Manami Kanda Archives - Joshi City https://joshicity.com/tag/manami-kanda/ Reviews and Wrestler Profiles from Joshi Wrestling Sun, 27 Nov 2016 06:49:39 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.7 https://i0.wp.com/joshicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/logo.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Manami Kanda Archives - Joshi City https://joshicity.com/tag/manami-kanda/ 32 32 93679598 Joshi Match Review Medley: FMW, DDT, WRESTLE-1, and K-DOJO! https://joshicity.com/joshi-match-review-medley-fmw-ddt-wrestle-1-k-dojo/ Thu, 01 Sep 2016 20:47:21 +0000 http://joshicity.com/?p=4481 Nine matches from eight different promotions!

The post Joshi Match Review Medley: FMW, DDT, WRESTLE-1, and K-DOJO! appeared first on Joshi City.

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Every now and then, there are Joshi matches on non-Joshi shows that sometimes fly under the radar. Promotions such as DDT, K-DOJO, Mr. Gannosuke, FMW, and FREEDOMS all either have Joshi wrestlers on their roster or frequently bring in Joshi wrestlers for special matches. Once a few Joshi matches have taken place in various non-Joshi promotions, I will review them to help get some exposure for some of the lesser-known wrestlers that don’t make TV as often. Plus you never know, there may be a hidden gem that is just waiting to be uncovered.

I am a bit behind in doing this, so I have a lot of recent matches to review today! I will be reviewing:

  • June 21st, 2016 – Dump Matsumoto vs. Miss Mongol on FMW “June Blood”
  • July 13th, 2016 – Ayako Hamada and Ryo Mizunami vs. GENTARO and The Winger on FREEDOMS “Tokyo Death Match Carnival 2016”
  • July 19th, 2016 – Manami Kanda vs. Micro on GUTS World “Vol. 98: Bukotsu War 2016”
  • July 19th, 2016 – Drake Morimatsu vs. Konaka = Pehlwan on GUTS World “Vol. 98: Bukotsu War 2016”
  • July 21st, 2016 – Emi Sakura and Hibiscus Mii vs. Riho, Kotori, and Sayaka Obihiro on HEAT-UP “Dream-Up 2016”
  • July 26th, 2016 – Koharu Hinata vs. Micro on Mr. Gannosuke Produce “Kishindo Returns 20”
  • July 29th, 2016 – Hana Kimura vs. Reika Saiki on WRESTLE-1 “Symbol Tour”
  • July 31st, 2016 – Alex Lee and Tiran Shisa vs. Ayumu Honda and Bambi on K-DOJO “Super In TKO Garden City Chiba”
  • August 28th, 2016 – Akane Miura, Miyu Yamashita, and Yuka Sakazaki vs. Hyper Misao, Syoko Nakajima, and Yuu on DDT “Ryogoku Peter Pan 2016”

Lots of wrestling! Sleaze! Hardcore! Intergender! Babies! Everything you could ask for.

Dump Matsumoto vs. Miss Mongol
FMW “June Blood” on June 21st, 2016

This is a No Robes Barbed Wire Death Match. Let’s jump right into it with some FMW action! I tracked down this match on FMW’s online service, which I don’t recommend as they condense the events to about 30 minutes so it is heavily clipped. I mean I got it because I am crazy, but don’t be crazy like me. Miss Mongol is a classic FMW wrestler from their heyday, while Dump Matsumoto is still one of the most evil Joshi wrestlers in Japan even though she is 55 years old.

comp1Mongol attacks Matsumoto outside the ring before the match starts, which quickly backfires as Matsumoto hits Mongol with a kendo stick and stabs her repeatedly in the head with a spike. We clip ahead to them being in the ring and Mongol hitting Matsumoto with a metal pin, cover by Mongol but it gets two. We jump to Matsumoto trying to throw Mongol into the barbed wire, but Mongol slides down to stop her momentum. Matsumoto does care and rakes her into the barbed wire anyway before Irish whipping her into the barbed wire ropes on the other side. Koharu Hinata runs in to try to help Mongol but she elbows Mongol by accident, leading to Mongol kicking Hinata out of the ring while Matsumoto watches. Lariat by Matsumoto and she hits a body press, but Hinata breaks up the cover. Matsumoto gets mad and approaches Hinata, but Mongol sneaks up from behind and pushes her into the barbed wire ropes. Inside Cradle by Mongol, and she picks up the three count! Miss Mongol wins!

This was a six minute match clipped down to two minutes, so obviously not enough was shown to get excited about. It is always fun to see Matsumoto though, she moves slower than she used to but she still has that violent streak that we know and love. A few fun spots and both took a ride into the barbed wire so the pain felt evenly distributed. I enjoyed it for what it was.

Ayako Hamada and Ryo Mizunami vs. GENTARO and The Winger
FREEDOMS “Tokyo Death Match Carnival 2016” on July 13th, 2016

This match is a Hardcore Match. Ready for some Intergender Hardcore action? I know you are. Hamada and Mizunami are two of the top wrestlers in Pro Wrestling WAVE, the promotion run by GAMI. GENTARO and The Winger are regulars in FREEDOMS.

Hamada and Mizunami charge their opponents to start but the idea quickly backfires as they are both attacked with chairs. They set up chairs in the corners but Hamada and Mizunami throw them into the chairs, Hamada grabs Winger and tries walking the ropes, but she is knocked out of the ring. Mizunami is thrown out of the ring too but Hamada takes the chair from GENTARO and throws him into the ring post. Winger avenges GENTARO by doing the same to Hamada and then chokes her with a chair, while GENTARO gets another chair and hits Mizunami in the head with it. Hamada boots GENTARO and goes to check on Mizunami, while the men return to the ring to wait. Hamada gets in too and takes the chair from GENTARO, but she gets double teamed before GENTARO covers her for two. Mizunami gets in the ring, bleeding from the head, which GENTARO makes worse by biting her. Winger picks up Mizunami and he bites Mizunami in the head too, DDT by Winger onto a chair and he covers her for two. GENTARO returns and hits a splash on Mizunami, but he gets a two count as well. GENTARO goes for a piledriver but Mizunami blocks it with a back bodydrop. Mizunami hits GENTARO with a chair but Winger runs in and attacks her from behind.

comp2GENTARO picks up Mizunami and goes for a chair shot, but Mizunami ducks it and spears him. Lariat by Mizunami in the corner, Hamada comes in with a chair while GENTARO is put in the Tree of Woe. Hamada throws the chair at Winger before hitting a baseball slide on GENTARO. They then use the chairs to hit Winger low before doing the same to GENTARO, Mizunami picks up GENTARO and slams him to the mat before going up top and deliver the diving leg drop for a two count. Lariat by Mizunami to Winger, they set up chairs in the ring and sit both GENTARO and Winger onto them, but when they charge them they are drop toeholed onto the chairs. GENTARO throws Mizunami out of the ring and picks up Hamada, hitting a brainbuster onto the chair for a two count. Double flapjack to Hamada onto a chair, cover by GENTARO but Mizunami breaks it up. Mizunami is thrown out of the ring while Winger breaks a lighttube into the ring, but Hamada takes it from him and hits Winger in the head. Hamada grabs a chair before going up top, and she nails a moonsault onto Winger with the chair. Cover by Hamada, but Winger gets a shoulder up. Hamada picks up Winger and she delivers the AP Cross on the chair, picking up the three count pinfall! Hamada and Mizunami are the winners.

That was definitely a crazy match. It was a little over ten minutes long but never slowed down for a second, there was constantly someone being hit with a chair or having some other act of violence done against them. Mizunami and Hamada are about the same size as GENTARO and Winger so it never felt like an uneven match, Hamada is more than capable of holding her own which she showed by easily putting away Winger. The amount of chairs used was due to it being GENTARO’s primary weapon of choice but it just made it all the more meaningful the one time a lighttube was used as it felt like something fresh. A chaotic and fun bloody brawl.  Recommended

Manami Kanda vs. Micro
GUTS World “Vol. 98: Bukotsu War 2016” on July 19th, 2016

This will be a more normal match. Kanda and Micro are both smaller Freelancer wrestlers (both in status and size), spending most of their wrestling in smaller indie promotions. Neither have had a lot of success in their careers up to this point, but there is always time and putting on a good show on a televised event is never a bad place to start.

comp3They tie-up to start, Kanda kicks Micro and she bounces the little one off the ropes. Kanda throws down Micro by her hair and slams her head into the mat before applying a Camel Clutch. Irish whip by Kanda but Micro hits a trio of crossbodies for a quick two count. Micro throws Kanda into the corner and hits a dropkick, but Kanda comes back with a lariat and hits a scoop slam. Crab hold by Kanda but Micro gets into the ropes, scoop slam by Kanda but Micro rolls her up for a two count. Micro picks up Kanda but Kanda hits a scoop slam, she goes off the ropes and hits a bodypress for two. Kanda throws Micro into the corner and hits an elbow followed by a face crusher, Kanda gets on the second turnbuckle but Micro shakes the ropes to send her back to the mat. Now Micro goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Micro but Kanda gets a shoulder up. Kanda and Micro trade elbows, shoulderblock by Kanda and she covers Micro for two. Kanda picks up Micro but Micro applies an inside cradle for two. Micro tries a few more quick pins with no luck, hard shoulderblock by Kanda but Micro applies a crucifix pin for two. Micro tries more quick pins but can’t hold Kanda down, running footstomp by Kanda and she knocks down Micro with a lariat. Sliding lariat by Kanda, and she gets the three count! Manami Kanda wins!

All I can say is that this was an actively average and bland match. It was just not engaging or interesting in any way, there is probably a reason that they have stayed on smaller indies. Neither were bad, there weren’t any mistakes, but there was nothing really positive about it either. Thoroughly skippable.

Drake Morimatsu vs. Konaka = Pehlwan
GUTS World “Vol. 98: Bukotsu War 2016” on July 19th, 2016

Now we are back to indie sleaze shit. Konaka has a unique gimmick where he always is relaxed and does calm things, he can be interesting but doesn’t really put on five star matches. I’m not really sure what he is. Drake is a veteran that used to wrestle in FMW and Jd’, she came out of retirement and joined GUTS World in 2014. She also occasionally wrestles in Big Japan Wrestling but generally stays under the radar.

comp4The match starts really slow as they are in no rush to get started, Drake finally stops messing around and hits Konaka with a baseball bat. Chops by Drake and she chokes Konaka against the ropes before throwing him down into the corner. Drake starts on Konaka’s arm as I regret watching this match, chinlock by Drake but Konaka gets into the ropes. Now it is Konaka that works on Drake’s arm but Drake snapmares him and hits a leg drop. Konaka kicks Drake back and applies a necklock over the top rope, swandive chop to the head by Konaka and he does a quick post before going for the cross armbreaker. Drake gets into the ropes but Konaka quickly applies an armbar, Drake again inches to the ropes and she forces another break. Stomps by Konaka but Drake fires back with a lariat, Konaka rolls out of the ring but Drake goes out after him. Konaka attacks Drake from behind but Drake chops him and they battle into the stands. They return to the ring and Drake hits Konaka with a chair but Konaka takes it from her, Drake takes it back and tosses the chair out of the ring before hitting a lariat. Another lariat by Drake and she covers Konaka, but picks him up before the three count. Samoan Driver by Drake, she picks up Konaka and hits a Michinoku Driver, but Konaka grabs her arm when she goes for a cover and applies an armbar. Drake struggles for a moment before she taps out! Konaka = Pehlwan wins the match.

No lie, this match kinda bored me to tears. Konaka doesn’t show a lot of emotion and Drake is obviously limited so for a ten minute match not a whole hell of a lot happened. I am not sure who the target audience for this match is but it wasn’t me, just a flat mid-card match.

Emi Sakura and Hibiscus Mii vs. Riho, Kotori, and Sayaka Obihiro
HEAT-UP “Dream-Up 2016” on July 21st, 2016

Time to move on to a new promotion. This was originally a 4 vs. 1 match with Mii from Ryukyu Dragon Pro Wrestling taking on all four wrestlers from Gatoh Move. But before the match there was some talking and suddenly Sakura joined Mii to make it only 3 vs. 2 instead. Sakura and Mii are the two veterans, while the other side are a bunch of less experienced wrestlers so its a pretty fair match-up.

comp5Sakura is jumped before the match starts and is triple teamed, Mii comes in the ring to help but Kotori requests her to leave so she does. I bet being able to understand the pre-match talking would have helped. Sakura comes back and hits a crossbody on all three before tagging in Mii, Kotori stays in to face her and immediately puts Mii in the cross armbreaker. Mii gets into the ropes but Sakura runs up the corner and hits an armdrag before tagging in Obihiro. Obihiro floors Mii but Mii bridges out of the cover, elbow by Obihiro but Mii bridges out again. They go through this a few times until Mii collapses, Mii manages to hit a Stunner and she dropkicks Obihiro in the head. Sakura isn’t around for her to tag while Riho is also tagged in, Kotori comes in too and they all roll over Mii. Mii gets away and manages to tag Sakura this time, and they double team Riho. Riho dropkicks Mii out of the ring and tags in Kotori, Obihiro also comes in but Sakura rams them into each other and hits a crossbody in the corner on them both. Double underhook slam attempt by Sakura but Kotori slides down her back and applies a sleeper. Mii runs in but Riho grabs her, Obihiro comes in but Sakura kicks her away. Riho and Kotori get on the second turnbuckle and hit dual footstomps onto Sakura, cover by Kotori but it gets two. Kotori goes off the ropes but Sakura catches her with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, giving her time to tags in Mii. Riho is also tagged in and slaps Mii, dropkick by Riho and she hits a jumping knee in the corner. Eye poke by Mii but Kotori hits a diving crossbody as does Riho for a two count. Northern Lights Suplex by Riho, but Mii kicks out again, Riho throws Mii in the corner but Mii slides out to the apron and hits a missile dropkick. Mii tags Sakura, she picks up Riho and hits the double underhook backbreaker. Sakura goes up top but Riho moves when she goes for a senton, tilt-a-whirl roll-up by Riho but Sakura kicks out. Kotori comes in and hits a judo throw on Sakura, Somato by Riho and she covers Sakura for the three count! Riho, Kotori, and Obihiro win!

This was a cute short little mid-card match. Kotori and Riho are a lot of fun to watch, I always enjoy it when I get a chance to watch them. Two young wrestlers with a lot of potential. Sakura and Mii are great too, and the match was really fluid for a crazy match with tons of interference and quick offense. Not a ton of substance but enjoyable.  Mildly Recommended

Koharu Hinata vs. Micro
Mr. Gannosuke Produce “Kishindo Returns 20” on July 26th, 2016

Little Micro gets a second change to impress. I like Micro but I like small wrestlers in general, they bump around so well and are good underdogs. Hinata we saw briefly in the FMW match, she wrestles in a variety of smaller indies around Japan. This is about as big a match as these two will likely get as this is their current peak, but I like them both for different reasons, both can put on a good show.

comp6Unlike the last match, this one starts slowly as they feel each other out with Micro hitting the first move of the match with a bodyslam. She picks up Hinata and throws her down by her hair, but Hinata returns the favor and stomps down Micro in the corner. Scoop slam by Micro and she puts Hinata in a crab hold, but Hinata crawls to the ropes and forces the break. Micro at one point trapped Hinata’s arms too so she couldn’t grab the ropes, which is a smarter tactic than I am used to seeing in my pro wres. Hinata comes back with a kick, Micro scoops her up but Hinata falls on top of Micro for a two count. Now it is Hinata that puts Micro in the crab hold, she then lets it go only to put Micro in a Surfboard. Back up they trade elbows, Micro goes off the ropes but Hinata catches her with a dropkick. Another dropkick by Hinata, she picks up Micro and hits a few slaps before kicking her again. Scoop slam by Hinata and she covers Micro for a two. Knees by Hinata and she kicks Micro out of the corner, diving crossbody by Hinata but that gets a two as well. Bodyscissors into a roll-up by Hinata and she also tries an inside cradle as well as a backslide, but Micro kicks out each time. Micro charges Hinata and grabs her by the leg, she hits a unique leg sweep roll-up and she gets the three count! Micro wins!

I enjoyed this a bit more than I probably should have, it wasn’t anything special and wasn’t overly exciting, but Micro does so many little things that I had a good time watching it. Trapping the arms when putting on a crab hold is so smart but rarely done, and I loved the leg sweep pin which I have never seen before. Hinata was solid too, both wrestlers are itty bitty so they are limited in what they can do, but overall it was still a pretty solid match.  Mildly Recommended

Hana Kimura vs. Reika Saiki
WRESTLE-1 “Symbol Tour” on July 29th, 2016

We jump promotions again, now going to Keiji Mutoh’s WRESTLE-1. Hana and Reika both debuted for WRESTLE-1 this year after successfully going through their training school. They wrestle each other quite a bit since they are the only two women wrestlers in the promotion, but they are able to take outside bookings as well. Hana we are more familiar with, she is the daughter of Kyoko Kimura and already has had several opportunities against bigger wrestlers. But she is still just a rookie, and sometimes rookies have to face off against each other to establish a pecking order.

comp7They begin with a knuckle lock and a Test of Strength which Hana gets the better of. Hana applies a headlock on the mat before applying a leg submission, Hana then gets in the mount position and goes for an armbreaker but Reika gets to the ropes. Scoop slam by Hana and she applies a crab hold, but again Reika gets to the ropes to force a break. Back up they trade elbows, dropkick by Reika and she dropkicks Hana into the corner. Kicks to the chest by Reika and she hits a scoop slam, kicks by Reika to Hana’s leg and she hits another slam for a two count cover. Reika goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, but Hana bridges out of the pin. Hana applies a stretch hold before tossing Reika off and slams her into the corner. Double knee to the back by Hana and she dropkicks Reika for a two count cover. Hana picks up Reika but Reika sneaks in an inside cradle, kicks by Reika and she nails an enzuigiri for a two. Head kick by Reika, and she picks up the three count pinfall! The winner of the match is Reika Saiki.

This was a very rookiesque match. A little rough around the edges, pretty basic, and nothing incredibly exciting. Some moves were executed really well, Reika has nice kicks and Hana’s ground game is solid, but other moves looked a bit weaker and they seemed to get a bit lost at least once. A necessary match for their growth but not something I could recommend.

Alex Lee and Tiran Shisa vs. Ayumu Honda and Bambi
K-DOJO “Super In TKO Garden City Chiba” on July 31st, 2016

I made a joke about Alex Lee being on every event I watch but it isn’t really a joke, she literally wrestles in every promotion in Japan that has Joshi matches. Here she teams with a young masked K-DOJO wrestler, and they are against K-DOJO’s only contracted Joshi wrestler Bambi who is teaming with four year K-DOJO veteran Honda. No real storyline here, just a fun opening-style match on a small K-DOJO show.

comp8Shisa starts with Honda, they bounce off the ropes until Shisa hits an armdrag followed by a dropkick. Lee and Bambi are tagged in and trade wristlocks, they both go for shoulderblocks until Lee knocks Bambi to the mat. Lee tags in Shisa, he goes for a scoop slam but Bambi lands on top of him. Honda comes in the ring and they both boot Shisa, Bambi puts Shisa into the ropes and both she and Honda kick Shisa in the chest. Bambi tags in Honda, Honda dropkicks Shisa and hits an armbreaker followed by a body press onto Shisa’s arm. He tags Bambi back in, kicks by Bambi and she covers Shisa for a two count. Bambi gets her whip and chokes Shisa with it, she lets go just to whip him and makes the tag to Honda. Honda dropkicks Shisa in the corner, another dropkick by Honda and he tags Bambi. Shisa kicks Bambi when she charges her and delivers a dropkick, giving him time to tag in Lee. Lee knees Bambi but Honda hits her from the apron, he comes in the ring but Lee kicks them before hitting a double face crusher. Kick to the face by Lee, and she covers Bambi for two. Lee and Bambi trade elbows, Lee goes off the ropes but Bambi catches her with a boot. Another boot by Bambi, and she gets a two count cover. Bambi applies a double reverse armbar, but Lee gets a foot on the bottom rope. Bambi tags in Honda, armbreaker by Honda and he hits a hammerlock Backstabber. Lee kicks Honda in the chest and hits a high kick, she tags in Shisa and Shisa hits a jumping elbow in the corner. Running seated senton by Shisa in the corner and he hits a gutwrench suplex for two. Shisa goes off the ropes but Honda catches him with a kick, Northern Lights Suplex by Shisa but Honda kicks out. Shisa goes for a corkscrew quebrada but Honda avoids he, he knocks Lee off the apron as Bambi comes in the ring, and they double team Shisa. Bambi hits a running knee on Shisa, Honda gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers a missile dropkick, but Lee breaks up the cover. Shisa sneaks in a schoolboy on Honda for a two count, he also tries a backslide and La Magistral but those get a two count as well. Shisa charges Honda but Honda hits a cross armbreaker takedown, and Shisa submits! Ayumu Honda and Bambi win the match!

As everyone that knows me is aware I have a natural liking of wrestlers in wrestling masks, so I naturally thought that Shisa was by far the most impressive wrestler in this match. Bambi and Lee are both pretty stiff/awkward, they are competent wrestlers but don’t really do anything to set themselves apart. Honda wasn’t impressing me until the cross armbreaker takedown, which I will admit looked really nice, but otherwise this was just a match on a small show that felt like it went a bit too long. Some solid moments but overall lackluster.

Akane Miura, Miyu Yamashita, and Yuka Sakazaki vs. Hyper Misao, Syoko Nakajima, and Yuu
DDT “Ryogoku Peter Pan 2016” on August 28th, 2016

We have finally reached the final match of the review! What a journey this has been. This match is basically an “Offer” match from Tokyo Joshi Pro for the big DDT Sumo Hall event. DDT runs Tokyo Joshi Pro, and while they don’t usually mingle the promotions together they tend to have them on their biggest events to show them off. This was technically a Dark Match so we shouldn’t have too high of expectations, it is more of an exhibition than anything else.

comp9Nakajima and Yamashita are the first two in, Nakajima takes Yamashita to the mat but Yamashita applies a headscissors. Nakajima bridges out of it, knee by Yamashita and she tags in Akane. Yuu tags in too, Yuu and Akane try to shoulderblock each other over which Yuu gets the better of. She tags in Misao but Akane catches her crossbody attempt and slams her to the mat. Akane tags in Sakazaki, spinning headscissors by Sakazaki but Misao chokes her with a handkerchief. Snapmare by Misao and she puts Sakazaki in the Rocking Horse, cover by Misao but it gets a two count. She tags in Yuu, Yuu chops Sakazaki and she hits a spinning side slam. She tags in Nakajima, flipping neckbreaker by Nakajima but Sakazaki elbows her away. Nakajima stops her from tagging out though, Sakazaki tries to shoot a streamer gun at Nakajima but Nakajima reverses it. Dropkick by Sakazaki and she makes the hot tag to Akane, Akane shoulderblocks everyone and hits a double lariat on Nakajima and Misao. Nakajima comes back with a springboard armdrag, Nakajima puts Akane in a few quick pins but Akane kicks out each time. Nakajima goes for a double underhook but Akane back bodydrops out of it, hurricanrana by Nakajima and she tags in Yuu. Yamashita tags in too, chops by Yuu and she hits the Oklahoma Stampede for a two count. High kick by Yamashita but Yuu catches her with a Judo Throw and tags in Misao. Jumping crossbody by Misao and she hits a few weak uppercuts, another crossbody by Misao and she slams Yamashita onto her knee for a two count. Misao gets on the top turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody, but Yamashita rolls through it and hits a Buzzsaw Kick for two. Misao tags in Nakajima, Akane comes in and she blocks Nakajima’s Tiger Feint Kick. Akane holds Nakajima so that Yamashita can hit her Magical Girl Kick, jumping lariat by Yamashita to Misao and she nails the Attitude Adjustment for the three count! Akane Miura, Miyu Yamashita, and Yuka Sakazaki are the winners!

I really love the Tokyo Joshi Pro wrestlers, they all have unique characters and show a strong ability on the mat to go with their flashy moves to wow the crowd. Misao was the clear weak link of the teams as she got lost once and has weak strikes, but everyone else looked solid. Yamashita is someone that more Joshi fans would be talking about if she “made TV” more often, hopefully DDT will allow/encourage them to take bookings other places at some point so she can get out in the wild a bit more. A fun exhibition match with memorable spots and some quality wrestlers.  Mildly Recommended

The post Joshi Match Review Medley: FMW, DDT, WRESTLE-1, and K-DOJO! appeared first on Joshi City.

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4481
Joshi Match Medley #1: DDT, K-DOJO, and Mr. Gannosuke https://joshicity.com/joshi-match-medley-ddt-k-dojo-mr-gannosuke/ Wed, 20 Jan 2016 23:47:11 +0000 http://joshicity.com/?p=1115 Saki Akai takes on all comers, and more!

The post Joshi Match Medley #1: DDT, K-DOJO, and Mr. Gannosuke appeared first on Joshi City.

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Every few weeks, I will review Joshi matches that took place in non-Joshi promotions. Promotions such as DDT, K-DOJO, Mr. Gannosuke, and FREEDOMS all either have Joshi wrestlers on their roster or frequently bring in Joshi wrestlers for special matches. Usually there is just one match per show (at the most), so as soon as three or four take place I will review them in an attempt to not miss any great matches that may have flown under the radar. It also allows me to take a look at some Joshi wrestlers I don’t see as much, as not all Joshi wrestlers are active in the larger promotions that frequently have their events make TV. Today I will be reviewing:

  • Akai Saki and Cherry vs. Makoto Oishi and Shunma Katsumata in DDT on January 3rd, 2016
  • Bambi and Koharu Hinata vs. SAKI and Manami Kanda in K-DOJO on January 10th, 2016
  • Haruka Kato vs. Makoto in Mr. Gannosuke Produce on January 12th, 2016

Event: DDT “New Year Lottery Special! 2016”
Date: January 3rd, 2016
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 1,750

med-2
Akai Saki and Cherry vs. Makoto Oishi and Shunma Katsumata

The most interesting note here isn’t the tag match itself, but rather that Akai Saki is the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion. The Iron Man Heavymetalweight Championship is a belt that is defended 24/7, meaning that Cherry can pin Saki anytime to win the title even though they are partners. Which she will try to do a lot. Saki is a known model in Japan, a gorgeous one at that, but is a regular wrestler in DDT. Cherry is also DDT-affiliated and is an eleven year veteran.

med-2bCherry attacks Saki before the match even starts, which kinda sets the tone for how this one is going to go. Cherry lariats both Oishi and Katsumata and she scratches Katsumata on the back. Cherry tags Saki, Katsumata slams Saki and he tags Oishi. Oishi drops a fist onto Saki and he tags Katsumata back in, Katsumata puts Saki in the ropes and he dropkicks her in the face. Cherry breaks up the pin and goes for her own pin on Saki, but Saki keeps kicking out. Big boot by Akai on Katsumata and she boots him again, but Cherry runs in and rolls up Akai for a two count. Akai boots Oishi also and tags Cherry, they both kick Katsumata before Cherry chops Oishi in the throat. Cherry rolls up Akai, but Oishi rolls her over and covers them both for the three count! Oishi and Katsumata win the match.

The carnage continues as everyone tries to pin Akai, but Akai clears the ring. She does a promo but suddenly the celebrity LiLiCo appears and chokes Akai with a chain! LiLiCo chokes out Akai and pins her, and she gets the three count! LiLiCo is your new Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion!

There wasn’t much to this one since it was just a backdrop for the bigger storyline of Akai being the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion. The story was well told and the crowd enjoyed it, it was just too short of a match to get excited about. Always a pleasure to see Saki though.

Event: K-DOJO “Club-K Super in TKP Garden City”
Date: January 10th, 2016
Location: TKP Garden City in Chiba, Japan

Announced Attendance: 312

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Bambi and Koharu Hinata vs. SAKI and Manami Kanda

One of the unique things about K-DOJO (there are many unique things about the promotion) is they have a full time Joshi wrestler: Bambi. Bambi debuted in 2004 and was trained in K-DOJO by TAKA Michinoku. She has been wrestling there every since, a lot of the time she wrestles men but the promotion does bring in other Joshi wrestlers for her to battle as well. Her partner Hinata is itty bitty and debuted in 2013. She has wrestled in several promotions, including teaming with Miss Mongol in the latest version of FMW. Kanda also debuted in 2013 and wrestles mostly in smaller promotions like Ganbare Pro-Wrestling, KAGEKI, and Secret Base. And finally, SAKI is technically affiliated with LLPW-X, but they don’t run shows very often so she mostly freelances in various smaller promotions. You may noticed a theme, these are pretty low level Joshi wrestlers that K-DOJO brought in to wrestle with Bambi, but for an undercard on a small K-DOJO event that is to be expected.

med1-1Bambi and SAKI are the first pair in, they try to knock each other over until Bambi connects with a big boot. Bambi tags Hinata and Hinata throws down SAKI by her hair. SAKI tags Kanda, Hinata dropkicks Kanda but Kanda slams her to the mat, SAKI is tagged in and she throws the little Hinata around the ring. Kanda takes a turn on Hinata as well, and she stretches her on the mat. Hinata hits a spinning headscissors to get away and she tags in Bambi. Bambi knocks down both SAKI and Kanda, they go for a double suplex but Bambi blocks it. Bambi gets her whip and whips both of them with it, but SAKI rolls her up for two and applies a stretch hold. Rocking Horse by SAKI to Bambi but Bambi hits a neckbreaker and tags Hinata. Hinata comes off the top with a diving body press, getting a two count on SAKI. Bambi comes in and helps Hinata kick SAKI before tossing Hinata down onto her. Hinata elbows SAKI into the corner, Hinata sneaks in a few pinfalls but SAKI kicks out each time and hits a bodyslam. Giant Swing by SAKI and she applies a single leg crab hold, but Hinata makes it to the ropes. SAKI goes up top but Hinata avoids the Reverse Splash and hits a dropkick. SAKI and Hinata trade elbows but Hinata hits a step-up hurricanrana. Vertical suplex by SAKI and she tags in Kanda while Hinata tags Bambi. Bambi and Kanda trade elbows, Northern Lights Suplex by Kanda but it only gets two. Neckbreaker by Kanda and she delivers a sliding lariat, but Hinata breaks it up. Big boot by Bambi and she nails a second one, Bambi slams Kanda in front of the corner and she nails the Bambing Body Press for the three count! Bambi and Hinata win!

One of the downfalls of having wrestlers that are not familiar with each other and not very experienced in general is the matches tend to have miscommunications. There were plenty of those in this match, from small things to bad botches. When they were on the same page the action was fine, but overshadowed by the mistakes. I have grown to like Hinata the bit I have seen of her, little wrestlers that can take offense tend to enhance matches, but overall not a good match.

Event: Mr. Gannosuke Produce “Kishindo Returns 19”
Date: January 12th, 2016
Location: Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 255

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Haruka Kato vs. Makoto

While this may seem random, Makoto came up through Ice Ribbon when Mr. Gannosuke was a trainer in the promotion, so they likely have maintained a relationship since then. Kato is a regular in Stardom but is not officially affiliated with the promotion, so she wrestles on some indy events as well.

med1-3Kato elbows Makoto and hits a quick crossbody, but Makoto comes back with a shoulderblock and throws Kato in the corner. Dropkick by Kato and she hits a face crusher, but Makoto hits a bodyslam. Makoto throws down Kato by her hair and stands on Kato in the corner, Camel Clutch by Makoto but Kato gets to the ropes. Makoto runs at Kato but Kato avoids the somersault attack and applies a hanging armbar. Dropkick by Kato and she hits another one, getting a two count. Cross armbreaker by Kato but Makoto gets to the ropes, they return to their feet and trade elbows until Makoto knocks Kato to the mat. Makoto goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, picking up a two count. Cartwheel kneedrop by Makoto, she gets on the second turnbuckle but Kato tosses her back to the mat. Sleeper by Kato and she slaps on the cross armbreaker, Makoto rolls to her stomach so Kato applies a short armbar instead. She goes back to the armbreaker, but Makoto wiggles to the ropes and forces a break. Kato picks up Makoto but Makoto boots her hard in the chest, double underhook suplex hold by Makoto but Kato barely gets a shoulder up. Makoto goes for a spear but Kato quickly rolls her up for two, satellite cradle by Kato but it gets a two as well. Kato goes off the ropes but Makoto plants her with a spear, Rising Star Suplex by Makoto and she gets the three count! Makoto is your winner.

This was a nice little match. Kato is one of the more frustrating wrestlers for me to watch. Her psychology is usually top notch, she is good at focusing on the arm and stays on it throughout the match. But she isn’t a great athlete so she isn’t very smooth with a lot of what she does. Makoto is almost the opposite, she has been wrestling for awhile and is smooth most of the time, but her offense can be a bit all over the place. So it was an odd combination to be sure, the bulk of the match was fine but it had a few rough patches. Worth watching for Kato’s submission game, I just wish she had a few other pieces as if she did she’d be amazing to watch.  Mildly Recommended

The post Joshi Match Medley #1: DDT, K-DOJO, and Mr. Gannosuke appeared first on Joshi City.

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