Autistic Dragon Posted December 10, 2023 Report Share Posted December 10, 2023 December 22nd looks to be the biggest night in UWF history! Pretty cool of Maeda and Takada to take care of their fans like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LowBlowPodcast Posted December 13, 2023 Report Share Posted December 13, 2023 The true fan is the one out there camping for tickets and then asks to get chopped by Takada. Also... kudos on Karelin... to legit baddest dude on the planet for a LONG time... if you don't know who he is... look him up... and know... he is a real life terminator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control21 Posted December 14, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2023 7 hours ago, LowBlowPodcast said: The true fan is the one out there camping for tickets and then asks to get chopped by Takada. Also... kudos on Karelin... to legit baddest dude on the planet for a LONG time... if you don't know who he is... look him up... and know... he is a real life terminator. I figured if there was ever a time to bring him in, it would be in 1988 before he became a national hero for Russia (especially during the chaotic 1990s). I went back and forth on it but my roster needed a true blue "monster foreigner" type guy....if anyone wants to learn more about Karelin, this is a pretty good video I found recently. The guy he tosses around in the beginning is none other than Craig Pittman, who would later wrestle in WCW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control21 Posted December 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2023 UWF Newborn –“Osaka Super Bout” December 22nd, 1988 Osaka-jō Hall Osaka, Japan Attendance: 16,000 (sold out) The WOWOW broadcast goes live and starts with Bob Backlund giving a taped interview on camera. Backlund says that he was attracted to UWF because of the scientific style, which he enjoys. “It’s science, it’s knowledge, it’s conditioning and it is what I want to be involved in,” Backlund says that UWF is what wrestling should be all about. Next, the UWF theme plays over clips of previous matches over the past six months, recapping all the action. Then we get Tekken-esque title cards as each match for tonight’s card is announced by the voice of Ward Sexton (of Resident Evil and RINGS fame). The WOWOW commentary crew welcomes the viewing audience to the show and they hype up the historic evening. They highlight the main event, Akira Maeda facing off against Volk Han, the debut of Victor Zangiev and Salman Hashimikov against the Koslowski brothers, and the clash between Olympic gold medalists Aleksandr Karelin and David Gobejishvili. They also discuss the Brazilian Vale Tudo exhibition between Marco Ruas and Casemiro “Rei Zulu” Martins. The crowd is treated to a nice light show before Nobuyuki Furuta, the ring announcer, stands in the ring and opens the proceedings by introducing all the competitors to the ring one by one. As usual, there are loud pops for Akira Maeda, Nobuhiko Takada, Satoru Sayama, and Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Bob Backlund gets a great reception as well. The Soviet newcomers get solid welcomes as well, and the Koslowski brothers seem to be gaining new fans with each passing month. Akira Maeda grabs the microphone and thanks all the fans in the jam-packed arena for coming to close out the year. Maeda says tonight will be a culmination of a year’s worth of hard work to re-launch the UWF revolution and expand “real wrestling” across the globe while attracting new talent to Japan. Maeda thanks the Soviet Sports Committee for allowing their great athletes to compete and says he looks forward to facing his opponent, Volk Han, tonight. Takada speaks next and says he is eager to prove himself against Bob Backlund and promises a great show for the fans. Sayama and Fujiwara are also allowed to speak. Sayama says that he will continue to work hard to become the best wrestler in UWF and that he looks forward to the new year with his Shooto trainees. Backlund speaks last and says that he has a lot of respect for Takada and looks forward to facing him tonight. Backlund says that his respect for Takada won’t get in the way of him defeating him and proving he is the better wrestler. Wayne Shamrock vs Erik Paulson The two young American upstarts meet for the first time and both are right out of the blocks. Paulson immediately begins to shoot for a double-leg takedown, but Shamrock sprawls on the canvas and locks up with Paulson. Shamrock deals with his determined opponent as the quicker Paulson moves to find good positioning while Shamrock attempts to avoid danger. The crowd is quite pleased by the opening display of grappling and counterwork by both, and Paulson finally settles for side control as he attempts to stretch out Shamrock’s arm from the other side. Shamrock struggles to break free at first but eventually makes things more difficult for Paulson and a period of stalemate gets Yuji Shimada to stand both up. Shamrock delivers a bit of a warning shot to his opponent with a stiff palm strike, which is heard by the crowd, and their vocal approval follows afterward. Paulson realizes trading shots with Shamrock isn’t the best idea at the moment, and attempts to lock up with Shamrock for a clinch. Paulson tries to get some Muay Thai knee strikes going, but Shamrock does well to block and hooks Paulson’s leg, taking him back down to the canvas. More grappling takes place on the mat, and this time Shamrock appears to get the better of Paulson as he successfully slows down his opponent’s emphasis on quicker transitions, keeping him in place as Shamrock looks for his openings. Paulson turtles up as Shamrock attempts to go for a rear-naked choke, and rolls over to the nearby ropes for a rope break. Shamrock builds some momentum from this and continues to apply pressure on Paulson as they engage in another striking exchange. Paulson tries to hold his own against the stronger Shamrock, but is sent back to the canvas by his opponent with a German suplex! Paulson manages to put up a fight here and sends Shamrock to the ropes with a kimura lock attempt, but Shamrock soon re-establishes his lead at 1-0 with a heel hook near the ropes, and Paulson grabs them again to break the hold. Paulson attempts to cut down Shamrock with a series of sharp kicks, but Shamrock manages to catch one of them for a single-leg takedown and eventually finds his way to a mounted guillotine choke. Paulson struggles to break free and chooses to tap after a respectable battle with his opponent. The crowd gives both men a firm round of applause for the engaging opening contest. Shamrock defeats Paulson via submission (mounted guillotine choke), 10:33 Masakatsu Funaki vs Minoru Suzuki Sensing the need to follow up from the last match, Funaki and Suzuki bring a ton of energy from the opening bell. They manage to get the crowd going again with another great display of grappling on the canvas, with both using great counterwork to block each other’s attempts at finding an opening. After Shimada stands both up after they end up near the ropes, Suzuki decides to mix things up as they engage in a striking contest. Suzuki delivers a series of palm strikes and surprises Funaki with a sudden drop kick. Funaki bounces off the ropes as he stumbles and Suzuki catches him for an early overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Suzuki continues the early momentum as he gets the advantage while grappling with Funaki on the canvas, sending his opponent to the ropes twice and getting a 1-0 lead on points after Funaki escapes a kneebar attempt. Funaki brushes himself off and readjusts his strategy, aiming to slow down Suzuki a bit with some clever strikes. Suzuki is caught by a spinning backhand and stumbles to the ground as Shimada begins the first 10 count of the match. Suzuki gets himself up early but is immediately greeted again by another barrage of strikes from Funaki. It doesn’t take long for Funaki to score another knockdown, and Suzuki finds himself in a world of hurt as Yuji Shimada begins another ten count. Suzuki beats the count again, but Funaki has regained control of the match and begins to slow down Suzuki’s quick transitions on the canvas. Suzuki does his best to fight back and manages to land a rolling kick on Funaki, but Funaki refuses to give way and wins another grappling exchange with Suzuki. This time, Funaki manages to lock in a Gotch toe-hold and Suzuki is tangled up as Funaki has his legs caught in a knot while applying the hold. Suzuki is urged on by the crowd to struggle for the ropes but he can’t reach them before his body tells him to tap. Suzuki shakes Funaki’s hand afterward but is visibly frustrated as Funaki has been able to defeat him once again. While these two are similar in age, Funaki’s experience in the ring at this stage might just give him the edge. Funaki defeats Suzuki via submission (Gotch toe-hold), 10:21 Joe Malenko vs Osamu Kido Joe Malenko, a talented grappler with close ties to Karl Gotch, is welcomed to UWF by a solid reception from the crowd, and Osamu Kido is greeted by a similar welcome as two Gotch-trained disciples square off in the first meeting between the two technicians since the original UWF in 1984-1985. Malenko was even billed as “Karl Gotch Jr” in the UWA in Mexico. Now he seeks to prove himself against an opponent he highly respects. Kido and Gotch engage in an early grappling contest that isn’t as quick as the Funaki-Suzuki scrambles in the match before, but there is an emphasis on finesse that the UWF crowd appreciates and they watch intently as Kido and Malenko feel each other out in the first few minutes. Malenko catches Kido with a wrist-lock takedown and quickly gets on top of his opponent as he works for a cross-armbreaker. Kido holds his own and prevents Malenko from locking in his arm before rolling into a defensive posture as Malenko finds himself on his back. They choose to continue the match on the canvas, and Malenko appears to be more dangerous at this stage but Kido slowly settles into the match and begins to utilize a defensive strategy as Malenko is more eager to apply offensive pressure. They trade rope breaks throughout the next few minutes, and both manage to score a point each as the match evolves into a more back-and-forth affair. Malenko begins to look for Kido’s legs a bit more often and attempts a heel hook near the ropes as he reverses a double wrist-lock attempt from his opponent. Kido rolls near the ropes though, and Yuji Shimada stands the two back up for the first time after several minutes. Kido and Malenko spend very little time trying to engage in a striking contest, and Kido immediately clinches with Malenko to get him back to the canvas with a leg sweep. Malenko continues to give Kido some trouble with some clever reversals on the canvas, as his counterwork is calculated and aims to capitalize on Kido’s defensive approach. Malenko gets a Judo-esque sweeping takedown on Kido and attempts a north-south shoulder lock, which forces Kido to go for the ropes again. After the rope break, Malenko locks up Kido for a variant of the capture suplex or a single-leg hook suplex. He quickly gets Kido to go for the ropes again with a heel hook attempt. With a 2-1 lead, Malenko becomes a bit bolder with his strategy and begins to focus on trying to get Kido in position for more throwing techniques. Kido senses an opening and reverses an attempt from Malenko, sweeping his leg down for a takedown which he then reverses into a kneebar. Malenko does well to prevent Kido from applying too much pressure and finds a way out. Sensing a need to get more creative with his opponent, Kido grapples with Malenko and finds the positioning needed for his patented Kido clutch. Instead of pinning his opponent though, Kido captures one of Malenko’s legs with his own and applies enough pressure as he turns the reverse side roll cradle into a type of leg-lock crank. The pretzel-like submission is enough to get Malenko to tell Shimada he’s had enough. The bell sounds and Kido gets up to celebrate his victory as the crowd chants Kido’s name for his first victory in the new UWF. Kido defeats Malenko via submission (reverse side roll leg-crank), 13:43 Andrei Kopylov vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara UWF’s fans in Osaka-jō Hall get their first glimpse of the influx of Soviet talent as Andrei Kopylov makes his way to the ring wearing black knee-length tights. Nobuyuki Furuta announces him in the ring as a “Soviet heavyweight SAMBO champion” and the crowd gives a firm round of applause for the mysterious newcomer. Fujiwara, of course, comes out to a much louder reception as he looks to defeat a potentially dangerous opponent to close the year and cement his place in UWF as a top guy with Sayama, Maeda, and Takada. The bell sounds and the fans immediately get a taste of Kopylov’s unique style as he immediately begins to look for unique leg lock entries, forcing Fujiwara to utilize his expert defense to keep the Russian at bay. Fujiwara manages to ground the bold Kopylov and tentatively engages in a brief grappling exchange with his opponent, but Kopylov nearly snatches Fujiwara into a triangle choke and Fujiwara quickly chooses to back off as Kopylov stands up with the crowd murmuring at Kopylov’s display so far. Kopylov demonstrates his striking ability with several hard kicks and well-timed open-hand strikes, but Fujiwara fires back and gives Kopylov a stiff slap across the face as a welcome to the UWF. The crowd swells as Fujiwara gives a slight smirk on his face. Fujiwara doesn’t seem too worried about grappling with Kopylov again, and the two find themselves on the canvas with both looking for leg lock attempts. Fujiwara shows off his defense as Kopylov struggles to get any leverage despite being able to draw in one of Fujiwara’s legs. Fujiwara rolls over and appears to get the better of Kopylov as he grasps one of the Russian’s legs for a kneebar attempt. Kopylov is quick to scramble for the ropes behind him and gets an early rope break as Fujiwara signals to the cheering crowd celebrating Fujiwara’s early point on the SAMBO champion. Kopylov has more tricks up his sleeve though, and throws a few open hand strikes as a decoy for a clever leg lock entry, which forces Fujiwara backward onto the canvas. Kopylov quickly gets a double-cross heel hook, and Fujiwara does his best to decrease the leverage Kopylov has on the hold, but the Soviet manages to send Fujiwara to the ropes for his first point. Kopylov’s unique approach to submissions has given Fujiwara more than he could ask for, but the experienced veteran continues to use his defensive smarts to reverse some of Kopylov’s slicker grappling moves for his own. Kopylov and Fujiwara have a bit of a leglock battle as they try to look for opportunities to hook their opponent’s joints. They trade some more rope breaks to tie the match at 1-1 heading into the 10:00 mark. With both standing back up, Kopylov fires off some more palm strikes but Fujiwara blocks them and clinches with Kopylov as he attempts a double-underhook suplex on the Russian. Kopylov manages to escape and finds his way to Fujiwara’s back, lifting the firm crowd favorite for a backdrop driver variant as Kopylov drives Fujiwara’s head into the canvas. The move impresses the crowd and one might have assumed Fujiwara would need to shake off some cobwebs after that, but the veteran gets up and sticks his tongue out to Kopylov, who answers with a combo of palm strikes. Fujiwara catches Kopylov’s arm and locks up his wrist. The Russian doesn’t have much time to react as Fujiwara drags him in for several headbutts, which drops Kopylov to the canvas. Shimada begins a 10 count and Kopylov is a bit slow to get back up. Kopylov tries to pull himself up by the nearest ropes, but he is too late and Shimada finishes the count. Fujiwara celebrates his victory after Shimada signals for the bell. Kopylov has earned Fujiwara’s respect though, and the two shake hands before Fujiwara raises Kopylov’s arm for the crowd. Both get a firm round of applause and chants for Fujiwara’s name ring out from the Osaka crowd. Fujiwara defeats Kopylov via KO, 14:11 Satoru Sayama vs Kazuo Yamazaki Sayama seeks to recover after his shock loss to Yorinaga Nakamura last month. Sayama faces another student of his, this time it’ll be Kazuo Yamazaki and he presents another formidable challenge for the Shooto founder. Yamazaki immediately dishes it out to his former teacher, showing off well-timed kicks as Sayama immediately has to play defense to prevent Yamazaki from doing too much damage. The crowd is treated to a great striking battle as Sayama and Yamazaki lay it on each other. It doesn’t appear anyone has the advantage until Sayama knocks down Yamazaki with a combination of jumping roundhouse kicks. The crowd continues to be very lively as Yamazaki beats the 10 count, and answers back with fierce palm strikes before clincing with Sayama to deliver several knee strikes. Sayama prevents himself from falling to the canvas and gets Yamazaki in a standing guillotine to get him to the mat and slow him down. They don’t spend much time here as Yamazaki chooses to continue a striking contest, and Sayama follows suit as they trade knockdowns until the match is tied at 4-4, closing into the 13:00 mark. The crowd seems to be behind Sayama, but Yamazaki’s underdog approach to this match is winning a few of them over, and appears to be emboldened as he takes Sayama into a clinch again, and delivers a few sharp knee strikes into Sayama’s skull. Sayama is a bit shell-shocked and struggles to hold on as he fires a few timid palm strikes back at Yamazaki. Yamazaki grabs Sayama’s leg as he attempts to get a Tiger Spin going, and Yamazaki smacks him with a sharp palm strike right between the eyes. Sayama collapses to the canvas and the crowd is shocked once again as another former student of Sayama has defeated their old teacher. Yamazaki celebrates his win as a few of his fans let their excitement become known. Sayama is treated by Ryogaku Wada and shakes Yamazaki’s hand after he finds his footing again. While Sayama could be pleased with his return to UWF so far, closing out the year with back-to-back losses is perhaps not what he envisioned. Yamazaki couldn’t be more pleased with himself and soaks in the moment a bit more. Yamazaki defeats Sayama via TKO, 15:07 Similar to the Onita vs Aoyagi match from October, the following “Vale Tudo” exhibition will be contested under Vale Tudo rules, which means closed fists to all parts of the body will be allowed, and the traditional UWF scoring system will not apply during the match. The only way either competitor can win is by knockout or submission. There will be a 15-minute time limit. Nobuyuki Furuta explains the rules to the crowd before introducing the competitors. Vale Tudo exhibition: Marco Ruas vs Casemiro “Rei Zulu” Martins With things underway, Marco Ruas and Casemiro Martins come out to a somewhat curious reception from the crowd. Casemiro, standing at 6’3 is a bit taller than his opponent and his muscular frame stands in contrast to the leaner Ruas, who is in excellent shape and clearly has a focus on extreme conditioning. Ruas and Martins square off after the bell sounds, and they choose to open the contest with a grappling exchange. Ruas quickly tries to hook Casemiro’s legs with his own and goes for a takedown, getting his opponent to the canvas with an excellent display of technique. Casemiro quickly goes into guard as Ruas attempts to hook one of his opponent’s legs, but deals with kicking motions instead. Ruas tries to change his approach, but Casemiro uses his strength and slows down Ruas by grabbing him with his arms. Casemiro seems to be bear-hugging his opponent on the canvas, and Ruas slowly tries to work his way out by using closed fists on Casemiro’s kidney sections. The punches don’t seem to deter Casemiro at first, but Ruas eventually fights his way out of the vice-like grip and gets back onto his feet. Casemiro stands back up with him and immediately begins to throw punches, getting the crowd into the match more as Ruas skillfully dodges. Ruas fires back with sharp low kicks, attempting to weaken his larger foe by aiming for his thighs and shins. Casemiro does a little dance for the crowd, demonstrating that Ruas’ strikes aren’t affecting him much. The fans enjoy the little showmanship from Casemiro, who hits Ruas with a thrust kick afterward. Casemiro closes the distance on Ruas, who tries to throw a few punches to keep the distance, but “Rei Zulu” manages to clinch with Ruas and locks in another bear-hug before managing to send Ruas backward with an excellent belly-to-belly suplex! Ruas is sent back to the canvas, this time on his back. Casemiro tries to use his larger frame to keep Ruas pinned, but Ruas uses his legs to break up Casemiro’s positioning and attempts to get a triangle choke going, but can’t hook his legs in time as Casemiro re-adjusts himself and manages to force Ruas into a guard. There’s more of a focus on grappling again as Ruas shows off some great Lutra Livre techniques to get Casemiro moving. Marco Ruas is clever in his approach as he threatens to hook Casemiro’s legs several times over the next few minutes, but Casemiro’s strength allows him to escape each time. Perhaps smartly, Casemiro uses the ropes to his advantage and there is nothing illegal about this. Both fighters stand back up, and trade punches. Both manage to land a few of them, and Ruas hits a sharp one on Casemiro, and “Rei Zulu” stumbles backward as Ruas throws more kicks. Casemiro comes right back at Ruas and clinches with him again as Ruas attempts to break the hold. Ruas is sent through the air again, this time with a unique suplex variation from Casemiro and Ruas’ head appears to hit the canvas first. Somehow, this doesn’t knock Casemiro’s opponent out cold as he gets back up with Motoyuki Kitazawa signaling if Ruas is okay to continue. Ruas smiles and gives the thumbs up, as he immediately goes back into Casemiro’s reach and attempts a double-leg takedown. Casemiro is caught off balance and falls to the canvas as Ruas looks for another leg submission. Casemiro is saved the bell, however, and both competitors are applauded by the crowd who appreciated a very rare glimpse into the world of the Brazilian Vale Tudo by two competitors native to the country. Casemiro does another dance for the appreciative crowd as he raises his hands into the air, and Ruas gets a warm reception as well after he raises his own. After some discussion amongst the judges, the match is declared a draw. The WOWOW commentators talk about how unique both fighters are and how it is a historic first for a Japanese organization to host a contest like this. Both Casemiro and Marco Ruas are given commemorative plaques by Billy Robinson and pose for pictures before leaving the ring. 15:00 draw Nobuyuki Furuta breaks down the rules of the “Soviet wrestling exhibition,” explaining that this will be contested under special rules presided over by executives of the Soviet Sports Committee. All striking techniques will be prohibited. All grappling and throwing techniques deemed legal under Freestyle and Greco-Roman rules are allowed, and suplex maneuvers are also legal. The time limit will be a single 10-minute round, and points will be awarded based on a combination of factors both in Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, including pins and clean throws. A maximum of five points can be awarded over a single technique. A clean pin under Greco-Roman or Freestyle rules will also be awarded with five points. After the rules are explained, ceremonial music is played as Soviet officials dressed in uniform are greeted to the ring by Billy Robinson, who is dressed in his red jacket. Robinson awards one of the representatives a ceremonial plaque as Nobuyuki Furuta explains that UWF Newborn is presenting the Soviet Sports Committee a special commemorative gift to celebrate the unifying power of sport and the new partnership between athletes of the Soviet Union and UWF Newborn. The Soviet officials are then seated at ringside. Soviet wrestling exhibition: Aleksandr Karelin vs David Gobejishvili Both wrestlers are introduced and the crowd has notable excitement for both. With the broadcast camera following from backstage, Aleksandr Karelin, dressed in his Soviet tracksuit, comes out to “For Whom the Bell Tolls” by Metallica as the 6’3 mountain of a man makes his way into a very excited Osaka-jō Hall, and several fans who are seated at ringside reach out to touch the Olympic gold medalist as he is quickly rushed to ringside by his cornermen and arena security. David Gobejishvili comes out next to a similar reception. Motoyuki Kitazawa has the honor of refereeing this match and checks both men to see if they are ready before the bell rings. With both giving the signal, Kitazawa calls for the bell and the crowd swells as both Soviet wrestling gold medalists face off in a historic first. It becomes apparent that even the 6’7 Gobejishvili (in a blue singlet) is rivaled by the pure muscular frame of Karelin (in a red singlet). Karelin grapples with his Georgian opponent, using his favored Greco-Roman approach. Karelin measures up David, and they trade feints and cursory grappling attempts before Karelin locks up David with an upper-body Greco-Roman hold. Karelin appears to have David in a bind, as even the 6’7 Georgian has trouble breaking Karelin’s grip. David is finally able to wrestle out of Karelin’s grasp and shoots for Karelin’s legs, sensing that is where his opponent is the weakest due to stylistic differences. Karelin impresses the crowd with great sprawling ability and easily avoids David’s early takedown attempt as Karelin reasserts his strength on his opponent and applies another Greco-Roman hold to keep him standing. Karelin attempts to muscle David to the mat on his stomach, but the Georgian resists and grabs one of Karelin’s legs. Despite Karelin’s strength so far, David gets his opponent off balance and scores a single-leg takedown as Karelin lands on his stomach. David scores a single point from this move and the match is now 1-0 in favor of the Georgian. Kitazawa resets the match as the two Soviet gold medalists face off in the center of the ring again. David tries to keep a lower profile this time and keeps low to try and beat Karelin’s preferred upper-body approach while shooting for his legs, where he isn’t used to defending. Karelin does well to pull back just in time to avoid another takedown and gets David on his knees as muscles his opponent down and takes control of his back. With David’s back exposed, Karelin grabs his waist and rolls him over on the canvas. Karelin gets a point for this maneuver and the match is now tied at 1-1. With another reset, the two are positioned back in the center of the ring and resume the contest. David immediately shoots for Karelin’s legs again and wraps both legs with his arms, Karelin does well to remain standing, using his lower-body strength to keep his footing while grappling David from the waist. The Georgian finally trips up Karelin as he uses his strength to lift his opponent, and Karelin is seated on the canvas while David ties up both of his legs. David attempts to retain control of these limbs while trying to force Karelin on his back, but Karelin, of course, is too strong and both have somewhat of a free-flowing grappling exchange on the canvas with both showing off their refined wrestling abilities. They both end up getting a point each as they exchange positioning on their stomachs. After the exchange, there is a reset and it is now 2-2 apiece. With 5 minutes now gone, David looks to pick up the pace a bit and Karelin does well to keep him at bay as they try to trade for dominant positioning on their feet. Karelin’s strong grip makes David think once or twice as he tries to get his hands on him. David shoots for the legs again, but Karelin has a good feint and avoids another takedown attempt from the Georgian. They grapple some more, and as fatigue begins to set in, neither can get anything going. Karelin finally works his way for another upper-body Greco-Roman hold, but David fights fire with fire and applies a similar hold on Karelin as they grip each other like fighting bears. Showing off his experience, David somehow gets enough leverage on Karelin and twists his opponent around off his feet, and Karelin lands on his stomach again as David appears to get a clean three-point throw/takedown on Karelin and is awarded three points to take the match to 5-2 in the Georgian’s favor. The crowd applauds as Karelin gets back on his feet and rolls his elbows, perhaps trying to relax himself as the Freestyle gold medalist looks to be in the driver’s seat. Both wrestlers take their time, and neither commits too much as they tentatively grapple again in the center of the ring. David especially relies on more of a defensive stance to protect his lead, and Karelin tries to figure out a way to attack his opponent and get the points needed to get back into the match. Karelin focuses on David’s upper body again and begins to muscle through David’s defense, working his way to David’s waist as he attempts to get some leverage on his taller opponent. Despite attempting to keep a smaller profile again, Karelin manages to find David’s back and begins to apply pressure through his grip as he wraps both arms around David. David puts up a decent struggle as he attempts to break his opponent’s grip with his hands, but Karelin finally spins him around and gets him on the canvas. David does well to stay on a knee as he avoids being exposed completely on the canvas. Karelin, sensing the time ticking down, puts all of his remaining strength into the next move as he retains control of David’s back through the waist. In an impressive display of pure strength, Karelin lifts David in a gutwrench and throws all 240+ pounds of the Georgian backward. Perhaps out of fatigue, Karelin doesn’t get the “grand amplitude” needed to score all five points as dictated by Greco-Roman scoring rules, but it is enough to get him the three points to tie the match. Time expires after Karelin finishes off the maneuver and both wrestlers are applauded by the crowd for the fine display of both styles of Olympic wrestling. They return to their respective corners and await the official result. The final score of 5-5 is confirmed by the Soviet judges, although perhaps some in the crowd felt Karelin should have gotten a higher score as some chants for his name break out. The WOWOW commentators seem convinced he should have won as well, but both David Gobejishvili and Aleksandr Karelin embrace each other and shake hands as the ring announcer declares the match a draw. Afterward, both Karelin and Gobejishvili are awarded ceremonial plaques by Billy Robinson, and all three pose for a few pictures in the center of the ring along with representatives of the Soviet Sports Committee. 10:00 draw (score: 5-5) Dennis Koslowski/Duane Koslowski vs Salman Hashimikov/Victor Zangiev Hashimikov and Zangiev, the burly Soviet wrestlers dressed in blue singlets, make their way into Osaka-jō Hall. They make their way to the ring as fans look on with curiosity. The Koslowski brothers, perhaps being a better-known commodity, come out to a louder reception as the Americans are dressed in red singlets. There is an audible interest in this match from the audience as the wrestlers are introduced by Furuta in the ring. The WOWOW commentators build up the decorated amateur history of Hashimikov and how both Zangiev and Hashimikov were unfortunate to miss the Olympics in 1980 and 1984. They also discuss how all four could have met if it wasn’t for circumstances outside of their control. After both teams choose their first competitor, the bell rings and the highly anticipated tag match is underway with Duane Koslowski and Salman Hashimikov squaring off. Both of them grapple with each other, testing each other’s strength with upper-body holds. Hashimikov immediately makes the danger he poses in the ring clear by lifting Duane Koslowski for a well-executed belly-to-belly suplex. Hashimikov immediately looks for a key-lock as Duane figures out how to defend himself from the barrel-chested Chechen. Duane struggles as Hashimikov begins to lock in the hold and apply more pressure. Duane is finally able to slip to hide side and break the hold, but this doesn’t allow him to escape Hashimikov’s grasp who immediately drags up Duane by his side for a side suplex variant. The crowd gets amped up by Hashimikov’s display of strength and Duane has to defend from his back again as Hashimikov re-establishes side-control. Hashimikov once again goes for a simple but effective key-lock hold, and this time Duane goes for the ropes with his leg to break the hold, giving him a chance to get back on his feet for a clean break. Duane and Hashimikov lock up again, and Duane this time manages to hold his ground as he shoots for a double-leg takedown after a brief struggle in the center of the ring. Hashimikov is thrown off balance by Duane’s speed and technique and tries to deter Duane as the American looks for a leg hook. Duane tries to get a kneebar attempt dialed in, but Hashimikov’s large legs present enough of a problem to slow Duane down, and the two end up scrambling on the canvas as they test each other’s grappling abilities before standing back up. Duane tags in his brother, and Hashimikov tags in Zangiev. Zangiev, just like his partner, is chomping at the bit and immediately engages with Dennis Koslowski. Zangiev shows off great technique as he easily fights through Dennis’ grip and finds his back. Dennis quickly shows off fine skills as well and gets Zangiev with a spinning rear-leg takedown. Zangiev turtles up as Dennis attempts to take his back on his canvas, and the two scramble before Zangiev escapes and gets back on his feet. The crowd signals their approval of the great display of wrestling so far. Dennis and Zangiev lock up again, and this time Zangiev gets his American opponent with a drop arm-throw takedown. Zangiev attempts to get a quick kimura lock as Dennis is on his side, but the American quickly reaches for the ropes to cause a break. Neither wastes too much time as they resume grappling, and Dennis spins through Zangiev’s grip again for another rear-leg takedown. The American Greco-Roman specialist quickly takes Zangiev’s back for a rear-naked choke attempt, but the Soviet Freestylist fights through it and works his way back to his feet. There’s another grappling scramble on the canvas before Zangiev can hit Dennis with a low-angle Fireman’s carry that he quickly turns into an inverted Fujiwara armbar. Dennis goes for the ropes to break the submission attempt and chooses to tag in Duane after getting back up. Duane and Zangiev have a bit of a back-and-forth, with both showcasing their technical ability and mastery of various suplex variations. Zangiev hits a beautiful overhead suplex on Duane, and this causes the American to take his time to get back up, as the referee begins the first ten count of the match. Knowing that both he and his brother are now down one point each, Duane takes it to Zangiev and clinches with him to set up a powerful German suplex. Duane quickly moves to snag a kneebar on the Russian, and Zangiev reaches for his second rope break so far in the match and the Americans finally get on the board. Zangiev chooses to tag back in Hashimikov and the Chechen immediately locks up with Duane. The pace of the match picks up even more as Hashimikov and Duane Koslowski push each other to their respective limits. Hashimikov begins to slow down Duane as he uses his strength to hit a belly-to-back suplex on Duane and pins him to the mat as he attempts to lock in a rear-naked choke. Duane has no choice but to go for the ropes again for another break and decides to tag Dennis back in to catch a breather. Dennis, perhaps realizing Hashimikov is a little stronger than he is, chooses to go for finesse instead of power as he attempts to keep Hashimikov on the ground and attempts various submissions as Hashimikov relies on counterwork to avoid being eliminated. Dennis gets the better of Hashimikov here and sends the Chechen to the ropes for the first time after attempting an Achilles hold. Hashimikov goes for the tag, and Zangiev faces off with Dennis Koslowski once again. Both end up on the canvas as they grapple with each other, and Dennis gets a simple leg scissors on Zangiev’s neck, perhaps inadvertently. Zangiev uses a flashy and creative way of escaping this, as he twists his body around and shows off his athleticism for the crowd. All four competitors continue a very good technical contest as very little striking shows up here, choosing to go for grappling, suplexes, and other throwing techniques instead. Duane gets one back on Zangiev after hitting a gutwrench suplex on the Russian, and Zangiev faces a ten count after appearing a bit dazed on the canvas. Both teams are now down to their last point respectively, with all four facing elimination. The crowd begins to chant for Duane as he manages to clinch with a Zangiev and throws him with another sweet Judo takedown before going for a cross-armbreaker. Zangiev is desperate to escape and goes for the ropes, without realizing he is down to his last break attempt as well. Zangiev exhausts his final rope break, and his last point, and is now eliminated from the match. Hashimikov will now have to face both Koslowski brothers on his own! For the Chechen however, this isn’t a problem as he impresses the crowd with his strength and powerful suplexes on both Dennis and Duane Koslowski. Dennis falls victim first, as Salman Hashimikov lifts him on his back for a Water Wheel drop! Dennis hits the canvas hard and doesn’t respond to the referee as Motoyuki Kitazawa tries to get a signal from him. A knockdown is declared and Dennis is now eliminated after his last point is deducted. Duane and Hashimikov now face each other to determine the winning team. There’s another back-and-forth exchange and neither wrestler refuses to give up, with Hashimikov and Duane both looking quite strong as they trade belly-to-belly suplexes. The 30-minute time limit begins to approach, forcing more urgency between the two wrestlers. There’s another scramble on the canvas as Duane tries to end the match with his submission techniques, but Hashimikov somehow gets him on his shoulder and stands up, hoisting the American on his back for another Water Wheel drop to a very impressed crowd. Duane lands on his back and Hashimikov gets a cross-armbreaker locked in near the center of the ring, giving Duane no choice but to tap! Hashimikov and Zangiev are the winners and the two Russians celebrate as Nobuyuki Furuta makes the result official. The Koslowskis and Zangiev/Hashimikov have a brief staredown, but they eventually shake hands and choose sportsmanship over any political rivalries that may exist. The crowd applauds both teams. The WOWOW commentary team discusses the strengths of both teams while highlighting how impressive Zangiev and Hashimikov looked tonight with both teams pushing each other to the time limit. Victor Zangiev and Salman Hashimikov defeat Duane and Dennis Koslowski (cross-armbreaker), 28:31 Volk Han vs Akira Maeda Volk Han makes his way to the ring to a concert version of Jean-Michel Jarre’s “Second Rendez-vous” as the Dagestani “Command SAMBO” specialist is dressed in light blue full-length tights with kickpads. Akira Maeda comes out next to the usual sound of Camel’s ‘Captured” and the Osaka crowd welcomes their hometown hero with a full-throated chant of his name to the song’s cadence. Nobuyuki Furuta introduces both competitors in the ring, announcing Volk Han as a “Command SAMBO master” from the Soviet Union. The curious crowd gives a light but warm welcome to the newcomer. There’s another thunderous ovation for Akira Maeda as he is introduced in the ring, and we are underway as the bell sounds to start the bout. The lanky 6’3 Dagestani opens the proceedings with quick, cat-like reflexes as he delivers several quick palm strikes. Maeda appears to be caught off guard a bit but doesn’t seem to be affected either. Maeda tests Han with several sharp low kicks while Han continues to feel his opponent out with palm strikes. Volk Han mixes in some occasional kicks to throw Maeda off, but largely focuses on the early test of keeping Maeda within reach. They clinch up near the ropes, and the referee breaks them up as Volk Han is pushed into them. Afterward, the Dagestani grappler applies more pressure on Maeda as he throws more strikes. Maeda has one of his wrists grabbed by Han, who establishes wrist control for a flashy flying armbar that pops the crowd with the brilliant display of technique. Maeda is caught off guard by the move as Han tries to lock in a cross-armbreaker after the takedown, and the Osaka hero uses an early rope break to get the Command SAMBO specialist off his tail. After the two stand back up, Han catches Maeda with an open-hand strike as the two continue to test each other’s reach. Maeda mixes in more kicking combos as he throws in the occasional mid-kick and high kick, which puts Volk Han on his backfoot. As Volk Han looks for an angle to attack, Maeda leaves one of his wrists open again, allowing Han to gain wrist control again, and this time he uses it for a low-angle kani-basami (leg takedown) entry. Maeda quickly tries to adjust his legs as Han attempts to snatch a leg hook, and the two struggle with each other to gain the dominant positioning before rolling near one of the ropes, forcing a clean break from the Motoyuki Kitazawa, the referee for this match. The crowd seems impressed by Volk Han so far, who has been utilizing an interesting strategy against the fan favorite. Maeda, despite being caught by his wrist twice, doesn’t seem to be too afraid to grapple with Han as the two clinch in the middle of the ring. Han tries to create separation by using a few strikes, but Maeda locks in his opponent for a snap sideways suplex and moves diligently for a cross-armbreaker attempt. Volk Han rolls through this and moves to gain control of Maeda’s legs again as he looks for a slick kneebar. Maeda tries to roll over, but Volk Han gets the submission attempt locked, and Maeda has to go for the ropes again, giving Volk Han a 1-0 lead on points. The Osaka crowd seems to be anxious as the Soviet SAMBO champion seems to have Maeda where he wants him. Maeda picks up the pace and throws some sharp kicks at Han, but Maeda’s opponent catches one of these kicks and sweeps Maeda off his other foot. They end up on the canvas again and grapple to gain superiority for a leg-lock attempt. Han manages to get in a cross-heel hold near the ropes, and it is close enough to cause the referee to call for a clean break. Volk Han fights through a brief palm strike combo from Maeda, and gains control of Maeda’s wrist again, forcing him in a downward motion while kicking his leg as a distraction. With Maeda in a guillotine hold, Volk Han goes for a snap suplex that almost looks like a snap DDT. Maeda’s head is driven into the canvas to the gasps of the crowd, and Han attempts to establish side control on Maeda, forcing his opponent to go for the ropes. Maeda seems to be a bit dazzled by his creative foe and is forced back by a thrust kick from Han. Han grapples with his opponent again and attempts to set up another suplex attempt, but Maeda finally gets the better of his opponent here and lands a very nice belly-to-belly suplex. Maeda wrestles for side control on Han before opting to go for his opponent’s legs, while the Dagestani struggles to break free from Maeda’s grasp as he looks for a submission hook. The two are entangled as they look for different leg hooks. Maeda Is forced to grab the ropes again as Han starts building a solid position himself scoring-wise. As Kitazawa stands both of them on their feet again, the Osaka crowd urges Maeda on by chanting his name. Volk Han pressures Maeda again and gets into close contact as he feints and manages to find another creative leg entry for a rolling kneebar attempt. Maeda finds himself in a bad place in the middle of the ring as he has to scramble for dear life for another rope break by hooking his free leg on the nearest rope. Maeda seems to be in a danger zone here. As the two competitors resume the match, Maeda attempts to gain some control of the match and goes after Han with a sharp series of mid-kicks. Han fires back with some kicks of his own, but Maeda obviously has better technique here. Maeda manages to click with Han and gets him to the canvas with a leg sweep. Maeda attempts to get a shoulder lock on Volk Han as the Dagestani struggles to break loose from Maeda’s grip. Maeda isn’t able to quite get all of it and the two do some more grappling on the canvas as Maeda tries to slow down his opponent from the Soviet Union. Maeda eventually finds Han’s back and he tries to get a Katahajime locked in, but Han manages to roll over and the two are near the ropes, prompting another clean break. Maeda goes on the attack again and looks for a roundhouse kick which Han ducks. Maeda gets a little too comfortable and gets caught by a surprise axe kick from Han. Maeda’s head is knocked by the downward motion of Han’s foot and stumbles to the canvas the referee begins the first 10 count of the match. The crowd urges Maeda to stand up quickly, and he does as Volk Han takes a 2-0 lead in the match on points. The match continues with Volk Han continuing to put pressure on Maeda and causing him trouble any chance he gets while Maeda lands a few more strikes, and manages to cause the Dagestani to stumble with a well-timed high kick. Volk Han keeps his footing though, and avoids a knockdown. They find themselves on the canvas again, where Han defends himself as Maeda attempts to get a collar choke. Han finds himself near the ropes and opts to use a rope break to relieve the pressure. Maeda lands several kicks targeting Han’s legs, with the crowd urging Maeda on. Maeda attempts a high kick, but Han catches it and pushes Maeda back onto the canvas floor. Han gets a full mount and appears to favor a cross-armbreaker before he opts to get back on his feet. Maeda and Han grapple a bit again and go back to the canvas where Maeda gains control of Han’s back. Han defends himself well as Maeda tries to go for a rear-naked choke, forcing him to back off. Han gets back on his feet, and Maeda comes charging at him with a rolling high kick, but Han steps back as Maeda goes flying through the air. Han, getting a bit cocky, signals Maeda to get back up. They trade some more strikes, and Han attempts a jumping axe kick but misses as Maeda returns the favor by stepping out of harm’s way. Han hits Maeda pretty hard with an open-hand strike, getting the crowd to pop at the audible connection. The Dagestani appears to be a bit gassed almost 20 minutes into the match, and Maeda manages to time a jumping roundhouse quite well to knock Han off his feet. The referee calls for a 10 count as the crowd chants along, and Han gets back up by the count of eight. Han, perhaps sensing a need to finish the match now, grabs Maeda and pulls him backward for a huge uranage suplex. Maeda lands on his back as Volk Han immediately knots up Maeda’s legs for a knee-crusher, but Maeda somehow recognizes an opportunity for a simple toe-hold in the pretzeled entanglement and hooks the submission to the point where he forces Volk Han to type! The crowd roars in approval as the bell sounds and Maeda is your winner! The crowd chants “MA-E-D! MA-E-DA! MA-E-DA!” as the Osaka hero raises his arms in the air. Volk Han pounds the mat in frustration before Maeda helps him up. The two embrace for a brief period, with Maeda raising Volk Han’s arm in acknowledgment of how much the Soviet SAMBO specialist pushed him. They shake hands before Volk Han leaves the ring, probably with some new fans despite the loss. The WOWOW commentary team recaps the match and is very impressed with Volk Han, noting that Maeda perhaps survived by the skin of his teeth. Maeda defeats Han via submission (toe-hold), 20:09 Nobuhiko Takada vs Bob Backlund The capacity crowd in Osaka-jō Hall is eagerly anticipating the main event and Bob Backlund is welcomed by the relatively knowledgable crowd as chants of “Back-lund! Back-lund!” break out. The American wrestling star makes his way to the ring in a red and white striped jacket and his traditional blue wrestling gear. The commentary crew hype up Backlund as a multi-time champion in America and someone widely known both in America and Japan. Takada comes out next and gets one of the loudest ovations of the evening. Both wrestlers are announced in the ring to loud ovations by Nobuyuki Furuta, with Bob Backlund having a focused yet confident look on his face. Takada stares down one of the toughest challenges of his wrestling career. They both shake hands and the bell sounds to start the main event of the evening. Backlund strolls around the ring, measuring up Takada as he looks for an angle of attack. Backlund goes down to the canvas for a low-angle leg takedown, but Takada steps out of the way. They both continue to tease a grappling exchange before Takada delivers a sharp low kick to Backlund. Backlund grabs his thigh and stares down Takada, perhaps realizing Takada’s kicks are no joke. Takada continues to throw a mix of kicks as Backlund blocks them with his arms. Backlund catches one of Takada’s high kicks and pushes him to the canvas. Backlund taunts Takada with a little display of showmanship as he does a little jig. Takada gets up on his feet and the crowd is enjoying the build-up as Backlund signals to Takada to lock up with him. They finally grab each other’s hands before Takada swiftly goes for a rear-leg takedown and gets Takada to the canvas before Backlund’s opponent quickly scrambles to get back on his feet. They lock up again, and this time Takada tries to take Backlund’s back, but the American easily reverses and gets Takada to the canvas, and takes Takada’s back as a receipt. Takada doesn’t have much trouble getting out either, and the two go back to grappling on their feet. Takada goes for a single-leg takedown and gets Backlund on the canvas he looks for a submission attempt from side control. Backlund works his back to his feet and both stare each other down again as the strategic start to this match continues. Backlund is finally able to get Takada into a good spot as he goes for a rolling schoolboy-esque takedown that he turns into a Banana split. Takada resists the pressure and struggles with Backlund as he tries to reverse the hold. Backlund keeps him pinned though, and continues to look for the leverage he needs. Backlund changes things up and looks for a shoulder lock from side control. Takada finds himself rolling the ropes and grabs one of them for a rope break. The two stand back up to more applause from the crowd. Takada gets dragged back down to the canvas by Backlund, who trips up Takada with a single-leg takedown. Backlund tries to lock in a kneebar, but Takada does well to defend himself. He rolls to his side and transitions to a dominant position as he looks for a cross-armbreaker. Backlund is his usual vocal self and finds a way to escape back to his feet. At the moment, it appears Backlund is getting the better of Takada with the current pace of the match as he manages to trip up Takada again and gets control of his back on the canvas. Backlund gets a headlock on Takada and appears to crank it as he attempts to get a submission locked in. Most of the crowd is behind Takada, but there are a few cheers for Backlund as well. Backlund rolls over with Takada still in his grips and transitions to a rear chin lock/camel clutch, with Takada firmly in his grips as he makes a joyful facial expression for the cameras. Takada pulls himself to the ropes for another rope break and Backlund gets a 1-0 lead on points as Masami Soranaka gets both wrestlers back on their feet. Takada tries to change up the pace of the match by delivering a flurry of kicks before mixing things up with well-timed palm strikes. Backlund fires back and smacks Takada square in the face with one of his open-hand strikes. Takada appears a bit pissed off now and hits Backlund several times in the thigh area he targeted previously. Backlund appears stunned as he grabs his leg, allowing Takada to clinch with Backlund for a front facelock suplex. Takada tries for a cross-armbreaker near the ropes and manages to convince Backlund enough to go for his first break to avoid any further trouble. Backlund gets up and Takada continues his approach with more sharp low kicks. Takada goes for a single-leg takedown and tries to lock in a kneebar attempt in the center of the ring. Takada tries to keep himself seated as he attempts to ease the pressure. He manages to scoot to the ropes for another rope break attempt, allowing Takada to tie the score at 1-1. Takada keeps the pressure on as he barely allows Backlund a clean break, delivering sharp knees to Backlund’s abdomen. Backlund fights through this and surprises Takada by taking his back for a delayed backdrop suplex! Takada hits the canvas hard and is slow to get up, prompting the first ten count of the match. Takada responds by the count of three, but Backlund has a 2-1 advantage and celebrates this by immediately taking Takada’s arm for a Fujiwara armbar, returning the favor by barely allowing Takada to get back up. Backlund applies a ton of pressure as the crowd urges Takada to get to the ropes, which he does. Takada gets back up to his feet but is immediately met by a sharp forearm, which knocks Backlund’s opponent back to the canvas for another ten count! Takada takes his time to get up and responds by the count of eight. Takada, sensing a need to change the trajectory of the match, fires with a furious combo of palms trikes. As Backlund stumbles backward, Takada hits him with a jumping roundhouse and drags him back up for a huge side suplex! The crowd swells as they roar for Takada, and the crowd favorite continues his assault on Backlund by kicking him in the abdomen with a flashy combo. Backlund stumbles to the canvas and the referee begins another 10 count. The North Dakota native responds by the count of 7 and the match is now 3-2 on points, still in favor of Backlund. Takada comes right back at Backlund, kicking him in the midsection as he takes him down for an armbar attempt. Backlund rolls through once again and gets Takada on his back. Backlund and Takada scramble around on the canvas in a good grappling exchange. Takada takes control of Backlund’s legs as he attempts a single-leg Boston crab, and Backlund screams “no!” as Soranaka asks if he is ready to tap. Backlund pulls himself to the nearest ropes the match is now even on points at 3-3 after Backlund uses another rope break. Backlund and Takada get back up and exchange a ton of strikes as Takada delivers a series of kicks only to get another forearm from Backlund. Takada, perhaps fueled by adrenaline, doesn’t appear to be too bothered. Takada turns around and kicks Backlund, who is still on the canvas, square in the arm. Takada drags Backlund back up to his feet and tosses him over his shoulder with a Judo throw before going for a cross-armbreaker. Backlund screams “no!” again after Soranaka sees if he is ready to tap. Backlund lets out a few of his trademark “woahs!” as he struggles to break loose from Takada’s grip, and bridges out of the submission attempt before Takada switches positions and goes for Backlund’s leg in a kneebar attempt. Backlund does his best to decrease Takada’s leverage on his leg and the two engage in another grappling exchange on the canvas, with Backlund showing off some of his amateur wrestling skills with some fancy transitions and counterwork. Takada struggles with Backlund’s strength when it comes to grappling and gets locked into a full Boston crab near the ropes, but the referee chooses to award Takada a clean break as Backlund tries to apply the submission move too close to the ropes. The crowd cheers for Takada more and more. At this stage, it appears both Backlund and Takada have bloody noses, adding some color and intensity to the match. As Backlund gets on his feet, Takada lifts him for a Fireman’s carry, sending Backlund back to the canvas. Takada delivers more kicks to Backlund, and Backlund stumbles backward, prompting another ten count from the referee. The match is now 4-3 in favor of Takada on points. Backlund tries to find his footing in time and responds by the count of 7. Takada grapples with Backlund and tries to set him up for a side suplex, but Backlund responds with a beautiful overhead takedown/Judo throw and locks up Takada with another Fujiwara armbar. Takada finds himself in a tough spot in the center of the ring and slowly squirms his way to the nearest rope, using his leg to break Backlund’s hold. Backlund gets up and hits Takada with another lunging forearm, and pulls in the dazed Takada for a double-underhook suplex. Takada is sent flying backward as Backlund immediately goes for Takada’s legs and applies a full Boston crab. Takada immediately scrambles to the ropes, and the match is now tied 4-4 with the break. With the reset, Backlund smacks Takada with a huge open-hand strike and goes for a rear-naked choke, eventually turning it into a kneeling chicken-wing crossface. Takada tries to work his way to his feet, but Takada keeps him grounded, forcing the crowd favorite to go for the ropes again. Takada is now down to his final rope break! Backlund waits for Takada to get up and immediately lifts him through the air with a huge variation of the Death Valley Driver/Fireman’s carry takeover slam. Takada falls flat on the mat and finds his leg seized by Backlund who attempts a kneebar. Takada desperately tries to kick himself free and does enough to slip from Backlund’s grip. Takada stands up and kicks Backlund some more before clinching with the increasingly fatigued Backlund for a belly-to-belly suplex! Takada tries several submission attempts, including a single-leg Boston crab and Achilles hold, before settling on a double wrist-lock in the center of the ring! Backlund appears reluctant to tap as Takada increasingly twists and tortures Backlund’s arm behind his back. Backlund yells “no no no!” as Soranaka points the shoot signal at him, and the crowd swells as the match reaches its climax. There’s some uncertainty for a brief moment before the referee calls for the bell. In a moment of confusion, it seems Backlund may have given up. The American gets up quite angrily though, and looks a bit shocked at the decision. Several UWF wrestlers, including Shigeo Miyato and Yoji Anjo, enter the ring and appear to create a barrier between Backlund and Takada. Backlund is livid and goes over to Billy Robinson, seated at ringside, to demand an explanation with blood pouring from his nose. The crowd is largely cheering for Takada as all this is going on, and Takada celebrates to soak it all in. Takada defeats Backlund via submission (double wrist-lock), 26:06 Backlund continues to argue with Robinson, and the ringside microphones pick up a part of the conversation. Backlund claims he didn’t tap and that the referee called the match prematurely. Billy Robinson says “Sorry Bob, we have to protect the athlete, you know that.” Billy Robinson makes a gesture with his arm, signaling that the referee is concerned about Backlund’s health. Backlund continues to berate Robinson and says “Tell Akira Maeda he just made a new enemy.” Backlund stares down Takada as he leaves the ring, clearly angry. The WOWOW commentary team recaps what just happened and goes over the other matches tonight. A graphic pops up announcing the next UWF event in January, which will take place at the Nippon Budokan on January 26th! It is announced that the main event will feature Akira Maeda and Nobuhiko Takada facing off against each other in UWF Newborn for the first time. Nobuhiko Takada is shown giving an interview backstage, where he claims he didn’t know if Backlund gave up or not, but he gives the referee credit for calling the match because he felt Backlund’s arm was about to snap. Takada says he gained a lot of respect for Backlund and believes he will calm down and recognize he impressed a lot of people tonight. The WOWOW commentary team signs off and we get rolling credits to close the show set to “We Will Rock You” by Queen. (OOC: I will be traveling in a few days so I wanted to get this up early. Hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! It came out longer than I originally envisioned, but I found myself enjoying writing about some of these guys. If the GIFs and/or images are overpowering, let me know.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autistic Dragon Posted December 19, 2023 Report Share Posted December 19, 2023 The Soviets definitely impressed tonight. The Koslowski brothers streak in tag matches comes to a surprising end. Osaka may not have known who Volk Han was before but they sure do now. The first time I read the ending to the main event I was as confused as the fans, I thought Mr Backlund might have got screwed but it was just a judgement call by the ref. Not that Backlund is any happier about it. Maeda vs Takada in the Budokan! The hype is already on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted December 19, 2023 Report Share Posted December 19, 2023 Amazing show! Was obvs focused on Backlund vs. Takada but there were great matchups up and down the card, especially Maeda vs. Han. Both Backlund and Han are definitely in line for rematches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaldoni Posted December 24, 2023 Report Share Posted December 24, 2023 The tone is set. Really puts off that big event vibe. Shamrock kicks things off with a win as he looks to establish himself as a contender. I thought Suzuki had it but Funaki showed some real intestinal fortitude. Beautiful sequence by Kido to comeback and beat Malenko. Kopylov brought his A game and gave Fujiwara a fight, which it seemed Fujiwara really respected. I would say Fujiwara is now cemented as a top guy. Awesome striking match between Yamazaki and Sayama. These guys really went at it. Yamazaki gets the big blow to put down Sayama. Looks like Sayama is going to have to regroup for 1989, while Yamazaki has some real momentum going. Man, Casemiro and Ruas look like some bad dudes. After their display, I think they won over the crowd. Speaking of winning a crowd over, the Soviets exceed all the hype and put on a wrestling showcase. I can't believe Karelin had enough strength and stamina to pull off that finishing suplex. That was impressive. Great match and I'm sure there's a lot of money for a rematch. The tag match was full of drama. The Russians overcome the odds and narrowly defeat the Koslowski's. I really like this tag team concept. Seems to keep things fresh and the action is non stop. I thought Han had excellent strategy against Maeda and fought a smart match. Maeda seems to be the Joe Montana of this world because he's the master of comebacks and pulling out wins in the end. Great match. Incredible main event as both Backlund and Takada more than delivered. I love the controversy at the end. This will create a lot of buzz. I think Maeda better make things right with Backlund. I wouldn't want Backlund as an enemy. Outstanding match! I'm still in awe at the stamina these guys have. This show really ended the year on a high note. Things will only get better in 89. Props to you and your writing. You put a lot of hard work into this. I appreciate that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control21 Posted January 3 Author Report Share Posted January 3 Quote January 4th, 1989 Within the past few weeks over this newsletter’s holiday break, reports have come in from readers who either reside in Japan or have connections in the country telling us how great the live broadcast of UWF’s show on December 22nd was. The event featured the long-awaited debut of Soviet athletes from both Olympic wrestling and SAMBO. We have yet to receive the tape, but reports assure us that the WOWOW broadcast was top-notch and the production values of the show were incredible. Readers noted the arcade fighting game-esque intros used at the beginning and among other things, the light show at the beginning and camera work. That’s not even getting into the match quality, which people people have also raved about. It appears Shinji Jin’s promise to spare no expense earlier last summer has been delivered. The attendance of just over 16,000 was the largest UWF crowd to date and tickets sold out in advance. It should also be noted that the event received plenty of press coverage in Japan, with some U.S. outlets also covering some aspects of the event. Sports Illustrated ran a brief report in their magazine just a few days ago about Aleksandr Karelin’s match with fellow Olympic gold medalist David Gobejishvili. ESPN covered the story as well, noting how the arrival of highly prized hockey players from the Soviet Union will likely follow after the likes of Karelin have paved the way for Soviet athletes to compete overseas. It’s also believed media in the Soviet Union covered the show extensively, and apparently, the nightly news broadcast (which everyone in the country with a television sees)opened with highlights from the matches Soviet wrestlers participated in. Of course, one can assume Victor Zangiev and Salman Hashimikov were central to their coverage, after defeating the Koslowski brothers - both Olympic medalists - in a tag match. Sources close to the company have said that everyone is very pleased with the show and the reception it has received. There is also some controversy as well. The main event between Nobuhiko Takada and Bob Backlund was considered a potential Match of the Year candidate, but the ending created a lot of confusion with the referee calling a submission victory for Takada without Backlund tapping or vocally giving up. Backlund was said to be livid and argued with Billy Robinson on live television, who was seated at ringside. Backlund appeared to verbally threaten Akira Maeda afterward, and there was real tension backstage after the event. Takada claimed in the interview aired after the match that he didn’t know if Backlund gave up. Backlund has traveled back to the U.S. and hasn’t said a word since the match. Some readers have said this appeared to be a screwjob, and sources appear to be coy when asked about the details of what transpired. From those reactions, it might be possible the finish wasn’t actually a screwjob, and that it was actually a clever way to protect Backlund while building up a rematch with Takada down the line. That might be the case, as Akira Maeda and Nobuhiko Takada will be in the main event for the upcoming show on January 26th in the Nippon Budokan and it would make sense to have the winner face Backlund in either February or March. For what it is worth, Tokyo Sports, who occasionally run stories to advance certain angles, reported last week that UWF officials were not pleased with Backlund’s antics and that they felt he put Takada in physical danger. One well-traveled reader has told us that he has seen Vale Tudo fights in Brazil and that referees calling matches if someone refuses to tap or give up while being submitted isn’t out of the norm. The semi-main event featuring Akira Maeda going up against Soviet SAMBO specialist Volk Han was also said to be a really good match and an example of a “super rookie” performance from Volk Han. Han apparently looked very comfortable in the ring and seemed to understand match flow and structure better than your average newcomer in wrestling. Volk Han seemed to get over with the crowd quickly going by most reports and had a lot of cool submission moves that caught Maeda off-guard. Maeda got the victory after sneaking a toe-hold past Volk Han, who was attempting his own submission move. The debuts of Victor Zangiev and Salman Hashimikov have also received great reviews, and they apparently looked very comfortable in the ring as well. The Koslowski brothers probably deserve some credit as well, especially as they train intensively with Billy Robinson to improve their comfort in the wrestling ring. The match between Aleksandr Karelin and David Gobejishvili was contested under a unique ruleset that banned all striking moves and looked more like an Olympic wrestling match between a Greco-Roman wrestler and a freestyle wrestler. Some more traditional elements of a UWF-style match were present, but both mainly stuck to what they knew the best. It is believed this wasn’t a full-on shoot, and the ending with Karelin getting off his trademark move at the last minute seems to have been designed to keep both wrestlers strong and allow Karelin to demonstrate his strength against his much larger opponent. Karelin was said to look the more impressive of the two and seems to be primed for a huge run in UWF heading into 1989. Gong Magazine ran a feature-length article on Karelin last week, and Karelin reportedly stated that he was going to focus on UWF for 1989, and wanted to defeat their top stars to prove he is the best in the world. In another interesting “exhibition,” Lutra Livre expert Marco Ruas fought Casemiro “Rei Zulu” Martins to a draw. The match was contested under traditional Vale Tudo rules, similar to the clash between Masashi Aoyagi and Atsushi Onita in October. The match also received plenty of coverage in various magazines as a first, and there is hope both will continue to work for UWF to bring over a Brazilian “flavor” and strengthen the ties between UWF and the world of Brazilian Vale Tudo. The match itself was solid, and it appeared they pulled some things back to avoid a sudden finish. Marco Ruas said he enjoyed his visit to Japan and that he hoped to come back in the future, believing there is an opportunity to renew historic ties between catch wrestling, Judo, and Lutra Livre to further the evolution of Vale Tudo. Another Soviet SAMBO fighter, Andrei Kopylov, made his debut against Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Kopylov also received praise and worked rather well with Fujiwara, who defeated his Soviet opponent with a series of sharp headbutts. People have said that Kopylov wasn’t as flashy as Volk Han was, but managed to keep up with Fujiwara’s style and offered some unique moves of his own. Joe Malenko also made his debut in UWF against Osamu Kido. Kido won the match. On this note, there is speculation Kido could be heading back to NJPW in 1989, and Weekly Pro Wrestling speculated that Kido felt he could do more back in his home promotion. Nothing has been confirmed yet, and it is also believed Maeda and Shinji Jin are making an effort to keep him involved at least for the next few months. Satoru Sayama lost his second match in a row against Kazuo Yamazaki. The story was about Sayama facing another defeat against a former student, and it was a striking-heavy contest with very little grappling. It’s hard to imagine Sayama not retaining a prominent role for 1989, and it may be the case that he will go on a major run in the new year. With the way Sayama talked about wanting to promote his Shooto brand of fighting, he will probably not go away quietly. Some reports have suggested that Sayama wants to promote his own “Shooto” shows under the UWF banner on an occasional basis. Other results saw Wayne Shamrock defeat Erik Paulson in the opener via submission, and Masakatsu Funaki continued his strong run by defeating Minoru Suzuki via submission too. Gong Magazine also featured a report last week where Akira Maeda stated he was interested in having a UWF event take place in the Soviet Union this summer. Maeda said that the Soviet Sports Committee requested the opportunity to host one or two major UWF events every year during negotiations and that UWF was more than willing to bring “real wrestling” to the country. Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow has been one of the venues proposed to UWF. There is also interest in staging a UWF event in Holland at some point, and Maeda hopes that UWF can start having an annual “Gala” event in either the Soviet Union or Holland every February, at least from 1990, since they already have planned their February show for 1989. In an interesting bit of news, there is news going around stateside that Akira Maeda and Shinji Jin will be traveling to the U.S. this week. People are mum on the details, but it is believed that they will at least meet with Don Owen. There is a belief that Akira Maeda and Shinji Jin want to bring in another big name from America for the upcoming event in the Nippon Budokan, even if it is a one-time appearance. UWF appears to betting on the Nippon Budokan show to continue its strong momentum in the new year. Questions were asked early about UWF’s ability to sustain itself, even with a hardcore fanbase, but they managed to sell out every event in 1988. It will be interesting to see if they continue that streak in 1989. By protecting the Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada match, it appears they kept a good ace up their sleeve for January’s big show and the fans seem to be clamoring for it, with tickets already flying off the shelves as of press time. It’s not a sellout yet, but it should be by next week. With a capacity of roughly 14,500, it won’t surpass the Osaka crowd, but a sellout of the Nippon Budokan is considered quite valuable in Japan and tickets are priced to the point where it could be UWF’s largest gate to date, surpassing both the Ariake Coliseum and Osaka events. Takada and Maeda largely avoided talking about each other during 1988 and were seemingly focused on building themselves up but in the last week of December, both were hyping up the match in Japanese press outlets. Both Takada and Maeda promised to beat each other, and Takada said that his match with Backlund prepared him the most in his view. Maeda said that Takada had evolved into a complete wrestler since the first UWF earlier in the decade, but still has a long way to go before he can beat him. A press conference for the Nippon Budokan show is scheduled for January 18th. There is talk within a few press outlets about a rematch between Atsushi Onita and Masashi Aoyagi for the event. Both parties are interested in making it happen, but nothing has been finalized. With 1988 drawing to a close, it is worth looking briefly at the state of the industry in Japan, especially after UWF re-shaped the scene radically with its rebirth earlier in June. NJPW and AJPW both had rough years by their standards. Both promotions have struggled with promoting new talent and differentiating themselves from the product UWF is offering to fans again. Antonio Inoki’s failure to pass the torch to Tatsumi Fujinami permanently just a few years ago continues to haunt them, with Fujinami becoming more focused on his bookings in America. Even guys like Riki Choshu and Hiroshi Hase have followed a similar route after not getting much traction with the NJPW fanbase. Some have suggested that the fans aren’t willing to let Inoki go as their hero, and this puts him in a tough spot in terms of finding a permanent successor. In AJPW’s case, Giant Baba’s embrace of the convoluted Memphis style in the mid-1980s has led to a stagnating product that has turned away some of its traditional fans. The lack of clean finishes was an issue for the promotion up until the second half of this year when UWF forced its hand. But even then, they face the same problem as NJPW where some of their top stars have chosen to stay in America more often due to poor business. Genichiro Tenryu and Jumbo Tsuruta, both seen as heirs to Baba, have found better money elsewhere, and have let their disproval of the often chaotic booking practices be known. Jumbo Tsuruta, who is now the AWA heavyweight champion, may not be seen back in AJPW for quite some time. Insiders feel that Giant Baba will now have to gamble on young up-and-coming talents to try and reverse his fortunes. Tiger Mask II, who debuted in 1981 as Mitsuharu Misawa, is seen as a potential star, but some within the promotion feel the increasingly outdated gimmick is holding him back. Kenta Kobashi and Akira Taue are also widely praised, but they are very green and it is unknown when either will be ready for a larger role. Toshiaki Kawada was seen as a promising young talent as well but left with Tenryu for a brief run in NJPW and later America. It could be possible that both Kobashi and Taue choose to follow a similar path if things don’t improve. In any case, Giant Baba will have to embrace more traditional booking as it is hard to see naturally gifted wrestlers do well in a style that emphasizes old-school brawling instead of intense wrestling matches centered around athleticism. It is hard to compare UWF, NJPW, and AJPW in terms of attendance and live gates due to UWF only promoting shows in the second half of 1988. If one extrapolates though, then UWF would have been the second-most popular promotion in Japan based on that criteria. The fact that AJPW would now be third overall based on attendance and live gates should send alarm bells ringing not only in AJPW but across the entire industry in Japan. NJPW is only ahead slightly based on those figures, and it is easy to imagine UWF overtaking them in 1989 if the current patterns continue. The idea that UWF would become the most popular promotion in Japan would have been laughed out of the room in 1984 when the first UWF launched, but now it is very possible. We may be witnessing a complete shift in how Japanese fans view professional wrestling in real-time, with UWF winning over increasingly larger audiences with a purer vision of pro-wrestling that dates back not only to the days of Karl Gotch and Lou Thesz but Masahiko Kimura and Mitsuyo Maeda long before them. NJPW and AJPW may have more exposure on television through TV Asahi and NTV respectively, but that may not matter in the long run. WOWOW is a new premium broadcast service and its success is yet to be determined, but fans will inevitably seek out the hotter alternative if the mainstays are not delivering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autistic Dragon Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 The UWF looks to rocket to the top of the Japanese wrestling scene in the new year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaldoni Posted January 7 Report Share Posted January 7 The UWF is on fire right now and has some major plans for 1989. I love these behind the scenes articles. I especially loved reading about the Backlund situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control21 Posted January 9 Author Report Share Posted January 9 Quote January 10th, 1989 Over the last weekend, UWF President Shinji Jin and Akira Maeda have been visiting stateside and have talked to several people, including two confirmed meetings with Don Owen and officials from WCW. Sources close to both companies tell us that Gary Albright was present during the meeting with Don Owen, and Steve Williams was present during the meeting with WCW officials. It is believed that UWF is working on a one-off appearance for both at the Nippon Budokan show on January 26th, and the plan is to pair them as a tag team against Victor Zangiev and Salman Hashimikov, who defeated the Koslowski brothers in December. Nothing has been confirmed as of press time, but sources say the talks went smoothly and the match is currently booked. UWF highly appreciates both Gary Albright and Steve Williams for their background in freestyle wrestling, and the concept for the match stems from the idea of putting them up against two opponents they could have faced had Albright and Williams not turned pro, and if the Soviets didn’t boycott the 1984 Olympics. The hope is to have both available for the press conference on January 18th. In related news, both Maeda and Jin also visited Shinji Sasazaki in Tennessee. Sasazaki, a friend of Maeda’s, has found himself working for several local promotions in the Southeast recently and has developed connections in the region over the past few years. We’re being told that Sasazaki will be helping UWF scout for amateur talent in the region, and Billy Robinson will help out as he is also familiar with the area due to his time in America earlier in the decade. Billy Robinson has been active as well since the new year, and recently traveled back home to the United Kingdom to talk with several wrestlers working in the country. UWF is interested in bringing in wrestlers with a background in traditional catch-as-catch-can wrestling, with Billy Robinson pushing for the idea in recent months. Marty Jones, a former Billy Robinson student, was seen talking with Robinson in Manchester last week. Jones previously worked for the first iteration of UWF in 1984-1985 with several other British wrestlers, including Scott McGhee and Pete Roberts. Jones has also spent an extensive amount of time in New Japan throughout the past decade and is very familiar with the style UWF has been presenting. Sources also indicate that Billy Robinson has been in contact with Mark Rocco as well. Rocco has been working the Black Tiger gimmick for NJPW and PCW in the past few years, but is widely respected in British wrestling as a capable technician and notably had a series of great matches with Marty Jones in the late 1970s and early 1980s for Joint Promotions in the UK. It looks like the planned Atsushi Onita and Masashi Aoyagi rematch will be going ahead. Onita showed up at a WKA event on Friday and confronted Aoyagi after his match. It appears to be a planned angle and Tokyo Sports was already hyping up the rematch for the Budokan show over the weekend. Onita promised Aoyagi that he wouldn’t survive this time, and if he wasn’t careful, he would end his career. Aoyagi told reporters that Onita probably needed to be sent to the hospital because his head was too thick to learn anything otherwise. It is interesting that UWF ran an angle at a WKA show to promote an upcoming match for one of their events. This is something to keep an eye on as some have speculated UWF has its eyes on several kickboxers and karatekas who are currently working for WKA and a working partnership between the two could be beneficial. Several people have asked about the Backlund situation, and as far as we know, he still hasn’t commented publically since December 22nd. Sources have told us he has been training like a madman in North Dakota and Connecticut, and that they believe he’s still under contract with UWF. Several outlets in Japan, including Gong Magazine and Weekly Pro, have both said that Backlund is expected to face the winner of the match between Akira Maeda and Nobuhiko Takada. One person who has been training with Backlund has said that Backlund wants revenge on Takada and that he’s not the type of person to walk away from a war. What did Dave Meltzer say? (also ties into the last article) January 2nd, 1989 - "Now onto Japan. I really haven't gone into detail on the business itself there in quite a while. It appears this is going to be a pivotal year for Japanese wrestling. Of course, the UWF is the success story of the business right now. They have found a gimmick that works, running monthly shows and getting the public to believe they are real. If they get television in 1989, and you have to think if they want it, they'll certainly get it as a monthly special, things should at least stay the same. Whatever is lost by their not being a novelty should be balanced out because of the increase in exposure in getting the wrestlers over to more of a general public. If the UWF gets monthly television, and the ratings are anywhere near what their special some weeks back did, then they are going to change the style of wrestling in the country in the other groups as well. Really, they already have to a degree, with no TV exposure, which shows an amazing amount of impact." "New Japan is going to be more interesting to follow because they have the biggest potential news story of the year if the Soviet deal pans out. They will be the first Soviet athletes to turn professional in any sport, with the tentative schedule for matches in May. It will probably make news coverage not only big-time in Japan, but even in the U.S. there is a lot that can go wrong, however. Who is going to tell Andriev to do a job for Inoki? How are they going to get a group of amateur wrestlers who didn't even grow up watching pro wrestling ready for a major main event in just a few months, no matter how skilled they are as athletes. The public probably will buy the premise in Japan and they'll get the media hype and the television ratings, but let's face it, the most watched pro wrestling matches of the past half-decade were the Inoki vs Spinks match, which did more harm than good to the business, and the Andre vs Hogan match on NBC, which caused a lot of talk but Wrestlemania didn't do anywhere near the business projected, and Wajima's pro debut, which had a positive effect for a very short run but meant nothing in the long run. Good television ratings for two or three weeks aren't going to solve the problem, unless Inoki gets himself (or one of the younger stars is pushed to where he surprises a gold medalist and becomes an instant hero) over with a convincing winning in a thrilling match, which is more likely not going to happen." "All Japan has a lot of problems, also. Two key things which happened in 1988 that hurt them were the murder of Bruiser Brody and the firing of Ashura Hara, which took two of their key main eventers right out of the picture. The tag team tournament was lackluster, however they did have an exciting climax. They are hoping that the return of the British Bulldogs will pick things up in January. The big problem with All Japan is that they've got one key issue, Tsuruta vs Tenryu. While the issue still means something and they provide mainly good-to-great action, it is hardly a new feud. While Stan Hansen is still popular and Terry Gordy generally has very good matches, they also are hardly new faces in Japan. They have been unable to bring in new faces and get them over to where they have significant impact on the gate and television ratings, both of which fell off in the past year. There are few younger U.S. wrestlers who have the potential to fill the vacancy. First off, the most talented newcomers generally are with either the NWA or WWF, which makes it either difficult or impossible to be cleared for work here. Second, the style of wrestling between the two countries is probably going to get more different over the next year, as each country is evolving in different ways. Japan is getting more serious, because of the Maeda influence on the other groups, with a heavy reliance on submissions and realistic moves. The U.S. scene is getting more into gimmickry, showmanship and a heavier reliance on entertainment. Wrestlers brought up on U.S. style will have a difficult time adapting to Japan, even if they have the physical potential to make it." January 16th, 1989 - "NJ wants Bam Bam Bigelow and Steve Williams in during May as well. They want Williams in singles matches against guys he could have faced had he not turned pro, and had the Soviets not boycotted Los Angeles in 1984. Dave says it would have been interesting if Yatsu jumped back to New Japan with Choshu, as Yatsu wanted to compete in the 1988 Olympics in the same weight class as Baumgartner, but he was deemed ineligible because the International Olympic Committee considers pro wrestling pro athletics. Yatsu breezed through the Japanese freestyle nationals in 1986 at 286, even with a six-year layoff from amateur wrestling." "Bob Backlund returned on 12/22 for the UWF. Dave has no idea what happened, but his return is apparently cut short, as Backlund was telling reporters in Japan he was never coming back again. It was either a double cross on the finish or the payoff, but Backlund appeared upset at the finish and didn't do the whole handshake bit. The show drew a sellout 7,000 fans paying $280,655. This leads to Maeda vs Takada on 1/10 which will be the first Japanese show ever to be broadcast on closed-circuit television. Backlund has been working as a P.E. teacher in Connecticut. Dave suspects he trained like a maniac, because he looked exactly the same he did in 1978 body-wise." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autistic Dragon Posted January 9 Report Share Posted January 9 I like how you give us a look into the entire Japanese wrestling scene instead of just focusing on yourself. Japan's been ignored in the game and this kind of thing adds serious depth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control21 Posted January 10 Author Report Share Posted January 10 5 hours ago, Autistic Dragon said: I like how you give us a look into the entire Japanese wrestling scene instead of just focusing on yourself. Japan's been ignored in the game and this kind of thing adds serious depth. I figured it would help add some flavor if I contextualized UWF's role in the Japanese wrestling scene for our game world, especially since no one else is running a Japanese promotion. I think it's a lot more interesting instead of having things exist in a vacuum. As you can tell, I take a lot of influence from actual history and hopefully the Meltzer stuff I added at the end helps explain things from that perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaldoni Posted January 13 Report Share Posted January 13 I agree with AD, these behind the scenes reports give us a look into the entire Japanese wrestling scene. I know IRL, most Japanese wrestlers just came in for dates in the US and weren't on US rosters full time. Since we didn't have a Japan promotion in our game, I figured using Japanese wrestlers on our rosters was a great way to showcase their tremendous talents. I try to put in some type of realism by making sure Tsuruta and Fujinami always go back to Japan for extensive tours. If you ever want to use these guys for anything, just let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control21 Posted January 20 Author Report Share Posted January 20 Quote January 23rd, 1989 UWF held their press conference last week in the lead-up to the Nippon Budokan show on January 26th. As expected, Nobuhiko Takada and Akira Maeda were the center of attention and both were present, answering questions from the Japanese press. Takada stated that he felt he was ready to beat Maeda, and that his experience wrestling Bob Backlund last month would be beneficial. Maeda countered by saying he has defeated martial artists from all over the world and that while Takada would be a tough opponent, he would cement himself as the best wrestler in the world by defeating him. Japanese press outlets have built the match up as a contest between rivals, but there is also a hint that the two have mutual respect and any animosity both may have had towards each other in the past has waned. Both also talked about their similar journeys and backgrounds, and Maeda said that he hopes Karl Gotch can make the trip to attend the show as it would be fitting for him to see two of his best students decide who is better. Also attending the event were Gary Albright and Steve Williams, who were there to promote their match against Salman Hashimikov and Victor Zangiev. Steve Williams said that he’s been hearing about UWF through his contacts in Japan and that he was happy to accept their offer for a match against Hashimikov and Zangiev. Williams said Hashimikov and Zangiev were two talented amateur wrestlers and that he talked with U.S. Olympian Bruce Baumgartner, who faced Hashimikov earlier in the decade. He said he was looking forward to the challenge, and he was confident in his abilities. Albright said that he and Williams have a history going back to their days in the Big 8 in collegiate wrestling (where Williams defeated Albright in the 1982 openweight conference final), but they were willing to put aside any differences to take on the Russians. Albright stated that it was a mistake for Hashimikov and Zangiev to issue the challenge, and they would soon realize why American wrestling is superior to anything what they teach in Russia. Williams played down rumors that he was dealing with a nagging injury, and said that even if he had one leg, he would still beat Hashimikov or Zangiev in a fair fight. President Shinji Jin thanked PCW and WCW for allowing both to compete for UWF at the upcoming event. Afterward, Masashi Aoyagi and Atsushi Onita were invited onstage and answered questions from reporters as well. The contract for the match was signed, and the match will be contested under the UWF ruleset. Their previous match was contested under “Vale Tudo” rules. Aoyagi said that Onita needs a stern lesson and he’ll do everything he can to punish him. Onita laughed off Aoyagi’s comments and said that he’ll defeat him under any ruleset given and that he is eager to show UWF fans what he can do under UWF rules. Onita claimed he had been training harder since their last match and that Aoyagi had a limited skillset compared to his own. It was said that the tension between the two was palpable and that it wouldn’t be surprising if the two drew blood again. Tickets for the Budokan show sold out in advance two weeks ago according to Shinji Jin, who said that demand was very high and that he expects the event to be UWF's highest grossing yet based on ticket prices. Expected attendance will probably be 14,500 based on the capacity of the Nippon Budokan for wrestling events. UWF also announced that the two British wrestlers previously reported on will be making their debut at Budokan in a “British Catch rules” contest. Marty Jones, who was an apprentice of Billy Robinson, will be facing off against Mark Rocco, formerly Black Tiger. Shinji Jin also discussed the current status of the UWF dojo and the first crop of trainees. Both Maeda and Jin originally planned on debuting some of them at the Budokan show but decided to push things back until March to ensure maximum readiness. Maeda spoke very highly about the trainees and said that all parties were very eager and he believes they will do quite well when the time comes. Maeda also revealed that one change to the UWF ruleset will be applied from the Budokan show onwards. Closed fists are now allowed anywhere below the neck, but obviously, low blows are still illegal. Other changes are being considered, and Maeda said that he receives phone calls from Karl Gotch constantly, who advocates for the return of pinfalls to the ruleset. Maeda said that the proposal is “under consideration.” Finally, Shinji Jin was asked by a reporter about the Bob Backlund situation. Shinji confirmed that Backlund was still under contract with UWF and that he expects Backlund will face the winner of the match between Maeda and Takada. Maeda said he had a brief phone call with Backlund last week, and that Backlund assured him he still wanted to compete in UWF going forward. Maeda spoke very highly about Backlund’s character and said that he looks forward to competing against him eventually. Card Announcement: UWF Newborn - "Dynamism: Budokan Super Bout" January 26th, 1989 Nippon Budokan Tokyo, Japan Shigeo Miyato vs Yoji Anjo Minoru Suzuki vs Naoki Sano Tatsuo Nakano vs Masakatsu Funaki British Catch Rules: Marty Jones vs Mark Rocco Kazuo Yamazaki vs Nikolai Zouev Atsushi Onita vs Masashi Aoyagi Satoru Sayama vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara Victor Zangiev & Salman Hashimikov vs "Dr. Death" Steve Williams & Gary Albright Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Autistic Dragon Posted January 20 Report Share Posted January 20 Glad to see the Backlund situation has been handled. Another great card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaldoni Posted January 22 Report Share Posted January 22 I'm with AD, glad to see Backlund coming back. I'm excited about the British Catch Rules Match as well as Williams and Albright coming in. Maeda vs. Takada will be pretty damn awesome. No wonder this card sold out quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control21 Posted January 26 Author Report Share Posted January 26 UWF Newborn – “Dynamism: Budokan Super Bout” January 26th, 1989 Nippon Budokan Tokyo, Japan Attendance: 14,500 (sold out) WOWOW’s broadcast opens with a fancy lead-in and we get cool video-game style “vs” graphics for each match, and then the camera opens inside Nippon Budokan as we get the WOWOW commentary team welcoming the viewers to the event. They run down the matches quickly before we get the UWF theme playing inside the arena, which leads to the customary introduction of each wrestler on the show as they make their way to the ring. Akira Maeda, Nobuhiko Takada, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, and Satoru Sayama all give brief remarks as they hype their matches up and thank the fans for attending. Steve Willams and Gary Albright get very warm welcomes from the crowd as they are introduced, and they seem very appreciative. The commentary team notes Billy Robinson and Karl Gotch are both in attendance tonight as the camera pans to them. A third empty seat next to them is notably absent. Could it be someone important? We’ll find out later! Shigeo Miyato vs Yoji Anjo A feisty opening bout that saw Miyato deal with a determined and focused Anjo who sought to secure another win to start the new year. Anjo’s strategy centered on launching wave after wave of hard-hitting strikes, but Miyato weathered the storm and sought the advantage on the canvas whenever the opportunity presented itself. Anjo is no slouch when it comes to grappling, but perhaps Miyato’s experience aided him as he controlled the tempo and worked on finding one or two leg hooks to give Anjo something to think about. Miyato started building up a lead in the match after Anjo exhausted two downs through rope breaks and almost caught Anjo with a full Boston Crab, but Anjo scrambled to the ropes just in time. Miyato faced some opposition from this point, with Anjo hitting him with a hard palm strike, which led to another grappling exchange on the canvas where Anjo looked like he was about to lock in a kneebar, but Miyato found a way to the ropes himself. Eventually, with a 3-1 lead, Miyato finished the match with a high-angle German Suplex followed by a heel hook, which finally forced Anjo to submit in the center of the ring. Miyato defeats Anjo via submission (heel hook), 10:22 Minoru Suzuki vs Naoki Sano This was fairly evenly contested, with both Sano and Suzuki having similar skill sets and strategies. Sano was looking to catch Suzuki off-guard early with quick takedown attempts, and Suzuki had to handle himself on the canvas to prevent an early defeat with Sano eagerly looking for any openings for a submission attempt. Suzuki’s quick transitions and counterwork on the grappling eventually gave him the edge, and Sano fled to the ropes several times with Suzuki laser-focused on whatever limbs he could grab. Sano was able to score a knockdown with several sharp palm strikes, catching Suzuki off-guard. Sano followed up with a nice dropkick for good measure, showing he wasn’t afraid to get a bit unorthodox. Facing an early 2-0 deficit, Sano eventually ties the match at 2-2 after scoring another knockdown on Suzuki, this time catching his opponent with a rolling kick. The crowd becomes lively at this point, and Sano looked to be in command on the canvas he had Suzuki’s back, but Suzuki found a way through his clever counterwork to eventually nab a kimura lock from underneath, and Sano was surprised by the maneuver. After Sano struggled to break free, he had no choice but to tap as Suzuki celebrated a well-deserved victory. Suzuki defeats Sano via submission (kimura lock), 11:09 Yasuto Sekishima vs Yorinaga Nakamura In a match between teacher and apprentice, Sekishima and Nakamura squared off in a fast-paced match with Sekishima trying his best to throw off Nakamura early, but Nakamura was prepared and held off Sekishima’s opening salvos to control most of the match. This was generally a good display of Shooto techniques, and both Sekishima and Nakamura approached the match in a very technical and modern way. Nakamura kept Sekishima grounded early in the match and frustrated his disciple by using defensive techniques to prevent him from getting anything going. Nakamura showed off his great striking abilities as well and kept knocking down Sekishima, who tried to match his teacher in that regard but learned that was a mistake. As Sekishima exhausted himself with his his quick flurries, Nakamura started to take Sekishima to the canvas more often, and dominated for the rest of the match. Sekishima found himself at the end of a rear-naked choke and chose to tap in the center of the ring. Nakamura defeats Sekishima via submission (rear-naked choke), 9:16 Tatsuo Nakano vs Masakatsu Funaki Nakano and Funaki followed up on their stiff and ugly match in September and pummeled each other from the opening bell with gnarly strikes. Nakano appeared to have caught Funaki in the nose early on, and the blood coming from Funaki’s nose throughout the rest of the match was proof of that. Funaki delivered several closed fists to Nakano’s lower body, taking advantage of the new rules. With Nakano softened up, Funaki tried to take the match to the canvas, but Nakano was very good at using his decent grappling ability to prevent Funaki from finding any angles and scrambled back to his feet several times. A frustrated Funaki attempted to get back at Nakano and threw several palm strikes aimed at Nakano’s nose. If Funaki wanted to draw blood from Nakano, he appeared to be successful and the Budokan crowd recognized the heat building in this match, with it being fairly split for both wrestlers as they were cheered on by their respective fans. Funaki started to get his way and took Nakano to the canvas more often, and started to demonstrate why his grappling abilities were better than Nakano’s. Nakano had to defend himself from a heel hook attempt and a toe hold in the span of a few minutes, as he tried to match Funaki in a leg lock battle. Funaki built up a 2-0 lead on points as Nakano had to scramble to the ropes twice, and was knocked down soon after by a well-timed kick from Funaki, which was aimed at Nakano’s kidneys. Nakano fought back though, and delivered several sharp knee strikes after clinching with Funaki to score his knockdown. The match continued to be evenly contested, and the hard-hitting strikes kept coming from both competitors. Funaki got caught off-guard by a well-timed palm strike combo, and more knees from Nakano landed on an already weakened mid-section. Perhaps this was enough to keep Funaki grounded as Yuji Shimada continued his ten count, and Funaki failed to respond in time. The crowd celebrated Nakano’s win over Funaki and voiced their support as Nobuyuki Furuta made the result official. Nakano defeats Funaki via KO, 12:41 The crowd at Nippon Budokan is treated to an explanation of the rules of the next match, which will be contested under “British catch rules.” There will be six five-minute rounds and will be best of three falls. A fall takes place with a submission or pinfall. A knockout or disqualification will automatically end the match, and a disqualification will take place if the referee deems a wrestler to be breaking the rules of British catch, which would include eye-gouging, striking an opponent while he is down, hitting with a closed fist, or strangling an opponent with their hands outside of a traditional submission move. A referee can use their discretion to warn a wrestler before disqualifying them. Similar to UWF rules, rope breaks can be used, but three rope breaks will lead to a “fall” being declared for the wrestler who uses them. British catch rules: Marty Jones vs Mark Rocco Marty Jones and Mark Rocco are introduced to the crowd after making their way to the ring. Mark Rocco, wearing his old Black Tiger pants, stands at 5’8 in contrast to the 5’11 Marty Jones, who has opted to wear his full-length red singlet. With the bell sounding, both competitors get to work in the first round and the crowd is treated immediately to a fine display of traditional catch wrestling as both Marty Jones and Mark Rocco seek to gain the advantage with quick and technical grappling. Mark Rocco is a little quicker than his opponent and seems to use this to his advantage as he counters whatever Marty Jones throws at him, and seems to work on Marty’s arms with various armbars and takedowns. The pace slows down a bit as Rocco decides to control the tempo and keep Marty grounded, and seeks a few pinfall attempts which Marty quickly kicks out of. Mark Rocco seemed very confident and probably won the first round if one was keeping score, with Marty not able to get much going against his opponent. In the second round, Marty was able to find his footing against Rocco and tricked his opponent into expending more energy, allowing Marty to find new angles of attack on the grappling side, going for Rocco’s legs and changing the tempo of the match. Rocco is forced to go for his first rope break as Marty gets a clever toe hold, which he wraps around his legs to apply more pressure. Rocco gets a clean break and stands back up, and seems a little peeved at how Marty outsmarted him there. Rocco opts to change things up by getting a wonderful bridging German Suplex on Marty, and Rocco holds the bridge for a pinfall attempt, but Marty kicks out at two! Marty locks up with Rocco and snags his back, which leads to a surfboard-esque submission attempt! Marty holds the submission for what seems like an extended period, and the Ryogaku Wada watches as Rocco finally declares he has had enough. Marty gets the first fall with a submission right before the bell! Rocco goes back to his corner and seems even more frustrated as he spits into a bucket. Marty seems confident and relaxes on his stool as the next round is ready to begin. Rocco switches things up for the third round and starts things off by landing several European uppercuts on Marty. With Marty on the back foot, Rocco tries several pinfall variations by using the arms of Marty for leverage in several rolling takedowns. At this point, the crowd has fully invested in the contest and Rocco and Marty feed off them with another display of quick and very technical catch wrestling. The pace begins to slow as the two become more calculated, and Marty grows into his comfort zone. Rocco finds himself fighting off several leg lock attempts from Marty, who uses some interesting variations to disable the quickness of Rocco. Rocco continues to use some great counterwork but has to exhaust another rope break as Marty gets a single-leg Boston crab on his opponent. There’s some back-and-forth this round as both claim the momentum at some point or another. Rocco finishes off the round with a beautiful crucifix takedown, which leads to a pinfall attempt. Marty is unable to kick out and Rocco claims the second fall. With the third round over, both wrestlers are tied at one fall apiece. The fourth round features slower, more refined grappling as the tempo of the match slows down a bit, with Marty doing his best to lure Rocco out of his comfort zone. The two work from hold to hold as they try to snag their respective limbs for a decisive submission, and Marty seems to get the better the better of Rocco. Rocco looks like he is being pushed to the limit at one point, as Marty seems to have tightened a painful-looking key lock. The ropes are tempting for Rocco, but he manages to reverse his position by rolling out of the hold, frustrating Marty. Rocco gets a side headlock on Marty and tries to get Marty to tap in the center of the ring, but Marty refuses and fights his way out of it. The crowd continues to cheer both competitors, and they exchange European uppercuts as they try to reclaim control of the match. Another finely contested round reaches its time limit and both go back to their respective corners for a brief break. The crowd becomes very lively for the fifth and sixth rounds, and are treated to more tantalizing displays of catch and modern British wrestling. Rocco and Marty do their best to secure a decisive fall, but both are somehow able to survive. For any fans of British wrestling in attendance at the Budokan Hall, they got a glimpse of both old-school British catch and more modern wrestling that has stemmed from the evolution of European and British wrestling since the 1960s. The match concludes as a draw, with both men having one fall each by the end of the sixth round. Both men are applauded by the crowd once again as Nobuyuki Furuta makes the draw official. 30:00 draw (six of six rounds). After the match, Nobuyuki Furuta makes a surprise announcement and welcomes Lou Thesz to the ring! Lou Thesz comes out to a very surprised and excited Budokan Hall. Thesz, dressed in a classy grey suit, bows in all four directions after entering the squared circle and grabs a microphone. Thesz says he is very honored to be back in Japan, and he has a very special announcement to make. “52 years ago, in 1937, I wrestled in a contest against Everett Marshall to determine the undisputed heavyweight wrestling champion of the world. After defeating my opponent, I proudly defended the honor of being the undisputed champion and wrestled all over the world, including in Japan, to promote the sacred sport of professional wrestling. It is my opinion that professional wrestling now needs to determine a new undisputed heavyweight champion. The future of wrestling needs the credibility of one undisputed champion if it is to survive. Promotions all over the world have made the claim of some sort of title or championship, but this is not a fact, it is only a claim. With this in mind, I am here to announce that I will be sponsoring a 24-man tournament to be held later this year under the banner of UWF. This tournament will determine the new undisputed heavyweight wrestling champion of the world, and I invite all credible championship claimants to participate in this tournament. I offer my very prized possession, the original undisputed heavyweight championship, to be put up at stake as the grand prize for this tournament. This tournament will begin in August, and will conclude on December 31st, New Year’s Eve…at the Tokyo Dome! The tournament will be called the U-Cosmos Grand Prix. The U-Cosmos refers to the concept of U-Kei, which encompasses the world of combat sports, including kickboxing, Judo, SAMBO, and the noble sport of professional wrestling. Thank you very much for your time and I look forward to being present later this year to oversee this prestigious tournament.” The crowd cheers loudly when the announcement is translated, and is shown on the big screen inside Nippon Budokan hall as well. A disguised item is bought into the ring by attendants and is unveiled to be the title Lou Thesz was referring to. Thesz invites Billy Robinson and Karl Gotch into the ring, and all three pose in the middle of the ring for photos as Thesz holds his title. The crowd takes in the historic moment, as perhaps the three most influential wrestlers of the modern era stand in the middle of the squared circle inside one of the most hallowed grounds in all of professional wrestling. The WOWOW commentators are very excited by the announcement and they talk about the huge potential of the upcoming tournament in 7 months. The news that UWF will be holding an event at the Tokyo Dome is definitely being hyped up by the commentary crew. Kazuo Yamazaki vs Nikolai Zouev Nikolai Zouev is another Russian Sambist making his debut, and the dashing blonde Russian appears ready for his opponent. Yamazaki makes his way into Budokan Hall and seems determined to get a victory tonight. Zouev is welcomed to UWF by the crowd with a polite smattering of applause, and Yamazaki gets a very warm reception. With the bell sounding, the match immediately picks up a quick pace as Zouev exchanges kicks with Yamazaki, and the Russian quickly closes the distance to grapple with his opponent. Zouev is quite creative in how he takes Yamazaki down to the canvas, and Yamazaki quickly realizes he has to go on the defense as Zouev looks for a submission attempt. Zouev clamps Yamazaki’s neck with a leg scissors while hooking both of his arms, and Zouev’s opponent struggles as he feels the pressure all around his body. Yamazaki eventually fights his way out of Zouev’s grasp and goes for a toe hold and they scramble on the canvas for a few moments as they look for an early submission. They eventually both find their way to their feet and the crowd applauds both for the hot start. Yamazaki goes on the offensive with his striking-based offense, and Zouev has his hands full as he struggles to switch things up. Zouev attempts to clinch with his opponent, but Yamazaki’s experience here pays off as he delivers several knee strikes for an early knockdown. Zouev gets up quickly but realizes he has already lost a point and fires back with some high kicks. Yamazaki guards well and continues to lure Zouev into a striking contest as Zouev attempts to catch Yamazaki off-guard with some palm strikes. The match continues with Yamazaki mostly in control, but Zouev manages to get Yamazaki to the canvas a few times and eventually re-establishes momentum as he gets Yamazaki to go for the ropes twice with a series of leg lock attempts. After a clean reset, Yamazaki decides to switch things up with a series of low kicks and then follows up with a clever roundhouse which catches Zouev clean. With another knockdown, Yamazaki goes up 2-1 in the match and Zouev beats another ten count to continue the match. Zouev continues to attempt to get Yamazaki to the canvas and manages to get some nice offense in as he impresses the crowd with a mixture of SAMBO-based takedowns and clever grappling counterwork, but Yamazaki’s moment eventually comes when he lands a beautiful high-angle German suplex on Zouev, which dazes his opponent. Yamazaki lands a nice combo of lower-body punches and high kicks, which sends Zouev back to the canvas again for another knockdown. This time, Zouev struggles to respond before the count finishes and Yamazaki soon celebrates a well-deserved victory as Zouev is applauded by the crowd for the fine showing, but Yamazaki of course gets a firmer reception as the crowd favorite. Yamazaki defeats Zouev via KO, 13:35 Atsushi Onita vs Masashi Aoyagi Onita, coming out to the theme from “Fist of the North Star,” looks like he has a certain swagger about him and strolls into the ring confidently. Aoyagi, the next man out, seems pretty determined and a bit pissed off at the same time. Nobuyuki Furuta makes the ring introductions and Onita seems to get a louder pop compared to last time. As soon as the bell sounds, both men don’t waste much time going at each other with fierce combo strikes from Onita and powerful kicks from Aoyagi. Onita’s palm strikes audibly connect and cause gasps from the crowd as Aoyagi stumbles backward, but Aoyagi delivers a huge high kick in return and Onita collapses to the canvas holding his head as Aoyagi scores a shock knockdown to start the match. Motoyuki Kitazawa starts the count but Onita is quick to get up, keeping the pace of the match as he goes after Aoyagi with a double-leg takedown. Onita re-establishes his momentum as Aoyagi struggles to deal with a more grappling-focused Onita, who utilizes his Lutra Livre training by causing all sorts of headaches for Aoyagi. Aoyagi goes for a rope break as Onita tries for a cross-armbreaker. Onita seems to be the sharper of the two, as he throws some insane strikes and causes all sorts of mayhem for Aoyagi on the canvas whenever he can get his opponent down on the mat. Onita eventually grabs a 2-1 lead several minutes in after Aoyagi exhausts another rope break from a kneebar attempt. Aoyagi does manage to get some offense in at times and is able to clinch with Onita several times to pound him with knee strikes. The WKA star is the first to draw blood after hitting Onita in the head with one of his knee strikes. A cut appears above Onita’s eyebrow and Onita seems enraged that Aoyagi got the better of him here. Another fierce striking contest emerges and Aoyagi sends Onita back down to the floor with a powerful axe kick. Onita stumbles to the canvas as blood pours out from the cut, and fights his way back to his feet before the 10 count. Kitazawa asks Onita to get checked out by the medical stuff before continuing, and they do their best to fix the cut, although it’s a tough task. With the match now tied at 2-2, Aoyagi seeks to maintain his momentum and keep Onita on the back foot. Onita’s defense serves him well and he gets a nice arm drag takedown to get Aoyagi back to the canvas. With another grappling exchange, both Aoyagi’s white Karate gi and Onita’s blue trunks become stained with spots of blood. Onita mounts Aoyagi and brutalizes him with several vicious palm strikes, and Aoyagi finally tastes his own blood as his nose lets loose from the beating. Kitazawa urges Onita to get off and begins a 10 count as Aoyagi is slow to get up, but he responds in time. Aoyagi is lured in by Onita, who launches him backward with a devastating belly-to-belly suplex that gets the crowd going quite loudly. Onita and Aoyagi go at it on the canvas, but Onita’s background and training eventually enable him to snag a heel hook, and Aoyagi taps as he realizes his ankle is on the verge of getting snapped to pieces. The sudden finish sends the crowd into a frenzy and they chant Onita’s name as Kitazawa raises the victor’s arm into the air after the bell sounds. Onita defeats Aoyagi via submission (heel hook), 15:49 Satoru Sayama vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara Sayama and Fujiwara are quite familiar with each other, going back to their days in the original UWF where they had a series of excellent matches. In 1989 though, things could be different. Sayama has grown as a shooter with his focus on his Shooto philosophy, and Fujiwara has become a gnarly veteran who has only become better with the years. Sayama and Fujiwara enter the ring to large receptions from the crowd, and Sayama in particular seems determined to break his losing streak. On the other hand, Fujiwara is eager for a win over a long-time rival to start the new year and firmly establish himself as a top star in the company. With the ring introductions out of the way and with Motoyuki Kitazawa checking both competitors to see if they are ready, the bell sounds and the match begins. Sayama checks Fujiwara with a series of kicks to open the match, and Fujiwara does well to play defense and not get caught in any of Sayama’s machinations. Sayama continues to throw some tentative strikes before choosing to test Fujiwara on the grappling side, and Fujiwara gets the better of him here as Sayama scrambles out of Fujiwara’s grasp before getting stuck in with the wily veteran. At the urging of the crowd, they decide to grapple again after another brief exchange of strikes, and Fujiwara takes down Sayama with a clever double wrist-lock and he goes to work on his rival by exerting more pressure with Sayama seated on the canvas. Sayama eventually fights his way out of the hold and begins to show Fujiwara the strengths of the Shooto way by using excellent counterwork and defensive grappling, giving Fujiwara a taste of his own medicine. Fujiwara eventually finds himself in a triangle choke as Sayama works from underneath, and quickly decides to go for a rope break to avoid any further trouble. It now becomes a battle of Fujiwara’s defensive approach and Sayama’s powerful striking offense as the two try and find a breakthrough as the match continues to develop. Fujiwara attempts to counter Sayama’s kicks and palm strikes with reversal takedowns and striking-based counters, but Sayama seems undeterred and either finds a way back up or dodges Fujiwara’s attempts at knocking him backward. Sayama lands two jumping roundhouses to Fujiwara’s midsection and Sayama raises his fist in the air as he celebrates another knockdown. Fujiwara is slow to get back up but beats the ten count, and Kitazawa signals both men to continue the match. There’s more back and forth as Fujiwara gets his knockdown back and evens the score with a vicious right palm strike. Sayama’s legs turn wobbly and he falls to the canvas but refuses to relent. Fujiwara begins to find some joy on the canvas he manages to get Sayama where he wants him as the match enters its later stages. Sayama finds himself at the hands of a willing and focused Fujiwara, whose grappling instincts neutralize any of Sayama’s techniques. Sayama goes to the ropes as Fujiwara applies his trademark armbar, and the Shooto founder begins to realize he needs to change things up. Sayama lands a flashy combo of quicks on Fujiwara after the match resumes, and Fujiwara attempts to fight back with a series of stiff headbutts but gets caught by another high kick which connects. Fujiwara stumbles to the canvas and finds himself at the receiving end of several kicks to the stomach by Sayama. Sayama receives a yellow card from Kitazawa as he is warned for striking a downed opponent, and the crowd gasps as Sayama shows his meaner side in a bit of a call back to their matches in the original UWF. Fujiwara gets up but is clearly vulnerable now. Sayama goes for a rolling kick and lands it, and Fujiwara finds himself in a tough spot as Sayama follows it up with a Katahajime near the center of the ring. Fujiwara gasps for air and decides not to give Sayama the pleasure of tapping out. Instead, Fujiwara chooses to pass out and Kitazawa immediately calls for the bell as Fujiwara’s limbs become lifeless. Sayama defeats Fujiwara via submission (Katahajime), 17:22 After the match, Fujiwara takes some time to get up as the referee checks on him. As he recovers and regains his energy, Fujiwara immediately stands up and stares down Sayama face-to-face as the two become a bit heated. They don’t shake hands as customary for most in UWF now, and they go their separate ways as we hear mixed chants for both Fujiwara and Sayama. Fujiwara is seen smirking a bit on the cameras as he walks backstage. The WOWOW commentary team recap the events in the match and they note this is the first time we’ve seen Sayama’s edgier side in UWF Newborn. There’s a ton of history between these two and it looks like an old rivalry has been re-kindled. Victor Zangiev & Salman Hashimikov vs Steve Williams & Gary Albright The next match is preceded by audible anticipation from the crowd. As Nobuyuki Furuta announces the next match, large cheers for the names mentioned break out, and “Love It Loud” by Kiss plays through the Budokan as Gary Albright and Steve Williams make their way to the ring. Wearing fancy letterman jackets from their respective alma maters, Albright and Williams march down the walkway and slowly make their way to the ring like heavily armed tanks as fans try to reach out to them from seats nearby. As the two get into the ring and take off their jackets to reveal their red singlets, the music for Salman Hashimikov and Victor Zangiev plays as the two make their way to the ring with Soviet wrestling tracksuits over their blue singlets. Hashimikov and Zangiev have an air of confidence as they enter the ring and we are treated to the ring introductions by Furuta before the bell sounds and a highly anticipated match gets underway. Hashimikov and Zangiev talk briefly, and Hashimkov appears to be the first representative of the two Soviet wrestlers. Williams seems to convince Gary Albright to let him go first, and Hashimikov and Williams face off to start the match. The crowd cheers as they square each other up, and they lock up quickly as Williams backs Hashimikov into the ropes before quickly breaking off as Masami Soranaka orders a clean break. They clinch again in the middle of the ring before Williams sends Hashimikov flying into the air with a side suplex which seemingly turns into an uranage. Williams tries to get control of Hashimikov’s back but Hashimikov spins out and gets back on his feet quickly. The Chechen wrestler quickly ties up Williams’ arm for a side arm-drag takedown, which he tries to turn into an inverted armbar but “Dr. Death” easily fights his way out as he stands back up on his feet again. Williams gives Hashimikov a taste of his own medicine with a double-arm front suplex and Hashimikov has to have his head on a swivel as Williams fights to gain side control with the Chechen on his stomach. Williams gets a small gutwrench suplex off through a double under leg hook, but it doesn’t bother Hashimikov too much as he quickly gets back up. Steve Williams doesn’t relent though, and is quick to get Hashimikov back on the canvas with a swift double-leg takedown. Hashimikov and Williams grapple a bit on the canvas as Williams tries to get control of Hashimikov’s back again, but the Chechen smartly rolls near the ropes to get a clean break. Hashimikov, sensing the need to get back at Williams, quickly locks up with the American near the center of the ring and sends Williams flying backward for a massive overhead belly-to-belly suplex! The crowd is awed at the display of strength from the Soviet and there’s another scramble on the canvas as the two super heavyweight wrestlers try to get supremacy on the canvas. They both sprawl as they each try to get a better position, and they find themselves back on their feet in short order. With a few minutes of heavy metal wrestling, they both decide to tag their partners in to get a well-deserved rest. Zangiev and Albright lock up in the center of the ring and Zangiev immediately baits Albright into a low-angle Fireman’s Takeover slam. Zangiev fights for side control as he tries to get a grip on Albright’s arm for a simple but effective keylock. Albright struggles to fight out but finds himself in a tough spot and goes for an early rope break. The crowd continues to cheer both on and they clinch again in the center of the ring. This time, Albright gets the better of Zangiev and tosses him backward for an overhead belly-to-belly suplex! Albright maintains side control and looks for his own keylock attempt as Zangiev rolls out, but Albright keeps the pressure on his back and attempts a double wrist-lock instead, forcing Zangiev to go for the ropes to get even. With both back on their feet again, Zangiev goes for a low-angle ankle pick on Albright, but the PCW star smartly defends and exerts his strength to gain control of Zangiev’s back again on the canvas. Zangiev has to scramble quickly as Albright appears to look for a rear-naked choke, and Zangiev defends himself after rolling over on his back. Albright can’t seem to get the quicker Zangiev in his grasp as the Soviet freestylist fights his way back onto his feet. Zangiev and Albright keep at it and quickly lock horns again. This time, Albright takes control of Zangiev’s back and delivers a powerful German suplex, and Zangiev stumbles backward into the ropes he regains his footing on some wobbly legs. Albright comes back at him, but Zangiev reaches to tag in Hashimikov just in time. Hashimikov and Albright lock up for a bit, but neither can find the advantage enough to get much offense in. Albright chooses to tag in Williams and another encounter between “Dr. Death” and the Chechen ensures. Williams mixes things up by throwing a few tentative palm strikes, but Hashimikov is undeterred and clinches with his opponent once again. Hashimikov hooks Williams’ leg and goes for a side-angle belly-to-belly suplex, which amps up the crowd further as Williams finds himself on the canvas, but the Oklahoman scrambles back to his feet quickly and returns the favor to Hashimikov with a similar suplex as Williams takes control of Hashimikov’s arm and attempts a standing armbar, forcing the Soviet to go for his first rope break. Hashimikov shows Williams that he can do a clever ankle pick too and takes him down again, but Williams does well to find his feet quickly and takes down Hashimikov back to the canvas with an arm-drag takedown. The quick pace with these two is heating the match up as the crowd takes it all in. Hashimikov gets his own freestyle-esque arm takedown in and is quick to find William’s leg for a single-leg Boston crab. As Hashimikov remains on his feet and applies more torque, Williams is forced to go for his first rope break as well. Soranaka doesn’t need to do much here as they keep going at each other, and Hashimikov and Williams go through a test of strength as the two massive wrestlers hook their arms and push each other to their limits. Williams seems to get the better of this as he manages to lock in the positioning needed for big side suplex! Hashimikov turns to Zangiev and tags his fellow comrade back into the match. Zangiev does his best to bait Williams into a trap, but the WCW man does well to avoid anything Zangiev has planned for him and instead goes for a single-leg takedown on his opponent. Williams appears to attempt an armbar, but Zangiev somehow reverses the hold and takes Williams down to the canvas, where he finds the same leg Hashimikov was working on earlier and applies a single-leg Boston crab! Williams appears agitated and quickly kicks Zangiev off him with brute strength as Zangiev looks a bit surprised. Zangiev and Williams lock up again, where Zangiev uses his quickness and technique to get Williams to the canvas, where Zangiev finds the spot needed to apply a cross-armbreaker, but Williams does well to fight him off and rolls through the submission attempt. There’s more of a back-and-forth between the two, and neither can seem to get the upper hand. With the two back on their feet, Zangiev attempts to send Williams flying again with a German suplex, but Williams reverses their positioning and finds Zangiev’s back for a German suplex of his own. Zangiev lands pretty hard on his head and appears a bit dazed, but Zangiev tags in Hashimikov before Soranaka can think about applying a ten count. Williams decides to tag in Albright to take a breather of his own. Hashimikov squares up with Albright, and Albright grapples with Hashimikov as he pushes him into a turnbuckle to corner him. Albright utilizes some knee strikes to soften his opponent up and takes control of Hashimikov’s back for another German suplex. Albright maintains control of Hashimikov’s back as they go back to the mat, and the two engage in some slow, methodical grappling as Hashimikov attempts to fight off a wristlock from Albright. Albright continues to control Hashimikov on the mat and appears to lock in a headlock variation, but Hashimikov slithers his way out and scrambles to the ropes to get Albright’s weight off him. Clearly a bit fatigued, Hashimikov is a bit more tentative as Albright keeps the pressure on him. Albright attempts to get another sleeper hold on Hashimikov, but Hashimikov deploys a Judo-esque takedown and converts it into a cross-armbreaker attempt, and Albright is quick to find the ropes as Hashimikov begins to extend the arm. It appears Hashimikov gets a bit of a second wind here as he manages to outmuscle Albright for an overhead suplex. Hashimikov and Albright struggle on the canvas some more, but neither can lock in a submission attempt. Finally, Albright finds control of Hashimikov’s back again and executes an amazing deadlift German suplex on his opponent, which heats up the crowd quite a bit. Albright continues to hunt for Hashimikov’s back and locks in a full-nelson, which makes Hashimikov scramble to the ropes once again to find some salvation. The Chechen is quick to tag back in Zangiev. If the Soviets needed a change in momentum, Zangiev provided it by swiftly going for Albright’s leg for a single-leg takedown. With the Nebraskan on his back, Zangiev goes for a neck crank on Albright, who has to fight his way out of the painful hold. Zangiev maintains control on the canvas and works for a simple but effective toe hold as he utilizes some of his SAMBO background to mix things up. Albright has to exhaust another rope break to avoid further trouble, and quickly gets back up as Zangiev follows. At this point, the crowd realizes that both Albright and Hashimikov are one fall down, giving both teams an even score of 1-1. Perhaps both men realize this as well, and they quickly grapple in the middle of the ring again. Zangiev gets a clever headlock takedown on his opponent and tries to lock in a kneeling chokehold, but Albright reaches out and tags Williams in! Steve Williams quickly takes it to Zangiev, and executes a swift but devastating spinebuster on Zangiev as the Soviet representative attempts to defend himself from the charging “Dr. Death.” Zangiev is slow to get up, and this prompts the first ten count of the match from Soranaka, but Zangiev wills himself back to his feet before too long. Williams has some confidence in him as the score is now 2-1 in favor of the Americans. Zangiev chooses to tag in Hashimikov, who has regained his strength and the Chechen is quick to challenge Williams again as they go at it and shove each other like rampaging bulls. Williams pushes Hashimikov into the ropes, but the burly Soviet is quick to lock his arms around William’s waist to take him down back to the canvas with a waistlock takedown. Williams briefly gets a full mount on Hashimikov and he throws several palm strikes, but Hashimikov rolls out of danger and turtles up, forcing Williams to change position. Williams attempts to get a gutwrench on Hashimikov, but he is somehow able to fight to his feet and challenges Williams as the crowd senses the time limit approaching. First, we get a 20:00 call, and for the next five minutes, Hashimikov and Williams go at it with everything they have. They each get a German suplex on each other, but neither relents. Next, we get a 25:00 call. They are still going at it! Hashmikov senses the urgency needed to even up the score and is able to lock up with Williams again. This time, Hashimikov lifts Williams over his shoulder for his trademark move, the Water Wheel Drop! The crowd meets the moment of the match, and the apex audibly fills Nippon Budokan when Hashimikov lifts Williams over his shoulder and slams him to the canvas backward. Hashimikov regains his composure and quickly realizes that Williams is facing a ten count after taking too long to recover for Soranaka’s liking. Williams takes his time to find his feet, grabbing the ropes as if one of his knees is bothering him. The score is now 2-2, and we get a 28:00 call as both men decide to tag in their partners for the last two minutes. Zangiev and Albright try everything they can to put their team in a better position. Zangiev gets another ankle pick on Albright and appears to have the American right where he wants him on the canvas, but time soon expires. All four men look clearly exhausted as they converse in their respective corners with the crowd appreciative of the match they just witnessed. The crowd is informed that both teams are tied on points and that each has exhausted an equal number of rope breaks. With that, they are informed that the UWF Newborn committee is now discussing to determine the official result. The WOWOW camera pans to the judges’ panel, with a red-suited Billy Robinson leading the discussions. The WOWOW commentary team continues to discuss the match and go through replays as discussions continue. It doesn’t drag on too much, but the wait probably seemed like an eternity for the eager fan. Masami Soranaka and Nobuyuki Furuta, the ring announcer, are called over to ringside by the three UWF committee members, and Billy Robinson converses with them briefly. After that, Soranaka returns and calls both teams over to the center of the ring, where they stand with Soranaka separating them as we await the official result from Nobuyuki Furuta….the Soviets have it by split decision! Hashimikov & Zangiev defeat Williams & Albright via decision (30:00). Williams and Albright seem exasperated by the decision, and the cameras catch them laughing a bit as they lean over the ropes and come to terms with the result. Perhaps they feel a little bit of home cooking helped the Russians? The WOWOW commentary team agree that they were a bit surprised, and expected a draw, but that the Soviets were able to turn the tide of the match at the end and Zangiev was able to get Albright and Williams in moments of danger on the canvas. Williams and Albright turn around and have a bit of a staredown with the Russians. Hashimikov offers to shake hands….and the two sides agree to the display of sportsmanship. Perhaps this won’t be the only time we see these two teams lock up again. The crowd certainly wants to see it again as they applaud both teams, both walking back to backstage their separate ways. Albright has his hands on his waist as Williams pats him on the back before they disappear behind the curtains and the camera cuts back to the ring. Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada The crowd is amped up and highly anticipating the match. Nobuyuki Furuta stands in the center of the ring and announces the next match is the main event. “Captured” by Camel plays in the arena as Akira Maeda comes out to a thunderous ovation. As is usual, the crowd chants “Ma-e-da! Ma-e-da!” In cadence with the tune. Fans crowd the seats near the aisle way as they attempt to get a glimpse of their hero or at least one of their heroes. The last part is important to emphasize because as soon as Maeda enters the ring and takes off his track jacket, Nobuhiko Takada’s theme plays and Takada comes out to perhaps an equally loud reception as Maeda’s challenger makes it clear he also has plenty of fans. Takada marches his way to the ring, and with both men standing in their respective corners, Furuta makes the ring introductions and the first meeting between the “twin stars” of UWF is quickly underway as soon as the bell sounds. Maeda checks Takada early with a high kick that hits Takada’s arm, and Takada quickly brushes it off. Maeda keeps the distance with some low kicks aimed at Takada’s ankles, but they don’t bother his opponent too much. Takada steps up to trade some tentative kicks with Maeda, and the two continue to test each other’s reach and strength. Maeda and Takada think about locking up with each other and extend their arms, but they back off as they fail to establish any sort of supremacy. Maeda finally finds an angle to take down Takada with a waistlock drag, but Takada quickly finds his way back to his feet and Maeda follows suit. The crowd applauds both as they reset and measure each other up again. Maeda throws harder high kicks and mixes it up with some palm strikes, and he backs Takada into a corner, but Takada comes right back and takes down Maeda to the canvas by catching one of his high kicks. Takada establishes side control on Maeda’s back as Maeda turtles up, and Takada methodically looks for a wristlock until he backs off and decides to take the match back to the stand-up side. Takada throws a wild kick as Maeda gets up, but misses, eliciting an “oooh!” from the crowd. Maeda keeps his focus and continues to check Takada hard with more powerful kicks. Takada answers back with a right kick of his own and it catches Maeda in the face, and Maeda visibly recoils at the impact, but quickly regains his composure as the crowd reacts excitingly again. Furuta calls out the 5:00 mark. Takada throws a series of hard kicks, but Maeda catches one of them to push Takada down to the canvas and comes right back with a series of low kicks as Takada tries to get up. Maeda and Takada get into a quick brawl as they throw wild strikes and the crowd eats it up, but they quickly slow things down again and Maeda gets Takada into a headlock, getting his opponent to the canvas with a side-headlock throw. Maeda quickly tries to look for a wristlock but Takada fights hard to keep his arm locked in place. Maeda switches things up and attempts a cross-armbreaker, which Takada tries to bridge out of as Maeda extends his arm. Takada does well to escape and there’s an extended scramble on the canvas as Maeda tries to regain the cross-armbreaker, but to no avail. They continue to grapple on the canvas, with both engaging in methodical counterwork to try and maintain control and positioning. Maeda works his way for another wristlock attempt, and this time he gets enough of it to force Takada to the ropes for the first rope break of the match. As Takada gets to his feet, we get the 10:00 call. Takada offers to grapple with Maeda again and extends his arm out as a gesture of goodwill. Takada quickly adjusts his body to execute a Judo throw, and Maeda finds himself defending Takada’s side control. Takada appears to be hunting for a kimura, as Maeda tries his best to keep his opponent from snagging the hold. Instead, Takada switches to a keylock attempt and quickly tries to exert enough pressure to give Maeda something to think about. Despite Takada’s best attempts, Maeda does well to avoid having to go to the ropes during another extended struggle on the canvas. Both men find themselves back up on their feet, and a wild striking exchange ensues over the next minute as both Takada and Maeda exchange powerful strikes to the delight of the crowd. Takada appears to be a bit staggered after Maeda lands a series of high kicks, and Masami Soranaka can be heard saying “down! down!” on the ring microphone, but Takada fights through his rubbery legs. Perhaps through adrenaline, Takada fires back and lands some sharp lower-body punches on Maeda. Maeda answers back with a sharp knee to Takada’s head, followed by a well-timed kick to the head to finally send Takada to the canvas. Takada faces the first ten count of the match but answers back relatively quickly. The crowd urgers both on, with things seemingly evenly split in terms of support. Maeda quickly applies more pressure on Takada, softening him up with some lower-body punches before taking him down to the canvas with a quick overhead snap bodyslam. After some struggle, Maeda eventually locks in a Fujiwara armbar, and Takada is forced to the ropes again despite his fans urging him on. With the second rope break for Takada, the match now stands at 2-0 for Maeda. Akira Maeda hasn’t made a name for himself by not being merciless with his opponents, and he demonstrates the rougher edge that has made him famous by continuing to boss the weakened Takada around with knees to the body and more high kicks. Takada doesn’t have much time to recover as he tries to fight off Maeda’s relentless pressure. Maeda continues to punish Takada, and the continuing knees and high kicks to the head finally send Takada down to the canvas for the second time. Maeda, with a 3-0 lead, looks at Takada while striking an intimidating pose. Furuta continues the ten count until Takada finds his feet at around the count of 7. Just when the crowd might have thought Takada was letting this match slip away from him, he somehow finds his footing and….WHAM! Maeda is caught by a ferocious right kick from Takada that connects with the skull of his opponent, and the crowd erupts as Maeda goes down to the canvas for the first time. Furuta starts another 10 count, and Maeda has to regain his composure quickly as he wonders what just happened. Maeda responds by the count of 8. The match now stands at 3-1, still in favor of Maeda. Not resting on his laurels, Takada goes back to work by taking Maeda back to the canvas with a single-leg takedown. Takada tries to catch Maeda’s arm for another cross-armbreaker, but Maeda is able to focus and fight off Takada’s attempt. They go back to their feet, and Maeda holds onto Takada’s leg as he tries to throw his opponent off-balance, but Takada slaps Maeda hard across the face! Maeda appears to try for a Capture suplex, but Takada fights out of Maeda’s grasp and takes him back down to the canvas with a knee grab. There are dueling leglock exchanges as they try to establish momentum on the canvas, and Maeda appears to have Takada’s knee better than Takada does with one of his own. The crowd continues to eat up the moment as chants for both Takada and Maeda break out. Maeda applies enough pressure to send Takada to the ropes again. With another rope break exhausted, Takada throws everything he has at Maeda and lands several high kicks, knee strikes, and lower-body punches before Maeda falls to the canvas for the second time. Furuta calls out another 10 count, and Maeda responds again to find his footing. Takada continues to come at Maeda like a machine, clearly in the zone as he fires off several more high kicks. Maeda tries to answer back, but Takada counters with another high kick that catches Maeda on the head. UWF’s “promoter” falls to the canvas again, and the match is tied 3-3 as Maeda has to respond to yet another 10 count. The crowd is going absolutely wild. Maeda appears to be quite out of it at this point, and Takada senses his opportunity to continue his momentum. He grapples with Maeda for a quick belly-to-belly suplex and establishes control of Maeda’s back as he locks in a rear-naked choke. Maeda’s fans urge him on and Maeda finds enough strength to go for the ropes for the first time in the match. They continue to go at it back on their feet, and Maeda somehow finds Takada’s back for his own rear-naked choke attempt. Takada eventually fights his way out though, and finds Maeda’s legs for a single-leg Boston crab! With Takada desperately trying to apply enough pressure, Maeda has no choice but to go for the ropes….but Takada pulls him back! Maeda’s fans are desperate, and perhaps their desperation gives Maeda the strength to go for the ropes again…this time he manages to reach them. Takada takes the lead at 4-3! Maeda is gassed at this point, and he seems to be a bit dazed as Takada quickly ties him up for a huge side suplex. Maeda hits the canvas hard and Takada looks for another double wristlock attempt. Maeda tries to fight his way out, but Takada turns it into a chicken-wing crossface as he takes Maeda’s back again. Perhaps with Bob Backlund still in mind. Maeda has no choice but to reach for the nearest ropes next to him, and Maeda is down to his final rope break. The crowd senses the climax of the match approaching, and Maeda is on his last legs….or is he? He somehow finds the strength to hook up Takada for a massive Capture suplex and Maeda’s fans go crazy. Takada is a bit slow finding his footing, and Soranaka promptly calls for another 10 count…and we are tied at 4-4 going into the homestretch! Takada eventually finds his bearings, but just in the nick of time. Furuta reaches the count of 9. With both perhaps running low on energy, they give the next minute everything they have. They trade high kicks, low kicks, body punches, you name it. In the midst of this, we have the 20:00 call from Furuta. Fans of both men are about to blow the roof off the Nippon Budokan. Maeda appears to have the upper hand as he connects a high kick on Takada’s head…but then Takada fires back with some high kicks of his own! One connects, then another…and the third finally brings Maeda down! Maeda’s legs turn to rubber and Maeda has no clue where he is as he desperately tries to get back on his feet, but it is too late. Takada scores the final knockdown of the match and wins via TKO! Takada jumps on the nearest turnbuckle to celebrate his victory, and Nippon Budokan has 14,500 screaming fans who just witnessed a classic! Takada defeats Maeda via TKO, 20:40 Nobuhiko Takada continues to celebrate his epic come-from-behind victory as Akira Maeda recovers. The crowd chants “Ta-ka-da! Ta-ka-da! Ta-ka-da!” as the victor celebrates in front of all sections of the crowd. Maeda approaches Takada and they briefly shake hands, but there is an air of competitiveness from Maeda who seems to signal that they will meet again very soon. Maeda leaves the ring for Takada to take in his moment, as he has earned it. The WOWOW commentary team recaps the match and they signal that Takada’s kick from out of nowhere may have changed the course of the match. Maeda is shown backstage and he gives a brief interview, saying that Takada surprised him tonight and that he was the better opponent. However, Maeda claims that Takada should be more prepared next time as he is certain he can even the score. After Maeda’s interview, the WOWOW commentary team recaps the other matches and events from the night, including Lou Thesz’s surprising announcement about the U-Comos Grand Prix and its conclusion on December 31st at the Tokyo Dome. They promote next month’s event on February 27th in Tokushima, and they give the viewing audience a tasty preview as they announce two rematches are already booked for the show. Bob Backlund vs Nobuhiko Takada and Volk Han vs Akira Maeda! We get rolling credits to Queen’s “We Will Rock You” as we close out the evening’s live broadcast. 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Autistic Dragon Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 Lou Thez was way before my time but even I get how big it is to have him give the UWF the seal of approval. I'm not sure how a 24 man tournament works, specifically when it gets down to an odd number but the UWF crowning its first champion is definitely a huge milestone. Speaking of milestones, the UWF is headed to the TOKYO DOME baby! The Soviets winning was another big surprise. Takada did it! He beat the boss man, but he'd better refocus because round 2 with Backlund is ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control21 Posted January 27 Author Report Share Posted January 27 6 minutes ago, Autistic Dragon said: Lou Thez was way before my time but even I get how big it is to have him give the UWF the seal of approval. I'm not sure how a 24 man tournament works, specifically when it gets down to an odd number but the UWF crowning its first champion is definitely a huge milestone. Speaking of milestones, the UWF is headed to the TOKYO DOME baby! The Soviets winning was another big surprise. Takada did it! He beat the boss man, but he'd better refocus because round 2 with Backlund is ahead. There will be a few byes, and a few "play-in" matches if you will. Sort of how the NCAA tournament looks with the First Four. I think NJPW did this a year or two ago with the New Japan Cup but maybe my memory is sketchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rainmakerrtv Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 I'd cry Fix for the tag result, but I know how tough those particular Russians can be. Top flight show again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaldoni Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 Anjo came out swinging, but Miyato stayed calm and outwrestled him. Suzuki and Sano get the crowd behind them. This match could've gone either way, but that finishing sequence by Suzuki was beautifully executed. The teacher definitely taught the student a few more lessons. WOW! Nakano KOs Funaki in one hard hitting fight. Great match! Well, I think Rocco and Jones won the crowd over in the British Catch Rules Match. Great contest and I hope we get a rematch. Thesz makes a surprise appearance and delivers a blockbuster announcement. YES! We will see an undisputed champion crowned. Bring it on! Props to Zouev for taking a lot of punishment. But that combo at the end by Yamazaki was incredible. Damn, Aoyagi and Onita draw blood and went at it. Onita earned that one. Sayama got a little dirty to get the win. I liked that Fujiwara didn't give the satisfaction of tapping out LOL. Looks like there's a big feud going on here. It's not everyday when you see wrestlers that can legit go toe to toe with Williams and Albright. The Russians eke out the decision, but man what a match. I can't believe these guys went 30 minutes. REMATCH! Takada beats Maeda!!!! WOW! This is huge. It looked like Maeda had it under control early on, but man Takada came back with a vengeance. Classic match! Backlund vs. Takada is going to be epic! Can't wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlet-Left Posted January 30 Report Share Posted January 30 Between the prose and having seen a few different runs of that bout, it was so easy to visualise the main event. Great win for Nobuhiko Takada! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Control21 Posted February 2 Author Report Share Posted February 2 Quote February 1st, 1989 In a huge upset that very few saw coming, Nobuhiko Takada defeated Akira Maeda in front of 14,500 fans at the Nippon Budokan on January 26th. Takada, despite being a popular figure with many fans since the first UWF, has always been seen as a secondary star to Akira Maeda. Takada’s victory was well-received by those in attendance and various Japanese press outlets have hailed Takada’s victory and many believe he has cemented himself as a major star in Japan. It is unlikely that Akira Maeda will be toppled as the figurehead of the UWF revolution, but there is no doubt Takada can be seen as an equal now. Akira Maeda putting over his rival could be a boon to the UWF going forward as it gives the promotion a clear rival to Maeda and allows them to build around two superstars going forward. The live gate for the show is reported to be at $950,000, which beats out the gate for the Ariake Coliseum show ($800,000) last summer by $150,000. Takada has been interviewed in several publications over the past week and has said that he won’t rest on his laurels as he turns his attention to his upcoming rematch with Bob Backlund later this month in Tokushima. Akira Maeda, for his part, has been humble in defeat and gave Takada credit for his toughness and ability. Maeda also believes that the two will meet again in the near future and that he will be prepared to even the score. In the semi-main event for the Budokan event, Salman Hashimikov and Victor Zangiev defeated Gary Albright and Steve Williams via a split decision after the match concluded as a draw even on points. The outcome has been largely seen by observers in the U.S. as a way to further “put over” Hashimikov and Victor Zangiev as formidable opponents for UWF’s native talent while protecting Albright and Williams without having either be eliminated in the course of the match. Both Albright and Williams sold the finish well and had a brief stare-down with the Soviets before shaking hands. It was a very hard-hitting match with both teams showing off their strength and background in amateur wrestling. The match left open the possibility for a rematch down the line, and there is hope from UWF officials that they can bring back both Albright and Williams eventually, but there aren’t any immediate plans. Hashimikov and Zangiev may also be facing some of their fellow countrymen shortly as Aleksandr Karelin and David Gobejishvili are both expected to return soon, and both have been training hard back home to prepare for a more extended run in the promotion. Gobejishvili in particular has been training with Billy Robinson (who has been taking flights back and forth between the USSR and Japan) according to Gong Magazine, while Karelin has been training with his wrestling club back in Novosibirsk. The fans in the Nippon Budokan also saw Satoru Sayama defeat Yoshiaki Fujiwara in a match that turned rather stiff towards the end, with Sayama receiving a yellow card from the referee after an illegal blow. The match recalled Sayama’s previous matches with Fujiwara in the first UWF and even had shades of Sayama’s infamous match with Akira Maeda that turned into a shoot, although it is believed this was by design. A rematch between Sayama and Fujiwara seems inevitable. In a UWF rules match, Atsushi Ontia defeated Masashi Aoyagi in another brutal blood-drawn affair that saw one of UWF’s up-and-coming stars further establish himself as a tough fighter with his background in Luta Livre and Vale Tudo. While the UWF already appeals to a younger male audience in Japan, Onita is quickly gaining traction with teenage males with his presentation that draws inspiration from arcade fighting games such as Street Fighter and popular media like the “Fist of the North Star” series. Onita’s ascendency in this regard is something to keep an eye on, and it would not be surprising if UWF decides to put him on a higher platform if his popularity continues to rise. In another interesting match, Marty Jones fought Mark Roco to a draw in a “British Catch Rules” bout that featured both men utilizing both modern and classic techniques to give the fans in attendance a taste of British-style wrestling. People who were in attendance and are familiar with British wrestling from earlier in the decade have said that the match was very good and recalled some of World of Sport’s general style while maintaining more of a focus on traditional catch wrestling techniques. Nikolai Zouev, a Russian Sambist, also made his debut against Kazuo Yamazaki in a losing effort. The undercard matches, which saw Shigeo Miyato defeat Yoji Anjo, Minoru Suzuki beating Naoki Sano, Yorinaga Nakamura getting a win over Yasuto Sekishima, and Tatsuo Nakano defeating Masakatsu Funaki, were said to be very good as well. The show appears to have delivered overall with the positive feedback it has been getting. In some interesting news, rumors are going around both in Japan and stateside that Allen “Bad News Brown” Coage could be on his way to UWF very soon. It is unclear how this affects his contractual status with WWF, but it could be a case of WWF simply not having any plans for him, which would allow him to work more Japan dates on the side. Clarification will be sought on this, but some have even claimed that Coage could appear as soon as UWF’s next show in Tokushima. Of course, Coage is an Olympic medalist in Judo, having won the bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, and has won two gold medals at the Pan-American games as well. His legitimate background in grappling arts could serve him very well at UWF, which might be why they are interested in him. Coage also appeared various times for NJPW earlier in the decade and had a widely acclaimed Judo Jacket match with Seiji Sakaguchi in 1977. UWF’s next show in Tokushima is interesting in several regards. Tokushima is a much smaller market than the cities UWF has held events in so far, and the card for the event currently has Bob Backlund vs Nobuhiko Takada and Akira Maeda vs Volk Han in two huge rematches. Traditionally, companies in Japan don’t give away big matches in smaller markets but with UWF holding one event per month currently, the idea appears to be that if smaller markets have huge matches as well, the fans in those smaller markets could be given the sense that UWF respects them as paying members of the audience and that anything can happen on any given night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinmcfl Posted February 13 Report Share Posted February 13 Sorry for falling a bit behind here but that was some event. You put in so much work and it really paid off. You keep teaching me more and more about UWF Newborn and I love what I see. I have seen a few of those British Catch Rules matches and found them very interesting. They just seemed to legitimize the sport. I thought the Lou Thesz promo was awesome!! The way you brought history into your tournament makes it soo interesting. WOW! That tag match between the Americans and Russians was awesome. I have always seen it from the American point of view were the Americans had the fix but the way you ended it was great!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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