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Post by N E O G E O B O Y S on Jan 1, 2016 11:14:03 GMT -5
From some time I wanted to discuss this wrestler on here, but I was never motivated to create a thread until I saw the Lei Tapa thread where takada made a cameo at the weigh in looked terrified at Tapa's opponent
So, was the deal with him? In one hand his UWF-i matches are really interesting to see, and his matches with NJPW in the dome are legendary. In the other hand, his MMA career sucked ass, but that could be because he was already too old and torn out to be fighting with some great fighters on their prime. Still, I always had the impression that in Japan he is a super beloved and respected figure, even though all the bullshit that was his MMA career, he is still seen as a referent for the sport. Was this because he was a pioneer in shoot wrestling which in some way was the foundation of MMA?
Also generalissimo takada was godlike
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brody
Don Corleone
Posts: 1,463
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Post by brody on Jan 3, 2016 20:53:35 GMT -5
I think he represented a shooter that honored Japan Pro Wrestling, which put him as a next generation Inoki like figure. Then you can add in the fact that he was willing to battle the Gracie Myth, which gave him a new level of respect among the fans.
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Crappler El 0 M
Dalek
Never Forgets an Octagon
I'm a good R-Truth.
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Post by Crappler El 0 M on Jan 3, 2016 20:58:32 GMT -5
First off, he still looks great. He was banging the drums to start off the Rizin show, and I thought it was a cool visual and obviously a throwback to Pride.
He is a legendary figure. His fight with Rickson Gracie is what kicked-off Pride, though it did expose him.
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Post by sdjonesbackhole on Jan 3, 2016 23:40:25 GMT -5
I love when he knocked out that turd Koji Kitao for being a dick.
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Fundertaker
El Dandy
Hideo Kojima should direct every ending ever!
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Post by Fundertaker on Jan 4, 2016 13:38:36 GMT -5
The thing with Takada is that he was not only a good wrestler (even before UWFi. See his match with Shiro Koshinaka for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight for example) with good charisma, he was also the first to move MMA into the mainstream in Japan.
Sure, UWFi (Takada), Pancrase (Masa Funaki) and RINGS (Akira Maeda) were there, but they were sold as "shoot wrestling", not MMA. Once PRIDE started, Takada became a household name in Japan and only Sakuraba was really able to reach that level.
However, Takada became very anti-wrestling since the end of UWFi and has gone out of his way to prove why wrestling is "fake" and all that on the Japanese media.
He had no problem doing HUSTLE do to it being more of a variety show with wrestling that actual wrestling. But yes, Generalissimo Takada and The Esperanza were awesome.
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Oak: Certified Jade Hater
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Edgier than Wayne Brady, Harder than Chinese Arithmetic, and Higher than the ratings for Blade: The Series
TOP ROPE CATCH A VIBE YEAH I SWERVE WHEN I DRIVE
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Post by Oak: Certified Jade Hater on Jan 4, 2016 13:52:24 GMT -5
I know very little of him outside of HUSTLE, but HUSTLE was my jam when I was 16, so I'm cool with Takada.
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