Yoshiaki Fujiwara Never Takes a Step Back, Only in the Face of More Yoshiaki Fujiwara

Yoshiaki Fujiwara/Akira Maeda v. Tatsumi Fujinami/Keji Mutoh NJ 2/5/87- GREAT

The NJ v. UWF feud may have delivered more great matches then any feud in history, and this was another in the series. Mutoh hasn't done a ton for me in the 1980's, but he was pretty great here. He gets abused by the UWF team, and is awesome firing back. He hangs with Fujiwara on the mat, and brawls with Maeda. The finish of this match was great with Mutoh getting fed up and hurls Maeda over the top rope, and then capture suplexes Maeda over the guard rail. Fujiwara wasn't a focus of this match, but he did have an awesome exchange with Fujinami which is always a pure pleasure to watch. They really matched up with tremendous speed, it looked like the kind of fast, intricate lucha exchange you might see Santo and Blue Panther do.

Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Kazuo Yamazaki UWF 7/24/89 - EPIC
This was my number one match in the Other Japan Best of the 90's voting, and truly a beautiful piece of professional wrestling. It is paced differently then any of the other matches in the Top 15, and I am guessing the odd pacing may have been a reason it finished low on some peoples ballots. Fujiwara, especially in the late 80's and 90's does this really stop-start almost Fugazish pacing, where you have big exchanges or moves, and then lulls, where both guys would circle or feint, before the next attack. I really like this kind of pacing, it is the kind of thing you often see in shootfights or boxing matches, really brings drama to the moments of action.

The first part of this match, Fujiwara is really not taking Yamazaki seriously at all. Like he is almost contemptuous, imagine Flair v. Scott McGhee or Ricky Steamboat in their first match. He throws in a cheap shot headbutt, dancing around mugging, puts on a knee bar while reclining with his head resting leisurely in his hand. At one point Yamazaki throws some kicks which miss, and Fujiwara responds with some really assholish thrown kicks of his own. Almost like the Jock Football player taunting the Asian kid with fake Karate. Fujiwara has some of the greatest facial expressions in wrestling history, and he really gets across contemptuous prick.

Yamazaki finally gets some respect when he hits Fujiwara with a nasty kick to the stomach for a down. Yamazaki tends to be kind of hit and miss with his kicks, and Fujiwara only sells the ones that land big, unlike a lot of other guys who will sell intent not result. Fujiwara also is always trying to catch the middle kicks, although even when he does, he will sell the shot if it is solid enough.

The last ten minutes of this match really bring it over the top. Fujiwara has gotten four downs on Yamazaki so he just needs one more knockdown for a technical decision. So Yamazaki has his back against the wall. He gets fed up with the abuse and you almost get the sense he has decided to dish out some receipts even if he is going down. Like many Fujiwara matches ring positioning is very important, Fujiwara had been trapping Yamazaki in the corner and punishing him with bodyshots. Yamazaki kind of bull rushes Fujiwara in the corner, and just unleashes body shots of his own, seemingly aiming right for Fujiwara's sake soaked kidneys. The downs get close to even, and they announce five minutes remaining.

They then go right to the corner with both guys now throwing with abandon and trying to maneuver the other into the corner, Yamazaki gets the final turn and cracks Fujiwara with a knee lift for a nine count. Now UWF2 had booked a ton of 30 minute draws, including one in the opening match of this show. Really the only reason to book so many undercard 30 minute draws is for a main event finish like this.

So we are at 28 minutes and Yamazaki unloads with nasty headbut right to Fujiwara's mouth. Now this is a clearly a receipt for the headbutts earlier in the show. Fujiwara comes up with blood dripping from his mouth, and this look on his face "So were throwing headbutts now, Motherfucker," and he just unloads with three nasty headbutts including one right to the eye for the TKO at 29 minutes 30 seconds. Yamazaki was technically fine here, but this was the Fujiwara show. Just an artist at telling a story with smirks and eye rolls and sneers. Every action had a reaction, great great stuff.

Yoshiaki Fujiwara/Yuki Ishikawa vs. Tatsumi Fujinami/Toshimitzu Ishizaka NJ 9/23/93-FUN
Fujiwara and Fujinami are guy who really work well against each other, their lack of a singles match is one of the biggest missed opportunities in wrestling history. This was pretty much a short throwaway tag, but it did have some awesome exchanges between those two guys. I love how Fujiwara is always a step ahead of his opponent, he catches Fujinami a bunch of times in nasty counters. His slickness makes it so cool when Fujinami drops him with a sneaky right hand.

Yoshiaki Fujiwara v. Abdullah The Butcher WAR 7/4/97- GREAT

This is about as awesome a no bump match is going to get. Both guys are so great at being who they are, it is like the Dennis Hopper/Christopher Walken scene in True Romance. Lots of awesome, almost Kung Fu movie strike exchanges, Fujiwara is throwing these nasy bodyshots right to Abby's titty flap, and Abby is doing his awesome block and chop to throat. The end of the match was awesome, Abby hits his spectacular elbow drop for a near fall, he then goes for the fork, but Fujiwara cuts him off and get the fork. He gets this great shit eating grin on his face and just starts carving Abby up. Finish looked a little blown, and the match is slightly clipped up, but this was a total blast and fun as hell to watch.

Complete and Accurate Yoshiaki Fujiwara