Tabe's Best of Nobuhiko Takada Vol 1: The Rivalries
Match listings by Tabe
1.
12/5/93: Takada vs Vader - Legendary match that sees UWFI champion Takada
take on WCW World Champion Vader.
The aura surrounding this match is that of a heavyweight title fight. The hype
is lived up to by the match itself. Great stuff!
2.
8/18/94: Takada vs Vader - Probably the best singles match ever in UWFI, this
is the Finals of a four-month tournament
that supposedly included invitations to the champions of every fed on the planet
to participate. Easily one of the
stiffest matches you'll ever see, with both guys just blasting each other.
3.
4/20/95: Takada vs Vader - This is the least-seen of the legendary trio of
Takada/Vader matches and also the last match
for Vader in UWFI. Not as good as the first two but still excellent in its own
right.
4. 8/5/86: Takada vs Shiro Koshinaka - Excellent match for the IWGP jr title.
5.
9/19/86: Takada vs Shiro Koshinaka - JIP - Koshinaka wins IWGP jr title in an
excellent match that features
Chris Benoit watching from ringside!
6.
2/5/87:
Takada vs Shiro Koshinaka - This is the legendary "broken fingers" match that
sees Koshinaka work over
Takada's broken fingers early in the match. I've obtained a copy of the full
match, shown only on TV, so you now get
to see the actual "finger work". Yet another fantastic match.
7. 3/1/96: Takada vs Shiro Koshinaka - Takada defends the IWGP Heavyweight title in this one, Takada's only successful IWGP title defense. Good match, but clearly booked to show Takada's superiority.
8.
5/8/92:
Takada vs Gary Albright - The main event from one of UWFI's best shows ever.
Here we get to see Takada
perform his unique magic, carrying the limited Albright to a fabulous match.
9. 9/21/92: Takada vs Gary Albright - Another excellent match between these two, this time with Takada regaining the UWFI title.
10.
6/10/94: Takada vs Gary Albright - FABULOUS match from maybe the best UWFI
show ever. Lots of excellent action
with the outcome always in doubt.
11.
11/30/94: Takada vs Gary Albright - Gary becomes the first, and only, man to
score two victories over Takada in UWFI
with this one. Yet another terrific match in this under-appreciated feud.
Nobody, not even Toshiaki Kawada in their
legendary match, ever got more out of Albright than Takada did in this series.
12. 8/20/87: Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki - From the IWGP Jr title tournament. Good match, not their best.
13.
2/9/90: Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki - Good, long match from the UWF. It's always
a pleasure to see a pair of artists like
these two go at it in the ring.
14.
10/6/91: Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki - The first really BIG main event for UWFI.
This was the match everybody wanted
to see when the UWFI was started and it didn't disappoint. Terrific match that
leaves both guys stronger than they
were beforehand.
15. 4/10/93: Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki - Good match, as expected, but with no doubt as to the outcome
16.
4/3/94:
Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki - In yet another questionable booking decision, UWFI
throws away a
Takada/Yamazaki matchup in the opening round of their incredible tournament.
This is a good match, but way too short
for my taste.
17.
2/18/95: Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki - Well on its way to being an excellent
match, this one gets cut short when Yamazaki
is legit injured early on and has to tap out.
7/17/85: Takada vs Akira Maeda - As far as I can tell, this is the first
meeting between these two shoot-style superstars.
Good match that hints at greatness to come. Slightly clipped.)
8/29/85: Takada vs Akira Maeda - Another excellent matchup from these two
rivals.
18.
6/11/88: Takada vs Akira Maeda - The main event from the second UWF 2.0 show,
this one is just one of what will be a
classic series. Great match!
19.
11/10/88: Takada vs Akira Maeda - FABULOUS match that just might be the best
shoot-style match of the 1980s. For all
his faults, Maeda was generous at doing jobs for people at the right time and
proves it here. Great match leading to a
great finish in front of a super-heated crowd with an incredible pop for the
ending.
20. 1/10/89: Takada vs Akira Maeda - The rematch! Another great match, this one going nearly 30 minutes.
21. 6/14/89: Takada vs Akira Maeda - Ho-hum, just another **** effort.
22.
1/16/90: Takada vs Akira Maeda - Well on its way to being a classic, but
they're forced to cut the match short after Maeda
gets DRILLED in the eye with a palm thrust.
23. 6/21/90: Takada vs Akira Maeda - Another great one!
24.
9/13/90: Takada vs Akira Maeda - Kind of an odd duck in the Takada/Maeda
series. It's not a main event and it's VERY
short given the participants. Good for its length, but way too short.
TABE'S BEST OF NOBUHIKO TAKADA vol. 2: 1983-1988
Match listings by Tabe
DISC 1:
1. 8/12/83: Takada vs Athol Foley - Fun match from early in Takada's career. This one is actually from Calgary. Foley is Stephen Wright. Alex Wright's father.
2. 4/19/84: Takada vs Yoshiaki Yatsu - Excellent match from the end of Takada's first run in NJPW. Great stuff.
3. 12/5/84: Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki - Often called a MOTY for 1984, this one is outstanding and shows just how advanced these two ere, even early in their careers.
4.
1/20/85: Takada vs Tiger Mask - HUGE upset as Takada kicks the crap out of
Mask until the ref stops the match. Great
stuff!
5.
7/8/85:
Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara - good match, but a bit strange in that there's
tons of cheating in this one. Both guys
take cheap shots on the break, refuse to break holds, etc. Seems out of place,
even in the 1st UWF.
6. 7/13/85: Takada vs Osamu Kido
7. 7/21/85: Takada vs Satoru Sayama - Tiger Mask without the mask is always fun. This one is no exception.
8. 9/2/85: Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara - Terrific match that sees Takada lay a beating on Fujiwara.
9. 9/6/85: Takada vs Satoru Sayama - Another good one from the very last days of the first UWF.
DISC 2:
1. 9/11/85: Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki - Their 12/5/84 match is more famous, but this one is better. Fantastic match that has been criminally under-appreciated.
2.
1/3/86:
Takada vs Akira Maeda - A seriously questionable piece of booking pits two of
the UWF's top stars against each
other less than a month into the UWF invasion. Doesn't make much sense to me.
3. 2/5/86: Takada/Kido vs Inoki/Yamada - Loads of talent in this match in front of a molten crowd. Great match.
4.
3/26/86: 5 vs 5 Elimination Tag - A classic! I would have liked this to have
gone another 30 minutes, but this one is still
great. The crowd is unbelievable for this one as well.
5.
5/1/86: Takada vs Keichi Yamada - Two of the best of all-time hook up and do
NOT disappoint! Yamada would later
become better known as Jushin “Thunder” Liger
6. 5/1/86: Takada vs Seiji Sakaguchi - Takada's second match from a 5 vs 5 series of elimination matches.
7. 6/17/86: Takada vs The Cobra - Awesome match hurt only by a crappy finish.
DISC 3:
1. 8/7/86: Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki - More from this excellent feud.
2. 9/5/86: Takada/Fujiwara vs Koshinaka/Takano
3.
9/16/86: 5 vs 5 Elimination Tag - Not as good as the 3/86 elimination match,
but still good. Fun to see the UWF get a
win for once.
4.
12/8/86: Takada/Koshinaka vs Maeda/Kido - Takada & Koshinaka are bitter
enemies at this point, but are forced
to team up. Fun stuff.
5. 3/20/87: Takada/Maeda vs Mutoh/Koshinaka - The '87 IWGP Tag League finals. Great match!
6. 3/26/87: Takada/Maeda vs Mutoh/Koshinaka - Rematch for the titles. Also a great match.
7. 5/25/87: Takada/Maeda vs Fujiwara/Yamazaki - Excellent tag match from the UWF's best guys.
DISC 4:
1. 8/20/87: Takada vs Kuniaki Kobayashi - The '87 IWGP Jr title finals. Terrific match.
2.
9/1/87:
Takada/Maeda vs Fujiwara/Yamazaki - Bitter, vicious tag match that sees
Fujiwara & Yamazaki dethrone
the champs.
3. 10/25/87: Takada/Yamazaki vs Yamada/Koshinaka - Another tag match super-loaded with talent.
4. 1/25/88: Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki - Yet another great installment of this feud. Kazuo scores the upset!
5. 2/4/88: Takada vs Shiro Koshinaka - Fabulous match, bad ending.
6. 3/11/88: Takada vs Hiro Hase - Takada's last great match for New Japan. Great stuff.
7. 3/14/88: Takada/Yamazaki vs Yamada/Funaki - Funaki isn't yet great at this point, but this is still a fun one.
