Event: Hana Kimura Memorial “MATANE”
Date: May 23rd, 2021
Location: Tokyo Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 714
Broadcast: Streamed on FITE TV

Reviewing wrestling events can bring many different emotions, but an emotion you never want to have is sadness. I knew, like many others, that watching this event was going to be hard. A year ago today, Hana Kimura tragically passed away, and her death impacted people across the globe. Hana had everything – she was a great wrestler, charismatic, had a great look, and had fans invested in everything she did. But more importantly she was a great, loving, and incredible person that had her whole life in front of her. Having her Memorial show on the one year anniversary is fitting, as it brought new attention to the circumstances of her death and gave her friends a way to publicly celebrate her life, which I 100% support. But its going to be hard, the hardest wrestling event I’ve watched in 30 years of being a wrestling fan. Here is the card:

• HUB, Shisao, and Eisa8 vs. Shota, FUMA, and Mil Mongoose
• Battle Royal with Menso-re Oyaji, Tsutomu Oosugi, Hagane Shinnou, Yuko Miyamoto, Shotaro Ashino, Banana Senga, Gabai Ji-chan, Lingerie Muto, Yusuke Kodama, Super Delfin, Fuminori Abe, Miyuki Takase, Mika Iwata, DASH Chisako, Chihiro Hashimoto, Hanako Nakamori, Ram Kaicho, Cherry, Moeka Haruhi, Yuki Miyazaki, Eiger, Andras Miyagi, Kyusei Hana Kimura (Sakura Hirota), Jun Kasai, Masato Tanaka, Jinsei Shinzaki, and CIMA
• Kagetsu, Konami, Hazuki, and DEATH Yama-san vs. Natsupoi, Syuri, ASUKA, and Mio Momono
• ASUKA vs. Kagetsu

As you can see, a very interesting cast but it is filled with wrestlers that had a real life connection with Hana Kimura or her mother Kyoko Kimura (or both) as this memorial event is as much for them as it is for us, to say their final goodbyes. You’ll note only a few active Stardom wrestlers make an appearance, which is at least partly because Stardom opted to run an event on the same day, but that’s another topic for another time. I’m not going to do my typical review for this one as I’m probably going to be too emotionally into the event to be typing constantly, but I hope to not only discuss the matches but help newer fans that may not watch a lot of Joshi matches with who all the wrestlers are. As always, you can click on the Joshi wrestler’s name above to go straight to their profile on Joshi City.

After a musical and dance opening, the show began after a quick video montage of Hana Kimura.

HUB, Shisao, and Eisa8 vs. Shota, FUMA, and Mil Mongoose

I haven’t watched men’s promotions in Japan with any regularity in probably five or six years, so this was a fun throwback for me as I remember these guys from when I used to review every small underground indie promotion I could find. These six all are seasoned vets and know their way around the ring, and a six wrestler tag is a pretty straight-forward opener. Shota played the Face in Peril here which made sense – its not about the quality of wrestler but everyone loves wrestlers with masks and Shota probably had the least intimidating look of everyone in the match. So he got beaten for the first third of the match by HUB and Shisao in particular until the crowd finally spurred him to get out of the match.

They wrestled this under Lucha Tag Rules, meaning a wrestler didn’t have to make a tag to no longer be the legal wrestler, they just had to bail out of the ring and reach the floor. I wish the commentators had explained this as new fans were no doubt confused on why wrestlers weren’t always tagging, but in a laid back affair like this one I doubt anyone was too concerned. After five minutes they gave up with the “focus on one wrestler” plan which was for the best as all six of these guys have cool looking moves so no reason to not show off. HUB whipping everyone with his mask tail was entertaining as was HUB in general, Hana had good taste in wrestlers as HUB was always my favorite small-time indie wrestler. Great look, great wrestler. The match ended up being the HUB Show which was the way I would I gone too, honestly he at any point in his career could have been a player in a larger promotion. In the end, HUB planted Mil Mongoose into the mat and picked up the easy three count. The winners are HUB, Shisao, and Eisa8!

For an opener, I enjoyed it, but honestly they didn’t even need the first five minutes. The Shota beatdown segment was fine but was really just filler as once that was over, they just started quickly changing the legal wrestlers while everyone got a chance to hit their moves. That part of the match was quite enjoyable, the “lucharesu” style is entertaining with its quick speed and all six know the style well so there were no hiccups. HUB was and is great, so him being featured was a big plus not just for me personally but also considering his background with Hana Kimura. Overall a fun way to kick off the show.  Mildly Recommended

Battle Royal

A quick run-down of the Joshi wrestlers among the opening group:

• Miyuki Takase – The Ace of Actwres girl’Z, frequently wrestles in WAVE and Diana as well
• Mika Iwata – Young wrestler from Sendai Girls’, had a feud with Hana Kimura from 2017 to 2018 that led to several fun matches
• DASH Chisako – Veteran wrestler from Sendai Girls’
• Chihiro Hashimoto – The Ace of Sendai Girls’
• Ram Kaicho – Started as a child wrestler in Triple Six and went to school with Hana Kimura, she is still affiliated with Triple Six but also wrestles in Ice Ribbon
• Cherry – Long time veteran wrestler that wrestled most of her career in DDT, currently a Freelancer
• Yuki Miyazaki – Long time veteran wrestler from Pro Wrestling WAVE
• Hanako Nakamori – The Ace of PURE-J
• Moeka Haruhi – Long time Freelancer

With more wrestlers to come, it is assumed there would be some surprise entries from Hana and/or Kyoko’s past as the match progressed. In fact before the match could even start we got our first surprise, as Super Delfin makes his way down to the match. Super Delfin is a legend from indie wrestling’s past and also wrestled in New Japan, everyone knows and loves Super Delfin which I think is safe to assume includes Hana as well. The match starts pretty standard and playful, it should be noted that Battle Royals in Japan tend to be more lighthearted affairs than those in the US. But soon we get three new entries as Eiger, Andras Miyagi, and Yusuke Kodama come down! Quick recap of the Joshi wrestlers:

• Eiger (or Aiger) – A “ghost” wrestler who officially hails from LLPW-X but mostly wrestles in Sendai Girls’, likes to scare children
• Andras Miyagi – Also known as Cassandra Miyagi, current a Freelancer but known for her work in Sendai Girls’ and Stardom

They immediately go after Moeka, who is creeped out by the group and in short order is eliminated by them. Ram Kaicho appears to join them as they all pose together, they turn to Gabai Ji-chan but he outsmarts them and with help he pins Eiger and Yusuke Kodama, so they are eliminated as well. Ji-chan loses his cane and turns it on, as everyone in the match stands around and watches his brand of comedy. They help him eliminated Miyagi, and then hold down Ji-chan so that both are eliminated. Hana Kimura’s music starts playing as someone dressed as her comes down to the ring, and it turns out to be the cosplay legend Sakura Hirota! 

• Sakura Hirota – Veteran from WAVE, best known for being a comedy wrestler and sometimes cosplaying as her opponents

Once Sakura is in the ring, things settle down as we get the usual Battle Royal fare (big group moves, isolated strike-fests, and the like). We do get a Super Delfin Tornado DDT and Delfin Clutch though on Menso-re Oyaji to eliminate him, which is always a pleasure, before he is quickly pinned himself. Iwata and Hirota trade kicks which is fitting as Iwata is a wrestler that had a feud with Hana Kimura, but everyone breaks them up and Sakura is the next one eliminated (along with Lingerie Muto). While I definitely appreciate Sakura’s contribution to the match, eliminating her quickly was probably a good move as once she did her Hana tribute it may have felt a little too ‘off’ to have someone in Hana’s gear hanging around the match long term.

After Miyuki Takase is eliminated a minute later, some new music plays as Jun Kasai comes down to the ring! One of the biggest hardcore legends still active in Japan, Kasai comes in with his skewers (to jam in people’s heads) which leads to the ring clearing out. Mika Iwata returns first but asks him for an autograph, which he gives before he is attacked from behind. Chihiro Hashimoto and Shotaro Ashino pair up in a Hoss Battle, but the ring slowly fills back up as Chihiro and Shotaro slam everyone. Deadlift German by Chihiro but the blob covers both of them after the move, so both are eliminated! While this happens, more music plays as ZERO1 veteran Masato Tanaka comes down to the ring!

Tanaka cleans house a bit as he eliminates Shinnou and Kodama, Miyazaki puts him in the Shy Hold but it gets broken up. Cherry gets involved but she is covered by the wrestler blob and is eliminated. Music plays again, as another legend comes to the ring – Jinsei Shinzaki! Shinzaki is from Michinoku Pro but has wrestled in WWE and New Japan as well. He goes for one of his signature moves on the majority of the wrestlers at the same time, the rope walk, but gets pushed out of the ring for his trouble and is eliminated. No one appreciates Banana Senga and Tsutomu Oosugi eliminating Shinzaki so quickly everyone pins them, eliminating the tag team as well. We get music over the loudspeaker which means a new participant – CIMA!

That is all the wrestlers we are getting as CIMA goes after Abe and eliminates him. Miyazaki goes after CIMA but gets knocked out of the ring and eliminated, and then CIMA eliminates Nakamori. CIMA doing God’s work and clearing the ring a bit as we are down to seven wrestlers. Chisako appears with a chair but Miyamoto takes it from her, Tanaka then takes the chair from him but Kasai takes it from Tanaka. Chisako dropkicks the chair into Kasai but Mika Iwata saves him. Pearl Harbor Splash by Kasai to Chisako and he gets the three count! DASH Chisako is eliminated. Miyamoto hits Iwata and Kasai with the chair but Kasai takes it and hits Miyamoto in the head with it. Iwata cradles Miyamoto afterwards, and he is eliminated! Iwata high fives Kasai but then kicks him low and tosses him from the ring, as Jun Kasai is eliminated. CIMA and Tanaka dump Iwata out of the ring to eliminate her, leaving us with three wrestlers – CIMA, Masato Tanaka, and Ram Kaicho.

Kaicho steps right up to them while CIMA and Tanaka trade shoves, they push her out of the way and continue going at it. DDT by Tanaka but CIMA hits a Lung Blower, Tanaka gets CIMA onto the apron but Ram Kaicho pushes CIMA to the apron as well. Ram Kaicho gets a running start and she dropkicks them both to the floor! Ram Kaicho is the last woman standing and is the winner!

As I mentioned a few times, Battle Royals in Japan are not serious, as no one is really claiming that Ram Kaicho could beat CIMA or Masato Tanaka in a regular match. But there is no shame in being defeated in a Battle Royal, and giving Hana’s old childhood friend the win was a touching tribute. There were fun spots throughout the match (loved seeing Super Delfin and Jinsei Shinzaki), and the surprising Mika Iwata/Jun Kasai subplot was entertaining. These matches are a little too long for my taste considering the entertaining sections are so spread out, but there were many fun moments and for fans that are familar with the wrestlers I am sure there will be something here that fans will enjoy.

Up to this point, the event has been pretty lighthearted. We started with music and dancing, a lucharesu match, and a mostly comedic Battle Royal. The tone is going to change a bit, as while the next two matches won’t be ‘downers’ they will be more serious with wrestlers that have more of a recent connection with Hana Kimura. We knew going into the show that Kagetsu was making a one-time appearance after retiring over a year ago, but we didn’t know she was bringing a special friend with her to really honor Hana the best way they knew how.

Kagetsu, Konami, Hazuki, and DEATH vs. Natsupoi, Syuri, ASUKA, and Mio Momono

They are against four quality wrestlers with various connections to Hana. ASUKA was the closest to Hana, as they were also a tag team (when Hana wrestled outside of Stardom) and were friends. They are joined by Stardom wrestlers Natsupoi (formally Natsumi Maki) and Syuri, along with Mio Momono from Marvelous. All eight of these wrestlers are great and I am expecting a combination of tributes to Hana and the fast paced Joshi action that we are all accustomed to.

Kagetsu and Hazuki both have incorporated tie dye into their gear as a homage to Hana, giving them a fitting different look. One thing you should know about these wrestlers is that even though its a memorial match for Hana Kimura, and they are here for her, they are also incredibly competitive and no one was going to take it easy. While it is true that DEATH is more of a comedy gimmick and she did bring that to the table, at the end of the day she was far from the focus of the match as the others went in hard on each other. Seeing Hazuki again is such a treat as she was one of the most exciting wrestlers in Stardom, and the fact she seemed to have lost her passion for wrestling but still prepared for this event just really puts over how important it was to her to take part.

Kagetsu hasn’t missed a beat either and its kinda amazing that they are so good to not show an ounce of ring rust. If fans coming into the show didn’t know about the retirements, you’d have thought they were still active competitors. They didn’t go heavy with Hana-related spots, although Jungle Kyona did make a surprise appearance to pose with Konami and DEATH as she was in Tokyo Cyber Squad as well (she is currently unable to wrestle due to an injury). The fact they opted to not just make this a tribute match from bell to bell made the moments more special when they did honor Hana. Every segment was great – Kagetsu and Syuri had a quality exchange as did Mio Momono and Hazuki, and seeing Hazuki and Kagetsu do a final double tope suicida was an incredible moment. ASUKA being the wrestler that had to “overcome the odds” was a smart move due to their close connection to Hana Kimura, and their final exchange with Hazuki was well done. In the end, ASUKA took out everyone and made the cover on Hazuki, picking up the three count! Natsupoi, Syuri, ASUKA, and Mio Momono are the winners!

For fans of Stardom back in 2018, this really felt like an Oedo Tai throwback match with Kagetsu and Hazuki leading the way (with a little bit of cheating from Kyoko Kimura). I’ve said before that eight wrestler tags can make it hard for some wrestlers to shine and that was still the case here, as while Natsupoi and Syuri both hit their spots well and contributed, there are only so many opportunities and the match was simply laid out to make others shine. ASUKA, Hazuki, and Kagetsu all looked incredible and you’d have thought from watching this that these eight had wrestled many times before, due to the fluidity and pace they kept up. Mio Momono was the stealth star of the match, she not only is fierce but is sneakily charismatic and draws attention to whatever she is doing. While this may have been a bit better as a six wrestler tag due to the length of the match, the Oedo Tai/Tokyo Cyber Squad team needed four to really salute Hana Kimura so no complaints from me. This would have been an A+ match from me regardless just for the joy of seeing Kagetsu and Hazuki again, but when taking into account the meaning behind the match both for fans and the participants, its a no-breaker recommendation to watch.  Highly Recommended

On paper, that was the main event of the evening, but ASUKA had other plans. After the match, they challenged Kagetsu to a singles match, which needed approval from Kyoko Kimura and the crowd. All parties naturally agreed, so we are ending the show with a special first-time singles match between ASUKA and Kagetsu!

ASUKA vs. Kagetsu

ASUKA and Kagetsu clearly felt the best way to honor Hana Kimura was to put on a banger, and that is exactly what they did. Kagetsu was flying outside the ring like it was 2019 all over again, and ASUKA laid in the strikes hard. I have to respect their cardio as both were just in a match, then immediately jumped into a singles match without missing a beat. Kagetsu went out of her way to put over ASUKA, as ASUKA handled all of her offense while dishing out plenty in return. Which shows the level of unselfishness that Kagetsu has – she frequently put other wrestlers over even when she didn’t “have” to and knowing she is retired, she lost nothing by taking all of ASUKA’s offense. That’s not to say it was a one-side match as it was far from it – Kagetsu got to use the Oedo Tai board and nailed the Oedo Coaster for old time’s sake as they went back and forth, but once ASUKA got back in control the match was over. After a Blue Thunder Bomb, heel kick, chokeslam, and the Benibana Koromo, ASUKA was able to hold down Kagetsu for the three count. ASUKA is the winner!

A really entertaining sprint as they took their short time and did everything with it. ASUKA’s kiss to the sky before drilling Kagetsu with the Benibana Koromo was the perfect tribute, as they treated the match like a “regular” match but the meaning was always there – this was for Hana. Kagetsu returning from retirement to put on two great matches is pretty incredible, and she delivered everything in this match. The strikes, the pace, the heart, everything was there. And ASUKA was able to keep up, they have really been killing it the last couple years and hopefully this will give ASUKA more attention which is no doubt what Kagetsu wanted, and also what Hana Kimura would have wanted. A fantastic match to end a very memorable event.  Highly Recommended

After the main event, things got very emotional as Kagetsu spoke and a longer video package was shown with clips from Hana Kimura’s career. Once the video package was over, back to a live view of the ring, Kyoko Kimura was standing alone and holding a photo of Hana. Jungle Kyona performed the ten bell salute while the wrestlers stood at ringside, with their heads down as they no doubt were saying their own silent goodbyes. The video concluded with a video package with dozens of wrestlers from around the globe saying “Matane,” in memory of Hana.

The post Hana Kimura Memorial “MATANE” on 5/23/21 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: PURE-J Bolshoi Retirement ~ Thank You!!
Date: April 21st, 2019
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 1,530

One of the neat and sad things about Joshi is that when wrestlers retire by their own choice (i.e. not counting the AJW forced retirements), they generally mean it. When a Joshi wrestler sets up a retirement show and goes through the whole ceremony, there is a pretty good chance the wrestler will never participate in another match, aside from maybe a farewell battle royal for another retiring wrestler. Command Bolshoi is a legend that first debuted in 1991, which made her one of the longest tenure Joshi wrestlers still on the scene. Since most Joshi careers seem to last 4 to 7 years (at best), having a 27 year career is monumental and the fact she stayed in JWP/PURE-J for her entire run makes her even more special. Last year, Bolshoi announced her plans to retire so she has done a farewell tour in 2019, with this event being her official retirement show. Here is the full card:

• Battle Royal: Aiger, Arisa Nakajima, Bolshoi Kid, Chihiro Hashimoto, Emi Sakura, Giulia, Jaguar Yokota, Kyoko Inoue, Makoto, Moeka Haruhi, Saori Anou, Shinobu Kandori, Tsubasa Kuragaki, Yumiko Hotta, and Yumi Ohka
• Manami Katsu, Mari Manji, and Yako Fujigasaki vs. AKARI, KAZUKI, and Rydeen Hagane
• PURE-J Openweight Championship: Leon vs. Hanako Nakamori
• Command Bolshoi Farewell Gauntlet Match
  • Command Bolshoi vs. Hanako Nakamori
  • Command Bolshoi vs. Kaori Yoneyama
  • Command Bolshoi vs. Mayumi Ozaki

This event was shown on Nico so there won’t be any match clipping. All wrestlers above have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their names to go straight to it. I know the PURE-J roster page needs a hug, I’ll get it updated this weekend.

Aiger, Arisa Nakajima, Bolshoi Kid, Chihiro Hashimoto, Emi Sakura, Giulia, Jaguar Yokota, Kyoko Inoue, Makoto, Moeka Haruhi, Saori Anou, Shinobu Kandori, Tsubasa Kuragaki, Yumiko Hotta, and Yumi Ohka
Battle Royal

The match starts with roughly half the wrestlers already in the ring, Bolshoi Kid is schoolboyed by Emi Sakura but the pin is broken up. They all kick at Emi for trying to pin Bolshoi Kid so early in the match, they make a knucklelock chain and Bolshoi walks the ropes with all of them tied up, but she gets pulled back off the ropes and they all start elbowing each other. Everyone jumps Kyoko Inoue and dumps her out of the ring, and Kyoko Inoue is eliminated. Yumiko Hotta is attacked by the wrestlers in the ring while she is in the corner, Ohka and Anou then boot Sakura but Ohka then boots Anou. Sakura puts Ohka in a Mexican Surfboard but Bolshoi covers Sakura while she has the move applied and picks up the three count! Emi Sakura is eliminated. At the moment only Hotta, Anou, Bolshoi, and Ohka are in the ring, Ohka tries to boot Anou but Anou holds down the top rope and Ohka tumbles out of it, so Yumi Ohka is eliminated. The majority of the rest of the wrestlers join the party so now the ring is quite full, Giulia and Anou get into it until Kuragaki, Bolshoi, and Haruhi start posing together.

Kuragaki and Hashimoto trade shoulderblocks, lariats by Kuragaki in the corner but Hashimoto knocks her down with a shoulderblock. Kuragaki and Hashimoto are attempted to be pinned with no luck, and things break down when Aiger finally gets in the ring. Giulia and Anou are so scared of Aiger they bail out of the ring, so Giulia and Saori Anou are eliminated! Hotta isn’t scared of her and they have an exchange, Aiger gets a chain and gives Hotta one end of it. They start a tug of war but all the other wrestlers help Hotta, they then all cover Hotta and pick up the three count! Yumiko Hotta is eliminated. Hotta is annoyed at Aiger for causing her to get pinned and faces off with her, Aiger wants none of it and runs out of the ring, taking herself out of the match. Aiger is eliminated! Everyone remaining creates a headscissors chain, Shinobu Kandori finally joins the festivities and she breaks up the chain. Kandori squares off against everyone but they wait to engage while Jaguar Yokota joins the match as well. Bolshoi shakes hands with both of them and they pose for pictures, but all three get schoolboyed from behind for their troubles. None work, Haruhi charges Kandori but Kandori puts her in an armbar and Haruhi quickly submits! Moeka Haruhi is eliminated. Makoto goes after Yokota, but Yokota slaps her in a Cobra Twist and Makoto taps out as well, Makoto is eliminated!

Arisa Nakajima and Bolshoi trade strikes, Bolshoi wins the battle and then armdrags all the wrestlers left in the ring. And the referee. Bolshoi kicks Nakajima and hops on Kuragaki’s back, directing Kuragaki around the ring as she lariats everyone. Bolshoi jumps on Kuragaki’s shoulders and delivers the Limelight, and she gets the three count! Tsubasa Kuragaki is eliminated. Nakajima drop toeholds Bolshoi into the ropes but she botches the Tiger Feint Kick (as a homage to Bolshoi), she lands on the apron and Hashimoto knocks her off to the floor! Arisa Nakajima is eliminated. We are down to Bolshoi, Hashimoto, Yokota, and Kandori. They attempt to knock Bolshoi off the apron and onto the floor, but both times wrestlers are ringside catch her and push her back onto the apron until Bolshoi is able to return to the ring. All the eliminated wrestlers return to the match so they can hit running strikes on Bolshoi in the corner, cover by Kandori but the cover is broken up. Nakajima goes up top and dives off, but lands on Kandori, Hashimoto, and Yokota on accident. The eliminated wrestlers run in and cover all three of them, Kuragaki sits Bolshoi on top of the pile and the referee counts to three! Shinobu Kandori, Chihiro Hashimoto, and Jaguar Yokota are all eliminated. Bolshoi Kid is the winner!

As I mentioned at the top, these are lighthearted affairs and not intended to be taken seriously. There were a lot of cute spots throughout and they kept the match quick enough that the shenanigans never got old. Everyone working together to help Bolshoi Kid win was a nice touch, and its always fun to see legends like Kandori and Yokota mixing it up with their old friends. A nice way to kick off the event and since retirement shows tend to get sad it was a good idea to start with a fun and easy-going match.  Mildly Recommended

Manami Katsu, Mari Manji, and Yako Fujigasaki vs. AKARI, KAZUKI, and Rydeen Hagane

Yako and Rydeen begin the match, Yako gets Rydeen into the ropes but she gives a clean break. Yako goes for a crossbody, Rydeen catches her but Yako’s teammates kicks her over and stays in the ring to triple team Rydeen. Eventually Rydeen’s team helps out and they shoulderblock their opponents over before Rydeen tags in AKARI. Yako armdrags AKARI but AKARI returns the favor and hits a pair of dropkicks, Yako comes back with a hard shoulderblock and she tags in Manami. AKARI elbows Manami but AKARI connects with a jumping shoulderblock, she puts Manami in a backbreaker but it gets broken up. Manami gets AKARI up and hits a Samoan Drop, superkick by Manami and she covers AKARI for two. AKARI tags Mari, elbows by Mari and she covers AKARI for a two count. Mounted elbows by Mari but AKARI puts Mari in an armbar, La Magistral by AKARI but Mari kicks out. Dropkick by AKARI and she tags in KAZUKI, Rydeen comes in too and they triple team Mari in the corner. Backbreaker by Rydeen and KAZUKI kicks Mari in the head, but Yako and Manami run in to even the odds. Team KAZUKI stays in control, they stack all three of their opponents across the ropes in the corner, and KAZUKI hits a reverse double kneedrop on them all. KAZUKI goes up top and hits a reverse double kneedrop on Mari, cover by KAZUKI but it is broken up. KAZUKI grabs Mari but Mari hits a back bodydrop, she applies an Octopus Hold (mostly) while her partners keep everyone else at bay, cover by Mari but it only gets two. Mari tags in Yako, hip attacks by Yako to KAZUKI and they trade knees to the midsection.

Deadlift bridging suplex by Yako, but KAZUKI kicks out. Yako goes up top but Rydeen comes in and elbows her before she can jump off, Rydeen grabs Yako and press slams her onto KAZUKI’s knees. Somato by KAZUKI to Yako, but Yako gets a shoulder up. Rydeen stays in, lariats by Rydeen to Yako and she hits a backdrop suplex. Rydeen goes for a Reverse Splash but Yako moves and hits a hip attack, Mari and Manami come in and assist on beating down Rydeen. Tiger suplex hold by Yako to Rydeen, but KAZUKI breaks it up. Manami stays in the ring and trades lariats with Rydeen, with neither wrestler going down. Rydeen finally knocks down Manami, sliding lariat by Rydeen but Manami kicks out of the cover. Rydeen gets on the turnbuckle but Manami grabs her from behind and hits a powerbomb, she goes up top but KAZUKI grabs her from the apron. Rydeen elbows Manami and joins her, superplex by Rydeen and AKARI hits a diving footstomp off the second turnbuckle. KAZUKI follows with a diving kneedrop, Rydeen then nails a moonsault but her cover is broken up. Rydeen picks up Manami and slams her to the mat, but again her cover is broken up. Rydeen positions Manami while KAZUKI goes up top, but Mari and Yako interrupt them before they can complete a move. Rydeen lariats both of them for their trouble, she goes back to Manami but Manami nails a backfist. Another backfist by Manami, she picks up Rydeen and she hits a hammerlock German Suplex for a two count. Manami goes up top and hits a jumping elbow strike, she quickly goes up again and nails a diving elbow drop for the three count! Manami Katsu, Mari Manji, and Yako Fujigasaki are the winners.

A little rough at times but overall fine. Not all of these wrestlers are “quality wrestlers” to put it nicely, the recent versions of JWP/PURE-J haven’t really churned out great wrestlers as they are so small it is probably hard for them to attract talented athletes. So we get wrestlers like Manami, Yako, and Mari who try hard but don’t have the natural ability to make everything look smooth. Rydeen and KAZUKI are both pretty good power wrestlers and the match was solid when they were in the ring, but there were other segments that just fell flat. Probably the right winner and I know they want to try to build up Manami, but she still isn’t quite there yet and there is no way of knowing for sure if she ever will be.

(c) Leon vs. Hanako Nakamori
PURE-J Openweight Championship

Leon works a headlock to start but Hanako gets away, they trade wristlocks until Hanako knocks down Leon with a kick combination. Leon chops Hanako into the corner but Hanako avoids her spear attempt, Hanako goes to the opposite corner but Leon connects with two running shoulder tackles. Leon goes up top, Hanako avoids her charge but Leon hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Leon gets Hanako on her back and applies a stretch hold, she lets go after a moment and the two trade strikes. Leon dumps Hanako out of the ring to the floor, she goes up top and dives down onto Hanako with a plancha. Leon tells the crowd to move out of the way to give her running room and she spears Hanako against the apron. Leon slides Hanako back in the ring and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Leon but it gets two. Texas Cloverleaf by Leon but Hanako gets to the ropes, Leon charges Hanako but Hanako moves and kicks Leon in the stomach. Hanako goes off the ropes but Leon catches her with a tilt-a-whirl slam, she goes up top but Hanako gets her feet up on the Frog Splash attempt. Hanako boots Leon over the top rope to the floor, she goes out to the apron and hits a jumping knee down to the floor.

Hanako slides Leon back in and delivers the Shining Wizard, cover by Hanako but it gets a two count. Hanako goes up top but Leon avoids her diving knee, she ducks Hanako’s kick attempt in the corner and joins Hanako on the top turnbuckle, but Hanako boots her into the Tree of Woe. Kicks by Hanako, she pulls Leon back up and hits a Fisherman Buster for a two count. Hanako returns to the top turnbuckle and nails the Destiny Hammer, cover by Hanako but Leon gets a shoulder up. Hanako goes for the Capture Buster but Leon pushes her away and hits a release German. Leon goes up top but Hanako kicks her before she can jump off, Hanako joins Leon but Leon spears her down to the mat. Spear by Leon, she covers Hanako but Hanako kicks out. Leon picks up Hanako and kicks her in the head, she goes off the ropes but Hanako hits a head kick of her own and both wrestlers are down on the mat. They slowly get back up and start trading elbows, spinning kick by Leon but Hanako hulks up and kicks Leon in the head. They trade kicks until Hanako knocks down Leon with a step-up kick, and again they are both down. Leon goes for a spear but Hanako moves, head kick by Hanako and she delivers the Chikonka Driver but Leon gets a shoulder up.

Hanako goes up top but Leon shakes the ropes before she can jump off and eventually joins her, headbutt by Leon and she tosses Hanako to the mat with a Spider German. Leon turns around and delivers the Frog Splash, she goes back up top again and hits the diving footstomp but Hanako kicks out of the cover. Leon drags Hanako up and drops her with the Capture Buster, but again Hanako manages to kick out. Leon goes off the ropes but Hanako knees her when she goes for the spear, Leon goes for another Capture Buster but Hanako blocks it. Leon reverses the block into a cradle, but it gets a two count. They both go for quick pins with no luck, Hanako goes for a kick but Leon ducks it and hits a German suplex. Leon goes off the ropes twice and levels Hanako with a spear, but Hanako rolls out of the cover. Leon picks up Hanako and goes for the Capture Buster, Hanako blocks it and catches her with a Chikonka Driver, but Leon rolls through it for a two count. Head kick by Hanako and she delivers a kick combination, La Rojo by Hanako and she picks up the three count! Hanako Nakamori is the new champion!

Leon may be 38 years old but she can still go. This match far exceeded my expectations, Hanako Nakamori and Leon knew this may be the biggest crowd that PURE-J is ever in front of and they really brought it. Even though it went 15 minutes the action was non-stop, as they went at the fast pace that Joshi wrestling has become known for. Leon wrestled like the underdog as I figured she would, and really threw everything at Hanako, but once Hanako kicked out of her big moves she was in trouble. My only complaint is I wish that Hanako had to do a bit more at the end to put Leon away since Leon had such a long segment of big moves, but the Chikonka Driver/head kicks/La Rojo is a killer combination so it still didn’t feel like an “out of nowhere” win. I don’t say this often about PURE-J but this is a must-see match.  Highly Recommended

Command Bolshoi Retirement Series Gauntlet Match
Singles matches vs. Mayumi Ozaki, Kaori Yoneyama, and Hanako Nakamori

Command Bolshoi vs. Mayumi Ozaki – They circle each other to start before locking up, Ozaki gets Bolshoi in the ropes but she gives a clean break. Ozaki stomps on Bolshoi’s foot and scoop slams her, she gets her chain and hits Bolshoi in the head with it. More chain strikes by Ozaki but Bolshoi grabs her arm and applies an armbar over the top rope. Armbreaker by Bolshoi but Ozaki quickly puts her in a sleeper hold, Bolshoi struggles but eventually makes it to the ropes for the break. Ozaki puts Bolshoi in the ropes so that other members of the Ozaki Army could assist her as they pose for the crowd. Irish whip by Ozaki but Bolshoi slides away and hits a palm strike. Bolshoi rolls Ozaki to the mat and applies a kneelock, she reverts it into a modified figure four but Ozaki gets to the ropes (with some help) to get a break. Bolshoi picks up Ozaki but Ozaki gets her back and tosses Bolshoi to the mat. Ozaki gets her chain again and hits Bolshoi with it, but Bolshoi comes back with a palm strike as they trade blows. They fight over the chain until Bolshoi runs in with a Piko Knee Smash, cover by Bolshoi but it gets a two count. Bolshoi picks up Ozaki but Ozaki hits a backfist followed by a jumping kick, but her cover gets two as well. Bolshoi puts Ozaki in a modified Dragon Sleeper, but the bell rings as the five minutes has expired. The match is a Draw.

Command Bolshoi vs. Kaori Yoneyama – Yoneyama is crying as the match starts but it turns out to be a ruse as she quickly schoolboys Bolshoi for a two count. She tries a few more flash pins but they don’t work, she charges Bolshoi but Bolshoi puts her in a Fujiwara Armbar. Yoneyama tries to roll out of it but fails in her first few attempts so Bolshoi switches to a cross armbreaker and then into a seated armbar. Yoneyama gets into the ropes for a break, she begs off Bolshoi and Bolshoi allows her to get up. Yoneyama asks for a knucklelock but she steps on Bolshoi’s foot, Mongolian Chops by Bolshoi and both wrestlers punch each other in the stomach. Bolshoi and Yoneyama trade strikes, waistlock by Yoneyama but Bolshoi slides away. Northern Lights Suplex by Yoneyama, but it only gets a two count. Mounted elbows by Yoneyama, she goes up to the top turnbuckle and nails a diving senton, but Bolshoi kicks out of the cover. Knees by Yoneyama, she goes off the ropes but Bolshoi hits a knee of her own followed by an uppercut and a Tiger Feint Kick.  Bolshoi-shiki Wakigatame by Bolshoi in the middle of the ring, Bolshoi switches it into a cradle but the bell rings before the referee can complete her three count as time expires. The match is a Draw.

Command Bolshoi vs. Hanako Nakamori – They circle to start, kicks by Nakamori but Bolshoi catches one and applies an ankle lock. Nakamori gets out of the hold and applies a waistlock, but Bolshoi kicks out of it and palm strikes Nakamori in the face. Bolshoi goes off the ropes but Nakamori catches her with a fisherman buster, head kick by Nakamori and she goes up top, but Bolshoi recovers and elbows Nakamori from the turnbuckle down to the floor. Bolshoi gets out on the apron and hits an Asai Moonsault down onto Nakamori, she rolls her back in but Nakamori blocks the tiger suplex attempt. Palm strikes by Bolshoi but Nakamori fires back with a head kick, Bolshoi gets Nakamori in the ropes and hits the Tiger Feint Kick followed by another palm strike for a two count cover. Bolshoi nails Nakamori with the Piko Knee Smash, but Nakamori gets a shoulder up on the cover. Bolshoi picks up Nakamori but Nakamori blocks her suplex attempts and hits a Michinoku Driver. Nakamori drags Bolshoi up but Bolshoi quickly hits a Fisherman Buster, cover by Bolshoi but it gets two. Tiger suplex hold by Bolshoi, but that gets a two count as well. The two trade strikes on their knees before returning to their feet, palm strikes by Bolshoi and she knocks down Nakamori for two. Bolshoi picks up Nakamori but the bell rings before she can do anything else, as the time has expired. The match is a Draw.

Gauntlet matches are not an uncommon method for a wrestler to go out when retiring, but this one was set up a bit differently. Generally I really enjoyed it, the five minutes gave the wrestlers a bit more time to get something going so it wasn’t just a one minute sprint, and even though there was no winner I liked that Bolshoi was on the cusp of winning in all three matches so it felt like she could have won with just another minute or two. I wish that Yoneyama had wrestled more of a straight match, I know in YMZ and Stardom she has been more playful for awhile but for a retirement match I wouldn’t have complained if serious Yoneyama had shown up for one last run. Still, this was a fun walk down memory lane and Bolshoi was given a chance to shine against a nice variety of former opponents to close out her career.  Recommended

At the conclusion of the show, we have the retirement ceremony for Command Bolshoi, which is shown in full. Wrestlers can look very different in street clothes so I won’t try to identify all the wrestlers that came into the ring to wish Bolshoi a happy farewell, but some of those in attendance included Manami Toyota, Jumbo Hori, Yukari Omori, Dynamite Kansai, Cuty Suzuki, and many others. We also got a video message from Devil Masami, which shows how special Command Bolshoi was as Masami doesn’t show up very often at wrestling functions these days. Finally we get a photo montage, Bolshoi gets one final salute, and she is carried off into the sunset.

The post PURE-J Bolshoi Retirement ~ Thank You!! on 4/21/19 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Sendai Girls’
Date: April 16th, 2019
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 998

I don’t normally review events the moment they become available, but I was a little excited for this show. Sendai Girls’ flies under the radar for the bulk of the year but a few times a year they pop in for a major show such as this one. For Korakuen Hall they give us a special treat as this event is a real banger, with the last four matches in particular all having a real chance of being memorable. Jordynne Grace is the special guest here as she challenges Chihiro Hashimoto, plus we get Sareee facing off against Meiko Satomura! Here is the full card:

• KAORU and Mikoto Shindo vs. Mei Suruga and Ryo Mizunami
• Aiger and Sakura Hirota vs. Alex Lee and Bolshoi Kid
• Sendai Girls Junior Championship: Millie McKenzie vs. Manami
• Mika Iwata vs. Yuu
• Meiko Satomura vs. Sareee
• DASH Chisako and Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Hikaru Shida and Killer Kelly
• Sendai Girls World Championship: Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Jordynne Grace

This show was broadcast on Samurai TV so some matches may be clipped to fit into the two hour block. All wrestlers above have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their names to go straight to it.

KAORU and Mikoto Shindo vs. Mei Suruga and Ryo Mizunami

We join this one in progress with Mei and Mikoto in the ring, they both attempt scoop slams until Mikoto hits one and covers Mei for two. Dropkick by Mikoto and she tags in KAORU, KAORU boots Mei in the face but Mei gets away from her and rams KAORU head-first into the turnbuckles. She tries to do it a second time but KAORU blocks it, dropkick by Mei and she twists on KAORU’s arm before springboarding around the ring into an armdrag. Ryo comes in, she picks up Mei and rams her into KAORU for another two count. Mei tags Ryo, spear by Ryo to KAORU and she chops her into the corner. Mikoto gets tired of watching Ryo and attacks her from behind, but Mei come in too to even the odds. Mei and Ryo both attack their opponents in opposite corners before posing in the middle of the ring, Ryo goes back to KAORU but KAORU elbows her off. Lariat by Ryo and she covers KAORU, but the pin is broken up. Double Irish whip to KAORU but KAORU cartwheels through it, she gets her board and hits Ryo in the head with it. Excalibur by KAORU, but Ryo gets a shoulder up on the cover.

KAORU goes up top but Mei hits her from the apron, Mikoto runs over to grab Mei and KAORU goes for the Valkyrie, but Ryo rolls out of the way. Lariat by Ryo,  but KAORU bridges out of the pin and cradles Ryo for two. KAORU goes off the ropes and hits a Frankensteiner, but Mei breaks up the cover. KAORU tags in Mikoto, dropkicks by Mikoto and she tries to slam Ryo, but Ryo blocks it. Scoop slam by Ryo and she hits a leg drop for a quick two. Crab hold by Ryo but KAORU comes in with her board and hits Ryo in the head with it. Big boot by KAORU, she grabs Mikoto and suplexes her onto Ryo. Mikoto picks up Ryo and stomps her foot before finally scoop slamming her, cover by Mikoto but Ryo kicks out. Mikoto goes off the ropes but Mei hits her from the apron, Ryo charges in but she hits Mei by accident. Mikoto locks in a few flash pins but Ryo kicks out each time, KAORU helps with a big boot but Mei breaks up the cover. Mikoto goes off the ropes but Ryo catches her with a powerslam, hard lariat by Ryo but Mikoto barely gets a shoulder up on the cover. Ryo locks in a deep crab hold and Ryo has no choice but to submit! Mei Suruga and Ryo Mizunami are the winners.

For a clipped opener, this was actually really good. As I suspected, KAORU and Ryo are two that don’t mind giving rookies some offense and this is the best I have seen from both Mikoto and Mei as they were able to do more than just intro-level offense. Even though the veterans maintained their dominance, the rookies both had segments where they got over on the veterans, making it feel like a more even exchange than it really was. KAORU played it straight, which was appreciated, and Mei is a treasure to watch. Really solid way to begin the show.  Mildly Recommended

Aiger and Sakura Hirota vs. Alex Lee and Bolshoi Kid

Needless to say, this won’t be your traditional match. Bolshoi Kid and Alex get the early advantage, Bolshoi Kid and Sakura both get an opponents wrist and walks the ropes, but while Bolshoi Kid successfully hits an armdrag per usual Sakura crotches herself on the top rope. Bolshoi Kid goes off the ropes to do a dive but poses in the ring instead, meanwhile Aiger chases Alex around the floor. Bolshoi Kid joins the fun too and drags Sakura around ringside, but eventually she gets back in the ring with Alex and Sakura. Sakura is double teamed in the corner, Alex stays in with Sakura and kicks her into the corner. Alex charges Sakura but Sakura gets her to stop, face crusher by Sakura and she rolls out of the ring as Aiger comes in as legal. Bolshoi Kid comes in too, Aiger uses her creepy zombie tactic and hits a DDT, but is too slow to capitalize so Bolshoi Kid knocks her to the mat. Bolshoi Kid snaps a rope into Aiger’s face chokes her with it, but Aiger gets a chair and hits everyone with it. Bolshoi Kid gets the chair from her and sits down on it, leading to all four wrestlers trying to sit in the chair.

They play Musical Chairs but they all sit in the chair together again, Bolshoi Kid tries to sit in the chair again but Sakura pulls it out from under her and covers Bolshoi Kid for two. Alex and Sakura remain in the ring, suplex by Alex and she kicks Sakura in the chest. Sakura drop toeholds Alex into the ropes and gives her the Oil Check, Sakura jumps over Alex repeatedly but Alex rolls out of the way when she tries to chop her. Or elbow her, not sure. Sakura convinces Alex to try to do the same and Alex complies but Sakura kicks her in the stomach before she can finish. Bolshoi Kid comes in and also tries to get over on Sakura, but Sakura schoolboys her. Aiger gets on the top turnbuckle and scares Bolshoi Kid before biting her hand, Sakura Oil Checks Bolshoi Kid but Aiger then spits dust into Sakura’s face. Sakura falls on top of Bolshoi Kid with the cover, but Bolshoi Kid kicks out. Aiger holds Alex for Sakura but Alex moves and Sakura kisses Aiger by mistake, high kick by Alex to Sakura and Bolshoi Kid hits Sakura with a Tiger Feint Kick. Oil Check by Bolshoi Kid to Sakura, she applies La Magistral and she picks up the three count! Bolshoi Kid and  Alex Lee win!

This isn’t my favorite type of match and honestly I wish it had been clipped (which it was not). Having Bolshoi Kid involved added something a bit different to it but otherwise it was just your standard Aiger and Sakura Hirota match we have all seen a hundred times. Skippable early-card fodder for me, but if you enjoy these matches then its probably worth the watch.

(c) Millie McKenzie vs. Manami
Sendai Girls’ Junior Championship

Manami dropkicks Millie in the back before the match starts, she knocks Millie into the corner and takes her to the mat, putting Millie in a headlock. Millie recovers and puts Manami in a headlock of her own, but Manami switches it into a headscissors. Millie stretches Manami’s legs before putting her in an ankle hold, Manami crawls to the ropes and she forces the break. Millie goes for a snapmare but Manami reverses it into one of her own, bodyscissors by Manami and she stretches Millie’s back. Manami picks up Millie but Millie hits a scoop slam, Manami fires back with elbows and she hits a dropkick. Millie kicks Manami in the midsection and drops her with a swinging neckbreaker, cover by Millie and she gets a two count. Millie picks up Manami but Manami dropkicks her, sunset flip by Manami but Millie kicks out. Manami tries a few more flash pins with no success, Manami gets Millie’s back and puts her in the Cattle Mutilation , she pulls Millie back up and cradles her but Millie kicks out. Manami goes off the ropes and hits a dropkick, another dropkick by Manami but Millie avoids the next one and gets Manami’s back. Manami elbows away and hits another dropkick, but Millie comes back with a spear and she picks up the three count! Millie McKenzie wins and retains the championship.

I was really enjoying this until it ended so suddenly. For wrestlers their age/lack of familiarity with each other, the mat wrestling was really smooth and even though it was a short match they both showed natural ability. The ending was out of left field, it felt like the match was still crescendoing when it was abruptly over. A lot of fun while it lasted, I haven’t seen much of Millie McKenzie previously but just from this five minutes she seems to show a lot of promise.  Mildly Recommended

Mika Iwata vs. Yuu

They tie-up to start, Yuu gets Mika to the mat but Mika returns to her feet only to eat a hard shoulderblock. Chops by Yuu and she puts Mika in the corner, Irish whip by Yuu but its reversed and Mika hits a jumping knee. Hard kick to the back by Mika and she hits a PK for a two count. Mika picks up Yuu but Yuu catches her with a swinging sidewalk slam followed by a running senton for two. Yuu deadlifts Mika up and hits a powerslam, Yuu goes to pick up Mika but Mika elbows her back and the two trade blows. Mika goes off the ropes but Yuu catches her with an elbow, Yuu charges Mika but Mika delivers a superkick. Back up they jockey for position, Mika rolls up Yuu but it gets two. Kicks to the chest by Mika but Yuu catches one and tosses Mika to the mat. Dropkick by Yuu in the corner, she rolls Mika to the middle for of the ring and covers her for two. Yuu picks up Mika and chops her but Mika kicks her back, Mika goes off the ropes but Yuu catches her with a judo toss. Yuu goes for a sleeper but Mika elbows out of it, she goes off the ropes but Yuu again catches her with a judo throw. Yuu goes for a powerbomb but Mika reverses it into a cross armbreaker, but Yuu lifts Mika up and powerbombs her way out of the hold. Yuu goes for a chop but Mika kicks her arm, Yuu comes back with a lariat and both wrestlers are down. Yuu tries to pick up Mika but her arm gives out on her, she ducks Mika’s high kick but Mika connects with her second attempt. Mika quickly jumps up to the top turnbuckle and delivers a high kick, cover by Mika and she picks up the three count! Mika Iwata is the winner!

Another good match, and one of the things I liked about it is that it told an old school story that you don’t see much these days. Limb work is common, limb work that actually prevents a wrestler from doing a big move and they lose because of it happens far less often and I appreciate that attention to detail. I wouldn’t say they had great chemistry, which isn’t too surprising, but they worked well enough together and clearly had a plan that they stuck to. Yuu is a beast but the story here was more Mika’s attempts to neutralize her, which she was able to do. Straight-forward but well done, and even though it was a bit short I thought they both did a great job with the time constraints. Not a MOTYC type match but a really solid midcard match.  Recommended

Meiko Satomura vs. Sareee

They begin with a tie-up, Satomura pushes Sareee into the ropes but she gives a clean break. They go into a Test of Strength, Satomura gets Sareee to the mat but Sareee applies a headscissors as they trade holds. Satomura gets the better of things on the mat and stops Sareee from reaching the ropes, she kicks Sareee in the chest repeatedly but Sareee hits a springboard armdrag followed by a dropkick. Sareee puts Satomura in her modified Muta Lock, she lets go after a moment and hits jumping footstomps. Sareee picks up Satomura but Satomura kicks her in the head with her heel, kicks to the leg by Satomura and she puts Sareee in a leg submission. Sareee gets into the ropes for the break, Satomura picks her up but Sareee delivers an elbow and the two trade shots. Satomura goes off the ropes but Sareee nails her with a dropkick, another dropkick by Sareee but Satomura drops her with a backdrop suplex. Satomura kicks Sareee into the corner, but Sareee ducks a kick and hits rapid fire elbows. Satomura knocks Sareee to the mat, Irish whip by Satomura and she nails a jumping heel kick. Kick to the head by Satomura and Sareee rolls out of the ring before collapsing on the floor. Satomura goes out after her and slides Sareee back into the ring, Sareee goes for a kick but Satomura catches it and hits a leg sweep. Seated armbar by Satomura but Sareee rolls to the ropes and gets the break.

Satomura picks up Sareee and she hits a vertical suplex, hard elbow by Satomura but Sareee jumps up on the second turnbuckle and hits a dropkick. Sareee goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, she goes to the top turnbuckle again but Satomura hits a Pele Kick on her before she can jump off. Backdrop suplex by Satomura, but Sareee kicks out of the cover. Satomura goes for a choke but Sareee slides away, Satomura kicks her in the chest but Sareee fires up and elbows her. She eats a hard elbow for her trouble, Satomura goes off the ropes but Sareee ducks her heel kick and delivers a thrust kick. She then goes off the ropes but Satomura kicks her in the head, cover by Satomura but Sareee bridges out of the pin. Satomura immediately drops her with a Death Valley Bomb, she picks up Sareee but Sareee slides away and hits a Uranage. Sareee picks up Satomura but Satomura snaps off a DDT, she goes off the ropes and hits the cartwheel kneedrop. Satomura positions Sareee and goes to the top turnbuckle, but Sareee recovers and tosses Satomura back to the mat. Kicks to the chest by Sareee but Satomura kicks her in the head, another high kick by Satomura and she nails a Death Valley Bomb, but Sareee barely kicks out of the cover. Satomura picks up Sareee but Sareee quickly hits a Uranage, one final Uranage by Sareee and she covers Satomura for the three count! Sareee is the winner!

This is a peak Meiko Satomura match. The style isn’t for everyone, but it should be as its a no-nonsense hard hitting style that barely gives you a chance to breath during the home stretch. I really hope this is built upon as its a big deal for Sareee to beat Meiko Satomura, who isn’t the unbeatable force she used to be but still is one of the top active Joshi wrestlers across the entire scene. Every time Satomura drilled Sareee, Sareee was right there to drill her back and everything she gave to Sareee, Sareee had an answer. The kicks were brutal and the suplexes were really snug, as neither was going to allow the other to be the tougher wrestler. Wrestling is cooperative of course but I do believe there are times wrestlers give their opponents a little extra and I think both were doing that here, the last five minutes were just bombs and big strikes until Sareee hit the right combination to hold down Satomura barely long enough for the three count. I wouldn’t go as far as say this was an official torch passing, its too early to know for sure, but its a big moment in Sareee’s career and she delivered. A must-see match from two of the most entertaining wrestlers in all of wrestling.  Highly Recommended

DASH Chisako and Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Hikaru Shida and Killer Kelly

Hiroyo and Hikaru start the match for their respective teams, hard shoulderblock by Hiroyo but Hikaru kips up and hits a hurricanrana. Hikaru goes for a jumping knee but Hiroyo catches her, she throws Hikaru into the corner but Hikaru avoids her charge and they reach a stalemate. Kelly and Chisako tag in, leg kicks by Kelly but Chisako trips her and goes for Kelly’s ankle. Kelly kicks Chisako away and hits an uppercut in the corner, knees by Kelly and she nails a pump kick for a two count. Irish whip by Kelly but Chisako boots her, Hiroyo comes in and she helps Chisako take out Kelly. Hikaru jumps in to help but gets a double dropkick for her trouble, Hiroyo throws Kelly into the corner and chops her in the chest. Hiroyo throws Kelly into the corner but Kelly avoids her charge, elbows by Hiroyo but Kelly catches one and headbutts her. Double underhook suplex by Kelly and she dropkicks Hiroyo in the corner, giving her time to tag in Hikaru. Hikaru knees Hiroyo in the corner, she puts her across the second rope and suplexes Chisako into Hiroyo. Vertical suplex by Hikaru, she goes off the ropes but Hiroyo blocks the knee to the head.

Enzuigiri by Hikaru, she goes off the ropes but Hiroyo catches her hurricanrana attempt and applies a crab hold. Hikaru gets to the ropes for the break, Hiroyo gets on the second turnbuckle and nails the reverse double kneedrop, but Hikaru kicks out of the cover. Chisako is tagged in and she hits a missile dropkick to Hikaru, another dropkick by Chisako and she covers Hikaru for two. Hard elbow by Chisako but Hikaru nails her with a jumping knee. Hikaru goes for another knee but Chisako moves, Hikaru gets Chisako’s back and knees her in the back of the head. Running knee by Hikaru, but it gets a two count cover. Hikaru tags in Kelly, kick to the gut by Kelly and she hits a gutwrench suplex. Kelly picks up Chisako and puts her on the top turnbuckle, Kelly joins her and applies a hanging guillotine. She legs go after a moment and gets back into the ring, she puts Chisako in the Tree of Woe before hitting a dropkick for two. Chisako falls out of the ring, Kelly gets on the apron but Chisako blocks the PK attempt. Hikaru gets on the apron too but Chisako avoids both of their strikes and Hiroyo knocks them both down to the floor. Hiroyo picks up Chisako and press slams her out of the ring down onto the floor, Hiroyo slides Chisako and Kelly back into the ring and Chisako hits a running elbow.

Dropkick by Chisako, and she covers Kelly for two. Chisako goes up top but Kelly recovers and joins her, Chisako headbutts Kelly but Hikaru runs in and superplexes Chisako to the mat. PK by Kelly to Chisako, cover by Kelly but it gets two. Kelly and Chisako trade elbows, Chisako goes off the ropes but Kelly nails a big boot. Kelly and Chisako slowly get up, head kick by Kelly and Hikaru runs in to knee Chisako in the face. Fisherman suplex hold by Kelly, but Hiroyo breaks it up. Hiroyo boots Kelly and hits a short range lariat, Hiroyo tosses Chisako at Kelly for a catapult dropkick and Chisako covers her for a two count. Chisako goes for a suplex but Kelly blocks it, Chisako slides away and Hiroyo drops Kelly with a backdrop suplex. Chisako goes up top but Hikaru runs in and joins her, Hiroyo grabs Hikaru from behind however and powerbombs her while Chisako hits Kelly with the diving footstomp. Cover by Chisako, but Kelly barely gets a shoulder up. Chisako quickly goes back up top again and this time she nails the Hormone Splash, picking up the three count! DASH Chisako and Hiroyo Matsumoto are the winners.

Even though this was the longest match on the card, the time just flew by as the action was non-stop. Hikaru Shida and Chisako don’t have any ‘slowdown’ in them so anything they were involved the pace was hectic, while Hiroyo and Kelly were able to keep up without any real issues. Kelly looked a bit awkward at times but generally didn’t look out of place, her moveset is unique so it helped the match feel fresh. While it wasn’t chock-full of ring psychology or a deeper meaning, sometimes four wrestlers going all-out to entertain is all you need. A simple story, but a very fun match to watch nonetheless.  Recommended

(c) Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Jordynne Grace
Sendai Girls’ World Championship

Jordynne and Chihiro jockey for position to start, they briefly take it to the mat but quickly return to their feet. Chihiro pushes Jordynne into the ropes but Jordynne switches positions with her before hitting a side headlock takedown. Chihiro gets out of it and they reach another stalemate, they go into a Test of Strength which Chihiro gets the better of at first. Jordynne bridges back up and they trade wristlocks, side headlock by Jordynne but Chihiro Irish whips out of it and they collide with neither wrestler going down. They both try to knock each other over until Jordynne finally succeeds, snapmare by Jordynne and she connects with a sliding lariat for two. Jordynne goes for a stretch hold but Chihiro reverses it, Chihiro gets Jordynne’s waist and takes her to the mat, putting her in a modified choke. Chihiro throws Jordynne into the corner but Jordynne elbows her as she charges in, Jordynne tosses Chihiro out to the apron and punches her through the ropes, but Chihiro blocks the suplex attempt. Jordynne slides out of the ring and slams Chihiro face-first into the apron, she puts Chihiro against the ring post and chops her. Jordynne slides Chihiro back in the ring, cover by Jordynne but it gets a two count.

Jordynne picks up Chihiro but Chihiro scoop slams her, rolling senton by Chihiro and she covers Jordynne for two. Both wrestlers slowly get up, Jordynne kicks Chihiro when she charges in and gets on the second turnbuckle, but Chihiro recovers and joins her. Jordynne flips over Chihiro’s back and nails a powerbomb, but Chihiro gets a shoulder up on the pin attempt. Jordynne grabs Chihiro but Chihiro elbows her off, alternative lariats by Jordynne and she covers Chihiro for two. Jordynne kicks Chihiro and lariats her in the chest, Irish whip by Jordynne and she delivers a spinebuster. Jordynne pulls Chihiro near the corner and gets on the second turnbuckle, but Chihiro grabs her from behind and drops her with a release German. Lariat by Chihiro but Jordynne isn’t phased and fires back with her own lariat, both wrestlers are very slow to return to their feet and they trade elbows once both manage to do so. Lariat by Chihiro but Jordynne slams Chihiro for a two count. Jordynne picks up Chihiro and throws her into the corner, she puts her on the top turnbuckle and goes for a Muscle Buster, but Chihiro slides away. Chihiro picks up Jordynne and nails a hard powerbomb, German suplex hold by Chihiro and she gets the three count! Chihiro Hashimoto wins and retains the championship.

A pretty good match and a fine conclusion for this event. It went about as you’d expect and how it should have gone, two strong wrestlers slamming into each other repeatedly until someone went down. Lots of power moves, hard lariats, and general toughness. Even though the match was on the short side for a main event title match it didn’t feel like it ended prematurely, they had the time to tell the story they were going to tell. Some of the drama was taken out simply because there wasn’t really any chance Chihiro was losing, but it was an even match with both getting their shots in. Overall entertaining, it didn’t reach the levels of Satomura/Sareee but still a match that fans of either won’t be disappointed in. Mildly Recommended

The post Sendai Girls’ on 4/16/19 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Anyone that has followed me on Twitter for any length of time may remember that I have talked about this DVD for awhile. The only place that sells it is Diana’s official shop, but its 6,000 yen and they don’t ship to the US so it takes extra money to get it ordered/delivered. Right when I was about to pull the trigger on getting it last fall, their shop was down for about four months, but luckily it came back so I finally purchased it. Diana very rarely releases their shows and hasn’t had one of their own produced full events air on TV since 2011. This event was only available on DVD and showcases one of the biggest events in their history. In the main event we get a cage match, which is the most recent cage match in Joshi as there hasn’t been one since. Here is the full card:

• Lylah Lodge vs. Rabbit Miyu
• Crazy Mary Dobson vs. Eiger
• Arisa Nakajima, Yuiga, and Hamuko Hoshi vs. Cherry, Jessica James, and Raideen Hagane
• Dump Matsumoto and Keiko Aono vs. Megumi Yabushita and KAZUKI
• Kaoru Ito, Command Bolshoi, and Meiko Satomura vs. Sareee, Kagetsu, and Kaho Kobayashi
• Jaguar Yokota and Manami Toyota vs. Mima Shimoda and Takako Inoue
• Cage Death Match: Kyoko Inoue and Tomoko Watanabe vs. Yumiko Hotta and Mask de Sun

All the wrestlers on the show have a profile on the website, you can click on their name to go straight to it. Since we are watching this on DVD, all matches are shown in full.

Lylah Lodge vs. Rabbit Miyu

Lylah trash talks Miyu so Miyu pushes her, but Lylah pushes Miyu down in the corner. Miyu avoids Lylah and dropkicks her in the knee, another dropkick by Miyu but Lylah blocks the scoop slam. Lylah hits a slam of her own, another one by Lylah and she covers Miyu for two. Miyu bridges out of the pin and boots Lylah repeatedly in the head, she applies a waistlock but Lylah turns out of it. Elbows by Miyu and she hits a DDT, running boot by Miyu and she goes up top, hitting a missile dropkick. She goes up top again and goes for another one, but Lylah absorbs the blow. Miyu goes off the ropes but Lylah hits a hard shoulderblock, another one by Lylah and she covers Miyu for a two count. Leg drop by Lylah and she hits a running hip attack in the corner, she hits a second one but Miyu gets out of the corner and they trade elbows. Scoop slam by Lylah and she connects with the running senton, bur Miyu kicks out of the cover. Lylah picks up Miyu and drops her with a running powerslam, she goes up top to the second turnbuckle and nails the diving senton for the three count! Lylah Lodge is the winner.

So I wasn’t completely right about the match layout. They did do a lot of big vs. little spots but Miyu had a lot of offense in this match, it was just about 50/50. I was expecting her just to get a few hope spots but then lose in convincing fashion. Too short to be offensive but nothing memorable to kick off the show.

Crazy Mary Dobson vs. Eiger

Eiger starts fast as she tries to catch Mary, but Mary generally is able to avoid all her charges. Eiger gets her back however, Mary spins around but Eiger screams and scares Mary out of the ring to the floor. Eiger goes out after her and plays with the crowd, they return to the ring but Mary has her Jason Mask and uses it to scare Eiger. She gets a staple gun but Eiger takes it from her, but the referee gets it before she gets to use it. Mary grabs Eiger from behind and hits a release German, Irish whip by Mary and she elbows Eiger in the chest. Eiger gets back in control and twists on Mary’s hair, Irish whip by Eiger but Mary flips herself out to the apron and hits a diving crossbody from the top for two. Knee by Mary, she argues with the referee for a bit which gives Eiger time to recover. Kneedrop by Eiger, she waits for Mary to get up but Mary kicks her in the head when she charges in. Eiger rolls out of the ring but Mary goes out after her and throws her into the ring post. Back in the ring, Eiger headbutts Mary and goes up top, but Mary uppercuts her before she can jump off. Eiger starts acting freaky so Mary gets her mask and staple gun to even the odds. Eiger kicks the referee and throws him out of the ring, she spits dust at Mary and kicks her down in the corner. She gets the staple gun and staples Mary’s face, Mary bails out of the ring but Eiger follows her out and throws her around in the crowd. They finally return to the ring, Eiger gets Mary by the throat and hits a chokeslam, but Mary kicks out of the cover. Eiger gets on the second turnbuckle but Mary elbows her and joins her, hitting a Frankensteiner. Mary grabs Eiger and hits a headbutt, powerslam by Mary and she goes for a moonsault, but Eiger moves out of the way. Eiger grabs Mary but Mary applies a schoolboy for the three count! Crazy Mary Dobson wins!

I wouldn’t say that long Eiger matches is my thing, but it was fun to see Mary Dobson against someone equally crazy. They played it pretty well and there were fun spots throughout the match, I wouldn’t have minded a few less minutes but I can’t say it ever was boring as they did their best to keep it interesting. A change of pace is rarely a bad thing, I wouldn’t want a card full of bizarre comedy matches but no complaints here since Eiger in particular is good at what she does.  Mildly Recommended

Arisa Nakajima, Yuiga, and Hamuko Hoshi vs. Cherry, Jessica James, and Raideen Hagane

Raideen and Yuiga start off, hard shoulderblock by Hamuko and she tags  in Jessica. Jessica and Raideen trade holds until they end up on the mat, Raideen tags in Arisa and they double team Jessica in the corner. Dropkick by Arisa and she hits a side slam before covering lll for a two count. Arisa tags in Hamuko, belly bump by Hamuko to Jessica and she puts Jessica in a crab hold. Jessica gets to the ropes for the break, Hamuko tags in Yuiga and she suplexes Jessica. Jessica gets triple teamed in the ropes, kicks by Yuiga and she knees Jessica in the face. Hamuko returns but Jessica hits her with a hurricanrana and dropkick, giving her time to tag in Raideen. Hard shoulderblocks by Raideen to everyone, she picks up Hamuko and puts her in a backbreaker. Raideen goes up top but Arisa grabs her from the apron, giving Hamuko time to recover and toss Raideen to the mat. Hamuko pushes Raideen to the mat and nails a running belly bump, but Raideen kicks out of the cover. Hamuko tags in Arisa, kicks to the face by Arisa but Arisa gets a chair and kicks it into Raideen. Hamuko and Yuiga both come in and help Arisa dropkick a chair into Raideen’s head, cover by Arisa but it gets a two count.

Raideen drives Arisa back into the corner and hits a series of lariats, cover by Raideen but it gets two. Raideen tags in Cherry, lariat by Cherry and she hits a double wrist clutch armsault for a two count. Arisa elbows Cherry back and hits a release German, Cutie Special by Arisa and she makes the tag to Hamuko. Hamuko gets Cherry up but Cherry wiggles away, palm strikes by Hamuko and she hits a body avalanche. Cutter by Hamuko, and she covers Cherry for two. Hamuko goes up top but Cherry avoids her diving body press, cradle by Cherry but the cover is broken up. Back chop by Cherry but Hamuko roars back with a lariat, and she makes the tag to Yuiga while Jessica is tagged in as well. Jessica dropkicks Yuiga in the knee and hits a hurricanrana, kick to the head by Jessica and she covers Yuiga for two. Yuiga kicks Jessica in the head and hits a cyclone suplex, Hamuko comes in and she hits a lariat onto Jessica. Big boot by Arisa, Yuiga grabs Jessica and she delivers a German suplex hold for two. Raideen and Cherry end up in the ring with everyone else, moonsault by Raideen to Yuiga and Cherry nails the Cherry Bomb. Jessica then goes up top and hits a moonsault, cover by Jessica and she gets the three count! Cherry, Jessica James, and Raideen Hagane are the winners.

This is one of those matches that its hard to even have a strong opinion on. It was a perfectly fine and watchable midcard match, everyone got a bit of a chance to shine and everyone looked good, aside from a few small miscues from Jessica James. A good shortish tag match but nothing too special.

Dump Matsumoto and Keiko Aono vs. Megumi Yabushita and KAZUKI

Dump and Megumi kick things off, Dump bumps Megumi to the mat and the action spills out onto the floor with Team Dump dominating. They return into the ring after a moment, Megumi tries to elbow Dump but Dump elbows her back and flings Megumi by the hair. Keiko returns just to give Dump assistance that she didn’t need, Keiko stays in as legal and gets a chain, choking Megumi with it. Dump comes in with a kendo stick to jab Megumi with it, KAZUKI things of coming in to help but Dump hits her with the stick to knock her back to the floor. Scoop slam by Keiko to Megumi and she chokes her, Irish whip by Dump and she lariats Megumi for a two count. Dump returns, Megumi avoids her kendo stick accounts and she applies a hanging armbar over the top rope. Megumi goes up top but Dump avoids her dive, German suplex by Dump and she covers Megumi for two. Dump tags in Keiko, but Megumi cradles her and hits a double knee off the ropes. That gives her time to tag in KAZUKI, she tags in too as they double team Keiko. KAZUKI putts Keiko in the corner and hits a reverse double knee, cover by KAZUKI but Dump hits her with the kendo stick. Keiko comes back with a face crusher and tags in Dump, who never left the ring in the first place, so Keiko keeps kicking KAZUKI. Keiko covers KAZUKI even though Dump is still standing there, KAZUKI tags Megumi and Megumi hits a hip toss onto Keiko.

Megumi slams Keiko near the corner, she charges Dump but Dump moves and Megumi falls out of the ring. They end up on the floor again as Dump tosses Megumi onto a table and into some chairs, Keiko and Megumi return to the ring and Keiko hits a tornado DDT. Kick to the head by Keiko but Megumi catches her next kick attempt, Dump comes in and hits her with a kendo stick however and Keiko kicks Megumi in the chest. Heel drop by Keiko but Megumi puts her in a cross armbreaker, that gets broken up pretty quickly as Dump mostly roams the ring hitting random people with kendo sticks. Megumi gets away and tags KAZUKI, cutter by KAZUKI to Keiko but the referee is too busy with Dump to make the count. KAZUKI picks up Keiko again and hits a backdrop suplex, diving body press by Megumi and KAZUKI follows up with a diving kneedrop for two. Megumi and KAZUKI go to Dump and try to suplex her but she blocks it and hits a double lariat. Shining Wizard by Keiko to KAZUKI, but Megumi breaks up her cover. Dump starts whacking people with the kendo stick again, high kick by Keiko to KAZUKI and she delivers the Falcon Arrow for the three count! Dump Matsumoto and Keiko Aono win!

I’m not sure if Dump took any bumps in this match, so a pretty normal Dump match. Look, I don’t pretend these are impressive matches in the technical sense, particularly considering Dump wouldn’t even go out to the apron, but these types of matches are still a guilty pleasure since they are so random. Like the Eiger match, I wouldn’t watch an event full of matches like this but everyone was trying hard (Dump in her own special way) and I enjoyed it despite its flaws.  Mildly Recommended

Kaoru Ito, Command Bolshoi, and Meiko Satomura vs. Sareee, Kagetsu, and Kaho Kobayashi

Sareee and Bolshoi start, but Kaho quickly runs in to help along with Kagetsu and they triple team Bolshoi in the corner. Ito and Meiko even the odds as the veterans stack their opponents in the corner and Ito hits a running body avalanche. Bolshoi grabs Sareee’s wrist and she walks the ropes, armdrag by Bolshoi and she chokes Sareee with her boot. Meiko comes in and Sareee eats a double shoulderblock, cover by Bolshoi but Sareee bridges out of it and tags in Kaho. Bolshoi elbows Kaho in the head and tags in Ito, Ito lariats Kaho in the corner and she puts Kaho in a crab hold. Camel clutch by Ito but Kaho avoids her charge in the corner and she hits a series of dropkicks. Elbows by Kaho but Ito doesn’t go down, Kaho finally dropkicks Ito to the mat and she covers Ito for two. Lariat by Ito and she tags in Bolshoi, Bolshoi picks up Kaho and she kicks her to the mat. Kagetsu grabs Bolshoi from the apron to help, elbows by Kaho and she dropkicks Bolshoi. Sareee runs in and dropkicks Bolshoi, sunset flip by Kaho to Bolshoi and she tags in Kagetsu. Bolshoi grabs Kagetsu to the ground and puts her in an armbar, but Kagetsu muscles out of it and spins around Bolshoi in an airplane spin. Running elbows by Kagetsu in the corner but Bolshoi hits a palm strike, Tiger Feint Kick by Bolshoi and she hits a running palm strike for a two count. Meiko comes in and kicks Kagetsu in the chest, Sareee and Kaho both come in and dropkick Meiko but Meiko fights them all off, kick to the head by Meiko to Kagetsu and she slams Sareee on top of Kagetsu. Bolshoi then hits a footstomp on the pair, Meiko stacks Kaho on top of both Kagetsu and Sareee and Ito follows with a running footstomp of her own. Meiko knees Kagetsu and hits a suplex, cover by Meiko but it gets two. Meiko goes up top but Kagetsu quickly joins her and hits a superplex. Kagetsu tags in Sareee, dropkicks by Sareee to Meiko and she cradles Meiko for a two count.

Sareee goes off the ropes but Meiko kicks her in the head, cartwheel kneedrop by Meiko and she tags in Ito. Footstomp and a senton by Ito, she picks up Sareee and drops her with a uranage. Kaho and Kagetsu run in and dropkick Ito, but Ito lariats both of them. Everyone but Ito goes outside the ring, emphatic baseball slide by Ito to her opponents and Sareee is slid back into the ring. Bolshoi and Meiko get in the ring too but they are tripped from the floor by Kaho and Kagetsu, the young rising stars team all hit dropkicks and go up top, with both Kaho and Kagetsu hitting missile dropkicks. Sareee follows with a missile dropkick onto Ito, then she and Kaho go to opposite corners while Kagetsu goes on the apron and all three hit simultaneous missile dropkicks onto Ito. Sareee picks up Ito but Ito blocks the suplex attempt, she tries again but still can’t get her over. Ito drives Sareee back into the corner Kaho comes off the top with a diving Somato. Swandive missile dropkick by Kagetsu and Sareee finally gets Ito over with the German suplex, but Bolshoi breaks up the cover. Sareee picks up Ito and tries again but Bolshoi grabs her from behind, Meiko kicks Sareee in the head and Bolshoi delivers her own German suplex. Sit-down powerbomb by Ito to Sareee, but the cover gets broken up. Ito quickly picks up Sareee and hits a spinning sit-down powerbomb this time, but again her cover is broken up by Sareee’s friends. Meiko and Bolshoi come in and drop Kagetsu and Kaho with suplexes so they’ll stop interfering, Ito picks up Sareee but this time Sareee blocks the powerbomb attempt. Sareee spins down Ito’s back and rolls her up with a cradle, but Ito barely kicks out. Back up, hard lariat by Ito and she goes up top, palm strike by Bolshoi to Sareee and Meiko kicks Sareee in the chest. Diving footstomp by Ito to Sareee, and she covers her for the three count! Kaoru Ito, Command Bolshoi, and Meiko Satomura are the winners!

While the story they were telling was simple, it was still told very well. The whole match revolved around the “feisty young wrestlers vs. grumpy veterans” storyline, and all six did a great job telling it. Ito always delivers in these types of matches and put over Sareee pretty well (before beating her of course), and even in defeat the young wrestlers came out looking strong. Really enjoyable match, its no surprise from watching this this Kaho, Kagetsu, and Sareee have continued to be three of the best young wrestlers on the scene.  Recommended

Jaguar Yokota and Manami Toyota vs. Mima Shimoda and Takako Inoue

Shimoda and Yokota begin the match for their teams, hard shoulderblock by Shimoda but Yokota armdrags Shimoda out of the ring and hits a cannonball off the apron. Yokota returns with Shimoda slowly following as well, Inoue comes in to help and they both lariat Yokota. Shimoda officially tags in Inoue, Inoue works Yokota’s arm but Yokota puts her in a wristlock and tags in Toyota. Armdrag by Toyota, Yokota comes in and headbutts Inoue while Toyota puts Inoue in a leg lock. Toyota applies the Muta Lock on Inoue but Inoue gets into the ropes for the break, Toyota steps on Inoue’s hand in return but Inoue knocks Toyota to the mat and tags in Shimoda. Shimoda bounces Toyota off the ropes and boots her, jumping neck drop by Shimoda and she covers Toyota for two. Bodyscissors by Shimoda but Toyota gets out of it and goes up top, hitting a missile dropkick for a two count. Toyota tags in Yokota and Yokota puts Shimoda into an Octopus Hold, cradle by Yokota and she puts Shimoda in a figure four leglock. Toyota comes off the top with a body press while Shimoda is still in the hold, but Shimoda eventually makes it to the ropes. Yokota jumps down on Shimoda’s leg before tagging in Toyota, Shimoda boots Toyota back and makes the hot tag to Inoue. Inoue boots Toyota repeatedly in the head, DDT by Inoue and she puts Toyota in a STF. Toyota crawls to the ropes to force the break, Inoue Irish whips Toyota but Toyota reverses it and rolls up Inoue for two. Toyota tags in Yokota, Yokota kicks back Inoue but Inoue hits a backdrop suplex hold. Yokota tackles Inoue and kicks her in the leg, piledriver by Yokota and she covers Inoue, but Inoue barely kicks out. Yokota picks up Inoue and puts her in the Cobra Twist, Irish whip by Yokota but Inoue hits an armdrag. Shimoda comes in but Yokota hits a headlock/headscissors takedown on both of them, double DDT by Yokota and she hits a somersault legdrop onto both of them.

Inoue boots Yokota back and hits a double underhook suplex, but Yokota hits a dragon screw leg whip and tags Toyota. Toyota picks up Inoue but Inoue hits a boot and a DDT. Toyota gets back up and applies the rolling cradle for two. Toyota goes up top but Inoue avoids the moonsault, she then goes up top but Toyota smacks her and joins her on the turnbuckle. Inoue chokeslams Toyota to the mat, she goes up top but Toyota avoids the Takako Panic. Spinning backfist by Inoue followed by a head kick, but Toyota barely kicks out of the cover. Inoue tags in Shimoda, she picks up Toyota and she hits a jumping neck drop. Shimoda goes up top but Toyota joins her, Shimoda pushes Toyota back down however and delivers the missile dropkick. Boot by Toyota and she gets Shimoda on her shoulders, Shimoda wiggles away but Toyota hits a German suplex. Toyota goes up top and nails the moonsault, but Shimoda kicks out. Yokota gets on the second turnbuckle before she is tagged in, hitting a somersault legdrop for two. Toyota boots Shimoda, fisherman buster by Yokota and she covers Shimoda for a two count. Yokota picks up Shimoda, Shimoda slides away and she cradles for two. Inoue runs in and boots Yokota, Toyota takes care of her but Shimoda hits a German suplex onto Toyota. Tiger suplex hold by Shimoda to Yokota, she drags her up but Toyota boots Shimoda again. Yokota and Shimoda trade flash pins, until Yokota holds down Shimoda long enough for the three count! Jaguar Yokota and Manami Toyota win!

What stood out the most about this match is that Jaguar Yokota is still a beast. At 52 years old she was still doing cannonballs off the apron, somersault leg drops, and everything else. All four were giving maximum effort, as I mentioned above even though none are spring chickens anymore they still wrestle with the same amount of energy as they always have and clearly love to do it. The ending being off a flash pin wasn’t a big deal since both teams hit some of their big moves prior, and all four got a chance to show off a bit. A fun legends tag team match, these four are probably all in the Top 50 Joshi Wrestlers of All Time list and its great they still are able to bring it.  Recommended

Kyoko Inoue and Tomoko Watanabe vs. Yumiko Hotta and Mask de Sun
Cage Death Match

The match is under typical Joshi cage rules, meaning in order to win both members of the team must climb over the top of the cage and hit the floor. If they return for some reason (which happens), they then must re-exit the cage again to count as escaped. There are no tag rules of course since they are in a cage, and there are other weapons in the ring including a table and a ladder. I am going to buck my usual tradition of referring to wrestlers by their name in the match and refer to Mask de Sun going forward as Kyoko Kimura, because it is easier to type and will probably be easier to read. Since this match will be pure chaos the play by play will be less precise than usual, I’m just going to make sure I hit the big stuff.

Inoue and Watanabe get the first advantage in the match and quickly try to escape the cage, but they get grabbed before they can successfully make it out. Kimura gets a chain and starts beating Watanabe with it, busting her open in the process. So we get our first blood approximately 30 seconds into the match. Hotta gets a board and whacks both opponents with it, Kimura and Hotta then rake their opponent’s faces into the cage. The weapons focused beat down by Hotta and Kimura continues as Hotta gets a chain as well, Watanabe is bleeding everywhere as her partner Inoue begins to fight back.  Inoue finally gets the upper hand on Hotta while Watanabe rams Kimura’s head into the cage, Watanabe tries to bail out of the ring but Kimura pulls her back to the apron. Inoue gets the board and hits Hotta with it (Inoue naturally is bleeding as well by now), Watanabe then does the same to Kimura until the board breaks. Hotta and Kimura get chains to take back over, Hotta then gets the ladder and props it up in the corner. Inoue tries to leave again and gets to the top of the cage, but Kimura joins her as they straddle the top and trade punches.

Hotta drags Inoue back down, Kimura returns too but Watanabe recovers and both she and Inoue lariat Hotta in the corner. Kimura is next getting a series of lariats, double suplexes by Watanabe and Inoue and Watanabe hits a splash from the top rope. Inoue and Watanabe decide its time to leave and start climbing, but immediately are grabbed from behind and tosses back in the ring. Hotta starts throwing chairs at Inoue and Watanabe while Kimura wrapping them in chains, she then gets the ladder and slams it down onto them. Hotta and Kimura go to leave but Watanabe and Inoue quickly recover and stop them, Hotta gets a ladder and wraps a chain around it while the chains are still attached to Inoue and Watanabe, pulling them both to the mat. This gives Kimura time to escape, leaving Hotta alone with Watanabe and Inoue. Watanabe and Inoue immediately jump on Hotta and double team her, Watanabe and Inoue both go to escape the cage with Watanabe making it over. From the outside, Kimura prevents Inoue from getting over the top, which for the moment leaves Hotta and Inoue alone in the ring. Inoue and Hotta grab different ends of the chain, but end up hitting each other at the same time, leaving both on the mat. Inoue is up first but Hotta punches her in the face, Hotta goes to escape but Inoue joins her and suplexes Hotta down to the mat.

It should be noted that at some point, someone has propped up a ladder leaving against the cage outside the ring, to make it easier for one of the two to climb out. Hotta throws a ladder at Inoue, Hotta starts to climb the ladder but Inoue pushes her backwards, with the ladder landing on Hotta. Hotta is out of commission from that so Kimura climbs back up to stop Inoue from escaping, Hotta miraculously recovers and suplexes Inoue to the mat. Hotta sets up a table near the corner and puts Inoue on it, Kimura is perched on the top of the cage and she dives back into the ring with a diving footstomp onto Inoue. Which doesn’t break the table so Inoue just rolls to the mat. Hotta goes to escape but Inoue already is back up and grabs her leg, Watanabe climbs the ladder from outside the ring to further block Hotta from escaping. Kimura has re-escaped in the meantime while Hotta pushes Inoue back down to the mat, Hotta climbs over the top of the cage and onto the ladder but Inoue grabs her from inside the ring before she can hit the floor. Hotta spits green mist at Inoue to get her to let go, and Hotta hits the floor! Yumiko Hotta and Mask de Sun are the winners.

It probably goes without saying that this match had an insane amount of violence. Everyone not wearing a mask was bleeding, and some of the spots were brutal, particularly Hotta falling with the ladder on top of her from the turnbuckles. I loved the carnage and the chaos, not a lot of promotions do matches like this anymore so it felt like a breath of fresh air. The main issue of the match is a common one in Joshi cage matches – wrestlers recover way too quickly from some of the bigger moves. I am not sure how Hotta could still stand after her ladder bump but she was up very quickly with no side effects, as was Inoue after the table footstomp. It makes the matches more exciting since that way we don’t sit through minutes of the wrestlers just lying on the mat, or climbing the cage in super silly slow motion, but it does defy logic that they can recover that quickly. Aside from that critique I loved it, maybe partially because it felt so different from what I’ve been watching recently but it was about all I could have hoped for. If you like cage carnage like I do, I couldn’t recommend it enough.  Highly Recommended

The post Diana 3rd Anniversary Show ~ Danger Zone on 4/29/14 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Anytime a Joshi event airs in a timely fashion, I try to watch it, and this one certainly arrived quickly. Sendai Girls’ doesn’t run Korakuen Hall very often so they tend to put their best foot forward when they do, with several big matches on the card. We get a young wrestler battle between Hana and Mika that is bound to be good, and the tag team of Aja Kong and Meiko Satomura that doesn’t sound very fair. Then, in the main event there is a tag title defense, with Chisako and KAORU defending against Heidi Katrina and Cassandra Miyagi. Here is the full card:

• Ami Sato vs. Manami
• Eiger vs. Kyusei Sakura Hirota
• Ami Sato, Hikaru Shida, and Alex Lee vs. La Rosa Negra, Mio Momono, and Hiroyo Matsumoto
• Hana Kimura vs. Mika Shirahime
• Aja Kong and Meiko Satomura vs. Chihiro Hashimoto and Ayako Hamada
• Sendai Girls’ Tag Team Championship: DASH Chisako and KAORU vs. Heidi Katrina and Cassandra Miyagi

Since this aired on Samurai TV, it may be slightly clipped. All the wrestlers above have profiles on the website, you can click on their names to go straight to it.

Ami Sato vs. Manami

Manami immediately dropkicks Ami into the corner, elbows by Manami but Ami switches positions with her and elbows her back. Armdrag by Ami, she picks up Manami but Manami snapmares her and applies a bodyscissors. Ami gets out of it and puts Manami in a camel clutch, she lets go after a moment and hits a series of shoulderblocks for a two count. Elbows by Ami but Manami dropkicks her into the corner, Ami fights back with an elbow and the two trade blows. Front roll into an elbow by Ami, but Manami kicks out of the cover. Ami applies a crab hold but Manami crawls to the ropes for the break, Irish whip by Ami but Manami ducks the lariat and delivers a dropkick. Another dropkick by Manami and a third, a final dropkick by Manami and she covers Ami for a two count. Ami kicks Manami and hits a scoop slam, she goes for a crab hold but Manami blocks it and rolls up Ami for two. Manami tries a few more flash pins with no luck, she goes off the ropes but Ami avoids her charge and schoolboys her for the three count! Ami Sato wins!

Basic, as one would expect, but fundamentally sound. This wasn’t clipped, so they wrestled for six-plus minutes without making any mistakes which is a real plus when dealing with wrestlers this inexperienced. Nothing exciting but a good rookie opener.

Eiger vs. Kyusei Sakura Hirota

They waste no time confusing me on what they are doing, as Eiger plays with a cloth before putting it over Sakura’s head and hitting a DDT. Eiger creeps out Sakura before hitting a lariat, but the cover only gets two. Sakura responds with a face crusher, she puts Eiger in the ropes and delivers the Oil Check. Sakura bounces around in a comedic way before hitting a headbutt, but Eiger kicks out of the cover. I am normally against clipping matches but I am not sure if I’ve ever seen a full Eiger or Sakura comedy match and I’m not sure if I needed to. Sakura bounces off the ropes before kissing Eiger, she grabs Eiger’s arm and walks the ropes, but she eventually crotches herself and Eiger pushes her out of the ring. Eiger does a fake dive before blowing dust into Sakura’s face, they some comedy bits around the crowd before the referee fusses at them and tells them to get back in the ring. They do so, backslide by Sakura but it gets two. After more Eiger shenanigans, she finally hits a lariat and she pins Sakura for the three count! Eiger wins the match.

This match really really didn’t need to be shown in full. I think Eiger is generally funny, and Sakura is sometimes funny, but ten minutes of their shtick was too much. There is certainly a place for this type of match on a card, it just needs to either be shorter or have a non-comedy wrestler to help as both Eiger and Sakura are too “gimmick” to even have normal sections in their matches. An easy skip from me.

Ami Sato, Hikaru Shida, and Alex Lee vs. La Rosa Negra, Mio Momono, and Hiroyo Matsumoto

We join this one very slightly in progress with Ami being triple teamed, but it quickly switches to Rosa Negra being on the wrong end of a beatdown. Shida stays in with Rosa Negra, armdrag by Rosa Negra and both wrestlers dropkick each other. Backbreaker by Shida and she tags in Ami, elbows by Ami but Shida tags in Mio. Mio and and Ami trade elbows until Ami connects with her rolling elbow smash for a two count. Ami tags in Shida, Mio goes for a crossbody but Shida catches her and puts Mio in the corner. Alex Lee comes in so that Shida can suplex her onto Mio, Shida picks up Mio but Mio blocks the suplex attempt and hits a series of elbows. Shida finally blocks one but Mio smacks her repeatedly in the head, she goes off the ropes but Shida nails a jumping knee. Shida tags in Lee, kicks by Lee to Mio and she hits a hip toss for two. Lee chokes Mio but Rosa Negra kicks her from behind, Lee superkicks Rosa Negra but Mio rolls up Lee for a two count. Mio dropkicks Lee and tags in Hiroyo, body avalanche by Hiroyo and she goes up top, but Ami grabs her from the apron. Shida comes over and superplexes Hiroyo into the ring, Lee goes up top and she hits a diving footstomp onto Hiroyo for a two count cover. Ami is tagged back in and tries to shoulderblock Hiroyo over, Shida runs in and hits an enzuigiri as she tries to help Ami knock over Hiroyo, and finally she succeeds before covering Hiroyo for two. Ami scoop slams Hiroyo but Hiroyo elbows her back and hits a backbreaker. Hiroyo gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a reverse double kneedrop, crab hold by Hiroyo but it gets broken up. Mio goes up top and hits a diving crossbody onto Lee and Shida, Rosa Negra comes in and dives out of the ring onto everyone but Hiroyo and Ami with a tope suicida. In the ring, Hiroyo picks up Ami but Ami rolls her up for two. Ami goes off the ropes but Hiroyo hits a hard elbow, vertical suplex by Hiroyo and she covers Ami for two. Hiroyo puts Ami in an Argentine Backbreaker, and Ami taps out! La Rosa Negra, Mio Momono, and Hiroyo Matsumoto are the winners.

It didn’t pop as much as I was hoping, but it was still a fun match. Ami shows a lot of fire, which is probably why they put her in the match, and everyone got a bit of a chance to shine. I really liked the Mio/Shida segment, Mio is definitely one to watch and Shida is always a pleasure. A bit all over the place but a good match with some memorable spots throughout.  Mildly Recommended

Hana Kimura vs. Mika Shirahime

They tie-up to start, Hana pushes Mika into the ropes but slaps her face instead of doing a clean break. Mika kicks her back and gives her a slap of her own, more slaps by Hana and she flings down Mika by the hair. Hana picks up Mika and hits a dropkick, Mika dropkicks her back but Hana hits another dropkick for a two count cover. Hana picks up Mika but Mika pushes her away, kicks by Mika and she hits a Codebreaker for two. Mika kicks Hana into the corner but Hana ducks one and headbutts her, superkick by Mika and she nails Hana in the face with another one for a two count. Double wrist-clutch suplex by Mika, but that gets a two as well. High kick by Mika, she goes up top but Hana dropkicks her in mid-air when she dives off. Sliding Kick by Hana, and she covers Mika for two. Hana gets up on the second turnbuckle and nails a missile dropkick, running boot by Hana and she covers Mika for the three count! Hana Kimura wins!

Even though the match was only about five minutes, I loved every moment of it. These two went into it hard, with stiff slaps, kicks, and a killer headbutt by Hana. With the time constraints, everything had to matter and it did, and even though the match was short it still felt right. Hana is starting to combine having a great personality with on-point offense and an attitude, if she sticks with Joshi I can really see her being one of the biggest stars in a few years at her current trajectory. One of the better five minute matches I’ve seen in awhile, check it out.  Recommended

Aja Kong and Meiko Satomura vs. Chihiro Hashimoto and Ayako Hamada

Chihiro and Satomura start the match, Chihiro takes Satomura to the mat but Satomura puts Chihiro in an ankle hold. Chihiro rolls into the ropes for the break, back up Satomura kicks Chihiro in the leg before letting Chihiro up. Chihiro drives Satomura into the corner and hits a body avalanche, but Satomura slaps her back and knocks her into the corner. Jumping elbow by Satomura and she tags in Kong, Kong and Chihiro trade holds on the mat, Kong gets the better of it and kicks Chihiro in the back. Chihiro scoop slams Kong and makes the tag to Hamada, Hamada and Kong trade strikes until Kong chops Hamada to the mat. Backdrop suplex by Kong, and she covers Hamada for two when Hamada gets a foot on the ropes. Kong tags in Satomura, kicks by Satomura but Hamada snapmares her and kicks Satomura in the back of the head. Running boots by Hamada and they trade slaps, Satomura goes off the ropes but Hamada delivers a heel kick. Satomura heel kicks her back, she tries to rebound out of the corner with an elbow strike but Hamada catches her with a dropkick. Hamada goes off the ropes but Kong throws her paint can at her head, cartwheel kneedrop by Satomura and she tags in Kong. Hamada grabs Kong’s arm and jumps up to the turnbuckle the ropes, Satomura meanders in the ring so that Hamada can hit an armdrag/headscissors combination on them. Hamada tries to knock down Kong with lariats and finally does so, Kong gets back up and they trade strikes until both end up hurt on the mat. Hamada recovers first and tags Chihiro, Chihiro picks up Kong and hits a waterwheel drop for two.

Chihiro grabs Kong around the waist but Kong slides away, Chihiro kicks her however and delivers the somersault senton. Chihiro gets on the second turnbuckle but Kong avoids the diving somersault senton, Kong snaps Chihiro’s neck and slaps her hard in the face. Kong tags in Satomura, Satomura kicks Chihiro repeatedly in the chest before kicking her in the head, but Hamada runs in and slams Satomura to the mat. Chihiro gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a somersault senton, gutwrench suplex by Chihiro and she covers Satomura for two. Chihiro goes off the ropes and hits a lariat, Satomura recovers and the two trade elbows until Chihiro lariats Satomura in the back of the head to win the duel. Chihiro picks up Satomura and nails a powerbomb, she goes to the top turnbuckle but Satomura kicks her before she can jump off and delivers a Pele Kick. Death Valley Bomb by Satomura, Kong hits a diving elbow drop and Satomura hits another Death Valley Bomb, but Hamada breaks up the cover. Satomura drags up Hamada, Kong tries to backfist Chihiro but Chihiro ducks and she hits Satomura by accident. Release German by Chihiro to Kong, she picks up Satomura and hits a German suplex hold but Kong breaks it up. Chihiro picks up Satomura but Satomura elbows her off, superkick by Hamada to Satomura but when she goes for a heel kick she hits Chihiro by mistake. Scorpion Rising by Satomura to Chihiro, she picks her up and finishes her off with a Death Valley Bomb for the three count! Meiko Satomura and Aja Kong win the match!

To be honest, Chihiro didn’t take the beating I was expecting, although her getting pinned was in line with my thoughts of the veterans wanting to show her they weren’t ready to roll over quite yet. The first half of the match had some really shaky transitions and it felt like they were just running through spots with no regard, but about halfway through it got cleaned up. Chihiro is a beast, loved her suplexes here and at least Hamada tried to help her throughout and didn’t just watch from the apron. A good match, I was hoping for a bit more but you can’t go too wrong with these four.  Mildly Recommended

(c) DASH Chisako and KAORU vs. Heidi Katrina and Cassandra Miyagi
Sendai Girls’ Tag Team Championship

Chisako and Cassandra start for their teams, Chisako gets Cassandra into the ropes but she gives a clean break. Cassandra gets Chisako to the mat and applies a crab hold, but Chisako reverses it into a crab hold of her own until Cassandra gets into the ropes. Chisako and Cassandra trade elbows until Chisako avoids one and applies a short armbar, but Cassandra gets to the ropes for the break. Chisako gets Cassandra to the mat again and schools her a bit, but Cassandra gets out of it and both wrestlers reach a stalemate again. Heidi tags in, she slams Chisako to the mat but Chisako springs back up, armdrag by Heidi and she hits an elbow drop. KAORU attacks Heidi from behind but Heidi dropkicks both of them before tagging Cassandra back in. Cassandra slaps at Chisako and boots Chisako in the head, cover by Cassandra but Chisako kicks out. Heidi returns and elbows Chisako hard in the face, another elbow by Heidi and she covers Chisako for two. Heidi drops Chisako to the mat again before tagging Cassandra, Cassandra comes in the ring with a slingshot leg drop before elbowing Chisako hard for a two count cover. Cassandra goes off the ropes but Chisako drop toeholds her, KAORU comes in and she puts Cassandra in a camel clutch. Chisako goes off the ropes and dropkicks Cassandra, Heidi comes in but she gets double teamed as well and dumped out of the ring. Chisako and KAORU leave the ring too as things have broken down, with KAORU beating Heidi into the stands. Cassandra and Heidi eventually swing the tide and Cassandra hits a double missile dropkick off the apron, she then finds a ladder and sets it up at ringside.

She starts to climb it but Chisako promptly pushes it over, Chisako puts Cassandra near the bleachers before jumping off of them with a double footstomp. Heidi helps Cassandra back into the ring so they don’t get counted out, double Irish whip to Cassandra and she eats a double boot from Chisako and KAORU. Chisako tags in KAORU and the double teaming of Cassandra continues. KAORU knees Cassandra before hitting a vertical suplex, but Cassandra fights back with a jumping elbow and a boot and makes the hot tag to Heidi. Heidi shoulderblocks KAORU and hits a suplex, side Russian leg sweep by Heidi and she covers KAORU for two. Heidi goes for a lariat but KAORU dropkicks her in the knee and cradles her for two, Heidi then hits her lariat before booting KAORU in the chest. KAORU lands in her corner and tags in Chisako, missile dropkick by Chisako and KAORU boots Heidi in the corner. Double face crusher to Heidi, and Chisako covers her for a two count. Knee lift by Heidi and she dropkicks Chisako, she goes up to the second turnbuckle and delivers a diving legdrop. Heidi tags in Cassandra, dropkicks by Cassandra to Chisako and she connects with a missile dropkick for two. Cassandra goes off the ropes but KAORU grabs her, running elbow by Chisako but on the second attempt she hits KAORU by accident. Cassandra knocks Chisako out of the ring, Heidi holds open the ropes for Cassandra and Cassandra sails out of the ring onto KAORU and Chisako with a tope suicida. Fallaway Slam by Heidi and she gives Chisako the Giant Swing, Cassandra goes up up and hits a missile dropkick, but Chisako kicks out of the cover.

Airplane Spin into a Samoan Driver by Cassandra, she goes off the ropes but KAORU trips her from the floor and Chisako hits a dropkick. Brainbuster by KAORU to Cassandra and Chisako follows with a diving footstomp, but the cover only gets two. Chisako goes back up top but Cassandra joins her, Chisako elbows her off but Cassandra hits a dropkick before climbing back up. Superplex by Cassandra, back up she trade elbows with Chisako until Chisako beats Cassandra down to the mat. Chisako goes off the ropes but Cassandra kicks her in the head, cover by Cassandra but it gets two. Chisako goes off the ropes but Cassandra catches her with a tombstone, but KAORU breaks up the cover. Cassandra picks up Chisako but Chisako lands on her feet on the suplex attempt and cradles Cassandra for a two count. More flash pins by Chisako with no luck, KAORU comes in the ring and they hit Cassandra with a catapult dropkick. German suplex by Chisako, but Cassandra blocks her crucifix attempt and hits a Samoan Drop. Cassandra goes up top but KAORU grabs her from the apron, Chisako joins Cassandra up top and nails an avalanche Ace Crusher, but Heidi breaks up the cover. Chisako goes back up top while KAORU gets on the second turnbuckle, Chisako gets onto KAORU’s shoulders and hits a diving senton, but Cassandra barely gets a shoulder up. Chisako quickly goes back up top and nails the Hormone Splash, and this time she gets the three count! DASH Chisako and KAORU are still the champions!

Due to the participants I wanted to love this match, but it was just a bit too disjointed for my tastes. Longer tag matches need a hook and this match didn’t really have one – it didn’t have a super worker to tie everything together, it didn’t have a sympathetic babyface the crowd was really behind, it didn’t have fast paced sections, it didn’t have but a few memorable spots. Heidi isn’t a bad wrestler but she doesn’t have a lot of chemistry yet with Chisako or KAORU, making some parts of the match a bit rocky, and really only the Cassandra/Chisako parts had any pop to them. That being said, the home stretch was really good as they finally started going all out, lots of brutal moves done to Cassandra and they finally hit their rhythm. It just took too long to get there. A hot ending gives the match some value, just not enough to make it worth going too far out of your way to see.  Mildly Recommended

The post Sendai Girls’ on 11/17/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

If I was to ask the more casual fan which promotion has the biggest attendances each year, they’d probably guess Stardom, however they would be wrong. No promotion pops a big crowd like Sendai Girls’, and this show is no exception with over 2,000 fans in attendance. Its a massive show for Sendai Girls’, as both of their titles are up for grabs. We also get a rare Jaguar Yokota sighting, as well as Meiko Satomura teaming with Aja Kong and Nanae Takahashi. Here is the full card:

• Jaguar Yokota vs. Manami
• Eiger vs. Hana Kimura vs. Rydeen Hagane
• Alex Lee and Heidi Katrina vs. Aasa Maika and KAORU
• Aja Kong, Meiko Satomura, and Nanae Takahashi vs. Mika Shirahime, Mio Momono, and Rin Kadokura
• Sendai Girls’ Tag Team Championship: Hikaru Shida and Syuri vs. Cassandra Miyagi and DASH Chisako
• Sendai Girls’ World Championship: Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Chihiro Hashimoto

Sadly, this aired on Samurai TV which means they squeezed all of these matches into two hours. Most of the wrestlers on the card have a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their names above to go straight to it.

Jaguar Yokota vs. Manami

They tie-up to start, Jaguar pushes Manami into the ropes but she gives a clean break. She does the same thing the second time, Manami asks Jaguar to lock knuckles but she elbows the legend instead. Three dropkicks by Manami sends Jaguar to the mat, but Jaguar sneaks in an inside cradle for two. Side headlock takedown by Jaguar, Manami gets out of it but Jaguar puts pressure on her legs before applying a crab hold. Manami gets to the ropes to force a break, rolling front headlock takedown by Jaguar and she puts Manami in a body scissors. Jaguar picks up Manami and applies a wristlock, Manami reverses it but Jaguar takes her back to the mat with a side headlock takedown. Chinlock by Jaguar but Manami gets out of it and applies a hammerlock, Jaguar reverse it back however and picks Manami back up off the mat. Manami sneaks in a backslide for two, Jaguar slaps her but Manami catches Jaguar with a dropkick. Two more dropkicks by Manami and another, but Jaguar stays on her feet. Finally Manami knocks Jaguar over, cover by Manami but Jaguar easily kicks out. Jaguar picks up Manami and elbows her in the chest, scoop slam by Jaguar and she hits a somersault legdrop for two. Double underhook suplex by Jaguar, but Manami gets a shoulder up on the cover. Elbows by Jaguar, Manami returns fire but Jaguar puts her in the Cobra Twist and Manami submits! Your winner is Jaguar Yokota.

As I figured, this was mostly just Jaguar helping to teach Manami how to chain wrestle and things like that. It went longer than you’d expect, over eight minutes, I guess Jaguar wanted to give the 12 year old an extended session. Technically solid since its Jaguar, but a pretty normal rookie vs. veteran match.

Eiger vs. Hana Kimura vs. Rydeen Hagane

We join this in progress, with Eiger doing her bit with Hana while Rydeen tries to tell Hana where Eiger is. Rydeen throws the referee at Eiger to free Hana, Rydeen and Hana both attack Eiger but she rolls under their lariat attempt and hits a DDT onto Rydeen. She then DDTs Hana as well, Eiger gets on the second turnbuckle while Rydeen hits Hana with a shoulderblock. Rydeen elbows Hana while Eiger returns, Eiger falls on top of Hana but Rydeen breaks up the cover. Waistlock by Rydeen by Eiger, Eiger reverses it but Hana rolls up Rydeen from behind for two. Hana rolls up both of them for another two count, she goes off the ropes but eats a kick from Rydeen and Eiger. Chokeslam by Eiger to Hana, Rydeen Irish whips Eiger but Eiger stares at her. Hana dropkicks Rydeen on top of Eiger, and Rydeen picks up the three count! Rydeen Hagane wins!

This was heavily clipped, which is fine. Eiger is funny, I enjoy the bit but I don’t need to see it for too long. A decent enough comedy match but I wish that Hana Kimura could have had a bigger match, seemed like a bit of a waste of her skills. If you like Eiger, a non-offensive way to spend four minutes but that’s about it.

Alex Lee and Heidi Katrina vs. Aasa Maika and KAORU

We join this match in progress as Lee covers Aasa, she picks her up and knees Aasa repeatedly in the head. Kicks the Lee but Aasa returns with a dropkick, more dropkicks by Aasa and she covers Lee for two. Lee knees Aasa but Aasa hits a back bodydrop, scoop slam by Aasa and she covers Lee for two. Aasa tags in KAORU, KAORU comes in with her board and hits Lee in the head with it before hitting a vertical suplex. The referee won’t count the pin due to shenanigans, KAORU puts Lee in front of the corner and pretends like she is going to drop the board onto her, but she jumps down and hits Lee in the head with it instead. Lee comes back with knees, jumping knee by Lee in the corner and she hits a double underhook suplex for two. Lee picks up KAORU but Aasa runs in and hits her from behind, Lee breaks through the double team and kicks both of them before hitting a double face crusher. Kick by Lee, and she covers KAORU for two. Lee tags in Heidi, elbows by Heidi and she hits a butterfly suplex for a two count cover. Lee comes in but Aasa does too and knocks Lee out of the ring, cradle by KAORU to Heidi and she hits Heidi with the board. KAORU goes up top but Heidi grabs her from behind, she goes for a powerbomb but KAORU reverses it with a hurricanrana. She hits Heidi with the board before tagging in Aasa, running body blocks by Aasa and she covers Heidi for two. Aasa goes off the ropes but Heidi kicks her in the stomach, Giant Swing by Heidi and she covers Aasa for two. Over the shoulder slam by Heidi, but KAORU breaks up the cover. Lee throws KAORU out of the ring and tries to kick Aasa, but she nails Heidi in the head by accident. KAORU then tries to hit Heidi with the board piece but hits her own partner by mistake, Heidi runs up to Aasa but Aasa cradles her for two. Aasa goes off the ropes but Heidi hits a hard shoulderblock, Heidi slams Aasa in front of the corner and Lee comes off the top with a diving footstomp. Heidi then goes to the second turnbuckle and delivers the Diving Guillotine Drop, and she picks up the three count! Alex Lee and Heidi Katrina win!

I’ve only watched a few matches with Heidi but I continue to be impressed with her. I haven’t seen her yet in a big singles match but she always looks good in tag matches. This was the best I’ve seen Alex look as well, so while the match was clipped she looked more natural than in the past. Aasa still has a ways to go and KAORU was mostly gimmick here, so I wouldn’t say it was a high end match or anything, but a perfectly watchable midcard tag.

Aja Kong, Satomura, and Nanae Takahashi vs. Mika Shirahime, Momono, and Rin Kadokura

The match begins with Rin against Nanae, Nanae tosses Rin around the ring and throws her into the corner before hitting a series of chops. Lariat by Nanae, she picks up Rin but Rin Irish whips her only to eat a shoulderblock. Takedown by Nanae but Rin gets out of it and both women return to their feet. They tag out as Mika and Meiko come in, they trade kick attempts until Meiko lands one to the midsection. Meiko tosses Mika to the mat and puts her in a side headlock, Mika gets out of it but Meiko slams her back into the corner and applies a front headlock. Mika suplexes out of the hold and they both return to their feet, tagging in the last pair of wrestlers. Mio looks so tiny next to Kong, she goes for elbows but Kong pushes her back and asks for Mika. Mika tags in, Kong knees her in the midsection but Mika avoids her charge and delivers a head kick. Mika tags Rin, they go for a double suplex but Kong reverses it and suplexes both of them. Kong tags in Meiko, jumping elbow by Meiko in the corner and she rebounds out of the opposite corner with another elbow to the face. Backdrop suplex by Meiko to Rin, but it gets a two count. Elbow drop by Meiko but Rin avoids her elbow and rolls her up, dropkick by Rin but Meiko follows with a heel kick. Meiko tags Kong back in, knees by Kong to Rin and she hits a series of dropkicks, but Kong doesn’t budge. Kong throws Rin into the ropes but Rin hits a hurricanrana, picking up a two count pinfall. Kong punches Rin in the face for her troubles, she goes for a lariat but Rin ducks it and jumps on Kong’s back. Kong drops down with a Samoan Drop, Irish whip by Kong but Rin tags in Mio. Rin and Mio hit a double dropkick to send Kong to the mat, they then take turns back and forth dropkicking Kong. Kong eventually gets tired of this and hits a hard lariat on Mio, she picks her up but Mio pushes her away and goes for a sunset flip.

Kong blocks it by sitting on Mio, backdrop suplex by Kong but Mio gets a shoulder up on the cover. Kong tags in Nanae, hard elbows by Nanae but Mio fires back. Dropkick by Mio but Nanae delivers a jumping kick to the head, she drops Mio onto her knee but Rin breaks up the cover. Meiko comes in to take care of Rin but Mika hits a crossbody onto Nanae, missile dropkick by Rin and Mio covers Nanae with a bridge for two. Mika is tagged in and she dropkicks Nanae in the corner, Nanae and Mika trade elbows, kicks to the chest by Mika but Nanae hits a hard shoulderblock. Nanae charges Mika but Mika kicks her in the chest, vertical suplex by Mika and she covers Nanae for two. Mika goes up top but Nanae recovers and joins her, superplexing Mika back into the ring. Nanae tags in Meiko, uppercut by Meiko to Mika and she kicks Mika in the back of the head for a two count cover. Meiko kicks Mika against the ropes but Mika delivers a superkick, she picks up Meiko but Nanae and Kong run in. Kong cleans house but accidentally lariats Meiko as well, footstomp by Mio onto Meiko and Mika suplexes Rin on top of Meiko. Mika goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, but Kong breaks up the pin by hitting Mika with her metal tin. Team Meiko hits a suplex on all three of their opponents, Nanae goes up top while Meiko puts Mika on her shoulders, but Mika ducks her dive and cradles Meiko for two. Jackknife cover by Mika, but that gets a two as well. High kick by Mika, she goes off the ropes but Meiko connects with a high kick of her own. Cartwheel kneedrop by Meiko, she drops Mika with the Death Valley Bomb and picks up the three count pinfall! Meiko Satomura, Aja Kong, and Nanae Takahashi win!

So much murder. I almost feel bad enjoying this match as much as I did, it was just an entertaining match from start to finish. Aja Kong is one of the best in the world and don’t let anyone tell you differently, she is so good at what she does (killing people) but still takes bumps and lets the young wrestlers get the upper-hand at times so she isn’t just selfishly mowing through them. The young team tried so hard but each time they got a run going, one of the veterans would just crush their body and spirit. The match went a decent amount of time but it didn’t feel long when watching it, everything just flowed really well and there was always something going on. One of my favorite six wrestler tag matches of the year, I loved it.  Recommended

(c) Hikaru Shida and Syuri vs. Cassandra Miyagi and DASH Chisako
Sendai Girls’ Tag Team Championship

Miyagi and Chisako attack before the match starts, and the action immediately spills outside the ring. Miyagi puts Shida against the railing and hits a cannonball, while Chisako grabs a chair and hits Shida in the head with it. Syuri tries to help but is ultimately unsuccessful, Miyagi brings Shida into the ring before draping her over the ropes so she can hit a missile dropkick. Chisako comes in too and they double team Shida, Chisako covers Shida but it gets a two count. Shida goes off the ropes but Syuri trips her form the floor, Shida drags Chisako’s head over the apron and delivers a running knee. Shida tags in Syuri, kicks to the chest by Syuri, stomps by Syuri and she tags Shida back in. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Shida and she puts Chisako in a crab hold, Shida release her so that she can hit another backbreaker. Syuri returns and goes for Chisako’s arm, she gets the cross armbreaker applied but Chisako gets a foot on the ropes for the break. Syuri tags Shida back in before hitting an ax handle off the top turnbuckle, as Chisako continues being the Face In Peril. Well she isn’t really a face, its an interesting dynamic. Miyagi finally helps out her partner and gets the hot tag, dropkicks by Miyagi to Syuri and she covers her for two. Another dropkick by Miyagi, she picks up Syuri but Syuri gets her back and hits a Backstabber. PK by Syuri, and she makes the tag to Shida. Jumping knee by Shida in the corner, she sets up Miyagi in the corner and then suplexes Chisako onto Miyagi. Miyagi and Shida trade elbows and eye pokes, Syuri grabs Miyagi from the apron but Chisako grabs Shida in return. Shida gets her kendo stick but Miyagi stops her from using it, they both go for it but Miyagi gets it first and hits Shida in the head with the kendo stick. Air Raid Crash by Miyagi, she goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick for two. Miyagi tags in Chisako, running elbow by Chisako in the corner but Shida joins her when she goes up top. Miyagi comes in and throws Shida back to the mat, assisted diving senton by Chisako to Shida but the cover only gets a two count.

Chisako picks up Shida and hits a Northern Lights Suplex but Shida comes back with an enzuigiri, vertical suplex by Shida and she delivers a running knee for a two count. Shida tags in Syuri, kicks to the chest by Syuri and she hits a jumping knee in the corner. Suplex by Syuri, but Chisako kicks out of the cover. Syuri quickly applies a cross armbreaker but it gets broken up, Shida comes in the ring but Chisako dropkicks both of them out of it. Miyagi gets in the ring and dives out onto Shida and Syuri, Chisako then goes up top and jumps down onto both of them as well. Chisako slides Syuri back in and she is double teamed in the corner, diving footstomp by Chisako but Syuri gets a shoulder up on the cover. Chisako goes back up top but Shida runs in and smacks her, Shida suplexes Chisako down to the mat and with Syuri they take turns kicking her. Double kicks to Chisako, but Syuri’s cover gets a two count. Syuri holds Chisako for Shida, Chisako ducks Shida’s kick but Miyagi hits Chisako by accident and Syuri hits a release German on her. Running knee by Syuri to Chisako, but the cover gets two. Kicks by Syuri but Chisako catches one and hits her, boot to the face by Chisako and Miyagi runs in to hit a big boot. Chisako goes up top  and nails the Hormone Splash, but Shida breaks up the cover by throwing a kendo stick at her. Chisako goes off the ropes but Syuri hits a jumping knee, they trade elbows until Syuri kicks Chisako in the head. Cover by Syuri, but Miyagi breaks it up. Shida comes in and hits Miyagi in the head with the kendo stick, then she and Syuri hit running knees on Miyagi and Chisako. Syuri goes for the Buzzsaw Kick by Chisako ducks it, Harumaru by Chisako and she picks up the three count! Cassandra Miyagi and DASH Chisako are the new champions!

Another really good match, as was to be expected. Miyagi has improved ten fold in the last year, she still isn’t a high end wrestler but the pieces are starting to come together and she looked really good here. Shida and Syuri work together so well, they have similar move sets and everything blends together such that they feel like one unit. I liked Chisako and Miyagi taking the action to the floor to start just trying to get an advantage, with Shida and Syuri being so dominating they had to take any opportunity they could. Fast paced and fun, a really solid conclusion to their match series and it was nice to see Miyagi finally win a title (which she vacated a few days later because she decided she didn’t care about it).  Recommended

(c) Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Chihiro Hashimoto
Sendai Girls’ World Championship

They start slow as they trade holds on the mat with neither getting a clear advantage. They go into a Test of Strength, Hiroyo wins the battle and chops Chihiro into the corner. Chihiro boots Hiroyo back and slams Hiroyo back into the corner, body avalanche by Chihiro and she hits hip attacks in the corner. They trade elbows, scoop slam by Hiroyo but Chihiro hits a jumping hip attack. Hiroyo falls out of the ring but Chihiro waits for her, Hiroyo rolls back in and pushes Chihiro against the ropes before slapping her in the face. Chihiro elbows Hiroyo but Hiroyo elbows her back, Hiroyo wins the duel and throws Chihiro out of the ring. Hiroyo goes out after her and throws Chihiro into the ring post, vertical suplex by Hiroyo out on the floor and she returns to the ring to wait for Chihiro. Chihiro makes it back in after a moment, Hiroyo tries to suplex her over the ropes but Chihiro blocks it and they trade elbows while Chihiro is on the apron. Shoulder tackle by Chihiro, she goes up top but Hiroyo joins her and hits a superplex. Cover by Hiroyo, but it gets two. Hiroyo goes for the powerbomb but Chihiro blocks it, Hiroyo rolls it into a crab hold instead, she then applies a Texas Cloverleaf but Chihiro gets to the ropes for the break. Hard elbow by Hiroyo but Chihiro slides around her back and plants her with a release German. Chihiro picks up Hiroyo and gets her on her shoulders, rolling fireman’s carry slam by Chihiro and she delivers the somersault senton for a two count.

Chihiro goes back up top and nails a somersault senton, but Hiroyo gets a shoulder up on the cover. Chihiro grabs Hiroyo around the waist but Hiroyo gets into the ropes, hard lariat by Hiroyo but Chihiro comes back with a spear. Hiroyo goes for a backdrop suplex but Chihiro blocks it, lariat by Hiroyo and she hits the sliding lariat for a two count. Hiroyo picks up Chihiro but Chihiro again blocks the backdrop suplex so Hiroyo hits a German suplex hold instead for two. Front suplex slam by Hiroyo, but again her cover gets a two count. Hiroyo drags up Chihiro but Chihiro drives her into the corner, Hiroyo slides around Chihiro however and delivers a sitout powerbomb. Hiroyo hits a series of short range lariats, she goes for the backdrop suplex but Chihiro gets out of it with a judo toss. Chihiro applies a Cobra Twist but Hiroyo gets into the ropes, Chihiro keeps Hiroyo locked up however and suplexes her to the mat. Powerbomb by Chihiro, but Hiroyo kicks out of the cover. Roaring elbow by Hiroyo but Chihiro ducks the next one and hits a release German, Hiroyo returns to her feet but Chihiro lariats her back to the mat again. Another lariat by Chihiro, she drags up Hiroyo and nails the German suplex hold for the three count! Chihiro Hashimoto is the new champion!

I don’t usually re-watch old matches to compare, but I think this is the best match of Chihiro Hashimoto’s career. They took some elements from their last match and built up on it, Chihiro looked so strong and dominate and it really felt like she was on the same level as someone with much more experience than her. Hiroyo was great too, her facial expressions put over how important the match was and I loved how they protected the backdrop suplex. I love a good hoss match, just two strong wrestlers throwing suplexes and lariats with no regard for tomorrow, and this match delivered that type of action in spades. I am not a big fan of Chihiro winning the title three times in nine months and hopefully they find something more interesting to do booking-wise, but that doesn’t change the fact that this was a fantastic and must-watch match.  Highly Recommended

The post Sendai Girls’ Big Show In Niigata on 7/15/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Sendai Girls’ is one of those promotions I try to check in with at least once a month, as while their roster is very small they have some quality wrestlers. This is a big event for them, as Chihiro Hashimoto is challenging Aja Kong in an attempt to win back the Sendai Girls’ World Championship. We also get Meiko Satomura vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto, plus a Sendai Girls’ Tag Team Championship match! Here is the full card:

• Konami vs. Mika Shirahime
• Hana Kimura vs. Mio Momono
• KAORU, Alex Lee, and Emi Sakura vs. Nyla Rose, Big Bang Nicole, and Eiger
• Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Meiko Satomura
• #1 Contender of Sendai Girls Tag Team Championship: Hana Kimura vs. Mika Shirahime
• Sendai Girls’ Tag Team Championship: Hikaru Shida and Syuri vs. DASH Chisako and Cassandra Miyagi
• Sendai Girls’ World Championship: Aja Kong vs. Chihiro Hashimoto

A very full card, which means some of these matches will definitely be clipped. As always, you can click on the wrestlers’ name above to go to their profile.

Konami vs. Mika Shirahime

They circle each other until Konami tackles Mika, they jockey for position on the mat until Konami gets the ankle lock applied but Mika gets to the ropes. Konami twists Mika’s legs in the bottom rope before kicking her, PK by Konami and she covers Mika for a two count. Fisherman suplex by Konami and she puts Mika back in the ankle hold but Mika gets into the ropes again. Konami goes off the ropes but Mika nails her with a high kick, cover by Mika but Konami barely kicks out. Rolling Northern Lights Suplexes by Mika, she picks up Konami and she hits a pair of high kicks for another two. Mika goes up top but Konami avoids the diving body press, Konami then goes up top and she delivers a missile dropkick. Fisherman suplex hold by Konami, but Mika bridges out of the pin. Konami goes for a high kick but Mika ducks it and rolls up Mika for two. Konami picks up Mika and goes for a suplex, but Mika reverses it into a cradle for the three count! Mika Shirahime is the winner!

A bit clipped, I think we missed the middle of the match that helped set up the finishing stretch. I liked everything they showed though, Konami and Mika have similar styles and they meshed together really well. I was surprised Mika won since she hasn’t had a lot of luck lately, but the cradle win helped keep Konami strong as well. Even for a a clipped opener match, I thought it was pretty solid and a fun match.  Mildly Recommended

Hana Kimura vs. Mio Momono

Hana and Mio trade holds to start, Mio gets Hana to the mat first but Hana returns to her feet and puts Mio in a headlock. Mio gets out of it but Hana shoulderblocks her to the mat, Mio kips up however and dropkicks Hana. Irish whip by Mio but Hana dropkicks her, Hana ties up Mio’s legs and puts her in the Muta Lock. Hana goes for a crab hold but Mio reverses it, inside cradle by Mio and a backslide but each move gets a two count. Mio hits a pair of jumping crossbodies but her cover gets another two, she picks up Hana and she hits a scoop slam. Mio goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, but Hana bridges out of the pin. Mio goes off the ropes but Hana slaps on a sleeper. Mio gets into the ropes for the break, Hana picks up Mio and she hits a vertical suplex. Hana goes off the ropes but Mio catches her with a bodyscissors roll-up for two. After she kicks out, Hana nails Mio in the face with a big boot, she then goes up top and she delivers a missile dropkick. Cover by Hana, and she gets the three count! Hana Kimura wins the match.

A bit on the short side but I liked this one too. Mio is coming along nicely, her offensive is still pretty simple but she hits everything well and showed a bit of fire. Hana doesn’t wrestle in her Oedo Tai attire in Sendai Girls’ but still was showing a bit of an edge, she knocked off Mio’s head with one of the boots and glared at her after the match instead of offering a handshake. A fun match between two young wrestlers, nothing too memorable but nothing wrong with it.

KAORU, Alex Lee, and Emi Sakura vs. Nyla Rose, Big Bang Nicole, and Eiger

Eiger and company attack before the match can even start, and the action spills out of the ring and into the stands. We clip ahead to Lee and Eiger in the ring together and they go right into some Eiger comedy, complete with a full creepy zombie chain with all the wrestlers participating. KAORU ends up scaring everyone, she gets her piece of table but Eiger spits dust into her face and hits a diving body press. Nicole hits a diving body press as well, Rose follows with a Swanton Bomb onto KAORU and she covers her for the three count! Nyla Rose, Big Bang Nicole, and Eiger are the winners.

The match was clipped from 12 minutes to 2 minutes and was basically just the Eiger comedy. I’m not complaining the match was clipped, something had to be and it was the least critical match on the card, but even if you are a fan of any of these wrestlers there still isn’t anything here to get excited about.

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Meiko Satomura

They lock knuckles to start, Meiko gets Hiroyo to the mat but Hiroyo switches positions with her and they jockey for position. Meiko kicks Hiroyo against the ropes before puling her back to the middle of the ring, Meiko throws Hiroyo against the ropes but Hiroyo knocks her down with a shoulderblock. Hiroyo picks up Meiko and chops her into the corner, Meiko charges Hiroyo but Hiroyo snaps her neck over the top rope. Hiroyo is a bit too proud of herself on the apron, giving Meiko time to recover and kick her in the head. Hiroyo falls out of the ring and Meiko goes out after her, where she proceeds to kick Hiroyo around the floor. Hiroyo eventually fights back and scoop slams Meiko on the floor, Hiroyo slides Meiko back in and goes up top but Meiko kicks her before she can jump off. Meiko Pele Kicks Hiroyo off the top turnbuckle and kicks Hiroyo into the corner, Hiroyo slowly gets back up and the two trade strikes. Meiko knees Hiroyo and takes her to the mat, she applies a crossface before releasing the hold and kicking Hiroyo in the chest. Meiko goes up top but Hiroyo elbows her before she can jump off, Hiroyo joins Meiko but Meiko pushes her off. Hiroyo quickly hits a Roaring Elbow before re-joining Meiko, hitting a superplex to the mat. Hiroyo picks up Meiko and puts her across the second rope, body avalanche by Hiroyo and she goes up top to hit a missile dropkick for a two count. Hiroyo picks up Meiko and gets her on her shoulders, gutbuster by Hiroyo and she delivers the reverse double kneedrop.

Hiroyo picks up Meiko and goes for the powerbomb, Meiko reverses it with a back bodydrop and kicks Hiroyo in the head. Kneedrop by Meiko, she goes up top but again Hiroyo recovers and walks to the corner. Meiko slides out to the apron and elbows Hiroyo back, she goes back up top and goes for a diving body press, but Hiroyo gets her knees up. Kicks by Meiko, she goes off the ropes but Hiroyo hits a body block followed by a lariat for two. Hiroyo picks up Meiko but Meiko hits a heel kick, Death Valley Bomb by Meiko but Hiroyo kicks out of the cover. Meiko drags Hiroyo to a seated position and applies a sleeper, she reverts it into a trapped choke but Hiroyo gets to the ropes. Cartwheel Kneedrop by Meiko, she picks up Hiroyo but Hiroyo blocks it when Meiko tries to pick her up. Meiko charges Hiroyo in the corner but Hiroyo catches her and hits a powerbomb. Spinning sit-down powerbomb by Hiroyo, but the cover only gets two. Hiroyo goes for a backdrop suplex but Meiko blocks it and hits a backdrop suplex of her own, Hiroyo gets back to her feet but Meiko nails her with a high kick. Roaring Elbow by Hiroyo but Meiko comes back with a Pele Kick, Death Valley Bomb by Meiko but the cover gets a two count. Meiko goes off the ropes but Hiroyo levels her with a back elbow, lariat by Hiroyo and she picks up the three count! Hiroyo Matsumoto wins!

Even though this was a midcard match, it may as well been the main event as they wrestled as if it was. The match had everything you’d expect – hard hits, passion, big suplexes, and a satisfying ending. The end stretch in particular was great, these two both rarely get pinned so it was logical they’d have to trade bombs before one of them went down for the three count. They don’t have a lot of history together but had really good chemistry anyway, and the 15 minutes just flew by. Really high end match and worth tracking down.  Highly Recommended

Hana Kimura vs. Mika Shirahime

They start the match slowly as they lock-up, Hana pushes Mika into the ropes and elbows her instead of giving a clean break. Mika returns the favor and they trade elbows back and forth until Mika hits a dropkick for two. Mika picks up Hana but Hana elbows her and works a side headlock. Hana takes Mika to the mat but Mika gets her in a headscissors, Hana gets out of it and goes back to the headlock but Mika rolls her up for two. Hana twists Mika’s leg but Mika kicks her and does the same to her. After they are done trading leglocks, Hana goes off the ropes but Mika catches her with a double wrist armsault for a two count. Mika kicks Hana into the corner and hits a snap vertical suplex, she picks up Hana but Hana blocks the next suplex attempt and kicks Mika in the stomach. Hana throws Mika into the corner and hits a double knee strike, dropkick by Hana and she covers Mika for two. Hana grabs Mika and goes for a suplex, but Mika blocks it and applies a guillotine choke. Hana gets out of it, Mika kicks Hana in the head and she gets a two count cover. Mika goes for another kick but Hana ducks it and applies a sleeper, Mika gets to the ropes but Hana quickly hits a running boot for a two count. Hana goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, another cover by Hana but Mika gets a shoulder up. Hana goes for another sleeper but Mika drills her with a high kick, both wrestlers slowly get up and Mika connects with a series of hard elbows. Mika bounces Hana off the ropes and rolls her up with a wing clutch hold for two, she goes off the ropes but Hana nails a big boot. Another big boot by Hana and she hits a third one, picking up the three count pinfall! Hana Kimura is your winner.

This was a really solid match between potentially two big Joshi stars down the road. Hana Kimura already has “it” as the crowds love her and her in-ring ability is above the level you’d expect from someone a year in, but Mika showed a lot of passion and has really grown a lot in the last six months. She always had the kicks but now she is also tying that into a personality, which is obviously just as important. They kept it pretty simple but everything was executed well, the crowd was into it and now Hana gets to go after a title in another promotion. A fun match between two young and hungry wrestlers.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Hikaru Shida and Syuri vs. DASH Chisako and Cassandra Miyagi

Miyagi and Shida are the first two in, Miyagi headbangs at Shida but Shida shoulderblocks her to the mat. Shida throws Miyagi into the corner and hits a jumping knee, she slides out to the apron as Syuri comes in and charges Miyagi, but Miyagi holds down the rope and Syuri ends up on the apron with Shida. Miyagi falls out of the ring, Shida and Syuri go for jumping knees off the apron but Miyagi avoids it. Chisako goes up top and dives out onto the floor onto both Shida and Syuri, Miyagi slides Shida back in the ring and Chisako knees her against the ropes. Chisako goes to charge at Shida but Syuri trips her from the floor, she hangs her head over the apron and both she and Shida hitting running kneelifts. Shida stands on Chisako in the corner while taunting Meiko Satomura, she picks up Chisako after a moment and tags in Syuri. Syuri kicks Chisako repeatedly in the chest but Chisako catches one and slaps Syuri in the face. Big kick by Chisako and she tags in Miyagi, running elbow by Miyagi in the corner and she hits a bulldog on Syuri. Missile dropkick by Miyagi, Syuri rolls out of the ring but Miyagi goes up the apron and hits another missile dropkick down to the floor. Back in the ring, slingshot legdrop by Miyagi and she covers Syuri for two. Miyagi charges Syuri but Syuri drop toeholds her into the second rope, giving her a chance to make the tag to Shida. Shida and Miyagi trade elbows, eye poke by Miyagi and she levels Shida with a big boot. Samoan Drop by Miyagi, and she covers Shida for a two count. Syuri runs in but she knees Shida by accident, Chisako dropkicks Syuri out of the ring while Miyagi delivers the Samoan Driver onto Shida for another two.

She tags in Chisako, missile dropkick by Chisako but Shida hits an enzuigiri. She tries to tag in Shida but Miyagi pulls Syuri off the apron, Miyagi slams Shida in front of the corner and Chisako hits a diving footstomp for two. Chisako goes back up top but she gets a kendo stick thrown at her, knocking her to the floor. Shida tries to superplex Chisako back in the ring but Chisako blocks it and smacks her with a chair, Chisako puts the chair on Shida and nails the Hormone Splash, but Syuri breaks up the pin. Chisako puts Shida on the top turnbuckle and goes for an avalanche cutter, but Shida pushes her off. Shida suplexes Chisako before superplexing Miyagi onto Chisako, Syuri joins her and they both hitting running knees for two. Chisako eats a double running knee, cover by Shida but Chisako barely kicks out. Miyagi comes in and dropkicks Shida, cradle by Chisako to Shida but it gets two. Chisako goes for a hurricanrana but Shida catches her and hits a powerbomb, Falcon Arrow by Shida but Miyagi breaks up the pin. Syuri takes care of Miyagi, Shida goes off the ropes and hits the running knee onto Chisako, but Chisako reverses the cover into her own two count. Hurricanrana by Chisako, but Shida rolls through it and with Syuri they hit a double running knee for two. Shida waits for Chisako to get to a knee, she goes off the ropes and nails the Tamashii no Three Count for the three count! Shida and Syuri remain the champions.

One of the great things when two wrestlers stay together for a good chunk of time is they get really familiar with each other and feed off of each other constantly throughout the match, which is what Syuri and Shida did here. Chisako and Miyagi both were good but it was Syuri and Shida that really pop out as they are always helping each other and getting involved to make the match more exciting. Miyagi is still mostly character but the character is quality and in-ring she is slowly getting better. While its odd that Chisako/Miyagi got another title shot, it was still a very good championship match even if the winning team was never really in doubt.  Recommended

(c) Aja Kong vs. Chihiro Hashimoto

The match starts with them feeling each other out, and doesn’t step up a notch until Kong starts biting on Chihiro’s arm. Kong punches Chihiro into the corner, she lets Chihiro out and Chihiro takes Kong back to the mat. Kong gets into the ropes but Chihiro keeps kicking at her, she finally lets Kong up and Kong knees Chihiro in the stomach. Chihiro goes for a takedown but Kong blocks it and puts Chihiro in a sleeper. Chihiro gets out of it and returns to her feet, short range hip attacks by Chihiro but Kong lariats her when she goes off the ropes. Chihiro comes back with a lariat of her own, she charges Kong again but Kong moves and Chihiro falls out of the ring. Kong goes out after her but Chihiro kicks her and slams Kong into the ring post. Chihiro picks up Kong and delivers a waterwheel drop on the floor, she slides Kong back in but Kong lariats Chihiro to the mat. Kong picks up Chihiro but Chihiro hits a scoop slam, somersault sentons by Chihiro and she covers Kong for two. Chihiro picks up Kong but Kong slides down and kicks Chihiro in the head, Chihiro charges Kong but Kong swats her to the mat. Kong takes Chihiro out to the floor and throws her into the crowd before throwing a chair at her head.

Kong tosses Chihiro around on the floor and into the bleachers, she throws a chair at her again before finally sliding Chihiro back into the ring. Kong picks up Chihiro and drops her with a backdrop suplex, cover by Kong but it gets a two count. Kong picks up Chihiro and drills her with a brainbuster, but again the cover gets two. Kong gets on the top turnbuckle and delivers a falling elbow drop, she picks up Chihiro and hits a Stunner. Kong goes up top again but Chihiro grabs her from behind and powerbombs her to the mat for a two count. Chihiro picks up Kong and hits a waterwheel drop, she drags her back up and hits a second one, covering Kong for two. Chihiro goes for a suplex but Kong drops down and puts Chihiro in an ankle hold, but Chihiro gets to the ropes for the break. Kong then puts Chihiro in a cross kneelock, but again Chihiro gets a hand into the ropes. Kong picks up Chihiro but Chihiro blocks the Uraken and drops Kong with a release German. Chihiro picks up Kong and hits a second release German suplex, she grabs her a third time but Kong catches her with a Uraken. They both slowly get up, Kong backfists Chihiro but Chihiro punches her in the face and hits a German Suplex Hold for the three count! Chihiro Hashimoto is the new champion!

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this match. When it was ‘on’ it worked really well, I really enjoyed Kong brutalizing Chihiro around the floor and Chihiro’s ability to look credible throwing lariats and suplexes against Kong says a lot about her at this stage of her career. But the match was way too long and had some real filler, and Kong’s leg submission holds 15 minutes into the match really slowed it down for no reason. The ending was also botched, mistakes happen but they are more noticeable when its the end stretch and is in the big title match. I enjoy both Kong and Chihiro but both are limited for different reasons, and I don’t think a 20+ minute match was the way to go. More good than bad, but as it is I can’t really recommend it since I fear anyone not invested in Sendai Girls’ or Chihiro would lose interest before the ending.

The post Sendai Girls’ on 4/6/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Sendai Girls’ is a promotion that doesn’t make air very often, but when they do they tend to deliver. This is a packed show, no title matches but a big singles match between Syuri and Meiko Satomura, plus a main event with four high quality wrestlers. Here is the full card:

• Hana Kimura vs. Mika Shirahime
• Chikayo Nagashima vs. Eiger vs. KAORU
• Big Bang Nicole, Cassandra Miyagi, and Nyla Rose vs. Alex Lee, Hikaru Shida, and Konami
• Meiko Satomura vs. Syuri
• Aja Kong and Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Chihiro Hashimoto and DASH Chisako

You can click on the names above to go to the wrestler’s profile on Joshi City for more information. This event was shown in full, lets hop to it.

Hana Kimura vs. Mika Shirahime

They trade waistlocks and wristlocks to start, they end up on the mat with Hana in control. Hana locks in a headlock as she tries to get Mika back up but Mika reverses it, Hana gets in the mount and goes for a cross armbreaker but Mika blocks it and gets to the ropes. Stomps by Hana and they trade elbows, Hana puts Mika in a Camel Clutch before picking her up and hitting a scoop slam. Another slam by Hana and she hits a few more, crab hold by Hana but Mike gets into the ropes. Elbows by Hana and she throws Mika from the corner, but Mika reverses it and hits a dropkick. High kick attempt by Mika but Hana blocks it, dropkick by Mika and she covers Hana for two. Back up they trade elbows, Hana goes off the ropes but Mika kicks her in the midsection. Mika kicks Hana into the corner and hits a vertical suplex, cover by Mika but it gets two. Mika goes up top but Hana avoids her bodypress, Hana applies a sleeper but Mika gets into the ropes. Hana picks up Mika but Mika sneaks in a schoolboy for two. Kick to the head by Mika, she picks up Hana and kicks her in the stomach. Northern Lights Suplex by Mika which gets a two, she picks up Hana but Hana quickly hits a vertical suplex. Sleeper by Hana and she jumps on Mika’s back before getting her to the mat with it, but Mika again gets into the ropes for the break. Running boot by Hana while Mika is on the ropes, she covers Mika but Mika barely gets a shoulder up. Hana goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick, she goes for the Big Boot but Mika blocks it and rolls up Hana with a bridge for two. High kicks by Mika, and she gets the three count! Mika Shirahime is the winner.

A really solid opening ‘rookie’ match. My only real complaint is the ending felt rushed, as Hana had been controlling the match, but I guess two kicks from Mika is enough to end the match at any moment. But they did protect Hana’s finisher (Big Boot) which was a nice touch in a low importance match. Hana’s move set is slowly expanding as she gets more experience so the match stayed interesting, and even though both are young they both show a lot of promise. Always a plus to see rookie-style matches get plenty of time, good way to start the show.  Mildly Recommended

Chikayo Nagashima vs. Eiger vs. KAORU

KAORU and Nagashima go at it first while Eiger watches and plays along, until all three face off again. Nagashima and KAORU both attack Eiger but Eiger hits a double lariat, Eiger gets KAORU’s back and all four (including the referee) eventually do the zombie walk.  KAORU ends up being the butt of the joke, which she doesn’t like, and she knocks Eiger out of the ring. Nagashima knocks over KAORU but KAORU bridges out of the pin, Nagashima dropkicks her into the corner but KAORU boots Nagashima when she charges in. KAORU puts Nagashima in the Surfboard but Eiger crawls in and covers KAORU while she still has Nagashima in the hold, causing her to release it. Eiger goes off the ropes but KAORU kicks her, Eiger applies The Claw to first KAORU and then also to Nagashima before hitting a DDT on KAORU. Eiger goes up top but trips, Nagashima is thrown into the corner but Eiger scares her. Eiger gets the table piece from KAORU but Rin takes it from her, Nagashima then gets the table piece but she is tripped from ringside before she can hit KAORU with it. Eiger gets KAORU up and hits a spinning crucifix sit-down powerbomb, but KAORU manages to get the piece of table and hit Eiger with it to break up the cover. Nagashima puts KAORU on top of Eiger and hits a footstomp onto KAORU’s back, double cover by Nagashima but it gets two. Nagashima grabs Eiger but KAORU hits her in the back with the table piece, KAORU and Eiger fight over it but Nagashima kicks it away. Eiger ends up hitting Nagashima with it by accident, she tosses the table piece to KAORU and spits dust in her face. Inside cradle by Eiger and she gets the three count! Eiger wins!

As far as comedy matches go, this was well done. Some of the spots were really well choreographed, they put a fair amount of effort into a short early-card match. Eiger is quite funny in small doses, not all comedy gimmicks do a lot for me but she is pretty amusing. A fun match with some memorable spots, about all you could hope for.

Big Bang Nicole, Cassandra Miyagi, and Nyla Rose vs. Alex Lee, Shida, and Konami

Nyla and Nicole charge their opponents before the match starts, but they avoid their charge and both Nyla and Nicole end up out of the ring. Miyagi is isolated now and is triple teamed under her friends return and clear the ring. Now Konami is isolated and put in a double crab hold, dropkick by Miyagi to Konami and she covers her for two. Miyagi tags in Nyla, Nyla picks up Konami and she hits a vertical suplex. Nyla tags in Nicole as the beatdown on Konami continues, Miyagi returns and bulldogs her before stomping her in the back. Konami is triple teamed in the ropes, dropkick to the back by Miyagi and she tags in Nyla. Konami finally gets away after kicking Nyla in the head, making the hot tag to Shida, who comes in with her kendo stick. She hits Nicole and Miyagi but Nyla blocks her attempt and throws Shida to the mat. Shida recovers and hits her anyway, they trade elbows and Shida goes for a jumping knee, but Nyla blocks it. Hurricanrana by Shida but Nyla comes back with a side slam, she goes off the ropes and hits a running bodypress for a two count. Nyla tags in Nicole, lariat by Nicole and she covers Shida for two. Handstand press by Nicole, she picks up Shida but Shida pokes her in the eyes.

Shida tries to get her kendo stick but Nicole takes it, leading to Shida bailing out of the ring. She gets tosses back in but gets her kendo stick back, enzuigiri by Shida and she nails a running knee for a two count. Shida tags in Lee, running footstomps by Lee and Shida helps with a jumping knee. Double jumping knee to Nicole, Lee goes up top and hits a diving footstomp for a two count. Lee picks up Nicole but Nicole avoids her dropkick, Lee and Nicole trade strikes until Nicole hits a DDT. Nicole tags Miyagi, big boot by Miyagi and she hits a Samoan Drop for two. Lee comes back with a kick to the head, she rolls to her corner and tags in Konami. Miyagi and Konami trade elbows, rolling ankle hold by Konami but Miyagi gets into the ropes. High Kick by Konami and she hits a second one, Shida and Lee come in too and help attack Miyagi. Konami picks up Miyagi but Miyagi pushes her away, schoolboy by Konami but it gets two. Konami goes off the ropes but she gets grabbed by Nicole from the floor, Nicole and Nyla both come in and they take turns on Konami in the corner. Miyagi slams Konami to the mat, she goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick for two. Nicole and Nyla come in and hit Konami with a double lariat, SBR by Miyagi (Samoan Driver) and she gets the three count! Big Bang Nicole, Cassandra Miyagi, and Nyla Rose are your winners.

Better than I was expecting, as I wasn’t sure how these six would mesh. Really no issues with miscommunications or awkwardness, they tagged in and out enough that no one wrestler was relied on and everyone got a chance to do their thing. It was far from perfect as one of the issues with all the tagging in and out is the match never really had a rhythm, but it was still an above average match overall and not a bad watch.

Meiko Satomura vs. Syuri

Syuri quickly tackles Satomura to the mat but lets her back up, headlock by Satomura but Syuri gets in the mount position as they struggle for position. Kicks by Syuri to the chest but Satomura pushes her down and starts working on Syuri’s ankle. Back up, shoulderblock by Satomura but Syuri suplexes her, Syuri goes for a PK but Satomura ducks it and applies an ankle hold. Syuri reverses it but they both roll into the ropes and the referee forces a break. Kicks by Syuri but Satomura elbows her, jumping knee by Syuri and she kicks Satomura in the back. Running kick to the chest by Syuri and she goes for a cross armbreaker, but Satomura blocks it and delivers a few kicks. Knees by Satomura and she applies a crossface, slingshot footstomp by Satomura and she elbows Syuri in the face. Satomura goes off the ropes but Syuri hits a jumping knee, Irish whip by Syuri but Satomura nails her with a heel kick. Back up they trade kicks, Syuri goes for the cross armbreaker again but Satomura blocks it.

Knee to the chest by Satomura, she goes up top and hits a diving bodypress for a two count. Back up, headlock by Satomura and she goes off the ropes, but Syuri kicks her in the chest. Satomura comes back with her own strikes and delivers a backdrop suplex for two. High kick by Syuri, Satomura gets up and they trade elbows again until Syuri hits a high kick. Satomura retorts with a Pele Kick, and both wrestlers are down on the mat. Satomura applies a sleeper before putting Syuri in a choke, she lets go after a moment and delivers the cartwheel kneedrop. Death Valley Bomb by Satomura, but Syuri gets a shoulder up on the cover. She goes for another one but Syuri slides off and applies a sleeper, cross armbreaker takedown by Syuri and she puts Satomura in a seated armbar. Buzzsaw Kick by Syuri, but Satomura kicks out of the pin. Syuri goes back to the seated armbar but Satomura gets to the ropes, high kick by Satomura but Syuri delivers a running knee. Kneelift by Syuri and she hits a Buzzsaw Kick, she nails a second one and she covers Satomura for the three count! Syuri is the winner!

If you enjoy watching two really crisp wrestlers in a tightly worked submission and striking match, this is the one for you. Both Syuri and Satomura are so good, which everyone knows, but they also work together really well. From Satomura being stubborn on Syuri’s cross armbreaker attempts to the smooth transitions on the mat, everything here worked. Mat wrestling to me is the hardest style to hold my attention, it has to be done almost perfectly and here it was, it always felt like both were actively doing something to try to win. Add in the on point strikes and the surprise (to me) ending, and the match really clicked. A high end match for sure between two of the best.  Highly Recommended

Aja Kong and Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Chihiro Hashimoto and DASH Chisako

Kong and Chihiro are the first two in, Chihiro gets Kong to the mat but Kong switches positions with her which lands them in the ropes. Stiff kicks by Kong, Chihiro gets back up, Kong slaps her against the ropes and makes the tag to Matsumoto. Chihiro and Matsumoto lock knuckles, Matsumoto pushes Chihiro to the mat and chops her in the corner. They trade waistlocks until Chihiro locks in cobra twist, Matsumoto hiptosses out of it but Chihiro gets Matsumoto to the mat. Chisako comes in and dropkicks Matsumoto while she is on the hold, Chihiro tags in Chisako and they double team Matsumoto in the corner. Chisako dropkicks Matsumoto in the corner, dropkick to the knee by Chisako and she applies a crucifix submission. Kong comes in and breaks it up, Chisako elbows Matsumoto but when Chihiro tries to help Chisako elbows her by accident. Chihiro falls to the floor, Matsumoto picks up Chisako and throws her over the top rope down onto Chihiro. Kong strolls over and attacks Chihiro around the floor, while Matsumoto does the same to Chisako. Matsumoto and Chisako return to the ring, Matsumoto goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Matsumoto tags in Kong and she scoop slams Chisako and hits an elbow drop. Kong puts Chisako in a camel clutch, Matsumoto comes in and she runs the ropes before slapping Chisako in the face.

Matsumoto puts Chisako in a camel clutch now, Kong points to Chihiro and she kicks Chisako in the chest. Cover by Kong, but it gets a two count. Kong picks up Chisako and drops her with a piledriver, but Chisako barely gets a shoulder up on the cover. Kong stomps Kong from tagging out but Chisako blocks the backdrop suplex, Chisako goes for a schoolboy but Kong sits on her. Chihiro runs in to help, double Irish whip to Kong and Chisako hits a hurricanrana for a two count. Chisako makes the tag to Chihiro, hip attacks by Chihiro but Kong levels her with a lariat. Kong picks up Chihiro but Chihiro hits a scoop slam, she goes for a somersault senton but Kong moves out of the way and kicks Chihiro in the chest. Snap backdrop suplex by Kong, she picks up Chihiro and Chihiro goes for a spear, but Kong knees her to block it and tags in Matsumoto. Body block by Matsumoto, she picks up Chihiro but Chisako runs in to try to help. It doesn’t work as Matsumoto hits a double Samoan Drop/Fallaway Slam on both of them, Kong jumps on Matsumoto’s back and Matsumoto hits a double kneedrop onto Chihiro. Matsumoto gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a reverse double kneedrop, but Chisako breaks up the pin. Matsumoto picks up Chihiro but Chihiro hits a back bodydrop, they trade short range lariats until Chihiro gets Matsumoto up and Chisako runs in to assist with a slam.

Chisako goes up top and hits a diving footstomp, Chihiro gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers a somersault senton for a two count. Matsumoto hits a double backdrop suplex on both of them, Matsumoto picks up Chihiro but Chihiro snaps off a release German. Chihiro goes up top but Kong comes in and joins Chihiro, Chisako runs in too but Matsumoto has recovered by now and throws Chisako out of the ring. Kong tries to superplex Chihiro but can’t get her over, so Matsumoto helps by powerbombing Kong which lead to Chihiro getting superplexed. Sliding Lariat by Matsumoto, but it gets a two count. Matsumoto goes off the ropes but Chihiro levels her with a spear, waterwheel drop by Chihiro but the cover gets two. Roaring Elbow by Matsumoto and she hits a bodyblock in the corner, Matsumoto puts Chihiro on the second turnbuckle and nails a sit-down powerbomb, but Chisako breaks up the cover. Kong comes in with her metal paint can and hits Chisako in the head with it, Kong and Matsumoto measure up Chihiro but Chihiro moves and they hit each other by accident. Matsumoto comes back with a lariat to Matsumoto, Kong tries to backfist Chihiro but she hits Matsumoto by accident. Chisako runs in and dropkicks Kong, while Chihiro grabs Matsumoto and delivers the German Suplex Hold for the three count! Chihiro Hashimoto and DASH Chisako win!

Another really good match on the show and a fitting way to end it. Hiroyo Matsumoto is the secret MVP of Joshi, she has really stepped up the last year or so and constantly delivers. Kong is still great as well, she is limited but works within those limitations as well as any other wrestler I can think of. Chihiro got the big win here, assisted, but still a big one early in her career that continues to put her towards the top of Sendai Girls’. I don’t mean to exclude Chisako, she was her usual solid self, but the others stood out more. Even though the match was almost 20 minutes there was no wasted time/rest holds, and there were a number of memorable spots spread throughout the match. The stretch run is one of the best I’ve seen all year, the last minute or so of the match was perfect and the ending couldn’t have been better constructed. The match was mostly about Kong vs. Chihiro since they face off in a few weeks, but everyone brought their “A” game, definitely worth tracking down.  Highly Recommended

The post Sendai Girls’ on 3/11/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

In my attempt in 2017 to stay as ‘current’ as I can with Joshi, it is time for Sendai Girls’! I’d have watched this event anyway because it is chock-full of things I enjoy. My favorite Freelancers all have matches (Shida, Syuri, Konami, and Matsumoto) which is a big plus, and on top of that we have Kyoko Kimura’s last match in Sendai Girls’ and Hashimoto defending her title against Aja Kong! Big show, and it will be shown in full since it aired on Nico Nico. Here is the full card:

• Mika Shirahime and Syuri vs. Mio Momono and Konami
• Cassandra Miyagi vs. Hikaru Shida
• Hiroyo Matsumoto and Eiger vs. Meiko Satomura and Alex Lee
• Command Bolshoi and Kyoko Kimura vs. DASH Chisako and KAORU
• Sendai Girls’ World Championship: Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Aja Kong

Click on the names above to go to the wrestler’s profile on Joshi City if you want to know more about them. This is a very early contender for potential Show of The Year, let’s see how it plays out.

Mika Shirahime and Syuri vs. Mio Momono and Konami

Konami and Mika start the match, knees by Mika and she takes Konami to the mat. Konami quickly applies a headscissors as they jockey for position, Mika drives Konami in the corner before hitting a suplex. Mika goes off the ropes but Konami kicks her in the chest and tags in Mio. Mio throws down Mika by the hair before dropkicking her, but Mika quickly turns the tide and elbows Mio in the corner. Dropkick by Mika but Mio fights back and they trade elbows. Mika stags in Syuri, Syuri takes Mio to the mat and goes for a cross armbreaker but Mio gets into the ropes just as she locks it on to get the break. Syuri stomps down Mio and hits a running knee in the corner, cover by Syuri but it gets two. Syuri picks up Mio and slams her, cross armbreaker attempt by Syuri but Mio rolls over. Syuri applies a seated armbar instead but Mio gets into the ropes, Syuri picks up Mio and makes the tag to Mika. Mio and Mika trade elbows, quick roll-up by Mio and she makes the tag to Konami. Kicks to the chest by Konami but Mika blocks the fisherman suplex, Syuri runs in to help but Konami fights them both off and dropkicks them in the corner. Konami tries to suplex Mika but Mika blocks it and rolls her up for two.

Dropkick by Mika, and she tags in Syuri. Syuri knees Konami into the corner and hits a jumping knee followed by a butterfly suplex for a two count cover. Konami elbows Syuri and they trade shots, kicks by Konami but Syuri connects with the running knee and kicks Konami hard in the back. Syuri picks up Konami but Konami quickly applies a kneelock, which Mio breaks up. Head kick by Konami and she hits the fisherman suplex hold on Syuri for a two count. Konami tags in Mio, running crossbodies by Mio to Syuri and she covers her for two. Mio goes up top but Syuri recovers and tosses her off. Mio ducks the PK attempt and applies the Figure Four Leglock, but Syuri gets to the ropes to force a break. Mio goes off the ropes but Syuri kicks her in the chest and tags in Mika. Kicks by Mika, she goes off the ropes but Mio catches her with a dropkick. Another dropkick by Mio and she hits a few more, Mio picks up Mika but Mika elbows her and they trade shots. Mika wins the battle and hits a snap vertical suplex, Mika slams Mio in front of the corner and goes up top, but Konami runs over and kicks her from the apron. Mio dropkicks Mika, Konami runs in and hits a release German suplex. Diving crossbody by Mio, but Syuri breaks up the cover. Mio goes off the ropes and goes for the Yoshi Tonic, but Mika shrugs her off. Konami tries to kick Mika in the head but hits Mio by accident, roll-up by Mika but Konami breaks up the cover. Syuri connects with a head kick to Mio, roundhouse kick by Mika and she picks up the three count! Mika Shirahime and Syuri are your winners.

The only thing holding this match back was Mio Momono. Which I don’t really blame her for, she is an 18 year old that debuted less than a year ago, but she was the least smooth of the bunch and a few of her sections looked a bit cringe-y. Everyone else was great though, I enjoyed the Konami vs. Syuri parts since Kana had such a long feud with Syuri and this felt like an extension of that. Mika’s kicks are great, hopefully she gets to climb up the card soon, she is too good to toil away in opening matches. A fun match but with a clear weak link that brought things down a bit.  Mildly Recommended

Cassandra Miyagi vs. Hikaru Shida

Miyagi headbangs as the match starts but Shida kicks her, they trade holds until Shida applies a grounded necklock. Miyagi gets out of it but Shida nails her in the head with a hip attack. Another hip attack by Shida and she hits a third, Shida picks up Miyagi and attacks her in the corner but Miyagi kicks her when she goes up top. Miyagi snaps Shida’s neck on the top rope but Shida avoids the slingshot legdrop and pulls Miyagi out to the apron. She goes for the running kneelift but Miyagi avoids it and hits a cannonball off the apron. Miyagi attacks Shida around the ring and into the crowd, she gets some water and spits it into Shida’s face. Shida doesn’t like that and elbows her repeatedly in the head, they make their way back into the ring, where Miyagi maintains control. Miyagi swats away the hip attack and sets up Shida in the ropes, chops to the butt by Miyagi and she dropkicks Shida in the back. Body avalanche by Miyagi and she hits a face crusher, cover by Miyagi but it gets a two. Miyagi goes up top but Shida avoids the missile dropkick and knees Miyagi in the back of the head with the Three Count.

Vertical suplex by Shida and she puts Miyagi in a crab hold, she releases it after a moment and delivers the fireman’s carry backbreaker for a two count. Shida gets her kendo stuck but Miyagi avoids the blow and knocks it away from her, enzuigiri by Shida but Miyagi gets the kendo stick and hits her in the stomach with it. Backdrop suplex by Miyagi, and she covers Shida for two. Samoan Driver by Miyagi, but again her cover gets a two count. Miyagi picks up Shida and goes for a piledriver, but Shida back bodydrops out of it. Back up they trade elbows, eye poke by Miyagi and she applies an inside cradle for two. Shida pushes Miyagi away and hits a jumping knee, Three Count by Shida but it gets a two count. Shida goes for the Falcon Arrow but Miyagi blocks it and rolls her up for two. A schoolboy by Miyagi also gets a two, she grabs Shida’s kendo stick but Shida takes it form her and hits Miyagi in the head. Falcon Arrow by Shida, she goes off the ropes and nails the Three Count for the three count! Hikaru Shida wins!

I really enjoyed this match, it was a lot of fun. Miyagi is slowly growing as a wrestler but she has the character down pat, her mannerisms and randomness are very amusing. Shida is great and has some of the best knees and backbreakers in the business, and I like that Miyagi had a full competitive match with Shida. Miyagi isn’t quite at the level to beat someone like Shida but is close, and if her wrestling gets on the same level as her personality she will be a force to be reckoned with. The right combination of playful and hard hitting, solid match all the way around.  Recommended

Hiroyo Matsumoto and Eiger vs. Meiko Satomura and Alex Lee

Eiger insists on starting the match for her team against Satomura, but Satomura promptly kicks her in the head for a two count. Satomura goes for a lariat but Eiger rolls underneath it and does Eiger things. Satomura tags in Lee but Lee doesn’t want to wrestle Eiger and takes Satomura back in. Eiger crawls to her corner and tags in Matsumoto, they struggle for position until Matsumoto throws Satomura to the mat. Shoulderblock by Matsumoto and she puts Satomura in a stretch hold, but Satomura gets out of it and they trade holds. Satomura tags in Lee, kicks to the back by Lee and she hits a pair of running footstomps for a two count. Vertical suplex by Matsumoto and she tags in Eiger, headbutt by Eiger but Lee avoids the falling headbutt. Kicks to the chest by Lee and she dropkicks Eiger before tagging in Satomura. Lee and Satomura take turns kicking Eiger, Eiger gets Lee’s back and Matsumoto runs in to help, but Eiger gets her back as well. Matsumoto finally realizes that Eiger is behind her and pops her in the head, double face crusher by Lee but Eiger hits a DDT on Satomura. Eiger goes up top but Matsumoto tags herself in, she elbows Satomura and hits a body avalanche against the ropes. Matsumoto and Satomura trade elbows until Eiger grabs Satomura from the apron.

Satomura gets away from her and hits a heel kick on Matsumoto, she goes for the cartwheel kneedrop but Matsumoto moves out of the way and hits a backdrop suplex. Matsumoto goes for a Reverse Splash but Satomura gets her knees up, back elbow by Matsumoto and she covers Satomura for two. Satomura kicks Matsumoto in the stomach and then in the head, cover by Satomura but it gets a two count. Cartwheel kneedrop by Satomura, and she makes the tag to Lee. Lee kicks Matsumoto in the chest and hits a jumping knee followed by a double underhook suplex for two. Lee goes for a kick but Matsumoto ducks it, she then goes for a powerbomb but Lee back bodydrops out of it and kicks Matsumoto in the head. Lee goes up top and delivers a diving footstomp, cover by Lee but it gets two. Satomura comes in but Matsumoto suplexes both of them, sliding lariat by Matsumoto to Lee and she covers Lee for two. Matsumoto hits the reverse double kneedrop, but Satomura breaks up the cover. Matsumoto grabs Lee but Satomura kicks her, high kick by Lee to Matsumoto and Eiger spits dust into Satomura’s face. Satomura then high kicks Lee by accident, lariat by Matsumoto to Lee and she gets the three count! Hiroyo Matsumoto and Eiger win the match.

I’m not too sure what to think of this match. Lee is an average wrestler while Eiger is mostly comedy, while Matsumoto and Satomura are two of the best Joshi wrestlers currently on the scene. So it was an odd pairing. The Matsumoto/Satomura pairings were great, lots of hard hits, and the Eiger comedy spots were sparse so they didn’t control the match. But they were still there and it was an odd dynamic. It was a fun match but I’d rather they split the two ideas into two matches as it was just hard for them to get into a flow of things with such a diverse group. Worth watching for Matsumoto/Satomura but a bit too all over the place for me overall.

Command Bolshoi and Kyoko Kimura vs. DASH Chisako and KAORU

Bolshoi and Chisako start the match, they trade headlocks until Chisako hits a dropkick. They trade quick trips before returning to their feet, and both tag out. KAORU and Kyoko are slow to engage but eventually do so, and Kyoko pushes KAORU to the mat. Chisako comes in and they double team Kyoko, KAORU slams Kyoko’s head into the mat and tags Chisako back in. Kyoko comes back with a scoop slam and tags Bolshoi, Bolshoi gets Chisako on her shoulders and applies a backbreaker. Bolshoi applies a camel clutch, Kyoko comes in and they double team Chisako. Kyoko boots Chisako in the back, she gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving footstomp onto Chisako’s back for a two count. Kyoko puts Chisako in a crab hold, she lets go after a moment and tags in Bolshoi. Backdrop suplex by Bolshoi, and she covers Chisako for two. Dropkick by Chisako and she hits a front flip neckbreaker, she rolls to her corner and tags in KAORU. KAORU hits a crossbody on both Kyoko and Bolshoi, she gets her table piece and hits Bolshoi with it. KAORU then suplexes Bolshoi onto it, but the referee won’t count the cover due to the excessive cheating. KAORU gets on the second turnbuckle and tries to drop it onto Bolshoi, but Bolshoi moves and dropkicks KAORU. Fujiwara Armbar by Bolshoi, but KAORU gets a foot in the ropes. Bolshoi picks up KAORU and hits a palm strike, but Chisako runs in and dropkicks her. Double front suplex by Chisako and KAORU, brainbuster by KAORU and she covers Bolshoi for two. Missile dropkick by Chisako but Bolshoi lands in her corner and tags in Kyoko. Kyoko and Chisako trade elbows, Kyoko picks up Chisako and she hits a backbreaker. Stretch hold by Kyoko, she picks up Chisako and knees her into the corner. Kyoko charges Chisako but Chisako moves, KAORU comes in and they double team Kyoko in the corner.

Chisako goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick on Kyoko for two. Kyoko gets Chisako’s back and applies a sleeper, KAORU comes in to help but Bolshoi puts her in a sleeper as well. Chisako eventually gets to the ropes to force the break, Kyoko covers the sleepy Chisako but it gets a two count. Kyoko kicks at Chisako but Chisako returns to her feet, Bolshoi runs in and she hits a Tiger Feint Kick on Chisako. Running boot by Kyoko, but Chisako gets a shoulder up. Kyoko gets Chisako on her shoulders and hits an assisted Gory Bomb with Bolshoi, but the cover is broken up. Kyoko goes off the ropes but Chisako ducks the boot and hits Kyoko with a piece of table. Kyoko headbutts Chisako in return, and they both fall to the mat. They trade strikes while still on their knees, they return to their feet and Chisako hits a Stunner. Elbows by Chisako but Kyoko boots her in the head, hurricanrana by Chisako which gets her a two count. Crucifix takeover by Chisako, she goes off the ropes but Kyoko boots her in the head for a two count. Kyoko picks up Chisako and hits a Chokebomb, but Chisako gets a shoulder up. Kyoko goes up top but KAORU hits her with a piece of table, Chisako joins Kyoko and delivers an avalanche bulldog, crucifix cover by Chisako but it gets two. Kyoko comes in and hits the Excalibur, Chisako goes up top as does KAORU and KAORU superplexes Chisako onto Kyoko, but Bolshoi breaks up the pin. Chisako goes up top and nails the Hormone Splash while KAORU hits the Valkyrie Splash onto Bolshoi, and Chisako gets the three count pinfall! DASH Chisako and KAORU are the winners.

After the match, everyone hugs Kyoko and says goodbye to her.

On one hand, this match was a bit too long and five minutes could have easily been chopped off and it would have helped the match. On the other hand, these four are friends and this is the last time they’d ever be in the ring together, so who can blame them for going a bit longer than necessary. All of them are long time veterans and know how to put on a good show, no issues with sloppiness here as the action was tight throughout. And it had some memorable spots, such as the superplex landing on Kyoko. It certainly dragged in a few sections as some moments such as the sleeper hold lasted a bit too long, but overall it was still a solid match and a fitting Sendai Girls’ farewell to Kyoko Kimura.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Aja Kong
Sendai Girls’ World Championship

They circle each other to start, Kong gets Chihiro to the mat but Chihiro gets the top position and they struggle for position. Back on their feet, Chihiro takes Kong back down but Kong applies an ankle hold. Kong pushes Chihiro to the mat and rolls her out of the ring, Kong goes out after her and throws her into the crowd. Kong hits Chihiro repeatedly with chairs while beating her around the floor before finally bringing her back into the ring, lariat by Kong and she covers Chihiro for two. Kong picks up Chihiro and drops her with a backdrop suplex, cover by Kong but Chihiro gets a shoulder up. Body slam by Chihiro and she hits a pair of somersault sentons for a two count. Chihiro picks up Kong but Kong knees her off, Chihiro goes for lariats but Kong doesn’t go down. Kong rams Chihiro into the corner and hits a back bodydrop, Kong gets on the second turnbuckle but Chihiro recovers and powerbombs her to the mat.

Cover by Chihiro, but Kong gets a shoulder up. Chihiro picks up Kong and charges her, but Kong moves and Chihiro falls out of the ring. Kong goes out after her but Chihiro picks her up and hits a waterwheel drop on the floor. Chihiro and Kong return to the ring, Chihiro slams Kong and hits another waterwheel drop, but Kong barely kicks out of the cover. Kong drops down and kicks Chihiro in the head, Kong hits Chihiro with a paint can before delivering a brainbuster. Kong picks up Chihiro and hits a German suplex, but Chihiro returns to her feet and nails a spear. They both slowly get up, Kong applies an ankle hold but Chihiro gets to the ropes. Chihiro picks up Kong but she drops her, Uraken by Kong but Chihiro rolls her up when Kong goes for a cover. Waterwheel Drop by Chihiro, she goes for a German suplex but Kong blocks it and hits a Uraken, picking up the three count! Aja Kong is the new champion!

I don’t know if this felt like a big championship match but it was still pretty fun. The match was a bit slow paced, with two different ‘brawling outside the ring’ segments which there wasn’t really time for. Add in the long ankle hold that had no meaning, and there was a bit more time killing than I’d prefer in a 15 minute match. That being said, the rest of the action was top notch, as Kong threw around Chihiro like she was a child but Chihiro did enough to show she wasn’t a push-over. In fact, since she never hit the move she used to beat Satomura (German Suplex), she still has a ‘move in the hole’ if needed at a later date that Kong has never kicked out of. I liked Chihiro’s fire and Kong’s suplexes which took it up a notch, but still a bit lacking for a championship match.  Mildly Recommended

The post Sendai Girls’ on 1/9/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Almost every promotion has their “WrestleMania” level show, and this is that show for Sendai Girls’. With Stardom falling off from their heyday in 2013, it is Sendai Girls’ that has the most attended event of the year with over 2,000 fans piling into the Sendai Sun Plaza for Sendai Girls’ Anniversary Show. This is a big event for a few reasons, as new Tag Team Champions will be crowned and the rookie Chihiro Hashimoto challenges Meiko Satomura for the Sendai Girls’ World Championship! Here is the full card:

• Mika Shirahime (formally Mika Iwata) vs. Yako Fujigasaki
• Eiger and Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Rydeen Hagane and Dynamite Kansai
• Ayako Hamada, Mika Shirahime, and Mio Momono vs. Alex Lee, Hana Kimura, and Kyoko Kimura
• Aja Kong and Cassandra Miyagi vs. Hiroe Nagahama and Ryo Mizunami
• Sendai Girls Tag Team Championship: DASH Chisako and KAORU vs. Hikaru Shida and Syuri
• Sendai Girls World Championship: Meiko Satomura vs. Chihiro Hashimoto

I really wanted to wait and review this once the DVD comes out, as thus far it has only been released via the two hour show on Samurai TV! so it is clipped. Once I get the DVD, I will update this review as a show like this you want to see all of, not just a cut up version. But the main two matches will be shown in full so its still worth watching now.

Mika Shirahime vs. Yako Fujigasaki

They tie-up to start, kicks by Shirahime and she hits a triple jump armdrag out of the corner. More kicks by Shirahime but Fujigasaki avoids a dropkick and hits a hip attack for two. Camel clutch by Fujigasaki, she picks up Shirahime but Shirahime slides away and hits an enzuigiri. Shirahime goes up top and hits a diving body press, but it only gets a two count. Northern Lights Suplex by Shirahime but that gets a two as well, Fujigasaki pushes Shirahime away and dropkicks her in the back. Fujigasaki works over Shirahime on the mat before hitting another hip attack, Fujigasaki goes up top and hits a second rope diving body press for two. Fujigasaki goes up top again and delivers the swivel diving press, picking up the three count! Fujigasaki wins the match.

A good bit of this was clipped but it proves my point about the name change – it just doesn’t feel like the right time. Shirahime can’t even beat a young wrestler from another promotion, she is so far down the totem pole she is underground. Which isn’t really a big deal just one year into her career, but it feels like she should have waited to re-invent herself. Anyway this was too clipped to get a feel for, it just established that Mika still has a ways to go.

Eiger and Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Rydeen Hagane and Dynamite Kansai

We join the match with Eiger and Kansai having a creepy handshake, Hagane comes in but she is not willing to engage with Eiger so Kansai returns. Eiger goes off the ropes and tries to shoulderblock Kansai but has no luck, Eiger gets Kansai’s back and zombie walks behind her, but Kansai isn’t effected by her mind games. Claw Hold by Kansai and she pushes Eiger out of the ring, she returns and Kansai kicks Eiger in the back. Eiger spits dust into Kansai’s face which blinds her, Matsumoto runs in but Eiger accidentally spits dust into her face as well. Matsumoto is blinded and accidentally suplexes Eiger, Kansai then hits a lariat on both of them. Green Fall by Kansai on Eiger, and she picks up the three count! Kansai and Hagane are the winners.

About ten minutes of this match wasn’t shown, and pretty much all they did show was Kansai and Eiger’s interactions. This match may have had some ‘real’ action but we wouldn’t know it. Eiger can be amusing gimmick but even for Eiger fans not enough was shown to get excited about.

Ayako Hamada, Shirahime, and Momono vs. Alex Lee, Hana Kimura, and Kyoko Kimura

We join the match in progress with Kyoko toying with Shirahime, hard elbow by Kyoko but Shirahime delivers a dropkick and makes the hot tag to Hamada. Kicks by Hamada to Kyoko, Lee comes in to help but Hamada kicks her as well. Springboard armdrag/headscissors combination by Hamada, double dropkick by Hamada and she elbows Kyoko against the ropes. Hamada charges Kyoko but Kyoko hits a big boot before putting Hamada in a stretch hold. Kyoko tags in Hana as she was begging for the tag, double knee by Hana and she dropkicks Hamada to the mat. Hana goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Hana but it gets two. Hana goes for a suplex but Hamada blocks it and the two trade elbows. Hamada gets the better of that battle at first but Hana fires back, she goes for a suplex and this time she hits it for two. Sleeper by Hana but Hamada quickly throws her off, Kyoko comes in but she gets double teamed in the corner by Hamada and Momono. Backdrop suplex by Hamada and Shirahime hits a diving bodypress for two. Northern Lights Suplex by Shirahime to Kyoko, but the cover is broken up. Kyoko drops Shirahime to the mat while DDTing Hamada at the same time, Lee comes in but she kicks Kyoko by accident. Hamada comes in but heel kicks Shirahime by mistake, suplex by Kyoko to Shirahime but Shirahime bridges out of the pin. Lee goes up top and hits a diving footstomp onto Shirahime, Kyoko puts Shirahime in a modified camel clutch and Shirahime submits! Lee and Double Kimura win!

What does it say about Shirahime that she is tagging with a younger rookie from another promotion but she still is the one that gets pinned? Maybe they are doing the “losing streak to build character” thing with her but a year ago she was being competitive with Kairi Hojo so it seems like a big step down for her. I absolutely love Double Kimura and it is great to see a young wrestler doing so well, Hamada showed Hana a lot of respect and its always nice to see the next generation improve as much as Hana has. Ten minutes was cut so I can’t recommend a match with so much missing, but some solid action here as the better wrestlers controlled the action in what was shown.

Aja Kong and Cassandra Miyagi vs. Hiroe Nagahama and Ryo Mizunami

Miyagi and Nagahama kick things off, Miyagi confuses the youngster with some headbanging before kicking her in the stomach. Nagahama kicks her back and hits a few elbows, dropkick by Nagahama and she hits two more for a two count cover. Miyagi throws down Nagahama by the hair and tags Kong, elbows by Nagahama but they have no impact on Kong, double chop to the chest by Kong and she hits an elbow drop. Kong beats Nagahama for a few minutes as Kong is on too high of a level for Nagahama, she tags Miyagi back in and Miyagi stretches Nagahama in the ropes. Dropkick by Miyagi and she hits a scoop slam for a two count. Nagahama dropkicks Miyagi and makes the hot tag to Mizunami, spear by Mizunami to Miyagi but Kong blocks it when she goes for one on her as well. Mizunami back bodydrops Kong before slamming Miyagi on top of Kong, elbow by Mizunami in the corner to Miyagi which she follows with a lariat. Kong is tagged in, lariat by Kong and she hits a backdrop suplex on Mizunami for two. Kong gets on the second turnbuckle but Nagahama grabs her from the apron, Mizunami recovers and suplexes Kong back into the ring. Spear by Mizunami, she gets on the top turnbuckle and nails the diving leg drop, but Miyagi breaks up the cover.

Nagahama kicks Miyagi out of the ring, Mizunami picks up Kong but Kong knees her off. Slap by Kong but Mizunami elbows her and both wrestlers fall to the mat. Nagahama and Miyagi are both tagged in, Miyagi elbows Nagahama into the corner and hits a face crusher. Missile dropkick by Miyagi, she goes back up top but Mizunami hits her from the apron. Nagahama tosses Miyagi off the turnbuckle and hits a dropkick, crossbody by Nagahama and she gets a two count. Miyagi blocks the suplex attempt but Mizunami runs in and lariats her, Northern Lights Suplex by Nagahama but it gets two. Nagahama goes off the ropes but Kong kicks her, scoop slam by Miyagi but Mizunami comes in to help Nagahama. Kong runs in and lariats both of them, Kong picks up Nagahama and slams her in position for Miyagi’s slingshot somersault legdrop. Nagahama comes back with a few flash pins, but Kong breaks it up. Kong hits Mizunami with her paint can while Miyagi picks up Nagahama, but Nagahama slides off and applies the Cassandra for two. Nagahama goes off the ropes but Miyagi boots her in the face, backdrop suplex by Miyagi but Mizunami breaks up the cover. Steel Ball Run by Miyagi, and she picks up the three count! Kong and Miyagi are your winners.

I enjoyed this match, I liked the dynamic that both teams showed and it was very fast paced. Nagahama having no luck against Kong was logical but Mizunami had more success, so it wasn’t a situation of Kong just not being in the mood like she has sometimes done in the past. Miyagi I am happy to report is improving in-ring, she always had the personality to be successful but I think her wrestling is starting to catch up. A fun mid-card tag match.  Mildly Recommended

DASH Chisako and KAORU vs. Hikaru Shida and Syuri
Sendai Girls Tag Team Championship

Chisako and KAORU attack before the bell rings, isolating Shida for a double beatdown. Chisako stays in with Shida and hits a dropkick, KAORU returns and Shida is double teamed some more in the ropes. Shida recovers and trades elbows with Chisako, Chisako knocks Shida to her knees and dropkicks her, but Syuri trips Chisako from the floor. Knee lift by Shida and Syuri continues lending a hand, Shida drags Chisako back in the ring and makes the tag to Syuri. Kicks to the chest by Syuri and she kicks Chisako in the back, Syuri applies a cross armbreaker before going for a seated armbar, but Chisako gets into the ropes. Chisako knees Syuri and hits a quick footstomp, she tags in KAORU and KAORU hits a backdrop suplex. KAORU puts Syuri in a surfboard, she lets her go after a moment and applies a crab hold, but Syuri gets in the ropes. Syuri boots KAORU when she charges in and hits a spinning headscissors, kick by Syuri and she tags in Shida. Hip Attack by Shida but KAORU boots her in the face and gets her wooden board, she hits Shida with it a few times before hitting a suplex onto the board. The referee isn’t interested in counting the cover due to the weapon usage, KAORU tries to drop the board onto Shida but Shida rolls out of the way.

Shida slams KAORU in front of the corner and gets her kendo stick, she drops it onto KAORU but KAORU catches it. Boot by KAORU, Chisako comes in but Shida puts her in the corner and then suplexes KAORU onto Chisako. Shida tags Syuri, knees by Syuri to KAORU and she hits a jumping knee followed by a double underhook suplex for two. Cross armbreaker by Syuri but KAORU gets a foot on the ropes to get a break. Syuri picks up KAORU but KAORU applies a sleeper, Syuri breaks out of it but KAORU boots her twice in the face. Delayed brainbuster by KAORU, she picks up Syuri but Syuri hits a Backstabber. PK by Syuri, but KAORU bridges out of the pin and rolls up Syuri for two. KAORU tags Chisako, Chisako dropkicks Syuri in the knee and then in the face, KAORU returns and Syuri is double teamed. Chisako picks up Syuri and they trade elbows, jumping knee by Syuri and she hits a German suplex hold for two. Syuri tags Shida, Chisako ducks Shida’s knee so Shida knees her in the back of the head instead. Syuri comes in and they take turns striking Chisako, cover by Shida but KAORU breaks it up. Chisako gets away and throws Shida into Syuri, she goes up top but Shida joins her. KAORU comes in and suplexes Shida from behind, Shida gets tosses her kendo stick and she throws it at Chisako. Shida goes outside the ring and hits Chisako with the kendo stick some more while KAORU and Syuri battle over KAORU’s wooden board.

The referee is accidentally knocked out while all four battle at ringside, Chisako and Shida get back in the ring but Syuri joins them as all four have their weapons. The referee recovers and takes Shida’s kendo stick, allowing Chisako to hit a missile dropkick for two. KAORU boots Shida in the corner, dropkick by Chisako and Shida is dropped with a double front suplex. Chisako goes up top and nails the diving footstomp, but Syuri breaks up the cover. Chisako and KAORU go up to opposite corners, but Syuri and Shida avoid both of their dives. Shida hits Chisako with two straight running knees, but she is too hurt to capitalize. They both slowly recover and trade elbows, jumping knee by Shida but Chisako quickly kicks out. Backbreaker by Shida and she nails the Three Count, cover by Shida but it gets two. Falcon Arrow by Shida, Syuri comes in and they hit a double running knee on Chisako. Shida picks up Chisako and hits an enzuigiri, she goes off the ropes but KAORU knees her from the apron. Schoolboy by Chisako, but Syuri breaks it up. Syuri goes for a high kick on Chisako but hits Shida by accident, hurricanrana by Chisako but it gets a two count. Chisako grabs Shida and quickly applies the Spring Round, and she picks up the three count! Chisako and KAORU are the new champions!

Well this was certainly action packed. First, I liked that the ‘weapons’ section was short, you knew it was coming but it was confined to just a few quick parts and beyond that it was a more regular wrestling match. Shida and Syuri are two of my favorites, which is well documented, and both looked great here with their strikes. KAORU was a bit out of place at times, both literally and figuratively, she is still a solid wrestler but seemed a step behind a few times. Chisako having to ‘overcome’ at the end worked, since she is a Sendai Girls’ wrestler and she needed that redemption since she never lost her tag title in the first place. Really good match, maybe a bit long but entertaining throughout.  Recommended

(c) Meiko Satomura vs. Chihiro Hashimoto
Sendai Girls’ World Championship

Satomura and Hashimoto quickly go to the mat and jockey for position, but neither can get the clear advantage. Satomura goes for Hashimoto’s arm and applies a keylock, they return to their feet and Satomura hits a snap vertical suplex. Armbar by Satomura and she applies a cross armbreaker, but Hashimoto gets a toe on the ropes to force a break. Kicks to the chest by Hashimoto but Hashimoto picks up Satomura and slams her to the mat. Armtrap Headlock by Hashimoto, she picks up Satomura and drives her back into the corner. Shoulder tackles by Hashimoto but Satomura takes back over and elbows Hashimoto before hitting a backdrop suplex. Headlock by Satomura but Hashimoto reverses it, Cobra Twist by Satomura and she uppercuts Hashimoto against the ropes. Satomura charges Hashimoto but Hashimoto hits a body avalanche followed by a judo throw, she goes for Satomura’s arm but Satomura slides away. Headlock by Satomura but Hashimoto gets a foot on the ropes, uppercuts by Satomura but Hashimoto ducks the heel kick and hits a spear. Hip attacks by Hashimoto and she hits a pair of somersault sentons, but Satomura grabs her and applies a crucifix submission. Hashimoto reaches the ropes to get the break, kicks to the chest by Satomura and she drills Hashimoto in the head, sending the rookie out of the ring. She returns after a moment and elbows Satomura, but Satomura elbows her back and they trade strikes.

DDT by Satomura and she goes up top, but Hashimoto rolls out to the apron and joins Satomura. Satomura slides back into the ring and hits a Pele Kick, high kick by Satomura and she kicks Hashimoto some more in the corner. Backdrop suplex by Satomura, but Hashimoto kicks out at two. Satomura picks up Hashimoto but Hashimoto fires off a lariat, Hashimoto gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a somersault senton for a two count. Satomura elbows Hashimoto and applies a sleeper, but Hashimoto quickly gets out of it. Hashimoto goes for a tackle but Satomura blocks it, heel kick by Satomura and both wrestlers are hurt on the mat. Satomura is up first and goes for a kick, but Hashimoto catches it and hits a lariat. Release German suplex by Hashimoto, she picks up Satomura and hits a powerbomb. The referee is particularly concerned with Satomura and stops Hashimoto from doing her next move, Satomura manages to get back up and Hashimoto hits a lariat. Hashimoto picks up Satomura but Satomura delivers a pair of high kicks, Hashimoto comes back with a spear before hitting the Waterwheel Drop for two. Lariats by Hashimoto but Satomura ducks one and hits a Pele Kick. Death Valley Bomb by Satomura, but Hashimoto gets a shoulder up on the cover. Kick to the head by Satomura and she puts Hashimoto in a sleeper, but Hashimoto inches to the ropes to force a break. Cartwheel kneedrop by Satomura, she picks up Hashimoto but Hashimoto blocks the Death Valley Bomb and hits a release German. Satomura jumps to her feet but Hashimoto hits a German Suplex Hold, and Hashimoto gets the three count! Chihiro Hashimoto is the new champion!

There are different ways I could go with a match like this, but first I will say that I was surprised by the result. Sendai Girls’ is a smaller promotion and the Sendai Girls’ Championship is a new belt, but it is unusual in any promotion in the world for a rookie to hold a promotion’s highest ranking title. I can understand what they are going for, Satomura doesn’t need a title at this stage of her career and Hashimoto has shown a lot of promise, but its still a gutsy move to give a title to a wrestler as the first win of any note in their career. As for the match itself, it was pretty basic for the first part, the ground game is what Hashimoto does well so that was the bulk of what they did the first five minutes. Business picked up from there, the action was really crisp and Satomura led Hashimoto well and the whole match was very fluid. Even though it wasn’t a short match, the ending seemed a bit sudden as its rare to get a pin right after a ‘fighting spirit’ spot, it caught the crowd by surprise as well. Overall it was a very good match, perhaps a historic match, and probably about as good as it could have been even though it was far from a must-see classic.  Recommended

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