Nakamura vs Kazuo Yamazaki

There is a warm reception for both competitors by the fans as they are clearly intrigued by this clash between two of Sayama’s earliest students. Yamazaki and Nakamura test each other out early with measured strikes, using quick low kicks to keep each other moving. In the early part of the match, it looks like Yamazaki is on the front foot as his strikes land a bit more than Nakamura’s, and Nakamura seems to be hesitant to close in on his opponent for now. But as Yamazaki grows into the match, Nakamura starts to find his openings and lands several hard counters with palm strikes, as he changes the momentum of the contest. Nakamura clinches with Yamazaki, and he appears to have the advantage on the canvas as Yamazaki, while a good grappler in his own right, has trouble shaking off his opponent who is very competent when it comes to looking for limbs and locking them in when it counts. Yamazaki is forced to the ropes twice in the following few minutes and Nakamura grabs an early 1-0 lead on points. Yamazaki evens the match back to 1-1 when he lands several hard low kicks to Nakamura’s legs, followed by a pointed kick to Nakamura’s abdomen. Nakamura faces a ten count but gets back up without any drama. The match continues on the canvas, and Yamazaki appears to grow more comfortable as he is able to contend with Nakamura’s quick grappling abilities, something we’ve seen with other Shooto wrestlers so far. Perhaps drawing on the lessons Sayama taught him, Yamazaki goes up 2-1 after sending Nakamura to the ropes after a Kimura lock attempt. The key moment in the match comes around the 15:00 mark when Yamazaki lands a series of high kicks, followed by a Sayama-style roundhouse to the same spot in Nakamura’s abdomen that he hit earlier. The precision of the roundhouse sends Nakamura to the canvas and he is unable to beat the 10 count this time. Nakamura and Yamazaki bow to each other and shake hands as the crowd applauds both. Yamazaki defeats Nakamura via KO, 15:31

(Yamazaki celebrates his victory)

Akira Maeda vs Yoji Anjo

Yoji Anjo proves to be a feisty opponent for Akira Maeda. Anjo is undeterred by the size of the challenge Maeda presents and comes out swinging against his opponent. To the delight and shock of the crowd, Anjo lands an early knockdown in the opening few minutes. A hard palm strike catches Maeda by surprise and he falls to a knee as Motoyuki Kitazawa, the referee, begins a 10 count. Maeda takes a moment to compose himself, perhaps thinking in his head of how he will punish the young Anjo, and gets back up. Of course, Maeda does punish Anjo as he comes back with some very stiff high kicks. Anjo is immediately on the backfoot as Maeda’s storm of strikes comes fast and furious. It doesn’t take long for Maeda to get a 2-1 lead in the match and regain control by the 5:00 mark. Anjo tries to keep up the pace, but Maeda has very little problem dealing with his opponent as he shakes the ring rust off. Anjo tries to clinch with Maeda, but Maeda illustrates this was a mistake on Anjo’s part by setting him up for a Capture Suplex. The suplex hits cleanly and Anjo deals with the pain as Maeda immediately turns him over for a single-leg Boston crab. Anjo scrambles to the ropes quickly, but within the next five minutes, Maeda establishes a larger lead as he bosses Anjo around the ring. Grappling or striking, Anjo can’t seem to land any points but he keeps trying anyway. With a 4-1 lead, Maeda presses further as Anjo attempts to launch a comeback. Anjo does manage to score another knockdown on Maeda as he hits his superior with a nice palm strike combo. Perhaps we are seeing early flashes of “Mr. 200%” here? In any case, Maeda gets up quickly again and decides to erase any hope Anjo has of doing any more damage by landing several more high kicks, which staggers Anjo. Maeda follows up with a devastating German suplex. Maeda ends the match by locking Anjo in a Kesa-gatame (scarf hold). Anjo tries to break free, but has no choice but to tap as Maeda secures another victory. Maeda defeats Anjo via submission (Kesa-gatame), 13:45

Nobuhiko Takada vs Bart Vale

(Bart Vale preparing before the show)

Despite his loss in the previous event, Bart Vale had a good showing and presents a formidable challenge to Takada. Vale opens the match with some flashy kicks which catch Takada off-guard a bit, but Vale’s opponent manages to keep his footing. With his superior reach, Vale keeps Takada at length and lands some hits when it counts. Takada decides to keep pressing, slowly closing the distance while showing off his own kicking ability. With Vale appearing to have the upper hand at first, Takada demonstrates his technique as he begins to land more strikes, and they get harder and harder each time. The arena shows their appreciation for the audibly hard kicks being exchanged, and Takada looks quite confident. Over the next few minutes, Takada scores an early knockdown after a low kick connects, which also causes Vale to lose his balance and fall to the canvas. Motoyuki Kitazawa begins a ten count, but Vale responds promptly. Vale scores his own knockdown soon after as he catches Takada with a sharp high kick. Takada has no trouble responding to the ten count as well, and the match continues to prove quite even until Takada gets the match to the canvas. Vale knows this isn’t where he wants to be and tries to break Takada’s grappling, but Takada keeps his opponent to the canvas, along with the advantage. Vale’s weakness on the canvas eventually gives Takada a 3-1 lead on points as Vale spends a bit more time there throughout the next half of the match, and struggles to escape most of Takada’s submission attempts. Around the 14:00 mark, Vale attempts to score a knockdown by launching several high kicks, but Takada catches one of them and holds onto Vale’s leg as he reverses the kick attempt into a single-leg Boston crab. Vale proves resilient at first, but Takada grabs Vale’s other leg and the full Boston crab proves to be too much for Vale, and the position in the center of the ring doesn’t help either. Takada defeats Vale via submission (Boston crab), 14:41

Dick Vrij vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara

As the two make their way to the ring, the crowd makes it known that they are firmly behind Fujiwara as the experienced veteran faces off against the Dutch kickboxer. The match starts with Vrij testing his reach against Fujiwara as he delivers a series of low kicks, but Fujiwara isn’t afraid to close the distance as he finds the range needed to land several palm strikes to keep Vrij honest. Fujiwara moves around on the canvas like he relishes the challenge, looking to cause damage to his opponent early. The Dutchman fires back with more kicks and palm strikes, but Fujiwara presses on, looking to grapple with his opponent. The two clinch up for the first time and Fujiwara gets the advantage as he locks in Vrij with a side headlock while bringing him down to the mat. Fujiwara maintains the hold as Vrij scrambles to the nearest rope, using his leg to break the hold. In the early part of the match, this becomes the theme as Fujiwara gets Vrij down to the canvas a few more times and easily outgrapples his opponent. Vrij is forced to the ropes again after Fujiwara tries to lock in a standing Kimura lock. Now behind 1-0, Vrij looks to assert his advantage with his striking and applies a bit more pressure on Fujiwara as the two face off again. Vrij manages to score a knockdown soon after, which Fujiwara gets up from by the count of five. Vrij, feeling the momentum, keeps the kicks coming and Fujiwara goes on the defense where he is very comfortable. Fujiwara blocks several kick attempts and catches one, attempting to bring Vrij down to the canvas again. Vrij blocks the attempt and manages to clinch up with his opponent to get in the position to land several sharp knee strikes to Fujiwara’s abdomen. Fujiwara falls to the canvas again and Vrij now has a 2-1 advantage as Motoyuki Kitazawa calls for another count.

Fujiwara has a hint of frustration on his face as he gets back up. As the match enters into the next phase, much of the same theme continues as Fujiwara shows off excellent defense and counterwork, but just seems to be unable to get Vrij where he wants him on the canvas and Vrij escapes his clutches a couple of times without using the ropes. Vrij eventually builds a 4-2 advantage after knocking down Fujiwara two more times with some sharp kicks. At the 17:00 mark, both look gassed, and Fujiwara catches another high kick from Vrij, but Vrij finds the energy to clinch with Fujiwara again and hits him with a combo of knee and palm strikes to score the fifth knockdown. Dick Vrij scores the upset over Fujiwara! Despite the crowd being somewhat disappointed that their favorite lost, they show appreciation for the kickboxer from Holland as he raises his fists in the air. Fujiwara comes over and they both shake hands as Dolman enters the ring to hug his fellow countryman. Vrij defeats Fujiwara via TKO, 17:24

After the match, Vrij celebrates a bit more before Fujiwara acknowledges the fans and returns the appreciation they give him by bowing. Fujiwara returns backstage as the UWF theme plays once again in the arena, sending the fans home happy.

 

 

 

[Autistic Dragon]

I'm sure Anjo earned himself some new fans with his spirited performance against the boss.

Vrij ends the night with a major win over Fujiwara.

[kevinmcfl]

I continue to learn each week from reading your shows.  I think Mark Fleming in the UWF is a perfect fit.  I know very little of him whether in wrestling of in the UWF version of the sport but have always heard what a great technical wrestler he was.  You putting him over Shamrock might have just proved that.  

Thanks for all your hard work to get me up to speed on this type of show.

[spaldoni]

Yasuto gets the win in a fun opener. 

I always thought Fleming had incredible talent. This is the perfect place for him to showcase that. 

Dolman gets an impressive submission win over Miyato. This will certainly get eyes on Dolman. 

Yamazaki and Nakamura put on a clinic. Nice display of sportsmanship at the end. 

Give credit to Anjo for not giving up and putting up a fight for Maeda. Maeda does know when to turn it up and he showed that here.

I liked that finishing sequence by Takada. I'm sure Vale will live to fight another day. 

Ok, Vrij is for real. He's earned the fans respect after that huge win over favorite Fujiwara. 

Another successful show. 

[Control21]

(A bit of a long "newsletter" style post this week, as I try to cover all bases in UWF and related happenings. Hope you enjoy reading!)

Quote

October 3^rd, 1988

Olympics

Duane Koslowski and Dennis Koslowski both secured Olympic medals last week in what was a showcase event for Greco-Roman wrestling. Both were considered medal contenders and they delivered as Duane Koslowski secured the bronze in the Men’s 130kg division and Dennis Koslowski won the silver medal after falling short in the Men’s 100kg final against the gold medal favorite Andrzej Wronski. Duane Koslowski had a tougher road and faced several other medal contenders in his preliminary block. Duane scored an upset win over Tomas Johansson before falling short against Aleksandr Karelin, who is taking the amateur wrestling world with force. Duane performed well enough against other competitors to secure second place and a spot in the third-place match against the Egyptian superheavyweight Hassan El-Hadad. Duane fell behind early but came back to tie the match at 1-1 in the last minute and overcame his opponent in overtime with a clever takedown. Dennis enjoyed a more favorable draw and was seen as a shoo-in for the final match despite his loss against Guram Gedekhauri. Dennis was a good opponent for Wronski, but the Polish wrestler had too much in his toolbox.

The talk of the event was Aleksandr Karelin, who claimed his place as the top wrestler in the world after dominating the last two years at the senior level, including the 1987 World Championships. He has only lost once, which was a match against his fellow countryman Igor Rostorotsky at the 1987 USSR Championships. Karelin went undefeated in the event and took down Duane Koslowski rather easily en route to another clear win in the gold medal match against Bulgarian Rangel Gerovski. Karelin was able to lift the 130+kg (286 in pounds) Gerovski for his signature gut-wrench deadlift throw, which earns the most points you can score in a Greco-Roman match (5). Imagine lifting 130kg with resistance coming from said weight, that’s how strong Karelin is. Gerovski had no answer and couldn’t score or do anything against the Soviet sensation. Karelin was the flagbearer for the Soviet Union in the opening ceremony despite being only 21 years old, but he proved why. There was a feeling coming from a lot of sources in Seoul that Aleksandr Karelin is set to dominate Greco-Roman wrestling for years to come.

Both Koslowski brothers are expected to fly to Japan from Seoul within the next week and are booked for the upcoming UWF show in Yokohama. Billy Robinson has been mentoring them in Seoul as both were planning to begin their professional wrestling careers after the Olympics. They will train with Billy Robinson back in Japan on short notice, but there is a lot of excitement about the twins in the UWF front office and there is confidence that their skills will translate well in the ring despite the lack of training in professional wrestling, at least for now. Billy Robinson will also take a more active role in the UWF dojo as the first class of trainees have been matriculated this month.

 UWF Newborn

The UWF train keeps rolling along and its latest stop in Nagoya, Japan at the Tsuyuhashi Sports Center was another confirmed sellout of 5,000. In a surprising outcome, Dick Vrij defeated Yoshiaki Fujiwara in the main event. A lot of people expected Fujiwara to go over in his first main event for UWF, but that was not to be as Vrij came out on top in what was described as a solid main event. The story here was that Fujiwara kept countering Vrij’s strikes with his excellent defense, but Vrij kept finding a way through and eventually scored the 5^th knockdown for the TKO victory. On paper, Vrij’s upset victory does make some sense as it establishes him as a credible threat to other main event talent and positions him as the top foreigner in UWF at the moment. Plus, Fujiwara losing at this stage in his career doesn’t necessarily hurt him as he is already established as one of the most respected wrestlers in Japan at the moment. Dick Vrij has the look and size to be taken seriously by the fans. Akira Maeda made his return to the card with a strong performance against Yoji Anjo, who did give Maeda some trouble early on in the match. Perhaps the story there was that Maeda was shaking off some ring rust, which enabled the young and daring Anjo to find early openings. Maeda mentioned before the show that he enjoyed his trip to the Soviet Union and promised developments in the coming weeks.

The Nagoya show also featured the debut of Mark Fleming, who marked his return to Japan in a victory over the young Wayne Shamrock. Fleming, a student of Lou Thesz and somewhat of a journeyman, was said to have looked very good and seemed to be in great shape. Fleming was someone UWF was interested in bringing in and were finally able to organize something earlier this month. In other results, Yasuto Sekishima defeated Erik Paulson in the opening match via submission, Chris Dolman defeated Shigeo Miyato with a rear naked choke, and Nobuhiko Takada kept pace with Akira Maeda and remained undefeated after beating Bart Vale with a Boston crab. In a battle between Sayama’s two top students, Kazuo Yamazaki scored a victory over Yorinaga Nakamura in what was said to be a match of the show contender with the main event.

There is a belief that further discussions will take place later this month between sporting representatives from the Soviet Union and the UWF front office. Sources have indicated that there is growing confidence that a deal between the two parties is possible and that there is a view to have something ratified by November at the earliest. Not a lot of details are being shared, but similar reports have been printed in various media outlets in Japan this week. There are a lot of accomplished amateur wrestlers in the Soviet Union, but what names will be involved and how remains to be seen. In the background of all of this, there is also the belief that UWF will step up their search for a TV partner in the coming months and there is a desire to have something sorted by the end of the year. Shinji Jin, the president of UWF, apparently wants the next major show in December to be on television. It would be very enticing for any TV company in Japan if UWF can offer the prospect of Soviet wrestlers appearing in future events, especially against the company’s top draws.

Tokyo Sports’ main story this week was the growing feud between Atsushi Onita and the karateka Masashi Aoyagi. Onita promoted the possibility of him wrestling in UWF, and that he was open to facing Aoyagi as soon as this month. Aoyagi has yet to respond to the challenge, but Onita continued to talk about his experiences in Brazil as a Vale Tudo fighter and wants to prove he is better than Aoyagi. He said that Japan’s best martial artists couldn’t handle a “street fighter.” It is worth noting that if Tokyo Sports is running with this story, something might actually occur since articles like these are largely seen as “works” to boost storylines and upcoming events. It was even noted that Aoyagi would respond to Onita soon.

As noted earlier, the UWF dojo is welcoming its first class this month, and every name mentioned by Shinji Jin in the press conference in August is confirmed to be in that class (Kiyoshi Tamura, Masahito Kakihara, Manabu Yamada, and Yusuke Fuke). Billy Robinson will have a prominent role in the UWF dojo and will be one of the head trainers there. There is a lot of excitement for the new crop of talent and the belief is that they will learn a lot with Billy Robinson’s knowledge and experience. Yamada, of course, already has training from his time at Sayama’s Shooto gym and will probably be closer to Sayama than anyone else.

UWF’s next show will be on October 14^th in Yokohama. As noted in the Olympics section, both Koslowski brothers are scheduled to appear on the show. Opponents haven’t been named or mentioned yet. A rumor has been circulating that Naoki Sano could appear on the show as well, which would be another talent poached from New Japan and a sign that UWF may be gaining the momentum needed to establish itself along with the “big two” promotions in Japan. Gong Magazine did mention that UWF was seeking to add additional talent before the end of the year and that Akira Maeda wants to face more kickboxers and martial artists from across the world.

 

 

[Autistic Dragon]

I'll definitely be paying attention to the Koslowski brothers when they arrive on the 14th.

The UWF opening its dojo is a big step forward.

[rainmakerrtv]

Great developments in UWF. Can't wait to see what the Koslowskis do.

[LowBlowPodcast]

UWF continues to evolve into its own spice and specialty. I like the way that you talk about the crowd... its interesting i shoot fighting who would go for whom and why.

[spaldoni]

Like the others have mentioned, all eyes will be on the Koslowskis. Also looking forward to Billy Robinson's influence. 

[Control21]

UWF Newborn – “Fighting Network Yokohama”

October 14^th, 1988

Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium

Yokohama, Japan

Attendance: 5,000 (sellout)

The UWF theme plays in the Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium and each competitor comes out to some form of reception, particularly for the newcomers, Duane and Dennis Koslowski, and the fan favorites Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Satoru Sayama. Akira Maeda and Nobuhiko Takada come out to their usual overwhelming greetings, but neither will be on the card tonight. As Akira Maeda explains to the fans, both will are taking a "small rest" to recuperate from their previous bouts. Maeda gives a special shoutout to Billy Robinson, who is at ringside for tonight's events, dressed in a fancy red jacket. Maeda also welcomes the two Olympians, saying they will test their mantle inside the squared circle for the first time tonight. Sayama thanks the fans for coming tonight and says Chris Dolman will be a good opponent for him.

Shigeo Miyato vs Erik Paulson

An interesting contrast between the leaner, quicker Erik Paulson and Shigeo Miyato, who is a bit more “stocky” in comparison. Paulson tests Miyato right out of the gate with sharp low kicks and an aggressive stance, keeping Miyato on the backfoot. Miyato takes a bit of time to find his range but starts to answer back with some low kicks of his own. This makes Paulson switch things up a bit as he begins to go for the clinch while also looking for a good takedown opportunity. When Paulson finally gets his opponent to the canvas, he demonstrates quick, clean grappling as he flusters Miyato, who is a bit slow on the draw and is unable to get much counterwork going as Paulson begins to look for openings. Paulson continues to keep the pressure on, which results in a 1-0 lead after Miyato exhausts two rope breaks. The lead climbs to 2-0 after a brief stand-up exchange involving strikes, and the two once again go to the canvas where Paulson continues to give Miyato fits. Miyato senses he needs to keep this match where is more comfortable, which is the striking part. The two exchange more strikes, and Paulson is really feeling it as gives Miyato several combos to deal with. Miyato answers back with a combo of his own, and gets a much-needed point as he knocks down Paulson for the first time around the 7:00 mark. Miyato, knowing he needs to keep it going, resumes applying more pressure after Paulson stands back up and the referee restarts the match. The crowd heats up as the match begins to take the form of a back-and-forth affair and Miyato scores another knockdown to make it 2-2 around the 10:00 mark. Paulson has more tricks in his playbook though, and it doesn’t take long for him to clinch up with Miyato while delivering several sharp knees. This gives him the chance to look for a smooth leg lock opening, as he delivers a low-angle kani-basami (flying double-leg takedown). Miyato briefly tries to hold Paulson at bay, but the American Shooto prospect finds the leverage needed for a painful heel hook. Yuji Shimada is right there to give the “shoot’ signal with his right hand and Miyato sees the inevitable, tapping out to end the formalities. Paulson gets the submission victory. Paulson defeats Miyato via submission (heel hook), 11:55

Yorinaga Nakamura vs Masakatsu Funaki

Nakamura and Funaki gave each other all they could handle. Funaki was eager to beat Sayama’s second-in-command and demonstrated why he is highly regarded as a top prospect. From the start, this was a high-octane contest with a mix of both heated striking and committed grappling. Nakamura started the proceedings with a mix of kicks and strikes, which Funaki responded to. Nakamura’s lower kicks seemed to give him the edge though, and Funaki had to quickly adjust to his opponent’s powerful Muay Thai-style kicks. Funaki, choosing to close the distance quickly, grapples with Nakamura at any opportunity. The two go to the canvas after Funaki insists through a series of clever takedown attempts, but Nakamura remains confident and never looks to be real in danger as he would perhaps appear more refined as a Shooto competitor compared to the younger Funaki who is a bit more raw. To Funaki’s credit, he does force Nakamura to use a rope break after a leglock battle where the former NJPW Noge dojo product manages to hook his opponent. By the 5:00 mark, both have used a rope break, and the two test each other again with their striking skills, with neither doing much damage.

The match continues mostly on the canvas with brief intervals, and they continue to exchange rope breaks as they push each other, with things eventually standing at 2-2 in terms of the score. Nakamura does appear to be growing more comfortable as adapts to Funaki’s quickness and athletic counterwork. Nakamura finds more openings, which frustrates Funaki, perhaps making matters worse as his openings become more frequent for Nakamura. Nakamura even manages to score a knockdown on Funaki around the 12:00 mark, as Funaki chooses to unleash a flurry of palm strikes, but they aren’t very well-time, leaving Nakamura with an opportunity to counter with a nice high kick. As Funaki visibly shows signs of fatigue, both mental and physical, Nakamura moves in to seize the opportunity. Nakamura clinches with Funaki and eventually works his opponent to get the advantage by finding Funaki’s back. Funaki struggles but can’t do much as Nakamura works in the rear-naked choke for the submission victory in the middle of the ring. Nakamura defeats Funaki via submission (rear-naked choke), 12:42

Yoji Anjo vs Naoki Sano

Newcomer Naoki Sano demonstrated some very proficient grappling against Yoji Anjo, who at times struggled with Sano’s quickness and creative moves. Sano, another NJPW Doge dojo product, is more known as a promising junior heavyweight at this point but demonstrates his knowledge of the grappling arts very quickly. Anjo gives something back to Sano though, applying pressure on Sano whenever he can when the two are standing up. Anjo’s strikes keep coming and coming, and he corners Sano into a turnbuckle where he delivers several jumping knees as Sano attempts to cover up. Anjo’s onslaught leads to an early knockdown and Anjo celebrates a bit for the crowd as Ryogaku Wada begins the count. Sano gets up relatively early and the two square off again. Sano shows off a series of nice mid kicks to Anjo’s thighs, which gets his opponent on the back foot. The spirited match continues at a good pace, and Sano manages to even the score up at 1-1 as Anjo is forced to the ropes twice in short order. Eventually, the score finds itself at 3-3 after Anjo scores another knockdown, and exchanges rope breaks with Sano as they commit to more grappling on the canvas. Sano’s counterwork continues to be very good, but Anjo finds his openings when he needs them and is particularly good at catching Sano’s arms for a wristlock or kimura. The match reaches its endpoint when Anjo manages to clinch with Sano, delivering a series of knee strikes to his opponent’s body. Anjo then brings Sano back down to the canvas with a single-leg arm-drag takedown and finds himself in the position to grab one of Sano’s legs for a side-angle version of a single-leg Boston crab. The torque on his leg forces Sano to tap and Anjo celebrates his victory with the crowd. A good showing by Sano, but not enough to overcome his opponent. Anjo defeats Sano via submission (side-angle single-leg Boston crab), 15:04

Wayne Shamrock vs Duane Koslowski

(Duane Koslowski makes his entrance into the Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium)

There’s a bit of a contrast in styles here, as Koslowski appears to be more comfortable in trying to grapple with Shamrock using Greco-Roman holds, while Shamrock prefers to go down avenues that would lead to a takedown. Koslowski has very good defense though, and even as Shamrock tries to use his knees to strike a blow to Koslowski’s abdomen, the Greco-Roman bronze medalist appears to be unbothered. Shamrock is clearly the better striker, as expected, and keeps his opponent distracted with targeted mid-kicks and palm strikes. Whenever Duane can close the distance and lock up with Shamrock though, the former looks more confident than the latter. Duane applies a mid-body hold on Shamrock and takes him down. Koslowski briefly has a basic full mount before Shamrock tries to turtle, but Koslowski is comfortable working from this position and attempts to work in a chokehold, but Shamrock eventually works his way out.

The match continues to be a bit of a stalemate, with Koslowski trying to out-wrestle Shamrock with his somewhat limited Greco-Roman toolset, and Shamrock trying to adjust to this approach. Koslowski manages to get another firm mid-body lock on Shamrock, and this time manages to score an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. This gets the crowd going as the execution is almost impeccable. Koslowski tries to go for a kimura from side control, but Shamrock defends rather well. Shamrock slips from the guard position and manages to get control of Koslowski’s back. After some indecision on Shamrock’s part, he attempts to go for a rear-naked choke but Koslowski smartly bridges out and flips out of the hold.  Shamrock decides to unleash a barrage of strikes with the two standing back up, but Koslowski closes the distance quickly and locks Shamrock in for another overhead suplex. As Koslowski tries to lock in another kimura attempt, Shamrock again manages to work his way out. The stalemate continues, with neither exercising any rope breaks nor scoring any knockdowns. Shamrock and Koslowski trade positions through counterwork, but neither can get any holds on their opponent to change the flow of the match. Finally, a decisive moment comes when Koslowski clinches with Shamrock and works to gain control of Shamrock’s back with a Greco-Roman lock, and quickly scores a devastating high-arching German suplex in the center of the ring, popping the crowd again with the show of strength and technique. With his opponent down, Koslowski quickly goes for the cross-armbreaker. Shamrock feels his arm tighten very quickly and taps as Ryogaku Wada calls for the bell. Duane Koslowski celebrates his victory in front of a very impressed group of fans that he just gained. Koslowski defeats Shamrock via submission (cross-armbreaker), 13:27

Dennis Koslowski vs Norman Smiley

Dennis will have a tough time following up on his brother’s act, but as a silver medalist, he has the tools to one-up him once again. Norman Smiley is a tough opponent however, and the grappler quickly demonstrates that right away by frustrating the impressive Olympian by going for low-angle leg takedowns, which is a bit of an unknown to someone with a Greco-Roman background. Dennis’ defense on the ground is good enough, but Smiley is very quick at moving from hold to hold and keeps Dennis working to prevent Smiley from hooking him early. They spend the early minutes of the match mainly on the canvas, with Smiley mostly in the dominant position as Dennis Koslowski works to adjust his strategy. Neither competitor chooses to spend much time striking, with Smiley confident he can outmaneuver Koslowski’s strength and Greco-Roman holds, which can be dangerous enough as Duane Koslowski proved earlier. Koslowski does manage to clinch with Smiley several times, but Smiley expertly uses his body weight as leverage to avoid any takedowns so far. They both throw tentative palm strikes here and there, but as the match progresses, it is mainly a grappling affair with no breakthrough.

Dennis is finally able to get some offense going, as he adjusts his technical approach and finally manages to enough of Norman for a side-angle German suplex. Dennis keeps his hold locked in though, and and transitions his positioning to allow for a belly-to-suplex. The back-to-back suplexes are enough to give Dennis some room to work from side control, and like his brother, he goes for a basic yet logical kimura lock. This time, the pressure is enough to force Smiley to go for a rope break and he works to move towards them slowly but somewhat in control as well. With the two standing back up, the highly technical grappling affair continues. Norman scores a leg sweep for a takedown, and immediately grabs onto Koslowski’s legs as he goes for a leg lock, and Koslowski for the first time is in real danger as he scrambles to reach for the ropes while his opponent looks for a heel hook or kneebar. Smiley looks to apply one just as Koslowski reaches for the ropes and the two are tied on rope breaks. Koslowski, looking to change the flow of the match, scores a sweeping low-angle fireman’s carry on Smiley and immediately follows up by clinching with Smiley. As he applies a mid-angle Greco-Roman hold, Koslowski positions himself and lands a high-angle belly-to-back suplex on Smiley, and as the crowd gets louder for the great action they are seeing, the match reaches its apex as Koslowski grabs one of Smiley’s legs for a standing ankle lock, and Smiley has nowhere to go. Knowing there’s no shame in losing to an Olympic silver medalist, Smiley decides to tap and Motoyuki Kitazawa raises the Olympian’s arm in victory. Koslowski defeats Smiley via submission (standing ankle lock), 15:29

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Minoru Suzuki

While Suzuki was still at the NJPW Noge dojo, Fujiwara was his trainer, giving one of UWF’s most promising young stars a chance to face off against his former mentor. Suzuki starts things off with a bang, immediately going after Fujiwara with a running dropkick. Fujiwara calmly sidesteps away and offers a chance for Suzuki to grapple with him. Suzuki goes for a low single-leg takedown and shows off his quickness and conditioning while looking for several positions in which to hook Fujiwara. Fujiwara’s defense causes Suzuki to choose another route instead and stands up to stomp on Fujiwara’s face several times. To the shock of the crowd, Suzuki follows this up with several leg drops right to Suzuki’s head! To the delight of the crowd, Fujiwara gets up as if nothing happened. Suzuki does not appear flustered though, and resumes a sporting grappling affair with his former mentor, showing off his skillset while Fujiwara works from a position of experience. Suzuki gets Fujiwara in a spot for a double-leg Boston crab, but the veteran wows the crowd by twisting his legs and throwing off his feet with and towards the turnbuckle. Fujiwara immediately comes after his ex-student and corners him while delivering some very hard palm strikes to Suzuki’s face.

Suzuki, perhaps not learning a lesson quite yet, grapples with Fujiwara again in the center of the ring as he comes out of the corner. As Suzuki gets the better of Fujiwara with some clever holds, he works his way to Fujiwara’s back and manages to score a side-angle German suplex. Suzuki immediately goes for a cross-armbreaker, but Fujiwara rolls out of it quite easily and eventually reverses himself so he can grab Suzuki’s leg for a kneebar. Suzuki quickly goes for the ropes and causes a break. As Suzuki grapples with Fujiwara again by grabbing both of his hands, Fujiwara creates some distance and lands a few headbutts to his former student in the upper part of his chest, giving the crowd something to get loud about again. Fujiwara seems to be doing things with more intent now, and despite Suzuki’s best efforts to get the advantage, Fujiwara finds a way. As Suzuki attempts to grapple with Fujiwara again, Fujiwara goes for some sharp low kicks, catching Suzuki off-guard. Fujiwara sees an opening and gets Suzuki in the position for a double-underhook suplex. Fujiwara sticks his tongue out before sending Suzuki flying backward. With the ability to get side control, Fujiwara moves for a kimura lock very quickly. The master remains the master, and the apprentice remains the apprentice as Suzuki taps. Despite the somewhat heated encounter, Fujiwara and Suzuki embrace each other before Fujiwara continues to celebrate. Fujiwara defeats Suzuki via submission (kimura), 9:57

Satoru Sayama vs Chris Dolman

With the main event now on hand, Sayama enters Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium with a loud welcome. The fans are clearly behind Sayama as they chant his name, and he enters the ring following Chris Dolman’s introduction. The Dutchman’s placement in this main event should not go unnoticed either. Despite Sayama’s background and experience, he faces a formidable opponent in Dolman and the two get to work as the bell rings. Both choose to engage in grappling from the start, with Sayama testing Dolman’s form by looking for openings. Dolman uses his defense quite well and manages to reverse Sayama’s attempt by bringing the Shooto founder down to the canvas. Dolman positions himself in a shoulder hold position, and he looks for the lock as Sayama expertly scrambles his way out of danger. Sayama is quick to find Dolman’s back as the former SAMBO and amateur wrestling champion turtles up and closes any potential angles for Sayama to attack from. The two continue to engage in counterwork that isn’t particularly high-paced or flashy, but enough to keep the fans studious and engaged. Dolman surprises Sayama twice as the engagement continues, and Sayama is forced to the ropes to give Dolman a 1-0 lead in points.

Sayama, knowing he has to mix things up, begins to try and lure his opponent into a striking engagement. Sayama goes deep into his playbook and begins to utilize a flashy combo of kicks as each strike moves quicker and quicker. Dolman has his hands full as he tries to block, but Sayama lands several. Sayama evens the score at 1-1 after scoring his first knockdown with a spinning mid-roundhouse. Dolman stumbles to the canvas but is quick to get back up. Not known for his striking prowess, Dolman chooses to close the distance whenever he can to grapple with Sayama. At this stage of the match, it is a bit of a back-and-forth affair. Dolman manages to score a beautiful Judo throw on Sayama, and looks to try and submit him with another shoulder hold attempt, but Sayama again finds a way out. The score evolves as the match enters the late stage, with Dolman managing to score two more points through rope breaks, and Sayama two more with a submission attempt and another knockdown. Sayama continues to dig into his old playbook with a series of flashy strikes to throw Dolman off, knowing that his ability to throw athletic striking moves can frustrate an opponent more familiar with grappling. With the match tied at 3-3 and Dolman starting to wear down Sayama, Sayama manages to launch a spirited offensive against the Dutchman and scores two more knockdowns in a row to win the match via TKO. After Sayama scores the final knockdown, the crowd erupts as the rising tension reaches its climax, and the old fan favorite is embraced by the jam-packed Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium. Masami Soranaka, the referee, raises Sayama's arm to the delight of the crowd. Sayama defeats Dolman via TKO, 17:03

Sayama celebrates with the fans and the UWF theme once again plays loud and clear. Dolman and Sayama exchange pleasantries and bow slightly towards each other. Dolman raises Sayama's hand and the fans take in the moment as another UWF event is in the books.

[Autistic Dragon]

The Koslowski brothers live up to the hype 

Fujiwara shows Suzuki he's still the boss.

[spaldoni]

I'll give Miyato a lot of credit for hanging tough, but man Paulson was in the zone tonight.

Nakamura seemed very patient and mentally focused as he wore down Funaki to finish him off. 

Anjo and Sano go at it in an exciting evenly match up. A nice sequence at the end gives Anjo the win. 

Koslowski shows some impressive strength which leads to a victory over a very game Shamrock. 

This time it's Dennis's turn as he solidifies the Koslowski's name in Japan. Props to Smiley for putting up a fight. 

Master Fujiwara shows his student why he is the teacher. Fujiwara looked good tonight. Suzuki will live to fight another day. 

Sayama sends the fans home happy after that impressive finish. It was already mentioned but Doleman in the main event slot says something. 

Things just keep getting better for the UWF. Once again, props to all your hard work and detail you put into each of your shows. 

 

[kevinmcfl]

I really appreciate all of the work that you put into a show.  I am starting to enjoy the differences in your promotion to what we had in the 1980's.  With all of your clean finishes, you get a real pecking order and also an understanding that a clean loss doesn't ruin a wrestler's reputation.

With all the newcomers in the UWF, this product is rising quickly.  I still find myself favoring the Americans as I read this but I need to give everyone a chance and respect their abilities.  

[Control21]

 

Quote

 

October 21st, 1988

UWF’s 10/14 show in Yokohama was a confirmed sellout of 5,000 with both Akira Maeda and Nobuhiko Takada off the card in what was described as a “brief rest” for both. While the show didn’t sell out in advance, it was sold out the morning of the show and the ticket demand was pretty healthy overall. The absence of both Maeda and Takada might have been a factor, but Satoru Sayama’s position in the main event against Dutch SAMBO champion Chris Dolman was enough to keep interest relatively high. Also attracting excitement was the advertised appearance of Billy Robinson and the debuts of Greco-Roman medalists from the Seoul Olympics, Dennis and Duane Koslowski. Both Koslowski brothers had great debuts going by reports, and while they lacked experience inside the ring, the work they had been doing with Billy Robinson to prepare allowed them to do things beyond Greco-Roman moves. Working with fellow Americans Wayne Shamrock (in Duane’s case) and Norman Smiley (Dennis’ opponent) probably helped on the communication end as well. Sayama secured a victory over Chris Dolman in what was described as a very engaging match. Other notable matches included Fujiwara’s win over Minoru Suzuki and a solid opener between Erik Paulson and Shigeo Miyato. The Koslowski brothers flew back to the United States shortly after the show, but they are scheduled for UWF’s next event in November. Sources close to the Koslowskis say that they were impressed by the UWF operation and that they were eager to continue the relationship.

The main story for UWF this week is arguably the cover story Gong Magazine ran on Thursday. Soviet officials met with Shinji Jin and Akira Maeda in Japan this week and have started working on a framework for a wide-ranging deal that will see Soviet wrestlers and other athletes work in Japan for UWF. Gong Magazine did not discuss much detail, but the report seems to suggest that UWF will be paying a certain amount of money in return. The current plan is to have a formal agreement ready by the end of November. Other sources have indicated that the hope is to have everything in place to promote the appearances of several Soviet wrestlers for UWF’s December show with a month’s notice. There is a lot of excitement about this deal, not only in UWF circles but in Japan as well. Some major newspapers have also started to report on this story, as Japan could be the first destination where Soviet athletes make an appearance in a professional setting. Shinji Jin, the president of UWF, is also actively starting several discussions with television executives in Japan, and there is also hope that they can announce a TV partner in November.

 

Another leading story this week from Tokyo Sports announced that Masashi Aoyagi has been signed for the next UWF show to face off against Atsushi Onita. Onita, who has been calling out Aoyagi since last month, has also agreed to the match. The two also faced off at a press conference on Thursday, with Onita once again promoting his time in Brazil and saying that he will prove why he is a better fighter than Aoyagi. Onita talked about his experiences in Vale Tudo and claimed that even one of Japan’s best Karate fighters couldn’t beat him. Aoyagi ignored Onita and said that the match wouldn’t be a problem for him and it would be over quickly. Aoyagi also claimed Onita doesn’t have respect for traditional martial arts, or the WKA organization. The two agreed to a “Vale Tudo rules” match where the traditional UWF ruleset will no longer apply. Also at the press conference was Akira Maeda, who announced that he will be facing renowned Savate and kickboxer Gerard Gordeau, who has been competing in both Savate and kickboxing competitions in Europe. That match is also scheduled for the next UWF show on October 28^th. It is currently being advertised as a match that will introduce a round system to UWF.  Gerard Gordeau is from Holland and has connections with Chris Dolman’s Free Fight Gym in Amsterdam. Maeda also mentioned that he hopes to face Don “Nakaya” Nielsen in November. Maeda is familiar with Nielsen, who is also a kickboxer. The two previously had a bout in NJPW which was probably one of the better examples of a “different style” fight.

Speaking of NJPW, Naoki Sano confirmed he signed a contract with UWF after his appearance on the 10/14 show in Yokohama. While NJPW probably enjoys a secured place as a top promotion in Japan, along with AJPW, there is no doubt that UWF’s continued growth is beginning to cause a lot of headaches for people connected with both promotions. AJPW is adjusting to the influence of UWF by beginning to book clean finishes and more straightforward main events. AJPW’s crowd will probably appreciate the change, but it takes time to adjust and there are questions about Giant Baba’s successor as of late. As for NJPW, the fact that UWF can poach promising talents like Naoki Sano, Masakatsu Funaki, and Minoru Suzuki away from NJPW rather easily should be ringing alarm bells for Antonio Inoki.

Billy Robinson was at 10/14 show in Yokohama, seated ringside. He was serving in his role as a “ringside commissioner.” Sources indicate that the concept is based on the role of a sporting executive, who oversees all aspects including officiating, judging, and sportsmanship. There is hope that Robinson’s presence will improve the overall quality of UWF’s presentation and atmosphere for each show. Robinson will be serving in the role along with his duties as a trainer at the new UWF dojo. UWF also plans to bring in Karl Gotch occasionally for training seminars, but Karl Gotch prefers to keep his travel limited these days and recommended Billy Robinson as someone who could take a more active role in Japan.

 

 

[Autistic Dragon]

Being able to sellout a show without either Maeda or Takada speaks to the level of interest the UWF has created.

Aoyagi vs Onita is on!

Nice to get some insight into how the other major players in Japanese wrestling are reacting to the new kid on the block.

[LowBlowPodcast]

Sayama is Tiger Mask right? I remember begging my mom to order the best of the Japanese death matches... I was a very big Onita fan in the late 90s... just loved his stuff. Death Match wrestling has a place in our world.

[spaldoni]

These behind the scenes articles are so informative.  

[Control21]

UWF Newborn – “Fighting Network Sendai”

October 28^th, 1988

Miyagi Sports Center

Sendai, Japan

Attendance: 7,000 (sold out)

A large and boisterous crowd welcomes tonight's participants as the UWF theme plays and there is an eager reception for all. Maeda, Takada, and Sayama get the loudest cheers and all three get the chance to thank the fans for coming and hype up their matches tonight. Onita is given the chance to speak after some eagerness from the fans to see Onita in action once again. Onita says that Masashi Aoyagi will be a good opponent, but he will prove that the Vale Tudo way of fighting is superior. "Aoyagi hasn't faced a true street fighter before." Aoyagi is then given a chance to speak as well. He says that he will show Onita that he was rash in challenging him and that he has no fear fighting the way Onita wants to because he is a better martial artist than Onita.

Tatsuo Nakano vs Wayne Shamrock

A hard-hitting affair that sees both exchange some hard palm strikes from the opening bell. The pace doesn’t let up as both give each other a good amount of punishment. Nakano begins to show why he is becoming one of the better strikers in UWF and mixes things up with some fine grappling as well. Shamrock gives Nakano everything back in return, and they both end up bleeding from the nose as the stiff palms take their toll on their respective faces. There’s an extended grappling contest on the mat midway through the match, with Shamrock getting the better of Nakano here as he catches the more carefree Nakano with several submission attempts. Nakano uses the rope twice and the match is at 2-2 by the 9:00 mark, with both also trading several knockdowns. The crowd is very much enjoying this opening bout as there is plenty of action, and Nakano and Shamrock continue to trade blows. The conclusion of the match is fitting, which sees Shamrock deliver a devastating Dragon suplex, but Nakano just rolls through it and comes back up, giving Shamrock a taste of his own medicine and does a high-lift German suplex, sending the American backward with full force. Nakano locks his opponent in for a front guillotine choke and ends up wrapping his legs around for full effect, forcing the young Shamrock to tap in the middle of the ring as the crowd fully celebrates Nakano’s well-earned victory, who wipes some blood off his face after Yuji Shimada raises his hand. Nakano defeats Shamrock via submission (front guillotine choke), 11:18

Minoru Suzuki vs Yasuto Sekishima

Suzuki and Sekishima engage in what is primarily a grappling contest, with both showing off the best of their abilities and knowledge. Sekishima and Suzuki are both quite athletic and its shows with very quick and athletic counterwork, and the engagement seems hyper-realistic at times with both quickly finding openings and going from hold to hold when either holds the dominant positioning. They trade rope breaks early on, with both beginning to look for leg locks as they choose to enter into a test of leg locking technique. The pace slows down a bit as Suzuki looks to contain the quicker and leaner Sekishima with more deliberate holds. Suzuki looks for an STF, which sends Sekishima to the ropes again, giving Suzuki a 2-1 lead on points. Sekishima chooses to introduce more striking into the match, forcing Suzuki to respond as Sekishima delivers several nice combos to his opponent. Suzuki fires back with some palm strikes, but Sekishima eventually gets Suzuki down to even the score at 2-2. The two go back to the mat, and the exciting grappling returns as Sekishima begins to give Suzuki fits, pulling from his Shooto playbook as he begins to look for holds from angles Suzuki does not expect. Sekishima’s leg lock entries in particular are a source of trouble for the young Suzuki. Eventually, Sekishima takes the lead through points again at 3-2, as Suzuki reaches for another rope break. The finishing stretch sees both reverse submission attempts with incredible skill and awareness before Suzuki finally ends the match with a rolling kneebar. Sekishima taps but he finds himself earning the respect of Suzuki as he shakes hands with his opponent and both take in a very appreciative crowd. Suzuki defeats Sekishima via submission (rolling kneebar), 11:44

Dick Vrij vs Bart Vale

Both competitors start things off as you would expect, with plenty of kicks to test each other’s reach as the Dutch kickboxer and American Kenpo specialist get the chance to demonstrate their knowledge of the striking arts. Bart Vale seems to land a few knocks on the Dutchman, but the strikes aren’t particularly hard. Vrij mixes things up with both low and high kicks, getting his opponent off-balance. Vrih is more comfortable utilizing not only palm strikes but clinches as well to keep Vale guessing. As Vale keeps attempting to go for a high kick that would score his first knockdown, Vrij closes the distance and clinches with Vale, using Muay Thai-style knees. Unfortunately for Vale, this means Vrij will score the first knockdown as the power of the Dutchman’s knees is too much to ignore. Vale goes down but gets up relatively quickly, beating the ten count early. The engagement continues to grow in Vrij’s favor, as he seems to be one step ahead today despite Vale’s best efforts to make things more interesting. Vrij jumps out to a 3-0 lead after scoring two more knockdowns, and Vale is forced to respond by using all of his tools to try and make the match more interesting. The American is finally able to trip up Vrij by kicking him in the gut with a thrust kick and immediately follows up with a well-timed roundhouse. The force of Vale’s kick knockdowns his opponent, and Vrij has to beat the ten count as he shakes the cobwebs off just in time. Vale feels the momentum, but the Dutch kickboxer quickly restores order and controls the rest of the match before finishing things off with two knockdowns in a row, earning him the TKO victory. Vrij defeats Vale via TKO, 12:19

Atsushi Onita vs Masashi Aoyagi

The long-awaited clash between Onita and Aoyagi is finally happening after months of buildup and drama, and it’s inside a UWF ring! Onita comes out to a surprisingly good reception from the crowd, as the theme to “Fist of the North Star” (“Ai wo Torimodose!!”) plays in the arena. Onita looks like he is in the best shape of his life. Aoyagi comes out next and gets a similar reception as both competitors are fan favorites to different parts of the audience. Aoyagi chooses to wear his Karateka gi for this match, and Onita is dressed in Blue vale tudo tights and knee pads, choosing to forego the kick pads for the bare-footed traditions of Brazilian Vale Tudo. Onita looks very focused and fired up while Aoyagi has an abundance of contempt on his face.

Onita comes out with a Luta Livre-based stance (see Marco Ruas), and the Onita everyone knew from AJPW quickly fades from memory as he and Aoyagi fire off some of the stiffest strikes we’ve seen in UWF yet. Free from the confines of the UWF ruleset both use closed fists, aimed at each other’s heads, as the crowd is fired up to see these two go at it. Onita lands some low kicks, and Aoyagi fires back with some very hard kicks of his own, and it is clear these kicks have an intent to hurt Onita. The two continue to clobber each other until Onita finally closes the distance. Onita aggressively looks for a takedown opportunity, but Aoyagi has great defensive timing and gives a sharp kick whenever he gets close to a takedown opportunity. For now, this keeps the match in Aoyagi’s comfort zone as he continues to land several sharp strikes on Onita, with Onita responding with a few closed fists.

Things continue to heat up, and while anyone watching this match so far may feel like a knockdown is imminent, both competitors show an admirable capacity to take punishment. Onita scores a double-leg takedown on Aoyagi, who seems relatively calm despite being put into a potentially unfavorable predicament. Onita looks for a leg hook first, but Aoyagi prevents his limbs from being snatched, and Onita adjusts himself as he fights for a favorable mount position. Aoyagi knows what is coming next and braces himself as Onita begins to utilize “ground and pound” with his closed fists, giving Aoyagi more punishment. Onita isn’t fully where he wants to be in terms of positioning, but continues to expend energy to give his opponent a beating. This gives Aoyagi an opening, and he sweeps Onita and reverses the situation they find themselves in. With Aoyagi now on top, the Kareteka gives Onita a taste of his own medicine and unleashes a barrage of punches to Onita’s face.

With blood flowing from Onita’s eyebrow, the former AJPW star has to quickly find a way to stem the flow, and he positions himself to hold onto Aoyagi, who is forced to stop the punches as Onita grapples with him. Ryogoku Wada, the referee, encourages more action and eventually forces the two to stand back up after they stall further on the mat. Some blood is starting to show on Aoyagi’s gi, as he is also bleeding from the lip and nose. Onita immediately tries to close the distance again as Aoyagi attempts to keep his reach by throwing some more kicks, but Onita clinches with Aoyagi and lands some knees, but Aoyagi immediately fires back with knees of his own. The two go down to the canvas again as Onita gets the better of his Aoyagi and Onita immediately starts looking for an angle of attack. Onita looks for a double wristlock from side control but Aoyagi defends well. Perhaps due to his gi, Onita’s grip isn’t quite right and Aoyagi slips out. Seeking to gain the advantage quickly, Aoyagi stands up while Onita is still grounded and launches a series of quick soccer kicks. The level of brutality here shocks the crowd, but it draws the reaction you would want to hear at this point. Onita has to quickly defend himself or risk being knocked out.

Onita pulls himself up by the ropes as Aoyagi continues to punish him. Blood starts to flow more freely from Onita’s eyebrow. Aoyagi’s opponent is now clearly pissed off as one could read from Onita’s facial reaction. Onita comes roaring back with some closed fist strikes, which stuns Aoyagi as he stumbles back into the ropes behind him. Onita pins Aoyagi against the ropes and launches a sharp knee into Aoyagi’s head. Aoyagi might be out cold at this point, but Onita doesn’t give the referee a chance to make sure as he continues to pound Aoyagi with his fists. Aoyagi somehow rolls over and tries a primitive triangle armbar, but Onita uses his legs as leverage and works his way out rather easily.

It was clear by now that Onita, who had promoted himself as a “street fighter” before the match, got the ugly and brutal fight he wanted. Both competitors were exhausted and were near the 30:00 time limit already. This wasn’t the best example of an ideal “Vale Tudo” fight if one was a purist, but both were giving each other tons of punishment. Aoyagi’s gi was starting to get red as blood from both started to splatter all over, including the canvas as well. Onita chooses to rely more on grappling at this stage, sensing that Aoyagi is starting to tire. Of course, Onita is quite fatigued too. Relying on his Luta Livre training, Onita continues to look for leg hooks, but Aoyagi seems to have done his homework and his defense is quite good for someone with his background. As the match reaches its conclusion, Onita goes for a knee scissors, a bizarre yet thematic type of submission for this type of brutal fight. With the move increasingly inflicting pain as Onita locks it in, Aoyagi tries his best to buy time as he senses the time limit is near. Aoyagi somehow rides out the storm and the bell rings. The referee, Motoyuki Kitazwa, gets both men to stand up and they await the decision. The match is ruled a draw. The crowd lets their appreciation for the match they just witnessed known, even if it was a bit different from the usual UWF bout. Onita and Aoyagi decline to shake hands. Both battered and bloodied, it seems like these two aren’t done yet. 30:00 draw

(demonstration of a "knee scissors")

Kazuo Yamazaki vs Norman Smiley

Norman Smiley and Kazuo Yamazaki begin the match with a prolonged grappling contest, with both preferring to test each other on the canvas. Smiley appears to get the better of Yamazaki at first, with smooth transitions and an eagerness to find any opening that counts. Yamazaki struggles to prevent Smiley’s offense and tries his best to at least control the pace of the match. The conviction Norman has so far doesn’t allow Yamazaki to get much going. Smiley begins to focus on Yamazaki’s legs and goes for a kneebar as Yamazaki leaves himself open again. Yamazaki, a bit frustrated, goes for an early rope break and Norman Smiley establishes a 1-0 lead after the second rope break.

With both standing up again, Yamazaki quickly uses this opportunity to establish some presence in the match by utilizing his great striking skills against Smiley. Smiley can defend himself, but Yamazaki’s speed and timing allow him to get the British grappling specialist off-kilter. Yamazaki offers his hand at times as a gesture to go back to grappling, but he uses this as a feint to open up Smiley’s guard, which allows him to quickly kick Smiley in his legs. Interestingly, Yamazaki chooses to go back to the canvas here. Perhaps figuring that a weakened Smiley wouldn’t be so dangerous. Yamazaki makes sure he is quick on the draw, and quickly snags Smiley’s legs for a cross-heel hook. Smiley does his best to defend himself, but Yamazaki eventually finds the leverage needed to make a single heel hook painful, and Smiley quickly rolls to the ropes near him to break it. With Smiley still maintaining a 1-0 lead, the two go back up to their feet.

As Yamazaki begins to mix in more strikes, Smiley calmly defends himself and manages to clinch with Yamazaki. Yamazaki tries to escape but Smiley manages to land a beautiful belly-to-belly suplex and immediately establishes side control as he begins to work for a keylock submission. Yamazaki squirms around as he struggles to break free, but eventually manages to find the ropes again. They choose to spend more time on the canvas afterward, with neither finding much give as each begins to rely on defense a bit more, and openings for counterwork are not to be found in this segment of the match. Yamazaki escapes as Smiley attempts to take his back, and Yamazaki unleashes a barrage of high kicks as seeks to change the momentum of the match. Yamazaki finally scores his first knockdown to even the match at 1-1, and Smiley brushes himself off quickly.

Yamazaki chooses to press ahead with more offense and relies on kicks more and more to score another knockdown, or at least weaken Smiley enough to go for a submission attempt on the canvas. As Yamazaki clinches with Smiley and attempts to get enough control for a German suplex, Smiley does a beautiful drop leg sweep into a heel hook to surprise his opponent and get him back to the canvas. Yamazaki struggles to break free and the two engage in a nice bit of counterwork, as Yamazaki somehow manages to get the position needed for a Fujiwara armbar. Yamazaki returns the favor and somehow rolls out of this, as he quickly goes back to Yamazaki’s leg for a quick toe hold. The sudden pain shooting through Yamazaki’s leg finally convinces Smiley’s opponent to tap and Smiley celebrates as the crowd enjoys a shock victory for a popular newcomer. Smiley defeats Yamazaki via submission (toe hold), 15:04

Nobuhiko Takada vs Yorinaga Nakamura

Nakamura comes in already a bit established with the UWF fanbase and has built a reputation as a formidable grappler and shooter. Takada has to be on top of his game here and immediately recognizes this fact as Nakamura attempts to soften up Takada with a series of striking combos. Takada has to play defense or risk going down early. Nakamura steadily begins to close the distance as he looks to grapple with Takada, and Takada is happy to oblige, at least for now. Nakamura’s great positioning skills become evident again as he forces Takada to go on the defense once again. Takada struggles to get anything going as Nakamura closes in on a Kimura attempt, but Takada manages to find his way out of this predicament and quickly tries to get Nakamura’s back. Takada’s opponent slithers his way out of Takada’s grasp and takes Takada’s back instead, and Takada has to fight his way out of a rear-naked choke attempt by going for a rope break.

Nakamura builds a 2-0 lead through rope breaks as he manages to keep the match on the canvas and build momentum through some very smart grappling and counterwork. Takada decides to try and get this match going with the stand-up game and eventually lures Nakamura into another prolonged striking contest. Takada re-establishes himself by eventually landing a series of high kicks to the crowd’s delight, and Nakamura suffers his first knockdown as he recovers quite quickly. As Nakamura and Takada grapple some more, Takada eventually locks in Nakamura for not only one German suplex but two! The back-to-back suplexes are devastating for Nakamura, and Takada evens the score up at 2-2 as Nakamura is forced to recover on the canvas with the referee counting. Nakamura is slow to get back up but shakes the cobwebs off and grapples with Takada again, bringing him down to the canvas. Takada submits Nakamura for the victory with a kneebar after the two exchange leg lock attempts. Takada defeats Nakamura via submission (kneebar), 15:51

Satoru Sayama vs Osamu Kido

Osamu Kido hasn’t had much luck in UWF Newborn so far, failing to secure a win up to this point. While Kido puts up an honorable fight against Sayama here, Sayama is just too good and experienced, even for someone of Kido's pedigree. Kido builds an early 2-1 lead with some fine grappling and submission attempts, but Sayama’s kicks are the story here as he chooses to keep one of Karl Gotch’s best students guessing in his approach. Sayama ties the score up after landing a nice roundhouse kick and begins to mix in more grappling as he steadily wears down Kido. Kido stays in the match, but Sayama secures a double wrist lock and pulls Kido down to the canvas where he eventually transitions into knee-crush/calf-slicer. Kido has no choice but to tap in the center of the ring, giving Sayama the victory. Sayama defeats Kido via submission (calf-slicer), 13:34

Akira Maeda vs Gerard Gordeau

Gerard Gordeau comes out wearing red kickboxing trunks with gold trim while choosing to utilize lightweight boxing gloves. This match will utilize a system of five rounds of three minutes each, a first in UWF as Gordeau and Maeda clash in a true wrestler vs kickboxer match.

Round 1 –

Tentative striking from Gordeau and Maeda as they exchange low kicks. Maeda gets a double-leg takedown on Gordeau early but Gordeau sweeps and lands a bit of a cheap shot on Maeda on the canvas, but nothing illegal. Gordeau gets in one high kick before the bell ends the round.

Round 2 –

Gordeau tries to land some punches to open the round, but Maeda gets another double-leg takedown on Gordeau before the referee forces them to break. Gordeau lands some hard body punches on Maeda as the round progresses, and even manages to get a Muay Thai clinch on Maeda in which he delivers some sharp knee strikes. Maeda catches one of Gordeau’s knees and turns his clinch into a Capture Suplex, but Gordeau is quick to get out of the predicament on the canvas. The two trade some more strikes before Maeda gets Gordeau with a Judo throw that he quickly turns into an armbar, but the bell saves Gordeau from further trouble.

Round 3 –

Maeda throws kicks to keep Gordeau at bay, but the Dutchman comes swinging back with some more body punches followed by another Muay Thai clinch and a barrage of knee strikes. Maeda tries to get Gordeau to the canvas again, but Gordeau blocks and keeps working on Maeda with some powerful knees. Gordeau continues to beat up on Maeda near the ropes until Maeda gets another double-leg takedown on Gordeau as he looks for a keylock on his Dutch opponent. Gordeau has great defense here and forces the referee to stand the two back up after some inaction. Maeda immediately goes for another double-leg takedown and tries to get a kneebar on Gordeau, but Gordeau slithers his way out. Gordeau lands a sharp, vicious high kick that audibly connects to Maeda’s cranium, drawing a strong reaction from the crowd as they begin to chant Maeda’s name. The bell sounds, and this was clearly a strong round for Gordeau.

Round 4 –

Gordeau keeps coming at his opponent with strong strikes, but Maeda catches one of Gordeau’s leg kicks and brings him down for an ankle lock attempt. Gordeau struggles to slither his way to the ropes, and Maeda keeps the hold locked in tight as the Dutch kickboxer and Savate fighter decides to tap to save his ankle from being shattered by Maeda’s submission. Maeda defeats Gordeau via submission (ankle lock), Round 4 of 5 (1:10)

Akira Maeda celebrates in the ring to the delight of the crowd. Gordeau gave Maeda everything he could handle, but couldn’t quite finish the job. Maeda is presented with a large ceremonial trophy by Billy Robinson and both Gerard Gordeau and Chris Dolman shake Maeda’s hand. The crowd continues to chant Maeda’s name as he soaks things in a bit more.

Akira Maeda thanks the fans for coming and says he wants to face his old foe, Don "Nakaya" Nielsen, next month. This gets a big pop from the crowd as Maeda says he will continue to prove he is the best. Maeda promises more action next month in Chiba as UWF will hold a show at Tokyo's NK Hall! Maeda gives a special thanks to Billy Robinson and Chris Dolman for their presence this evening and signs of. The UWF theme plays in the arena as the fans chant Maeda's name in cadence. 

[Autistic Dragon]

Onita and Aoyagi had an absolute war and it looks like this was just round 1.

Speaking of rounds, Gordeau looked very impressive but got dragged a little too far out of his element.

Smiley made that toe hold look like torture.

[Control21]

On 10/25/2023 at 9:22 AM, LowBlowPodcast said:

Sayama is Tiger Mask right? I remember begging my mom to order the best of the Japanese death matches... I was a very big Onita fan in the late 90s... just loved his stuff. Death Match wrestling has a place in our world.

Yep! Sayama was the first Tiger Mask from 1981-1983. After he left for the first UWF, he became Super Tiger due to conflict over who had the rights to the name. Sayama then started wrestling as himself around 1985, and founded Shooto after the first UWF folded. Tiger Mask II (Misawa) popped up in 1984 after AJPW bought the rights to the gimmick, and then it reverted to NJPW with Tiger Mask III (Koji Kanemoto) and Tiger Mask IV (Yoshihiro Yamazaki), who is still wrestling today for NJPW. After Sayama returned to wrestling in 1996, he stuck with the "Super Tiger" moniker but he's the first Tiger Mask everyone knows and loves. 

It's interesting you bring up Onita. I'm trying something new with him. He won't be a deathmatch guy in UWF Newborn, but I'm aiming to retain the same "edge" Onita had but in a different form. Instead of a wild hardcore wrestler, he's a no-holds-barred Vale Tudo guy, which in the 1980s and 1990s, was probably the "deathmatch" of shootfighting/early MMA. That's why I kinda went with a new explanation for his return to wrestling with him spending time in Brazil and all that stuff. Hopefully, I can pull it off and it makes sense in the process. 1988 is actually when arcade games started taking off in Japan, and "Street Fighter" was released in 1987 as an arcade game. My goal with Onita is to base his character conceptually off games like Street Fighter, which is why I have him promoted as a "street fighter." You also have popular anime shows in the 1980s like "Fist of the North Star" which was similar to Street Fighter in some aspects. Most notably the show featured the protagonist killing "bad guys" in violent ways, so I'm taking inspiration from there too. He's still a wild, unpredictable dude with violent tendencies....but he's a shooter this time.

Aoyagi and Onita had a series of matches in 1989 which were known to be a little bit brutal for their time. Onita had just opened FMW and was looking to cash in on the shoot-style craze by challenging Aoyagi to a series of wrestling matches. I'm accelerating things a bit by doing that a year early, but hopefully, it's a good way to introduce the "new" Onita to this world. 

 

 

[spaldoni]

Nakano vs. Shamrock might be the best opening match so far. These guys really gave the fans a fight. Nakano gets the win, but Shamrock made him earn it.

Suzuki and Sekishima put on a nice grappling display, which Suzuki ends up winning. 

Vrij is going to be a big name here. 

Onita and Aoyagi give the fans something different. One thing's for sure, it was a fight! I can't believe these guys went at it like that for 30 minutes. I'm sure there will be a rematch and I know it will be a big draw. 

It would be hard to follow the last match, but Smiley impresses and is making a name for himself here. 

Nakamura has things going his way, but Takada rides the storm out and finishes things off strong. 

Kido's woes continue but no shame in losing to a game Sayama.

The fans get another different style match as Gordeau gives Maeda and the fans a scare. Maeda is a true pro as he waited for his moment and capitalized. Maeda's out to prove he's the best fighter in the world and it's hard to argue that.