Gajo Vs. Tababa - A Rivalry

There's the rivalry of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, Kazuchika Okada versus Hiroshi Tanahashi or Mitsuharu Misawa against Kenta Kobashi and then you've got your Indie Sleaze version: Gajo and Takahiro Tababa: Two "real" man fighting each other to the near death, throwing bombs, cracking skulls, and bleeding like modern day warriors. A fight between them is just raw violence.

These two men have faced each other nine times so far, with Tababa winning only three of those encounters. Althought their first meeting dates back to 2017 at Kazushi Gumi, their rivalry truly reignited last year with their now famous clash at the Big Bear Produce show. Let's take a closer look at the four most recent battles between Gajo and Takahiro Tababa.

Gajo vs. Takahiro Tababa (Kazushi Gumi - July 8, 2018)

The infamous Underground Arena is the place to if you want to see sleazy tough guys smashing each other in the face. It almost feels symbolic that we're starting here, because we'll also be ending this article with the very last show ever held inside those walls. This particular bout saw Gajo defend his International Martial Arts Championship at a Kazushi Gumi event, adding even more weight to an already volatile setting.

What an insane start! Gajo brutally shoved Tababa into the chains twice before Tababa slipped out of the third attempt and fired back with vicious attacks on the much bigger opponent. Tababa was an absolute menace here, unloading savage kicks and hammering punching to Gajo's exposed head. It felt less like a wrestling match and more like a full on assault. Gajo was busted open quickly, but the champion answered in kind. Once he regained control, Gajo drove brutal elbow strikes into Tababa on the mat, splitting him open as well. Withing minutes, both men were bleeding, turning the Underground Arena into a scene of pure carnage.

This was a fight to the death. Neither man held anything back, throwing their nastiest strikes with the clear intention of doing real damage. Gajo nearly took Tababa's head off with thunderous lariats, hurled him into the arena wall, and practically split him in half with a monstrous spear. It was raw, reckless violence from start to finish. In the end, Tababa had no choice but to tap out to a rear naked choke in what had turned into a full blown shoot-style war.

Gajo vs. Takahiro Tababa (H-Pro/IMPACT - November 1, 2020)

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We're back at the Tokyo Underground Arena, but this time under the banners of H-Production and IMPACT Fighting Federation. Two years had passed since their last encounter, and Tababa looked noticeably thicker, carrying even more mass into this fight. Surrounded by chains once again, the stage was set. You know you'll get another battle that feld destined to go until one man could no longer stand.

The match began at a surprisingly measured pace, not nearly as chaotic as one might have expected. The two repeatedly tangled in the ropes, pardon, the chains, forcing the referee to call for multiple "chain breaks". After about three minutes, the tempo shifted. Palm strikes and stiff kicks echoed through the arena before the fight spilled to the mat for gritty grappling exchanges. By the five minute mark, Tababa was kicking the living hell out of Gajo, targeting him with ruthless precision. 

The bald monster had finally had enough. Gajo exploded with a crushing lariat and followed up with his spear, only for Tababa to counter it in a fantastic sequence that added real depth to their ongoing story. Moments later, Tababa opened himself up after unloading a barrage of headbutts in the corner, leaving blood pouring down his face as the squared circle once again turned into a battleground.

Tababa threw himself into survival mode, channeling everything he had left into his offense. He blasted Gajo with nasty kicks to the head, desperately trying to end it before the tide could turn again. These two beefy boys delivered another unforgettable moment when Gajo drove Tababa back first into the wall of the Underground Arena with brutal force once again, just like two years ago. After a final exchange of vicious strikes, Gajo at last connected cleanly with the spear he had been hunting all match. This time it landed perfectly, and Tababa simply could not continue.

Gajo vs. Takahiro Tababa (Big Bear Produce - February 22, 2025)

This match has almost become an evergreen on this blog.. It's now appearing here for the third time, which tells you everything about how special it really is. Thanks to my vote, it even made its way to the Voices of Wrestling MOTY list. Yes, I was the only one who voted for it, but that doesn't change a thing. Because this wasn't just a great match, it was the definition of a pure war.

At this point, Gajo had just returned to pro wrestling after a three year hiatus, and after this match, I couldn't have been happier that he came back. The fight started far more chaotic than their previous encounter. Gajo came out swinging, trying to put Tababa away early, while Tababa mixed in gritty mat grappling with sudden bursts of bombs and vicious kicks. It didn't take long before Gajo was busted open again, courtesy of a series of brutal elbows from Tababa. And just like that, here we go again.

They practically tried to kill each other with savage shoot headbutts, nasty kicks, and vicious strikes. After a brutal exchange of lariats, Tababa clawed his way back into the fight with those menacing kicks that have become his trademark. But Gajo was ready this time, he caught one of them mid-air and instantly blasted Tababa with monstrous lariat. Moments later, the spear followed. And once again, Tababa looked like he had been split clean in half.

Gajo vs. Takahiro Tababa (H-Pro - January 18, 2026)

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For the very last time, a pro wrestling event took place at the legendary sleazy Underground Arena in Kabukicho. And it couldn't have been more fitting that Takahiro Tababa and Gajo were the ones to close out its storied history. This bout was for Tababa's International Martial Arts Championship, a full circle moment, considering that nearly ten years ago, the roles had been reversed when Gajo defended the same title against Tababa in this very ring. At the beginning of the show it was also announced that Gajo officially joined IMPACT now, the small fed that is run by none other than Takahiro Tababa.

This was classic Gajo vs. Tababa from start to finish. The two immediately unleashed a barrage of strikes, trading brutal kicks that left Tababa gasping for air, coughing violently after a direct shot to the lungs from Gajo. The latter tried to end it in the corner, choking Tababa with his boot in a merciless display of aggression. But Tababa wasn't finished, he countered with a leglock of his own, showing that beneath the chaos, he still had the skill and technique to wrestle.

Tababa battered Gajo with his vicious elbows to the head, opening him up once again, it was like a scene straight out of Groundhog Day with these two beasts. Gajo answered in kind, landing a stiff kick to Tababa's forehead. The two then traded wobbly strikes before diving into a series of brutal shoot headbutts, each trying to obliterate the other. Just the usual insane, violent chaos that these two have delivered for over a decade.

The double knockout that followed was almost poetic. A symbolic end not just to the match, but to the Underground Arena itself. Adding a touch of humor to the carnage, an IMPACT representative looked a bit ashamed since neither man could truly beat the other, the title was officially vacated.

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