In May of 1986, a New Japan Pro Wrestling ring in Hiroshima became the setting for a match that escalated into a real fight between Andre the Giant and Akira Maeda. What started as a typical bout quickly turned into an unpredictable battle, fueled by Andre’s notorious drinking and Maeda’s growing reputation for being difficult to work with. Having these two in the ring together created a possibility for volatility, and much like a forest fire, it only needed a spark.
Andre the Giant and Akira Maeda face off in Japan in May 1986 – A match that started normally but quickly went off the rails. Photo Credit: NJPW.
Jim Phillips, author of this article and one of the great wrestling historians here at Pro Wrestling Stories, is in the challenge of his life after being paralyzed on January 21st, 2023. Learn his story and how you can help him reach his goal of taking his first steps again!
The True Story Behind Andre the Giant vs. Akira Maeda
Andre the Giant in his later years – Plagued by pain, his reliance on alcohol was becoming more apparent. Photo Credit: WWE.
One thing about the business that captures the attention of many wrestling fans is that sometimes things could go wrong and might not seem the way they’re supposed to. When the train goes off the rails, not only do accidents occur, history gets made.
Let’s turn the clock back to the spring of ’86 and talk about an altercation that occurred in a New Japan Pro Wrestling ring between who Gorilla Monsoon dubbed the immovable object, and a rising shoot fighter growing in the Japanese ranks.
Akira Maeda: The Rising Star with a Reputation
Akira Maeda’s reputation as a shoot fighter was already growing – His desire for realism would soon cause tension in this match. Photo Credit: NJPW.
Working for a short while in Great Britain under the name Kwik Kik-Lee, it was during his time at the Japanese Universal Wrestling Federation where Akira Maeda began to stand out as an adept shoot wrestler and mat technician.
His reputation became one of great pride and little patience.
Andre the Giant’s Later Years: Pain and Drinking
In his later years, Andre the Giant was increasingly burdened by pain. Photo Credit: WWE.
Andre the Giant was in the latter part of his career and in significant pain, so [drinking] was his vice. That said, he did not take disrespect to the business lightly.
What started as a disagreement between NJPW owner Antonio Inoki and Maeda a few months prior over an angle that Maeda refused to work led to what occurred in the ring with Andre.
Maeda himself was nurturing a reputation of someone hard to do business with if things didn’t go the way he thought they should.
He looked at himself as a wrestling purist and wanted to keep everything between those ropes as real as possible.
5. Andre the Giant Shows Up Drunk to the Match
Andre the Giant arrives at the venue drunk – This would prove to be the fuel for an already tense situation. Photo Credit: NJPW.
When Andre showed up to the Hiroshima Perfectual Gymnasium a little drunker than usual, Inoki saw his chance to take advantage of the situation by putting into Andre’s ear that he wanted Maeda “straightened out.”
While we do not know if Maeda got wind of what was going to happen, it is apparent from available footage that early on in the match, he knew things weren’t going to go the way they were supposed to.
Maeda was never able to get the full finish to the match from Andre before bell time, and he was unsure whether or not Andre was going to put him over (or allow him to win).
According to wrestling folklore, Andre would only sometimes let the finish of his matches be known before it was time to go in the ring, but only to wrestlers who had earned his respect.
On this night, Andre had something in mind which led Maeda to going into business for himself.
Maeda’s Frustration Turns His Match Against Andre the Giant into a Shoot
Akira Maeda begins to shoot on Andre the Giant – The match turns into a real fight as frustrations boil over. Photo Credit: NJPW.
As Andre the Giant stumbled and lumbered around the ring, Akira Maeda grew increasingly incensed by the situation.
Quicker and more agile than The Giant, he was able to elude the big mauling grasps, and even double-leg the big man to the mat several times.
As each man grew angrier, the match continued to fall apart.
Referee Frenchy Bernard Loses Control
Referee Frenchy Bernard tries to maintain control – But the situation quickly escalates out of his hands.Photo Credit: NJPW.
Frenchy Bernard, who often was the referee for Andre’s matches and traveled with him whenever he was working overseas, had lost control at this point.
Maeda had taken Andre to the mat and placed a variety of submission holds on him but the big giant would not cooperate.
With each slap that rang out through the arena, you could see the grimace on Andre’s face as the pain shot up to his thighs.
If there is one constant in the fight game, it’s that any time somebody is bigger than you, you can always take them out at the knees — which is precisely what Maeda intended to do.
Andre the Giant Lays Down in the Ring
Andre the Giant lays down in frustration – In an attempt to end the chaos, Andre motions for Maeda to pin him. Photo Credit: NJPW.
While Andre the Giant began to succumb to the pain, his patience also began to deteriorate. With each missed grasp at his opponent, he grew more frustrated with the situation, until finally he just laid down in the ring and motioned for Maeda to pin him.
Doing so fueled Maeda’s anger even further as he looked outside to the New Japan official with bewilderment.
The Match Ends in Chaos and Confusion
The match ends in confusion – As Maeda leaves the ring in anger, the match is left without a clear resolution. Photo Credit: NJPW.
Finally, amongst this chaos, Inoki made his way to the ring to try and possibly salvage, if he could at this point, some semblance of a match or at least a distinct undeniable finish.
Inoki’s arrival achieved the exact opposite effect. When Maeda saw Inoki on the ring apron, he came apart, climbing out of the ring in disgust, and taking his frustrations out on an innocent metal barricade at ringside before walking to the back.
The Fallout: Maeda’s Departure and Andre’s WWF Return
When real fights happen in wrestling – The Andre the Giant vs. Akira Maeda shoot fight is just one of many instances where the script went out the window. Photo Credit: NJPW. Artwork by Pro Wrestling Stories.
Following the cluster of a match with Andre the Giant, Akira Maeda left New Japan to go back to the UWF and forge forward with the brand created on real wrestling and less on big card pageantry.
For Andre, this was a period shortly after WrestleMania II. He would soon return to WWF as a heel after leaving as maybe one of the biggest babyfaces in the history of the company.
It would start his run toward the title at WrestleMania III with Bobby Heenan at his side and Hulk Hogan firmly in his sights.
The fallout for Inoki was negligible, as New Japan Pro Wrestling continued to grow in the shadow of this incident. Needless to say, there would be no growing friendship between himself and Maeda in future business endeavors.
Here are some stories of other times things did NOT go as planned in the ring:
Pro Wrestling Stories is committed to accurate, unbiased wrestling content rigorously fact-checked and verified by our team of researchers and editors. Any inaccuracies are quickly corrected, with updates timestamped in the article's byline header.
Got a correction, tip, or story idea for Pro Wrestling Stories? Contact us! Learn about our editorial standards here.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy!
Jim Phillips is a contributor for Pro Wrestling Stories. He's been a wrestling fan since the late '70s and a journeyman writer for the past decade. Sadly, Jim is currently in the challenge of his life after being paralyzed on January 21st, 2023. Learn his story and how you can help him reach his goal of taking his first steps again at the link above!
Author: 
