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Post by microstatistics on Jan 6, 2018 23:07:16 GMT -5
The ultimate wrestling chess match assessment describes this perfectly. Amazing attention to detail, struggle and violence. Outstanding Takada performance and all time great Fujiwara performance. Builds off their 2/1990 match perfectly. Top 25 contender.
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Post by elliott on Jan 6, 2018 23:50:47 GMT -5
Second.
Another one I really need to revisit and am pushing the nomination to motivate myself. I'd heard about Loss's human chess game remark before and it admittedly something I didn't see when I had previously watched it. But I still thought it was an excellent match. Something that I will rewatch sooner than later.
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Post by GOTNW on Jan 7, 2018 6:30:55 GMT -5
"A classic and a truly fascinating match, especially if you take their february match into account. Fujiwara comes out swinging early which sets the pace of the match-he rocks Takada with brutal punches and headbutts and establishes dominance early on. Takada is extremely cautious in his attacks against him having already been reversed in their february bout. The majority of the knockdowns don’t really serve as nearfalls, rather their point is to establish who is in control off the match and set the stage for the finish. The exception to this is the last time Takada is knocked down as he falls down before just making it to his feet at the last second. That moment completely changes the atmosphere kicks off the finishing run. Takada’s selling is crucial to the match quality-the way he wobbles after Fujiwara’s Leglock and slowly falls down after a standing knock down in the corner keeps the crowd on their toes. Fujiwara’s downfall is his character-whenever he goes for his usual quirks it costs him. Him laughing about finally getting Takada in a dangerous Leglock allowed Takada to counter it by palm striking the shit out of him and thus gaining one of his first openings in the match. Takada’s strategy is to kick through Fujiwara-and he varies his kicks and strikes a lot due to Fujiwara’s amazing defence. If he kicks too high too early he’ll get reversed and leglocked. If he doesn’t time a low kick well it’s getting checked. That creates and unparalleled sense of struggle giving everything that happens importance, and the action itself is just epic-Takada kicking Fujiwara in the face is an amazing spot on its own but context allows it to truly bloom. *****"
Top 20 seems like a safe bet for me, it'd make my top 10 right now.
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Post by superstarsleeze on Oct 18, 2018 22:14:12 GMT -5
Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs Nobuhiko Takada - UWF II 10/25/90
I love Fujiwara! I love Takada! Does it live up to the hype?
First Half: Fujiwara is a genius. Best defense is a good offense. Takada definitely relies on his stand up game and especially his kicks to establish his offense. Fujiwara takes that away by being so damn pugnacious. From the opening bell, he is lunging at him headlong with headbutts and attacking the body. Takada is covering up as best he can and just trying to weather the storm. Takada is going for holds more out of defense and trying to break Fujiwara's momentum more than anything else. The double wristlock out of the German and the heel hook was to save himself from the barrage of headbutts. It was almost like Takada was trying to get his wits about him. The leg work which i usually find boring as hell in Takada matches was great here because of how much struggle there was. Fujiwara's snarl and labored breathing added so much as did Takada's facial expressions. My favorite moment of the match thus far was when Fujiwara had one hand on Takada's throat and then started throwing headbutts to break the submission. Great selling from Takada. I brought this up in October 25, 1989 match is how well the drama was built in the application of the holds. In the next ground grappling session, once Fujiwara locks in a kneebar Takada is scrambling for the ropes and selling it upon standing up. That puts over the move and invests everyone in the match. Also, I really loved how Takada was not completely overwhelmed. An important point in the match was when Fujiwara had him in a wicked toehold. Takada's first instinct was rope break, but he stands up and blasts Fujiwara in the ear to earn a knock down. Thats a huge swing from losing a rope break to knocking your opponent down especially a head shot. Takada came to fight. That really sold me. Fujiwara roared back. He got a knockdown in the corner with a series of WICKED palm strikes, I mean brutal. Then he got on top of Takada on the ground not to apply a hold, but rather just butt him with his head hard many times. Until the ref called him off and started his count. Thats when the match really changed. Takada had his bell rung, but so did Fujiwara it looked like to me at least. You can only deliver so many nauseating headbutts before the damage takes a toll on you. Fujiwara could no longer follow up and here came Takada with the same strategy from last October lay in those wicked kicks to the left hamstring. Fujiwara is trying to block and go on offense but as we go into the second half, Takada has built a lot of momentum targetting that leg with his patented kicks. Can Takada complete the comeback or will Fujiwara hit that miracle headbutt for the win?
Second Half: Has Takada ever looked better on top? He was a stone cold killer in this. The kicks always look phenomenal, but in addition his palm strikes and kneelifts were brutal. Fujiwara really withstood quite the barrage before going down. Takada was just blitzing him. When Fujiwara did finally go down that look of dejection was just sad. He popped back up, but you knew Takada was rolling. I thought Takada's big mistake was going back to the ground. I get changing it up and using the the stand up game to set up a submission, but he kept getting countered. He got caught twice taking Fujiwara to the ground both times it ended a rope break. Guess what Fujiwara was up 3-2 when it felt like Takada had all the momentum. Takada only had himself to blame. The ultimate sequence when in the leglocks Takada just starts mercilessly kicking Fujiwara in the face until the ref is forced to call a down. I actually felt bad for Fujiwara. Even though earlier in the match he pulled the same shit in the match where he headbutted Takada into a submission, I felt bad for Fujiwara. Then all of sudden in the corner, Fujiwara came alive body blow after body blow forcing Takada to protect CRACK! Wicked headutt fells Takada...fuck this prick Fujiwara and fuck him for making him feel sympathy. I was hook, line and sinker at that point. Takada looked like a world beater but is down 4-3. I loved the selling after this. Fujiwara had his shit-eating grin and Takada is doing a great knocked loopy sell. Takada just keeps kicking, just keep kicking. Kidney kick has Fujiwara reeling and a kick to the bad leg AND IT IS 4-4! NEXT KNOCKDOWN WINS! Can I stop to stay how much I LOVE THIS POINT SYSTEM! It makes the matches so dramatic and it really creates drama down the stretch. Fujiwara has this MASSIVE GRIN on his face as he is luring Takada into the corner. Takada takes the bait...Fujiwara reverses position...he is working...fuck I cant believe Takada is going to lose...Takada kneelifts...Fujiwara body shots...BIG LEFT KNEELIFT TO THE HEAD ROCKS FUJIWARA...HUGE RIGHT KNEELIFT...DOWN GOES FUJIWARA! DOWN GOES FUJIWARA! Takada beats Fujiwara at his own game and much more definitive finish than their October 1989 classic makes this an easy ***** and one of the best shoot-style matches of all time.
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Post by mrjmml on May 4, 2023 19:34:41 GMT -5
A shootstyle classic that earn every minute of its run time. Truly a classic.
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Post by puropotsy on Jun 10, 2023 19:10:21 GMT -5
I was enjoying this throughout and then it became epic with the last couple of downs. Fujiwara throwing the headbutt was wicked. And then when they both had one down left and were battling it out in the corner the stakes were so high. Awesome match.
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