UWF 2/27/90

Minoru Suzuki v. Tatsuo Nakano:

TKG: So Nakano is back to doing shoot versions of GCW technical Tony Zane v Mike Jackson opening match draws. But this is a lot more exciting than the Miyato v Nakano series. The opening establishing stuff was just there with a couple neat spots. They build to a cool shoot variation of “guy tries to run ropes to get out of headlock without it getting released” with Nakano cranking on a choke while Suzuki tries escapes. Suzuki’s big down is pretty nasty, and Nakano’s out on his feet comeback strike to set up the double knock down is a neat “OH SHIT” moment.

PAS: This took a while to get going, but they really cranked it up near the end. Suzuki hits a piledriver and follows it up with vicious stomps and knees to the back of the head, which is exactly how to follow up a piledriver. Tom is right about the finish, as it is normally hard to do a double KO and make it work, but that really felt like a double KO.

Shiego Miyato v. Yoji Anjo

PAS: Anjo at one points bust Miyato in the nose and it is a pretty good visual to watch blood and snot spray out of his nose as he strained in holds, I also liked how he hit headlock takeovers into the ring ropes, he did it a couple of times and it looked really nasty. Still this was relatively pedestrian, as Miyato is the least expressive of all of the UWF undercarders and Anjo is the best when he has someone to work off of.

TKG: I also liked the takeovers in the ropes but think my favorite section was Anjoh’s almost theatric sell for Miyato’s Ringo Mendoza style kick. “Ooh I’ve been hit!!”

Akira Maeda v. Kazuo Yamazaki

TKG: Maeda and Yamazaki lethargically walk through the early portions of this. Everytime Yamazaki tries for a jumping knee, Maeda catches him and turns it into a suplex. I never got any sense that it would be some sort of game changer if he actually hit the jumping knee cleanly. Yamazaki looks to have shoot twisted his ankle on one kick and the match actually picks up as there is suddenly selling. Yamazaki struggles to walk and do shit on his ankle and the match becomes the story of how long he can fend off the loss as opposed to the earlier story of how many different suplexes Maeda can throw if you leap into his arms.

PAS: Both guys in this match are susceptible to sleepwalking through a match, and I got no sense of urgency or energy for the first seven minutes of this. When Yamazaki torches his ankle the match gets some purpose behind it, but this wasn’t good

Yoshiaki Fujiwara v. Nobuhiko Takada

PAS: Incredible match, ranks up with the great virtuoso Fujiwara performances. Fujiwara worked this match as a wily veteran who is going to need to use style and guile in the face of a physically stronger, more athletic younger opponent. In the early part of this match, Fujiwara was completely defensive, subtly moving and blocking Takada’s shots so they never landed flush, he really reminded me of how James Toney would roll his shoulders and catch punches on his arms. Takada however eventually began to overwhelm his opponent with his activity and power. Fujiwara was still catching his body kicks, but they was more impact as he caught them, he was still blocking the head kicks, but just a second slower. It really looked like that despite all of his skill, he wasn’t going to be able to win this one. As the shots started landing, Fujiwara started dancing and taunting, the way a fighter will smile when he gets hit with a good shot. He knew his time was running short, and he needed to taunt Takada into making a mistake. Finish was awesome, Takada is chasing him around the ring, landing big shots, and he grabs a kneebar, Fujiwara kind of lies in the ring defeated, and then you can see him muster his final reserves, negotiate to his feet and reverse the kneebar wrenching it with all of his might and getting the submission. The crowd goes completely insane, chanting FUJIWARA, FUJIWARA, and Fujiwara celebrates with tears in his eyes. Really a one man show, but goddamn what a one man show.

TKG: Phil has really covered this whole thing and yah it was a really fun story. He forgot to mention that Fujiwara grabs and hugs the picture of some kid (I assume some trainee who died in he UWF dojo) on the way out. This kind of counterpuncher story needs an actual puncher, and well Takada was always active swinging, and when he did finally catch Fujiwara he hit him hard. His revenge headbutt was a really rough one to the cheekbone. Its kind of ridiculous to say “Takada held up his side” in this kind of one man show, still he did what was necessary to help this along.