TAPE 578

Quality: EX

Length: 8 hrs (4 DVD)

TABE'S BEST OF NOBUHIKO TAKADA VOL 3: 1988-91 (The long-awaited third volume is now here! Follow the development of Takada as he goes from being a solid junior mid-carder in New Japan to the unquestioned ace of UWFI. All kinds of great action here, definitely a must-see for shoot-style fans. Every match is complete and is transferred from DVD masters or converted from VHS masters, so quality is perfect.)
Nobuhiko Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki, UWF, 8/13/88 (Interesting psychology here, with Takada cheating several times. It doesn't help, however, and Takada jobs!) Nobuhiko Takada vs Norman Smiley, UWF, 9/24/88 (Takada takes on the criminally underrated Smiley) NOBUHIKO TAKADA VS BOB BACKLUND, UWF, 12/22/88 (The best of Backlund's post-WWF matches. See it turn heated when Takada is extra stiff with Backlund and Backlund retaliates by spinning his boot on Takada's eye, giving him a nice raspberry.) Nobuhiko Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki, UWF, 2/27/89 (Another in this long-running rivalry) Nobuhiko Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki, UWF, 5/4/89 (Nice, long match - ***1/2) Nobuhiko Takada vs Yuko Miyato, UWF, 7/24/89 Nobuhiko Takada vs Masa Funaki, UWF, 8/13/89 (Two MMA pioneers hook it up!) Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoji Anjoh, UWF, 9/7/89 Nobuhiko Takada vs Tatsuo Nakano, UWF, 9/30/89 Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara, UWF, 10/25/89 (Excellent match - ***1/2) Nobuhiko Takada vs Duane Koslowski, UWF, 11/29/89 (from the big UWF Tokyo Dome show) Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara, UWF, 2/27/90 NOBUHIKO TAKADA VS YOJI ANJOH, UWF, 4/15/90 (Great match - Anjoh had several really good matches in the UWF - this is the best) Nobuhiko Takada vs Minoru Suzuki, UWF, 5/4/90 Nobuhiko Takada vs Tatsuo Nakano, UWF, 5/28/90 (Ultra stiff) Nobuhiko Takada vs Kazuo Yamazaki, UWF, 7/20/90 (Another good one from these two) Nobuhiko Takada vs Masa Funaki, UWF, 8/13/90 (Hot match until Funaki cuts Takada's eyelid with a strike) Nobuhiko Takada vs Yoshiaki Fujiwara, UWF, 10/25/90 Nobuhiko Takada vs Tatsuo Nakano, UWF, 12/1/90 (Nakano was never more than a jobber but he often had excellent matches in both the UWF and UWFI. This one is from the very last UWF show ever held.) Nobuhiko Takada vs Tom Burton, UWFI, 5/10/91 (Takada is now the unquestioned ace of a promotion for the first time. Here he main events the first-ever UWFI show and looks every bit the star he will become.) Nobuhiko Takada vs Tatsuo Nakano, UWFI, 7/3/91 Nobuhiko Takada & Kiyoshi Tamura vs Yoji Anjoh & Jim Boss, UWFI, 7/30/91 (Longest match in UWFI history, clocking in at over 31 minutes. Excellent match!) Nobuhiko Takada & Billy Scott vs Kazuo Yamazaki & Tatsuo Nakano, UWFI, 8/24/91 (Another long, excellent tag match. That's one thing UWFI did that RINGS never did - run tag matches. They work, however, and often provide excellent action.)