TADAO YASUDA: THE BASTARD KING OF INOKIISM

Known as: Tadao Yasuda, King of Debt (or Borrowing Money King)
Height: 6 Feet 3 Inches (or 4 Inches! who knows!)
Weight: 280-330lbs
Time in New Japan: 1994-2004
Discipline(s): Sumo, Professional Wrestling
Signature Moves: Tiger Driver, Various Chokes (Forearm, Arm Triangle, Rear Naked, Guillotine)
MMA Record: 2-4

TADAO YASUDA. A former sumo turned pro-wrestler in the mid 1990s, in the early 2000s he began to try his hand at mixed martial arts despite being years passed his prime. A noted gambling addict (hence his nickname), he was able to channel arrogance and bravado that produced incredibly interesting outings in both real and fake fighting arts. Horribly misunderstood in the modern day, Yasuda played an important role both in the development of Inokiism in kakutogi by achieving some amazing upset wins and in pro-wrestling by leading one of the most notorious bad dude factions in all the land: the crazed cult of the Makai Club. This is meant to better show in a historical context why Tadao Yasuda mattered, and what great things can be found when we re-evaluate the past.

TADAO YASUDA BATTLES THE FIRST SON OF INOKIISM:
Before Tadao Yasuda ascends to the heights of Inokiism (even if they were rather brief for him), he found himself at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2000 fighting Naoya Ogawa from the Universal Fighting-Arts Organization (UFO) which was a continuation of Inoki's concept of the mixed matches that he explored year ago with the World Martial Arts Association (WMA). Revived in 1998, it only ran a handful of shows of middling success financial wise but it succeeded in cultivating Naoya Ogawa into the original prince of Inokiism, the total blurring of the lines of what constitutes a shoot match and pro-wrestling. If Akira Maeda and Satoru Sayama's goal was leaving pro-wrestling behind, Inoki's goal was to level the playing field between pro-wrestling and *real* combat systems. Inoki found his moment in the Kakutogi boom.

Back to the match itself! This one is quick and hot; in less than 5 minutes, it's over. What it really accomplishes is putting a wrapper on the UFO vs NJPW feud that had been going since 1998 reaching its pinnacle at Wrestling World 1999 when an all out brawl broke out between the factions after Ogawa "shot" on Hashimoto (this was a work but it seems in recent years people have begun to believe it as a true event, but that just really exposes how Inokiism did blur the lines). This match is less for Yasuda as much it is to show the first era of Inokiism represented by Ogawa and UFO wane as guys like Kazuyuki Fujita and Tadao Yasuda take the reigns.



THE KING OF DEBT SMASHES THE HYPER BATTLE CYBORG:
This here is the moment when the new era of Inokiism was solidified. Exactly one year after the first Bom-Ba-Ye year end showcase of all things Inoki, 2001's edition brought us something else: the collision of K-1 and NEW JAPAN! The stakes of a confrontation like this were massive as one can imagine. The success of Kazuyuki Fujita in the world of PRIDE had emboldened Inoki and this event is an example of how truly emboldened he was.

KOSOTO GAKE! Yasuda, lover of everything blood choke related, utilizes this minor outer hook perfectly after slinging Le Banner off of the ropes. Every time this gets back to the feet, Yasuda uses everything in him to rush in and grab Le Banner because he absolutely had to neutralize Le Banner's ability to strike. Yasuda's strong sumo skills, combined with slick judo and pro-wrestling ability, wins the day here after a long struggle on the ground when Yasuda forces Jerome Le Banner to tap out from a gag-inducing forearm choke across the throat. The moment is solidified as Antonio Inoki runs into the ring to slap and hug Yasuda.

Yasuda in this moment became another anointed one in the court of Antonio Inoki; an crusader on the path to prove that New Japan is the KING OF SPORTS. Yet sadly, this event is typically remembered as the time when Yuji Nagata, quickly rising to the top in New Japan, was dispatched by Mirko Cro-Cop in seconds. In isolation, this is a regrettable fight to have constructed but when its analyzed as the part of an entire event and lodged in a whole ongoing world of conflict in fight sports, it makes sense! That blow of Nagata's loss is softened by the jubilant brutality of Yasuda laying his forearm across the throat of one of the greatest kickboxers of all time as thousands of fans cheer.



THE KING OF DEBT BECOMES THE KING OF NEW JAPAN:
Shortly after Tadao Yasuda's win against Jerome Le Banner, he gets his reward; a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight championship. After Kazuyuki Fujita vacated the title due to an injury to his Achilles, a tournament was held and the finals were at Fighting Spirit 2002 between Nagata and Yasuda.

This match is awesome. An amazing back and forth that exemplifies in many ways what Inokiism meant to the actual wrestling itself. Yasuda here utilizes the same Kosoto Gake off the ropes from the Le Banner fight to bring Nagata down into half guard, a prime position to apply numerous choking techniques. Nagata at one point tries to have an elbow exchange with Yasuda who replies with no nonsense punching. For a full analysis of the fight, check out my friends review of it over here at Zrakomlat! Tadao Yasuda is able to win this fight with another choke, a guillotine.

The era of Yasuda is here, but it is short lived. After a successful defense against Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Tadao Yasuda loses the title in April at the Toukon Special against the resilient Yuji Nagata. I find it quite funny how people detest Yasuda and call his incredibly short run as champ a failure. These people do not understand the logic of Inokiism, the results of real shoot fights have incredible weight here in this era. Nagata had to wait a little longer for his time because he lost his encounter with K-1 while Yasuda, a man Inoki knew would not be a long term champ, succeeded and thus was awarded.

YASUDA IS LATE AND DON FRYE IS PISSED:
Inoki eggs of Yasuda after he is disrespected by Don Frye. Check out the resulting match over on my earlier blog post on Bas Rutten's time in New Japan.

THE FINAL UFO:



THE FINAL UFO AND THE WANING OF YASUDA IN MMA:
UFO Legend was a failure financially. Thousands of tickets were given out for free yet the audience was still under 30 thousand, the lowest attendance for kakutogi event in that building (at least at the time). It is a mixed bag of an event with some spectacular fights and some slogs. The TV rating goal of 15% of viewers was not reached as they only managed a 10.8% of TV viewership. UFO Legend is the send off for the UFO brand, though it seems like they had maybe wanted to do more of these. It marks some of the first notable downturns in attendance on Inoki branded ventures; an omen for the demise of the Bom-Ba-Ye shows and Inokiism in New Japan as a whole.

This match is fairly uneventful despite the grandeur of the production and entrances. Fujita manages a quick win with the side arm triangle choke, a favorite of Yasuda's. Inoki is shown at times and was clearly displeased with this fight and the event as a whole. Just days later, Yasuda would send masked men to assault Masahiro Chono at Strong Style Spirit. Once the crown wrestler of Inokiism, Yasuda makes the transition to cult leader in New Japan.



THE SUPER ROOKIE OUTSMARTS THE KING:
I have chosen here not to discuss MAKAI CLUB as I have already covered their shenanigans in other posts (go check em out!) and will continue to as I explore this era. What this post has really been about is how different people become bearers of the Inokiist mission throughout this era from Ogawa to Fujita, from Yasuda and Nagata, and then to Shinsuke Nakamura and Lyoto Machida. Nakamura here is coming off of a win over the kickboxer Jan Nortje (who beat Yasuda at Bom-Ba-Ye 2002) at NJPW Ultimate Crush and is on his way to another MMA victory at Jungle Fight 1 in September. Nakamura was on his way to the crown of the IWGP title in December, and he makes a pit stop here to fight the former king Tadao Yasuda.

Yasuda is such an old bastard in this one. Instead of shoot technique, he employs low blows and sneaky Makai Club interference to try and defeat the Super Rookie. Even after a tiger driver and numerous choke attempts, Nakamura is able to slap on a triangle choke and manages to tap out the boss of Makai. The reaction of the crowd shows a new era of New Japan and Inokiism has arrived; the year of Ultimate Crush is winding down and the late era of Inoki in New Japan is here.

ENSON INOUE: THE CRAZY DOGS BOSS (PART 1)

Known as: Enson Inoue

Height: 5 Feet 11 Inches

Weight: ~210

Time in New Japan: 2003-2004

Discipline(s): Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Bujinkan, Shooto

Signature Moves: Sleeperhold
MMA Record: 12-8

Where to begin with Enson Inoue? A weed-man, a professional SHOOTIST, and a lover of all things pitbulls; Inoue is pioneer in MMA having major wins over guys like Randy Couture and Rene Rooze. After years in SHOOTO, Enson made the jump to PRIDE in 1999, winning his first bout but then losing every subsequent fight until his final loss to Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in early 2002. Inoue needed a break (and a nice payday) so he found himself where many slipping shootfighters have ended up: NEW JAPAN PRO-WRESTLING!

INOUE CHOKES OUT HOSHINO:

The Crazy Dogs (Hiro Saito, Michiyoshi Ohara & Tatsutoshi Goto) are feuding with the Inoki cultists Makai Club, lead by the maniacal and very very old Kantaro Hoshino. As Makai assaults the dogs and Hoshino gets some shots of his own in (before falling off the top turnbuckle in hilarious fashion), Enson Inoue comes into the ring and chokes Kantaro out. "ENSON. ENSON INOUE. CRAZY DOG BOSS!" The Dogs pick up the incapacitated Kantaro and stuff him into the giant dog house they always bring to ringside (Inokiism is very serious stuff!). We got a war coming up at NJPW Hyper Battle 2003!



MAKAI VS DOGS:
Makai #5 (Mitsuya Nagai) has just murdered Takashi Iizuka (which I have included for posterity) and this crowd is hot! The doghouse is here and the crowd is even more ecstatic! CRAZY DOG BOSS Enson Inoue is in the building and he is gonna put these strong style cultists (Kazunari Murakami, Makai #1, Ryushi Yanagisawa & co-head Tadao Yasuda) in their place which is the Dog House because everything with Inoue is dog related (even his gyms are named PureBred, an illusion to dog stuff). The kicks from Kazunari Murakami in this one are heavy, and Makai gets most of the action till the match is called as a NO CONTEST because Inoue ran in to break up a submission and a brawl ensues! Brawling has a real place in this era of New Japan as it typically did end up in a NO CONTEST or COUNT OUT (unlike whatever the hell is going on there now) and this allowed for a feud to continue and refine its content further. The brutal assault on Kantaro at the end of this no contest is a way to distill this feud into something more personal between Murakami and Inoue while at the same time continuing the greater struggle between Makai Club and the various factions in New Japan.



CRAZY DOG BOSS VS THE HEISEI TERRORIST:
After two more encounters at the Hyper Battle series, it culminates here. The Heisei Terrorist, the baddest man on the planet, Kazunari Murakami and the CRAZY DOGS BOSS Enson Inoue are about to fucking brutalize each other in front of thousands of bloodthirsty fans at the Tokyo Dome. If Rutten's catch wrestling match with Osamu Nishimura represents the most refined side of Inokiism (one of ethereal sportsmanship, a light of eternal combat), this bout between Murakami and Enson is the most indulgent and transgressive. This comes from the world of Island Deathmatches, the Accursed Share that Bataille spoke of, vented off in an explosion of spectacle and war. The Crazy Dogs gang assault Murakami, slicing his face with a blade as form of punishment for past violence. Enson Inoue wins by TKO as the rest of the Crazy Dogs pull their boss away from Murakami's limp body, leaving the Makai Club to clean up the mess left behind.

[There will be a part 2 to this once I manage to get my grubby hands on NJPW shows with Enson stuff on there!!!!!!]

A highlight from Enson Inoue's Twitter:

Unmmm can you get off the machine... I want to use it. Lol

He sat on the leg extension machine looking at his phone for 30 minutes straight only putting his phone down to nap every 5 minutes.

I did legs yesterday so it was all good. pic.twitter.com/jfja2Kyh1j

— Enson Inoue (@ensoninoue) July 11, 2018

PS: Kazunari Murakami did manage to get his win back a few years later in Big Mouth Loud, an interesting (and almost all on youtube!) splinter from NJPW founded by Fumihiko Uwai. Check that out below!

ULTIMATE CRUSH: JOSH BARNETT IN 2003

Known as: Josh Barnett, Baby Faced Assassin, Blue-eyed Kenshiro, The Warmaster
Height: 6 Feet 3 Inches
Weight: ~250lbs
Time in New Japan: 2003-2004
Discipline(s): Catch Wrestling, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Signature Moves: Captured Buster, Cross Heel Lock, Double Wristlock Submission, Sleeper Hold
MMA Record: 35-8

THE CHALLENGE IS MADE:
Josh Barnett is no longer in the UFC at the end of 2002. Already warned for potential doping, Barnett won the UFC Heavyweight title by defeating Randy Couture in March but was stripped for a supposed violation (Barnett has always denied it, and I think doping rulez suck, so there's that). Where does he appear again (with the UFC belt I might add!)? NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING! He chokes out Yuji Nagata (he sure is popping up alot in this blog, he should probably get his own post!) and we now have this match on our hands! I have posted the background to this match below:



THE (SORT OF) CHAMPION STARTS AT THE TOP:
What a way to start one's NJPW career: challenging for the title against  Yuji Nagata, destined to be a storied champ with numerous defenses (at the time we were ignorant of this). Unlike Bas Rutten, who had to build up to his title challenge, or Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, thrown into a tournament for a new top title; Josh Barnett started at the top. There is a logic to this: Rutten himself had been retired for a period before coming to New Japan, and Kohsaka (though thoroughly decorated) was not carrying any titles. Barnett on the other hand (despite technically being stripped of the title) came in brandishing his UFC Heavyweight belt, something that within Inokiism brings much respect. This was not simply a shooter coming in to challenge Nagata, it was a champion here to challenge another. Pro-wrestling or not, within Inokiism these belts represented the same thing.

As this begins Barnett stares down Nagata, and as he does his patented throat slice, the crowd reacts (hiss!) and the announcer screams! HIGH KICK and Nagata is already down. Even in his imminent defeat, Barnett manages to have an air of real challenge that even Rutten did not have. Similar to Nagata's bout with TK in 2005 at NJPW Nexess VI, this is full of slick ground work. Nagata, not a small man himself, seems dwarfed here by the immense Barnett. God, Barnett does a leg scissors takedown into a leglock and it is a thing of BEAUTY. However, just like our other shooters on pilgrimage to Inoki's Colosseum, he fails to secure the top gold. A sublime match, Nagata manages to secure a quick pin after a spinning overhead kick to Barnett's big head catching him totally off guard. Do not be worried though, as Barnett has another mission: rampage across the Japanese MMA scene representing his new home in New Japan Pro-Wrestling!!!

(there is an Enson Inoue sighting in Barnett's corner which reminds me to definitely do a write up on his time in the KING OF SPORTS)



TIME FOR BARNETT TO CRUSH..... ULTIMATELY:
So what does a disgraced (at least in the eyes of weak/silly people!) UFC champ do while working for New Japan? Well, if you are a guy like Barnett, you smash the living fuck out of people and thankfully out friend Antonio Inoki has devised a great venue for that called ULTIMATE CRUSH VALE TUDO! As I expounded upon its goodness in the last blog post on TK, NJPW Ultimate Crush is an amazing event and possibly the aesthetic peak of INOKIISM.

A sad note before this match however. The really too thick Jimmy Ambriz was undefeated before this match, and was looking to become the next big thing in American heavyweight MMA. He was skilled and a joy to watch! Yet, after Barnett kneed him in the face at the end of this bout, his jaw was never the same. Take a peep at his record and you'll see what I am talking about. MMA is a dark ghastly thing but I enjoy it anyways (I am no moralist after all).



TIME FOR ANOTHER TITLE:
Before Ultimate Crush II, Josh Barnett made a pit stop in PANCRASE to challenge Yuki Kondo for the Openweight title while representing New Japan. Barnett uses his size advantage throughout to pummel Kondo in the clinch with knees (a favorite of Barnett's) but Kondo is able to hold out. Kondo, to his credit, manages to land some really nice counter punches until Barnett is able to bring him down. From there Barnett controls, landing lots of ground and pound and working for various submissions. The die-hard PANCRASE crowd is absolutely ecstatic for this, cheering and chanting until they burst at the seems as Barnett delivers a series of pro-wrestling like german suplexes to Kondo who then returns strikes as they scramble back to their feet. As Barnett gets Kondo in the corner, Kondo lands a sick knee to Barnett's head rocking him severely. Barnett knows he needs to end this; he drags Kondo down and slyly stands in guard and stomps Kondo in the head. This allows him to regain full mount where he pummels Kondo until he locks on the rear naked choke for the win.

Josh Barnett failed to gain the IWGP title, but his exploits have brought him back into the champions circle by winning the storied PANCRASE Openweight title. PANCRASE has been crushed ultimately, and now Barnett returns home to New Japan and the Tokyo Dome!



BACK TO THE DOME FOR MORE CRUSHING:
The Baby Face Assassin is back home in Inoki's Colosseum: THE TOKYO DOME! He is back to defend his recently won PANCRASE Openweight title against PANCRASE veteran (salute!) Yoshiki Takahashi who comes out to You Spin Me Right Round (very nice choice for the dome my friend).

Takahashi is on an 8 fight win streak here but unfortunately it is about to be ULTIMATE(ly) CRUSH(ed) by Josh Barnett here, and much like Ambriz, it will never recover! Barnett has a knack for doing this it seems! Takahashi is the one to initiate the striking here as Barnett eats his fair share of punches. They clinch into the corner and Barnett accidentally lands a knee to the dick (a sad event for all!) but after a short break begins to knee in the corner once more.

As round 2 starts, I notice that while Enson Inoue is in Barnett's corner, Takahashi has KENDO KASHIN (hello masked Inokiism man, iffy mma guy, I will get to you soon enough!) and Kazuyuki Fujita in his corner. I am surprised by this as it seems this whole thing is NJPW'd up. Whoever wins, Inoki wins!

Barnett is eating shots to start off this round again until he puts Takahashi in the corner. He follows up by scoring with a scooping double leg takedown and now Barnett has Takahashi's back. Ground and pound reigns down and it isn't looking good for Takahashi until WOW a very slick little sweep and now his on top in Barnett's closed guard. A much better position than he was in earlier as I could hear the horrid thud of every punch landing on his skull. Takahashi begins to give Barnett a neck crank but he is able to slip out. WOW this ends in the second round as Barnett slaps on a triangle armbar! Josh Barnett is able to remain the Pancrase Openweight champion and continues to make Inoki proud.

(I am pretty sure Masakatsu Funaki was on commentary for this as we get a flash on screen of someone who I think is the man!)



LET US FIGHT AGAIN BUT THIS TIME IN KOBE:
It is the end of 2003, and the beginning of 2004. The year of Ultimate Crush is waning, seat sales are beginning to dwindle, and the TV audiences aren't as large. Don't worry to much however: as the world changes, so does Inokiism. It is becoming more refined, achieving even greater results. While it's pinnacle does not fully occur until K-1 Romanex, Inoki has become much more focused on training specifically for MMA and managing hand selected talents. It is a shame Inoki BomBaYe 2003 did such bad numbers (not that bad on its own, but (ultimate) crushed in tv ratings by PRIDE and K-1) that this tanked any solely Inoki promoted shows going forward. Unfortunately for Inoki, his fighters' pinnacle would have to come in a promotion not of his own.

Semmy Schilt and Josh Barnett had fought before in the UFC with Barnett winning by armbar. That was 2 and a half years before this fight however, and so much has changed in the scene. Barnett plays his typical game of strong clinching and collar tie-ups, all aimed at bringing the incredibly tall Schilt down to the ground. I agree with this strategy as it has always worked for me when playing PRIDE FC for the ps2 because if you try to stand with Schilt the computer will kick you to death!

Barnett executes the not getting kicked to death plan well as he maintains control of Schilt. Out of nowhere Schilt almost gets Barnett in a leglock and vicious game of back and forth begins as the bell sadly rings to end the first round. Barnett rushes Schilt into the corner to start the 2nd round and is able to lift and plant Schilt down with a nice double leg off the ropes. Barnett is in Schilt's guard for a bit until he grabs the left leg and falls back into a heel hook. Schilt is able to sit up and starts threatening Barnett from the back with ground and pound strikes. Barnett almost secures a triangle armbar (he is oh so close!) and then almost a figure four armbar(!!!!) but the long man Schilt is able to escape. He is only on top for a short time before Barnett explodes forward and gains control.

The 3rd round begins and Barnett has Schilt up against those ropes as quick as imaginable (you see it and its just like "ahhh now thats some wrestling") and Schilt is on his back soon after. Barnett gets caught in Semmy's close guard as he holds Barnett's wrists until Barnett jumps forward to get top mount. YES JOSH BARNETT WINS BY CROSS ARMBAR AFTER BEING RESET CUZ OF ROPE ISSUES AFTER ALMOST WINNING BY STRAIGHT ARMBAR. New Japan is victorious over this dastardly tall kickboxer Semmy Schilt (we all know New Japan's record regarding Kickboxers...) and we are happy!



BUT ALL THINGS HAVE TO END SO LETS END THIS WELL:
Ultimate Crush is over. Inoki BomBaYe is over. Yet, Inokiism continues in other places. Josh Barnett is done with pro-wrestling in New Japan as his final match was a few weeks earlier at Nexess I, but his overview has not really been about Barnett's pro-wrestling matches in New Japan. They surely deserve praise and a deeper analysis, but this has really been a cipher to understand what ULTIMATE CRUSH means, and broadly what the year 2003 means for Inokiism. 2003 is the year that MMA fighters training under that banner fully mature while we also see the peak of groups like MAKAI Club in New Japan as NWF Champ Yoshihiro Takayama dethrones Yuji Nagata of the IWGP title. It is the Inokiism era's grandest year running endless mega arenas. It is a year of excess and I happily drink it up!

K-1 Romanex, K-1's first fully No Holds Barred show, however marks the pinnacle of Inokiism as a fighting philosophy in MMA. Forget the Nagata loses to CroCop and Fedor and forget the loses sustained by the majority of the UWF crew in their time in PRIDE; this is an event where pro-wrestling shows it can be a legitimate philosophy in the world of real combat sports outside of guys like Sakuraba. Blue Wolf, Shinsuke Nakamura, Lyoto Machida (people often forget he got his start in Inoki's LA DOJO), Josh Barnett, and Kazuyuki Fujita all won their bouts on this night.

This bout is so sweet as Josh Barnett just obliterates the always whiny and generally unlikable Rene Rooze. After rushing Rooze into the ropes, Barnett struggles to bring him down because this motherfucker as usual keeps grabbing the ropes like so MUCH. The ref has to break them and issue a penalty to Rooze for his usual Rooze shit, you know how these kickboxers can be (its from all the punching to their head). Once he can't grip on the ropes anymore, Rooze becomes helpless. He starts going through the ropes and Barnett follows him, punching his head back and forth until the ref cannot bare it anymore. Rene Rooze and his team is angry and tries to pick an argument/fight because again you know how these kickboxers of the euro persuasion are.

Despite this event being in 2004, I wanted to leave this post on high note. The Inokiist era has a gloomy ending; one of unease and hard change. However, I do not want that to define the discourse of this time in pro-wrestling and fake/fakeish/real fighting broadly. The peaks of this time are so strong and joyous in their embrace of sheer, total violence. That is what Barnett's time in New Japan represents and why he is the perfect way to understand what Inoki meant by the phrase ULTIMATE CRUSH. It was a call to violence and people followed that message. What you see in these posts, those are the results.

KOHSAKA CHAOS: The Sage Makes a Pilgrimage to Inoki's Colosseum

Known As: Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, TK, The Sage of Combat Sports
Height: 5 Feet 9 Inches or 5 Feet 11 Inches (which is true, IDK?!)
Weight: 224lbs
Time in New Japan: 2002-2003, 2005
Discipline(s): Judo, Jiu Jitsu, Kickboxing
Signature Moves: Heel Hook, TK Scissors into Reverse Achilles, Mid Kick, Cross Armbreaker
MMA Record: 29-20-2 (this has some matches from RINGS which are worked but who cares!)

As Bas Rutten was on his way out, committing magical fake fighting feats at New Japan's THE SPIRAL with Osamu Nishimura, Tsuyoshi Kohsaka was making his debut in the KING OF SPORTS. Fitting, as Rutten and Kohsaka just a few years early produced very real fighting magic in the UFC (despite big john's big dumb ass making big dumb decisions). The Inokiist period was one of pilgrimage; fighters making visitations with intention. As one shooter makes his leave, another enters into the world of Inokiism to challenge for gold and glory.

Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, or simply TK, is a master martial artist. A founder of The Alliance (Frank Shamrock and Maurice Smith being the other members), TK pushed the boundaries of grappling within the fake and real and maybe sorta fake/real fighting of RINGS where he comitted his most well known work (practically a holy text of fake fighting). He is and was the Sage of Combat Sports, a title only worthy of someone to have won in the LUMAX J'Cup, PANCRASE, RINGS, UFC, RIZIN, and PRIDE, and someone who has invented the great transition technique TK SCISSORS!

(Which also is the name of a great blog, inspiration to me, and a definitive source on all things TK related!)

THE NWF CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINALS:
The National Wrestling Federation title was taken off some American chumps in the 70s by Antonio Inoki, and it became the title he defended until its retirement in the early 1980s. It laid dormant until 2002 when Kazuyuki Fujita announced the King of Gladiator tournament to revive it. It would challenge the dominance of the IWGP Heavyweight championship, and all the participants had a background in combat sports.

TK has his premiere in NJPW at The Spiral 2002, facing off against the former sumo and IWGP champ Tadao Yasuda. He is able to withstand Yasuda's initial rush, and uses his incredibly slick ground skills to win by Achilles lock. Our friend is on to the next round!



THE NWF CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FINALS:
TK returns at the famous January 4th Tokyo Dome show (though the last event was also in the Tokyo Dome, Inoki loved to spend all the money in this era ((maybe too much but who could say!)) to face-off against the towering Yoshihiro Takayama!

This match is soooooo good. Decidedly un-shoot at times, it brings so much glee watching a guy like TK dropkick Takayama square in the fucking head. Sadly, just like our good friend Bas Rutten, Kohsaka fails to achieve the gold here. However, not all is lost, as this tournament and its resurrected championship has massive implications for New Japan in the year 2003. It cemented the place that MMA fighters had carved in the company, and laid the theme for the year plainly. This was going to be the year that Inoki pursues the dream of integrating pro-wrestling and combat sports full stop. Welcome to the era of ULTIMATE CRUSH!



ULTIMATE CRUSH I:
It is still 2003, and the sage makes his return to fight at the MEGA big NJPW Ultimate Crush. Clocking in well over 5 hours, this event was a smorgasbord of Vale Tudo No Holds Barred fighting and pro-wrestling. This will definitely get its own dedicated post in the future, but let us focus on the task at hand: documenting TK's time in NJPW!

TK is facing Dolgorsurengiin Sumyaabazar in New Japan's own MMA rule set: Ultimate Crush Vale Tudo. Elbows, grounded knees, soccer kicks, and clotheslines are all EXPLICITLY endorsed here, making this rule set even more truly Vale Tudo than anything else in Japan at the time. Oh, you might be asking, who is Dolgorsurengiin Sumyaabazar?! Well, he is Blue Wolf's brother, a famous Mongolian Wrestler and now a politician.

But, how does he do compared to his brother? Not well, as while he is taking down TK early in the fight he falls on his on arm and fucks it wayyyyy up! TK gets the win (I guess)!



ULTIMATE CRUSH II:

In October of 2003, the Ultimate Crush show returns! This time with less Ultimate Crush Vale Tudo (boooo!) and a Hulk Hogan match (bigger boo!). It's ok though as TK is here and he is facing the menacing Ricardo Morais (presented here as Ricardon). You might know this guy for being the one to win the Absolute Fighting Championship in 1995 where he defeated 5 guys in one night, including the wild Mikhail Illoukhin (or however its spelled, there are many ways!) with a rear naked choke. He is scary tbh! (he also ran in RINGS a few times, beating the likes of Yoshihisa Yamamoto and our KINGDOM friend Hiromitsu Kanehara, but he lost to Grom Zaza at least)

This is an interesting affair despite lots of laying on each other and punching! TK definitely gets rocked hard a few times but these ULTIMATE CRUSH refs are lenient and frequently bring them up/reset the fighters. The sage is able to very smartly defend himself from the potential vale tudo knees, and uses tricky sweeps to regain control and put some nice ground and pound on. TK manages to win by Unanimous Decision! CLAP FOR OUR MAN!



A QUICK STOP TO VISIT OLD FRIENDS:
But before TK returns back to New Japan, he is making a pit stop in Shoot Style! Please check out this absolute treat of a bout from Kiyoshi Tamura's U-Style promotion. This is not NJPW related but it is a great 3rd chapter to close the story after their famous draw in RINGS '98! I hope you enjoy!! (He also wins the Pancrase Super Heavyweight championship in 2004 as well)

KOHSAKA'S RETURN:

TK is back to face former IWGP Heavyweight champion Yuji Nagata at Nexess V. NJPW is a much different place than it was in 2003 however, as attendance is beginning to plummet and the money is running dry. Some place the blame at Inoki's feet, but always for the most wrongheaded reasons ("Inoki liked martial arts too much" yea duh!). As much as Inoki's spending on promoting events in the Tokyo Dome 5+ times in a year full of laser displays may have contributed (it did!), NJPW was really an early victim of the combat sports crash in Japan throughout the mid to late 2000s. New Japan was hit first, but the writing is on the wall for everyone.

Now that the dark and sad stuff is out of the way, we can discuss this lovely little match. It ends up being quite short, simply a match to build to a blow off at Nexess VI, but the combat we do see is smooth and intentional. This was much more RINGS than Inokiism in the sense of how the wrestling itself played out, but the ending was all story. Kohsaka gets free from a toe hold by sinking in a rear naked choke, but as Nagata begins to pass out he puts pressure on Kohsaka's knees causing a rope break. The ref calls the match as Nagata is out cold; TK is upset and issues a challenge to Nagata, causing other wrestlers to run into the ring to prevent a brawl. Business will have to be finished at a later date. (TK's ALLIANCE gear is so sikk, I would kill to have one of those t-shirts)

NAGATA AND KOHSAKA FINISH IT:

LMAO Sorry for the way fucked audio on this, I have no clue why every copy of this I find has horrid audio. Its ok though because we get some nice shots of Shibata and Kazunari Murakami at ringside. (I wonder what these dastardly dudes are plottin')

This match is such a great climax to both this short feud and TK's tenure in New Japan as a whole. Early in the match, TK won't get off the ropes and Nagata just like... whips out a front rolling kick and clocks him, hits TK with a soccer kick, then scrambles for a failed pin. This makes TK so pissed he takes off the MMA gloves (you know shit is about to fucking go DOWN). The submission exchanges are fantastic, and the reactions that TK and Nagata have are all really felt by the crowd. They let the emotions come through the body's performance; it is not forced or hokey as I tend to find New Japan (and lets be honest, much of wrestling in general) these days. Even in this spectacular exchange, a magical realist dream of combat, it oozes real pain and struggle. That is how stories are told in Inokiism; violence and intensity. This match is Inokiism plain and simple, it really is. Kohsaka loses here, but the sage's pilgrimage was not in vain, and the proof is in the video file just below this text.

[PS. As you probably saw at the end of that match, Nagata is attacked by Yoshihisa Yamamoto, a MMA fighter and pro-wrestler who I dearly like, but has a very long history of being destroyed despite his size (he is so much bigger than Nagata here!). Does anyone know what this was supposed to build to? Yamamoto never had a match in NJPW so I assume this was some planned thing that went nowhere! Weird!]

THE BAS RUTTEN RUN

Known As: Bas Rutten
Height: 6 Feet 1 Inches
Weight: 215lbs
Time in New Japan: 2000, 2002
Discipline(s): Karate, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Taekwondo
Signature Moves: Liver Kick, Liver Punch, Spinning Head Kick
MMA Record: 28-4-1

Bas Rutten needs no introduction. He is a legend in the ring, an influence on all, and one of the best commentators in the history of combat sports. Yet, did you know he did some pro-wrestling in the early 2000s shortly after his retirement in 1999? (You probably do since you are on THIS kind of blog but thats not the point!)

Rutten's first outing in the world of fake fighting came at INOKI BOM-BA-YE 2000 New Years Eve show (the source of the famous mass slapping line!) where he teamed with fellow bald headed fighter Alexander Otsuka (they had met in PRIDE as Rutten was a commentator) to face Naoki Sano (our amazing moleman-esque friend from the UWF-I and KINGDOM) and Ricco Rodriguez, a quickly rising star in MMA at the time with powerful wins in KOTC and Pride.

Unlike later Bom-Ba-Ye shows between 2001 and 2003 that featured fully shoot bouts, the original incarnation was based on the concept of pro-wrestling dream matches featuring popular MMA fighters all from the mind of Antonio Inoki. Naoki Sano and Otsuka were competitors in BATTLARTS and PRIDE at the time while Rutten and Rodriguez both have nicknames regarding their handsomeness (El Guapo and Suave respectively) so that is pretty much the basis of this match. And let me tell you, it is fucking sikkkk as hell. Rodriguez is a natural in the ring, and has no issue playing up the part of a pro-wrestler. A must watch! (The aesthetics of this first Inoki BomBaYe show is soooooooooooooo awesome, Inoki embraced the aesthetics of the "new millennium" full force.)



After a short tour in fellow baldy Otsuka's home promotion of BATTLARTS in late 2001 (I really should watch these sometime soon, maybe I will post them on here later hmmmm things to think about), Bas Rutten finds himself returning to New Japan as part of FOREIGN ARMY, a group of real shooters here to beat up on New Japan guys. Rutten has his eyes set on the title, but he has a few roadblocks before he can challenge Yuji Nagata for his IWGP Heavyweight championship.

This fight is really about Don Frye vs Tadao Yasuda, a feud based on the fact that Yasuda showed up for training late so Frye punched him. Inoki didn't like that so encouraged Yasuda, and now we have this match. There is a beat down, Rutten (a fellow member of Frye in the FOREIGN ARMY) has a solid match against Nakanishi, before Frye ultimately finishes the very large but underrated Yasuda. This is funny but also extremely compelling!

The origin of this feud that Bas Rutten has become embroiled in:

The violence erupts here at the 30th anniversary of New Japan:



Rutten makes a return at the finals of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament to face off against the young and thick (its really quite shocking) Hiroshi Tanahashi. A brutal and short affair, but extremely compelling nonetheless. Some of the shit that Rutten does (full nelson into standing knees!) in this bout is so cool, but Tanahashi manages to hold his own and display a charisma and strength despite being knee'd to hell and back. Champion Yuji Nagata is seen at the end, building towards Rutten's ultimate goal of challenging for the IWGP Heavyweight Belt.



One last stop before challenging for the championship, Rutten clashes with the great RINGSman Masayuki Naruse (his talent really cannot be understated, a truly entertaining and skilled fighter). This is a very exciting bout that includes many horrific kicks to the dome on behalf of Bas Rutten. A strong final stamp on his ticket to the title!



It all culminates here! Bas Rutten gets his shot at the title, but he comes up short. Yuji Nagata's IWGP run is legendary; a story of triumph after earlier loses to Yasuda and Kazuyuki Fujita, Nagata's reign could not have ended here. This bout is a bit shorter than I would have liked, especially compared with the magic produced in Rutten's much longer affair after this loss, but I understand the reasoning behind the booking to make the fairly new champ Nagata look strong (especially with his loss months earlier to CroCop at INOKI BomBaYe 2001). I made sure to include Nagata's victory speech at the end of this as you see just how popular he was, and how much more popular he would grow over the next year of title defenses.



After his loss to Yuji Nagata, Rutten got involved in a feud against Fujinami's favorite MUGA dude Osamu Nishimura. What way to settle this? Oh I know, a 30 Minute, Round-based European Catch Wrestling rules match complete with old british ref (hello Tony St. Clair). Rutten is the cunning striker here, flustered by his inability to finish off Nishimura. The tension builds throughout the match, finally culminating in a draw that should leave no one upset! This bout is definitely up there in the Hall of Good Time Limit Draws, and while maybe not hitting the heights of lets say Tamura vs Kohsaka 2 (we just celebrated the anniversary of this great RINGS match, hopefully you felt its warm blessings), it is a beautiful exchange in fake combat that I highly recommend.



The end of the line! Bas Rutten is done with professional wrestling after this, but not before he challenges for the Jr Heavyweight championship against Koji Kanemoto, a fucking bad ass dude! He loses and never comes back to pro-wrestling ever again! Despite his failure to capture either of the top titles, his tenure here served a purpose in the logics of Inokiism. Real credible fighters have always been brought in to New Japan because they bring a real sense of combat, real grandeur. A common complaint about this era of New Japan covered on this blog is that it focused "too much on martial arts and MMA" but this is the exact thing that makes New Japan the KING OF SPORTS! This leveling of pro-wrestling and all other martial arts is the internal logic of INOKIISM. This is the exact reason that the New Japan of today feels so foreign to the whole history of the promotion. It has a completely different logic, one that has no room for someone like Bas Rutten. I find that to be a sad fact indeed.