UWF Newborn

[kevinmcfl]

Love all the videos as it helps explain things for people like me who are unfamiliar with this style.

[Control21]

 

Quote

 

November 6th, 1988

UWF held a successful event on 10/28 in Sendai, with a reported sellout crowd of 7,000. Tickets sold out in advance again. The event was notable for a brutal match between Atsushi Onita and Masashi Aoyagi, which appeared to be a straight shoot at times, and the main event between Akira Maeda and Dutch kickboxer and Savate fighter Gerard Gordeau. People who attended the show live say that Onita was in the best shape of his life and that he appeared to be a very formidable opponent for Aoyagi, who of course has legit credentials as a karateka for the WKA organization. Onita hyped himself as a “street fighter” and someone who has done Vale Tudo fights in Brazil, and he apparently backed that all up by roughing up Aoyagi pretty badly. The match went to a draw, and Onita took some punishment as well. The two appeared to have a visible dislike for each other, and Onita said that he wanted a rematch after the event. The match threw off the crowd a bit as it was quite stiff and there were questions about whether or not it was a straight shoot, if anything, it probably was a worked shoot according to reports.

The main event was said to be quite good, with Gerard Gordeau working quite well with Maeda. The match introduced the round system to UWF, with five rounds of three minutes each. Gordeau landed some hard shots on Maeda, but Maeda came back in the 4^th round to seal the victory with an Achilles hold/ankle lock. Maeda was presented with a ceremonial trophy at the end by Billy Robinson and Chris Dolman. After the match, Maeda said he wanted to face Don “Nakaya” Nielsen next month. Other matches on the card included Norman Smiley getting a win over Kazuo Yamazaki, Tatsuo Nakano beating Wayne Shamrock, Minoru Suzuki defeating Yasuto Sekishima, and Dick Vrij taking down Bart Vale. Nobuhiko Takada and Satoru Sayama also got wins over Yorinaga Nakamura and Osamu Kido, respectively.

On the note regarding Don “Nakaya” Nielsen, the match has been in the works since mid-October and Nielsen has agreed to the match. Gong Magazine reported this week that the match will be the main event for the upcoming 11/16 show in Chiba, which will see UWF hold an event in the new Tokyo NK Hall building. Don “Nakaya” Nielsen is a highly regarded kickboxer who has also been active in the WKA organization (as well as the All Japan Kickboxing Federation), and as previously reported, worked a very good match with Akira Maeda in NJPW back in 1986. A rematch has been something Maeda has wanted since. Going forward, it appears UWF will switch to a one-show-per-month format. They have been doing two shows a month since June, but the feeling is that with momentum firmly established, the idea is that doing one show per month will help with recovery time. Maeda and Takada’s absence from the earlier show in October probably helped with this thinking.

Sources close to the Koslowskis indicate that they are booked for a tag team match on 11/16 in what will be a first for UWF. The UWF originally advertised tag team bouts as part of their ruleset when they launched in June, but haven’t done any so far. Their opponents will likely be the Dutch team of Chris Dolman and Gerard Gordeau. It will be interesting to see how the tag team format works in practice under the UWF style of wrestling. The mix of styles will make things unique, at the very least. There may be a view in UWF to utilize more tag team matches if/when a deal with the Soviets is sealed, especially if they succeed in bringing in more amateur wrestlers. On that front, it appears negotiations are progressing well between the Soviet Sports Committee and UWF. There’s still a view to have everything ratified by the end of the month and there is growing excitement internally that December could shape up to be a huge month for the promotion. The search for a TV partner also appears to be ramping up as UWF has also signed an agreement to have their 10/28 show broadcasted on Tokyo Channel 6 later this month on 11/17. There is no further agreement beyond that planned broadcast, but if it does well, there is hope to have a broader agreement in place by the end of the year. UWF is speaking to other potential partners as well.

 

 

[Autistic Dragon]

Excited to see the UWF's first tag match. Looks like the search for a TV deal is going well.

[Control21]

Card Announcement:

UWF Newborn – “Chiba Super Bout”

November 16^th, 1988

Tokyo Bay NK Hall

Chiba, Japan

Tatsuo Nakano vs Shigeo Miyato

Masakatsu Funaki vs Naoki Sano

Norman Smiley vs Mark Fleming

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Kazuo Yamazaki

Dennis Koslowski & Duane Koslowski vs Gerard Gordeau & Chris Dolman

Satoru Sayama vs Yorinaga Nakamura

Nobuhiko Takada vs Dick Vrij

Different Style Fight:

Akira Maeda vs Don "Nakaya" Nielsen

[Autistic Dragon]

Between the tag match and the Different Style fight, I think it's safe to say that Chiba will be home to the UWF's most varied card yet.

[spaldoni]

This should be a good one. 

[Control21]

UWF Newborn – “Chiba Super Bout”

November 16^th, 1988

Tokyo Bay NK Hall

Chiba, Japan

Attendance: 7,000 (sold out)

UWF's usual opening ceremony starts the show with each wrestler being introduced individually by Nobuyuki Furuta to the UWF theme. Maeda and Nielsen get loud pops, followed by Takada, Sayama, Fujiwara, Smiley, Vrij, and the Koslowski brothers in terms of similar reception (not necessarily in order). Maeda gets on a microphone and thanks the fans for coming. Maeda says that UWF is very honored to be the first wrestling event in the new Tokyo Bay NK Hall. Maeda promises a great show tonight and that he has been working very hard to make tonight's match against Don "Nakaya" Nielsen a reality. He puts over Nielsen as a dangerous opponent and that he hasn't forgotten their match in 1986. Sayama and Takada give opening remarks as well. Billy Robinson also gets a nice pop from the crowd after being introduced at ringside. 

Tatsuo Nakano vs Shigeo Miyato

Miyato is very eager to get a win over Nakano after his opponent’s impressive performance against Wayne Shamrock a few weeks ago. While Miyato has won a match, he hasn’t found the same luck or momentum Nakano has. Nakano continues where he left off and opens the match by delivering a series of very stiff palm strikes against Miyato. Miyato has to adjust quickly or risk an embarrassing knockout just a minute into the match and decides to clinch onto Nakano for dear life. Miyato gets a bit of a bear hug on Nakano and does everything he can to pull Nakano to the canvas. This is where Miyato establishes himself in the match, and he manages to pull Nakano into what is mainly a grappling affair on the canvas for the first half of the bout. Nakano’s grappling abilities aren’t too bad either, but Miyato displays a bit more urgency and refined ability as the two exchange rope breaks and submission attempts to bring the match to a score of 1-1 by the 7:00 mark.

Neither wrestler is particularly flashy with their grappling so far, as they opt for patience and efficiency over speed. Miyato is just a bit better at the moment and Nakano realizes that he has to get back to striking if he wants to retake control of the match. Nakano scrambles as Miyato attempts to get control of his back and finds his way back to his feet. Miyato quickly has to go into defense as Nakano begins to throw hands again. Miyato weathers out the storm and finds an opening or two to fire back at his opponent, and Nakano is caught a bit off-guard. Both begin to add more spice to the match as they continue to exchange palm strikes and kicks. Nakano attempts to shift the momentum by hitting a German suplex on Miyato, but Miyato fights through the pain and smartly gains control of Nakano’s legs by wrapping them with his own. Nakano is pulled back to the canvas and has to resume a grappling contest with Miyato. Miyato eventually gets the better of Nakano and wins a leg-lock battle by snagging in a kneebar. Yuji Shimada calls for the bell after Nakano taps in frustration. Miyato defeats Nakano via submission (kneebar), 14:22

Masakatsu Funaki vs Naoki Sano

Sano and Funaki waste no time in this match as they immediately get to work and the opening minutes of the match feature excellent displays of grappling and striking. Funaki appears to get the better of Sano with well-timed palm strikes, particularly a spinning back fist that catches Sano off-guard. Sano gets Funaki to spend more of his time on the canvas and keeps him busy by aiming for submission attempts whenever the opportunity presents itself. Sano’s counterwork also gives Funaki fits as Funaki tries to go on the offense but constantly finds himself dealing with Sano’s quickness and better positioning, at least so far. Funaki grows into the match though, and begins to find himself predicting Sano’s approach to the match better. Sano loses control of the grappling contest and scrambles out of an attempt by Funaki to get a Fujiwara armbar locked in. Sano tries to trade strikes with Funaki, but Funaki’s skill in this area is quickly getting better and better. Sano realizes this truth as Funaki knocks him down with a nice combo. Sano gets back up relatively quickly but finds himself in the same position a few minutes later as Funaki presses the advantage. Facing a 2-0 deficit, Sano throws a furious barrage of kicks as he tries to change the flow of the bout. Funaki’s defense works well here as he catches one of the kicks and quickly takes Sano down to the canvas as he quickly works in a heel hook. Sano manages to get the ropes, but it appears Funaki managed to cause a bit of pain as Sano struggles to get back up with a visible limp. Funaki, seeing an opening, quickly grabs Sano for a side suplex. Sano struggles to get a sense of where he is exactly and Funaki quickly transitions into a cross-armbreaker. Sano realizes he is in the middle of the ring and taps rather quickly. Funaki flexes the crowd and celebrates his victory as Sano evaluates how he lost control of that match. Funaki defeats Sano via submission (cross-armbreaker), 11:37

Norman Smiley vs Mark Fleming

To no one’s surprise, a contest between two very good grapplers is mostly fought on the canvas, with Smiley and Fleming foregoing most opportunities to engage in a striking contest. Smiley is quicker and more willing to take risks as he looks for openings, but Fleming’s more traditional background allows him to control the tempo at times, and he seems to be waiting things out as Smiley expends his energy. This strategy seems to pay off at first as Fleming manages to find an Achilles hold after he slips out of Norman Smiley’s grasp and finds the back of his legs. This leads to the first rope break of the match. Grappling aficionados certainly get their money’s worth here as the two continue to trade rope breaks in a fine display of counterwork and positioning, and neither can maintain control of the match as their backgrounds prove to be very valuable in adjusting to their opponent’s approach. A 1-1 score doesn’t take long into a 2-2 score and Fleming finds himself working on Smiley’s leg again as he aims to take a 3-2 lead through a second rope break. Smiley tries to escape by distracting Fleming with a leg hook of his own, but Fleming has enough leverage to avoid falling into Smiley’s trap and rolls his opponent over for an inverted kneebar. Smiley has to go for the ropes quickly to avoid the sharp shooting pain in his right leg. With a 3-2 lead, Fleming seeks to continue his momentum by clinching with Smiley as he attempts to get his opponent into a suplex position. Smiley can’t do much as Fleming lifts him in the air for a beautiful German suplex, and the crowd feels the heavy thud in the center of the ring.

Smiley quickly tries to dust himself off as he gets back to his feet, but Fleming keeps the pressure on and clinches with his opponent again. Smiley tries to work his way out of this predicament by leveraging himself out of Fleming’s grasp, but Fleming moves one of his knees forward for a series of sharp knee strikes, and the clinch is held as Smiley, knowing what is next, struggles to escape Fleming’s powerful hold. Fleming sets up Smiley for a double-underhook suplex and hits it as Smiley is sent flying through the air once again. The crowd seems pleased by Fleming’s display as Smiley begins to find his way back to his feet again. Fleming follows things up with a powerful shoulder charge. Smiley is knocked back to the canvas again and Ryogaku Wada begins a 10 count. Smiley takes some time to re-orient himself but he beats the count just in time. Fleming seems to be on the verge of winning the match with a 4-2 lead on points and presses his advantage. Lou Thesz’s student unleashes a rare display of striking as he pummels Smiley and tries to get control of his opponent’s back. Smiley leans over and turtles up, and somehow does a nice rolling move to reverse his position and gain control of Fleming’s legs from the rear! Fleming scrambles around in shock as Smiley begins to lock in a painful inverted Indian Deathlock. The ropes seem near to Fleming, but they grow further and further away as Smiley applies more pressure with his creative submission. The crowd is absolutely delighted as Fleming suddenly taps! Smiley pulls a rabbit out of his hat and gets the victory! Smiley defeats Fleming via submission (inverted Indian Deathlock), 15:44

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Kazuo Yamazaki

Fujiwara comes out to the largest reception of the day so far, and his opponent is someone whom he is very familiar with from their previous clashes in the first UWF and NJPW. The two competitors start things off with a quick pace as they exchange palm strikes, with Yamazaki adding sharp kicks to mix things up. Fujiwara opts to keep things simple and uses forearm uppercuts as well. Yamazaki moves as if he wants to avoid any extended grappling contests with Fujiwara, and scrambles quickly out of Fujiwara’s takedown attempts. Fujiwara keeps the pressure on and attempts to corner Yamazaki near one of the turnbuckles, hitting him with a flurry of strikes once again. Yamazaki has to cover up and clinches with Fujiwara to work his way out of the situation. After some more tussling in the middle of the ring, Fujiwara finally gets Yamazaki to the canvas and forces him to work from underneath. The veteran Gotch student gives Yamazaki fits and Yamazaki has to rely on using defense to avoid being submitted. Fujiwara attempts to get a double wrist lock, but Yamazaki manages to sweep his way out into a turtle position, where Fujiwara continues to look for an opening. The current exchange becomes a bit of a stalemate and Yamazaki does well to stall enough to get the referee to stand both back up.

The match continues with a good pace, and both exchange knockdowns over the next few minutes. Both end up catching one another with well-timed counters, and the match is tied at 1-1 after Fujiwara uses one of his patented headbutts after ducking a high kick from Yamazaki, which sends his opponent back to the canvas. Yamazaki beats the count and gives it right back at Fujiwara, throwing flashy kicking combos as Fujiwara realizes it is his turn to play some defense. Yamazaki ends up having one of his kicks caught by Fujiwara and gets dragged back down to the canvas as Fujiwara looks for a heel hook. Another grappling exchange continues on the canvas, and Fujiwara eventually builds a 2-1 lead as Yamazaki continues to get outwrestled by the “Terrorist of Sapporo.” Yamazaki once again tries to re-establish control of the match through his striking skills, but Fujiwara catches another leg from Yamazaki and this time gets the positioning needed to finish the match with a Fujiwara armbar. Yamazaki is too far away from the ropes and is pinned to the mat by Fujiwara’s strength. The decision to tap is easy enough. Fujiwara celebrates his victory and Yamazaki nurses a tender arm. Fujiwara defeats Yamazaki via submission (Fujiwara armbar), 14:39

Dennis Koslowski & Duane Koslowski vs Chris Dolman & Gerard Gordeau

(In order: Koslowski brothers, Gerard Gordeau, and Chris Dolman)

The crowd is fired up for UWF Newborn’s first tag team match. As previously explained, all tag team matches in UWF Newborn will follow an elimination format, and each competitor has a maximum of three knockdowns instead of five. The Koslowskis come out in red and blue singlets to a good welcome from the audience, as the Americans have already made quite a few fans in Japan with their good looks and good fundamental skills. Dolman and Gordeau come out next, and Gordeau this time forgoes the kickboxing gloves and trunks for white Savate pants. The ring announcer explains the rules to the fans and we are soon underway as Motoyuki Kitazawa calls for the bell.

Gordeau and Dennis Koslowski start things off with Gordeau throwing some very hard palm strikes to quickly demonstrate why he doesn’t need gloves. Koslowski is caught by some of them and doesn’t waste much time in clinching with his opponent to take the match to the canvas. Gordeau, while not totally incompetent, clearly does not prefer the grappling side of things. Dennis works in a shoulder lock and Gordeau scrambles his way to the ropes for his first rope break. Dennis doesn’t let off though, and quickly grabs onto Gordeau again as they stand up and lifts him for a high-angle German suplex. Gordeau doesn’t have much time to recover as Dennis immediately finds his back. Gordeau manages to roll over and sets up a guard as Koslowski tries to utilize his Greco-Roman knowledge to find a way through Gordeau’s defense. Gordeau lands a cheap but effective open palm strike on Dennis’ face, which forces the Olympian to back off and stand up, and signals to Gordeau to stand up as well and he doesn’t look too happy with the Dutchman. Gordeau is happy to oblige and smirks, and quickly decides to demonstrate his Savate striking skills but utilizing some well-timed kicks to Dennis’ legs. Dennis Koslowski tries his best to defend himself from the painful strikes, but Gordeau doesn’t relent and delivers another palm strike to Dennis’s face, which lands squarely on the nose. Dennis doesn’t seem happy as he wipes a bit of blood from his nose and decides to tag in his brother while Gordeau follows suit and tags in Dolman. The crowd already seems to think Gordeau is a little dirty!

Dolman and Duane Koslowski lock up as Dolman is a bit more willing to grapple with an Olympic wrestler. Duane applies a lower Greco-Roman hold as Dolman tries to find a way to bring him down. Dolman manages to reverse Duane’s hold and brings him down with a nice Judo throw. Duane has to work from underneath as Dolman attempts to get a keylock on Duane, but Duane remains relatively calm and forces Dolman to relent with a nice display of defense. As Dolman continues to work from side control, Duane sweeps and establishes the top position. While the grappling isn’t particularly high-paced here, the level of detail and focus both men have draws a good reaction from the crowd as Duane attempts to get a double wrist lock on Dolman, but Dolman fights his way to his feet and Duane has to readjust. The two continue to forego most striking for grappling, and it’s a bit of a stalemate as Duane manages to show off some nice moves, but still can’t get any points on Dolman. They both decide to tag their partners back in after some fatigue sets in.

Dennis and Gordeau face off again and this time, Dennis wants some payback. Gordeau starts throwing strikes but Dennis weathers the storm and slaps Gordeau hard across the face before locking him up for an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Gordeau is in a bad place as Dennis attempts to lock in a cross-armbreaker, although the Dutchman leverages his way out of danger. With his free hand, Gordeau claws Dennis in the face and seems to dig one of his fingers into Dennis’ eye! The crowd jeers at this blatant illegal move and Gordeau receives a yellow card from Motoyuki Kitazawa. Gordeau seems unbothered though, but quickly discovers the bad side of Dennis Koslowski’s temper as the American treats his opponent to a series of devastating suplexes, showing off a different variation for each one. Gordeau stumbles around after the third, and the referee calls for a count as Gordeau leans against the ropes. Gordeau finds himself in a similar spot a few minutes later after Dennis locks in a full-nelson suplex, which sends Gordeau flying backward again. With two knockdowns, Gordeau realizes he is in a bad spot and attempts to tag in Dolman but Dennis drags him back for another German suplex. This time, Dennis Koslowski finishes off Gordeau by picking up one of his legs for a standing ankle lock! Gordeau quickly taps as he is dragged to the center of the ring. Gordeau is eliminated from the match to the crowd’s delight and Dolman must now now contend with both Koslowski brothers on his own.

The Dutch SAMBO specialist puts up a decent fight with Dennis and Duane, but he is eventually worn down by both. Dolman and Dennis Koslowski do have a nice stretch where they both show off some very nice wrestling skills, reversing several holds with smooth counterwork. To Dolman’s credit, he does get a point on Dennis as he manages to force him to the ropes for a second time with a kneebar attempt. Chris Dolman appears visibly fatigued now though, and Duane finishes off the match with a nice Judo throw of his own, which is quickly transitioned into a cross-armbreaker! Dolman decides to tap and the American duo celebrates their victory. Gordeau and Dolman shake hands with their opponents, but Dennis gives Gordeau the side eye as they depart. Billy Robinson seems to have a stern word with Gerard Gordeau and gives the thumbs-up to the Koslowski brothers. Dennis and Duane Koslowski defeat Chris Dolman and Gerard Gordeau (cross-armbreaker), 17:25

Satoru Sayama vs Yorinaga Nakamura

Sayama faces his first Shooto student and a co-instructor at his gym. Nakamura knows the scale of the challenge before him and seems very eager to meet the moment. The two lock up with each other right away and Nakamura tries using his quickness and great sense of awareness to try and catch his teacher early, but Sayama uses his defense to prevent Nakamura from getting what he wants, namely a submission attempt. Sayama’s guard is enough to keep his student at bay and even slips in a counter as he catches Nakamura by surprise with a triangle choke. Nakamura doesn’t have much trouble getting out of it, and both stand back up as the crowd applauds for both. Sayama delivers a series of hard kicks, which Nakamura returns with some of his own and a heated striking battle erupts. It’s a bit of a stalemate as both Nakamura and Sayama aren’t able to get a knockdown or get their opponent on the back foot. Sayama finally gets the first knockdown after a jumping roundhouse, but Nakamura gets up quite quickly to beat the count.

Both go back to the canvas relatively quickly, and Sayama looks to keep the pressure on by constantly going for Nakamura’s arm, which might have been hit hard by one of his kicks earlier. Nakamura has to get creative with his defense and uses his legs to trap Sayama into a leg variant of a neck crank. Sayama reaches for the ropes to avoid getting choked out and Motoyuki Kitazawa stands both back up again. There’s another great display of striking here, and Nakamura evens the score at 1-1 after returning the favor to Sayama with a nice jumping roundhouse of his own, which was preceded by a well-timed kick to Sayama’s abdomen. Sayama gets up to beat the count by 7 and quickly tries to trip up Nakamura with the patented tiger spin, but Nakamura is all too wise to Sayama’s tricks by the point and calmly grapples with Sayama on the canvas again. Nakamura goes up 2-1 after he sends Sayama to the ropes again with an Achilles lock attempt. Nakamura senses the momentum is in favor and continues to pressure Sayama by clinching with him to deliver sharp Muay Thai knee strikes. Nakamura does something a little surprising next by giving Sayama a shoot DDT! Sayama’s head bounces off the mat and this is enough to give Nakamura the opening he needs. Sayama struggles a bit and does his best to keep his eager student at bay, but Nakamura eventually grabs one of Sayama’s legs and stretches the other one out in a banana split submission. The crowd is a bit shocked at what is transpiring and they appear to be shocked even more as Sayama taps! An audible “oooooh” comes from the crowd but they give Nakamura a warm applause as he celebrates the huge upset over his former teacher. Nakamura gives Sayama the honor of bowing to him, which Sayama returns. Sayama raises Nakamura’s hand and tries his best to hide his disappointment in himself. Nakamura defeats Sayama via submission (Banana split), 18:17

Nobuhiko Takada vs Dick Vrij

(Dick Vrij makes his entrance)

Takada and Dick Vrij engage in a very frantic contest early on, with both showing off their excellent striking abilities. Dick Vrij goes toe-to-toe with Takada every step of the way, and the muscular Dutchman built like a cyborg moves like a stone-cold killer with his long black tights and ice blonde hair. Takada has his hands full and has to resort to attempting to take the match to the canvas, where he is a stronger grappler than Vrij. Vrij is decent here, but Takada knows he has to establish some control of the match here and moves diligently as he looks to get an early cross-armbreaker. Vrij clasps his hands together tight and prevents Takada from getting the submission attempt. Takada keeps moving and continues to try and find a limb to hook. Vrij stalls things enough to get the referee to stand both back on their feet. The crowd tries to motivate Takada as Vrij continues to deliver some very strong kicks, and after a prolonged striking contest, Takada finds himself facing a 2-0 deficit after Dick Vrij gets two knockdowns by the 8:00 mark. Takada begins to realize why Vrij has become one of the most formidable foreigners in UWF so far and begins to adjust the strategy in his head as the imposing Dutchman stares him down.

Takada opts for more tactical low kicks instead of trying to trade power blows with Vrij, and it seems to work as he begins to throw off Vrij’s stance a bit and scores a series of well-timed strikes. This opens up the Dutch kickboxer enough so Takada can mix in the occasional palm strike as well. Takada appears to stun Vrij several times, but Vrij keeps coming back for more and Takada finds himself on the back foot again as Vrij adjusts to Takada’s approach and begins to throw in a variety of axe kicks and thrust kicks to beat Takada’s reach. Takada tries to fix this by grappling with Vrij, but Vrij’s Muay Thai kicks in the clinch are enough to give the Dutchman a third knockdown and a commanding 3-0 lead. Vrij celebrates, prematurely you could say, as Takada faces his third referee count from Masami Soranaka. Takada beats it by the count of 7 and immediately grapples with Vrij again, unafraid to face more of Vrij’s knee strikes. This time, Takada returns the favor and gets his first point as he sends Vrij to the canvas for the first time. The crowd grows excited and they cheer on Takada more and more. Quite an excellent match continues, and Takada takes Vrij to the canvas more often as time wears on, finding his groove as he steadily ties the match at 3-3 after a series of rope escapes from Vrij, who begins to find out Takada is a well-rounded wrestler. Vrij tries to stop the bleeding with a series of high kicks. Takada blocks and dodges, and grapples with Vrij to send the Dutchman flying backwards with a beautiful Dragon Suplex! Vrij lands on his head and becomes a bit stunned. Vrij opts to stand up and continue the fight, but leaves himself open to a devastating high kick from Takada! This time Vrij can’t beat the count and the referee counts to 10 as Vrij shows signs of life but stumbles around in a daze. Takada celebrates his victory as the crowd erupts and chants his name. Takada defeats Vrij via KO, 18:03

Akira Maeda vs Dan “Nakaya” Nielsen

Similar to Maeda’s match with Gordeau last month, this will be fought under the UWF round system with five rounds of three minutes each. Nielsen comes out with long black kickboxing pants and black kickboxing gloves, while Maeda sticks to what he knows best with the usual gear.

Round 1 –

Nielsen and Maeda feel each other out, with both exchanging low kicks. Nielsen tentatively jabs at Maeda, but Maeda deals with most of those easily and ramps up the pressure as throws palm strikes that catch Nielsen a few times. Nielsen doesn’t seem troubled and throws a few kicks to Maeda’s abdomen. Both end up clinching towards the end of the round and Maeda tries to get Nielsen to the canvas, but Nielsen holds on to the ropes and avoids having to go to the ground with his opponent as the bell sounds.

Round 2 –

The pace picks up a little bit as Maeda goes on the offensive, but Nielsen becomes better at reading Maeda’s body language and strikes and throws a few solid counters with his hands, giving Maeda something to think about. The crowd is eating this up and is solidly behind Maeda, but Nielsen has some fans in the building as well and they make it known. Nielsen throws a roundhouse and Maeda stumbles backward into the turnbuckle. Nielsen immediately clinches with him and lands a few knee strikes, but Maeda is saved by the bell as he clearly needs a break.

Round 3 -

Maeda still appears to be a bit stunned from the last round and is more cautious as Nielsen continues to apply the pressure. The crowd becomes quite loud as Nielsen connects a few sharp punches on Maeda, but Maeda stays on his feet and Nielsen throws some kicks to try and cut down his opponent. Maeda throws some very weak kicks and tries to get something going but Nielsen clinches him with a standing guillotine and takes him down to the canvas. Nielsen’s basic guillotine choke doesn’t give Maeda too much trouble and this gives Maeda a chance to recover his energy. Masami Soranaka, the referee, stands both back on their feet after a brief moment. Nielsen throws a combo of kicks but Maeda catches one of these kicks and quickly grabs Nielsen for his trademark Capture suplex! Nielsen is taken to the canvas and Maeda quickly locks in cross-armbreaker but Nielsen uses his lanky frame to roll out of this and reach for the ropes. The bell sounds as the referee tells Maeda to break.

Round 4 –

Nielsen immediately opens the match with a well-timed high kick to Maeda’s skull, and this knocks Maeda down for Nielsen’s first knockdown! The crowd is in shock as Maeda appears to have no clue where he is and stumbles around. The referee reaches the count of 8…then 9….and Maeda manages to beat the count just in time as he somehow gets himself back to his feet and raises his fists. Soranaka makes sure Maeda is okay to continue and gets the men back in the center of the ring. Nielsen throws everything he has at Maeda as his fans urge him on, with the crowd swelling once again. Nielsen throws jabs, haymakers, kicks…whatever he has and Maeda bounces off the ropes but refuses to go down again. Nielsen gives Maeda a taste of his own medicine as he catches one of Maeda’s high kicks as his opponent attempts to get something again. Nielsen sweeps Maeda’s standing leg off the ground and gets his opponent to the canvas. Despite having gloves, Nielsen grabs both of Maeda’s legs and turns him over for a full Boston crab! This appears to be a callback to their 1986 match where Maeda won with a similar move. With Maeda caught in the center of the ring, he appears to be ready to tap…he raises his hand in desperation…but he is saved by the bell!

Round 5 –

Maeda is in a bad spot and Nielsen still has some left in the tank. Maeda continues to play defense and seems to be basing his strategy on getting that “one moment” to change the match completely. Nielsen knows he is very close to victory and continues to swarm Maeda when he has the chance. Most of the crowd continues to chant Maeda’s name in cadence as their beloved hero is barely hanging on. Maeda keeps his feet moving at least and trades some palm strikes with Nielsen’s punches. Nielsen hits a thrust kick, which sends Maeda stumbling backward. Nielsen tries this again, but Maeda catches his leg and hits another Capture suplex! The crowd roars as Maeda gets a kneebar on his opponent, but Nielsen’s lanky legs continue to allow the kickboxer to leverage his way out of a match-ending submission. Knowing that he has to do something quickly before the bell sounds, Maeda drags Nielsen a bit on the canvas and transitions his kneebar into a figure-four leglock! This time, Maeda has enough leverage on Nielsen’s long legs and Nielsen tries his best to run out the clock but the pain is too much, and decides to tap to save his career as a kickboxer. Maeda is your winner! The crowd nearly blows the roof off the place as Maeda stands up and raises his fists into the air to celebrate his victory. Masami Soranaka raises his hand as "Captured" by Camel plays in the arena. Maeda defeats Nielsen via submission (figure-four leglock), Round 5 of 5 (2:44)

The crowd continues to celebrate Maeda's win as they chant his name in cadence to his theme music. Maeda continues to soak it in. Eventually, Maeda and Nielsen shake hands and they pay respects to each other by bowing. Billy Robinson hugs Akira Maeda and shakes hands with Nielsen as well. Maeda is handed a medium-sized ceremonial trophy by Robinson as Maeda raises it in the air for the crowd. Maeda and Nielsen exchange more words, and it feels like this won't be the last time we'll see Nielsen in UWF Newborn. Maeda gets on the microphone again, expressing his appreciation for the fans, and tells everyone to stay tuned as UWF has a lot of special announcements to make over the coming weeks for next month's event in Osaka-Jo Hall. The UWF theme plays and the crowd is sent home happy.

[Autistic Dragon]

A hungry Miyato takes the opener.

A great night for submissions.

The Koslowski brothers claim a piece of history winning the UWF's first tag team match.

Maeda has some close calls but pulls out the win in the main event. He then promises some big announcements for the fans to look forward to.

[kevinmcfl]

I enjoy all the different type of matches here like the round system.  While I have seen a few wrestling matches done this way and hated all of them, I think in your set up with the shoot style, it makes the matches seem more legit.  

[spaldoni]

After that display, Miyato's luck is changing for the better.

Funaki fights a smart match and it pays off. 

Smiley and Fleming give the fans a grappling clinic. Man, I thought Fleming had this, but that Smiley is very crafty. 

Fujiwara edges out Yamazaki. These guys are very evenly matched. Maybe a rematch in the future. 

I liked the tag team concept. Pretty fresh and interesting. That Gordeau knows how to fight dirty, but it came back to bite him. The Koslowski brothers are for real. 

WOW! Big win for Nakamura as he defeats the teacher. 

The dragon suplex by Takada sets up Vrij's defeat. Impressive move. 

Nielsen came to fight and gave Maeda a few scares. Maeda pulls it out and definitely sends the fans home happy. Gutsy performance by Nielsen.

I would say the UWF will be booking the NK Hall again. 

[Control21]

 

Quote

November 21st, 1988

Move over Ivan, Nikita, Nikolai, Boris, and the rest. The real Russians are coming. Officials from the Soviet Union Sports Committee and UWF have ratified an agreement that will send Soviet amateur wrestlers and other combat sports practitioners to Japan to participate in professional wrestling matches for UWF. In return, the Soviet Union will be paid a significant amount of money, which will be used to help pay off the trade deficit the Soviet Union has with Japan. The news hit mainstream outlets in Japan on Tuesday and several channels led off their nightly news report with the story. The exact sums of money involved are unclear, but one source indicated that some of the wrestlers will come for an equivalent of the salary of an NFL player. The deal was finalized Monday night in Japan, and Japanese government officials were aware of the negotiations but were not involved according to reports.

Tokyo Sports had more details on the deal this week. Two of the wrestlers confirmed to be involved are Salman Hashimikov and Victor Zangiev. Hashimikov is a multi-time world champion in the 100+kg freestyle division and has won the World Cup and European titles in that division as well. Hashimikov was ready to compete in the 1980 Olympics, but a last-minute leg injury took him out, and in 1984, the Soviets boycotted the Olympics. Hashimikov, a Chechen born in the Kazakh SSR, was a favorite among UWF’s scouts and his pedigree and availability made him a top choice. Zangiev was also born in the Kazakh SSR and is part Ossestian. Zangiev was another 1984 hopeful before the Soviets boycotted the Olympics. While Zangiev isn’t as decorated as Hashimikov, his athleticism and understanding of pro wrestling concepts caught the eye of Akira Maeda when he made his first trip to the Soviet Union in August.

Along with Zangiev and Hashimikov, UWF is also bringing in SAMBO practitioners as well. SAMBO is a Russian martial art created in the Soviet Union and is also a close relative of Judo. One of the names confirmed from this group is Magomedkhan Gamzatkhanov (Control’s note: Volk Han!). Try pronouncing that. Tokyo Sports mentions that this person in particular impressed Akira Maeda and is said to be the “gem” of this group. The report also mentions how Gamzatkhanov served with the Soviet paratroopers from 1981-1983 and is a specialist in “Command SAMBO.” Gamzatkhanov, who is from Dagestan, also won several Soviet SAMBO championships in the past few years. Two other SAMBO specialists will be joining, but their names have not been confirmed in any reporting so far.

Sources in Japan indicate that this deal will allow UWF to bring in other names in the future and that Akira Maeda met with several individuals who expressed interest in professional wrestling in some form or another. On this note, Gong Magazine had an interesting story this week too. That report mentioned that UWF is working on a separate deal to bring in Aleksandr Karelin. UWF officials have faced more resistance here, as Aleksandr Karelin is someone highly valued within the Soviet Union and many see him as a national hero in the making. After his dominating performance in Seoul, it’s hard to blame them. The sporting club that Karelin wrestles for, Dynamo Novosibirsk, is also resistant to any deal unless they receive a “more than significant” amount of money as compensation. We are already talking about huge sums of money involved in the current deal between UWF and the Soviet Sports Committee, so whether or not the financial backing is there for UWF to even consider making another push for Karelin is a question worth asking.

Questions about how UWF might be able to fund this might be answered soon. Another big story in Japan this week was broken by Weekly Pro Wrestling. WOWOW, an HBO-esque TV company in Japan, announced plans to take their premium TV service live next month and they are apparently locked in negotiations with UWF to begin monthly live and taped broadcasts of UWF’s events. WOWOW has already announced plans to begin doing live boxing events like HBO does in the US, and they want UWF to be a part of their “sports” oriented programming. A deal seems imminent according to Weekly Pro Wrestling, and could be announced as soon as next week. How much WOWOW would be paying UWF for TV rights fees is currently unknown. Both parties want UWF’s December 22^nd show in Osaka to be the first event aired live on WOWOW. UWF’s 10/28 event was shown on Tokyo Channel 6 last week in a consolidated format with interviews and training footage, and that drew a 12.7 rating for the evening. With the WOWOW deal in the works, that appears to be more of a one-time thing. Although the decision to go with a premium satellite service over a public channel is an interesting choice, if WOWOW is offering more money, they can’t really say no.

In another interesting development this week, sources close to Bob Backlund say that he has been approached by UWF officials to appear on the December 22^nd show as well as an opponent for Nobuhiko Takada. It appears that UWF wants a big opponent for Takada before January, during which they might be planning the first meeting between Akira Maeda and Takada in the new promotion. Backlund told UWF officials that he was interested in the opportunity. The same officials have also spoken to Don Owen of Pacific Coast Wrestling and there aren’t any issues with the proposal as of now. The allure of having Backlund and Soviets appear on the same show will be very strong for WOWOW and it will serve as a strong signal from UWF that they will build on their current momentum going into next year.

Finally, UWF’s 11/16 show in Chiba was another sellout and the presence of Akira Maeda and Don “Nakaya” Nielsen in the main event moved tickets very quickly. The show sold out two weeks in advance. The main event itself was reported to have been fantastic and almost as good as their previous match in 1986. Duane and Dennis Koslowski picked up impressive wins over the team of Gerard Gordeau and Chris Dolman in UWF’s first tag match. Gordeau played a bit of a heel character if such a thing exists in the style UWF works, and resorted to dirty and illegal moves several times. This got the crowd riled up and solidly behind the Americans. They shook hands anyway, but Dennis Koslowski did not look happy. Other results: Miyato beat Nakano, Smiley beat Fleming, Fujiwara beat Yamazaki, and Takada beat Dick Vrij. In a bit of an upset, Yorinaga Nakamura got the win over Satoru Sayama. At this point, Sayama is an established name and likely wanted to get one of his best students over to continue to build up the Shooto brand.

What did Dave Meltzer say?

June 13th, 1988 - UWF is negotiating a Bob Backlund match against Maeda for later this year, but it's dependent upon Backlund agreeing to do the job.

July 11th, 1988 - Bob Backlund was interviewed in a Japanese magazine and left his options open for returning to wrestling. New Japan and the UWF both really want him to come in.

November 21st, 1988 - "Now it's time for international news. First, move over Nikolai, Ivan & Nikita, Bore-us, David and the rest. The real Russians are coming. The Soviet Union is actually going to export wrestlers to join pro wrestling, specifically, they will exchange a bushel full of yen to the government of the Soviet Union, to help the country's ailing trade deficit with Japan, and in exchange the government is apparently going to allow some of its Olympic heroes to be used by Antonio Inoki in a last-ditch effort to convince the general public of Japan that he, and not Akira Maeda, is the one who is legitimate. Masa Saito visited first, then Inoki traveled between tours. The USSR Sports committee reached a deal with New Japan to trade wrestling talent for foreign currency. The written agreement is expected to be signed in December, and all the key heavyweights and several world champions from the Soviet Union will be taught pro wrestling."

December 12th, 1988 - "The UWF TV special on 10/26 drew a 12.7 rating. This was the second highest wrestling TV rating of the year in Japan behind Dump's retirement. It was mainly interviews with the UWF stars and training clips and brief clips of matches. There are rumors that Ch. 6 in Tokyo will start broadcasting the UWF once a month next year."

"The latest on the deal with the Soviets is that it is going to take a lot of money to close the deal. I don't even have a ballpark figure but was told it would cost 'equivalent to an NFL football player' for each wrestler, which makes me think for 10 wrestlers you are talking several million dollars. TV-Asahi no longer considers wrestling high on its priorities and has turned down funding the deal. There is even talk that Inoki will go to Baba and try and have him help out and both groups would combine for a Japan vs. Soviet Union & USA card at the Tokyo Dome (56,000 seats) in May. The contracts are expected to be signed on 12/20 in the Soviet Union."

 

 

[Autistic Dragon]

Mother Russia is sending her finest to the UWF.

The UWF seems to have found a home in WOWOW.

Someone should inform the higher ups that it's Mr Bob Backlund, heavy on the Mr.

[Control21]

Special announcement:

UWF Newborn is pleased to confirm that we have come to terms with Mr. Bob Backlund to appear at our events going forward, starting with our highly anticipated show in Osaka on December 22nd, which will take place at Osaka-Jo Hall. We expect this to be our largest crowd to date, with nearly 16,000 tickets sold as of publication. Mr. Backlund has formally accepted a challenge from Mr. Nobuhiko Takada and that match will be the main event. Mr. Backlund has also provided the following statement:

"I've been hearing a lot about this new promotion in Japan which calls itself UWF Newborn. Everyone knows that I appreciate scientific wrestling and seek to challenge myself as a wrestler. A few weeks ago, I received a call from Mr. Akira Maeda and Mr. Billy Robinson, who offered me a chance to wrestle in UWF Newborn against Mr. Nobuhiko Takada. I told both gentlemen that I would consider their offer. I have thought about it, and believe this is a great opportunity to show the world that I am the best wrestler in the world. Mr. Takada sent me a personal note, issuing a direct challenge to me. Mr. Takada is someone I am familiar with. Many years ago when I was still working for the World Wrestling Federation, I traveled to Japan and met Mr. Takada, who was a young boy at the time. I knew he had a lot of potential then, and he proved that to me when Pacific Coast Wrestling worked with New Japan Pro Wrestling in recent years. Mr. Takada, you picked the wrong time to challenge me. I hope you train harder than you have in your entire life over the next few weeks because you will need it. When I am done with you, you will be crawling back to the UWF dojo!"

Similarly, UWF Newborn is also pleased to announce we have reached an agreement with Mr. Joe Malenko, who has expressed interest in competing for UWF Newborn going forward. Mr. Joe Malenko has requested a match against Mr. Osamu Kido, which will also take place on December 22nd. 

We thank the fans for their continued support and promise more announcements over the coming weeks as we head towards our next event in Osaka. We would also like to thank Mr. Don Owen of Pacific Coast Wrestling for his hospitality and cooperation.

[kevinmcfl]

I really enjoyed the article on the Russians coming to Japan.  While Dawn of War is fantasy booking, you have given us so much factual information along the way that I feel that that I am really starting to understand what the UWF is all about as well as learning more about technical and shoot style wrestling.

Also, looking forward to seeing what Bob Backlund will do here.  Just wondering if you know the knowledge of Japanese Wrestling fans to the on-goings of wrestling in America.  I can honestly say that while I grew up in the 80's and was 17 years old in 1988 and technology the way it was back then, unless a Japanese wrestler was in the U.S. like a Mr. Saito or Kendo Nagasaki, I knew zero about what was going on in Japn.

[Control21]

19 minutes ago, kevinmcfl said:

I really enjoyed the article on the Russians coming to Japan.  While Dawn of War is fantasy booking, you have given us so much factual information along the way that I feel that that I am really starting to understand what the UWF is all about as well as learning more about technical and shoot style wrestling.

Also, looking forward to seeing what Bob Backlund will do here.  Just wondering if you know the knowledge of Japanese Wrestling fans to the on-goings of wrestling in America.  I can honestly say that while I grew up in the 80's and was 17 years old in 1988 and technology the way it was back then, unless a Japanese wrestler was in the U.S. like a Mr. Saito or Kendo Nagasaki, I knew zero about what was going on in Japn.

I can't say for certain how Japanese fans kept up with American wrestling in the 1980s, but magazines like Tokyo Sports, Gong/Baseball Magazine, Weekly Pro Wrestling, and the like probably did a lot to keep them in the loop. There was a lot of crossover with American wrestling during the 1980s and 1970s, so a lot of names like the Funks, Hansen, Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, the Malenkos, Backlund, Abdullah the Butcher, the British Bulldogs, etc were familiar. I think Japanese television channels also held highlight shows for some American wrestling companies. I forget the name right now, but there was a show that aired somewhere periodically that often covered what was going on in the territories. 

Edit - The name of the show was "World Pro Wrestling" which aired from 1984-1987 on TV Tokyo (Channel 12). More info from this tweet - 

 

[kevinmcfl]

Thanks for the info.  Very interesting stuff.

[spaldoni]

I agree with Kev. This has been very informative and has helped me get a better understanding of the UWF. 

I'm looking forward to Backlund and the Russians coming in. Maeda is really putting something special together. 

[Control21]

Quote

December 1^st, 1988

It’s been another week of major stories for UWF and perhaps the biggest story was the announcement that Aleksandr Karelin has signed an agreement to compete for UWF starting at the 12/22 show in Osaka. The announcement was made at a major press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday held by Shinji Jin and Akira Maeda, where they also made several other announcements, including the confirmation of UWF’s new TV deal with WOWOW, and Bob Backlund’s match against Nobuhiko Takada in Osaka.

Aleksandr Karelin will become the most expensive athlete in professional sports if the reports coming out of several Japanese outlets are correct. Dynamo Novosibirsk demanded a “more than significant” fee as compensation for letting Aleksandr Karelin compete in professional wrestling, and they got that. UWF will reportedly pay $8,000,000 to the Russian sporting club, which surpasses even the major transfers seen in soccer over the past few years (Diego Maradona from Barcelona to Napoli for $4,000,000, and Ruud Gullit from PSV to AC Milan for $6,000,000). This is an incredible amount of money, and Shinji Jin stated that he was taking a risk by paying so much, but that he believed Karelin had the potential to become the greatest wrestler and athlete of all time. The politics behind this move is fascinating, and it appears that the Soviet Union is willing to part with its prized homegrown athletes in exchange for financial incentives, particularly if they can be used to help balance the trade deficit with another country. Shinji Jin did not go into much detail on how exactly he was financing the deal but stated that the partnership with WOWOW and “other investors” would make it possible.

Shinji Jin announced that Aleksandr Karelin will face David Gobejishvili in Osaka, another Soviet wrestling gold medalist from the 1988 Olympics. Gobejishvili, a 6’7 Georgian who won the gold medal in the Men’s 100kg+  Freestyle division, will face his fellow countryman in a “Soviet wrestling” exhibition. Gobejishvili defeated Bruce Baumgartner (widely considered the favorite in September) for the gold medal, so it will be very interesting to see how he would match up against Karelin. Shinji Jin stated that the match will have a unique ruleset which will allow both wrestlers to demonstrate their unique skill sets and will be presided over by members of the Soviets Sports Committee. Shinji Jin said that he expects Gobejishvili to work more UWF events in the future as well.

Bob Backlund and Nobuhiko Takada both made surprise appearances at the press conference and signed their contracts for the main event on 12/22 in Osaka. Backlund and Takada had a brief staredown, and Backlund said that Takada had done very well for himself since the last time he met, but Takada will realize quickly that he made a mistake challenging him. Backlund praised UWF for their focus on “real wrestling” and that as a scientific wrestler, he will make it clear why he is the best wrestler in the world and won’t stop at Takada. Backlund mentioned Akira Maeda as a potential opponent after he beats Takada and that he would make UWF a “global name.” Backlund said he considers Akira Maeda the best of the best and has a lot of respect for him and that his decision to leave New Japan Pro Wrestling to start UWF was a wise choice. Takada responded by saying that he challenged Backlund because he knew he was still the best wrestler in North America and that he needed a platform to prove himself. Backlund chuckled and said that he didn’t need to prove anything. Takada and Backlund shook hands, which made the cover of Gong Magazine.

Details about the television deal between WOWOW and UWF were discussed, and the deal will be for five years. Shinji Jin was joined at the press conference by the WOWOW CEO, who said that UWF Newborn was reshaping how people viewed wrestling and that its legitimacy will bring a lot of eyes to the new premium broadcast service. WOWOW is making a considerable bet with UWF Newborn, and a lot will depend on UWF’s ability to maintain its momentum throughout the length of the deal. A lot could backfire if UWF fails, especially for a new television service that is charging a premium for a subscription. On the other hand, if WOWOW can gain a foothold in Japan similar to HBO in the US, the deal could be beneficial for both parties.

On another interesting note, Shinji Jin announced that the 12/22 show in Osaka will also feature a “Vale Tudo exhibition” between two Vale Tudo fighters from Brazil. Shinji Jin said that through the connections Atsushi Onita has in Brazil, he was able to sign Marco Ruas and Casemiro “Rei Zulu” Martins to a match and that there is a potential both could work further shows in the future. Marco Ruas was Onita’s Luta Livre instructor in Brazil and is a renowned Vale Tudo fighter in Brazil. According to a report in Tokyo Sports, it seems as if Marco Ruas feels Rickson Gracie and the rival Jiu-Jitsu martial art has limited his ability to promote events in Brazil, so he has turned to UWF to bring Luta Livre overseas and increase global name recognition. Onita stated in the report that since Luta Livre is a close relative of catch-as-catch-can wrestling, it made sense to invite Marco Ruas to Japan to demonstrate his style. Casemiro Martins is a bit of an unknown, but apparently, he fought Rickson Gracie several times this decade and uses a combination of Luta Livre and an indigenous fighting style. Casemiro has also been described as someone similar to a pro wrestler, with his charismatic approach in the ring. According to Tokyo Sports, Casemiro has promoted events across Brazil under the name “Rei Zulu.”

Dennis and Duane Koslowski will face Salman Hashimikov and Victor Zangiev in Osaka in a tag team match. Shinji Jin said that the match was easy to make and that it was something of a “dream” match for fans of Olympic wrestling as all four competitors could have faced each other at some point in the past few years if it wasn’t for political issues or injuries. Sources close to the Koslowski brothers say that they are very excited about the match, and believe Salman Hashimikov and Victor Zangiev are among the best amateur wrestlers in the world. Speaking of Zangiev and Hashimikov, sources close to UWF say that Akira Maeda and Yoshiaki Fujiwara have visited the Soviet Union several times since August to help the wrestlers prepare for their potential debuts in professional wrestling.

Akira Maeda confirmed at the press conference that he will face Magomedkhan Gamzatkhanov at the Osaka show, and hyped up his opponent as someone who was very impressive at the SAMBO demonstrations he attended while he was in Russia in August. He said that every Soviet athlete coming to UWF was special, but that Gamzatkhanov was very charismatic and that he thinks the fans will enjoy how he expresses himself. Maeda stated that he picked Gamzatkhanov to be his opponent because he was very dangerous and a formidable opponent. Maeda also confirmed that another Soviet SAMBO fighter, Andrei Kopylov, will have a match at the event against Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Maeda said that Kopylov was very impressive as well and was personally recommended to him by Gamzatkhanov. Maeda mentioned Kopylov’s credentials as a medalist in several Soviet SAMBO competitions, similar to Gamzatkhanov. Maeda mentioned another SAMBO fighter he recruited, saying Nikolai Zouev has signed as part of the deal with the Soviet Union and that he would make his debut in January. When a reporter asked Maeda if everyone would need to learn how to pronounce Gamzatkhanov’s name, Maeda chuckled and said that he suggested a ring name for his opponent. When asked what it was, Maeda said “Volk Han. I think that has a nice ring to it. We’ll see, he hasn’t told me his decision.”

 

[rainmakerrtv]

Karelin is a huge get, can't wait to see what he does in UWF.

[Autistic Dragon]

With a TV deal penned and a influx of new talent, things are looking bright for the UWF.

[LowBlowPodcast]

Learned this today!

[Control21]

36 minutes ago, LowBlowPodcast said:

Learned this today!

Yeah, I was surprised when I learned that as well a few years ago! One of the fascinating things about UWFi is that they had a bunch of guys you would never expect to see in a shoot-style promotion like J.T. Southern or John Tenta.

[LowBlowPodcast]

If you want tenta he can come over for a while for sure

[spaldoni]

The Russians are coming! The UWF is making a huge investment here and with all the hype, I'm really hope it pays off. If Maeda is confident, then I would be too.

The TV deal is a smart move. If you want the national exposure, you have to have TV. 

Backlund is pretty damn confident but in this environment I guess you have to be. This is going to be interesting. 

Maeda has serious momentum going with the UWF and he's snowballing it all the way. The man has a vision. 

[Control21]

UWF is excited to formally announce the full card for the upcoming show in Osaka, Japan. It will be UWF's largest card to date with 10 (!) matches, including two unique exhibitions, the highly anticipated clash between Bob Backlund and Nobuhiko Takada, and the debuts of several Soviet athletes. The show will be broadcast live on WOWOW, and a capacity crowd of over 16,000 is expected. Maeda and Takada have been meeting fans who have been camping out overnight to grab tickets, handing out food and drinks.

Card Announcement:

UWF Newborn - "Osaka Super Bout"

December 22nd, 1988

Osaka-jō Hall

Osaka, Japan

Wayne Shamrock vs Erik Paulson

Masakatsu Funaki vs Minoru Suzuki

Joe Malenko vs Osamu Kido

Andrei Kopylov vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara

Satoru Sayama vs Kazuo Yamazaki

Vale Tudo exhibition:

Marco Ruas vs Casemiro "Rei Zulu" Martins

Soviet wrestling exhibition:

Aleksandr Karelin vs David Gobejishvili

Duane Koslowski & Dennis Koslowski vs Victor Zangiev & Salman Hashimikov

Volk Han vs Akira Maeda

Bob Backlund vs Nobuhiko Takada