In the last 10 years, since the fall of Joshi’s popularity in Japan, it has been rare for a Joshi event to air live on TV as usually it is shown either delayed on TV or live on niconico. It is even more rare for a promotion with no TV deal at all to get such a spot, but the retirement of Joshi legend Devil Masami was able to pull it off. MARVELOUS NIGHT V was shown live on GAORA in its entirety, with the show clocking in at almost three hours. Much of that was Masami’s retirement ceremony (approximately 45 minutes worth) but there was a full event as well as different promotions came together to send off Masami in style. Masami herself wrestled twice on the card, including in the opening against Nagayo, who come out of retirement (hold in your laughter) to take on her old foe. Here is the full card:

• Chigusa Nagayo, Yumiko Hotta, and Meiko Satomura vs. Devil Masami, Dump Matsumoto, and KAORU
• DASH Chisako and Sendai Sachiko vs. Ryo Mizunami and Yukari Ishino
• Ayako Sato and Hanako Kobayashi vs. Ray and Misaki Ohata
• Kana, Yumi Ohka, Cherry, and Moeka Haruhi vs. GAMI, Kyoko Kimura, Shuu Shibutani, and Bullfighter Sora
• Misae Genki vs. Yuki Miyazaki
• Azumi Hyuga, Leon, and Arisa Nakajima vs. Kayoko Haruyama, Command Bolshoi, and Kaori Yoneyama
• Noriyo Tateno vs. Takako Inoue
• Chikayo Nagashima and Sonoko Kato vs. Mayumi Ozaki and Manami Toyota
• Devil Masami Retirement Match: Devil Masami, Dynamite Kansai, and Carlos Amano vs. Aja Kong, Ran Yu-Yu, and Toshie Uematsu

Chigusa Nagayo, Hotta, and Satomura vs. Devil Masami, Dump Matsumoto, and KAORU

Nagayo and Masami start the match and they trade strikes, Masami shrugs off Nagayo’s strikes but Nagayo hits an armdrag. Masami goes all evil and scares Nagayo into the corner, she tags in Matsumoto who comes in with a kendo stick, which she uses to hit Nagayo repeatedly. Nagayo eventually grabs it and Hotta comes in and smacks Matsumoto in the face. Nagayo tags in Satomura but KAORU runs in and hits Satomura with a piece of table. Hotta returns and they double team Matsumoto, but Matsumoto comes back with a lariat to Satomura and tags in KAORU. KAORU hits Satomura with the table piece but Satomura hits a rebound elbow out of the corner followed by the Pele Kick. Hotta becomes legal somehow and elbows KAORU, Nagayo struts in and kicks KAORU in the head. Tiger Driver by Hotta to KAORU, but the pin is broken up when Matsumoto hits the referee with the kendo stick. Nagayo stays in with KAORU but Masami lariats her from the apron and comes in to hit a leg drop. Moonsault by KAORU, Masami picks up Nagayo but Nagayo uppercuts her, Nagayo goes off the ropes but KAORU hits her with the table piece. Matsumoto comes in while the crowd squeals, and Matsumoto stabs Nagayo in the head. She keeps stabbing Nagayo until she starts bleeding, Masami covers Nagayo but it gets a two count. Satomura comes in and they take turns kicking Masami, lariat by Nagayo but it gets a two count as Masami does a zombie kick out. Hotta tries to help but it backfires, KAORU comes in to spray mist at Nagayo but she misses and hits Masami by accident. Uppercut by Nagayo but Masami headbutts her, Fire Valley by Masami and she gets the three count! Masami, Matsumoto, and KAORU win!

After the match they all spoke and laughed with each other, so no hard feelings between the veterans. This is a really odd match as it was more of an exhibition, it was under eight minutes and the tag rules were rather loose to put it mildly. I really don’t think KAORU and Satomura were needed, the crowd was into anything with Nagayo, Masami, and Matsumoto and the rest were just filler to get the participant number up. Even watching it eight years later I completely get the fun of seeing Nagayo in there with Matsumoto and it was a unique way to start the show as it allowed Masami time to rest up before her real retirement match (plus a chance to retire the ‘gimmick’ character). I thought it was lighthearted and fun, but not much of a ‘real’ match in the traditional sense.  Mildly Recommended

DASH Chisako and Sendai Sachiko vs. Ryo Mizunami and Yukari Ishino

Chisako and Mizunami are the first two in, Chisako grabs Mizunami’s arm and Sachiko comes down off the top turnbuckle onto it. Mizunami puts Sachiko in a headlock and tags in Ishino, dropkicks by Ishino and she covers Sachiko for two. Back up they trade elbows, Sachiko wins the dual and she tags in her sister, who works over Ishino in the corner. Dropkicks by Chisako but Ishino quickly rolls her up for a two count before hitting a series of dropkicks. Ishino tags in Mizunami, scoop slam by Mizunami and she hits quick legdrops for a two count cover. Chisako comes back with dropkicks, Sachiko goes up top and hits a missile dropkick onto Mizunami. Even more dropkicks by Sachiko (lots of dropkicks in this match) and she hits a DDT, but Mizunami gets Sachiko up and hits a shoulder breaker. Mizunami tags in Ishino but Chisako runs in and dropkicks her, double dropkick to Ishino and Sachiko covers her for two. Sachiko jumps up on the second turnbuckle and hit a tornado DDT, Northern Lights Suplex by Sachiko but it gets a two count. Ishino gets Sachiko up on her shoulders and hits a Samoan Drop, she picks her up again but this time Sachiko wiggles away and hits a DDT. Scoop slam by Sachiko, Chisako comes in and Sachiko suplexes Chisako onto Ishino. Somersault senton by Sachiko, but Ishino bridges out of the cover. Sachiko picks up Ishino, Chisako boots Ishino in the head and Sachiko delivers a German suplex hold for the three count! Chisako and Sachiko are the winners.

It is interesting that Sendai Girls’ sent their babies for the offer match, but considering the match they had to follow it was probably for the best. Lots of rookie-based offense here, meaning lots of dropkicks and the like, but occasionally they would throw in something different to show they weren’t complete novices. Chisako and Sachiko were already working well together, they teamed for seven more years after this match so you can imagine how much better they got. A fun easy to watch opener-style match.

Ayako Sato and Hanako Kobayashi vs. Ray and Misaki Ohata

Ray and Sato begin the match, hard shoulderblock by Ray and she hits a springboard armdrag. Ray cartwheels away from Sato and both wrestlers go for dropkicks, Ray gets Sato in the ropes and chops her in the chest. Ray tags in Ohata, Ohata goes for a cross armbreaker but Sato gets into the ropes. Dropkick by Sato as Kobayashi comes in, and Ohata is double teamed. Dropkicks by Sato, and she covers Ohata for a two count. Ohata starts her comeback but Sato slips away and tags in Kobayashi, missile dropkick by Kobayashi but Ray kicks her from the apron. Kobayashi is double teamed and covered by Ohata for a two count, armdrag by Ohata and she hits a low crossbody. Ray goes up top and hits a cartwheel kick off the ropes, she picks up Kobayashi and hits an enzuigiri. Ray goes up top as does Ohata, but both wrestlers miss moonsaults. Kobayashi hits a diving crossbody on Ray, then Sato follows with a missile dropkick. Kobayashi picks up Ray and hits a fisherman suplex hold, but it gets a two count. Kobayashi goes up top but Ohata hits her before she can jump off, Ray goes up with her but Kobayashi pushes Ray to the mat and hits a diving crossbody. Ray hits a German suplex on Kobayashi, jumping kick by Ray and she nails a moonsault for the three count! Ohata and Ray are the winners.

A simple match, nothing bad but utterly forgettable. Ray was a great flyer and got a few chances to show it here, but no one else made much of an impression. With only six minutes they didn’t have much time anyway, mostly just filler.

Kana, Yumi Ohka, Cherry, and Haruhi vs. GAMI, Kimura, Shibutani, and Bullfighter Sora

Sora and Haruhi start off, Cherry comes in too but Sora hits a crossbody on both of them. Kana runs in and starts hip attacking everyone, until Kimura boots her in the head. Ohka comes in to help but so does GAMI, and GAMI hits everyone in the head with a horn. She gets dropkicked, then Team Kana pose on Gama and Sora. Team GAMI end up back in control as they do the triple leg submission hold spot in a circle as they run through the indy wrestling cliche spots until things settle back down with Sora and Haruhi still the legal wrestlers. They tag in Kana and Kimura, they trade elbows until Kimura headbutts Kana to send her to the mat. Shibutani missile dropkicks Kana, but Kana falls into her corner and tags in Cherry. Cherry hits a jumping lariat on Shibutani and tags in Haruhi, jumping seated sentons by Haruhi and she covers Shibutani for two.

DDT by Shibutani and she dropkicks Cherry before tagging in GAMI. GAMI is reluctant to go up top but eventually does so, she walks the ropes while holding Haruhi’s arm but eventually falls and crotches herself. GAMI picks up Haruhi but Haruhi puts her in a hanging submission, but GAMI gets into the ropes. Ohka is tagged in but GAMI catches her with a side Russian leg sweep and GAMI tags in Sora. Ohka boots Sora in the face and then boots GAMI, backdrop suplex by Ohka to GAMI and she covers her for two. Ohka goes up top but Shibutani grabs her, giving GAMI time to recover, Frankensteiner by GAMI and she covers Ohka for two. Atomic drop by Ohka to GAMI but GAMI levels her with a lariat. Fisherman buster by GAMI, but the cover is broken up. GAMI picks up Ohka but Ohka gets away, Sora tries to help but she hits GAMI by accident. Kimura then headbutts GAMI by accident and Ohka boots GAMI in the head for a two count. Tiger Suplex Hold by Ohka, and she gets the three count! Team Kana win!

A bit sloppy and disjointed for a match with wrestlers that are in theory familar with each other. Lots of comedy spots although it wasn’t all comedy, as Kimura and Kana had a nice exchange that ended way too quickly. Some miscommunications and nothing that really popped out, maybe everyone was told to keep it mild to not upstage the purpose of the evening. Another not bad but not special match which may be a recurring theme.

Misae Genki vs. Yuki Miyazaki

Miyazaki starts the match with a springboard armdrag but Genki blocks her dropkick, trip by Miyazaki and she catches Genki with a dropkick on the second try. Scoop slam by Miyazaki and the pair trade strikes, Genki throws Miyazaki in the corner and hits a series of chops. Big boot by Genki, and she covers Miyazaki for a two count. Genki goes for a chokeslam but Miyazaki blocks it and hits a chokeslam of her own. Miyazaki goes up top but Genki grabs her and chokeslams Miyazaki to the mat for two. Miyazaki grabs Genki around the waist and hits a German suplex hold, but it gets a two count. Tiger suplex hold by Miyazaki but that gets a two as well, Miyazaki goes up top but Genki avoids the moonsault attempt. Sliding Kick by Miyazaki but Genki levels her with a lariat. Another lariat by Genki, she picks up Miyazaki and she hits an Emerald Frosion. Genki picks up Miyazaki again and nails the G-Driller, picking up the three count cover! Misae Genki wins the match.

Too short to get excited about but the action itself was good. Genki was a quality power wrestler, never outstanding but really solid and everything was hit convincingly. The transitions were bad enough to be annoying, no real meaningful selling until the last few moves, but with a five minute match what else can ya do. Not bad but it didn’t leave much of an impression.

Azumi Hyuga, Leon, and Arisa Nakajima vs. Haruyama, Command Bolshoi, and Yoneyama

Bolshoi and Hyuga start for their teams and trade quick holds on the mat with neither getting a clean advantage. Nakajima and Yoneyama tag in, Hyuga stays in to help but Yoneyama armdrags them both out of the ring. Leon then gets a running start in the ring, jumps up to the top rope and sails out onto everyone with a plancha suicida. Back in the ring, Yoneyama is triple teamed in the corner before Nakajima hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Nakajima tags Leon, spear by Leon and she hits two more for a two count of her own. Leon goes for a suplex but Yoneyama slides away and hits the Chaos Theory. Yoneyama tags in Haruyama, Stunner by Haruyama but Leon catches her with a backbreaker slam. Nakajima and Hyuga run in while Leon goes up top and hits a diving body press for two. Leon tags Hyuga who hits a double underhook unto a backbreaker, she goes up top and knocks down Haruyama with a missile dropkick. Hyuga picks up Haruyama but Haruyama lariats her in the back of the head and tags in Bolshoi. Hurricanrana by Bolshoi to Hyuga, she picks her up and hits a drop toehold into the ropes so that Haruyama and Yoneyama can dropkick her. Tiger Feint Kick by Bolshoi and she goes for a satellite headscissors, but Hyuga blocks it and hits a backbreaker.

Running knee to the back of the head by Hyuga and she hits rolling German suplexes for a two count. Yoneyama runs in and kicks Hyuga, La Mistica by Bolshoi to Hyuga but it is quickly broken up. Nakajima comes in but Bolshoi rolls her to the mat and applies a kneelock until Leon breaks it up. Bolshoi tags in Haruyama, kick by Haruyama but Nakajima catches her with a bridging fallaway suplex. Elbows by Nakajima but Haruyama blocks the German suplex. More elbows by Nakajima but Haruyama levels her with a lariat.  Haruyama goes up top but Leon grabs her, giving Nakajima time to join Haruyama. Nakajima suplexes Haruyama off the top turnbuckle, Leon then hits a Swanton Bomb and Nakajima finishes with a diving footstomp for a two count cover. German suplex hold by Nakajima to Haruyama, but that gets a two as well. Nakajima goes up top but Yoneyama joins her and suplexes her back off. Haruyama picks up Nakajima and deliver the Keene Hammer but Leon breaks it up. Yoneyama goes up top and is fed Leon’s legs by Haruyama, they together hit an assisted double underhook facebuster on Leon while Yoneyama also sentons Leon. Haruyama goes back up and hits a diving legdrop, but Hyuga breaks up the pin. The bell rings just as she does so, and the time limit has expired. The match is a Draw.

This was definitely the best match on the card we’ve seen as far as wrestling goes, all six of them brought their A Game and were flying around the ring in impressive fashion. They seemed to always be on the same page and worked well together, nothing felt off or forced. With a ten minute time limit I don’t think six wrestlers were needed, four would have been fine as there wasn’t really time to showcase all the wrestlers, but everything they did was well done. It felt more like an exhibition which in a way it was, but it was still fun to watch.  Mildly Recommended

Noriyo Tateno vs. Takako Inoue

Takako kicks Tateno into the corner right off the bat, kick to the chest by Takako and she hits a DDT. More kicks by Takako but Tateno fights back with elbows, Mexican Surfboard by Tateno and she applies a facelock. Tateno stomps down on Takako’s hands and sends her off the ropes, but Takako snaps off a DDT. STF by Takako, she grabs Tateno by the hair but Tateno gets her back and goes for a suplex. Takako grabs the ropes to break it up, lariat by Tateno and she hits two more, German suplex hold by Tateno but it gets a two count. Tateno goes up top but Takako recovers and joins her, hitting an avalanche armdrag for two. Takako goes up top but Tateno avoids the Takako Panic, lariat by Tateno and she hits a diving body press for two. Tateno picks up Takako but Takako slides away and hits a backfist. Tateno blocks the next one however and drops Takako with a Death Valley Bomb, she picks Takako up but Takako slides away and rolls her up for the three count! Takako Inoue is the winner.

Another shorter match and probably the worst one on the show. It was pretty slow with some longer submissions for a match that wasn’t really long enough to sustain it. The match also ended really suddenly, it never felt like it really got going before it was suddenly over. A couple good moves and they worked well together, just not a very exciting match.

Chikayo Nagashima and Sonoko Kato vs. Mayumi Ozaki and Manami Toyota

Like any Ozaki match, the action quickly spills out to the floor as Toyota takes Nagashima up into the crowd. Both teams battle up near the entrance way and in the bleachers, they get back near ringside and Toyota dives off the top turnbuckle onto both Nagashima and Kato. They finally get back into the ring, Ozaki gets a chair and she hits Kato, Toyota then goes up top and hits a missile dropkick. Ozaki gets a chain and hits Kato with that as well, but Kato ducks the next attempt and hits a release German suplex. She tags in Nagashima but Nagashima is tripped from the floor, Toyota comes in but Nagashima hits a double springboard armdrag on both of them. Kato slams Ozaki in front of the corner and Nagashima delivers a diving footstomp for a two count cover. Ozaki slaps Nagashima and tags in Toyota, Toyota goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick. She hits another one before putting Nagashima in the ropes so she can be attacked by the entire Ozaki Army. Toyota gets Nagashima on her shoulders but she wiggles away and hits a release German suplex. Diving leg drop by Kato, and she covers Toyota for a two count.

Kato goes for the dragon suplex but Toyota blocks it and rolls Kato around the ring. Toyota goes up top but Kato grabs her from behind and hits a release German. Dragon suplex hold by Kato to Toyota, but it only gets a two count. Toyota gets away from Kato as Ozaki throws a chain at Kato, German suplex hold by Toyota but it gets two. Toyota goes up to the top turnbuckle but Kato avoids her moonsault and hits a punt. She tags in Nagashima but Ozaki is also tagged in, sit-down powerbomb by Ozaki but it gets two. Ozaki gets on the second turnbuckle but Nagashima catapults up there and hits a Frankensteiner. Fisherman buster by Nagashima, but Toyota breaks up the cover. Toyota missile dropkicks Nagashima and Ozaki drops her with a dragon suplex hold for two. Ozaki goes for a Shining Wizard, Nagashima blocks it but Ozaki delivers the spinning backfist for a two count. Ozaki picks up Nagashima but Nagashima rolls her up for two. Hurricanrana by Nagashima, but Ozaki rolls through it, fisherman buster by Nagashima but Toyota breaks up the cover. The bell then rings, as time has expired. The match is a Draw.

Well this was definitely action packed, they used every minute as best they could to put on an entertaining show. Not the type of match for people that are fans of long term selling, but it had tons of big moves and brutality like you would expect from an Ozaki match. All four got a chance to shine, with Toyota in particular looking really impressive as always. A really solid match, I wish it could have gotten more time so it could have had a real conclusion but still an enjoyable heavyweight sprint.  Recommended

Devil Masami, Dynamite Kansai, and Carlos Amano vs. Aja Kong, Ran Yu-Yu, and Toshie Uematsu

Masami and Yu-Yu start the match off, they start off politely until Uematsu comes in to help her partner. Masami shrugs off their chops and headbutts both of them, but Kong comes in and lariats Masami to the mat. Kong takes Masami out of the ring and chucks a chair at her, as all six wrestlers brawl at ringside. Kansai and Uematsu end up in the aisle near the balcony while Kong throws the steel plate from the barricade at Amano while somehow Masami made it back into the ring with Yu-Yu and puts her in a sleeper. Masami tags in Kansai, vertical suplex by Kansai to Yu-Yu and she covers her for two. Scorpion Deathlock by Kansai but Yu-Yu crawls to the ropes and she forces the break. Kansai tags in Amano and they hit Yu-Yu with a double shoulderblock, but Yu-Yu pushes back to her corner and tags in Kong. Kong chops Amano against the ropes and hits a lariat in the corner, cover by Kong but it gets two. Amano tries to fight back with headbutts but Kong smacks her to the mat and tags in Uematsu. Uematsu rakes Amano’s face and stomps her down in the corner, Irish whip by Uematsu but Amano hits a jumping lariat and tags in Kansai. Kansai grabs Uematsu and hits a lariat in the corner, but Uematsu dropkicks her in the knee and Yu-Yu runs in too so they can hit a double dropkick. Uematsu stays in but Kansai puts them both in the claw, she slams Yu-Yu to the mat but Uematsu blocks her slam and hits a suplex. Kansai fires back with a suplex of her own, Uematsu tags in Kong but Masami is tagged in as well. Kong kicks Masami in the mouth and hits a back bodydrop, but Masami avoid the elbow drop.

Kansai comes in but Kong lariats both of them. Kong tags in Yu-Yu, jumping elbow of sorts by Yu-Yu to Masami and she hits her with a knee. Yu-Yu tries to pick up Masami but Masami blocks it, knee by Yu-Yu but Masami throws her to the mat. Kong runs over and lariats Masami, Uematsu comes in and kicks Masami in the head which swings the advantage back to Yu-Yu, kick out of the corner by Yu-Yu and she covers Masami for two. Amano jumps off the top turnbuckle with a lariat to Yu-Yu, Uematsu comes in but Masami suplexes Uematsu onto Yu-Yu. Amano stays in and kicks Yu-Yu but Yu-Yu returns fire with an elbow and knocks Amano to the mat. Yu-Yu goes off the ropes but Amano hits a roaring elbow, she picks up Yu-Yu and hits a jumping lariat, but Yu-Yu knees her when she goes off the ropes again. Another knee by Yu-Yu and she hits a release German suplex, picking up a two count. Yu-Yu tags in Kong, Kong punches Amano to the mat but Amano fights back with headbutts. Kong has none of that and hits a hard lariat, she picks up Amano and delivers the brainbuster but the cover is broken up. Kong slams Amano in front of the corner, she goes up top but Masami pushes her back to the mat. Jumping lariat by Amano to Kong and she tags in Kansai. Kansai kicks Kong but Kong catches her with a backdrop suplex, but Kansai kicks out of the cover. Kansai goes up top, Kong goes to join her but Kansai slides out to the apron and kicks Kong in the head.

Splash Mountain by Kansai, but Yu-Yu breaks it up. Kansai goes up top but Kong avoids the footstomp and Uematsu comes off the top with a missile dropkick. Shining Wizard by Kong to Kansai, but the cover gets two. Kong goes up top but Kansai avoids the elbow drop, Kansai goes up again and this time she hits the diving footstomp, but Uematsu breaks up the cover. Masami is tagged in, she picks up Kong as Amano goes for a missile dropkick, but she hits Masami on accident. Kong tags in Uematsu, dragon suplex hold by Uematsu but Masami gets a shoulder up. Hard elbow by Yu-Yu to Masami but Masami fires up and lariats all three of her opponents. Masami picks up Uematsu but Uematsu slides away and Kong lariats Masami. Uematsu gets on Yu-Yu’s shoulders and hits a diving body press on Masami, but the cover gets two. Uematsu goes up top but Masami hits her before she can jump off, Yu-Yu runs in and grabs Masami however and Uematsu hits a missile dropkick. Masami pops up and lariats both of them, Kansai comes in and starts kicking people as Masami picks up Uematsu and hits a Liger Bomb for a two count. Yu-Yu has recovered but Masami scoops her up and nails the Fire Valley. She then hits it on Uematsu, but Yu-Yu breaks it up. Kong picks up Masami and hits her with a backfist, Uematsu gets behind Masami and nails a dragon suplex hold for the three count! Kong, Yu-Yu, and Uematsu are your winners!

After the match, Devil Masami had a Retirement Ceremony that lasted 45 minutes. It included wrestlers saying farewell with flowers, testimonials, and of course the streamers at the end. Masami couldn’t have looked happier, and it was a fitting end to a long and storied career.

It is really really hard to evaluate a match like this with star ratings. It isn’t designed to be a ‘great’ match in the traditional sense of the word, as the retiring wrestler generally has her friends or people she enjoyed working with in the match to make it enjoyable for them. I will say that the wrestlers were putting in maximum effort to send off their friend in style, we still had Splash Mountains and Diving Footstomps and everything between, they were in no way coasting. And it was nice that Masami got the loss as that is normal tradition, giving the win to the younger Uematsu. Overall I liked it due to not just the emotion but the effort level, not a high end match work-wise but still fun to watch and a match I am sure Masami was proud of.  Recommended

The post Marvelous “Devil Masami Retirement” on 12/30/08 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Welcome to another review of All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling Classics! AJW Classics is a television program that airs on SAMURAI TV in Japan. There are several different series within the AJW Classics name, I will be reviewing the series starting with the “Retro Hour” AJW Classics that first aired on August 7th, 2007.  They are still airing to this day.

AJW Retro Hour Classics #7 features Chigusa Nagayo and Lioness Asuka both going for singles gold! I know it has been awhile, so feel free to go back and read Classics #6 to catch-up. Much of the shows I have reviewed thus far have focused on the Crush Gals as a team, however here we will see them in singles action as they both aspire for their own championships as well. Don’t worry, we still have Gokuaku Domei matches also, as Bull Nakano and Dump Matsumoto team up. All four of these matches took place on August 22nd, 1985 at Tokyo Nippon Budokan. Here is the full listing:

• Monster Ripper vs. Yukari Omori
• Dump Matsumoto and Bull Nakano vs. Itsuki Yamazaki and Noriyo Tateno
• All Pacific Championship: Devil Masami vs. Chigusa Nagayo
• WWWA World Singles Championship: Jaguar Yokota vs. Lioness Asuka

There is a ton of potential here so I hope the bigger matches aren’t too clipped. Let’s see how it goes.

 
Monster Ripper vs. Yukari Omori

Omori attacks Monster Ripper off the start but Monster Ripper immediately regains the advantage and throws down Omori by her hair. Omori gets Monster Ripper to the mat but Monster Ripper hits her in the throat and hits a scoop slam for a two count. Omori trips Monster Ripper and applies a crab hold, but Monster Ripper gets to the ropes to force a break. Monster Ripper takes down Omori and hits her in the throat again, lariat by Monster Ripper and she hits a second one, she goes for a third but Omori ducks it and hits a crossbody. Bodyscissors by Omori but Monster Ripper slams out of it and hits a jumping senton, body press by Ripper and she holds down Omori for the three count! Monster Ripper wins.

This was pretty basic, Monster Ripper was still young in her career and adapting to the style, and Omori alone isn’t skilled enough to carry a match by herself. I imagine it was probably clipped also but that wouldn’t have really mattered since it would have been more of the same. For ranking purposes this helped put over Monster Ripper as a dominate force, but not a very good match.

Dump Matsumoto and Bull Nakano vs. Itsuki Yamazaki and Noriyo Tateno

If you thought this would be a calm and slow paced match, you must not watch much Gokuaku Domei much as they immediately took the action to the floor as they hit the Jumping Bomb Angels with anything they could find. Back in the ring, Matsomoto throws Tateno around by her chair. Yamazaki then gets her turn as Matsumoto chokes her with a chain, Matsumoto then throws down Yamazaki with the chain just so she can keep choking her. As if she needed it, Matsumoto gets help from other Gokuaku Domei members before they go back to the floor again so Matsumoto can find new things to choke Yamazaki with. A table is brought into the ring, but the Jumping Bomb Angels kick the table into Matsumoto and Nakano. They roll out of the ring and briefly Yamazaki and Tateno get the advantage, but again Matsumoto and Nakano take back over. They get back in the ring and Matsumoto lariats Yamazaki, she slams her in front of the corner but Yamazaki avoids Nakano’s diving leg drop. Crossbody by Yamazaki to Nakano, but it only gets a two. Matsumoto gets back in the ring with her paint can and hits Yamazaki in the head with it, body block by Matsumoto and she hits a body press. Matsumoto hits a Samoan Drop on Yamazaki and she then hits a backdrop suplex, but Yamazaki bridges out of the pin. Nakano gets on the top rope to help Matsumoto hit a spike piledriver, and finally Yamazaki stays down for the three count. Gokuaku Domei win!

It seems odd looking back, seeing The Jumping Bomb Angels basically squashed here (at least what they decided to air). At the time though, Gokuaku Domei was just running through everyone so no disrespect was intended, Yamazaki and Tateno just weren’t on their level. I liked the carnage but it was too clipped to get too excited about, even though young Nakano is always a sight to see.

(c) Devil Masami vs. Chigusa Nagayo

The crowd is so amped for this match, even during the initial lock-up they are cheering loudly for Nagayo. Nagayo hits the first big move of the match with a quick German suplex, she picks up Masami and she hits a dragon suplex hold for a two count. Irish whip by Nagayo and she hits a heel kick, Scorpion Deathlock by Nagayo but Masami crawls to the ropes and gets the break. Masami rolls out of the ring but Nagayo sizes up the situation and sails out onto Masami with a tope suicida. Masami returns to the ring after a moment but brings a metal pole with her, she drops it before using it however, hard punch by Masami and Nagayo crumbles in the ropes. Jumping back kick by Nagayo and she hits a tombstone piledriver, but Masami bridges out of the pin. Masami recovers and gets Nagayo on her shoulders before hitting an electric chair slam, rolling senton by Masami and she covers Nagayo for two. Nagayo avoids Masami’s next charge and hits a high kick, single arm suplex with a bridge by Nagayo but Masami kicks out. Hard punches by Masami, she just brutally punches Nagayo right in the face repeatedly, Nagayo then connects with three high kicks which sends Masami to the mat. Exhausted, Nagayo collapses as well and tries to use the ropes to get back on her feet, but neither wrestler can make the referee’s 10 Count. The match is a Draw and Masami retains the championship.

I have to give a disclaimer – this match went over 30 minutes and the full match is available, but this Classics series only showed the match in clipped form. So they suddenly went from trading shots to being really exhausted, which is what happens when 25 minutes of a match is cut out. Anyway, even in condensed form this was so much fun. The crowd is just beyond electric for Nagayo, I know the “Japanese fans are quiet” myth has been well debunked but the cheers for Nagayo went beyond what even I expected. Masami is so vicious here, her punches are extremely snug (to put it lightly) and nothing was held back. As it was shown it is still worth watching, but I do need to track down the full match as it may have been one of the best of the year.  Mildly Recommended (strictly due to the clipping)

(c) Jaguar Yokota vs. Lioness Asuka

They get right into it with a fast sequence with snapmares and bridges until Asuka plants Yokota with a back kick. Asuka rolls up Yokota with no luck and after both try to get an advantage they square off face to face again. They go to the mat with Yokota working over Asuka’s leg, but Asuka gets out of the hold and hits a hurricanrana. Chop by Asuka and she hits a high kick before slamming Yokota to the mat. Yokota gets back and control and returns to targeting Asuka’s leg, Asuka gets into the ropes to temporarily get a break but Yokota puts her in a kneelock. Hip attack by Yokota and she puts Asuka in an Octopus Hold, but Asuka gets out of it. Yokota puts Asuka in the figure four leglock, but Asuka reverses it and puts the pressure onto Yokota’s leg. They end up in the ropes, Asuka stomps on Yokota’s leg and drops a few knees on it as Yokota writhes in pain. High kick by Asuka and she puts Yokota in a kneelock until Yokota inches to the ropes to force a break.

Asuka picks up Yokota and hits a delayed vertical suplex, but Yokota eventually has enough and gives Asuka a hard dropkick. Double underhook piledriver by Yokota, but Asuka bridges out of the pin. She goes for a tombstone but Asuka reverses it into a sit-down tombstone piledriver of her own. Kicks by Asuka, she gets Yokota on her shoulders and hits the airplane spin before tossing Yokota to the mat. Giant Swing by Asuka, she picks up Yokota in a suplex position but then dumps her over the top rope to the floor. Asuka goes for a tope suicida, but Yokota sidesteps her and Asuka crashes to the mat. Asuka still recovers first and hits a slingshot suplex, she picks up Yokota and hits a German suplex hold for a two count. Yokota ducks Asuka’s chop and hits a cross-arm suplex hold, picking up her own two. Yokota puts Asuka on the top turnbuckle, she picks her up in a suplex position and flings her to the mat. Asuka then dives off but Yokota moves, leg trap backdrop suplex hold by Yokota and she gets the three count! Yokota retains the WWWA World Singles Championship!

I am really glad they showed us this in full as it gave a much better picture than if they had just skipped to the high spots. Some would argue the leg work meant nothing but as I watched it, it more felt like it just wasn’t effective. Just as Yokota was getting good in Asuka’s leg, Asuka reversed the tide and worked on Yokota’s leg, so neither really worked on the leg long enough for it to be a major factor. Some of the the moves were just brutal, Asuka threw Yokota out of the ring with no semblance of concern for her health, and she tried to kill Yokota with a running K-Driller. Still though, the Ace of AJW found a way to win by capitalizing on one of Asuka’s few mistakes. Just a great match that would be exciting if it was held today, which is something you can’t say about a lot of wrestling from the mid-1980s. A must see.  Highly Recommended

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Welcome to another review of All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling Classics! AJW Classics is a television program that airs on SAMURAI TV in Japan. There are several different series within the AJW Classics name, I will be reviewing the series starting with the “Retro Hour” AJW Classics that first aired on August 7th, 2007.  They are still airing to this day.

AJW Retro Hour Classics #3 features lots of Crush Gals goodness and two matches for the WWWA Tag Team Championship. Here is the full listing:

10/6/84 – WWWA World Tag Team Championship: Lioness Asuka and Chigusa Nagayo (Crush Gals) vs La Galactica and Lola Gonzalez
10/6/84 – All Japan Women’s Championship: Itsuki Yamazaki vs Yumi Ogura
1/5/85 – Lioness Asuka and Chigusa Nagayo (Crush Gals) vs Dump Matsumoto and Rosy Moreno
1/6/85 – WWWA World Tag Team Championship: Lioness Asuka and Chigusa Nagayo (Crush Gals) vs. Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki (Jumping Bomb Angels)

Let’s get rocking.

Lioness Asuka and Chigusa Nagayo (Crush Gals) vs La Galactica and Lola Gonzalez

The Luchadoras attack as soon as the bell rings, and Gonzalez stays in the ring with Nagayo. This clipped ahead a bit as Nagayo is already getting beaten around the ring by both Galactica and Gonzalez, diving leg drop by Galactica and she applies a headscissors until Nagayo gets into the ropes. Dump and Yu are at ringside and help attack the Crush Gals, as the match breaks down to a significant degree. Asuka helps turn the tide, they return to the ring and Galactica is double teamed. Asuka suplexes Galactica, Nagayo is tagged in and after fighting through Gonzalez she suplexes Galactica, covering her for a three count! The Crush Gals lead the match 1-0. Nagayo goes right back at Galactica but Galactica claws her in the eyes before bringing her to the ropes so that Yu and Dump can help again. Dump ends up coming in the ring to beat Nagayo with a metal rod as the referee has lost control in typical fashion, but Nagayo gets Gonzalez up and hits a tombstone piledriver for a two count. Nagayo tags in Asuka and Asuka hits a diving elbow drop. Scorpion Deathlock by Asuka while Nagayo puts Galactica in a crab hold, but Dump and Yu run in the ring to cause carnage.

Nagayo is dumped out of the ring, Galactica picks up Asuka but Asuka fights off everyone while Nagayo recovers. Asuka goes for a diving lariat but hits Nagayo by accident, the Luchadoras slam Nagayo to the mat and hit a double vertical suplex. Avalanche belly to back slam, cover by Galactica and she gets the three count! The match is tied 1-1. Nagayo and Galactica stay in, but Nagayo gets away and tags Asuka. Piledriver by Asuka, Nagayo goes up top and hits a diving headbutt. Asuka is attacked by both her opponents and the ringside wrestlers while Nagayo is isolated in the ring, the Luchadoras put Nagayo in a submission hold but Nagayo doesn’t submit, so they go and get Asuka. Asuka is bleeding everywhere after being hit with scissors repeatedly, objects are being thrown in the ring as the match further breaks down. Other AJW wrestlers try to help and the ring somehow clears, Asuka tags in Nagayo and they take Gonzalez out of the ring so they can throw her into the ring post. They return to the ring with Gonzalez, punches by Nagayo and she applies the Scorpion Deathlock. Gonzalez gets out of it and goes for a move off the top, but Nagayo rolls out of the way and hits the heel kick. Another heel kick by Nagayo and Asuka runs in to give Gonzalez the giant swing. Full rotation backdrop suplex by Asuka, she covers Gonzalez and she gets the three count! The Crush Gals are still your champions.

My feelings like matches like these, watching them 30 years after they happened, are probably different from how they were viewed at the time. After watching years of nWo, whatever stable HHH is running, etc. I tend to not like matches as much that have constant outside interference. Within the context of this match it worked, the Crush Gals were fan favorites of an epic proportion and the cheating just made the crowd hate the gaijins even more, if that was possible. Then they won in the end so everyone went home happy. I enjoyed it, but just looking back at it from the current day I would have enjoyed it more with less blatant outside interference and constant interruptions in the action.  Mildly Recommended

 
(c) Itsuki Yamazaki vs Yumi Ogura

Yamazaki is not the hand shaking type and they get right to the point, Ogura goes for a roll-up but Yamazaki catches her arm and applies an armbar. Back up, hard elbows by Yamazaki and she applies a bodyscissors, but Ogura gets out of it and throws her to the mat. Jumping Knee by Yamazaki and she delivers a dropkick for a two count. Armdrags by Yamazaki but Ogura knees her in the midsection and hits a scoop slam. Ogura takes Yamazaki out of the ring and throws her into the chairs before returning to the ring. Yamazaki joins her and hits a dropkick followed by a scoop slam. Yamazaki gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, double arm overhead suplex by Yamazaki and she gets the three count! Yamazaki is still the champion.

This match was basic, I mean really basic. Even Ogura taking Yamazaki outside of the ring felt forced and only lasted about 20 seconds before the match went back to dropkicks and scoop slams. Really not much to it, Yamazaki as a champion (and a three year pro) should have been capable of doing a bit more to make the match seem more like an important title match. Limited redeemable traits, besides that Yamazaki is extremely adorable.

 
Lioness Asuka and Chigusa Nagayo (Crush Gals) vs Dump Matsumoto and Rosy Moreno

As predicted just moments ago, this match is a brawl from the start as Matsumoto gets a kendo stick and starts whacking both Asuka and Nagayo with it. Asuka gets a strap and fights back with it, but the referee takes it away and Moreno knocks Asuka to the mat. Matsumoto comes in with the kendo stick and hits both Crush Gals with it, Crane Yu comes in the ring and helps Matsumoto with Nagayo. Nagayo hits a heel kick and covers Matsumoto, but the referee doesn’t count it and Nagayo is pulled out of the ring. This process continues as I am sitting here not amused. Nagayo does occasionally get in some moves as the crowd roars, but before long she is cut off by Matsumoto or another random wrestler from ringside.

Things suddenly turn normal for about a minute as Asuka hits Moreno with a diving elbow drop, diving headbutt by Nagayo and the referee counts to three! The Crush Gals are up 1-0. Matsumoto comes in with Nagayo, headbutts by Matsumoto and she hits a lariat followed by a piledriver. Another lariat by Matsumoto and she covers Nagayo for the three count! The score is now tied 1-1. Things get odd as they have a long discussion about something I am not aware of, but soon Matsumoto takes Asuka out of the ring with her and beats her on the floor. Back in the ring, Asuka drops Moreno with a giant swing and covers her for two. Nagayo comes in and dives out of the ring onto Matsumoto, where they grapple into the stands. Asuka goes out with Moreno too, the referee starts the count and counts out both teams, even though Asuka insists she made it back in time. I am guessing the match is a Double Countout.

So I didn’t like this. I don’t like heel referees, I don’t like lots of outside interference in matches, and I don’t like bullshit endings. I like the wrestlers, and the maybe two or three minutes of normal action was all fine as there was a lot of talent in the ring, but the constant stops and restarts just took me out of it. There would be many good Crush Gals vs. Gokuaku Domei matches, this wasn’t one of them.

(c) Asuka and Nagayo (Crush Gals) vs. Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki (Jumping Bomb Angels)

The crowd is hot for this match and appear to like both teams, although obviously they prefer the Crush Gals. Yamazaki and Nagayo start fast but don’t accomplish much before they both  tag out. We clip ahead to Asuka throwing Yamazaki around the ring before Nagayo hits a kneedrop off the top turnbuckle. Yamazaki fires back with a crossbody but Asuka hits a lariat off the top turnbuckle before slamming her in front of the corner. Yamazaki avoids the diving headbutt by Nagayo however, she kicks Nagayo out of the ring before sailing out onto her with a springboard plancha. Back in, Tateno catapults Yamazaki onto Nagayo, suplex by Yamazaki and she plants Nagayo with a piledriver for the three count! The Jumping Bomb Angels are up 1-0. We re-start with Nagayo and Yamazaki still in the ring, but Nagayo tags in Asuka who promptly suplexes Yamazaki. Tateno is tagged in and she hits a diving kneedrop, but Asuka drops her with a backdrop suplex as well. Club to the chest by Asuka and with Nagayo they hit an assisted diving elbow out of the corner. Heel kick by Nagayo on Tateno, she picks her up and nails a piledriver but Yamazaki breaks up the cover.

Missile dropkick by Asuka and she gives Tateno the giant swing for another two count. Asuka puts Tateno on the top turnbuckle and hits an avalanche backdrop suplex, and she picks up the three count! The score is tied 1-1. Time for the final fall, with both Crush Gals hitting suplexes on their opponents. The action spills to the floor, but the Crush Gals return to the ring and wait for their opponents. The Jumping Bomb Angels sneak in double sunset flips for a two count before throwing the Crush Gals into each other. Missile dropkick by Yamazaki to Asuka, but Asuka bridges out of the pin. Tateno goes up top but the missile dropkick misses, Asuka picks up Yamazaki and with Nagayo they hit a spike piledriver for a two count. Asuka tags Nagayo but Yamazaki throws her to the mat before hitting a suplex. Nagayo hits a quick enzuigiri, package German suplex by Nagayo to Yamazaki and she gets the three count! The Crush Gals retain the championship.

This unfortunately was not as good as I was hoping. The Jumping Bomb Angels had not completely gelled at this point as there were a few issues on that side of the ring, and the clipping didn’t do this match any favors as it made the already shady transitions seem even worse. When the Crush Gals were on offense the match was on point, as they were two of the better wrestlers in AJW at this point, but as a whole it was a step down from most of their ‘normal’ tag matches I have seen. Some good stuff sprinkled throughout, but too lacking in key areas to be a memorable encounter.  Mildly Recommended

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Welcome to the first review of All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling Classics! AJW Classics is a television program that airs on SAMURAI TV in Japan. There are several different series within the AJW Classics name, I will be reviewing the series starting with the “Retro Hour” AJW Classics that first aired on August 7th, 2007.  They are still airing to this day and are currently up to #141, so this will be a long journey.

AJW Retro Hour Classics #1 is special in that all the matches came from the same event. Most Classics are a compilation of matches from the same time period, but not usually from the same day. This was a massive show however at the Kawasaki City Gymnasium with thousands in attendance, featuring a mask vs. hair title match in the main event. The following matches are featured:

5/7/83 – All Japan Women Jr. Championship: Noriyo Tateno vs. Hiromi Komatsubara
5/7/83 – Mimi Hagiwara vs. Monster Ripper
5/7/83 – Devil Masami and Tarantula vs. Dynamite Girls (Jumbo Hori and Yukari Omori)
5/7/83 – WWWA World Championship, Mask vs. Hair: Jaguar Yokota vs. La Galactica

 
(c) Noriyo Tateno vs. Hiromi Komatsubara

Normally I would complain about a title match being so short and basic, but this belt was designed for wrestlers still training so I will cut them some slack. They did get into it very quickly as they bounced each other off the ropes, and the mysterious Komatsubara controlled the early portion of the match. Tateno goes for a tackle that epicly fails as Komatsubara catches her arm, and she focuses on that arm for the next several minutes. Komatsubara doesn’t let up and she elbows Tateno in the corner, but Tateno finally kicks her back. A few shoulderblocks by Komatsubara sends Tateno back down, but Tateno rolls her to the mat and delivers a dropkick. That is a high spot for them by the way. Headlock by Tateno which Komatsubara rolls out of, Tateno back bodydrops Komatsubara and bodyslams her for a three count! Tateno wins the match and retains the title.

Tateno held onto the championship until losing it back to Chigusa Nagayo on January 8th, 1984. The AJW Jr. Championship was a belt that never had much prestige, many future stars of AJW held the title but it was early in their careers and before they had fully blossomed. Both of these wrestlers looked solid, there were no awkward moments, however the strikes were weak and the match ended with little fanfare. It is fun to watch Tateno so early in her career knowing she became a success in the WWF, but this was more like an opener match than a title match.

 
Mimi Hagiwara vs. Monster Ripper

Ripper sets the tone early with brawling while Hagiwara is tossed around like a rag doll. Ripper has the classic monster offense, filled with punches and body bumps with an occasional slam for extra emphasis. Ripper throws Hagiwara out of the ring and into the crowd, and back in the ring she continues her assault. Hagiwara finally gets some help from ringside and drops a knee onto Ripper’s head before jumping down on her back and applying a chinlock. Ripper effortlessly gets out of that and suplexes Hagiwara, kneedrops by Ripper and she tosses Hagiwara to the mat. She tries to do it again but Hagiwara hits a hurricanrana for a two count! She goes off the ropes but Ripper hits a bodyblock, slam by Ripper and she military presses Hagiwara. Ripper is pulled out of the ring and double teamed on the floor, they get back in and Ripper is dropped with a double back bodydrop and a double vertical suplex. Double backdrop suplex to Ripper, Hagiwara goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, but Ripper slides out of it and hits a lariat. Military press drop into a backbreaker by Ripper, she hits another military press drop and covers Hagiwara for the three count! Monster Ripper wins!

I am sure that Ripper deserved it but it is unusual to see the monster heel being cheated against and not the other way around. It did help put her over a bit more that she in essence defeated two wrestlers, and her strength was impressive. I think this one accomplished its goal, Hagiwara didn’t go down easy but was no match for the Monster Ripper, decent for what it was.  Mildly Recommended

 
Devil Masami and Tarantula vs. Dynamite Girls (Yukari Omori and Jumbo Hori)

The Dynamite Girls attack first as Masami is isolated, and the Dynamite Girls start working on Masami’s arm. The arm work is good but not overly diverse, Hori kicks Masami but they are really light strikes that are probably barely making contact. Masami tags in Tarantula, she immediately brings Hori out of the ring with her and tosses her around the floor. Back in, Masami has returned but Hori pulls her out of the ring and they take turns throwing each other into the crowd. Masami suplexes Hori back into the ring and tags in Tarantula, but Hori throws her to the ground and hits a powerbomb. Omori comes in and they drop Tarantula with a double suplex, Masami comes in and throws Hori out of the ring while Tarantula attacks Omori with the bell hammer. Back in, Hori is double teamed but the Dynamite Girls regain the advantage. Tarantula runs into the corner and does a crossbody onto Masami, Masami catches her and throws Tarantula over her head onto Hori, and Tarantula picks up the three count pinfall! The series is now even 1-1.

This was a bit structure-less, if I saw this match in a vacuum I would have idea which was the heel team since neither were really playing fair. Not long enough to get excited about but the action kept up and it was fun to watch. With a bit more meaning (i.e. not the second match in the series) this may have been better but the match was fast paced and both teams did a good job showing the match was important.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Jaguar Yokota vs. La Galactica

After some introductory limb and mat work, business picks up as Galactica gets in control and drags Yokota out of the ring. Galactica throws Yokota into the ring post and the crowd before choking her on the apron and throwing her into the post again. Ripper takes over at that point, throwing Yokota into the stands, and back in the ring Ripper continues to help her friend while Yokota applies a leglock. Figure Four Leglock by Yokota, Ripper runs in but the referee gets her back out before she can do much damage. Hip attacks by Yokota and she hits a double underhook bridging suplex, which brings Ripper back into the ring. Tombstone Piledriver by Yokota, but Galactica is into the ropes. Galactica rolls out of the ring but returns after a moment and Yokota begins to stretch her, backdrop suplex hold by Yokota but Ripper breaks it up. Ripper slams Yokota and pulls her out of the ring, and she begins cutting her hair. Yokota gets away and takes the scissors as she begins to cut at Galactica’s mask, they get back in the ring and Yokota hits a bridging suplex for two. Yokota gets a steel chair and starts hitting anyone with it that walks within range, jumping forearm and a dropkick by Yokota but when she goes for the plancha suicida she completely misses. Ripper gets back in the ring as Galactica gets on the top turnbuckle, Ripper slams Yokota in the ring and Galactica hits a diving senton. Diving body press by Ripper, Galactica covers Yokota and she gets the three count! La Galactica wins the title and Yokota loses her hair!

The next five minutes are intense, as Yokota is incredibly not happy about losing her hair. After fighting Galactica and Ripper she finally sits down and allows her hair to be cut, while glaring at anyone that walks by. This was a big deal at the time, as Yokota very rarely lost and she was one Japan’s most popular female wrestlers. So seeing her hair being cut while she struggled really was a powerful image, leading to a few fans throwing things into the ring. The main issue with this match is that La Galactica is simply not anywhere close to Yokota’s level, so when Yokota was on offense it was great but all Galactica brought to the table with Ripper. It worked in this case for the most part, it kept the atmosphere electric and when Yokota snapped it really put over how out of control the match was. More of a spectacle than a wrestling match, but it was a hell of a spectacle and Yokota was perfect both during the match and in the post-match activities.  Recommended

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