Akira Maeda Akira Maeda ( January 24 , 1959 ) is a Japan ese professional wrestler , also known as Kwik - kik - Lee for his time on the British Wrestling show " World of Sport " . He helped develop the shoot - style of professional wrestling during the late 1980s . Professional wrestling career . New Japan Pro Wrestling ( 1978 - 1984 ) . Maeda entered the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo in 1978 and debuted the same year . Like many other New Japan stars before and after him , Maeda embarked on a foreign tour to the United Kingdom , where he adopted the Kwik - kik - Lee moniker . In 1983 , he participated in the first International Wrestling Grand Prix tournament , won by Hulk Hogan . He was one of three Japanese entrants to the international tournament , alongside Antonio Inoki and Rusher Kimura . Universal Wrestling Federation ( 1984 - 1985 ) . In 1984 , Maeda , Yoshiaki Fujiwara , and other New Japan defectors formed the Japanese UWF . It was during his time in the first incarnation of the UWF that his willingness to show his displeasure in the ring became known ; he quarreled with Satoru Sayama ( the original Tiger Mask ) over the direction of the UWF , as Maeda wanted the promotion to feature wrestling and grappling holds , while Sayama ( a kickboxer before he went into wrestling ) favored kicks . Some in the UWF were also reportedly resentful of Sayama ' s booking himself to win all his matches , where others , Maeda included , " jobbed " in the worked matches . The promotion folded a year later , and Maeda returned to New Japan , where he became one of the promotion ' s biggest stars . New Japan Pro Wrestling ( 1985 - 1988 ) . Maeda became involved in a real - life feud with New Japan booker and top star , Antonio Inoki , refusing to work with him in what could have been a huge moneymaking program . In April 1986 , he was involved in one of the most surreal moments in wrestling history during a match with André the Giant ; neither man could agree to losing the match , and Maeda proceeded to shoot kick André ' s legs and then back off , while the giant repeatedly blocked Maeda ' s attacks and threw him out of the ring . After 30 minutes of this , André voluntarily laid down to be pinned ( in spite of being assured that Maeda would lose the match ) , but Akira refused to do so . Inoki eventually came to the ring and demanded the match to end , much to the bewilderment of the audience . On November 19 , 1987 during a six - man tag team match , as Riki Chōshū was putting his opponent , Osamu Kido , in a Scorpion Deathlock , Maeda delivered a legitimate kick to Chōshū ' s face , breaking his orbital bone . The resulting injury would sideline Chōshū for well over a month . Maeda was suspended , and later fired , by New Japan . Newborn UWF ( 1988 - 1990 ) . In 1988 , Maeda formed Newborn UWF with Nobuhiko Takada and others , this time as its number one star , using the notoriety he gained in New Japan to draw large crowds . Maeda ' s UWF became the first promotion to hold a show at the Tokyo Dome , drawing 60 , 000 to watch Maeda defeat Willy Wilhelm in the main event . In December 1990 , Newborn UWF dissolved due to disagreements over the direction of the company . Mixed martial arts career . Fighting Network RINGS ( 1991 - 1999 ) . Maeda would go on to form Fighting Network RINGS in 1991 , while Nobuhiko Takada formed Union of Wrestling Force International with most of the Newborn UWF roster . Fighting Network RINGS would no longer bill itself as wrestling in 1997 , after the collapse of UWF International . In 1999 he retired from active competition after being defeated in a match against three - time Olympic Gold medalist Alexander Karelin , drawing an incredible gate of $ 2 . 5 million . The match gained widespread media coverage , including mentions in the " New York Times " and " Sports Illustrated " . Retirement . Following Maeda ' s retirement , he switched his promotion ' s style from shoot - style to competitive mixed martial arts fighting . The new Rings held two King of Kings tournaments , which introduced such mixed martial artists as Fedor Emelianenko , Dan Henderson , Randy Couture , Jeremy Horn and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira to the Japanese audience . RINGS folded in 2002 , due to the growing popularity of PRIDE . When K - 1 wanted to start a new Mixed Martial Arts group after their previous attempt with Romanex , FEG ( the group that owns K - 1 ) hired Maeda as a consultant for the new group called HERO ' S . However , FEG retired HERO ' S in February 2008 to team up with former PRIDE staff to create DREAM . Maeda ' s newest project is called " The Outsider " , an amateur MMA group that uses HERO ' S rules . Personal life . Maeda ' s interest in martial arts developed as a schoolboy while watching the " Ultraman " television series . By the time he was in high school , his only interests were motorcycles and karate . Maeda formerly bore the name " Il - Myung Koh " ( Korean ) , as he was born a third - generation Zainichi Korean ( or person maintaining his Korean nationality , although permanently residing in Japan ) .