Tag: Joshi

MotY List: 6 – Hikaru Shida vs Aja Kong 17th Sept 2018

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6 Kong vs Shida

The simple fact that Aja Kong made a match of the year list in 2018 is crazy. But she is one of the greatest of all time, and can still pull out dramatic and great matches when called upon, and this was this year’s. Her battle with Hikaru Shida over the OZ Academy Openweight title is the most visceral on this list, and probably the most unexpected, but it is definitely one of my personal favourites.

The main event of a pretty great show, and following a fiery tag team match with Yoshiko and Yamashita taking on the dastardly Ozaki-gun for the tag team belts, it had to be good. You can always rely on Shida to have good matches this year, and I think that her legendary gravure videos have made us forget sometimes that she’s a hell of a wrestler. And as for Kong, well, she’s a legend and in Japan that means something more. Plus, that Priest entrance theme is never less than FUCKING awesome.

The contrast is stark. Shida; lithe, athletic, full of fighting spirit. Kong; experienced, unstoppable, unmoving. The battle is set perfectly, with Shida starting off hot before Kong starts taking her apart methodically. The right leg takes a lot of damage, and I’ll bet Aja standing on it is legit brutal. There’s nothing subtle about Kong, and she stands out now as she did back in her heyday as an unstoppable, classic monster heel. Yelling at Shida when she can’t run on her hurt leg, cold eyes staring through her. Headbutting Shida’s injured leg to get out of an armbar. Man, Kong is so good. Don’t get me wrong, Shida is no slouch either. Fiery babyface spirit, her selling is great, and she even takes on some of Aja’s moves, focusing on that arm. Headbutting the locked wrists to get the armbar on properly is an awesome callback to five minutes ago. These are two experts of their craft.

Aja Kong

If anything could make her more terrifying…

The step up in pace begins with the brainbuster on the ramp, when Aja leaves Shida for dead. It’s a tense 19 count, and then they fire back and forth. Two big brainbusters from Kong, a Michinoku driver and a flying knee from Shida. The kendo stick appears, and there’s a bit of duelling weaponry before Kong catches it and hits two big backfists. Then the key moment. A high knee and boom, Kong’s nose is busted. This was a show that had already seen Yamashita, Yoshiko and Oazki bloodied, so it wasn’t the sight of the crimson mask that made this match special. It was everything that led to it, and how, even though it seemed to be accidental, that moment took this match to the next level. I’m pretty sure Aja’s nose breaks, and then you can see her snap it back into place. What a fucking badass. The strikes come thick and fast now, and somehow Kong kicks out after a hard kendo shot to the face, then a big knee to the face. But Shida eventually puts her down after a big double knees from the top, then a hard knee attack.

In a world where being young, athletic and beautiful is the norm, Aja Kong is the anomaly. But she hasn’t been at the top of the game for this long because she’s different. She’s been at this level because she’s an incredible performer. Shida continues her great 2018 with a tremendous performance too. This match was outstanding.

MotY List: 7 – Jungle Kyona vs Utami Hayashishita 9th Sept 2018

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7 Jungle vs Utami

Well, after much deliberation we’ve come to number seven on the match of the year list. I struggled to decide between this and Jungle and Utami’s first match, Utami’s debut, but at this point, Utami was showing more and more what a star she is going to be. It’s obvious that Stardom think so too. A draw with an established star like Kyona in her first match is a big indicator, and then to draw here as well shows that Utami is destined for amazing things.

Utami is more confident coming to the ring than in her debut, and the leaps and bounds she has come on in such a short time is amazing. Jungle helps here too by being more overtly heel, pulling the hair and laying in some stiff shots, dominating the match. Utami fights well from underneath, despite her powerhouse look. That apron powerbomb looked great, Utami’s back bending with a sickening thud. The crowd is more energised than in the first match, which definitely adds to the drama. Jungle goes for the back now, pulling a hard Boston Crab, and then a big splash, then a spinning backbreaker and the Sharpshooter.

Utami fights through the pain, and almost puts Jungle to sleep, then goes for the rack which she fights out of with a big clothesline, and another. Jungle smashes her with a spinning powerbomb but the bell goes on the count of two of a sure thing three. Another draw, and another awesome match between 2018’s best rookie and one of the most underrated wrestlers on Stardom’s roster. One of these two you’ll see again on this list…

MotY List: 8 – Tsukasa Fujimoto vs Maya Yukihi 26th August 2018

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8 Tsukasa vs Maya

While only featuring twice in my Match of the Year list, Tsukasa Fujimoto is probably in my top 3 wrestlers of the year. Her output is consistently great, whether in the REAL Best Friends tag team of her and Arisa Nakajima (who is another member of the top 3 this year, alongside Utami Hayashishita), or in single matches. This match, at her 10th anniversary show, is probably her finest singles match this year, against a very good Maya Yukihi.

Some good chain wrestling to start, followed by the test of kick strength, some of which were really stiff. Fujimoto sells really well, and she has one of the most perfect bridging-out-of-pins manoeuvre you’ll see. There’s some outside brawling to put Maya back in control, and again Tsukasa plays babyface in peril so well, but she lays it in pretty hard too. The slap exchange is nasty, and neither one lets up. They build to the finish so well, each going for big moves, big hits, trying to finish the other one off. Fujimoto hits the octopus bomb, then the Venus Shoot but only gets two. Yukihi hits a trio of capture suplexes after taking some nasty kicks then dishes out kicks of her own. Crucifix driver! Misses a swanton bomb, and Tsukasa hits a tombstone for a very close two count. Sunset bomb, then an awesome looking Venus Shoot seals the win for your champion, Fujmoto.

Definitely the best single match from her this year, and Yukihi was great too, so this match had to make my top ten. Two very underrated wrestlers for this year, but both are can’t miss for me at the moment.

Show Review: Ice Ribbon Super Fireworks, Dec 2nd 2018

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Ice Ribbon Super FireworksBlue Chiba Field, Chiba, Japan. Attendance: 284

If you’ve followed Ice Ribbon at all this year, you’ll have watched Tsukasa Fujimoto and Risa Sera have a number of matches, both single and on the opposite sides of tag team matches. It hasn’t seemed the most heated rivalry, so why we’ve ended up at an exploding bat deathmatch I can’t be sure, but they have been fighting on the streets of Tokyo this year so…

The opener saw Hamuko Hoshi and Suzu go to a three minute draw. I guess Suzu is a rookie, and I haven’t watched a lot of Hoshi this year, but this was a pretty painless quick match. Suzu is learning ALL the young lion rollups she can remember. *1/2

Mochi Miyagi vs Akane Fujita: Miyagi is overflowing with personality, and lures Fujita into a pose off, then stomps on her. Why will no one in wrestling learn about these traps?! This is a pretty decent match, with Fujita being the powerhouse of the two but ultimately falling to a Styles Clash from Miyagi. **1/2

Matsuya Uno vs Miyako Matsumoto: Matsumoto LOVES standing on people. She even gets the ref in on the game, and she locks Uno in a number of interesting holds, including a top turnbuckle octopus that seems pointless but looks good. Mostly a lot of rolling around into flash pins, this wasn’t the greatest I’ve seen from either. Uno wins reversing a rollup. **

Kyuri /Maika Ozaki vs Maya Yuhiki/Giulia: Now this is more like it. Yuhiki snuck into my top ten matches of the year this year. Kyuri’s skirt is way too short, even for Japan. She needs to speak to her seamstress. Maya is clearly the best wrestler in the ring, and seems to be having a bit of fun at Ozaki’s expense. Ozaki has some good power spots, and I’d definitely be interested in her vs Yuhiki as a singles match. It got a little sloppy at points, but the final stretch had some decent moments, and that backcracker/senton double team looks legit. Ozaki and Kyuri win after Ozaki pins Giulia. Gentleman’s ***

Tsukas Fujimoto vs Risa Sera: This is why we’re here. Joshi deathmatches aren’t something you see every day, and for the Blast Queen title, why not have an exploding baseball bat?? Tsukasa on one side, resplendent in a massive collared robe. Risa on the other, looking like a killer from a bad Hong Kong action movie with the shades and the barbed wire kendo stick. This is ridiculous but I’m all in! Risa goes to the kendo stick early, and there’s a bit of crowd brawling. The single cam show really shows its limitations here, as you can’t really make out what’s going on.

You can really tell that Tsukasa was trained by the best here, as she is by far the best wrestler on this show. She goes for the bat first, but Risa ducks and turns it off. So, there’s a switch you have to turn it on with? That’s sensible I suppose, but surely the siren will let your opponent know its coming? I’m thinking about this too much. After three, em, twisting octopus bombs I’m going with, Fujimoto gets the bat and BOOM! What a bang it makes, and both sell it as a big deal. Taking the gimmick seriously makes it feel serious, an important lesson. More crowdbrawling, then some nice in ring work before Sera gets the bat and smashes Fujimoto in the ribs, BOOM! I love how the ref puts his goggles on when the klaxon goes. Big double knees off the top, then another bat shot puts Fujimoto away. Good match, better spectacle. ***1/2

Overall average show. Only really the main event is worth coming to see, but the rest was mostly inoffensive.

MotY List: 9 – Meiko Satomura vs Io Shirai vs Hiroyo Matsumoto 11th June 2018

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9 Io vs Hiroyo vs Meiko

Number 9 on my match of the Year list is a dream match three way between possibly three of the greatest Joshi working today. Part of Kenta Kobashi’s Fortune Dream 5 event, these three had a dramatic and awesome triple threat.

I hate triple threats normally, but this proved that they are a good match type if you get the right people in the ring. Shirai is probably the best female wrestler in the world, Meiko might be THE best in the world, and Hiroyo is a beast who always impresses. Put them all together and you’ve got a recipe for greatness.

There’s barely any of the ‘one wrestler goes outside while two others fight’ nonsense that a lot of triple threats fall victim to. Meiko lays it in pretty hard on Hiroyo in the corner, and Hiroyo made sure that Io headed off to America with a sore chest as well. Io flew all over the place and cements her place as the best high flier in the genre, and probably one of the best in the whole business. The powerbomb of Io onto Meiko was a great spot, and the final stretch was great with no one getting a clear advantage.

My only real gripe with this match was the time limit draw result. Would it really have hurt for Io to take a fall, if she was off to the Fed? I suppose all three were taking part in the Mae Young Classic but Hiroyo and Meiko aren’t signed, so they would be back. Hiroyo pinning Shirai would’ve been a great boost to her reputation. It’s a minor quibble, and the match quality was not affected by the result.

MotY List: 10 – Chihiro Hashimoto vs DASH Chisako 24th June 2018

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10 - Chihiro vs DASH

Number 10 on my match of the year list is actually from Michinoku Pro, and their Jinsei Shinzaki 25th anniversary show. This saw Chihiro Hashimoto take on DASH Chisako for the vacant Sendai Girls World title. Vacated by Ayako Hamada after her drug issues, these two have been on the opposite side of some pretty fiery tag team exchanges in the few months beforehand, so this always looked like it could be great on paper.

Hashimoto feels different from a lot of joshi because of her amateur background, while DASH and her chair swinging has been a guilty pleasure of mine for a while. But she can wrestle with the best of them when she needs to. There was a bit of feeling each other out, with some hard hits and then a bit of crowd brawling, including a big splash from the top to the outside from DASH. Chihiro throwing wrestlers around is always great to watch, while DASH scrapping away from underneath makes a great contrast of style. A HUGE cutter from the top rope, then a great looking frog splash led DASH to two near falls.

A massive German suplex gets Hashimoto back in it, and DASH slapping herself in the face to wake herself up after it was a cool touch. They’re throwing forearms at each other, giving it their all. Chihiro can barely get DASH up for a powerbomb, but it feels like the effects of the match, rather than a botch. The following top rope senton bomb looks brutal, but DASH just gets out. Hashimoto powers out of a rollup attempt with two suplexes, then plants DASH with a bridging German to win the match and the title.

While a quieter year for both of these wrestlers in terms of big single matches, this match was fast paced and hard hitting, with a cool closing stretch and ultimately it just squeezes out some others to make it into my top ten. This is the only appearance of these two in my top 10 this year, but hopefully we’ll see a lot more next year.