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Post by elliott on Dec 8, 2017 1:48:41 GMT -5
Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada (UWF - 11/10/1988)
This match finished #1 on the DVDVR Other Japan 80s set voting. This is an absolutely fantastic match. Legendary in the fact that Takada was the first wrestler of the Hashimoto, Muto, Misawa, Kawada generation to get a victory over someone from the Jumbo, Tenryu, Fujinami Choshu generation. This match solidified Takada as a top drawing opponent for Maeda and future #1 guy. The work in this is spectacular. These two aren't as good on the mat as the gods of shootstyle FUjiwara, Tamura & Han, but the mat work is serviceable, the striking is spectacular and Maeda's selling in particular really carry this to another level. Classic match.
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Post by tetsujin on Feb 1, 2018 5:14:35 GMT -5
Second. One of my favourite shoot style matches, actually, and I hope this gets nominated. What I love about this is not only the most vicious kicks I've ever seen, but Takada's great underdog story making a nearly imposible comeback. I think Takada is one of the most underrated wrestlers ever.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Oct 16, 2018 0:27:14 GMT -5
I'll third this even though I am not going to vote for it. I think it is too important not to be considered. The back half is ***** level work and the comeback story (Takada down 4-1) is insanely awesome. The problem is the front half is dreadfully dull and I just cant bring myself to vote for something where half the match is that boring. Too historic not to be considered though.
Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada - UWF II 11/10/88
With Fujiwara and Sayama not in UWF, this is their money match. This is touted as the best shoot style match of the 80s.
First Half: Pretty dull. The kicks are great most are misses or glancing blows but they are sold well. The matwork is boring. Takada tries to counter a wrist lock and ends up being in a more painful armbar and ropebreak. Takada tries his hand on top. Wow! What a snooze fest. He just lies on top of Maeda for a minute. Maeda casually stands up from a leg bar. Starts rifling with kicks! Takada tries body punches but it is too late Maeda knees and kicks put him down! First ref count for ten. Then Maeda takes him down and starts going for pins. What!?! Since when is that legal? Takada has Maeda pinned earlier forever. Maeda has him in a Fujiwara armbar at the half way point to force rope break. Maeda wins on points. Usual story stand up is good, matwork is boring as hell. But it is starting to pick up.
Second Half: Ok now I get it. This is one of the all time best stand up exchanges in UWF history. They go to town on each other for ten minutes. Maeda has Takada on the ropes literally and figuratively. Maeda is rifling him with kicks. Takadas selling was tremendous. Great teetering. Great discombobulating. Maeda is up 3-0 and as he goes for the KO blow. Takada gets the best kick of the match with a counter kick to the face. We got a match on our hands. The pace and struggle was great both men were kicking and throwing each other. Takada drives me nuts going for a heel hook and giving it up to Maeda and going for ropes. This counts as a down, must have used all his breaks. He is down 4-1. He comes roaring back. Great reverse roundhouse kick! That was the best kick of the match! 4-2 baby! Takada unleashes more hellacious kicks in short order to make it 4-3! These stand up exchanges are great. Takada gets a Crossface Chickenwing forces a rope break! 4-4! What a comeback! Next down loses no matter what. The fists and kicks are flying. Maeda catches Takada with a left...Takada stays up...Takada kick combination and down goes Maeda! Takada win!
This both an amazing comeback story literally (Takada comes back from 4-1) and figuratively (the first ten minutes of this match absolutely sucks.) The timekeeper made a ten minute call and they literally started trying harder. So they they were clearly phoning in the first ten minutes. I can't think of a match that started so boring and ended so great. Fujiwara/Super Tiger from 84 are clearly better matches but if you watch this JIP you could be fooled that this is on that level. ****1/4
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Post by Cap on Oct 28, 2019 20:25:21 GMT -5
From my watching project... Akira Maeda vs Nobuhiko Takada (11/10/1988) Current Rank: 40 Trending: Down This match really stood out to me when I watched it for the first time a few months back. It strikes me that this is one of the clearer and more compelling in ring stories I can think of off the top of my head. This is just really solid in that regard. Maeda going to work early and getting the advantage over the younger Takada only to slowly lose ground and ultimately crumble to a kick for the KO was just so simple and well executed. It’s a great comeback/underdog story that feels both impossible and inevitable all at once while you are in the weeds here. I really like the back and forth in this, the way momentum ebbs and flows between the two, and particularly the way anger gives way to fighting and defending with instinct (and vice versa). It’s a match known for some fucking wicked kicks and that sort of thing is always going to find a way to my heart. Ultimately, though, this match is going to move down a touch for me from where I slid it into the list on first look. I am not talking about a free fall, but something in the back half of the list seems far more appropriate to me. While I don’t quite detest the first 10 minutes or so as much as superstarsleeze does, I did think they could have been a little tighter there if I am picking knits. I also agree with Elliott that Takada isn’t as good a grappler as many other shoot style guys. While that ultimately doesn’t bother me much because what I like about Takada is that he feels almost like a hybrid between shoot and pro styles (which is why he is a great opponent for people who are more associated with pro style), here they did lean a little bit into that grappling. Again, nothing that takes me out of it, but when parsing out the top 100, it matters. Full Post: gweproject.freeforums.net/thread/657/caps-watching-project-reports?page=2#ixzz63haY79rB |
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Post by club on Sept 14, 2023 11:33:52 GMT -5
God I love this match. I think the sense of legit competition here, coupled with the very pro-wrestling come from behind victory is so well done. Especially so given its not from a promotion that's particularly reliant on that trope. Firey underdog Takada is maybe the best Takada, and Maeda is an incredible wall. And yeah the kicks are great. More a general praise for Maeda who I've been digging a lot lately; his kicks have such a weight and snap to them. If an oak tree could kick, it'd kick like Maeda.
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