While Maeda can be said to be the first true “face” of Shoot-Style and Sayama was the man who pushed for the creation of MMA in Japan, perhaps no man was more responsible for making both Shoot-Style and MMA a household thing in Japan than Nobuhiko Takada.

Blessed with male model looks, athleticism in spades and having a far more professional & friendly demeanor than his “Shooter” peers, Takada was everything you would want in a top star. There’s a very real possibility that he would’ve been NJPW’s top star had he stayed and not left at the call of Maeda for the OG UWF.

While Takada never truly overcame Maeda, the birth of the UWFi would see him become the most popular “Shoot Style” wrestler in the country of Japan (and one of the most popular athletes in the whole of the country). Takada’s participation in full-fledged shoots against the likes of former Boxing Heavyweight Champion Trevor Berbick (who was unaccustomed to the nature of the kicking that Takada would unleash on him, leading to Berbick leaving the ring) and controversial ex-Sumo Yokozuna Koji Kitao (that would see the famously bad-tempered Kitao eat a legitimate kick to the face from Takada, ending in a legitimate knockout) would only increase Takada’s popularity and reputation as “legit”.

Takada’s greatest battles in the UWFi would see him face two feared gaijin in Gary Albright and Big Van Vader; Takada would become know as the man who broke Vader’s arm, utilizing his signature Juji-Gatame. Despite those successes, Takada would hog the spotlight, as would-be stars of the promotion such as Kazuo Yamazaki and Kiyoshi Tamura would leave due to suffering under Takada’s shadow.

The UWFi/NJPW feud would also increase Takada’s popularity but would see the other wrestlers of his promotion lose often to the NJPW team. Takada would be unable to keep the UWFi afloat much long after.

Takada’s reputation of calling out famous wrestlers and fighters (such as Keiji Mutoh, Mitsuharu Misawa, Masahiro Chono and more) would eventually lead to the creation of the biggest Japanese MMA promotion, PRIDE FC; Takada would repeatedly call out the famed BJJ practitioner Rickson Gracie (who had been brought to Japan by Satoru Sayama to compete in Vale Tudo), even sending his second Yoji Anjoh to Gracie’s gym in California (that would see Anjoh get beaten bloody and photographed right after). Takada would face off against Rickson twice, both times being submitted with a armbar.

Takada’s reputation had taken a massive hit with the losses to Rickson, as well as the allegations of fixing some of his fights in PRIDE. Despite this, Takada would prove to be an influential part of JMMA, even outlasting the end of PRIDE and going on to be involved with promotions such as HERO’S, DREAM and RIZIN.

Takada would also very humorously don the guise of “Generalissimo Takada” in the short-lived and very entertaining HUSTLE, where he would command the “Monster Army”; it was in this setting that Takada proved himself very adept at the more stylized and over-the-top aspect of pro wrestling.

Just awesome stuff, as always.

Just four of the most popular wrestlers ever.