UWF (Japan) 1988-1990

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I haven't seen anyone make a thread for this yet, so I figured I would share my thoughts on UWF 2.0/UWF Newborn as I am currently re-watching all of the events. Others are free to share their thoughts as well if they want (and they will probably be able to review matches much better than I can! )

UWF Starting Over (5/12/1988)

Nobhuhiko Takada vs Shigeo Miyato

Decent match with a weird structure. Miyato taps twice but the match is still declared a draw. Solid work, however, with some nice matwork from both. Miyato looks promising here, and Takada gets in his spots as expected. Good opener for UWF 2. 0. ***1/2

Tatsuo Nakano vs Yoji Anjo

Another solid match where Nakano breaks out and makes a statement as a young wrestler that will become the one we all know and love. Anjo also looks good here, but seems a bit slow and unsure of himself at times. Maybe went on a bit too long. ***1/2

Akira Maeda vs Kazuo Yamazaki 

Pretty good main event for UWF's first show. Maeda and Yamazaki both looked great, and they exchanged a lot of strikes as expected. Yamazaki is an underdog but gets his spots in as well, and looks like a legitimate threat to Akira Maeda. Maeda was of course a megastar at this time, and the crowd was firmly behind him. The matwork was decent, especially on Maeda's end as he gets the katahajime for the finish. ****

UWF Starting Over (6/11/1988)

Shigeo Miyato vs Tatsuo Nakano

This was a pretty good opener despite it going 30 minutes. Nakano and Miyato really gave it their all and this was a very physical bout with some lulls, but tons of energy to keep it going. Miyato seems to have the upper hand at first but Nakano adapts his strategy and slowly turns the table. That's the good thing with longer UWF matches, you see the wrestlers change their strategy and adjust. ***3/4

Kazuo Yamazaki vs Norman Smiley 

Norman Smiley was excellent here. This was his debut in UWF and his background in catch wrestling with knowledge gained from Gotch and the Malenkos really paid off. Yamazaki seemed to be caught off guard by Smiley's quickness and smooth transitions. Smiley actually has the advantage throughout most of the match until Yamazaki recognizes an opportunity to seize the victory with a smart submission. Very enjoyable overall. ****

Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada 

This was a decent main event that could have been better in some regards. The matwork wasn't particularly engaging and was a bit slow. For someone who watched every RINGS show before UWF Newborn as I did, this could be a difficult adjustment as guys like Tamura and Kohsaka were much quicker and state-of-the-art compared to Takada and Maeda in the 80s. However, there is still a good amount of psychology here, and the striking is as good as you would expect from these two. The match structure pays off in the end as well. ****

UWF The Professional Bout (8/13/1988)

A couple of shootboxing matches opened the show, which I find interesting as Satoru Sayama had split off from the original UWF in 1984-1985 to establish Shooto, which was a mix of Japanese jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and shootboxing. It felt like a response to this somewhat.  These matches weren't particularly captivating and felt one-sided. 

Shigeo Miyato vs Tatsuo Nakano 

I preferred their previous match over this one. This match dragged a bit, and I felt like it lacked the physicality of their last bout as well. ***1/2

Norman Smiley vs Yoji Anjo

Norman Smiley continued his good form from his last bout with Yamazaki here. Anjo isn't as good as a dance partner as Yamazaki was, but this was still pretty enjoyable at times. The grappling was a bit slower and perhaps traditional in the pro-style sense, but Smiley does have a few flashes of brilliance when Anjo allows him to work. ***3/4

Akira Maeda vs Gerard Gordeau

This was pretty good for a "wrestler vs Kickboxer" match, which we've seen Maeda succeed at with his match against Dan "Nakaya" Nielsen a few years earlier, and then, of course, his matches with Dick Vrij in 1991. Gordeau is presented as a real threat to Maeda, which helps a lot. There isn't much grappling here, but Gordeau doesn't look completely clueless when that happens (even if he is wearing boxing gloves). Gordeau gets in a nasty kick to Maeda's head in the 3rd round, and that makes me wonder if Gordeau was shooting on Maeda here. In any case, this was a serviceable main event to an otherwise okay show. ****

 

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UWF Fighting Network Hakata (9/24/1988)

Shigeo Miyato vs Yoji Anjo

This was alright. We see more of a shoot-style formula here and they kept the matwork decent, and the striking was very solid as well, but they also resorted to some pro-style elements like extended headlock or rest holds that didn't really fit with the vibe. The KO finish was a nice touch as it was sort of unpredictable. ***1/2

Tatsuo Nakano vs Tsunehito Naito 

A complete squash that looked like it was on the verge of turning into a shoot when Naito seems to displease Nakano with one of his strikes. Nakano just absolutely demolishes him after this with a painful-looking single-leg Boston crab. Naito was apparently a UWF dojo trainee at the time and never makes an appearance again in the promotion. Yikes. (**3/4)

Nobuhiko Takada vs Norman Smiley

Nothing really special here, Norman Smiley was good as expected, but it also felt like Takada got his stuff in and then Smiley was allowed to occasionally get his spots too. The last two minutes were the best part of this match in terms of Norman Smiley showing off his smooth transitions. It would have been interesting to see Smiley in UWFi or RINGS during the 1990s when shoot-style was more evolved, as he certainly had the flash and quickness to make things interesting. ***3/4

Akira Maeda vs Kazuo Yamazaki 

Decent main event all things considered, although it felt more like a pro-style match than a shoot-style match at times. It picked up towards the end, with Yamazaki seemingly trying to launch a comeback and Maeda refusing to relent. The crowd was firmly behind this match, and they were very pleased that Maeda won. ***3/4

UWF Fighting Network Nagoya (11/10/1988)

Shigeo Miyato vs Tatsuo Nakano

Nothing too exciting, but solid work, which is a common theme when you get matches between these two. As these two were more or less the "young lions" of UWF at the time, they start the trend we would see in later shoot-style promotions of "young lions" opening shows with solid grappling battles. Nakano looked like he was going to win, but Miyato pulls off a nice submission at the end. ***1/2

Mark Rush vs Yoji Anjo

Mark Rush is an amateur wrestler that has the Andrei Kopylov-esque appearance of being your cool uncle that also happens to be a dangerous grappler. He looked pretty solid here and Anjo does a nice job of being a dance partner for a first-time shoot-style guy without much experience in pro wrestling. ***3/4

Kazuo Yamazaki vs Bart Vale

This was pretty entertaining. This was Bart Vale's first appearance in UWF Newborn and while he did look green around the edges, he also got in some cool spots and came across as a legit threat to Yamazaki at times. Vale is more of a Kenpo fighter than a grappler, so his submission skills aren't anything special, but they are decent enough. Yamazaki gets a cool suplex at the end and transitions into a kneebar quickly for the submission victory. ***3/4

Nobuhiko Takada vs Akira Maeda

Fantastic. It's also the first match in UWF Newborn to utilize the point system where each wrestler has five knockdowns, and three rope breaks count for one knockdown. The first few minutes have some nice grappling. While it isn't RINGS-esque grappling, it is probably the best we've seen so far in UWF Newborn. Everything has an intent and purpose. Maeda appears to have the advantage during the first half of the match, getting Takada to scramble for rope breaks and getting a few knockdowns scored on him. The drama builds around Takada launching a comeback while down 4-2, seemingly on the verge of losing. He gets Maeda for another knockdown and Takada works Maeda on the canvas and eventually gets him to use his third rope break to get the score at 4-4. Then the last minute or so features one of the best finishing stretches you'll find in 1988. Maeda and Takada trade heavy blows as the crowd absolutely eats it up and blows the roof off Tsuyuhashi Sports Center. Takada gets the final knockdown on Maeda and wins via TKO. Great stuff. ****3/4

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UWF Heartbeat - Osaka Dream Bout (12/22/1988)

Tatsuo Nakano vs Yoji Anjo 

As with the last few shows, this opening match was mostly a physical grappling battle that basically put to the test the stamina of both wrestlers and probably was a proving ground for both of them while educating the crowd. They seem to be applying a lot more advanced shoot-style concepts steadily through these matches. Nothing special, although Anjo and Nakano both keep looking better. ***3/4

Shigeo Miyato vs Kazuo Yamazaki

Not a match that will blow you away, but Yamazaki does look really good here and Shigeo Miyato also keeps improving. Yamazaki controls most of the match but Miyato does shine here and there. By this point, it is clear Yamazaki is the #3 guy in the promotion. He makes it clear here by more or less easily winning the match without much trouble. ***3/4

Akira Maeda vs Norman Smiley

A bit of a dominant win for Maeda. Norman Smiley doesn't get much of a chance to show his stuff, which is a shame. Felt like a squash match at times but Maeda was clearly the main guy and probably the most popular wrestler in Japan in 1988. Maeda basically keeps Smiley from gaining any advantage on the canvas and bosses him around with his strikes. Not much to write home about. ***1/4

Bob Backlund vs Nobuhiko Takada

This was a spectacle. Backlund is recruited to UWF as a "scientific wrestler" (he makes this clear in the pre-match interview) and as always, is up for a good fight with Takada. Backlund didn't fully adjust to the UWF style but who gives a damn, he's incredibly entertaining and makes things work even if he does some pro-style stuff. Takada has experience in that department too so the match definitely shines in its best moments, but drags in some parts that prevent this from being a full-on classic. Backlund does come across as a legit threat to Takada and gives off Karl Gotch-esque vibes at times with his wrestling abilities. He has decent counterwork on the canvas here as well, keeping things moving when needed. His suplexes and throws come across as big and the crowd eats them up. The ending is a bit odd as there are "screwjob" elements to it, but Backlund is clearly doing his antics to keep the finish "up in the air." It is unclear to me if Backlund was working for a different finish and the referee stepped in to make sure Takada won cleanly, or if the finish was meant to be an "I didn't tap! " sort of thing. While the 80s was a great decade of wrestling, we rarely got to see great experimental art pieces such as this. A fun and eclectic mix of both worlds (pro-style and shoot-style). ****1/2

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UWF Dynamism - Budokan Super Bout (1/10/1989)

Shigeo Miyato vs Yoji Anjo

Your typical shoot-style match that opens the show with two young lions figuring things out and working out the kinks of the style. Nothing too exciting, but decent enough. Miyato is looking a bit better than he did in the summer of 1988, and Anjo is slowly growing into his own as well. ***

Norman Smiley vs Bart Vale

Solid match in terms of the style at the time, Smiley carried most of the match and got the better offense in as Bart Vale is still figuring out how to work shoot-style at this point. This was a bit of a grappler vs striker clash, which made it more compelling than a match between Anjo and Miyato. The match went on a little longer than it should have. ***1/4

Tatsuo Nakano vs Mark Rush

I did not enjoy this match at all. This was very boring even by the standards of the time. Both appeared to be uncomfortable working with each other, and the grappling was like watching paint dry. I'm not sure what went wrong here. I can tolerate slower-paced grappling but this was just bad. Mark Rush's previous match wasn't that bad either. Maybe the chemistry just wasn't there? Either way, this was a bit of a dud. **1/2

Kazuo Yamazaki vs Trevor Clarke

A classic wrestler vs kickboxer match. Trevor Clarke was a kickboxer from the UK and worked pretty well here all things considered. Maybe matches like this help Yamazaki in presenting his GWE case because he is able to put together good matches with folks like Trevor Clarke who don't have any experience in professional wrestling. The striking could have been better and Clarke was obviously pulling them, but it didn't take me out of the match. The match also had a round system, but things flowed pretty well. ***1/2

Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada

Another excellent clash between Takada and Maeda. The crowd was firmly behind this match and both guys got plenty of offense in and made you believe either could win at any moment. This was very physical at times, with both landing their strikes pretty hard, including closed fists, and Takada getting one or two nasty backdrop suplexes in. The grappling might have felt slow at times, but I don't think they did things just for the sake of it. Maeda was pushed to his limit by Takada but was determined to get his win back from November and prove he was the top guy in UWF as Takada's popularity was quickly growing. It didn't have the great closing stretch their previous match in November did, but it was probably better end-to-end. This certainly represented what UWF was all about in the late 1980s. ****3/4

[Phil Schneider]

It really gets cooking when Fujiwara gets there

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UWF Fighting Base Tokushima (2/27/1989)

Yoji Anjo vs Shigeo Miyato

A pretty good opener all things considered. Nothing that will blow you away, but the work here was very solid and Miyato put on display a lot of his potential that he never quite tapped into in his wrestling career. Anjo had a good performance too, and pulled off some nice moves. Better than some of the other UWF openers we've seen so far. ***3/4

Norman Smiley vs Tatsuo Nakano

More of a Smiley showcase than anything else. Nakano was pretty much there to have Smiley demonstrate all of his cool moves. Nakano did put up a fight at times but never had a chance. It's a shame we didn't see more of Smiley in UWF as he had moments that made you go "wow" in a very Volk Han-esque way. ***1/2

Akira Maeda vs Bart Vale

Pretty much a squash match for Akira Maeda. Nothing too exciting or decent here. Vale did have a good stretch at the end but didn't offer anything of note outside of that. A very dry match all things considered, and nothing to write home about beyond the last few minutes. **3/4

Nobuhiko Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki

A decent main event but it could have been better. Yamazaki did have moments of brilliance here, but this was mostly about Takada launching a comeback after being down 2-0 on points in the last few minutes. These two would had better matches, but this isn't too bad. ****

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UWF Core The 1st Anniversary (4/14/1989)

Yoji Anjo vs Minoru Suzuki 

This was a decent and fun opener featuring a young Minoru Suzuki fresh from New Japan, and a feisty Yoji Anjo who was eager to prove his worth against the new guy. Things take a while to heat up, but the last 5-10 minutes are engaging and make things interesting enough. ***3/4

Shigeo Miyato vs Tatsuo Nakano

Nothing too exciting, but it wasn't bad either. Miyato and Takano kept things interesting and changed the pace a bit at times with some hard suplexes and throws. Both Miyato and Nakano are visibly becoming better wrestlers by this point, and they seem to grasp the UWF Newborn house style better with each passing match. ***

Akira Maeda vs Kazuo Yamazaki

This was quite fun and had the promise to become a great UWF main event but Kazuo Yamazaki ended up getting cut above the eyebrow after an errant blow from Maeda, and the bleeding seemed to be too much for the referee to allow the match to continue. The crowd seems to buy into the sudden finish and the realism behind it, so it didn't take away from things too much. ***

UWF May History 1st (5/4/1989)

Minoru Suzuki vs Shigeo Miyato

Solid. Miyato and Suzuki were up to the task of entertaining the crowd with great technical wrestling. Suzuki is more raw at this point, and it looks like Miyato is more proficient when it comes to grappling and counterwork, but the young Suzuki does put up a fight when needed. ***3/4

Yoji Anjo vs Mark Rush

This was a match with a slow tempo that picked up at certain points when needed. It wasn't a blow-away match, but it was engaging enough for me to not lose interest. I thought Mark Rush looked better in his last match, but Anjo is able to keep things flowing.  ***1/2

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Masakatsu Funaki 

Funaki's first match in UWF Newborn and he comes out swinging against Yoshiaki Fujiwara, his former mentor from the NJPW dojo. This is a pretty fun match where Funaki takes it to Fujiwara and demonstrates his flashy skills, while Fujiwara relies on experience and grittiness to outlast the young upstart. The finish wasn't entirely clean, but that didn't take away from the match too much despite the crowd being disappointed to a degree. ****1/4

Kazuo Yamazaki vs Nobuhiko Takada

This was a bit long, but still a very engaging match with a nice closing stretch where Yamazaki begins to land some haymakers on Takada. The match features some slower-paced grappling, but they tell a logical story and they pick things up when needed. Yamazaki looked very solid here, and Takada is Takada as you would expect. ****

Chris Dolman vs Akira Maeda

Serviceable main event. Chris Dolman isn't a fancy worker but does bring enough credibility to the table to make this match compelling and gets some nice throws in on Maeda. Maeda controls most of the match with his striking, and it ends as you would expect with Maeda getting the win. The round system does a nice job of setting up a good match structure for both. ****

UWF May History 2nd (5/21/1989)

Minoru Suzuki vs Kiyoshi Tamura

A nice debut for Kiyoshi Tamura, who demonstrated all the potential he had in five minutes against Minoru Suzuki. Suzuki was in control for most of the match and didn't look threatened much, but this was still pretty interesting for what it was. ***3/4

Yoji Anjo vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara

Not bad at all, although the pace did feel like it dragged at times. Anjo had some spirit in him when he tried to lock up with Fujiwara, but the elder statesman of UWF was just too good and maybe a step ahead in terms of working the match. ***1/2

Bob Backlund vs Masakatsu Funaki

Much like Takada vs Backlund a few months before this, this was a strange yet interesting clash of styles where Backlund seems to be a good fit for the UWF style, but has an interesting way of presenting himself at the same time. Funaki gets a little stiff with Backlund, and Backlund appears to be a bit unsettled by it. Still, the match stayed together and the finish was a bit disappointing but the work was good enough. ****1/4

Nobuhiko Takada vs Johnny Barrett

Johnny Barrett had some talent, but I'm not sure if he was a good fit for Takada here, or for the UWF in general. This was probably the weakest match on the card. Takada didn't work too hard to carry Barrett, although he probably needed that to make the match more compelling. Nice limb work from Barrett, but not much to write home about. **3/4

Akira Maeda vs Kazuo Yamazaki

Passable main event, although not as good as Takada's match with Yamazaki earlier in the month. Maeda was in control a bit more compared to Takada, and the match probably suffered due to that. Not that Maeda is terrible at working from the top, it's just that this probably could have benefited from Yamazaki having more of a fighting chance. ***1/2

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As we get into the middle of 1989, UWF starts picking up the pace quite a bit and the roster is coming together while the wrestlers continue to advance the UWF philosophy. This results in very good shows top to bottom. Two of my favorite shows in the promotion so far.

UWF Fighting Square Nagoya (6/14/1989)

Bart Vale vs Shigeo Miyato

A bit underwhelming. Bart Vale wasn't a great worker and Miyato really seemed to struggle here to get something out of him. Vale's kicks were very soft and didn't add much to the match either. **3/4

Yoji Anjo vs Masakatsu Funaki

One of the better UWF undercard matches I've seen so far. This was an excellent and spirited match between two young and hungry wrestlers at the time, and Funaki got the best out of Anjo here. Anjo was a great worker when he wanted to be, and really stepped up his game here. You had some good striking exchanges that got the crowd invested, and the grappling had a lot of commitment and purpose behind it. The 19+ minutes flew by, and it's understandable why Funaki was seen as the next big thing at the time. ****1/2

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Minoru Suzuki

Fujiwara gives Suzuki the "grumpy old veteran" treatment that Suzuki would give to others 25 years later. The match is pretty solid, and Fujiwara shows off his tougher side while giving Suzuki a pounding. Suzuki can take the match to the canvas at certain points, but Fujiwara displays his superiority here as well. This didn't drag on too much. ****

Kazuo Yamazaki vs Norman Smiley

A decent outing from both. Smiley's grappling was probably the highlight here, and while Yamazaki isn't a slouch in that department either, he can't string together things like Smiley does. As a result, the match dragged a bit and it felt like Yamazaki slowed things down while Smiley wanted to keep things moving. It probably could have been better, but it wasn't a bad match. ***3/4

Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada

Maeda and Takada clash again, and the result is as good as you would expect. It didn't have the dramatic finishing stretch as their November 1988 match did, or the energy of their Budokan match, but it found a way to match both in the quality department. Takada posed a threat to Maeda at times, and Maeda had to find a way to be more clever in the grappling department to catch his opponent off-guard. While Takada gets some momentum at the end, Maeda gets a painful-looking heel hook on his opponent for the victory. ****1/2

UWF Fighting Square Hakata (7/24/1989)

Mark Rush vs Minoru Suzuki

This goes for the full 30 minutes and is a bit slow at times. The work wasn't bad though. ***1/4

Masakatsu Funaki vs Tatsuo Nakano

Perhaps the second-best UWF match up this point, behind Takada vs Maeda from November 1988. This was a thrilling clash between two energetic wrestlers who wanted to stake a place in the promotion. Funaki has the flash and the toughness to back it up, and Nakano is a relentless machine who fights through anything to exert his will on his opponent. This match represents the UWF philosophy, where violence and sport meet to create something very special in the ring. Funaki draws blood from Nakano's delicate nose, but Nakano just keeps coming and Funaki has to defend and get creative to win the match. The crowd eats it up, because everything feels real and the intensity behind this match is second to none. It's one of the best sub-10-minute matches you will find. ****3/4

Shigeo Miyato vs Nobuhiko Takada

A fun match between a company's top star and a slightly younger upstart who wants to prove his worth. It's a simple yet effective setpiece for a match, and it works here as Miyato goes on the offense against Takada but soon finds out that Takada has a callous side. Takada throws some mean strikes and Miyato is forced to work from underneath as Takada gains momentum but doesn't relent. Not bad at all. ****

Akira Maeda vs Yoji Anjo

Similar to the Miyato vs Takada match, this time Anjo takes on the true company ace. Maeda, while dealing with a feisty opponent, demonstrates his strength in the ring again. Anjo gets some offense in, but this is all about Maeda controlling the match and getting Anjo where he wants him. ***3/4

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Kazuo Yamazaki 

This was a great display of wrestling and also a great display of psychology and storytelling in the context of shoot-style. Fujiwara doesn't take Yamazaki seriously at first, and sort of has a nonchalant approach to this match. Then Yamazaki catches Fujiwara with a sharp kick to the head and Fujiwara turns things up a notch. Fujiwara is a master at pacing in his matches, and there are moments of pure intensity followed by slower lulls, which makes sense if we look at real combat sports and MMA. While shoot-style wasn't trying to replicate MMA, it has its roots in catch wrestling, and catch wrestling contests were often games of chess between two chess masters. Fujiwara is the chess master, and Yamazaki is a man on the same path but is not quite there yet. The result is a compelling and exciting match that despite going nearly 30 minutes, draws you in as a viewer and keeps your eyes glued to the screen. The last five minutes see a pissed-off Fujiwara tasting his blood after a sharp headbutt from Yamazaki, and Fujiwara has no problem returning the favor to secure the victory via KO. Another great UWF classic and a match worth viewing. ****3/4