Posted October 28, 200816 yr comment_5435427 Kuniaki Kobayashi vs. Nobuhiko Takada(8/20/87) The more I watch New Japan juniors the more I am convinced that Kobayashi is the best of the batch. Really fun match which starts out with Takada faking a handshake and drilling Kobayashi with a cheapshot at the bell, basic juniors stuff with some nice twist, I loved Kobayashi going for all of the sneaky roll ups when he realizes he can stand and trade with Takada. Dug this a bunch. Yoji Anjyo vs. Tatsuo Nakano(08/29/87) This is basically the same as your longish undercard UWF matches. I probably watched this match up 20 times during the Other Japan ballot process. Perfectly fine stuff, and Anjyo is always fun, but this doesn’t stand out. Akira Maeda vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara (08/29/87) Man this might have even been better then their 1986 match, just a nasty stiff fight, some of the best punches I have ever seen with both guys just laying into each other. Fujiwara was throwing a great looking jab and right cross, Maeda hurls an amazing looking uppercut. Finish was the best finish I have seen on this set so far, I marked the fuck out and don’t want to ruin it for everyone. This is neck and neck with Fujiwara v. Choshu as my number #1 Nobuhiko Takada & Akira Maeda vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Kazuo Yamazaki (09/01/87) Another great all UWF match, there was some especially awesome shit with Fujiwara and Maeda which is one of my all time favorite match ups. Fujiwara wrecking Takada was pretty great too The finish was a Yamazaki v. Takada match up, which normally I don’t care for, but it worked fine for the end. Fujiwara was great showing emotion at the end too. Akira Maeda vs. Dick Murdoch (09/01/87 ) These guys did work surprisingly well with each other, and I really liked Murdoch’s arm selling, but this didn’t have a particularly good finish, and we have so much better Maeda already, does make me intrigued to see their 86 match Masakatsu Funaki & Keiichi Yamada (Liger) vs. Kazuo Yamazaki & Yoji Anjyo (03/03/88) It was fun to see young Yamada and Funaki, especially because they were really cheap shotting, biting and raking eyes and noses. Still this was nothing more then a fun undercard brawl and won’t make the cut Masakatsu Funaki & Keiichi Yamada (Liger) vs. Nobuhiko Takada & Kazuo Yamazaki (3/14/88) Watching Funaki and Takada do kip up reversals kind of reminds me how much I don’t like either guy. Yamada continues to be awesome, but nobody else looked particularly good here.
