Even though the final iteration of the UWF went out of business in 1996, its legacy is still alive today. Former newborn UWF competitor Minoru Suzuki was an MMA pioneer in Japan with the Pancrase organization before returning to pro wrestling and extending his legacy, while UWFi alum Kazushi Sakuraba competed for Pride Fighting Championships in the late '90s and early 2000s, where his wins over Royler and Royce Gracie made him a national superstar. In 2014, both men were working for New Japan Pro Wrestling on opposite sides of the fence - Suzuki was the leader of the renegade Suzukigun stable, while Sakuraba was a member of the popular CHAOS faction of anti-heroes. At November's Power Struggle Pay-Per-View, Suzuki and Takashi Iizuka took on Sakuraba and Toru Yano, and Sakuraba managed to pin Suzuki with a Kido Clutch. Infuriated, Suzuki challenged Sakuraba to a "UWF Rules" match at Wrestle Kingdom 9. When January 4 rolled around, the two finally had their classic shoot-style battle. Sakuraba took the early advantage, targeting Suzuki's arm and locking in a kimura on the entrance ramp. In the ring, Sakuraba continued the assault, but Suzuki weathered it, fought back, and grabbed a rear naked choke to put Sakuraba to sleep.
Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried.
*Best Crowd of the Year, 2013
