Event: PURE-J Opening Battle
Date: January 8th, 2022
Location: Tokyo White Studio in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 53
Broadcast: PURE-J’s Youtube Subscription Service

PURE-J doesn’t get a lot of love with Western Joshi fans, but they continue to put on regular events that are available to a global audience. PURE-J switched their streaming service from Filmuy to Youtube to start the year, but are still providing the same quick uploads of their events. This is their first show of 2022, and is a very typical PURE-J card as every match is veteran vs. less experience wrestler with a clear winner (PURE-J doesn’t do a lot of upsets). Even with obvious winners, the action in PURE-J tends to be solid so I am looking forward to checking it out. Here is the full card:

• Chie Ozora vs. Kakeru Sekiguchi
• KAZUKI vs. Madeline
• Crea vs. Leon
• AKARI vs. Rydeen Hagane
• Hanako Nakamori vs. Momo Tani

All wrestlers on the show have a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go to it. As the event streamed on Youtube, all matches will be shown in full. Let’s get to it.

Chie Ozora vs. Kakeru Sekiguchi

Tie-up to start and Kakeru applies a wristlock, Chie reverses it and the two trade holds. Side headlock takedown by Kakeru but Chie quickly gets out of it, kick by Kakeru and she stomps Chie to the mat. Snapmare by Kakeru and she applies a stretch hold, she lets go after moment just to put Chie in another one. Single leg crab hold by Kakeru, but Chie makes it to the ropes for the break. Kakeru throws Chie into the corner, Irish whip by Kakeru and she delivers a dropkick. Chie bridges out of the pin attempt and hits a dropkick of her own, another dropkick by Chie and she hits a couple more. Scoop slam attempt by Chie but Kakeru blocks it and hits one of her own for a two count. Crab hold by Kakeru, she lets go after a moment and stomps on Chie in the back. Chinlock by Kakeru and she pulls on Chie’s nose, elbows by Kakeru but Chie jumps on on the second turnbuckle and grabs Kakeru by the wrist. Chie walks the ropes before hitting an armdrag, dropkick by Chie and she applies a stretch hold in the ropes.

Chie lets go and dropkicks Kakeru in the back, she picks up Kakeru but Kakeru elbows her and the two trade blows. Kakeru applies a Fujiwara Armbar but Chie rolls out of it and applies one of her own, bridging hammerlock by Chie but Kakeru gets to the ropes for the break. Chie hits a missile dropkick off the second turnbuckle, but her cover gets two. Chie goes for a fisherman suplex but Kakeru blocks it, dropkick by Kakeru and she hits two more. Fujiwara Armbar by Kakeru but Chie wiggles to the ropes for the break. Kakeru sets up Chie in the ropes before going out to the apron, dropkicking Chie in the arm. Missile dropkick by Kakeru off the second turnbuckle, she then goes all the way up top and drills Chie with another missile dropkick for a two count. Kakeru goes off the ropes but Chie catches her with a dropkick, sunset flip by Chie but it gets two. Chie rolls Kakeru around the ring and cradles her, but that gets a two as well. Chie tries for more flash pins but Kakeru keeps reversing it, fisherman suplex hold by Chie but Kakeru barely kicks out. Chie goes off the ropes but Kakeru catches her with a judo toss, two more tosses by Kakeru and she covers Chie for two. STO by Kakeru, but Chie barely kicks out. Kakeru goes off the ropes and delivers a running STO, and this time she picks up the three count! Kakeru Sekiguchi is the winner!

This was a perfectly acceptable opener. Chie has the basics down pat but she does need to work on her presentation – with her current look it is going to be difficult to be taken but so seriously. That’s an easily fixable problem however, and its not unusual for wrestlers to get an attire makeover once they get more experience. Kakeru is a little too young and… good to get this spot, I’d rather have seen her in more than a “rookie” match but she’s always fun to watch. A pretty basic match but watchable anyway.

KAZUKI vs. Madeline

Command Bolshoi is also in the ring in addition to the referee, holding a paper fan. I don’t know why and I’m not curious enough to scroll twitter to figure it out but the match “theme” is celebrating the Japanese New Year so probably connected. They tie-up to start, Madeline pushes KAZUKI into the ropes and the wrestlers at ringside draw on her face with a pen. This will be a recurring situation throughout the match. Wristlock by Madeline but KAZUKI reverses it, Madeline reverses it back and walks the ropes while holding KAZUKI’s wrist. Madeline drops down into an armbar, allowing the ringside wrestlers to draw some more on KAZUKI’s face. Madeline keeps on KAZUKI’s arm but KAZUKI rolls away and knees Madeline in the chest. KAZUKI goes for a crab hold and gets it applied, but Madeline eventually makes it to the ropes for the break, leading to her match getting drawn on. I am starting to think that if a wrestler gets into the ropes, their face is going to get some ink. Knees by KAZUKI against the ropes but Bolshoi hits her in the head with the paper fan. Madeline goes for a Triangle Choke but KAZUKI muscles out of it and hits a Codebreaker. Running double knee by KAZUKI, she picks up Madeline and hits a double underhook gutbuster.

Scoop slam by KAZUKI, she goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a reverse double kneedrop for two. KAZUKI goes up top but Bolshoi runs over and hits her with the fan again. This gives Madeline time to recover and toss KAZUKI to the mat, she gets on the second turnbuckle but KAZUKI pulls her back down. Madeline sneaks in a sunset flip before applying a cross kneelock, but KAZUKI gets to the ropes for the break. Both wrestlers are too close to the ropes so both of them get drawn on, as by now their faces are pretty decorated. Both wrestlers slowly get up, knee by KAZUKI but Madeline kicks her back as the two trade blows. Bolshoi hits both of them with the paper fan while they battle it out, Madeline gets the better of it but she isn’t able to hold down KAZUKI for the three count. Crucifix slam by Madeline, but that gets a two as well. Madeline goes off the ropes but KAZUKI catches her and dumps Madeline near the ropes so that she can be drawn on again. Double underhook by KAZUKI but Madeline slides away, Bolshoi hits KAZUKI with the paper fan but Madeline takes it from her so she can use it. She hits both KAZUKI and Bolshoi with it (and Tessy too for good measure), but Bolshoi takes it back and KAZUKI applies the Sarutahiko Hold for the three count! KAZUKI is the winner!

A little too silly for my tastes. A lot of random stuff going on, between the wrestlers outside of the ring and Bolshoi in it, which lead to constant action but didn’t really help the wrestlers get into a good flow as there were constant interruptions. I like Madeline a lot but just not a lot to this one, easily forgettable lower card fodder.

Crea vs. Leon

Crea attacks Leon right from the front and goes for a few flash pins, but she doesn’t have any luck. Crea goes off the ropes and boots Leon in the face, but Leon rolls away from her cover attempts and gets out to the apron. Leon shoulder tackles her through the ropes and gets back in the ring, hitting an armdrag followed by a dropkick. Snapmare by Leon and she elbows Crea in the top of the head, she applies a bodyscissors and rolls Crea around the ring with it applied but Leon gets into the ropes to force a break. Leon throws Crea into the corner and delivers a dropkick, scoop slam by Leon and she hits a somersault senton for two. Leon applies a facelock but lets go after a moment, stomps by Leon but Crea chops her back and they trade shots. Crea chops Leon to the mat and goes for a cover, but Leon kicks out. Crea throws Leon into the corner and delivers a running boot, but Leon fires back with a spear. Double underhook by Leon into a sunset flip, but Crea reverses it and they trade flash pins.

Leon kicks Crea against the ropes but Crea blocks her running boot and applies an ankle hold. Leon gets out of it and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, she gets Crea on her back but Crea rolls off and applies a schoolboy for two. Spear to the back by Leon and she applies a Texas Cloverleaf, but Crea gets to the ropes. Shoulder tackle to the back by ll, she goes to the top turnbuckle and delivers a missile dropkick for a two count. She tries again for the Texas Cloverleaf but Crea kicks her away, waistlock by Crea and she gets the ankle hold re-applied. She keeps it on while grapevining Leon’s leg, but Leon gets to the ropes for the break. Crea goes for a kneelock but Leon quickly rolls out of it and puts Crea in a single leg crab hold. Crea gets out of it and rolls up Leon, but it gets two. Takedown by Crea and they trade flash pins again, with neither getting the three count. High kick by Crea and she hits a bridging suplex for a two count. Crea goes to the top turnbuckle but Leon avoids her diving body press, spear by Leon and she jackknifes Crea for a two count. Leon goes for a suplex but Crea pushes her off, high kick by Leon and she levels Crea with a spear for a two count. Leon positions Crea and goes to the top turnbuckle, nailing the Mad Splash for the three count! Leon wins!

Even though they went a little heavier on the ‘flash pins’ than I’d prefer, this was still pretty good. Crea has come a long way in the last year but she didn’t get much of a chance to show it off here, aside from not looking out of place against Leon. I wish Crea had done a little work on the ankle prior to the ankle holds, but she was too focused on quick pins to really put a plan together. In spite of her lack of plan, the action was fluid and their reversals were well-executed so there was more good than bad, but it could have been a few levels higher if they had structured it in a more interesting manner.  Mildly Recommended

AKARI vs. Rydeen Hagane

They trade waistlocks to start before ending up on the mat, but neither can get an advantage and they return to their feet. Irish whip by Rydeen and she hits a hard shoulderblock, Rydeen applies a modified camel clutch before letting her go and stomping AKARI in the back. Rydeen stands on AKARI’s back near the ropes, Irish whip by Rydeen but AKARI reverses it and hits an armdrag followed by a dropkick. AKARI goes for a scoop slam but Rydeen blocks it and hits a scoop slam of her own. Running body press by Rydeen, but it gets a two count. Rydeen picks up AKARI and throws her into the corner, Irish whip by Rydeen but AKARI avoids her charge and hits a back elbow. Rydeen tries again with no luck, AKARI jumps on the second turnbuckle but Rydeen tosses her to the mat. AKARI goes for a suplex but again Rydeen blocks it, AKARI then goes for Rydeen’s arm and finally gets Rydeen down in a Fujiwara Armbar. AKARI goes for the cross armbreaker but Rydeen muscles out of it, AKARI snaps Rydeen’s arm over her shoulder and delivers a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. AKARI picks up Rydeen and hits a series of elbows, she goes off the ropes but Rydeen catches her with a Samoan Drop.

Rydeen picks up AKARI but AKARI wiggles away, she goes off the ropes but Rydeen catches her with a backbreaker. Crab hold by Rydeen but AKARI gets to the ropes for the break, stomps by Rydeen and she hits a lariat against the ropes. Spinning heel kick by Rydeen, which gets her a two count cover. Rydeen gets AKARI up on her shoulders but AKARI slides off and puts Rydeen in an armtrap crossface. Rydeen gets a boot on the ropes for the break, pump kick by AKARI and she hits the 619. AKARI clubs Rydeen in the chest and covers her, but Rydeen kicks out. Dropkick by AKARI, she goes to the top turnbuckle and connects with a missile dropkick. Kick to the head by AKARI and she hits another pump kick, but her covers gets another two. AKARI picks up Rydeen but Rydeen hits a superkick, she goes off the ropes but AKARI levels her with a lariat. AKARI tries to get Rydeen on her shoulders but its blocked, AKARI goes for a few cradle pins but none of them work. Elbows by AKARI but Rydeen knocks her down with a lariat, she picks up AKARI and nails a backdrop suplex for a two count. Rydeen positions AKARI and goes to the top turnbuckle, delivering the 100k Press (Diving Body Press) for the there count! Rydeen Hagane is the winner.

They tried to tell a long story in a condensed match, and while they somewhat pulled it off I probably would have gone in a different direction. The direction they went was “AKARI can’t do big moves to Rydeen, but overcame that and was able to hit the moves” but since the match was only ten minutes, the “struggle” section of the match wasn’t very long. AKARI struggled for maybe two minutes and from there it was a pretty normal power vs. technique match until the end. Which is a fine match structure as well but they would have saved a few minutes if they went straight to that. AKARI has come a long way but at some point she is going to have to pick up some wins or her progress will be for naught. Not a bad match as Rydeen is a solid hand, but with only ten minutes they were a bit limited in what they could do.

Hanako Nakamori vs. Momo Tani

They lock knuckles which is a battle Hanako easily wins, she throws Momo to the mat but Momo fires back with a dropkick. More dropkicks by Momo but Hanako doesn’t go down, Momo elbows Hanako in the corner but Hanako kicks her in the head. A dropkick by Momo finally sends Hanako to the mat, Momo puts her near the ropes and jumps down knee-first onto Hanako’s back. Hanako recovers and kicks Momo but Momo drop toeholds her into the second rope, running double knee to the back by Momo and she poses on Hanako’s back. Armdrags by Momo, she picks up Hanako but Hanako blocks the slam attempt and hits one of her own. Hanako sets up Momo in the ropes and kicks her in the chest repeatedly, she then puts Momo in the ropes on the other side and does the same thing again. Snapmare by Hanako and she kicks Momo in the back, Momo fires back with a knee however and slams Hanako to the mat. Knee drop by Momo and she applies a submission, but Hanako gets a foot on the ropes for the break.

Momo goes off the ropes and goes for a knee, but Hanako blocks it and pushes Momo to the mat. Kicks to the leg by Hanako and she applies a single leg crab hold, but Momo eventually gets to the ropes. Hanako throws Momo in the corner and chokes her with her boot, heel kick by Hanako but Momo avoids the next strike and slides out to the apron. Momo applies a choke before returning to the ring, pressing her knee into Hanako’s neck. Running jumping knee by Momo and she hits a double knee strike in the corner, neckbreaker by Momo and she covers Hanako for a two count. Hanako quickly recovers and trades strikes with Momo before sending Momo to the mat with leg kicks. Hanako drops Momo into the second rope and nails a running boot to the head, she goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick. Cover by Hanako, but Momo kicks out. Hanako applies the Stretch Muffler but Momo crawls to the ropes to force the break. Hanako picks up Momo, Momo pushes her away so Hanako kicks Momo repeatedly in the head. Hanako charges Momo but Momo avoids her boot and knees Hanako in the back.

Running double knee strike by Momo to the back of Hanako, she hits a knee from the apron before going up top, but Hanako cuts her off before she can jump. Hanako grabs Momo but Momo slides away, kick by Hanako but Momo knees her in the midsection. Codebreaker by Momo and she hits a running double knee to Hanako’s face, she goes to the second turnbuckle and delivers the diving jumping knee for a two count. Momo goes off the ropes but Hanako avoids the Somato and kicks Momo in the back. Hanako goes to the top turnbuckle but Momo joins her, this doesn’t work out well for her as Hanako chokeslams her down to the mat. Hanako picks up Momo but Momo sneaks in an inside cradle for two. Boot by Hanako, she goes off the ropes but Momo hits a Codebreaker. Cradle by Momo, but Hanako kicks out. Somato by Momo, but that gets a two count as well. Momo goes to the corner and hits a double kneedrop, she picks up Hanako but Hanako kicks her in the chest. High kick by Hanako, she nails the Shining Wizard and picks up the three count pinfall! Hanako Nakamori is the winner.

For a main event, there was just too large of a skill level gap to give Momo any chance of winning. That’s not to say that she didn’t try, and Hanako gave her plenty of offense, but for the last match on the card I’d prefer a more even match (even if the winner isn’t in doubt). I like Momo’s knee-based offense a lot, I’d like to see a bit more growth though and I am not sure if it will happen in PURE-J, which is one of the most “traditional” Joshi promotions in regard to maintaining the pecking order. Hanako looked solid as she always does, she rarely elevates matches unless in just the right situation but she can keep a match engaging. A typical solid but non-spectacular PURE-J match.  Mildly Recommended

The post PURE-J Opening Battle on 1/8/22 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: PURE-J at Kame Dojo
Date: June 26th, 2021
Location: Kame Dojo in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: Unknown
Broadcast: Streamed on Filmuy

Even though they are probably the least popular promotion to Western fans, and their reviews here on Joshi City get the lowest number of clicks, I just can’t quit PURE-J. Something about them is just alluring. Part of it is their shows are short, as I am a busy person and sometimes its easier to find time to watch a show under an hour long than a three hour extravaganza. Their wrestlers are also all very solid and no-nonsense, I know what I am going to get with PURE-J. This event has something a little special, which is Madeline in the main event! Here is the full card:

• Leon vs. AKARI
• Chie Ozora and Crea vs. KAZUKI and Rydeen Hagane
• Hanako Nakamori vs. Madeline

All wrestlers on the show have a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go straight to it. As this match streamed via an online service, all matches will be shown in full.

Leon vs. AKARI
In PURE-J, it doesn’t really matter where you are on the card since their events only have a few matches anyway, so its not unusual or a sign of disrespect to have the veteran Leon and title holder AKARI in the opener. Leon is a 20 year veteran that has mostly had tag team success in her career and now seems content being one of the leaders of a small promotion. AKARI has been in PURE-J since 2019 and comes into the match the Princess of Pro Wrestling Champion. This of course is a non-title match, but this certainly won’t be a squash as AKARI has really been rising in PURE-J in the last year and seems poised to be the future of the promotion.

AKARI throws Leon in the corner during the pre-match handshake, elbows by AKARI but Leon elbows her back and applies a headlock. AKARI Irish whips out of it but Leon hits a shoulderblock, they trade armdrags and eventually end up back on their feet in a stalemate. They get right back into it and trade holds, Leon gets AKARI to the mat but AKARI fights back to her feet and applies an arm wringer. Snapmare by Leon and she slides AKARI over for a two count. Scoop slam by Leon and she hits an elbow drop, somersault senton by Leon and she covers AKARI for two. Camel Clutch by Leon but AKARI fights to the ropes and gets there for the break. Stomps by Leon and she chops AKARI in the corner, AKARI throws Leon into the corner however and delivers a lariat. AKARI puts Leon in a Tarantula, she lets go after a moment and dropkicks her in the back. Vertical suplex by AKARI, and she covers Leon for two. AKARI tries to get Leon on her shoulders but Leon flips away, Leon charges AKARI but AKARI drop toeholds her onto the second rope.

Leon avoids the 619 but AKARI applies a Fujiwara Armbar, she switches it to an armtrap crossface but Leon gets to the ropes for the break. Irish whip by AKARI but Leon reverses it and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Leon picks up AKARI but AKARI slides away and cradles her for two, Leon throws AKARI into the corner and hangs her in an inverted Tree of Woe before delivering a dropkick. Double underhook suplex by Leon and she covers AKARI for a two count. Texas Cloverleaf by Leon but AKARI eventually gets to the ropes, stomps by Leon but AKARI elbows her and the two trade strikes. Leon clubs AKARI in the back but AKARI hits a pump kick, 619 by AKARI and she hits a Northern Lights Suplex Hold for two. She goes for the Muy Bien but Leon blocks it at first and eventually gets to the ropes for the break. Back kick by AKARI but Leon catches her with a spinning slam for a two count. Leon goes up to the top turnbuckle but AKARI avoids the body press, La Magistral by AKARI but it gets two. Leon spins away from her but AKARI still cradles her for a two count. AKARI tries another flash pin with no luck, she goes off the ropes but Leon delivers a spear. She waits for AKARI to get up but AKARI avoids the next spear attempt, they both go off the ropes and Leon nails the Beast Spear for the three count! Leon is the winner.

A solid opener, and you can tell these two train together as the action was very very smooth. For a ten minute match, a lot was going on and neither wrestler had a very long segment for themselves before the other would take their turn. If you prefer matches with one wrestler dominating and the other wrestler having to over-come, this wasn’t that as they went for fluid chain wrestling and constant exchanges. A pretty good match, it lacked a deeper level as much of the action was light, but still very well executed.  Mildly Recommended

Chie Ozora and Crea vs. KAZUKI and Rydeen Hagane
For the “everyone else available” match on the card, we get two of the less experienced wrestlers in PURE-J against the regular tag team of WANTED. These teams are incredibly uneven – Chie and Crea have under 175 matches under their belts combined while WANTED have 31 years of wrestling between them. WANTED are also former tag team champions in PURE-J, holding the belts for almost a year. KAZUKI and Rydeen are hard to beat under any situation so Chie and Crea have an uphill battle in front of them.

Chie and Crea have some fluffy wrestling attires that may distract me during this match. Chie and KAZUKI start the match, they trade holds back and forth until Chie grabs KAZUKI’s wrist and walks the ropes before hitting an armdrag. Dropkick by Chie, Crea comes in and they double team KAZUKI in the corner. Crea helps Chie hit a footstomp, but KAZUKI avoids their dropkicks and stomps on both of them. She tags in Rydeen, Chie and Crea are stacked in the corner before both KAZUKI and Rydeen connect with running strikes. Knee by KAZUKI to Chie and Rydeen takes over, hitting a scoop slam. Crab hold by Rydeen but Chie inches to the ropes to get the break. Stomps by Rydeen but Chie sneaks in a schoolboy for two, giving her time to tag Crea. Rydeen elbows Crea and hits a scoop slam, butt bomb by Rydeen and she stands on Crea’s back. Rydeen applies a reverse chinlock and then a bodyscissors, Rydeen lets go and hits a scoop slam. Body press by Rydeen, but Crea kicks out. Crea tries to knock over Rydeen with shoulderblocks with no success, chops by Crea but Rydeen hits a body avalanche in the corner. Backbreaker by Rydeen, she picks up Crea but Chie runs over and breaks up Rydeen’s hold. She stays in and they both try to suplex Rydeen, but Rydeen won’t budge. They let go and take turns elbows Rydeen, but Rydeen hits a lariat on both of them. Rydeen catapults Chie onto KAZUKI’s knees, she goes back to Crea and they do the same to her.

Rydeen goes to the second turnbuckle and hits the Reverse Splash, but Crea kicks out of the pin. Superkick by Rydeen but Crea gets Rydeen to the mat and applies a cross armbreaker. KAZUKI breaks it up, Crea tags in Chie and Chie comes in with an ax handle to Rydeen’s arm. Dropkick to the arm by Chie and she applies a hanging armbar over the top rope. Chie lets go after a moment and keeps on Rydeen’s arm, getting her to the mat in an armbar. Chie applies a hammerlock with a bridge but KAZUKI gets away from Crea and breaks it up. Chie goes off the ropes but Rydeen kicks her into the corner, lariat by Rydeen and KAZUKI comes in to knee Chie. KAZUKI stays in and hits a double underhook gutbuster, cover by KAZUKI but it gets two. KAZUKI goes off the ropes but Chie avoids her knee attempt, she cradles KAZUKI but it gets two. Chie goes for a fisherman suplex but KAZUKI blocks it, Crea cuts off KAZUKI and then Chie is able to deliver rolling fisherman suplexes for a two count. Crea superkicks Rydeen while Chie gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers a diving sunset flip for two. Chie tags Crea, KAZUKI blocks the suplex attempt but Crea applies an ankle hold. KAZUKI gets to the ropes for the break, running boot by Crea and she cradles KAZUKI for a two count. Chie and Crea go up to different corners and both hit missile dropkicks, but KAZUKI barely kicks out of the cover. KAZUKI hits a Codebreaker on both Chie and Crea, Rydeen comes in and they both hit running strikes in the corner. Reverse double kneedrop by KAZUKI on Crea out of the corner, cover by KAZUKI but Crea barely kicks out. TKO by KAZUKI, but Chie breaks up the pin. KAZUKI quickly puts Crea in the Sensei Hold II, and Crea has to submit! WANTED are the winners.

Crea and Chie are interesting wrestlers. Both have pretty solid in-ring skills, with Chie being the early standout, but they don’t have good looks. Their outfits just don’t scream ‘serious wrestler’ which is a shame as first impressions do matter. But that is an easily fixable issue for down the road, for now they are still learning and seem to be coming along pretty well. WANTED are one of the top tag teams in PURE-J for a reason, they both have the power wrestling style down pat and deliver on all their moves with authority. There really wasn’t anything particularly ‘bad’ about this match, it wasn’t overly exciting and the winner was never in doubt but in typical PURE-J fashion it was well-executed and didn’t overstay its welcome. Another solid match on the show.  Mildly Recommended

Hanako Nakamori vs. Madeline
Time for the main event and a big match for the delightful Madeline! Nakamori is having a long stretch of matches to celebrate her 15th anniversary, and this is one such match. Even though she hasn’t held the main title in PURE-J for the last year, she is still considered the Ace of the promotion until someone can take that title from her, and she does come into this match as one half of the tag team champions. She is against Madeline, a popular wrestler from Diana that frequently visits other smaller promotions. Madeline isn’t on Nakamori’s level so the winner is not in doubt, but she is an energetic wrestler so the match should be fun nonetheless.

Madeline goes for a takedown to start, Nakamori briefly blocks it but Madeline is able to get Nakamori to the mat. Nakamori switches positions with her as they jockey for position but neither can get a clear advantage before they break cleanly. Side headlock by Nakamori, Madeline Irish whips out of it but Nakamori boots her in the chest. Nakamori picks up Madeline but Madeline hits a jumping crossbody, kick to the back by Madeline but  Nakamori gets up and returns the favor. Madeline tries again with a snapmare and kick to the back, but Nakamori does the same as she is doing better in this back and forth. Nakamori sits down and Madeline connects with a series of kicks to her back, Madeline lets Nakamori do the same but Nakamori kicks her in the chest to win the battle. Nakamori grabs Madeline’s wrist but Madeline pulls her off the turnbuckles, now it is Madeline that gets Nakamori by the wrist and she walks the ropes while doing a balancing trick before hitting an armdrag. Madeline sets up Nakamori in the ropes and kicks her from the apron, she returns to the ring  and hits a front flip into an ax handle. Madeline goes for a slam but Nakamori blocks it and hits one of her own. Kicks to the leg by Nakamori and she applies a single leg crab hold, but Madeline gets to the ropes. Kick by Nakamori in the corner but Madeline avoids the next one, boot by Madeline and she covers Nakamori for two. Madeline transitions to the armbreaker but Nakamori blocks it and applies the Stretch Muffler. Madeline reverses it into an armbar but Nakamori quickly gets a foot on the ropes, kick to the leg by Nakamori but Madeline kicks her back and the two trade blows.

Headbutt by Nakamori but Madeline returns the favor, boot by Nakamori and she hits a second one. Nakamori hits a leg drop from the apron while Madeline’s head hangs over the second rope, she then goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Nakamori picks up Madeline and elbows her, Madeline keeps getting back up but Nakamori continues the strike assault. Nakamori goes off the ropes but Madeline tackles her and hits mounted punches, punches by Madeline while Nakamori is against the ropes and she hits a backfist. Madeline grabs Nakamori but Nakamori hits a fisherman suplex, she goes to pick up Madeline but Madeline puts her in an armbar. Nakamori gets to the ropes to force a break, Madeline charges Nakamori but Nakamori kicks her in the midsection. High kick by Madeline and she hits a gutwrench suplex for two. Kick to the chest by Madeline and she goes for a bridging pin, but Nakamori pushes her off. Madeline cradles Nakamori anyway for a two count, she applies a double armbar but Nakamori gets to the ropes. Madeline charges Nakamori but Nakamori kicks her, Madeline returns fire with elbows and she applies a small package for two. Head kick by Madeline but Nakamori nails a head kick of her own, Shining Flower by Nakamori but Madeline barely kicks out. Nakamori waits for Madeline to get up and hits a second Shining Flower, and she picks up the three count! Hanako Nakamori is the winner.

Some wrestlers have a special talent that is hard to put into words. Madeline isn’t the best in-ring wrestler but she has a great blend of unique offense, strikes, submissions, and just a general likable quality that makes her hard to stop watching. She does a lot of small things well and utilizes a lot of underdog tactics that long time veterans could learn from. Nakamori is a solid wrestler that helped keep the match together, but in the end it was Madeline that left more of an impression. Madeline’s arm work was well done but it always felt like Nakamori’s match to lose, and the match ended pretty suddenly when Nakamori connected with a few big moves in a row. I wouldn’t have minded a few more minutes but PURE-J matches rarely go long, generally I am a fan of that so I won’t complain too loudly. Overall a well worked and entertaining match between a seasoned veteran and a unique talent in Madeline.  Recommended

The post PURE-J on 6/26/21 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: PURE-J Fight Together
Date: April 11th, 2021
Location: Itabashi Green Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 110
Broadcast Information: Streamed on PURE-J Filmuy Channel

Excited to take a look at PURE-J for the April Streaming Service Evaluation, an often forgotten Joshi promotion. PURE-J has a pretty solid streaming service and uploads most of their shows, which is great as otherwise we wouldn’t get to watch them very often. This is actually a big event for the promotion, with a notable singles match for Hanako Nakamori and a championship title match. Here is the full card:

• Chie Ozora vs. Megumi Yabushita
• KAZUKI vs. Misa Matsui
• AKARI and Mari vs. Crea and Makoto
• Hanako Nakamori vs. Yumi Ohka
• PURE-J Openweight Championship: Kaori Yoneyama vs. Rydeen Hagane

All matches were shown in full. To visit a wrestler’s profile on Joshi City, you can click on their name above.

Chie Ozora vs. Megumi Yabushita

Chie goes for a dropkick right off the start but Yabushita swats her away, stomps by Yabushita and she hits a dropkick of her own for two. Chie goes off the ropes and connects with the dropkick this time, snapmare by Chie and she applies a sleeper hold. She lets go after a moment and switches to a bodyscissors, but Yabushita gets out of it and applies a cross-leg submission. Yabushita picks up Chie and hits a snapmare before flinging Chie around by the hair. Sleeper by Yabushita but Chie gets a toe on the ropes to force the break. Yabushita picks up Chie and hits a scoop slam, double kneedrop by Yabushita and she hits a couple more scoop slams for two. Chie fights back with an elbow and the two trade shots, Yabushita gets Chie down and puts her in an armbar. Chie again gets to the ropes for a break, Yabushita grabs Chie’s arm and applies an armbar hanging over the top rope. She lets go after a moment, Chie reverses a wristlock into one of her own but Yabushita reverses it back.

Chie regains the advantage and tries to walk the ropes while holding Yabushita’s arm, but she falls off (not on purpose). Back in the ring, Chie rolls Yabushita to the mat and applies an ankle hold, but Yabushita makes it to the ropes. Small package by Chie and she applies a kneelock, but Yabushita rights out of it and puts Chie in a crab hold. She switches it to a cross armbreaker attempt, but Chie gets to the ropes for the break. Chie gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Chie but it gets a two count. Chie charges Yabushita and goes over her back for a cradle, but Yabushita kicks out again. Rolling Cradle by Chie, but that gets two as well. Chie picks up Yabushita and hits a Fisherman Suplex Hold, but Yabushita gets a shoulder up. Chie goes off the ropes but Yabushita catches her with a judo toss, armbreaker by Yabushita but Chie gets to the ropes. Yabushita picks up Chie but Chie sneaks in a few more flash pins for two. Bridging suplex by Yabushita, she quickly puts Chie in a cross armbreaker and Chie submits! Megumi Yabushita is the winner.

I’m surprised about how even this match was, which probably says more for Yabushita than it does for Chie. Yabushita is a pretty entry-level veteran so she doesn’t really lose anything by giving a rookie so much offense. Chie is still early in her career so no judgement here, but the botches always stick out and I’m just glad she wasn’t hurt when she slipped off the ropes. Otherwise she looked fine although she didn’t pop off the screen either. A decent opener in the sense that Chie got some experience and Yabushita was a good base for showing her around the ring in a competent manner.

KAZUKI vs. Misa Matsui

They lock up to start, Misa gets KAZUKI into the ropes but she gives a clean break. Misa steps on KAZUKI’s foot but KAZUKI kicks her in the stomach, Misa gets KAZUKI to the mat and delivers a sliding kick. Misa goes for a scoop slam but KAZUKI blocks it, hitting a scoop slam of her own for a two count. Crab hold by KAZUKI but Misa inches to the ropes to force the break. KAZUKI grabs Misa by the hair but Misa lands on her feet on the hair whip attempt, snapmare by Misa and she applies a bodyscissors. She lets go after a moment, knee to the stomach by KAZUKI and she throws Misa into the corner. Irish whip by KAZUKI and she hits a running knee, another Irish whip by KAZUKI but this time Misa flips over her and hits a dropkick. More dropkicks by Misa but KAZUKI stays up, elbows by Misa but KAZUKI blocks the suplex attempt. Knee by KAZUKI but Misa hits a jumping crossbody for two. Armbar by Misa but she lets go after a moment and stomps on KAZUKI. Misa goes off the ropes but KAZUKI knees her in the stomach, another knee to the stomach by KAZUKI (that’s kinda her thing) but Misa grabs her arm and goes for an armbar. KAZUKI gets to the ropes for a break, knee by KAZUKI and she hits another one.

KAZUKI picks up Misa and hits a double underhook slam onto her knee for a two count cover. KAZUKI picks up Misa and puts her in the corner across the ropes, she then gets on the top turnbuckle but Misa slides out to the apron. She tries to slam KAZUKI into the turnbuckle but KAZUKI blocks it, Misa returns the favor however and elbows KAZUKI. Misa gets on the top turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody for a two count. Fisherman suplex hold by Misa, but that gets a two as well. Misa goes up top but KAZUKI avoids her diving footstomp, Misa quickly applies an Octopus Hold but KAZUKI gets to the ropes. Misa charges KAZUKI and hits a low crossbody, she goes to the top turnbuckle and delivers a diving footstomp for a two count. Waistlock by Misa but KAZUKI gets to the ropes, Misa charges KAZUKI but KAZUKI drops her with a Codebreaker. Running double knee by KAZUKI and she hits a reverse double kneedrop for a two count. KAZUKI picks up Misa but Misa slides away, backdrop suplex by KAZUKI and she covers Misa for two. KAZUKI picks up Misa but Misa slides off and goes for a sunset flip, but KAZUKI blocks it. Misa goes for a few more flash pins with no luck, Samoan Cutter by KAZUKI but Misa barely kicks out of the cover. KAZUKI goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a diving kneedrop, cover by KAZUKI but Misa bridges out of the pin. KAZUKI quickly goes all the way up to the top turnbuckle and hits another diving kneedrop, and this time she picks up the three count! KAZUKI is the winner.

I’ve mentioned before that I like when wrestlers focus on a certain aspect of offensive strategy but KAZUKI takes it a little too far. I am just imagining her waking up one day and saying “I am going to only knee people in the stomach, that’s my thing now.” In her defense, at least her finishing moves also focus on knees to the stomach, but I just wish she had more ‘set up’ moves than the common kitchen sink. It just gets a bit repetitive. Misa looked good here, hit all her spots well and has a nice variety of offense. I really enjoyed the match when Misa was on offense, and if KAZUKI would just change her offense up this would have been a sneaky good match. Its still solid though and a good showcase for Misa, she certainly has potential.  Mildly Recommended

AKARI and Mari vs. Crea and Makoto

AKARI and Crea start the match, they trade wristlocks until AKARI gets Crea to the mat. Crea gets away and they reach a stalemate, they lock knuckles and go into a quick exchange which ends with a AKARI dropkick. Mari comes in but so does Makoto and she helps Crea get the advantage. AKARI is thrown into the corner and double teamed, cover by Crea but it gets a two count. Crea tags Makoto, Makoto stomps on AKARI and she hits a springboard crossbody. Double kneedrop by Makoto, and she covers AKARI for two. Irish whip by Makoto but AKARI hits a dropkick, giving her time to tag in Mari. PK by Mari but Makoto kicks her back, dropkick by Makoto and she covers Mari for two. Makoto goes off the ropes and boots Mari, she grabs Mari but Mari throws her to the mat and applies a leglock. Crea breaks it up, boots by Mari to Makoto but Makoto drop toeholds her into the second rope. Stomps by Makoto and she tags Crea, she tries to shoulderblock Mari to the mat but Mari stays on her feet. Kick to the stomach by Mari but Crea ducks the high kick and finally shoulderblocks Mari to the mat. Crea puts Mari in a Sickle Hold but Makoto holds back AKARI, but AKARI gets free and breaks up the hold.

Crea picks up Mari but Mari kicks her in the leg, Crea elbows her back and the two trade shots. Crea hits a series of elbows but Mari returns with a series of kicks, she knocks Crea to the mat and follows with a PK for two. Mari picks up Crea and gets her on her shoulders, hitting a Samoan Drop for a close two count. Mari picks up Crea but Crea catches her kick and applies an ankle hold. Mari gets to the ropes for the break, dropkick to the back by Crea and she covers Mari for two. She tags Makoto, Makoto knees Mari in the stomach and boots her twice for a two count cover. Makoto throws Mari into the corner but Mari kicks her back and hits a facecrusher. Mari puts Makoto in a Rocking Horse, but she lets go after a moment and goes for a Gory Special. Makoto blocks that and hits a DDT, kick to the ribs by Makoto and she hits the handstand double kneedrop for two. Makoto picks up Mari but Mari blocks the double underhook, high kicks by Mari and she covers Makoto for a two count. Mari tags AKARI, AKARI throws Makoto into the corner and hits a running elbow. Makoto avoids the next one and knees AKARI, but AKARI slides out to the apron and with Mari’s help she hits a missile dropkick for a two count.

Northern Lights Suplex Hold by AKARI, but that gets a two as well. AKARI picks up Makoto but Makoto hits an armdrag, she applies an armbar but AKARI gets to the ropes for the break. Makoto picks up AKARI and hits a suplex, she goes to the corner and tags Crea. Crea goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Crea but AKARI kicks out. AKARI blocks the suplex and hits a Pump Kick, but Crea boots her back for a two count. Crea applies an armbar, but Mari breaks it up. Drop toehold by AKARI and she hits Crea with a Tiger Feint Kick, she quickly applies an armtrap crossface but Crea gets out of it and applies a crossface of her own. Mari breaks it up, Crea goes off the ropes but AKARI catches her with a cradle for two. La Magistral gets a two as well, Crea then tries her own flash pin but that also gets two. Makoto spears AKARI, Crea goes off the ropes and hits a bodyscissors takedown for a two count. Crea goes off the ropes again but this time AKARI catches her with a vertical suplex, AKARI applies Muy Bien and Crea quickly taps out! AKARI and Mari are the winners!

This match is peak PURE-J. Pretty well worked, technically sound wrestlers and a decent pace, but nothing particularly spectacular or memorable. I’ve always liked Mari, she has a good look and wrestles with a sense of urgency, she is kinda hiding in Actwres girl’Z but she’s a bundle of fun. The rest all looked fine, just a few minor hiccups but generally the match flowed well from bell to bell. I’m not as sold on Crea as I am on Mari but she didn’t do anything to stand out in a bad way, which sometimes is all you can ask for with less experienced wrestlers. A good match, no major complaints even if it never reached the next level.  Mildly Recommended

Hanako Nakamori vs. Yumi Ohka

They quickly get into it as Ohka hits a hip toss, but Nakamori fires back with a lariat and they end up with a stalemate. They lock knuckles but break cleanly, elbow by Ohka but Nakamori kicks her when she charges in. Elbow by Ohka and she hits a big boot in the corner, another boot by Ohka and she covers Nakamori for two. Ohka picks up Nakamori and slams her face into the mat, she stands on Nakamori’s back and does a little dance. Double kneedrop by Ohka, she picks up Nakamori and hits a scoop slam. Headscissors by Ohka but Nakamori gets to the ropes, Irish whip attempt by Ohka but Nakamori blocks it and kicks her in the back. Kick to the chest by Nakamori and she hits a legdrop, she puts Ohka in the ropes and goes out to the apron so she can kick her repeatedly in the chest. Running kick to the back by Nakamori and she covers Ohka for two. Nakamori picks up Ohka but Ohka stomps on her foot, knees by Ohka and she puts Nakamori in the ropes. Repeated kicks to the face from the apron by Ohka, she get back into the ring and does the same on the other side of the ring.

Irish whip by Ohka to the corner and she delivers a running boot, she tries another Irish whip but Nakamori reverses it and kicks her in the corner. Ohka comes back with another boot but Nakamori returns with a lariat, they trade waistlocks until Nakamori drops down and kicks Ohka in the head. Nakamori drops Ohka onto the second rope and boots her from the apron, Nakamori goes up top and hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Nakamori applies a modified armbar but Ohka gets to the ropes, Nakamori charges Ohka and boots her into the ropes. She charges Ohka again but Ohka drops her onto the top rope, boot by Ohka and she hits another one from the apron. Back in, running boot by Ohka and she covers Nakamori for two. Ohka picks up Nakamori but Nakamori blocks the suplex, kick combination by Nakamori and she ends with a PK. Nakamori goes up top but Ohka avoids her charge, cross-arm Backstabber by Ohka and she keeps the hold applied on the mat. She lets go after a moment, Ohka goes off the ropes and boots Nakamori in the face for a two count. Ohka goes up top but Nakamori recovers and joins her, but Ohka elbows her back to the mat. Nakamori gets back up and re-joins her, hitting a superplex but she is too hurt to make a cover.

Nakamori is up first and kicks Ohka, but Ohka kicks her back and they trade boots. Ohka wins the boots duel, she goes off the ropes but Nakamori hits an enzuigiri. Ohka quickly hits a backdrop suplex but Nakamori drops her with a fisherman buster. Ohka fires back with a brainbuster, and both wrestlers are down on the mat. They both slowly get back up, headbutt by Nakamori but Ohka boots her to the mat. Ohka picks up Nakamori but Nakamori delivers a strike combination, running kick by Nakamori and she covers Ohka for two. Nakamori goes up top and nails the Destiny Hammer, but Ohka barely kicks out of the cover. Nakamori drags up Ohka, she goes off the ropes but Ohka nails the Choke Bomb for two. Heel drop by Ohka, but Nakamori gets a leg on the ropes to break up the pin. Ohka goes off the ropes and boots Nakamori in the face, but Nakamori recovers and they trade flash pins. Buzzsaw Kick by Nakamori, but Ohka kicks out. Nakamori picks up Ohka but Ohka hits a release Dragon Suplex. Big boot by Ohka but the bell has rung as the time has expired. The match is a Draw.

Certainly an interesting match, I will give them that. They started a little slow as veterans tend to do but at a certain point one of them must have yelled ITS GO TIME as they went straight to no selling and bomb throwing like they were wrestling at Budokan. I’ll give them credit for not dogging it on a small non-televised event but if you like selling and what not this is not the match for you as no matter what move was being done to them it may as well have been a finger poke. They went back to a more reasonable speed at the end, either because they were legitimately tired or they knew time was coming and had to get to the right spot, which was actually nice as it would make sense that they wouldn’t be able to keep up the pace they had for a few minutes there. All in all I enjoyed it, the no selling was both ways so no one was being disrespected and they went out there with the goal of putting on something memorable. Which it was and will likely overshadow the main event. A very strike-heavy but entertaining match, all things considered.  Recommended

(c) Kaori Yoneyama vs. Rydeen Hagane
PURE-J Openweight Championship

Kaori applies a waistlock but Rydeen shakes her off, she tries again but Rydeen shoulderblocks her down. Rydeen goes for a body press but Kaori moves and hits a running senton. Kaori goes off the ropes but Rydeen catches her with a hip toss, lariat by Rydeen in the corner and she hits a second more. Short-range lariats by Rydeen and she applies a crab hold, but Kaori gets to the ropes for the break. Rydeen sits down on Kaori’s back before picking her up and clubbing Kaori in the back. Rydeen gets Kaori on her back but Kaori slides away and applies a waistlock, Rydeen drives Kaori into the corner to get her off but Kaori avoids her lariat attempt. Kaori twists Rydeen’s leg in the second rope and dropkicks it, elbow drops to the leg by Kaori and she twists on Rydeen’s knee. She lets go after a moment and hits a senton on Rydeen’s leg, but Rydeen elbows her and hits a sidewalk slam for two. Rydeen picks up Kaori but Kaori cradles her to the mat and applies a kneelock. Rydeen crawls to the ropes and forces the break, running knee to the back by Kaori and she hits a satellite DDT for two. Kaori picks up Rydeen and applies a waistlock, Rydeen gets out of it and drops Kaori with a Samoan Drop. Lariat by Rydeen and she hits a second one, cover by Rydeen but it gets two.

Rydeen goes for a powerbomb but Kaori gets out of it, superkick by Rydeen and she delivers a heel kick. Rydeen positions Kaori and goes to the second turnbuckle, hitting a reverse splash senton for a two count cover. Rydeen goes all the way up the next time but Kaori avoids the moonsault, Kaori rolls Rydeen to the mat and applies a cross kneelock. Rydeen barely gets a boot on the ropes to force a break, knee to the back of the head by Kaori and she hits one from the front. More running knees by Kaori and she covers Rydeen for a two count. Kaori picks up Rydeen but Rydeen reverses the sunset flip powerbomb. Rydeen goes back up top but Kaori recovers and grabs her leg from behind. Kaori manages to toss Rydeen back down to the mat, she goes to the top turnbuckle and nails the diving senton but Rydeen barely gets her shoulder up. Kaori returns to the top turnbuckle but Rydeen joins her, Kaori gets Rydeen’s back but Rydeen blocks the sunset flip powerbomb attempt by sitting down on Kaori. Rydeen picks up Kaori and tosses her with a backdrop suplex, lariat by Rydeen but Kaori applies a crucifix cover for two. Rydeen stomps Kaori’s run with a lariat, Samoan Driver by Rydeen but Kaori kicks out. Rydeen picks up Kaori and nails the Shouten Kai, cover by Rydeen and she gets the three count! Rydeen Hagane is the new champion!

A lot of little things to look at here. First, its interesting that this was the 4th longest match on a five match card, not that any of the matches on the show were long but clearly they thought a shorter and more compact match was the way to go here. Yoneyama did everything she could to help get Rydeen over which she was in the perfect place to do, her losing does nothing to her legacy and by beating an outsider it gives Rydeen a handful of fresh challenges so she can prove she’s the best in PURE-J. Rydeen hit all her power spots well, and it helped that Yoneyama is small so the moves looked more impressive. Yoneyama’s leg work was good but Rydeen did nothing to sell it when a move wasn’t being applied, it was a logical story to tell so I’m not faulting it but I wouldn’t have minded if Rydeen struggled a bit doing… anything in the latter half of the match due to the knee work. Overall a perfectly fine match, Rydeen got to show off her power moves and won decisively which is all one can hope for. Hopefully she can have a meaningful run after waiting so long to win the title and prove it wasn’t just a fluke win over a veteran outsider.  Recommended

The post PURE-J Fight Together on 4/11/21 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: PURE-J “Fight Together”
Date: July 12th, 2020
Location: Kame Dojo in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 30

While some promotions are just slowly adding wrestling events to their schedule in this new pandemic world we live in, PURE-J is ramping them up as they have already had five events since the beginning of June. This is a very recent show of theirs and was distributed on their new streaming website. Not a big card as there are no title matches, but it does have three singles matches which I tend to prefer. Here is the full card:

• Crea vs. Rydeen Hagane
• AKARI and Leon vs. KAZUKI and Momo Tani
• Hanako Nakamori vs. HIRO’e
• Manami Katsu vs. Mari Manji

All matches are shown in full, the wrestlers on the card have profiles on Joshi City and you can click on their names above to go straight to it.

Crea vs. Rydeen Hagane

They trade waistlocks to start, Rydeen gets Crea to the mat and puts her in a stretch hold. Crea gets out of it and the two return to their feet, kick by Rydeen and she applies a wristlock. Crea reverses it but Rydeen reverses it back as they trade holds, Rydeen slams Crea’s head into the mat before stomping on her. Rydeen throws down Crea by the hair and kicks her into the corner, she goes for a slam but Crea reverses it into a cradle for two. Crea sits on Rydeen’s back before putting her loosely in a submission hold, Rydeen gets back up and hits a trio of hard shoulderblocks for two. Scoop slam by Rydeen and she hits a body press for another two count, she picks up Crea and throws her into the corner. Irish whip by Rydeen and she hits a body avalanche, she goes for a powerbomb but Crea gets out of it. She goes off the ropes but Rydeen catches her with a backbreaker, crab hold by Rydeen but Crea gets into the ropes for the break. Rydeen butt bombs Crea to the mat before rolling her over for a two count, she picks up Crea but Crea hits a series of elbows. Rydeen clubs her to the mat for her trouble, Crea fights back again but eats another club to the back. Irish whip by Rydeen but Crea hits a dropkick, she hits a second and a third but Rydeen stays on her feet. Elbows by Crea and she hits an armbreaker, she goes for a second but Rydeen blocks it and applies a sleeper. Crea quickly gets out of it and dropkicks Rydeen in the corner, jumping elbow by Crea and she finally dropkicks Rydeen off her feet for a two count cover.

Crea goes for the cross armbreaker, Rydeen blocks it so Crea applies a seated armbar instead. Rydeen muscles out of the hold but Crea kicks her in the arm, Crea gets on the second turnbuckle and she hits a missile dropkick. She goes up top and hits another missile dropkick, cover by Crea but it gets a two. Crea quickly applies a double armbar, she lets go after a moment and goes for the double wrist armsault but Rydeen blocks it. Crea goes off the ropes but Rydeen catches her with a powerslam for a two count. Rydeen picks up Crea but Crea elbows out of the uranage, she goes off the ropes but Rydeen spins her onto her shoulders and puts her in the Argentine Backbreaker. She tosses her off after a moment and hits a lariat, Samoan Drop by Rydeen and she positions Crea in front of the corner. Rydeen gets on the second turnbuckle and hits the Reverse Splash, but Crea barely kicks out. Rydeen goes all the way up but Crea avoids the Reverse Splash attempt, lariat by Rydeen but Crea schoolboys her into the ropes. Crea goes for another cradle, but this time she gets a two count. Crea picks up Rydeen and delivers the double wrist armsault, but Rydeen barely gets a shoulder up. Crea goes off the ropes but Rydeen pushes her off and hits a lariat, she picks up Crea but Crea quickly rolls her up for two. Crea goes off the ropes but Rydeen hits her with a hard lariat, she picks up Crea and drops her with the uranage for the three count! Rydeen Hagane is the winner.

This was clunky at times but in the end probably accomplished its goal which was to make Crea look somewhat credible before losing to the veteran. There is a reason that Rydeen never really elevated up the card – she is solid enough but not great, and struggles to elevate less experienced wrestlers. Her power moves look good but some of the transitions and sequences didn’t come off well and it was pretty disjointed. It probably went a tad longer than it needed to, at almost 12 minutes, as they didn’t have a ton of ideas. Crea did get her spots in and had some nearfalls, its too early in her career to know if she will be a quality wrestler down the road but she isn’t quite there yet. Not bad for an opener, but still a skippable match.

AKARI and Leon vs. KAZUKI and Momo Tani

Momo and AKARI start things off, they trade holds but ultimately reach a stalemate. Armdrag by Momo and she applies a reverse chinlock, but AKARI gets into the ropes for the break. Shoulderblocks by AKARI but Momo kicks out of the cover, and AKARI tags in Leon. Leon throws Momo into the corner and hits a dropkick, scoop slam by Leon and she hits a somersault senton for two. Leon picks up Momo but Momo reverses the slam attempt into a cradle, dropkick by Momo and she tags KAZUKI. Knees by KAZUKI in the corner as she knees Leon around the ring, AKARI comes in however and with Leon they dropkick KAZUKI off her feet. Running kneedrop by Leon and AKARI hits one as well, Leon tags AKARI and AKARI delivers a dropkick. Another dropkick by AKARI but KAZUKI quickly kicks out of the cover, she goes for a slam but KAZUKI blocks it and hits one of her own. KAZUKI tags Momo, Irish whip to the corner by Momo and she hits a jumping knee. AKARI blocks the slam attempt but KAZUKI comes in to help, they both go for a vertical suplex but AKARI blocks it.

Leon comes in but KAZUKI and Momo both hit Codebreakers on their respective opponents, running double knees by KAZUKI and Momo and they both drop knees onto one opponent’s back. Double Irish whip and both Momo and KAZUKI hit knees, Leon rolls out of the ring and Momo knees AKARI in the back of the head. Cover by Momo, but AKARI kicks out. Momo goes off the ropes but AKARI hits a drop toehold, she keeps Momo’s legs wrapped up in a submission but Momo makes it to the ropes. Northern Lights Suplex by AKARI, but it gets a two count. She tags Leon, shoulder tackle by Leon in the corner but Momo blocks the double underhook. Knees by Leon but Momo elbows her back, hard elbow by Leon and the two trade blows. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Leon and she puts Momo in a crab hold but it gets broken up, Leon goes off the ropes but KAZUKI knees her from the apron. Backstabber by Momo to Leon and she puts her in a stretch hold, but AKARI breaks it up. Momo grabs Leon and hits a swinging neckbreaker, she goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a reverse double knee for two. She tags in KAZUKI but Leon knees her, KAZUKI knees her back but Leon tosses her into the corner.

Leon goes up top but KAZUKI avoids her dive, spear by Leon and she covers KAZUKI for two. Leon tags AKARI, AKARI goes up top and hits a missile dropkick for two. AKARI goes for the cross armbreaker but KAZUKI gets out of it, stomp by KAZUKI but AKARI elbows her in the corner. She goes for a suplex but KAZUKI blocks it, knees by KAZUKI but AKARI hits a pump kick. AKARI rolls KAZUKI to the mat and applies a kneelock, but Momo quickly breaks it up. KAZUKI gets AKARI onto her shoulders and hits a cutter, cover by KAZUKI but Leon breaks it up. KAZUKI drags AKARI to the corner and gets on the second turnbuckle, but AKARI avoids her double knee and cradles her for two. Leon spears KAZUKI, AKARI follows with a Tiger Feint Kick before cradling KAZUKI again for a two count. Momo distracts Leon and AKARI, giving KAZUKI time to recover and hit a Codebreaker on both of them. Double running knee strike by KAZUKI and Momo, and KAZUKI covers AKARI for two. KAZUKI goes off the ropes and drills AKARI with the K Sword, and she gets the three count! KAZUKI and Momo Tani are the winners!

This was a step up from the last match. Momo wrestling like a mini-KAZUKI is interesting, they have teamed before so clearly she has rubbed off on her as they hit similar moves. KAZUKI throws a lot of knees but not all of them well, for a move to spam honestly the knee to the midsection isn’t the most interesting so I wish there was a bit more variety in her offense. Leon looked great as she tends to, the match just kinda lacked a story or flow to it. For a midcard tag it was perfectly fine but probably forgettable at the end of the day.

Hanako Nakamori vs. HIRO’e

HIRO’e gets a jump on Hanako but Hanako kicks her in the corner and throws HIRO’e down by the hair. HIRO’e returns the favor, they trade kicks and shoulderblocks until HIRO’e shoulderblocks Hanako to the mat. HIRO’e picks up Hanako and hits a vertical suplex, cover by HIRO’e but it barely gets two. Back up, kick by Hanako and she snapmares HIRO’e before kicking her in the back. Kick to the chest and leg drop by Hanako, she picks up HIRO’e and kicks her in the corner. Hanako charges HIRO’e but HIRO’e moves, elbow by HIRO’e but Hanako avoids her shoulder tackle attempt. HIRO’e rebounds out of the corner with a crossbody for two, she picks up Hanako but Hanako kicks her in the leg. HIRO’e elbows her back as they trade strikes, Codebreaker by HIRO’e and she dropkicks Hanako while she is against the ropes. HIRO’e picks up Hanako but Hanako blocks the Northern Lights Suplex, HIRO’e goes off the ropes but Hanako drops her onto the second rope and boots her from the apron. Hanako goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Hanako but it gets two. Hanako applies an armbar but HIRO’e gets to the ropes, running boot by Hanako and she goes to the top turnbuckle, but HIRO’e elbows her before she can jump off.

They trade elbows while Hanako is still sitting on the top turnbuckle, headbutt by Hanako and she goes for a powerbomb out of the corner, but HIRO’e blocks it and hits a Codebreaker. HIRO’e goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick, Northern Lights Suplex by HIRO’e but Hanako kicks out. HIRO’e picks up Hanako, Hanako blocks the suplex at first but HIRO’e eventually hits the German suplex. Hanako immediately gets up and hits a German suplex of her own, but HIRO’e returns with a backdrop suplex followed by a German suplex for a two count cover.  Elbows by HIRO’e and hits the spear, but Hanako gets a shoulder up. Sunset flip by HIRO’e, but that gets a two count as well. Kasadora by HIRO’e, but again Hanako kicks out. Boot by Hanako and she kicks HIRO’e in the head again, but HIRO’e reverses her cover attempt into one of her own for two. After a failed cradle, HIRO’e charges Hanako but Hanako kicks her in the head. Another head kick by Hanako, but her cover only gets two. Hanako picks up HIRO’e and drops her with the Requiem Driver, and she picks up the three count! Hanako Nakamori wins!

I am not sure the nice way to say this, nor am I sure if I should even bother try to say it nicely, but there is a reason HIRO’e stayed in the WAVE midcard for her entire 5+ year career. She is spectacularly average, bringing little to the table. That’s not to say she is bad, as her fundamentals are solid and unlike in the last two matches there weren’t any miscommunications or times where a wrestler looked out of place. But she doesn’t leave a strong impression. They tried to tell a bit of a story, with the underdog HIRO’e trying to sneak in a win against the highly ranked Hanako, but Hanako wasn’t really bothering with any sort of long term selling so most of her hope spots were quickly dashed when Hanako easily took back over control. She was “trying” to make HIRO’e look good but in the end she didn’t really, since none of HIRO’e’s offense had any impact beyond the moment. The ending came out of nowhere, as HIRO’e had been in pretty good shape, which just hammers in my previous point. Overall it wasn’t bad, but in the end neither one came out looking any better than they came in and if this was anyone’s first exposure to Hanako they wouldn’t be too impressed.

Manami Katsu vs. Mari Manji

They circle before tying up, Mari gets Manami into the ropes but she gives a clean break. Manami grabs her and the two take turns with elbows, Mari throws Manami into the corner and delivers a running back elbow. Manami fires back with a lariat and a running boot, rolling cradle by Manami and she holds down Mari for a two count cover. Mari is pretty dizzy after being rolling around for so long as Manami stomps on her, she picks up Mari and they try to shoulderblock each other over. Mari eventually grabs Manami and goes for a backdrop suplex, but Manami lands on top of her. Mari goes off the ropes and finally shoulderblocks Manami over, she picks up Manami but Manami reverses the backdrop suplex attempt into a bulldog. Double underhook by Manami but Mari gets out of it and the two trade strikes. Manami charges Mari but Mari chops her to the mat, she picks up Manami and puts her on the top turnbuckle before joining her, applying a modified dragon sleeper. She lets go after a moment and brings Manami back to the ring with a backdrop suplex, cover by Mari but it gets two. She puts Manami in an armbar but Manami gets to the ropes for the break, Mari picks up Manami and hits a side Russian leg sweep. Another leg sweep by Mari and a third, she puts Manami in a submission hold but again Manami gets to the ropes.

Mari picks up Manami but Manami pushes her off and hits a Stunner, boot by Manami and she hits a lariat. Running boot by Manami while Mari is against the ropes but Mari avoids the next one, Mari charges Manami and delivers a running elbow. Boot by Mari and she hits another one, followed by a dropkick. Mari picks up Manami but Manami snaps off a Samoan Drop, lariat by Manami and she covers Mari for two. Manami puts Mari in front of the corner and hits a Reverse Splash, cover by Manami but it gets a two count. Manami grabs Mari but Mari gets away and hits a vertical suplex, she rolls over Manami but Manami covers her for two. Jawbreaker by Mari and she rolls over Manami again, this time holding her down for a two count. Mari picks up Manami and hits a back bodydrop, she goes to the second turnbuckle and delivers a diving senton for two. Mari picks up Manami and levels her with a back elbow, but Manami kicks out of the cover. Mari goes off the ropes but Manami catches her with a lariat, sliding lariat by Manami but Mari reverses the cover into one of her own for two. Manami kicks Mari in the head, she picks her up and hits a German suplex for a two count. Back up, uppercut by Manami and she nails the Orange☆Blossom for the three count! Manami Katsu is the winner.

This was the best match on the card, which may be a low bar but it was a fitting main event for a small dojo-style show. Its interesting that they are having Mari basically go 50/50 with Manami. Mari is actually older than Manami and has a slight size advantage, which may play into their thinking, or they think long term she has more potential as a title challenger. She’s pretty good in the ring, PURE-J doesn’t really do high workrate matches so she fits in well in the promotion that focuses on the basics. A good enough match, nothing that will blow you away but it flowed well and ended before it felt too stretched out.  Mildly Recommended

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Championships Held: None
Tournaments Won: None
Awards Won: None

Notable Matches:

• None

Signature Moves:

• Cross Armbreaker Takedown
• Dropkick

Sample of Matches Reviewed on Joshi City:

• None

In Action:

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