Kana Produce Promania: Advance on 2/25/15 Review

Event: Kana Produce Promania: Advance
Date:  February 25th, 2015
Location:  Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 977

*I am slowing bringing my Joshi Reviews from Puroresu Central over to Joshi City so I can have all my Joshi reviews in one place. Some features of my current reviews on this site may be missing as my style has changed over the years, however I will have it match the Joshi City review format as closely as I can. The original review date can be found at the bottom of the review, I will try not to make any major changes to the text unless I see something that needs clarifying or correcting.*

For the third time in 2015, I had to purchase an event directly from Japan in order to review it. But this isn’t just any event, this is Kana’s biggest show of the year so far for her own produced events. Several different promotions participated in the festivities, including TripleSix, Union, All Japan, Reina, NOAH, and more. Here is the full card:

• Kanjuro Matsuyama vs. Shuu Shibutani
• Buffalo vs. Pro-Wrestling Mania Mask
• Kana vs. Konami Takemoto
• Hercules Senga and Isami Kodaka vs. Taiji Ishimori and Tsutomu Oosugi
• Hiromitsu Kanehara vs. Ryuichi Sekine
• Jun Kasai and Kengo Mashimo vs. KENSO and SUSUMU
• Katsuhiko Nakajima and Yuko Miyamoto vs. Koji Kanemoto and Shinjiro Otani
• REINA World Tag Team Championship: Arisa Nakajima and Kana vs. Hikaru Shida and Syuri

All the Joshi wrestlers above have profiles on the website, you can click on their names to go straight to it. Onto the fun!

Kanjuro Matsuyama vs. Shu Shibutani

This is a comedy match, just to be clear.  Matsuyama starts with a wristlock but Shibutani reverses it.  They trade trips and pin attempts with no luck, Shibutani goes off the ropes but Matsuyama trips her.  Shibutani returns the favor, Matsuyama grabs her arm and goes up to the top turnbuckle before walking the ropes and hitting an armdrag.  Shibutani attacks Matsuyama while he poses, she grabs his arm and she walks the ropes, hitting an armdrag of her own.  Shibutani poses for the crowd but Matsuyama hits the Oil Check (I hope that is what he was checking) and throws Shibutani into the corner.  Irish whip by Matsuyama and he hits a Space Rolling Elbow.  Double underhook facebuster by Matsuyama, but the cover gets two.  Matsuyama picks up Shibutani but Shibutani hits a Stunner, Mongolian Chops by Shibutani and she elbows Matsuyama.  She goes for a tornado DDT but Matsuyama throws her off and hits a footstomp.  Matsuyama positions Shibutani and lies on top of her, getting a two count.  Matsuyama picks up Shibutani and Shibutani slaps Matsuyama but Matsuyama outsmarts her and punches Shibutani in the head.  Matsuyama trips Shibutani but Shibutani blocks a roll-up.  Running cutter by Shibutani and she imitates his way of covering, but it gets a two.  Matsuyama goes for a lariat but Shibutani applies the Time Machine ni Notte for the three count! Shuu Shibutani wins!

This match made me laugh three times which for a eight minute comedy match isn’t a horrible ratio.  Matsuyama is limited but amusing in small doses.  Not a bad way to start things off.

Buffalo vs. Pro-Wrestling Mania Mask

They jockey to start, Mania Mask takes Buffalo to the mat and goes for the leg but Mania Mask reverses positions with him.  Headscissors takedown by Mania Mask and he hits a second one.  Buffalo throws Mania Mask out of the ring and goes out after him, and Buffalo throws Mania Mask into the crowd.  Buffalo hits Mania Mask with a chair, they get back in the ring and Buffalo hits a back elbow.  Buffalo punches Mania Mask in the corner and he hits another running elbow strike.  Vertical suplex by Buffalo and he hits a leg drop for another two count.  Buffalo goes off the ropes but Mania Mask hits a cartwheel into a crossbody.  Mania Mask applies an ankle hold but Buffalo gets to the ropes.  Buffalo hits a backdrop suplex and he covers Mania Mask for two.  Irish whip by Buffalo and he hits a lariat, he puts Mania Mask’s head over the bottom rope and Buffalo hits a leg drop.  Dropkick by Buffalo, he tries to pick up Mania Mask but Mania Mask is out.  The referee starts a count, but then music plays over the speaker, and it fires Mania Mask up (it is Liger’s music)!  Mania Mask Irish whips Buffalo and he hits a Shotei in the corner.  Liger Bomb by Mania Mask, cover, but Buffalo gets a shoulder up.  Irish whip by Mania Mask and he hits an elbow followed by a heel kick.  Mania Mask goes up top and he hits a missile dropkick to the downed Buffalo.  They are tested my knowledge of theme music, as they are playing different music and Mania Mask is doing moves from that wrestler.  The last one I am guessing was Great Sasuke, Mania Mask goes up top and goes for a tornado DDT but Buffalo throws him off.  Lariat by Buffalo and he punches Mania Mask in the head.  Buffalo rips off Mania Mask’s mask, and the referee calls for the DQ since that is mean. Pro-Wrestling Mania Mask is the winner.

This was… cute at times but to me a bit of a waste of Buffalo.  I adore Buffalo and obviously this was more about Mania Mask, the brawling never really got too interesting until the sillier stuff with Mania Mask started.  This would have been better with Kikutaro or someone like that, I didn’t think it meshed very well even though I like both Buffalo and Yuko Miyamoto (aka Mania Mask).

Kana vs. Konami

Konami is Kana’s young trainee, just in case you didn’t know.  Wristlock by Kana but Konami takes her to the mat, Konami goes for the arm but Kana blocks it.  Waistlock by Kana but Konami applies a cross kneelock.  Kana reverses it but Konami gets into the ropes to force a break.  Bodyscissors takedown by Konami and she applies an armlock, but Kana reverses it into a cross armbreaker.  Konami gets a foot on the ropes, and back up they trade elbows.  Kana gets the better of that with a hard slap, and Kana kicks Konami in the chest.  Konami catches one and slaps her, kicks by Konami and they trade slaps.  Kana pushes Konami into the ropes, Irish whip, but Konami hits a dropkick.  Another dropkick by Konami but Kana avoids the third, Irish whip by Kana, reversed, and Konami dropkicks Kana into the corner.  Another dropkick by Konami, cover, but it gets two.  Kicks to the chest by Konami, high kick by Konami and she applies a leglock.  Kana reverses it into a cross armbreaker, but Konami is too close to the ropes.  Kana and Konami trade elbows, Kana goes off the ropes but Konami sneaks in a schoolboy for two.  Backslide by Konami but that gets two as well, and she applies a short armbar.  Kana gets back up and she hits a neckbreaker, cover, but it gets two.  Kana goes off the ropes and hits a sliding kick, cover, but Konami gets a shoulder up.  Armbar by Kana, she applies a hammerlock and puts Konami in the Chicken-wing Face Lock.  Konami can’t get out of that and she has to submit! Kana wins!

For someone with six months experience, Konami is very smooth.  I am sure it helps facing her trainer, they have probably done a match like that a hundred times but she looked good.  The end was never in doubt but it was a fun master/mentor type of match, Kana gave Konami quite a bit so it wasn’t a squash before she put her away.  Mildly Recommended

Isami Kodaka and Hercules Senga vs. Taiji Ishimori and Tsutomu Oosugi

I have no idea why Oosugi and Senga are on different teams, for the record.  Ishimori and Senga are the first two legal men and Ishimori hits a hurricanrana.  Senga falls out of the ring and Ishimori does a fake dive before tagging in Oosugi  Senga tags in Kodaka, Irish whip by Oosugi and he hits a jumping elbow.  Oosugi avoids Kodaka in the corner and hits a swandive armdrag, Kodaka falls out of the ring but Oosugi does a fake dive also.  Senga kicks Oosugi low from behind as Kodaka returns, and Kodaka tags in Senga.  Senga elbows Oosugi low again and he dumps him out of the ring.  They return after a moment and Senga dropkicks Oosugi in the back of the head.  Oosugi goes off the ropes but Senga throws a bag at his face before pouring water on him.  Senga throws Oosugi into the corner and he tags in Kodaka.  Kodaka kicks Oosugi in the back and he covers him for two.  Kodaka tags Senga back in and he hits mounted punches in the corner.  Dropkick by Senga, cover, but it gets two.  Senga steps on Oosugi on the way to tagging in Kodaka, Kodaka picks up Oosugi but Oosugi slides away.  Jumping heel kick by Oosugi and he tags in Ishimori.  Ishimori hits a double knee to Kodaka in the corner followed by a second one, Senga comes in but Ishimori hits him with a handspring kick.  Kodaka kicks Ishimori but Ishimori kicks him back, Ishimori goes for a suplex but Kodaka blocks it.  Kodaka hits a vertical suplex and he tags in Senga, Senga goes up top but Oosugi grabs him from the apron and Ishimori throws him off.  Ishimori tags in Oosugi and Senga is double teamed.  Assisted neckbreaker to Senga and Oosugi covers him for two.  Ishimori hits a double knee to Senga and Oosugi follows with a running knee.  Cover, but Kodaka breaks it up.  Kodaka armdrags Oosugi out of the ring, then Ishimori dropkicks Ishimori out of the ring also.  Kodaka goes off the ropes and he hits a tope suicida onto Ishimori.  Oosugi then goes up top and hits a plancha suicida down to the floor, Senga acts like he is going to do a dive but he flicks off everyone instead.  Oosugi gets back in the ring but Senga hits a low blow, small package by Senga but it gets a two count.  Senga goes off the ropes but Ishimori kicks him from the apron, elevated DDT by Oosugi and he picks up the three count! Ishimori and Oosugi are the winners.

Not much to this one, just a pretty average mid-card match.  The action was generally solid but sluggish, and no real memorable spots you may hope for from these guys.  Even though it wasn’t a ‘big’ match on the card still a bit disappointing.

Hiromitsu Kanehara vs. Ryuichi Sekine

This doesn’t seem fair.  Sekine pushes Kanehara into the ropes but Kanehara slaps him, high kick by Kanehara and he hits some knees.  Scissors kick by Kanehara and he drops a knee onto Sekine.  Kanehara goes for Sekine’s arm but Sekine gets out of it and hits mounted elbows.  Kanehara gets the cross armbreaker applied but Sekine gets out of it.  Back up Sekine gets Kanehara on his shoulders and hits a fireman’s carry slam and he covers him for two.  Sekine elbows Kanehara in the corner but Kanehara knocks him back, kicks by Kanehara and he puts Sekine in the Mexican Surfboard.  He releases the hold and slaps in a rear naked choke, and Sekine goes to sleep! Hiromitsu Kanehara wins the match.

This was an odd match, there is no way that Sekine was winning here against Kanehara and it was pretty short.  It was a decent submission-style match and worked on a mid-card, but still skippable unless you really want to see Kanehara handle someone.

Jun Kasai and Kengo Mashimo vs. KENSO and SUSUMU

KENSO and SUSUMU attack before the match starts and the action spills outside of the ring.  Kasai gets the better of KENSO as they battle into the crowd, slamming each other into the column.  After battling around the crowd and SUSUMU diving off the ramp onto everyone, they finally make it back into the ring.  SUSUMU and Kasai are the pair that get in the ring as the legal wrestlers, and SUSUMU kicks Kasai to the mat.  Running knee by SUSUMU, cover, but it gets two.  SUSUMU tags in KENSO, slaps by KENSO to Kasai in the corner but Kasai fights back with lariats.  Another slap by KENSO but Kasai finally knocks over KENSO with a lariat and tags in Mashimo.  Mashimo elbows KENSO in the corner, snapmare by Mashimo and he hits a PK.  Cover, but it gets two.  STO by KENSO and he tags in SUSUMU, SUSUMU and Mashimo trade kicks and SUSUMU delivers a heel kick. SUSUMU charges Mashimo in the corner but Mashimo catches him and slams SUSUMU to the mat.  Mashimo tags in Kasai, but SUSUMU avoids them both in the corner.  Kasai holds SUSUMU for Mashimo but Mashimo elbows Kasai by accident.  Kasai and Mashimo trade pushes, and Kasai lariats Mashimo.  KENSO comes in, SUSUMU holds Kasai but Kasai moves and KENSO slaps SUSUMU by accident.  Mashimo gets in the ring and trades chops with Kasai, while SUSUMU hits a headscissors on KENSO.  Kasai knocks Mashimo out of the ring and lariats SUSUMU, double underhook  facebuster by Kasai on SUSUMU but it gets two.  Scoop slam by Kasai, he goes up top and he nails the Pearl Harbor Splash for the three count! Jun Kasai and Kengo Mashimo win!

The teammates being random pairs that stopped getting along was fun but the bulk of the match was just crowd brawling.  So since it wasn’t a long match, not a whole lot happened.

Post match:  KENSO jaws on the mic, so Kana comes out, kicks him in the balls and takes his belt.  Because it is Kana’s show and she does what she wants to do.

Shinjiro Otani and Koji Kanemoto vs. Yuko Miyamoto and Katsuhiko Nakajima

I’m not even sure what to expect from this one.  Miyamoto and Kanemoto start off and they soon start trading chops before exchanging kicks to the back.  Back up Kanemoto goes for Miyamoto’s leg but Miyamoto tags in Nakajima.  Nakajima pushes Kanemoto in the ropes and then they trade elbows.  Kanemoto throws Nakajima into the corner and he tags in Otani, Otani throws Nakajima in the corner and he chops him.  Otani and Nakajima trade elbows, Otani tells Nakajima to kick him I the chest and he does, but Otani  catches ones and elbows Nakajima in the leg. Nakajima finally kicks Otani to the mat and he kicks Otani in the leg.  Nakajima tags in Miyamoto but Otani bites Miyamoto’s hand and tags in Kanemoto.  Well Kanemoto just kinda came in the ring.  Kanemoto elbows Miyamoto in the head, knee by Kanemoto and he delivers a back kick.  Kanemoto puts Miyamoto in the tree of woe, Otani comes in and both hit sliding dropkicks.  Scoop slam by Kanemoto, he holds Miyamoto for Otani, and Otani bounces off the ropes a bunch of times before dropkicking Miyamoto. Kanemoto kicks Miyamoto in the chest and Kanemoto dropkicks him all while Otani is holding him.  Kanemoto picks up Miyamoto and chops him in the chest, then Otani rakes at Miyamoto’s face.  Otani goes off the ropes but Miyamoto hits an overhead belly to belly suplex.  Miyamoto tags in Nakajima, Nakajima boots Otani and he elbows Kanemoto.  This pisses off Kanemoto so Kanemoto comes in the ring and he hits Nakajima from behind.  Double Irish whip to Nakajima but Nakajima avoids their charge and kicks both to the mat.  Nakajima goes up top and he hits a missile dropkick on Otani for a two count.  Nakajima goes for a facewash in the corner but Otani has none of that and boots Nakajima.  Facewashes by Otani to Nakajima, Kanemoto comes in and he does it to Nakajima too.

Miyamoto walks in the ring so he is thrown in the same corner and Kanemoto hits the running boot which sends Miyamoto back out.  Miyamoto stands up at ringside but Otani boots him through the ropes, Matsuyama gets too close to the ropes and he hits kicked too.  Kanemoto then goes off the ropes and hits a tope suicida onto both men.  Otani picks up Nakajima and he chops him in the corner.  Big boot by Otani and he tags in Kanemoto.  Kanemoto boots Nakajima in the corner and he applies an ankle hold, Miyamoto tries to break it up but Kanemoto puts him in the ankle hold also.  Kanemoto puts Nakajima on the top turnbuckle, he joins him and he hits a Frankensteiner.  Kanemoto goes up top and he hits a diving headbutt, cover, but it gets a two count.  Kanemoto and Nakajima trade elbows and slaps, and then they trade kicks to the chest.  Back kick by Kanemoto but Nakajima hits a dragon screw leg whip.  Nakajima tags in Miyamoto, Miyamoto goes up top and he hits a diving chop to the top of the head.  Miyamoto and Kanemoto trade elbows and Miyamoto hits a double knee in the corner.  Dropkick by Miyamoto and he stomps on Kanemoto repeatedly, Irish whip by Miyamoto but the referee stands in the way and he goes down.  Miyamoto then drop toeholds Kanemoto into the referee, so now he is really down.  Otani comes in and holds Miyamoto for the referee, but Miyamoto moves and the referee lariats Otani.  Nakajima and Miyamoto kick Kanemoto, PK by Nakajima and Miyamoto covers him for two.  Miyamoto picks up Kanemoto, scoop slam by Miyamoto, he goes up top and he hits a moonsault.  Otani comes in but he gets kicked, Nakajima goes up top as Miyamoto holds Kanemoto but Kanemoto elbows him off.  Kanemoto goes up top but Miyamoto puts Kanemoto on his shoulders, but Otani throws Nakajima off the top turnbuckle.  Kanemoto rolls off Miyamoto’s shoulders and he applies an ankle hold, and Miyamoto taps out! Shinjiro Otani and Koji Kanemoto win the match.

I thought that 95% of this match worked and it had some great memorable spots.  Otani and Kanemoto are a fun grumpy veteran team and the other two played their parts fine.  The referee involvement towards the end was a bit off as it didn’t really fit the storyline up to that point, and the match ended quite suddenly, but overall I thought it was an enjoyable match.  Recommended

(c) Kana and Arisa Nakajima vs. Syuri and Hikaru Shida
REINA World Tag Team Championship

Nakajima and Syuri start off the match and they end up on the mat with Syuri on top.  Syuri goes for a cross armbreaker but Nakajima blocks it.  Back up, Irish whip by Nakajima but Syuri snapmares her and kicks Nakajima in the back.  Nakajima ducks the PK and she rolls up Syuri for two, kick to the chest by Syuri and she dropkicks Nakajima for two.  Syuri kicks Nakajima in the chest and she tags in Shida.  Shida jaws with Kana and they grab each other, but Nakajima slaps Shida as Kana runs into the ring and dropkicks her.  Kana and Shida trade elbows, Irish whip by Shida and she hits the first hip attack. Kana comes back with her own hip attack then they both go for hip attacks with no effect.  Nakajima runs in and they both dropkick Shida, they go for a suplex but Shida hits a double vertical suplex on both of them.  Shida tags in Syuri, Syuri gets Kana to the mat but Kana gets out of it and slaps her.  Back up they trade strikes, Irish whip by Kana but Syuri kicks her repeatedly in the leg.  More kicks by Syuri, Shida comes in but Kana dropkicks Shida and throws Syuri into the same corner.  Nakajima runs in but Syuri boots Nakajima back, but Kana catapults off Nakajima’s back with a dropkick. Nakajima tags Kana by slapping her (not happy being used as a catapult), and Nakajima trades blows with Syuri. Bridging suplex by Nakajima, but it gets a two count. Nakajima picks up Syuri but Syuri elbows her off and they exchange elbows, knees by Syuri and she applies a cross armbreaker. Kana runs in to help but Shida puts her in a short armbar, but Nakajima makes it to the ropes. Syuri and Shida double team Nakajima, ending with a double dropkick and a hard kick to the back by Syuri.

Syuri tags in Shida and Shida hits a jumping knee in the corner. Shida goes for a lariat but Nakajima ducks it and hits an elbow. Body scissors into a footstomp by Nakajima and she delivers a sliding kick. Drop toehold by Shida and she hits a sliding kick of her own, Shida goes for a suplex but Nakajima gets out of it and they trade elbows. German suplex by Nakajima but Shida hits a tilt-a-whirl slam, Shida hits a backbreaker and covers Nakajima for two. Shida tags in Syuri and Syuri kicks Nakajima in the chest. Jumping knee by Syuri in the corner and she hits a running knee, cover by Syuri but it gets a two count. Single arm suplex by Syuri and she hits a knee, but Kana breaks up the count. Syuri kicks Kana out of the ring and goes off the ropes, but Nakajima hits a bridging fallaway slam for two. Kana comes in and they double team Syuri, German suplex hold by Nakajima but Syuri kicks out. Nakajima goes for the trapped German but Syuri blocks it, Nakajima goes off the ropes but Syuri delivers a jumping kick to the face. Rolling Germans by Nakajima, but Shida breaks it up. Kana takes care of Shida while Nakajima kicks Syuri against the ropes and hits a pair of running boots to the face. Shida tries to help but Nakajima knocks her off the apron, Nakajima goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Nakajima tags in Kana and Kana kicks Syuri in the chest. Syuri catches one and kicks her back and they trade slaps. Kick to the back by Kana but Syuri plants her with a German suplex. Kana returns the favor, another one by Syuri but Kana hits a sliding kick. Kana goes off the ropes but Syuri catches her with a kick and both wrestlers are down. Shida comes off the top with a missile dropkick to Kana but Nakajima does the same to Shida. Syuri suplexes Nakajima but Kana kicks first Syuri and then Shida. Shida hits a vertical suplex on Kana and all four wrestlers are on the mat.

Syuri and Kana start trading elbows, backfists by Kana and she covers Syuri for two. Kana goes off the ropes but Syuri kicks her in the head and hits a German suplex hold for two. Another kick to the head by Syuri, but Kana blocks the next and hits a heel kick. Shida runs in and hits a running knee on Kana, she picks her up and hits a backbreaker for two.  Tamashii no Three Count by Shida but Nakajima breaks it up by hitting a German suplex on Shida. She suplexes Syuri too, Kana and Nakajima go up top and they hit a double missile dropkick on Shida. Cover by Kana but it gets two, Nakajima goes up top and she nails a diving footstomp on Shida. Buzzsaw Kick by Kana, but Syuri breaks up the cover. Kana goes up top but Syuri pushes her down to the apron, Shida then gets on the second turnbuckles and suplexes Kana back into the ring. Shida and Syuri both kick Kana, but Nakajima breaks up the cover. Shida picks up Kana and hits the Falcon Arrow, but Kana rolls through it and applies a cross armbreaker. Shida rolls out of it, Kana goes for the chickenwing armlock but Shida gets out of it. They trade kick attempts with no luck, roll-up by Shida but Kana gets out of it and hits a head kick. Small package by Kana but Syuri breaks it up. Shida hits an enzuigiri on Nakajima, Syuri kicks Kana and Shida hits the Falcon Arrow. Three Count by Shida to Kana, and she picks up the three count! Syuri and Shida are your new champions!

I would rate this match a step down from the main event of the other Kana Pro event I reviewed (on 3/8) but it was still a really fun match. There was great teamwork throughout and the action never stopped, I tried not to type everything but the play by play still ended up a bit long. Also the strikes were generally very on point and the end stretch was good without going into overkill. There were some moves here and there that were sloppy, not everything was hit fluidly in the middle section and not all the moves probably came out as well in reality as they did on paper. Still, for a 20 minute match those moments were few and far between, and overall it was still a very fitting main event. Worth a watch for sure. Recommended

event reviewed on 6/18/15