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

As far as JWP events go, this is a pretty big one. First of all, Kana is on the card, which automatically elevates it. More importantly there is also a Hikaru Shida singles match as well as two title matches. How did I not review this event sooner? It sounds heavenly. Here is the full card:

– SAKI vs. Yako Fujigasaki
– Eri and KAZUKI vs. Hanako Nakamori and Kana
– Arisa Nakajima vs. Hikaru Shida
– JWP Tag Team and Daily Sports Tag Team Championship: Leon and Ray vs. Rabbit Miyu and Rydeen Hagane
– JWP Openweight Championship: Kayoko Haruyama vs. Command Bolshoi

All the wrestlers above profiles on the website, you can click on their names to go straight to it.

SAKI vs. Yako Fujigasaki

They tie-up to kick things off and trade elbows before SAKI throws down Fujigasaki by her hair. Fujigasaki returns the favor but SAKI throws down Fujigasaki by her hair again. SAKI stomps on Fujigasaki but Fujigasaki hits a diving double chop for a two count cover. Fujigasaki applies a Muta Lock but SAKI gets out of it and hits a trio of snapmares before applying a stretch hold. Fujigasaki kicks SAKI and throws her into the corner, Irish whip by Fujigasaki and she dropkicks SAKI. Face crusher by SAKI, cover, but it gets a two count. SAKI applies a crab hold, she releases the hold and goes for a reverse splash off the ropes, but Fujigasaki moves out of the way. Scoop slam by Fujigasaki and she covers SAKI for two. SAKI and Fujigasaki trade elbows until Fujigasaki hits a trio of dropkicks, Fujigasaki picks up SAKI but SAKI blocks the scoop slam. Backslide by SAKI, but Fujigasaki kicks out at two. SAKI applies a bodyscissors and rolls Fujigasaki around the ring before applying a Camel Clutch. Fujigasaki wiggles to the ropes to get the break, SAKI picks her up and hits a snapmare but Fujigasaki jumps up on the second turnbuckle and hits a sunset flip for a two count. A backslide doesn’t work either, Fujigasaki goes off the ropes but SAKI grabs her and applies a stretch hold. SAKI puts Fujigasaki in the Rocking Horse, she picks up Fujigasaki and hits a scoop slam. SAKI goes up to the top turnbuckle but Fujigasaki avoids the reverse splash. Fujigasaki goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, she grabs SAKI and hits a wrist-clutch Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Scoop slam by Fujigasaki, she goes up top but SAKI avoids the diving bodypress. SAKI goes off the ropes and hits a pair of shoulderblocks. Another shoulderblock by SAKI and she covers Fujigasaki for two. SAKI picks up Fujigasaki but Fujigasaki sneaks in an inside cradle for two. Wing Clutch Hold by Fujigasaki, but it gets a two as well. Irish whip by Fujigasaki but SAKI hits a vertical suplex. SAKI slams Fujigasaki near the corner, she goes to the second turnbuckle and hits the reverse senton splash for the three count! SAKI wins!

I wouldn’t say this was good, I can’t really think of any positive words to say actually. There were a lot of things here that didn’t quite work, and when a vertical suplex is the big setup move for the finish it is not a great sign. It went longer than it needed to as they ran out of things to do around minute four, and aside from a unique finish there is no real reason to watch this one.

Eri and KAZUKI vs. Hanako Nakamori and Kana

Nakamori and Eri begin the match and Nakamori tosses Eri to the mat. Nakamori tosses her down again but KAZUKI kicks her from the apron. KAZUKI gets in the ring, they throw Nakamori into the corner and both hit running strikes. DDT by Eri and Nakamori eats a double dropkick. Eri and KAZUKI apply leg submission holds before letting the hold go, snapmares by Eri to Nakamori but Nakamori boots her to the mat and tags in Kana. Kana and Eri have an elbow battle that doesn’t go well for Eri, and Kana dropkicks Eri to the mat. They trade elbows again, dropkick by Eri but Kana stays up. Kana kicks Eri in the chest a few times but Eri catches one and applies an ankle hold. Kana rolls out of it but Eri gets the hold re-applied, Kana suplexes her way out of the hold but Eri hits a tornado DDT for a two count. Eri tags in KAZUKI and KAZUKI kicks Kana in the leg. Reverse double kneedrop by KAZUKI near the corner, she goes up top but Kana avoids the diving kneedrop. Nakamori comes in but KAZUKI kicks Nakamori back, Kana catapults off Nakamori’s back and kicks KAZUKI in the corner. Kana kicks KAZUKI and goes for the chickenwing, but KAZUKI gets out of it. KAZUKI picks up Kana but Kana blocks the cutter and kicks KAZUKI in the head for a two count cover. Crossface chickenwing by Kana but Eri gets by Nakamori to break it up. Kana tags in Nakamori, Nakamori goes up top and hits a missile dropkick on KAZUKI.

Nakamori goes up again and hits another missile dropkick, fisherman suplex by Nakamori to KAZUKI and it gets a two count. Nakamori kicks KAZUKI in the leg and goes off the ropes, but KAZUKI knees her in the stomach. KAZUKI goes up top but Nakamori kicks her and joins her. Eri comes in but Kana also runs in and she suplexes Eri. Avalanche Fisherman Buster by Nakamori to KAZUKI, but KAZUKI barely gets a shoulder up. Nakamori goes for a Capture Buster by KAZUKI blocks it, Kana comes in but KAZUKI ducks their kicks. KAZUKI drops Nakamori onto Kana, she picks Nakamori back up and slams her to the mat for a two count. KAZUKI tags in Eri and Eri dropkicks Nakamori. DDT by Eri, she picks up Nakamori but Nakamori hits a fisherman suplex. Eri comes back with another DDT, but the cover gets two. Codebreaker by KAZUKI to Nakamori, and Eri rolls up Nakamori for a two count. Eri and Nakamori trade strikes, Eri goes off the ropes but Kana elbows her. KAZUKI knocks down Kana and then hits a backdrop suplex onto Nakamori. Eri tries a few quick pins on Nakamori with no luck, Eri goes off the ropes but Nakamori boots her. KAZUKI boots Nakamori so that Eri can roll her up, but Kana breaks up the count. Kana and Nakamori both kick Eri, but KAZUKI breaks up the pin. Shining Wizard by Nakamori to Eri, but Eri barely gets a shoulder up. Nakamori picks up Eri and she plants her with the Chinkonka Driver, and she picks up the three count! Hanako Nakamori and Kana are your winners.

This had some good moments but the flow just felt off. It was utterly non-gripping in terms of being captivating, I think partly because it had no structure to speak of. It was just random action until the match randomly ended with no real drama or emotion. I love Kana but I still can’t recommend this match, just pretty average all things considered.

Arisa Nakajima vs. Hikaru Shida

After trading holds for a bit, armdrag by Shida but Nakajima armdrags her back. Irish whip by Shida and she knocks down Nakajima with a hip attack. Another hip attack by Shida and she hits a backbreaker. Shida punches Nakajima in the back, Irish whip to the corner and she hits a jumping knee for a two count. Shida applies a crab hold but Nakajima crawls to the ropes to force the break. Backbreaker by Shida but Nakajima plants her with a DDT followed by a dropkick. Nakajima applies a kneelock and then a single leg crab hold before pulling on Shida’s hair. Knee by Nakajima and she hits another one in the corner, Irish whip by Nakajima and she jumps up on the top turnbuckle, but Shida pushes her to the apron. Shida joins Nakajima on the apron and they trade elbows, a battle that Nakajima gets the better of as Shida crashes to the mat. Nakajima gets on the top turnbuckle but Shida throws a kendo stick at her to knock her to the floor. Nakajima gets a hair and hits Shida with it, and they trade blows with their respective weapons. Shida surprisingly gets the better of it and she hits Nakajima repeatedly with the stick. They battle around the ring, with Shida slamming Nakajima’s back into the apron. Nakajima throws Shida into the chairs as a retort before slamming her head into the ring post. Nakajima then gets on the apron and hits a missile dropkick down to the floor, Nakajima slides Shida back in and hits another missile dropkick. Shida elbows Nakajima as they trade shots, release German suplex by Nakajima and she knees Shida against the ropes. Running boot by Nakajima and she hits a footstomp to Shida’s stomach. Rolling Germans by Nakajima, she goes up top but Shida joins her and knocks Nakajima to the apron. Shida grabs Shida while on the second turnbuckle and suplexes Nakajima back into the ring. Shida goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Shida but it gets two.

Shida goes off the ropes and hits an enzuigiri, facebuster by Shida and she applies a chinlock. Nakajima gets to the ropes to get the break, Shida picks her up and hits a backbreaker. Shida picks up Nakajima again but Nakajima slides away and sneaks in a schoolboy for two. Release German suplex by Nakajima and both wrestlers are down on the mat. They trade elbows as they return to their feet, Shida goes off the ropes but Nakajima blocks the knee. Shida blocks Nakajima’s kick also but Nakajima drops her with a release dragon suplex. Elbows by Nakajima, she picks up Shida but Shida blocks the suplex. Nakajima goes off the ropes but Shida hits a jumping knee. Shida puts Nakajima on the top turnbuckle, she joins her but Nakajima headbutts her off. Shida avoids the diving footstomp however and knees Nakajima in the back, Three Count by Shida but Nakajima gets a shoulder up. Falcon Arrow by Shida, but again the cover gets two. Shida knees Nakajima in the head a few times, she tries to go off the ropes but Nakajima hits a package suplex for a two count. Nakajima goes for a dragon suplex but Shida blocks it and applies an inside cradle for two. Nakajima charges Shida but Shida hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Fireman’s carry backbreaker by Nakajima, she puts Nakajima on the top turnbuckle and drops her back-first onto the top turnbuckle. Cover by Shida, but Nakajima barely kicks out. Shida goes off the ropes and hits a Three Count, but Nakajima quickly rolls her up for two. German suplex by Nakajima but Shida hits a Three Count. Shida nails the Tamashii no Three Count, and she gets the three count pinfall! Hikaru Shida wins the match!

This was pretty fantastic. Nakajima and Shida are both high-level wrestlers and they got plenty of time here to do what they wanted to do. Shida’s focus on Nakajima’s back was well done as she did a ton of damage to it, and the weapon usage outside of the ring was brief but showed how serious both wrestlers were. They were both very on point with their strikes/suplexes and it stayed heated from bell to bell. A great match, check it out.  Highly Recommended

(c) Leon and Ray vs. Rabbit Miyu and Rydeen Hagane

This match is for the JWP Tag Team and Daily Sports Tag Team Championship. Miyu and Hagane attack before the match starts and isolate Leon in the ring. Leon kicks Hagane away and scoop slams Miyu on top of her before hitting a footstomp on her. Ray runs in and they hit a double dropkick on Hagane, cover by Leon but it gets two. Leon tries to slam Hagane with no luck, and Hagane slams her instead. Body press by Hagane but Leon easily kicks out. Hagane tags in Miyu and Miyu dropkicks Leon. Miyu throws Leon into the corner and stands on her, Irish whip by Miyu but Leon hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Leon tags in Ray, and Ray knocks down Miyu in the corner, she puts Miyu in the ropes and dropkicks her in the back. Ray covers Miyu but Miyu bridges out of it, she goes off the ropes but Leon kicks her from the apron. Miyu armdrags both of them, Hagane lariats Ray and Miyu hits a tornado DDT. Vertical suplex by Miyu and she tags in Hagane. Hagane dropkicks Ray but Ray hits a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Leon goes up top and hits a missile dropkick on Hagane, she covers Hagane but it gets two. Hagane goes for a suplex but Leon lands on her feet, Leon goes for a spear but Hagane blocks it. Leon rolls behind Hagane’s back and dropkicks her in the head, and back up they trade elbows. Hagane goes off the ropes but Leon picks her up and drives Hagane into the corner so that Ray can hit a slingshot dropkick. Leon charges Hagane and hits a shoulder tackle, double Irish whip to Hagane but she hits a double lariat. Hagane picks up Leon and puts her upside down in the corner before hitting a body avalanche.

Miyu comes in to help and they double team Leon, Hagane goes to the corner and she hits a reverse splash for a two count. Hagane goes up top but Leon avoids the dive, knees by Leon but Hagane catches her with a powerslam. Hagane tags in Miyu and Miyu hits a missile dropkick. Miyu goes up top and hits another missile dropkick to Leon, but Leon kicks out of the cover. Miyu slaps Leon but Leon picks her up and tosses Miyu out of the ring. Hagane runs in but she gets dumped to the floor also, Ray goes for a moonsault but Hagane pulls her out of the ring, Miyu then goes up top and she dives out onto both Leon and Ray with a plancha suicida. Hagane gets on the apron, she picks up Miyu in a press slam and throws her onto both their opponents. Hagane rolls Leon back in, Miyu goes up top and she goes off Hagane’s shoulders with a senton. Hard elbow by Miyu, and she covers Leon for another two count. Miyu goes up top but Ray runs in and kicks her in the head before she can jump off. Leon joins Miyu up top and she hits an avalanche fisherman buster, cover by Leon but Miyu gets a shoulder up. Leon picks up Miyu but Miyu gets away, Leon destroys Miyu with a spear but Hagane breaks up the cover. Quick roll-up by Miyu for two, but Leon hits a heel kick.

Miyu ducks the next one, elbows by Miyu and she nails the Rabbit Suplex Hold but it is broken up by Ray. Spinning kick by Leon and she makes the tag to Ray while Hagane is also tagged in. Ray hits the Space Rolling Elbow in the corner followed by the Sling Blade, Ray picks up Hagane as Leon comes back in but Hagane hits a double backdrop suplex. Lariat by Hagane to Ray, Miyu goes up top as does Hagane, and Ray jumps off Hagane’s back with a footstomp. Reverse Splash by Hagane, but Leon barely breaks up the cover. Hagane goes up top again and she nails the diving body press, but Ray gets a shoulder up. Leon runs in and spears Hagane, with Ray following with a tiger feint kick. Ray picks up Hagane as Miyu goes up top, but Miyu missile dropkicks Hagane by accident. Leon goes up top and hits a Swanton Bomb, Ray follows with a moonsault but Miyu breaks up the cover. Miyu suplexes Ray and hits a cutter onto Leon, lariat by Hagane to Ray but it only gets two. Hagane goes for the Rainmaker but Ray ducks it and hits a hurricanrana, but Hagane rolls through it. Leon breaks that up, double superkick to Hagane and Leon hits another spinning heel kick as does Ray. Ray goes up to the top turnbuckle and she nails the Skytwister Press, picking up the three count pinfall! Leon and Ray are still your champions.

Another high caliber match, maybe a step below the last one but not by much. They didn’t waste time here doing things that didn’t matter, it was just constant action with strikes, suplexes, spears, and everything else. It was perfectly fluid as there weren’t any noticeable mistakes, and all four were smooth as they all showed great teamwork. Leon and Ray are really fun to watch, if you haven’t seen them wrestle before then you need to.  Recommended

(c) Kayoko Haruyama vs. Command Bolshoi

This match is for the JWP Openweight Championship. Haruyama knocks down Bolshoi right as the match starts but Bolshoi returns to her feet and they lock knuckles. Bolshoi goes for Haruyama’s arm but Haruyama gets out of it, Bolshoi applies a sleeper but Haruyama rolls away. Bolshoi goes for a triangle choke but that doesn’t work either as Haruyama slams Bolshoi to the mat to get out of it. Waistlock by Bolshoi and she applies a short armbar, Haruyama gets out of it and she hits a lariat. Irish whip by Haruyama and she blocks Bolshoi’s headscissors attempt. Haruyama applies a double underhook and hits a facebuster, she then picks up Bolshoi and hits a second one. Haruyama goes for a third but Bolshoi blocks it and they trade elbows. Lariat by Haruyama, she goes up top but Bolshoi smacks her and joins her. Haruyama snaps Bolshoi over the top rope and knocks her back into the ring, Haruyama goes up top but Bolshoi recovers and joins her again. Avalanche uranage by Bolshoi, cover, but Haruyama gets a shoulder up. Back up, Haruyama kicks Bolshoi into the corner and hits repeated short range lariats. Haruyama puts Bolshoi on the top turnbuckle but Bolshoi grabs her arm and applies an armbar. Bolshoi stays up top but Haruyama hits her and goes up as well, hitting a powerslam to the mat. Haruyama goes off the ropes and hits a sliding lariat, but Bolshoi kicks out of the cover. Haruyama picks up Bolshoi but Bolshoi hits a tiger feint kick followed by a palm strike. Another tiger feint kick and Bolshoi applies La Mistica, double reverse armbar by Bolshoi and she covers Haruyama for two. Tiger suplex hold by Bolshoi, but that gets two as well. Bolshoi picks up Haruyama and tries to get her on her shoulders, but Haruyama knees out of it. Dragon screw leg whip by Bolshoi but Haruyama hits a few lariats. Palm strike by Bolshoi, she gets Haruyama on her shoulders and she hits a Samoan Driver for a two count.

Bolshoi goes off the ropes but Haruyama picks her up and hits a modified Emerald Frosion for two. Haruyama stomps Bolshoi and goes up top but Bolshoi hits a palm strike. Haruyama hits a diving guillotine legdrop, she goes back up top and hits another one but Bolshoi barely kicks out. Haruyama picks up Bolshoi but Bolshoi hits a hurricanrana, but Haruyama rolls through it for two. Haruyama kicks Bolshoi, she picks her up but Bolshoi slides away and hits a palm strike. Lariats by Haruyama and she hits one final one for a two count. Haruyama picks up Bolshoi but Bolshoi hits a crucifix hold for two. Bolshoi charges Haruyama and delivers the Piko Knee Smash, she runs at Haruyama and hits a second one. One final Piko Knee Smash by Bolshoi, cover, but Haruyama barely gets a shoulder up. Bolshoi picks up Haruyama and hits a Michinoku Driver, but Haruyama again kicks out. Bolshoi goes off the ropes and hits a palm strike, but Haruyama fires back with a lariat. Another palm strike by Bolshoi but Haruyama hits a lariat. Haruyama and Bolshoi trade blows, with Haruyama hitting a lariat to win the battle. Haruyama goes off the ropes and hits another lariat, sliding lariat by Haruyama but the cover gets a two count. Haruyama picks up Bolshoi but Bolshoi gets on her shoulders, and she hits the Limelight for the three count! Bolshoi is the new champion!

And yet another high end match, this event really killed it with the last three matches. I am actually not a big fan of Haruyama but Bolshoi was on point the entire match, she brought the energy and the action that it needed and Haruyama played her part. Big moves, hard suplexes, and like the last few matches they didn’t waste a lot of time doing moves that didn’t matter. No real resting to speak of as Bolshoi is a physical specimen, they just went for it. Haruyama is a bit lumbering but Bolshoi made up for it, a great title match.  Recommended

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This event is not a lower level one like the recent Ice Ribbon show I reviewed, however it is also one that only came out on DVD. I picked this event because this is the last title match of Kyoko Kimura’s long career, and I wanted to watch it. But it also has some other interesting match-ups, such as Natsumi Maki teaming with Sareee and I get to watch Tam Nakano for the first time. Here is the full card:

• Tam Nakano vs. Yako Fujigasaki
• Megumi Yabushita vs. Rydeen Hagane
• KAZUKI vs. Sawako Shimono
• Sareee and Natsumi Maki vs. Yako Fujigasaki and Manami Katsu
• JWP Tag Team and Daily Sports Championship: Hanako Nakamori and Kyoko Kimura vs. Command Bolshoi and Leon

You can click on the wrestler’s name above if I have their profile created, Tam Nakano will be added shortly. This event was shown in full, so we get to watch it in all its glory.

Tam Nakano vs. Yako Fujigasaki

Nakano and Yako circle to start, they trade holds and shoulderblocks until Nakano knocks Yako to the mat. Nakano goes for a suplex but Yako blocks it and hits a scoop slam, camel clutch by Yako and she puts Nakano in the ropes. Dropkick by Yako, she picks up Nakano and hits a facebuster before applying a Muta Lock. Nakano crawls to the ropes to force the break, Yako picks up Nakano but Nakano blocks the suplex and hits a heel kick. Body block by Nakano and she hits another one, a third body block by Nakano and she covers Yako for two. Yako goes for a Vertebreaker but Nakano gets out of it and hits a lariat in the corner. Another lariat by Nakano, and she covers Yako for two. Back up they trade elbows until Yako knocks Nakano to the mat, she goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick. Another missile dropkick by Yako, she goes up top a third time but Nakano avoids the Swivel Body Press. Kick to the chest by Nakano and she hits a pair of running sentons for a two count. Nakano picks up Yako and hits a Samoan Drop, she goes for another one but Yako blocks it. Crab hold by Yako, but Nakano crawls to the ropes to force the break. Yako goes for a double wrist armsault but Nakano reverses it and applies a jackknife for two. They trade flash pins with neither having success, lariat by Nakano and she gets a two count. Nakano goes off the ropes but Yako elbows her and hits the double wrist armsault. Diving body press by Yako, she goes up top again and nails the Swivel Body Press for the three count! Yako Fujigasaki is the winner.

Nakano is still a little rough around the edges, which isn’t shocking considering she hasn’t been wrestling long but is still worth noting. So this match has to be viewed more as a learning experience than anything else, although Yako looked solid as she continues to progress. I saw flashes of ability for Nakano so she isn’t a lost cause, she just isn’t very crisp yet. A more traditional opener as the young wrestlers get some live practice, but a pretty average match overall.

Megumi Yabushita vs. Rydeen Hagane

After feeling each other out a bit, Megumi gets Rydeen’s hands down onto the mat and stomps on both of them, before twisting her around by the hair. Megumi rolls Rydeen to the mat, Rydeen switches positions with her however and stands on Megumi’s stomach. Rydeen drags Megumi to the middle of the ring but Megumi applies an ankle hold, Megumi releases it after a moment and puts Rydeen in a crab hold. Rydeen gets to the ropes for the break, Megumi rolls Rydeen over and knees down onto her stomach. Megumi Irish whips Rydeen but Rydeen reverses it and hits a judo throw, she hits a couple more judo throws and joins Megumi on the mat, but Megumi quickly puts her in a headscissors. Megumi goes for the triangle choke but Rydeen squeezes out of it, sleeper by Megumi but Rydeen picks up Megumi and hits a back bodydrop.

Rydeen picks up Megumi but Megumi blocks the suplex attempt, Rydeen re-positions Megumi and hits a backdrop suplex for two. Megumi comes back with a face crusher and a dropkick, she gets on the second turnbuckle and applies a hanging armbar when Rydeen charges in. Megumi comes off the top with a jumping knee to Rydeen, she picks her up and tries to throw Rydeen into the corner, but Rydeen reverses it and hits a lariat. Shoulderblock by Rydeen, and she covers Megumi for two. Rydeen goes for a powerbomb but Megumi reverses it into a sleeper hold, Rydeen drives Megumi into the corner to get out of it and hits a series of short range lariats. Rydeen goes off the ropes and hits another lariat, and she covers Megumi for a two count. Rydeen goes up top and hits a diving body press, but Megumi kicks out of the cover. Rydeen goes for the Rainmaker, but Megumi ducks it and applies a backslide for two. Megumi quickly puts Rydeen in a schoolboy, and she picks up the three count! Megumi Yabushita wins!

An odd little match. Not a bad one, I like Rydeen but Megumi is a unique pairing for her since their styles are very different. Megumi does more the sneaky veteran with some submission holds deal, while Rydeen is a power wrestler. It led to some entertaining moments for sure but it felt odd having Megumi controlling the action since Rydeen had such a size and strength advantage. Not bad for an early card match, but I think Rydeen could have better matches against other veterans.

KAZUKI vs. Sawako Shimono

They go into a battle of strength to start, Shimono gets the better of it as she shoulderblocks KAZUKI to the mat for a two count. Shimono sits down onto KAZUKI and applies a camel clutch, but KAZUKI quickly gets out of it and works over Shimono’s arm. Shimono rolls out to the apron but KAZUKI knocks her to the floor and twists Shimono’s arm in the ring post. KAZUKI gets on the apron and dives out onto Shimono with I assume a diving kneedrop, she picks up Shimono and throws her into the crowd. Back in the ring, KAZUKI knees Shimono in the arm and knocks her into the corner, she charges Shimono and hits a running knee to the stomach. Shimono comes back with a jumping knee and hits another one in the corner, but KAZUKI knocks her over when Shimono poses. The referee tries to separate them so they team up to attack the referee in the corner (that took a turn), Shimono and KAZUKI trade elbows until Shimono lariats KAZUKI against the ropes. Knees by KAZUKI but Shimono hits a Samoan Drop, she goes for a Raideen Drop but KAZUKI avoids it and hits a running double knee strike. Codebreaker by KAZUKI and she hits the double knee in the corner, she puts Shimono across the middle rope and hits a double kneedrop onto her stomach. Knee by KAZUKI, she goes off the ropes but Shimono catches her with a lariat. Raideen Drop by Shimono, she picks up KAZUKI but KAZUKI sneaks in a sunset flip for two. Shimono applies an inside cradle, it only gets two but she levels KAZUKI with a lariat. Shimono goes up top but KAZUKI joins her, KAZUKI slides away and she slams Shimono to the mat. KAZUKI picks up Shimono and hits the TKO, but Shimono bridges out of the cover. KAZUKI goes up top and delivers the diving double kneedrop, and she gets the three count! KAZUKI wins.

Another match I’d consider above average, but nothing too special. It was well worked, both have their style down pat, but there is a reason that never really climbed the ranks. They are solid wrestlers but not overly exciting, nothing really special or memorable happened during the match. Decent enough but nothing beyond that.

Sareee and Natsumi Maki vs. Yako Fujigasaki and Manami Katsu

Natsumi and Yako start the match, with Yako immediately going on the attack and she throws around Natsumi by the hair. Scoop slam by Yako, she grabs Sareee and slams her onto Natsumi before hitting a footstomp. Yako attacks Natsumi in the ropes, she throws Natsumi in the corner but Natsumi avoids her charge and applies a sunset flip for two. She tags in Sareee, Sareee throws Yako by her hair and hits a scoop slam. Sareee applies an evil camel clutch version of the Muta Lock, she releases the hold after a moment and Irish whips Yako, but Yako hits a jumping double chop and tags in Manami. Manami throws Sareee into the mat before putting her in the Mexican Surfboard, Manami runs over Sareee’s back before covering her for two. Manami elbows Sareee in the corner and hits a double underhook into a backbreaker, running knee by Manami and she puts Sareee in a crab hold. Natsumi breaks it up but Manami shoulderblocks both of them, Sareee goes for a suplex but Manami blocks it. Manami goes off the ropes but Sareee nails the release German before tagging in Natsumi. Natsumi hits a few dropkicks but Manami shrugs them off, elbow by Manami but Natsumi cartwheels away from her and hits a dropkick. Cover by Natsumi, but it gets two.

Manami kicks Natsumi and hits a face crusher, backdrop suplex by Manami and she covers Natsumi for a two count. Manami tags Yako, Yako goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick. Another missile dropkick by Yako and she puts Natsumi in a crab hold, but Natsumi gets to the ropes. Yako picks up Natsumi but Natsumi gets away and applies a satellite armbar, but Manami quickly breaks it up. Natsumi goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, but Yako kicks out of the cover. Natsumi tags in Sareee, Sareee and Yako trade elbows until Yako knocks down Sareee with a hip attack. Sareee comes back with a dropkick, fisherman suplex hold by Sareee but Yako kicks out. Sareee goes for a German but Yako blocks it, double wrist armsault by Yako but it gets two. Yako gets Sareee on her shoulders and applies a backbreaker, but Natsumi breaks it up. Reverse Splash by Manami, Yako goes up top and she hits a diving body press, but Natsumi breaks up the pin. Yako tries to pick up Sareee but Sareee rolls her up with a jackknife for two. They trade flash pins, dropkick by Sareee and Natsumi comes in to hit the Backlash. German suplex hold by Sareee, but Manami breaks it up. Sareee Germans Manami, she then goes up top with Natsumi and they both hit diving body presses on Yako. Uranage by Sareee to Yako, and she picks up the three count! Sareee and Natsumi Maki pick up the big win!

I thought this match was quite fun, even if I think Manami brought it down a bit. Sareee is such a good wrestler, I watch her every chance I get as she is the total package. Natsumi is entertaining, not as crisp yet as Sareee but she’s still early in her career. Both teams worked together well, although Natsumi and Sareee had more double teaming/helping than their opponents did which is always a concern with thrown-together tag teams. An entertaining match, mostly due to Sareee but other wrestlers contributed to that as well, and Yako was solid in her second match of the night.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Hanako Nakamori and Kyoko Kimura vs. Command Bolshoi and Leon
JWP Tag Team and Daily Sports Championship

Leon and Nakamori start for their respective teams, they trade strikes until Leon goes for a spear which Nakamori avoids. Leon gets back to her feet and both wrestlers tag out, Kyoko and Bolshoi circle each other before finally tying up. They go back and forth with waistlocks with Bolshoi getting Kyoko to the mat first, Kyoko gets up but Bolshoi armdrags her back down before they face off again. Leon comes in and attacks Kyoko from behind, but Nakamori runs in too and evens the odds. Bolshoi and Leon get the better of it and attack both their opponents in the corner before applying stretch holds. Leon is tagged in and starts working on Kyoko’s arm, but Kyoko gets away and tags in Nakamori. Nakamori kicks Leon in the back and some more in the corner, big boot by Nakamori and she puts Leon and the ropes so Kyoko can help too. Scoop slam by Nakamori and she hits a leg drop before covering Leon for two. Nakamori tags Kyoko back in, backbreaker by Kyoko and she jumps down on Leon’s back. Crab hold by Kyoko but Leon eventually makes it to the ropes, kicks to the head by Kyoko and she knocks Leon into the ropes. Irish whip by Kyoko but Leon hits a spear which gives her time to tag in Bolshoi, Bolshoi dropkicks both Kyoko and Nakamori before going for a uranage on Kyoko, but Kyoko blocks it. Kyoko goes off the ropes but Bolshoi catches her leg and applies an ankle hold, Kyoko rolls out of it however and tosses Bolshoi to the mat. Cobra Twist by Bolshoi but Nakamori breaks it up, grounded necklock by Bolshoi but Kyoko muscles out of it and hits a vertical suplex. Kyoko tags in Nakamori, boots by Nakamori and she goes up top, but Bolshoi knocks her onto the apron. Nakamori pushes her down and goes for the missile dropkick anyway, but Bolshoi sidesteps it and hits a palm thrust.

High kick by Nakamori and she hits a Shining Wizard, but Bolshoi kicks out of the cover. Nakamori goes for another kick but Bolshoi catches it and hits a dragon screw, she tags in Leon who comes in the ring with a missile dropkick. Nakamori blocks the Capture Buster but Leon spears her, Tiger Feint Kick by Bolshoi and Leon hits another spear for a two count. Leon goes up top and hits a diving body press, but Kyoko breaks up the cover.  Leon goes back up but Nakamori avoids the Swanton Bomb, now Nakamori goes up top but Leon joins her before she can jump off. Kyoko comes in too and powerbombs Leon, who superplexes Nakamori in the process. Bolshoi comes in but both she and Kyoko strike each other at the same time, sending both to the mat. Leon and Nakamori slowly recover and trade elbows, knee by Nakamori and she kicks Leon in the head. Fisherman Buster by Nakamori, but the cover gets a two. Kick to the head by Nakamori, she goes up top but Leon avoids her dive. Kyoko runs in as both she and Nakamori headbutt their respective opponents, Kyoko picks up Leon and with Nakamori they hit an assisted Gory Bomb. Cover by Nakamori, but Leon kicks out. Michinoku Driver by Nakamori, she picks up Leon but Leon blocks the reverse powerslam. Capture Buster by Leon, but she is too hurt to make the cover. Leon picks up Nakamori and they trade high kicks, Nakamori goes off the ropes but Leon delivers a spear. Leon picks up Nakamori but Kyoko gets back in the ring, she tries to headbutt Leon but headbutts Nakamori by accident. Quick roll-up by Leon, bu tit gets two. Bolshoi runs in and hits the Piko Knee Smash, Capture Buster by Leon and she picks up the three count! Leon and Command Bolshoi are the new champions!

A bit slow moving at times, but overall I enjoyed it. It was probably a bit longer than it needed to be considering the pace, but with it being a title match and the main event it had to go a decent amount of time. The best compliment I can give the match is that everything was hit smoothly and nothing felt forced, all four of these wrestlers are veterans and you could tell from watching them. What it lacked was anything particularly exciting, it was sound throughout but it only had a few brief spurts of intense action. A good match and a necessary one to get the title off of Kyoko, nothing too memorable but a solid effort by all.  Mildly Recommended

The post JWP on 1/9/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Normally, I don’t like to review an event that took place prior to an event I already reviewed for that promotion, but this is a special circumstance. I found a website online that sells JWP DVDs and I wanted to see this show so I could watch Kyoko Kimura take on Arisa Nakajima. It arrived today and works great, so I figured I may as well review the show as well. Here is the full card:

• KAZUKI vs. Yuina Onasaka
• Hanako Nakamori and Natsu Sumire vs. Syuri and Yako Fujigasaki
• Manami Katsu vs. Rydeen Hagane
• Command Bolshoi and Rabbit Miu vs. Leon and Sareee
• JWP Openweight Championship: Arisa Nakajima vs. Kyoko Kimura

You can click on the wrestler’s name above to go to their profile if I have one here on Joshi City. While this event was not filmed for TV, the matches all still got a decent amount of time so this is not your average house show. There is only one camera but its being operated, so its not just a static hard cam setup.

KAZUKI vs. Yuina Onasaka

KAZUKI and Yuina tie-up to start, elbows by Yuina but she can’t knock KAZUKI off her feet. They trade wristlocks, headlock by KAZUKI and she takes the rookie to the mat. Yuina struggles to the ropes to force a break but KAZUKI throws her down by the hair and scoop slams her for a two count cover. Leglock by KAZUKI and she applies a camel clutch, after a moment she releases the hold and knees Yuina in the back. Irish whip by KAZUKI but Yuina hits a crossbody, stomps by Yuina and she applies a chinlock. KAZUKI gets out of it and hits a scoop slam, running knee drop by KAZUKI and she covers Yuina for two. KAZUKI puts Yuina into the corner and hits a series of knees, KAZUKI charges Yuina but Yuina moves and hits a dropkick. Yuina and KAZUKI trade elbows, Yuina elbows KAZUKI against the ropes but KAZUKI knees her in the stomach. Dropkick by Yuina and she hits a seated senton, picking up a two. Yuina picks up KAZUKI but KAZUKI hits a scoop slam before putting Yuina in a crab hold. Yuina gets a hand on the ropes to force the break, running knee to the back by KAZUKI and puts Yuina across the second rope in the corner. Kneedrop by KAZUKI from the top turnbuckle, she then goes back up top and delivers a reverse splash kneedrop, but Yuina kicks out of the cover. KAZUKI goes up top again but this time Yuina avoids her dive and hits a bridging vertical suplex for two. Yuina gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving seated senton, but it only gets a two. Yuina goes off the ropes, KAZUKI picks her up but Yuina slides away and sneaks in a sunset flip. Yuina tries an inside cradle and backslide as well with no luck, KAZUKI scoops up Yuina and tosses her onto the mat. Crab hold by KAZUKI but Yuina gets into the ropes, STF by KAZUKI but again Yuina is able to force the break. KAZUKI picks up Yuina and hits a backdrop suplex, she goes up top and she delivers the diving kneedrop for the three count pinfall! KAZUKI is your winner.

I normally say matches are too short, but this one felt like it had a bit too much time. They didn’t have a ton of interesting things to do so the match just felt like it dragged even though it only went ten minutes. I do not know if Yuina has a future in Joshi but nothing from this match gave me any reason to think she will be a star, although KAZUKI is a tough draw as she isn’t the ideal pairing for a rookie due to her straight-forward and bland style. No mistakes or awkwardness, it was just a bit listless and dull.

Hanako Nakamori and Natsu Sumire vs. Syuri and Yako Fujigasaki

Syuri and Nakamori kick things off, Irish whip by Syuri but Nakamori shoulderblocks her to the mat. Armdrag by Syuri but Nakamori hits an armdrag of her own and both wrestlers return to their feet. Running kick by Nakamori but Syuri gets up and kicks her back, they trade snapmares and kicks which Syuri naturally gets the better of. Fujigasaki runs in and they double team Nakamori, Syuri hops on Fujigasaki’s back but Nakamori rolls out of the way of the body press attempt. Nakamori tags in while Syuri yells at Fujigasaki, Syuri tags Fujigasaki but Natsu promptly attacks her. Natsu and Nakamori double team Fujigasaki in the corner, Nakamori is tagged in and she hits Fujigasaki with a leg drop. Fujigasaki is beat down for awhile, first by Nakamori and then by Natsu, Natsu boots Fujigasaki repeatedly before covering her for two. Figure Four Necklock by Natsu but Fujigasaki gets to the ropes to force a break, running boot by Natsu but Fujigasaki hits a hip attack to start her comeback. Missile dropkick by Fujigasaki and she makes the tag to Syuri, knees by Syuri to Natsu and she hits a running knee in the corner. Double underhook suplex by Syuri and she puts Natsu in a cross armbreaker, Natsu gets out of it but Syuri hits a PK for a two count. Fujigasaki comes in, Syuri gets on her back and they walk over Natsu a few times before Fujigasaki hits a body press. Cover by Syuri, but Natsu kicks out. Syuri goes off the ropes but Natsu hits a jumping lariat, boot by Natsu and she hits a Bronco Buster in the corner.

Bridging suplex by Natsu, but Syuri kicks out at two. Natsu goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, she tags in Nakamori and Nakamori boots Syuri in the head. Kicks by Nakamori but Syuri kicks her back and hits a release German. Nakamori springs to her feet and quickly hits a Shining Wizard, she goes up top but Syuri avoids her dive and kicks her in the chest. German suplex hold by Syuri, but Natsu breaks it up. Syuri tags Fujigasaki, Fujigasaki goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick. Fujigasaki goes up again and hits a second missile dropkick, cover by Fujigasaki but it gets a two count. Fujigasaki hits rolling double wrist-clutch suplexes, but Nakamori kicks out of that as well. She goes for another one but Nakamori blocks it, kick to the stomach by Nakamori but Fujigasaki blocks the fisherman suplex. Scoop slam by Fujigasaki, she goes up top but Nakamori gets her knees up when Fujigasaki dives off. Natsu runs in and kicks Fujigasaki, big boot by Nakamori and they drop Fujigasaki with a double lariat. Nakamori picks up Fujigasaki and delivers the fisherman suplex hold, but Fujigasaki barely gets a shoulder up. Nakamori goes up top but Syuri kicks her from the apron, this gives Fujigasaki time to recover and Fujigasaki joins Nakamori before suplexing her down to the mat. Fujigasaki picks up Nakamori but Nakamori kicks her in the stomach, Syuri runs in but so does Natsu to even the odds. Fujigasaki covers Nakamori with a jackknife for two, she tries a few other flash pins but nothing works. Syuri returns and kicks Nakamori in the head, sunset flip by Fujigasaki but Natsu breaks it up. Fujigasaki goes off the ropes but Nakamori hits a big boot, Shining Wizard by Nakamori but Syuri breaks up the cover. Nakamori goes up top and she nails the Destiny Hammer, picking up the three count! Hanako Nakamori and Sumire Natsu are your winners.

Its hard to describe in words why this match is so bad. I’d say “you’d have to watch it to understand” but I don’t want you to have to watch it to understand. It was just really disjointed and basic, there were times they clearly didn’t know what was going on and besides Syuri all of their default moves were “running kick.” Not a big boot, just running up and kicking their opponent in the stomach. There were so many of those, and its not a real move, its a filler/confusion move that is just really obvious. So there was a lot of that, no real story being told, nothing to tie everything together. Syuri was fine as always but there was no way she could save this match, Nakamori I don’t think will ever develop as this is normal for her, Natsu hopefully will but for me they are a tag team from hell as I don’t think they could have an entertaining match as a team. Anyway, don’t watch this, even if you love Syuri you’ll come away from it annoyed.

Manami Katsu vs. Rydeen Hagane

They start with a shoulderblock battle that Hagane gets the better of, Hagane throws Katsu into the corner and she hits a lariat for a two count. Scoop slam and a running body press by Hagane and she puts Katsu in a camel clutch. Katsu gets out of it and bites Hagane’s arm, kicks by Katsu and she slams Hagane’s head into the mat before putting Hagane in a camel clutch of her own. Katsu rolls it into a bodyscissors, Hagane gets out of it and they trade elbows back on their feet. Katsu goes off the ropes but Hagane catches her with a swinging backbreaker, Hagane applies a single leg crab hold but Katsu gets to the ropes. Hagane picks up Katsu but Katsu knees her in the back and applies a crab hold but Hagane forces the break. Katsu goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, covering Hagane for two. Katsu picks up Hagane but Hagane elbows her off, snap release German by Katsu and she hits a Reverse Splash. Katsu goes for a second one but Hagane gets her feet up, Samoan Drop by Hagane and she hits a Reverse Splash of her own. Another Reverse Splash by Hagane, but Katsu kicks out of the cover. Hagane goes up top again and this time hits a diving bodypress, but Katsu barely gets a shoulder up. Hagane picks up Katsu but Katsu slides down her back and applies a sunset flip, Katsu goes off the ropes and hits a jumping knee by Hagane for a two count. Katsu picks up Hagane, Hagane goes for a Rainmaker but Katsu blocks it and both wrestlers elbow each other. Lariat by Hagane, she picks up Katsu and she delivers the Rainmaker, but Katsu barely kicks out. Hagane goes off the ropes but Katsu catches her with a spinning back elbow, German suplex hold by Katsu but it gets a two count. Katsu goes up top and she hits a diving elbow drop, Katsu picks up Hagane and sits her on the top turnbuckle. Katsu joins Hagane  and hits an avalanche release Orange Blossom suplex, she follows that with the regular Orange Blossom and she picks up the three count! Manami Katsu is the winner!

I have to give them credit, this match started dull like the last match and then something switched in their heads and suddenly they were throwing bombs like it was 1998 All Japan. It no longer was just a standard midcard match when people are kicking out of Rainmakers, diving bodypresses, and everything else. I think that Hagane shows the most promise of these two, she is a bit bigger which is harder to find in Joshi but still can do the same moves, and her power moves all have impact. I can’t give the match a super recommendation since it started so slow and in a meandering fashion, but the last few minutes were a great heavyweight sprint.  Mildly Recommended

Command Bolshoi and Rabbit Miu vs. Leon and Sareee

Leon and Bolshoi start off the match, Leon goes off the ropes as Bolshoi does as well and Leon hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Sareee comes in, Bolshoi goes for a double crossbody and is assisted by her partner Miu. All four stay in with Bolshoi and Miu getting the advantage, vertical suplex by Bolshoi to Leon and she covers her for two. Camel Clutch by Bolshoi, she lets the hold go and tags in Miu. Cutter by Miu and she snaps Leon’s arm, she throws Leon into the corner but Leon jumps over her head and dropkicks Miu into the corner. Leon tags in Sareee, scoop slam by Sareee to Miu and she puts her in a the Muta Lock. She picks up Miu as Leon comes in, and they both hit a dropkick. Miu changes the momentum with an armdrag and a crossbody, giving her a chance to tag in Bolshoi. Bolshoi gets Sareee on her shoulders and stretches her, dropkick to the knee by Sareee and she rolls up Bolshoi for two. Sareee charges Bolshoi but Bolshoi applies a hanging armbar, she tags Sareee’s arm and walks the ropes while Miu does the same to Leon in the opposite corner. They both hit armdrags off the ropes, more double team moves by Bolshoi and Miu as they are dominating their opponents. Miu stays in with Sareee and stretches her on the mat, Sareee gets out of it and the two trade elbows. DDT by Miu, she goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Sareee elbows Miu away and hits a dropkick, another dropkick by Sareee and she hits the fisherman suplex hold for a two count.

She rolls to her corner and tags in Leon, running shoulder tackle by Leon in the corner but Miu gets out of the double underhook. Another shoulder tackle by Leon, she goes up top and hits the missile dropkick for two. Leon goes up top but she is grabbed from the apron, Miu joins Leon but Sareee suplexes her from behind. Leon delivers a rope walking dropkick, cover by Leon but Miu kicks out. Stunner by Miu and she hits a lariat, picking up a two count cover. Miu goes off the ropes but Sareee kicks her from the apron, Sareee comes in but Miu hits a DDT on Leon anyway. Sliding D by Miu and she tags in Bolshoi. Bolshoi picks up Leon but Bolshoi catches her when she goes off the ropes and applies an armbar. Leon gets out of that but Bolshoi quickly puts her in another submission until Sareee breaks it up. Leon spears both of her opponents, she goes up top but Bolshoi avoids the dive. Leon lands on her feet and drops Bolshoi with a tilt-a-whirl slam, Sareee goes up top and she delivers a diving bodypress. Leon then does the same, but Miu breaks up the cover. Leon picks up Bolshoi but Bolshoi pushes her away, Miu tries to help but she elbows Bolshoi by accident. Heel kick by Leon to Bolshoi, but Bolshoi barely kicks out of the cover. Bolshoi reverses the Capture Buster into an inside cradle for two, palm strike by Bolshoi but Sareee runs in and dropkicks her. Miu takes care of Sareee, Tiger Feint Kick by Bolshoi to Leon and she rolls up Leon for two. Bolshoi charges Leon but Leon pushes her away and applies a jackknife for two. They trade quick pins with neither getting the win, Bolshoi goes for La Magistral but Leon blocks it and puts her in the Clutch de Gao for the three count! Leon and Sareee win!

A fun match, it never really reached the next level but what they did was solid. All four of these women can wrestle, which helps a lot, and everyone came out of it looking no worse than they went in. The match just lacked memorable moments, I just watched it 15 minutes ago and I already can’t think of many individual spots in the match as everything was just ‘good’ with nothing being ‘excellent.’ Technically fine and an easy watch, I just wish they did something special to make it stand out a bit and not just another above average midcard match.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Arisa Nakajima vs. Kyoko Kimura
JWP Openweight Championship

Kyoko quickly gets Arisa to the mat after the bell rings and the two jockey for position, they get back up but reach a stalemate. They slow down as they trade holds while still on their feet, they soon start trading elbows before Kyoko flings Arisa out of the ring by her hair. Kyoko goes out after her and they trade elbows out on the floor, our vision is blocked by what is happening however since the crowd is standing. Kyoko apparently won the battle as she returns to the ring first, she kicks Arisa as she returns and starts working on her arm. Arisa ducks Kyoko’s big boot attempt and hits the Sling Blade, running boot by Arisa and she hits a missile dropkick off the top turnbuckle. Arisa goes back up top and hits a second one, cover by Arisa but it gets two. DDT by Arisa, she goes for a suplex but Kyoko grabs the ropes to block it. Arisa goes for an elbow but Kyoko catches her arm and applies a short armbar, Arisa briefly gets out of it but Kyoko re-applies the hold. Arisa gets a foot on the ropes to break the hold, kicks by Kyoko and she snaps Arisa’s arm over the top rope. Kyoko gets back in the ring and applies a keylock, but Arisa forces the break. Kyoko tries to get Arisa to the mat but Arisa blocks it, she goes for a big boot but Arisa catches her leg and applies an ankle hold. Kyoko rolls out of it and applies an ankle hold of her own, but Arisa reverses it back again. Kyoko gets to the ropes to force a break, running boots to the head by Arisa and she goes up to the top turnbuckle, but Kyoko bumps the ropes before Arisa can jump off.

Kyoko joins Arisa but Arisa slides between her legs and applies an ankle hold, she lets go of Kyoko and suplexes her off the turnbuckles to the mat. Diving footstomp by Arisa to Kyoko’s back, she goes up top again and hits a second diving footstomp to Kyoko’s stomach for a two count cover. Rolling Germans by Arisa, but that gets a two count as well. Arisa goes off the ropes but Kyoko catches her with a chokebomb, and both wrestlers are down on the mat. They slowly get up and trade strikes, big boot by Kyoko but Arisa dropkicks her in the knee and rolls her up for a two count. Arisa goes off the ropes but Kyoko avoids the dropkick this time and goes for a cross armbreaker, but Arisa blocks it and applies a stretch muffler. Kyoko reverses it into a reverse armbar, but Arisa gets into the ropes to force a break. Kyoko picks up Arisa and hits a Saito Suplex, a second Saito Suplex by Kyoko and she drops Arisa with a third for a two count cover. Kyoko goes for Arisa’s arm but she quickly gets into the ropes, Kyoko boots at Arisa’s head but Arisa catches her with a bridging fallaway slam. Package German by Arisa, but Kyoko gets a shoulder up. Arisa picks up Kyoko and hits a series of elbows, dragon suplex hold by Arisa but again Kyoko kicks out. Arisa goes for the DxD but Kyoko blocks it so Arisa rolls her to the mat and applies an ankle hold. Kyoko gets a hand on the ropes to force a break. Arisa goes for a suplex but Kyoko headbutts her away, Arisa goes off the ropes but Kyoko levels her with a big boot. Elbows by Arisa and she goes off the ropes, but Kyoko jumps up at her and applies the cross armbreaker. Arisa is too far away from the ropes and has to submit! Your winner and new champion: Kyoko Kimura

Probably a bit more ‘based’ than one would expect from a long championship match, but I thought it was well structured even if sometimes the storytelling wasn’t consistent. Kyoko started the arm work early and kept at it throughout the match when she could, the only issue there was that Arisa didn’t do much to sell the arm damage when Kyoko wasn’t focused on it. Similarly, Arisa targeted Kyoko’s leg as a backup if the suplexes wouldn’t work, but Kyoko didn’t seem bothered by it if Arisa wasn’t actively working on it. Those small (and common) issues aside I enjoyed the match, they mixed up the offense so it never got dull and neither are shy about laying in the strikes. And anytime a match ends with a submission that the wrestler had been working since early on, I am probably going to appreciate it. Not a high end Arisa match but definitely a solid one, a bit low key but entertaining nonetheless.  Recommended

The post JWP Fly High in the 25th Anniversary on 10/9/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

I haven’t reviewed a JWP event in recent memory, so I figured I was overdue to see what the promotion is up to. This event was small in attendance but big in stature, as we have Kyoko Kimura defending the JWP Openweight Championship on it. We also get Kaho Kobayashi in a singles match, I have to enjoy her while I can since in 2017 she is going on an extended stay to Mexico. Here is the full card:

• Kaho Kobayashi vs. Yako Fujigasaki
• Kyuri vs. Leon
• Hanako Nakamori vs. Sumire Natsu
• Arisa Nakajima, KAZUKI, and Rydeen Hagane vs. Command Bolshoi, Dynamite Kansai, and Rabbit Miu
• JWP Openweight Championship: Kyoko Kimura vs. Manami Katsu
• JWP Openweight Championship (unannounced): Kyoko Kimura vs. Rabbit Miyu

This event aired I assume on niconico so it is shown in full! For better or worse.

Kaho Kobayashi vs. Yako Fujigasaki

Kaho starts with some arm work on the JWP youngster, Fujigasaki gets a headlock applied before knocking down Kaho with a shoulderblock. Springboard armdrag by Kaho and she dropkicks Fujigasaki in the corner, another dropkick by Kaho and she covers Fujigasaki for two. Kaho stomps down Fujigasaki and goes for a slam, Fujigasaki blocks it at first but Kaho eventually manages to get the scoop slam. Running sentons by Kaho, and she covers Fujigasaki for two. Dropkick to the back by Kaho but Fujigasaki levels her with a hip attack, Fujigasaki throws down Kaho by the hair a few times before hitting a facebuster. Camel Clutch by Fujigasaki and she then puts Kaho in a stretch hold, cover by Fujigasaki but it gets two. Fujigasaki puts Kaho in the ropes and dropkicks her in the back, she put Kaho in a single leg crab hold but Kaho gets to the ropes. Scoop slam by Fujigasaki but Kaho quickly rolls her up for two. Dropkick by Kaho and she hits another one, fisherman suplex by Kaho but Fujigasaki kicks out. Kaho goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, Fujigasaki gets up quick however and hits a missile dropkick of her own. Double wrist armsaults by Fujigasaki but Kaho reverses the last one into a guillotine choke. Fujigasaki hits a final armsault anyway, she slams Kaho in front of the corner and goes up top but Kaho avoids the diving swivel body press. They trade quick pins with no luck, they return to their feet and trade elbows both and forth. Fujigasaki wins the elbow battle and puts Kaho in a stretch submission, she releases the hold and delivers the swivel body press but Kaho barely gets a shoulder up. Fujigasaki drags Kaho up but Kaho quickly rolls her up for two, Kaho goes off the ropes but Fujigasaki nails the hip attack. Fujigasaki picks up Kaho but Kaho hits an enzuigiri, 120% Schoolboy by Kaho and she gets the three count! Kaho Kobayashi is the winner.

It is funny that Kaho is the experienced wrestler here but still wrestles as the underdog due to her itty bittiness. While the logic was a bit scattered, for an opener I thought it was pretty solid. Fujigasaki hits a killer hip attack, she has developed a lot in 2016 and is poised for a big 2017 if she continues to improve. Kaho was great as usual, bumping like a crazy person and really putting over Fujigasaki’s submission holds by being so flexible. A fun way to kick off the show.  Mildly Recommended

Kyuri vs. Leon

After some mat work, Leon gets the first advantage as she throws Kyuri around the ring before hitting a dropkick for a two count. Scoop slam by Leon and she hits a somersault senton, camel clutch by Leon and she lets go so she can stomp Kyuri in the back. Leon goes off the ropes but Kyuri hits a judo throw, she applies her own camel clutch but Leon quickly gets out of it. Leon chops Kyuri in the corner and delivers a dropkick, but Kyuri hits a series of jumping neck drops. Kyuri goes for a cross armbreaker but Leon blocks it, triangle choke by Kyuri but Leon powerbombs out of it. Backstabber by Kyuri and she applies an armbar, armbreakers by Kyuri but Leon blocks one and applies a sleeper. Kyuri tosses Leon to get out of it and hits a dropkick, she goes up top and hits a diving crossbody. Fisherman suplex hold by Kyuri, but it gets a two.

Kyuri goes off the ropes but Leon catches her with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, she picks up Kyuri but Kyuri rolls her to the mat and applies a Stretch Muffler. Leon rolls out of it and applies a stretch hold over her back, spear to the back by Leon and she hits a missile dropkick. Cover by Leon, but it gets a two count. She goes for another one but Kyuri avoids it, Figure Four with a bridge by Kyuri but Leon kicks out of it. Kyuri picks up Leon and applies a rolling ankle hold, she picks Leon back up but Leon hits a tilt-a-whirl slam for two. Texas Cloverleaf by Kyuri but Kyuri crawls to the ropes and forces a break. Stomps by Leon and she goes for a Capture Buster, but Kyuri reverses it with a schoolboy. Kyuri goes off the ropes but Leon spears her, she goes for another spear but Kyuri reverses it into a roll-up. Kyuri goes up top but Leon joins her and suplexes her to the mat, she goes back up top and she nails the Mad Splash for the three count! Leon is your winner.

It is crazy seeing someone as little and young as Kyuri going for MMA moves, it didn’t fit her playful look at all. She needs to upgrade to a more serious outfit now that she is 18 and using a different style. The match was fine but really back and forth with little structure to it, sometimes the wrestler in control switched for no real reason. The moves were all hit crisp so no complaints there, very smooth match and Kyuri is certainly coming along. Not a bad match, just lacking anything to make it special.

Hanako Nakamori vs. Sumire Natsu

Natsu starts the match trying to knock over Nakamori with dropkicks but she has no luck, as instead Nakamori throws down Natsu by the hair. Natsu returns the favor but Nakamori throws down Natsu again, she goes off the ropes but Natsu connects with a dropkick. Nakamori and Natsu trade strikes, kicks to the leg by Nakamori and she hits a PK followed by a leg drop. Nakamori picks up Natsu and puts her into the ropes, kicks to the chest by Nakamori and she puts Natsu in a camel clutch. Irish whip by Nakamori but Natsu hits a jumping crossbody, headscissors by Natsu and she hits a few push up facebusters. Nakamori gets into the ropes to force a break, Natsu goes off the ropes and she boots Nakamori in the head. Natsu puts Nakamori in the corner but Nakamori Irish whips her into the other corner and kicks her repeatedly. Irish whip by Nakamori but Natsu avoids the big boot, back elbow by Natsu and she hits a seated senton. Natsu goes off the ropes but Nakamori hits a jumping lariat, picking up a two count.

Running kicks by Nakamori but Natsu hits a jumping lariat, Natsu puts Nakamori in a choke before hitting a Reverse DDT. Natsu picks up Nakamori and hits a series of elbows, but Nakamori hits a release German. Running boot by Nakamori, she goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick for two. Fisherman Suplex Hold by Nakamori, she goes up top but Natsu joins her. Natsu kicks Nakamori off the top turnbuckle and down to the floor, she goes out after her and elbows Nakamori against the apron. Jumping elbow by Natsu and she slides Nakamori back into the ring, she goes up top and hits a diving crossbody for a two count. Natsu picks up Nakamori and hits a bridging scoop slam, but that gets a two as well. Natsu picks up Nakamori again but Nakamori blocks the powerbomb and kicks Natsu against the ropes. They trade big boots, enzuigiri by Nakamori but Natsu quickly rolls her up for two. Big boot by Natsu, she goes off the ropes but Nakamori boots her in the head for a two count. Shining Wizard by Nakamori, she goes up top and she hits the Destiny Hammer for the three count! Hanako Nakamori wins the match!

While Natsu appears to have improved a bit, still same ‘ol Nakamori. She isn’t a bad wrestler, she is just awkward and her strikes aren’t good. They seemed generally on the same page aside from one particularly awkward moment, but it was just really ‘back and forth’ with mostly big boots. Natsu showed some passion which is a plus, a pretty average match overall though and quite skippable.

Arisa Nakajima, KAZUKI, and Hagane vs. Command Bolshoi, Kansai, and Rabbit Miu

Hagane and Miu begin the match, Hagane quickly goes on the offense and slams Miu to the mat. She tags in KAZUKI who keeps on Miu, but Miu gains the advantage and tags in Bolshoi. Rope walking armdrag by Bolshoi and she stretches KAZUKI on the mat. KAZUKI escapes and tags Nakajima, Nakajima and Bolshoi end up on the mat and Nakajima goes for a cross armbreaker. Bolshoi blocks it and applies a crab hold, she tags in Kansai and Kansai suplexes Nakajima for a two count. Chinlock by Kansai, Bolshoi comes in and she dropkicks Nakajima in the face. Kick to the chest by Kansai, Nakajima fights back with her own running boots and finally a dropkick sends Kansai on her back. Nakajima picks up Kansai but Kansai gets to the ropes when Nakajima goes for a suplex. Claw Hold by Kansai, KAZUKI runs in so she puts her in a Claw Hold too. She lets go after a moment and hits a double lariat before tagging in Miu. Miu footstomps Nakajima and puts her in a stretch hold, kicks by Nakajima but Miu hits a missile dropkick. Vertical suplex by Miu, and she covers Nakajima for two. Miu goes off the ropes but Nakajima boots her in the head, she goes off the ropes and hits a sliding kick. Nakajima goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick, picking up a two count. Waistlock by Nakajima but Miu elbows out of it, she goes off the ropes but Nakajima catches her with a bridging fallaway slam.

Nakajima tags KAZUKI, gutbuster by KAZUKI and she covers Miu for two. Double kneedrop by KAZUKI, Hagane and Nakajima run in and they all hit running footstomps onto Miu. KAZUKI puts Miu across the corner and hits a double kneedrop, reverse splash kneedrop by KAZUKI and she covers Miu for a two count. Miu slides away from KAZUKI, Bolshoi hits KAZUKI from the apron and Miu rolls her up for two. Sliding D by Miu, she goes up top and hits a missile dropkick. Miu tags Bolshoi, DDT by Bolshoi and she covers Miu for a two count. Knee by Bolshoi but KAZUKI knees her back, Hagane and Nakajima come in but Bolshoi takes care of all three of them. Miu also comes in to help, Kansai then comes in and Team Bolshoi all apply submission holds. After they released the holds, KAZUKI quickly fights back and Bolshoi and makes the hot tag to Hagane. Shoulderblock by Hagane and she hits a powerslam, picking up a two count. Reverse Splash by Hagane, but that gets a two as well. She goes up top but Bolshoi avoids the diving body press, La Magistral by Bolshoi but KAZUKI gets a shoulder up. Bolshoi tags Kansai, high kick by Kansai but Hagane lariats Kansai for two. Backdrop suplex by Kansai, but the cover is broken up. Kansai tags in Bolshoi, KAZUKI runs in as things back down. KAZUKI is isolated, Tiger Feint Kick by Bolshoi and she hits a palm strike. Bolshoi goes for a headscissors but KAZUKI blocks it into a backbreaker, Miu comes in and suplexes Bolshoi, then Hagane levels her with a lariat. Hagane picks up Bolshoi but Bolshoi whips off a hurricanrana, she goes off the ropes but Hagane hits a hard lariat. Hagane goes up top but Miu and Kansai run in to help. Splash Mountain by Kansai to Hagane, Bolshoi picks her up and she delivers a Tiger Suplex Hold for the three count! Bolshoi, Kansai, and Miu win the match.

Normally I am pretty talkative but there isn’t a lot to say about this match. It had some good wrestlers with some good action, but is just an incredibly forgettable match. There was little structure or rhythm, and neither team seemed to have a plan to win (or a real reason to care if they won). It wasn’t poorly worked, no mistakes or miscues, it just wasn’t overly inspired. Just a standard midcard multi-wrestler tag match.

(c) Kyoko Kimura vs. Manami Katsu
JWP Openweight Championship

Kyoko quickly takes the young challenger to the mat and controls the early portion of the match, Kyoko stomps on Manami and elbows her hard into the ropes. Kyoko throws Manami into the corner but Manami avoids her charge and hits a strong elbow followed by a dropkick. Manami goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, Manami applies a double underhook but Kyoko tosses her way out of the move attempt. Back up they trade elbows, Manami knees Kyoko in the back and she hits the double underhook into a backbreaker for a two count. Crab hold by Manami but Kyoko gets out of it and applies a crab hold of her own. Manami reverses it into a roll-up for a two count, Kyoko gets Manami’s back and applies a sleeper but Manami eventually gets to the ropes to force a break. Stomps by Kyoko but Manami hits a quick Inazuma Buster (Michinoku Driver), leaving both wrestlers on the mat. They slowly get up and trade elbows, they go off the ropes and Manami delivers a running knee to the chest. Manami gets on the top turnbuckle and hits a diving elbow drop, covering Kyoko for two. Manami picks up Kyoko and hits another Inazuma Buster but Kyoko gets a guillotine choke applied. Kyoko picks up Manami and delivers a side suplex, cover by Kyoko but Manami bridges out of it. Kyoko goes up top but Manami recovers and joins her, elbows to the back of the head by Manami and she hits an avalanche Tiger Suplex. Cover by Manami, but Kyoko kicks out. Manami goes for the Orange☆Blossom but Kyoko headbutts out of it, another headbutt by Kyoko and she covers Manami for two. Back up, chops by Kyoko and she goes off the ropes, but Manami catches her with a spinning back elbow. Manami goes off the ropes but Kyoko nails a big boot to the head, and she picks up the three count! Kyoko Kimura is still the champion.

Even though my description of what happened above is short, it was actually a pretty long match at over 21 minutes. Just not a lot happened. Manami never really felt like she was a legitimate challenger, she got in a few good moves and nearfalls as you’d expect in a title match but she never strung together enough offense that I thought she had a chance of winning. Kyoko didn’t give Manami much, she dominated the mat work and 90% of the strike work, and put away Manami after just one big boot when generally in bigger matches it takes a couple of those for her to pick up the win. It never really felt like a title match, overall just a bit flat and uneventful.

On paper this was the end of the show, but Rabbit Miu gets in the ring and grabs the microphone. I don’t know what she said exactly, but I assume she challenged Kyoko to a title match and Kyoko accepts.

(c) Kyoko Kimura vs. Rabbit Miu
JWP Openweight Championship

Miu smartly goes right after Kyoko since she is still a bit tired from her previous match, Miu rolls up Kyoko a few times but Kyoko kicks out. Elbow Smash by Miu and she hits a series of footstomps, she goes up top but Kyoko avoids the diving footstomp. Kick to the knee by Kyoko but Miu fires back with elbows, German Suplex by Miu but it gets two. Miu goes to the top turnbuckle and nails the diving footstomp, she picks up Kyoko and delivers the Rabbit Suplex for another two count. Elbows by Miu but Kyoko hits a Chokebomb, leaving both wrestlers hurt on the mat. Kyoko boots at Miu’s head, she picks up Miu and goes for a sleeper, but Miu rolls out of it and hits a running Rabbit Roll for a two count. She goes for another Rabbit Suplex but Kyoko blocks it and hits a shoulder backbreaker. Side suplex by Kyoko and she puts Miu in the Kimura Lock, Miu struggles for a moment before she has to submit! Kyoko again retains her championship!

A short match but I actually enjoyed this one more than the Manami Katsu defense. Miu was non-stop as she tried to take advantage of the fact that Kyoko was already hurt, and she hit all her bigger moves to try to score the upset victory. Kyoko was also more focused, no long submission segments or anything like that, as both were going straight for the win. Its hard to really recommend a five minute match but this was a quality sprint and a much better way to end the show.   Mildly Recommended

The post JWP Fly High in the 25th Anniversary on 10/20/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

It is JWP time! JWP is not nearly as big as it was back in the heyday of Joshi but it is still plugging along and has some quality wrestlers. This event starts their annual Tag League The Best Tournament, a single elimination tournament this year that has been a tradition in Joshi for decades. Off and on. Anyway here is the full card (wrestlers with profiles on this site are clickable if you need more information on the wrestler):

• Cat Power and Yako Fujigasaki vs. Kagetsu and Sawako Shimono
• JWP Tag League The Best Round 1: Akane Fujita and Leon vs. Konami and Syuri
• JWP Tag League The Best Round 1: KAZUKI and Rydeen Hagane vs. Meiko Tanaka and Sareee
• Command Bolshoi and Makoto vs. Kyoko Kimura and Hanako Nakamori
• Arisa Nakajima vs. Rabbit Miu

All the matches got time so let’s see if any delivered.

Cat Power and Yako Fujigasaki vs. Kagetsu and Sawako Shimono

Kagetsu and Fujigasaki start off but Cat Power quickly comes in and Kagetsu is double teamed. Shimono joins her partner and they get the upper hand temporarily, but it doesn’t last long. Fujigasaki is double teamed again, Kagetsu kicks her in the back and tags in Shimono. Shimono puts Fujigasaki in a surfboard before tagging Kagetsu back in, scoop slam by Kagetsu and she covers Fujigasaki for two. Shimono comes back in as Fujigasaki is double teamed again while Cat Power watches from the apron, but she finally hits Kagetsu and Fujigasaki hits a missile dropkick for a two count. She tags in Cat Power as Shimono comes in too, but Cat Power lariats both of them. Lariat by Cat Power on Kagetsu, she picks up Kagetsu and hits a scoop slam. Elbow drop by Cat Power but Kagetsu fires back with a spear. She tags Shimono, lariat by Shimono in the corner but she can’t knock over Cat Power with shoulderblocks. She finally sends her to the mat but Cat Power slides away from her and applies a sleeper.

Shimono gets out of it but Cat Power kicks her in the chest. Superman Punch by Cat Power and she tags in Fujigasaki. Missile dropkick by Fujigasaki and she hits another one, covering Shimono for two. Shimono knees Fujigasaki but Fujigasaki hits a hard elbow followed by a double wrist suplex for a two count. Cat Power comes in and slams Shimono, diving body press by Fujigasaki but it gets a two count. Shimono is sent off the ropes but Kagetsu comes in with a double swandive missile dropkick on both opponents. Shimono and Kagetsu both elbow Fujigasaki, Samoan Drop by Shimono but it gets two. Cat Power tries to help but she lariats Fujigasaki by mistake, lariat by Shimono to Fujigasaki and she gets a two count cover. Fujigasaki sneaks in a backslide and a wing clutch hold cover, but neither can keep Shimono down. Fujigasaki goes off the ropes but Shimono catches her with a lariat, Kagetsu kicks Fujigasaki in the head and Shimono drops her with a Ebisu Drop for the three count! Kagetsu and Shimono win!

It is nice when promotions don’t have short meaningless openers but get straight to it with a well-structured match that gets a decent amount of time. This won’t rock anyone’s world but it was perfectly watchable and never slowed down throughout. Kagetsu was the standout here, which is no surprise, but no one really lagged behind even if not all of it was perfectly fluid. A straightforward and decent opener.

Akane Fujita and Leon vs. Konami and Syuri

Fujita and Konami are the first two in and start politely, but Syuri kicks Fujita from the apron and helps Konami kick Fujita around the ring. Fujita shoulderblocks Syuri as Leon comes in, and they both hit somersault sentons on Konami. Fujita tags Leon, Leon stomps Konami and applies a stretch hold on the mat.  Konami gets out of it and tags Syuri, Syuri grapples with Leon, scoop slam by Leon and she tags Fujita. Syuri quickly hits a Backstabber and tags Konami, kicks by Konami and she hits a PK for a two count cover. Fujita blocks a suplex and slams Konami, but Konami jumps on her back with a sleeper. Schoolboy by Konami, but Fujita kicks out.Elbow by Konami but Fujita catches her with a suplex and tags Leon. Running shoulder tackle by Leon in the corner, Konami comes back with kicks but Leon catches her with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Crab hold by Leon but Syuri breaks it up, Konami gets Leon down and goes for the armbreaker but Leon blocks it. Leon tries to powerbomb out of the hold but Syuri pushes her over to help Konami lock it in, which Fujita quickly breaks up. Konami tags Syuri and Syuri kicks Leon repeatedly in the chest before hitting a jumping knee.

Single arm suplex by Syuri and she goes for a cross breaker, but Leon scoots to the ropes to force a break. Syuri goes to kick Leon but Leon moves, Fujita comes in and helps Leon hit a missile dropkick for two. Knee by Syuri but Leon catches her with a tilt-a-whirl slam. Leon goes up top and nails a Frog Splash, but Konami breaks up the cover. Knees by Leon but Syuri blocks the Capture Buster and hits a jumping knee. Leon falls in her corner and tags Fujita, shoulderblocks by Fujita  and she hits a powerslam. Chop to the chest by Fujita and she applies a crab hold while Leon does the same to Konami but Syuri gets to the ropes. Syuri and Fujita trade elbows, running knee by Syuri but Fujita barely kicks out. Knee by Syuri to Fujita and she kicks her with Konami, but the cover gets two again. German suplex by Syuri, she goes for another one but Leon runs in with a spear. Michinoku Driver by Fujita, but she gets a two count. Fujita goes off the ropes but Syuri catches her with a high kick, Leon comes in but she gets one too. Buzzsaw Kick by Syuri, and she gets the three count! Syuri and Konami win the match and move on in the tournament.

This was fun, I liked it. The “good” about this match is the general presence of Syuri and just how smooth and snug she is with everything, she elevates just about any match she is in, but everyone here held their own. There was constantly something going on, moves were either being reversed or teammates were running in, which kept he pace at almost a fever pitch at times. That worked to the match’s detriment as well as there wasn’t a lot of structure, a lot of the time it was just random move after random move. Still an enjoyable watch though.  Mildly Recommended

KAZUKI and Rydeen Hagane vs. Meiko Tanaka and Sareee

We start with Tanaka and Hagane, and Hagane promptly starts tossing Tanaka around the ring. Sareee kicks Hagane from the apron to help and Hagane is double teamed until KAZUKI makes the save. KAZUKI and Hagane take turns dropping knees on Tanaka, KAZUKI stays in as legal and puts Tanaka in a crab hold. Tanaka reaches the ropes, backdrop suplex by KAZUKI and she applies a bodyscissors. Tanaka bites KAZUKI’s foot to get out of it and tags Sareee, but KAZUKI elbows Sareee hard to the mat. She tags Hagane but Sareee slips away and applies a grounded front necklock. Hagane helps KAZUKI out of the situation but Tanaka comes in and KAZUKI is double teamed. Sareee sneaks in a roll-up for two, kick by Sareee but KAZUKI connects with a few knees before dropping Sareee with a double underhook lift into a gutbuster. She tags Hagane, Hagane picks up Sareee and delivers a military press slam for two. Sareee slides away from Hagane and hits a roll-up into a footstomp, but Hagane slams her again to the mat. Dropkick by Sareee and she connects with a second one, German suplex by Sareee and she tags Tanaka.

Tanaka tries to knock over Hagane with no luck, Hagane shoulderblocks Tanaka to the mat but Tanaka applies a sleeper. Lariats by Hagane in the corner and she hits a Reverse Splash, but Tanaka barely gets a shoulder up. Drop toehold by Tanaka, Sareee runs in and they both dropkick Hagane. Both then hit missile dropkicks, spear by Tanaka and Sareee goes up top to hit an assisted somersault senton. Tanaka goes up and they do the same thing, cover by Tanaka but KAZUKI barely breaks it up. Hagane fights back with a lariat on Tanaka and tags KAZUKI, but Tanaka picks up KAZUKI and hits a fireman’s carry roll. Tanaka goes up top and hits a dropkick after Sareee suplexes KAZUKI, but KAZUKI hits a double Codebreaker. Somato by KAZUKI to Tanaka, Hagane returns as they focus on Sareee, knocking her to the mat. Tanaka goes for a double spear but it is blocked, and they put her in a double Argentine Backbreaker. Sareee breaks it up but the Diana wrestlers are stacked in the corner before KAZUKI hits a double kneedrop. KAZUKI grabs Tanaka and delivers the Death-By-Roderick, getting the three count! Hagane and KAZUKI win the match and enter the next round in the tournament.

A much more traditional tag match than the last one. The first half followed the normal tag formula of isolating the weakest opponent, Tanaka in this case, until the hot tag happened and after that it turned more into what you’d expect from a Joshi tag. That being of course fast paced, lots of teammate assistance, and general chaos. I thought it worked since Tanaka was the natural one to target, and the big vs. little dynamic worked well here since Hagane really does carry herself as a monster wrestler even though she isn’t much bigger than her opponents. Overall a solid tag team match.  Mildly Recommended

Command Bolshoi and Makoto vs. Kyoko Kimura and Hanako Nakamori

Makoto and Nakamori begin, as Nakamori throws Makoto around like a child. She tags Bolshoi so Kimura also tags in, they grapple on the mat but neither gets an advantage. Both tag out again as we go back to the first pairing, kicks by Nakamori and she hits a leg drop. More kicks by Nakamori and she tags Kimura as the beatdown on Makoto is under way. as Kimura has no sympathy on Makoto. Nakamori kicks Makoto while she is twisted in the ropes, but Makoto hits a big boot on Nakamori and tags Bolshoi. Bolshoi palm strikes Nakamori and applies an ankle hold, but Kimura comes in and puts her in a sleeper. Makoto joins them and puts Kimura in a sleeper but Nakamori does the same to her. Bolshoi fights off both Kimura and Nakamori, but she goes down to a missile dropkick by Nakamori. Kimura is tagged in and Bolshoi applies an armbreaker over the ropes, she rolls Kimura back in and applies a grounded necklock.

Kimura reverses it into a kimura lock but Bolshoi reverses it back. Kimura boots Bolshoi but Bolshoi fights back and they trade blows. Bolshoi wins the exchange, she picks up Kimura but Kimura snaps off a backdrop suplex. Nakamori and Makoto are both tagged in, backdrop suplex by Nakamori but Makoto nails a big kick. Tiger Feint Kick by Bolshoi and Makoto applies a double underhook suplex for a two count cover. Makoto goes up top but Nakamori avoids the crossbody, they trade quick pin attempts but they are broken up. Kimura headbutts Makoto and hits a chokebomb, Nakamori goes up top and she hits a diving knee strike but Bolshoi breaks up the cover. Nakamori knees Makoto and rolls her up but the pin is broken up again. Makoto goes on a spearing spree and hits a cartwheel kneedrop on Nakamori, but Kimura breaks up the cover. Kick to the head by Nakamori, she picks up Makoto but Makoto sneaks in a schoolboy. Another quick pin doesn’t work, and the bell rings signifying that time has expired. The match is a Draw.

My opinion of non-tournament draws is well documented, I don’t like them unless there is a storyline reason for it which there wasn’t here. This is a small event in front of 190 people, someone can take a fall to give the match a more satisfying conclusion, it wouldn’t hurt any of the wrestlers. Anyway this wasn’t bad but it took awhile to get going. The last three minutes or so were fast paced and flowed really well and there was some solid action here, but overall it was ‘just another match’ with nothing memorable.

Arisa Nakajima vs. Rabbit Miu

Miu immediately proves my point as she dropkicks Nakajima as her name is announced, starting the match with a bang. Miu even has a new outfit I haven’t seen before, perhaps showing her new serious side, but Nakajima quickly suplexes her and dropkicks Miu out of the ring. That was a fun burst while it lasted. Back in things slow down a bit as they go to the mat, Nakajima gets a sleeper applied but they roll into the ropes to force Nakajima to release her. Nakajima flings around Miu by her hair and goes for the sleeper again but Miu gets out of it, Nakajima gets an armbreaker applied but again Miu wiggles out of the hold. Elbows by Miu and now she is the one doing the hair throwing, but Nakajima hits a knee in the corner. She misses the next one and Miu dumps Nakajima out of the ring, she goes up to the top turnbuckle and dives out out of the ring, but she misses Nakajima. Nakajima takes full advantage and beats Miu with chairs before putting a chair on her head and standing on it. Nakajima then gets on the apron, tosses a chair to Miu and then dropkicks it into her face.

Nakajima is no longer messing around, they return to the ring and Nakajima hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Nakajima boots Miu some more, Miu fights back with elbows and she knocks down Nakajima with a dropkick. Miu goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, roll-up by Miu but it gets two. More elbows by Miu, Nakajima goes for a suplex but Miu lands on her feet and hits a trio of German suplexes of her own. Miu goes for a roll-up hurricanrana but Nakajima counters it with a powerbomb. Back up they trade elbows, Miu goes off the ropes but Nakajima catches her with a bridging fallaway slam for a two count. Rolling Germans by Nakajima, she picks up Miu and hits a high knee. Running knee by Nakajima, she goes up top but Miu joins her and hits a superplex. Knees by Miu and she nails the Rabbit Suplex but Nakajima barely gets a shoulder up. Miu elbows Nakajima but Nakajima elbows her back and sends Miu to the mat. Package German by Nakajima, but Miu kicks out at two. Dragon suplex hold by Nakajima, and she gets the three count! Arisa Nakajima is the winner.

A really good match, hurt more by the fact there was just one camera in the back filming than anything else. Most the action outside the ring was missed, which was a pivotal part of the match, and strikes just don’t have the same impact from so far away. I did like that Nakajima gave Miu everything here, Miu had several chances to win and hung tough with Nakajima, never looking out of her league. So even in defeat this will only help Miu, and certainly not hurt her. Very fluid match and nothing felt wasted, the 15 minutes went by quickly. I also loved how vicious Nakajima was being, this wasn’t a feel-good type of match, the veteran was really laying in the shots and it was great. A fun match and a fitting main event for the show, definitely worth watching for a fan of JWP or Joshi in general.  Recommended

The post JWP Recapture: Tag Tournament on January 31, 2016 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

AKARI

Chesca

Chie Ozora

Crea

Hanako Nakamori

KAZUKI

Leon

Momo Tani

Rydeen Hagane

The post PURE-J Roster appeared first on Joshi City.

This is not a large event, and it may seem to be an odd one to pick out of a hat. My main interest was seeing Kana in a new environment, but I also like to sometimes watch the smaller shows as that is a better representation of what a promotion is all about. Almost all promotions can put on a good show once a year at their largest event, but watching wrestlers on the ‘off days’ shows what they are really made of. This event took place in their familiar Itabashi Green Hall, in front of 170 fans. Here is the full card:

• Leon and Risa Sera vs. Nana Kawasa and Raideen Hagane
• Kayoko Haruyama vs. Sareee
• Kana vs. Tsubasa Kuragaki
• JWP Tag League The Best – Block B: Manami Katsu and Rabbit Miu [0] vs. Sachie Abe and KAZUKI [1]
• JWP Tag League The Best – Block A: Arisa Nakajima and Command Bolshoi [2] vs. Hanako Nakamori and Morii [2]

This taping is not clipped, which is good since it wasn’t very long in the first place. Onto the fun.

Leon and Risa Sera vs. Nana Kawasa and Raideen Hagane

Hagane and Sera start the match, as the veteran Leon watches from the apron. Hagane is quite a bit bigger than Sera and uses her size to get an early advantage until she tags in Kawasa. Kawasa has Sera beat in the size department too (Sera isn’t micro sized but is a bit smaller than most) and works Sera over, Sera fights back after a moment and the two trade blows. Shoulderblocks by Kawasa but Sera blocks the suplex, Hagane comes in but so does Leon, and both Leon and Sera hit dropkicks on their opponents. Sera tags in Leon, dropkick by Leon to Kawasa but Kawasa back bodydrops her. Backbreaker by Leon and she starts on Kawasa’s back until Hagane lends a hand to turn the match into Kawasa’s favor. Back up they trade blows, powerslam by Kawasa and she gets a two count.

Kawasa gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a body press, but that gets two as well. Hagane is tagged in, she shoulderblocks Leon around and she hits a backdrop suplex for two. Hagane goes up top but Sera grabs her, Leon recovers and tosses Hagane to the mat. Springboard bulldog by Leon and she hits a spear in the corner, followed by a missile dropkick. Leon tags Sera, dropkicks by Sera but Hagane hits a pair of dropkicks on her own. Judo throw by Hagane and she hits two more before applying a side choke. Leon breaks that up, Hagane picks up Sera and she hits a backdrop suplex for a two count. Kawasa runs in and hits a second rope body press, Hagane goes up top but Sera avoids the dive. Sera tries to pick up Hagane by fails, shoulderblock by Hagane but she can’t keep Sera down for a three count. Leon runs in and spears Hagane, Sera picks up Hagane and hits the Ayers Rock for the three count! Leon and Sera win the match.

This was a bit sloppy to put it mildly. Part of that can be attributed to their ages/skill levels but I think another part was not a lot of effort was put into structuring a match that opened on a small show. There were just a lot of miscommunications throughout, some small but some bigger, that prevented the match from ever getting a flow. A few of the moves were hit well and it never was overly boring, it was just dull and uneventful.

Kayoko Haruyama vs. Sareee

Sareee dropkicks Haruyama as soon as the bell rings and throws her down by her hair before stomping Haruyama in the corner. Haruyama has had enough and takes back over, chopping Sareee mercilessly in the corner. Sleeper by Haruyama but Sareee slips through it and hits mounted forearms. Dropkicks by Sareee, she is getting a lot more offense in this match then I expected. Another dropkick by Sareee but Haruyama slaps on a side headlock on the mat. Haruyama controls the next few minutes of the match until Sareee jumps up on the second turnbuckle and hits a dropkick. Dropkick to the knee by Sareee and she dropkicks Haruyama a few more times, she goes up top but Haruyama joins her. Sareee pushes her off and hits a missile dropkick, another missile dropkick by Sareee and she gets a two count. Haruyama finally catches a dropkick and hits a facebuster, she goes for a suplex but Sareee hits a bulldog. Kick to the head by Haruyama but Sareee sneaks in a cradle for two. Back up they trade blows, Haruyama hits a backdrop suplex and she hits a missile dropkick of her own. Sareee reverses the suplex attempt and sneaks in a few more pin attempts with no luck. Lariat by Haruyama, she goes up top and she nails a Diving Guillotine Drop for the three count! Haruyama is your winner.

I think in a bigger arena this would have been more of a hit, as Sareee played the part of underdog well and Haruyama was shockingly willing to bump around for her. This was basically a 50/50 match which was the last thing I was expecting, and aside from from a miscommunication at the end it was very smooth. Sareee was still new to wrestling at this point but had the basics down pat, and Haruyama led her well. I like when rookies show spunk against veterans so I liked the match, but with a more vocal crowd it would have made more of a lasting impression. Mildly Recommended

Kana vs. Tsubasa Kuragaki

This one starts slow, as they spent the early portion of the match feeling each other out on the mat. I thought this one would be a bit more heated but apparently Kana hadn’t gone heel at this point in the JWP storyline, it seems that comes a bit later. Kana briefly gets the cross armbreaker locked on but Kuragaki gets to the ropes, Kana starts working on Kuragaki’s arm but Kuragaki gets away and starts working a side headlock. Kuragaki hits a thrust kick but Kana fires back with a knee, dropkick by Kuragaki but Kana catches her arm as she charges in and applies a short armbar. Back up, Kuragaki goes for a suplex but Kana takes her back down with an armbar but Kuragaki gets to the ropes. Strikes by Kana in the corner and she hits a dropkick, but Kuragaki fires back with a lariat. Helicopter Toss by Kuragaki and she goes up top, Kana joins her but Kuragaki gets Kana on her shoulder. Kana slides off while still up top and applies a headlock, but Kuragaki gets out of it and slams Kana to the mat.

Second turnbuckle body press by Kuragaki, but it only gets two. Scorpion Deathlock by Kuragaki with a headlock, but Kana gets to the ropes. Back up they trade elbows, Kuragaki gets Kana on her back but Kana rolls off and applies an ankle hold. Kuragaki gets out of it but Kana goes back to the armbar, Kuragaki inches to the ropes and makes it to force the break. Kana grabs Kuragaki but Kuragaki whips off a backdrop suplex, release German by Kana but Kuragaki blocks her kick and hits a short range lariat. Kuragaki goes for a powerbomb but Kana slides away and hits a buzzsaw kick. Backdrop suplex by Kuragaki, Kana retorts with a high kick but Kuragaki plants her with a lariat. Kana slowly gets up first but Kuragaki hits another backdrop suplex, she goes up top and nails the moonsault, but Kana barely kicks out of the cover.  She picks up Kana but the bell rings, as time expires. The match is a Draw.

This was a really solid match between the veterans and smartly worked. It started slow so I was a bit worried, but then they got into it with Kana focusing on the arm while Kuragaki was going for power moves to put Kana away. Kuragaki sold the arm just enough, it didn’t need excessive selling since Kana wasn’t able to focus on it for long before being cut off. There was no hatred here at all, just two well schooled wrestlers putting on a clinic, with it climaxing at just the right time. I’m not a big fan of draws outside of points-based tournaments, but I thought this match delivered and is on the high end of my ‘Recommended’ scale.  Recommended

Manami Katsu and Rabbit Miu vs. Sachie Abe and KAZUKI

Miu and Abe kick things off, Miu is so itty bitty next to Abe (and still technically a child at this point), and the match starts slow as they all yell at each other. I don’t speak Japanese, maybe they are making fun of her for being old. We finally get started as both teams go for quick pins before Abe throws Miu down by her hair and stomps her in the corner. Katsu comes in to help but it backfires pretty quickly, KAZUKI comes in and they stack Miu and Katsu in the corner before KAZUKI hits a reverse double knee drop. Double underhook suplex by Abe to Miu, but it gets two. Quick pin attempt by Miu followed by dropkicks, Miu hits a vertical suplex and tags in Katsu. Hard shoulderblock by Katsu to Abe (Katsu is young but massive) and they trade elbows, Katsu gets the better of the exchange and hits a backbreaker near the corner. Katsu goes for a reverse splash but Abe rolls out of the way, Abe goes for a quick pin but Katsu reverses it. Sling Blade by Abe and she tags in KAZUKI, Katsu kicks KAZUKI and hits a bridging suplex for two. Miu goes up top but KAZUKI pushes Katsu into her.

Miu hits a missile dropkick anyway, reverse splash by Katsu but it gets two. Samoan Drop by Katsu and she tags in KAZUKI while Miu comes in also, footstomp by KAZUKI and she hits a double kneedrop for two. Miu gets out of the backbreaker and hits her own footstomps, she gets on the second turnbuckle but Abe grabs her. KAZUKI gets Miu up on her shoulders but Katsu comes in and helps Miu hit a DDT. Tornado DDT by Miu followed by missile dropkicks by both wrestlers, Katsu gets on the top turnbuckle and she hits a reverse splash. Diving body press but Miu, but Abe breaks up the cover. Codebreaker by KAZUKI and she suplexes Miu, getting a two count. Miu gets on KAZUKI’s shoulders but KAZUKI slams her to the mat, Miu avoids the diving kneedrop but KAZUKI plants her with a cutter for a two count. Katsu runs in and elbows KAZUKI, they trade roll-ups but neither gets the three count. Abe goes up top, KAZUKI puts Miu on her shoulders but Miu rolls through it. Abe trips KAZUKI by accident, she goes to help her but Miu pushes Abe onto KAZUKI and covers her for a three count! Katsu and Miu get two points in the tournament.

Really awkward ending aside, this wasn’t a bad match but it wasn’t good either. Katsu and Miu were a bit rough around the edges, perfectly acceptable for their ages but noticeable nonetheless, with not everything coming off smoothly. Add in the time wasting in the beginning and the general lack of structure, and I had trouble getting into the match. I liked the young wrestlers getting over on the veterans and the strategies by both teams were sound, it was just missing something to put it all together. Not unwatchable and not boring, but not what I’d consider entertaining.

Arisa Nakajima and Command Bolshoi vs. Hanako Nakamori and Morii

No time for pleasantries as they brawl to start, with Nakamori and Morii gaining the first advantage. Bolshoi  takes back over and tags in Nakajima, and Nakajima stands on Nakamori near the ropes. Nakamori hits a crossbody and tags in Morii, DDT by Nakajima and she kicks Morii in the head. Bolshoi is tagged in but Morii shoulderblocks her and they trade chops. Rolling suplexes by Bolshoi but Morii hits a suplex of her own for a two count. Irish whip by Morii but Bolshoi kicks her and hits a modified DDT for a two count. Bolshoi tags in Nakajima, elbow by Nakajima but Morii elbows her back and they trade strikes. Sliding kick by Nakajima which sends Morii to the floor, Nakajima gets on the top turnbuckle and dives out of the ring with a plancha. They battle around the ring, mostly off-camera, until Nakajima and Morii return to the ring. Missile dropkick by Nakajima and she hits a German suplex hold for two. Knees by Nakajima but Morii slams her to the mat for a two count.

Nakajima and Morii trade chops, Morii tags in Nakajima and she kicks Nakajima in the head. Nakamori goes up top and hits a diving knee while Morii slams Nakajima for a two count cover. Nakamori goes up top again but Nakajima moves and hits a bridging suplex for a two count. Rolling Germans by Nakajima but Morii breaks up the cover. Hard elbow by Nakajima and she tags in Bolshoi, dropkick by Bolshoi but Bolshoi is double teamed. Nakamori kicks Morii by accident and Bolshoi kicks Morii out of the ring. Tiger suplex hold by Bolshoi to Nakamori, she goes up top but Nakamori joins her, hitting an avalanche fisherman buster for two. Morii goes up top and hits a diving senton, Nakamori picks up Bolshoi and delivers a fisherman buster, but Nakajima breaks it up. Nakamori goes up top but Bolshoi joins her and hits an Avalanche Uranage. Now Nakajima and Morii go up top, Morii is pulled down and with Bolshoi they hit and double footstomp to both their opponents for two counts. Bolshoi hits a palm strike on Nakamori but Morii breaks up the pinfall. Backfist by Bolshoi but Morii hits her with a lariat.Requiem Driver by Nakamori to Bolshoi, but she barely gets a shoulder up. Back up, Bolshoi gets away but Nakajima elbows Bolshoi by accident and Nakamori applies La Magistral for the three count! Nakamori and Morii win two points!

This was a fun fast paced match, what it lacked in structure it made up for with non-stop action from bell to bell. The tag rules were pretty loose here as they didn’t waste time with limbs or beatdown segments, it had a nice chaotic feel of two teams just trying to see who could hit the biggest move last to win the match for their team. It probably isn’t for everyone as structure pretty much went out the window, but the “miscommunication” ending into a quick roll-up was a fitting ending for this style of match. It wouldn’t have been on any end of year ballots but still solid.  Recommended

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