The original Japanese-based Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) was a Japanese professional wrestling promotion from 1984 to 1986, formed by wrestlers who had left New Japan Pro Wrestling. It was revived as the Newborn UWF in 1988.

Original UWF

The original roster included Rusher Kimura, Akira Maeda , Ryuma Go, Mach Hayato, and Gran Hamada. Soon, however, they were joined by Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Nobuhiko Takada, Satoru Sayama (the original Tiger Mask) and Kazuo Yamazaki, and this changed the orientation of the UWF's wrestling from traditional style to more of a martial arts oriented style. Maeda, Fujiwara, Takada, Sayama and Yamazaki had been martial artists before joining New Japan Pro Wrestling, and they began incorporating realistic moves, including submission holds and kickboxing-style kicks, which created a new form of puroresu called shoot-style. Kimura, Go, and Hamada, unable to cope with the new style, decided to leave and join All Japan Pro Wrestling instead.

In 1985 another former New Japan wrestler, Osamu Kido , who had trained under Karl Gotch , joined UWF. But just as the promotion fledged, Maeda and Sayama, the top two stars, began bickering with each other over the shoot-style's essence. Maeda wanted to focus the matches on submissions, while Sayama, a former kickboxer, wanted to focus on kicks. This came to a head in a brutal match in late 1985 when Maeda did not pull a kick and instead kicked Sayama hard in the groin, causing a disqualification.

Sayama, embittered with puroresu after this match, left UWF and was not heard from again in the puroresu world for 11 years. As far as the rest of the UWF roster went, they dissolved the promotion and went back to New Japan where they, as part of an nWo-like faction, feuded with New Japan's top stars of the era.

Newborn UWF

Most of the original UWF roster left New Japan yet again in 1988 to reform the UWF as the Newborn UWF .