Top 30 Thursday - Other Japan #29. Nobuhiko Takada vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara, UWF 7/8/85

This is real interesting as it comes just two weeks after the match that placed at #30 on the OJ ballot, which was Fujiwara getting kicked around by Super Tiger before sinking in a knee bar for the win. In theory Takada should be studying tape, remembering what Tiger did right in that match (pick Fuji apart with leg kicks that he couldn't catch), and what he did wrong (wing kicks into Fuji's waiting arms, allowing him to be taken to the ground and dismantled in Fujiwara's element). Takada is a kicker, so we'll see how this goes.

Takada actually takes it to the ground fairly early, locking in a side headlock, but you get the feeling that Fujiwara knows he's not in danger, and (as Fuji does) he calmly waits for his opening before getting an easy sweep and dropping down with a kneebar. Takada starts wildly kicking him with his free leg and that really does seem like a good way to get somebody to stop twisting you knee, and eventually just gets to the ropes. Fujiwara gets a great takedown and pretty much toys with Takada on the ground. Goes for a kimura from the bottom, then easily takes Takada's back when he feels like it. Takada gets to the ropes and Fujiwara shows he is the originator of the "I got 'til 5" as he just rests on Takada's back as Takada's face is smooshed into the mat, waiting for Fuji to get off him. THEN FUJIWARA STOMPS HIM AS HE'S STANDING UP!!!!

Oh that's fucking awesome. 2 minutes in and already Fuji is smacking this kid around on rope breaks. Takada gets up PISSED and rushes him into the corner and kicks the shit out of him, slapping him on the back of the head until Fuji is curled up in a ball letting the ref break it up. And Takada rushes around the ref and toes Fuji in the head!!

More grappling and Fujiwara does one of my favorite takedowns ever by just grabbing a leg and deadweighting it, forcing Takada to have to drop to the mat with him. Fujiwara is going to take that leg home and mount it in his fucking bathroom. It makes me think that Takada's kickpads and boots are probably working against him in this kinda situation. They seem to be giving Fuji something easy to grab onto and twiiiiisssst. But Takada keeps grabbing ropes and then standing up and leg kicking the holy hell out of Fuji's legs, making him curl up in a ball in the corner again. The ref breaks them up again and Fuji is so fucking awesome as he stoicly limps out to the center of the ring to meet Takada. He worked every goddamn day at that factory (double shifts when he could get 'em!) and you never heard him complain, not ONCE!

God those leg kicks all caught up at once and Fujiwara is a sitting duck. Orrrrrr he's playing possum and suckering Takada to get in close for some grappling. Look, I don't care how fucking cute that baby bear that you saw while backpacking looks, do NOT go near it. That fucker weighs 200 lb. and you know mama is lurking nearby. Just keep walking...or take it down with leg kicks. Fujiwara goes back to yanking the leg off and Takada barely makes those ropes this time, but Fuji just YANKS him back to the middle with evil intentions! The ref breaks it up though and Takada soccer kicks Fuji as he's getting up! These guys are breaking rules like motherfuckers and it is AWESOME!!

And 10 seconds later Fuji does Takada a favor. To get him from thinking about how sore that knee of his is, Fuji decides to just kimura the hell of that arm, trying to touch that hand to the back of Takada's head. Takada taps, and I pray Fujiwara stands up and does an exaggerated Vince strut around the ring on his bum wheels, but dude is hurting. We fade out with Takada being tended to as Fujiwara hunches over, massaging his swollen legs. Both guys are gonna be hurting in the morning.

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