Yasuhito Namekawa vs. Kyosuke Sasaki (U-STYLE, 2/15/03)
This was a blast -- a much more scrappy, spunky fight, which I love. Namekawa has a great look and presence, and he's much bigger than Sasaki so he can slam him down with spinebusters and snappy belly-to-belly suplexes and cool cradled throws. He gets a yellow card for kicking Sasaki on the ground so we now know he's a bad boy. Sasaki tries some fancy things on the mat and ends up managing something out of the attempt. He gets a nice roll up into an ankle hold and hits a German, trying to transition into the armbar but Namekawa is quick to get a foot on the ropes. There's a heated little front mount slap battle before Namekawa uses a...unique dragon screw for the takedown and finally taps him with a cool legtrap armbar/facelock combination. Easy recommendation.
Takehiro Murahama vs. Kazuki Okubo (U-STYLE, 2/15/03)
Murahama, the babyfaced rookie phenom from the year 2000, is here and he just wants to pro-wrestle. This is a pretty fun match and worth checking out to see Murahama running the ropes and hitting enziguries. I like how Okubo is the spoiler in this match, trying to keep it pure shoot-style. He knows his way around the mat and actually looked a bit cleaner than Murahama. But Murahama's department is striking and his strikes were snug. But Okubo also snaps off some great lanky-legged kicks. There were a couple of hiccups along the way but the finishing stretch was really good. Good drama with Okubo's calf hold and then Murahama destroying him with the German before locking in the armbar for the submission. U-STYLE really loves German suplexes.
Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Wataru Sakata (U-STYLE, 2/15/03)
King Kiyoshi wants to start off with a handshake but Sakata says no with a slap to the face. Really good match that escalates throughout. There's a lot of jockeying for position early on, with neither really getting the advantage. Sakata tries for a swanky handspring transition but he can't catch Tamura with a hold. Tamura takes him to the ropes with an armbar and then dumps him with the waterwheel drop and puts on the single leg, turning it into a kneebar and sending him back to the ropes. They slaps it out as Tamura tries to take control of the leg again but when he tries to turn him over, Sakata's able to grab the leglock and send Tamura scrambling. Tamura's kicks and knees looked great as he downs Sakata with a combo and his selling of Sakata's own kicks and knees was terrific. Sakata wins with the rear neclock as he should.
Takehiro Murahama vs. Kyosuke Sasaki (U-STYLE, 4/6/03)
Murahama's really great in his straddling shoot-style/pro-wrestling role, and Sasaki does a good job of playing to Murahama's strengths, as well as his own. He's got some pretty slick matwork to counter Murahama's more feisty approach and I liked his flying armbar. At times, they're constantly switching and reversing holds, trying to sustain something long enough for a submision. When Murahama comes at him with hard kicks, Sasaki uses a double leg takedown just to col him down. But Murahama has a little mean streak in him with his stricks and gets more and more aggressive with them as the match progresses. Loved when he tries for the irish whip and Sasaki holds onto the ropes to block it, kicking Murahama down and taking him to the ropes with a leglock. Also he gets a nice reverse armbar counter to the first German suplex attempt but in the end, Murahama hits it and taps him with the armbar.
Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (U-STYLE, 4/6/03)
Can you image if Mishima had a Matt Riddle-like run through the Japanese promotions in the mid-00s? He has such a unique presence and this was a terrific little match-up, with Mishima showing off his quasi-capoeira style and judo throws against Tamura's slick-as-catshit counter and matwork. Mishima manages some hard slams and I really liked his takedown into the headscissors, transitioning into the armbar. Of course, Tamura's great here as the master, tip-toeing out of trap attempts and scoring takedowns>submission holds. The struggle on the ground was conveyed well, although because Tamura's is king, there are times when he looks bored at Mishima smothering his leg with a hold. Heading into the finish, an exhausted Mishima comes at Tamura with a palm thrust but Tamura is able to take him down into a necklock, flipping him over into the armbar and cranking it on for the submission win.
Kyosuke Sasaki vs. Dokonjonosuke Mishima (U-STYLE, 6/29/03)
This may be my favorite U-Style match so far. Mishima's just so much fun to watch in there and Sasaki is a great counterbalance. Real competitive, seamless grappling with some snappy strikes and tons of awesome takedowns and transitions. Sasaki tries to dominate early but Mishima uses his cleverness and slick movements to escape. Mishima dishes out plenty of big high kicks and spin kicks, and his snap German suplex was great. Sasaki is hanging with Mishima on the mat and later, with the strikes, and by the end, they're down to their last point. They're slipping and sliding all over the mat, trying to grab a hold. Mishima chops him down to a knee with kicks, snaps him over with a suplex into a front neck chancery. Sasaki survives it but finally taps to a dope rear ankle hold. Terrific match.
Wataru Sakata vs. Hiroyuki Ito (U-STYLE, 6/29/03)
Oh my god, Wataru Sakata is such a complete dick in this match and every second of it rules. What a great companion piece to the Sasaki/Mishima match. Ito becomes quite the underdog by the end of it. But to open, they're not playing around with their strikes. Once Sakata gets him on the mat, he's rubbing his wrist taped wrists in his face and hammering him with body shots. He takes him over with a nice Saito suplex before walloping Ito with big open hands from the front mount. Oh, Ito dishes out some too but not as hot as Sakata. He rubs his fists in Ito's face, pops him with a few more nasty body shots and then tries to break him with the double wristlock. Ito fights out and gets a little revenge on Sakata, taking him to the ropes with an armbar. I like that he keeps trying to do what Sakata has done to him but Sakata just gives it back to him twice as hard. After some more elbow washes and nasty palm strikes, Sakata puts him in the single leg crab. The fans chant for Ito to escape but as he reaches for the ropes, Sakata drags him back to the middle and submits him. Another great match and easy rec.
Wataru Sakata vs. Kyosuke Sasaki (U-STYLE, 12/9/03)
A slow, methodical burn but recommended viewing, with Sakata still being a dick and Sasaki his usual crafty self. I liked the stalemate opening with Sasaki showing off his canvas skillz. Sakata gets a hell of a leg trip in the corner but can't follow up on the mat. He lacks Sasaki's finesse and works more of a bully smothering style. He's like a less refined Hideki Suzuki. The striking picks up and Sakata punishes him with mounted palms and body bunches. When he tries for the double wristlock, Sasaki counters with the armbar. When Sakata tries to get away with forearm rubs, Sasaki gives it right back to him. At some point, Sasaki gets busted open and Sakata overhwhelms him with knees and smacks him down for the KO. Had the groundwork been a little more interesting, this would have a great match but it's still good and worth a watch.
Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Katsuhisa Fujii (U-STYLE, 12/9/03)
This is a big test for young Fujii, whose looked dominant in his 2-4 minute squashes but will he fare as well against the master Tamura? The contrast of power vs. technique is one of my favorite match-ups and they do a good job of establishing that here. This felt the most UWFi Tamura of any U-STYLE match thus far, with Fujii using his strength and throws to break him down. I loved Tamura wildly fighting out of the German. Fujii always manages to grab a few holds, which aren't elaborate or anything, but fit the theme of trying to break Tamura. Tamura stuns him with a high kick to the head and keeps sweeping Fujii's leg but Fujii fights back and finally hits the German on Tamura (even though Tamura really doesn't want to get German'd). Tamura retaliates with kicks and this time, defends with a front necklock and when Fujii tries for a second German, Tamura takes him down with the double wristlock for the submission win. Very fun match!
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