Nobuhiko Takada vs. Akira Maeda (UWF, 6/11/88)

I love this match wholeheartedly. This is two guys going out there with something to prove. In the case of Maeda, he's the reigning king of shoot-style, the face that runs the newborn place. He's got a status quo to maintain and Takada's the pesky teenager trying to the keys to dad's car. The striking in this match is no joke, the takedowns and suplexes awesome, and mixed into the groundwork are some really neat moments. After a couple of love taps to warm up the fans, Takada goes in for a takedown and Maeda catches him with an "it's all in the reflexes" kick before taking him to school with the educated feet. Maeda's takedowns and counters are almost self-regulating, and he's able to slip out of a lot of Takada's submission attempts on the canvas. When Takada looks like he's in control, Maeda slaps on the cross armbreaker early on and Takada freaks his way to the ropes and retreats to the corner, only for Maeda to follow the trail of blood and get back in the hunt. When they're on their feet striking, Maeda catches the leg and slams him with a capture suplex in almost one fluid motion (see above).

The selling in this match is pick and choose -- it's blatant at times and good when it needs to be but you know, that's mas o menos the standard for shoot-style wrestling. Takada is more of the offender in this case but Maeda does a terrific job selling the leg as Takada relentlessly attacks it with kicks and holds. The way he grabs a leg and steps into the opposite leg before laying back with the hold was sweet. One of the best moments of the match came after Maeda takes a rolling solebutt to the midsection, with him climbing back to his feet on rubber legs, fists raised in defiance. Takada's on it in the final minutes, as he's able to block another capture suplex attempt, cracking Maeda with a high kick to the head, slamming him with the belly-to-belly, and locking in the reverse armbar. He counters a German suplex hold with another armbar and gets a nearfall off of a dragon suplex hold but the king still wears the golden crown. When Takada tries to take him out with a rolling kick, Maeda catches the attempt and hits his German suplex hold, transitioning into the crossface chickenwing to tap Takada out. Perhaps not as pure "shoot-style" as their follow-up match in November but definitely the most entertaining match of their rivalry.