Riko Kaiju Archives - Joshi City https://joshicity.com/tag/riko-kaiju/ Reviews and Wrestler Profiles from Joshi Wrestling Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:51:06 +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 Riko Kaiju Archives - Joshi City https://joshicity.com/tag/riko-kaiju/ 32 32 93679598 SEAdLINNNG Shin-Kiba Night! on 2/21/22 Review https://joshicity.com/seadlinnng-started-2022-february-21-2022-review/ Sat, 05 Mar 2022 11:32:33 +0000 https://joshicity.com/?p=19947 Featuring Nakamori challenging Nakajima!

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SEAdLINNNG Shin-Kiba Night! Poster

Event: SEAdLINNNG Shin-Kiba Night!
Date: February 21st, 2022
Location: Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 125
Broadcast: PPV Stream on seadlinnnglive.com

It has been awhile since I reviewed a SEAdLINNNG event, so let’s see what they are up to. A lot has changed in the last few months, as Nanae Takahashi has left the promotion but Yoshiko made her return from injury. The promotion currently only has three active contracted wrestlers, as Honori Hana retired last year to add to the loss of Nanae. So needless to say, they use a lot of Freelancers. This event has a big title match and a High Speed match that actually looks interesting, so there is some potential here for goodness. Here is the full card:

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

Riko Kawahata vs. Yumiko Hotta
Riko Kawahata vs. Yumiko Hotta

While this on paper may look like a normal “veteran vs. young wrestler” match, it is not! Riko Kawahata is going through a trial series of sorts in SEAdLINNNG, and to cap it off she is going against the legend Yumiko Hotta. Hotta isn’t just a legend, she also trained Riko in AgZ back in the day and they continue to sometimes team since then. So this is the trainee taking on the master to show her growth, and maybe pick up a win? Probably not, but trainers tend to be a little more giving to their own students (even Hotta) so this may be a closer match than one would expect.

Riko attacks Hotta as soon as she gets into the ring before the bell rings, elbows by Riko but Hotta shrugs it off and hits a lariat. Riko jumps back up and hits more elbows, she goes to the top turnbuckle but Hotta throws her jacket at her to knock her to the floor. Hotta goes out after Riko, Riko goes to the apron and goes for a PK but Hotta catches her leg and tosses her back to the floor again. Riko keeps fighting back but Hotta hits a hard elbow, more elbows by Riko but Hotta throws her into the ring post. Kicks to the chest by Hotta and she slides Riko into the ring, Riko pushes Hotta away and hits more elbows but Hotta rocks her with one elbow in return. Dropkick by Riko and she kicks Hotta in the leg, more kicks by Riko and she finally knocks Hotta off her feet. Riko knees Hotta against the ropes before picking her up, but Hotta trips her and applies a single leg crab hold. Riko gets to the ropes for the break, Riko ducks Hotta’s elbow and applies a sleeper hold. Hotta flings Riko off of her and kicks Riko in the back before applying a sleeper hold of her own. Riko almost goes out but Hotta releases the hold and kicks Riko out of the ring so that the people at ringside can revive her.

Hotta gets her chain and throws it at Riko, she then chokes Riko with the chain before finally letting go. Riko ducks the next chain shot attempt and returns the favor, hitting Hotta with the chain and delivering a series of mounted elbows to her chest. She gets on the apron and dives off with a footstomp to Hotta’s midsection, she goes to the apron while Hotta gets up and rolls back in the ring. Riko goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, she goes up top again and hits a second one for a one count. Riko applies a figure four leglock but Hotta quickly gets to the ropes, high kicks by Riko and she re-applies the figure four. Hotta manages to get to the ropes for the break, PK by Riko and she goes to the top turnbuckle, but Hotta gets her feet up on the moonsault attempt. Riko applies a quick cradle for two, head kick by Riko but that gets a two count as well. Riko picks up Hotta and goes off the ropes, but Hotta catches her with a heel kick. Sleeper by Hotta but Riko gets a foot on the ropes, lariat by Hotta and she hits a second one for a two count. Hotta picks up Riko and nails the Pyramid Driver, and she picks up the three count! Yumiko Hotta is the winner.

If this is how Hotta treats people she likes, imagine if she doesn’t like you. Hotta hasn’t lost a singles match to a younger wrestler lower than her on the totem pole in an eternity and she isn’t about to start now, but she gave Riko quite a bit of offense here even as she mostly stayed in control. I loved how feisty Riko was at the start even as Hotta shrugged her off, and the “put someone to sleep but they wake up super angry” spot isn’t done often so the old-school spin was fun. Riko really took it to Hotta for the middle portion and showed a lot of fight, and even though she lost this was certainly not a one-sided affair. A really entertaining match and how trainer/trainee matches should be done as Hotta elevated Riko by both being vicious but taking it right back from her.  Recommended

Miyuki Takase vs. Rina Yamashita vs. Yoshiko
Miyuki Takase vs. Rina Yamashita vs. Yoshiko

Now this is a unique High Speed match. First, none of these wrestlers are really known for doing high speed (although Miyuki can be speedy). Second, there is a clear divide here as Yoshiko, Rina, and Natsuki Taiyo (the referee) are all friends so Miyuki appears to be at a strong disadvantage. But these matches tend to be more light-hearted so the union may crumble as the action progresses.

I am still adjusting to Yoshiko’s weight loss, she looks like a totally difference person. As expected, Miyuki is targeted by all three (two opponents + referee) to start the match as she is beaten down in the corner. Running boot by Rina but she bumps Yoshiko in the process, Yoshiko doesn’t like that so she goes after Rina. Irish whip by Yoshiko but Rina reverses it, boot by Yoshiko and she hits a slingshot headlock takedown followed by a spinning headscissors. Yoshiko goes for an Octopus Hold but Miyuki jumps on her back, applying one of her own as they are all stacked on top of each other. Taiyo gets them apart, dropkick by Miyuki to Rina out of the corner and she applies a Fujiwara Armbar. Yoshiko breaks it up and stomps Miyuki out of the way, she goes to Rina and they for the moment work together again. Double vertical suplex to Miyuki but Yoshiko quickly rolls up Rina for a two count. Rina is naturally annoyed by this betrayal and kicks her, Rina puts Yoshiko in the corner and hits a lariat.

Chops by Rina as Miyuki joins in, but Rina chops Miyuki out of the ring. Rina scoop slams Yoshiko and puts Yoshiko in a crab hold. Miyuki joins her as she puts Yoshiko in a camel clutch, but Taiyo breaks it up. Miyuki kicks Taiyo out of the ring but Taiyo trips her and pulls Miyuki out to the floor. Rina and Yoshiko trade elbows, Yoshiko kicks Rina and delivers a running boot. Miyuki runs in with a senton but Yoshiko hits a senton as well on both of them. Taiyo puts Miyuki in the ropes but Rina attacks all three of them, she goes back to Miyuki and puts her in a leg submission. Yoshiko and Taiyo both return to the ring, Yoshiko elbows Rina and puts her in a stretch hold before letting go to hit a lariat. Yoshiko picks up Miyuki but Miyuki throws her into Taiyo and hits a cutter. Lariat by Miyuki to Rina in the corner, cradle by Miyuki but Rina reverses it. Lariat by Rina, she goes off the ropes but Miyuki is back up. Rina lariats her again but Miyuki recovers and cradles her for two. Kick by Rina and she gets Miyuki on her shoulders, but Miyuki slides off and Yoshiko hits Rina with a Codebreaker. Cradle by Miyuki to Yoshiko but Yoshiko gets out of it and applies La Magistral for the (quick) three count! Yoshiko is the winner.

I’m not the biggest fan of the “high speed” SEAdLINNNG gimmick but its been here since the beginning so clearly its something that Natsuki Taiyo really enjoys. Any combination of these two could have a banger match, so while this match was fine it was too chaotic and comedic to really let them show off their skills. If you enjoy these matches generally, you’ll probably like this one too, but to me its just a waste of three really talented wrestlers to play around with Taiyo, if Taiyo would just return to wrestling like she clearly misses the world would be a better place.

Ayame Sasamura, Makoto, and Riko Kaiju vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto, Itsuki Aoki, and Yuki Mashiro
Ayame Sasamura, Makoto, and Kaiju vs. Matsumoto, Aoki, and Yuki Mashiro

To fill the card before the main event, we get an interesting six woman tag. I don’t follow SEAdLINNNG closely enough to know if there is any method to this madness, but there are some really good wrestlers hidden in here. The Makoto team wrestle together (sometimes) as Las Fresa de Egoistas but its a pretty loose faction since they all also have other things going on as well. Matsumoto is clearly the Boss of the match, but Makoto on the other side is a respected veteran as well. The other wrestlers are all younger and have a lot of spunk, so it will be a good opportunity for them to show off. No real purpose or meaning behind the match but that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun.

Kaiju and Yuki start the match, they lock knuckles and trade wristlocks before going into a fast exchange which ends with a Yuki dropkick. She tags in Hiroyo, Hiroyo tosses around Kaiju by the hair and slaps her in the corner. Hiroyo lays Kaiju across the ropes in the corner and hits a running knee, cover by Hiroyo but it gets two. Hiroyo tags Yuki back in and she hits a dropkick, but Kaiju shrugs it off. Yuki hits a few more with more success, cover by Yuki but Kaiju kicks out. Yuki picks up Kaiju but Kaiju hits a dropkick of her own, three more dropkicks by Kaiju and she covers Yuki for two. She tags Makoto, Makoto drives Yuki into the turnbuckle and chokes her with her boot. Irish whip by Makoto and she delivers a big boot, but Yuki bridges out of the cover. Makoto picks up Yuki and goes for a slam, but Yuki blocks it and applies a submission hold. Makoto gets into the ropes for the break, kicks by Yuki but Makoto drop toeholds her into the second rope before kicking it. Sasamura and Kaiju both come in the ring as they mess with Yuki, putting her in a pretzel and posing on her. Double footstomp by Makoto and she tags in Sasamura, Yuki tries to fight back but Sasamura bops her in the back of the head.

Irish whip by Sasamura and with Kaiju they both hit elbows followed by a double kick to the head. Sasamura picks up Yuki, Yuki gets away but Makoto hits her form the apron. Yuki dropkicks Kaiju anyway and tags in Aoki, hard shoulderblock by Aoki and she elbows Sasamura in the corner. Bulldog by Aoki but Sasamura delivers a dropkick, Sasamura picks up Aoki and the two trade elbows. Back elbow by Aoki, she picks up Sasamura but Sasamura dropkicks her in the knee and hits a DDT. She rolls to her corner and tags Makoto, Makoto kicks Aoki in the corner before kicking her in the back, Makoto picks up Aoki and knees her in the midsection. Drop toehold by Aoki and she dropkicks Makoto, giving her time to tag Hiroyo. Body attack by Hiroyo to Makoto but Makoto boots her and the two trade blows. Eye poke by Makoto but Hiroyo levels her with a lariat, vertical suplex by Makoto but Hiroyo blocks the spear and hits a suplex of her own. Hiroyo picks up Makoto, knee by Makoto and she hits a heel drop. Head kick by Makoto, she goes off the ropes and delivers a spear for a two count. Makoto tags Kaiju, Kaiju goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody for two. Dropkick by Kaiju and she goes for a slam, but Hiroyo blocks it and hits one of her own. Sasamura runs in and helps Kaiju regain the advantage, roll-up by Kaiju but it gets two. Kaiju goes off the ropes but Hiroyo nails a back elbow for a two count.

Elbows by Kaiju but Hiroyo hits a hard lariat, she tags in Aoki and Aoki hits a running double knee to Kaiju’s back. Snap suplex with a bridge by Aoki to Kaiju, but it gets two. Aoki slams Kaiju in front of the corner but Sasamura elbows her from the apron, she climbs up with her with Kaiju and they both drive Aoki into the mat. Aoki elbows Kaiju but Kaiju elbows her back, Makoto boots Aoki and both Sasamura and Kaiju deliver sliding kicks to Aoki. Makoto goes for her cartwheel double kneedrop, but Yuki runs in and covers Aoki with her body to protect her. Once the ring clears, Kaiju hits a diving crossbody on Aoki but it gets two. Aoki slides behind Kaiju and drops her with a STP, she picks up Kaiju but Kaiju cradles her with a jackknife for two. Boot by Aoki but Sasamura distracts her from the floor, giving Kaiju a chance to roll-up Aoki for two. Kaiju goes for a suplex by Aoki blocks it, lariat by Aoki but her cover gets a two count. Yuki runs in and jumps on Aoki’s back to assist with a body press, but Kaiju moves out of the way and Sasamura returns as they both deliver dropkicks. Kaiju picks up Aoki and hits a Northern Lights Suplex Hold, but Hiroyo breaks it up. Kaiju and Sasamura go after Hiroyo but Hiroyo hits a backdrop suplex on both of them, Hiroyo goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a reverse double kneedrop on Kaiju. Aoki then gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a body press, but Makoto breaks it up. Aoki picks up Kaiju and nails the Daikoku Drop, cover by Aoki and she gets the three count! Hiroyo Matsumoto, Itsuki Aoki, and Yuki Mashiro are the winners.

This was a pretty solid six wrestler tag leading to the main event to keep the show rolling. The match probably didn’t need six as Yuki did very little, this was the Aoki show and she really looked great. Itsuki Aoki is going to be a star if given the opportunity, she has the personality and the ability to hold your attention to whatever she is doing. Ayame and Riko looked good as well, while Makoto and Hiroyo did their spots but mostly gave the younger wrestlers the spotlight. Fast paced and entertaining, even though it didn’t have a lot of “meaning” it was still an impressive display by those involved. A good match in general but Aoki did her best to make it memorable.  Mildly Recommended

Arisa Nakajima vs. Hanako Nakamori
(c) Arisa Nakajima vs. Hanako Nakamori
SEAdLINNNG Beyond the Sea Championship

Main event time!  Hanako Nakamori, the PURE-J Openweight Championship, invades SEAdLINNNG in an attempt to take Nakajima’s title to become the champ champ. Nakamori and Nakajima have a history, as before Nakajima joined SEAdLINNNG she was a long-term member of JWP. Nakamori joined JWP in 2010 so the two had many years of overlap, and this is their 8th career singles match against each other. Nakamori won their last two singles matches, in 2018 and 2021 respectively, so even though she is the challenger she is not necessarily the underdog as at worse they are on equal standing. Nakamori has really turned it on the last few years and Nakajima’s skills are well known, so this should be a great match.

They circle each other to start, they end up on the mat as they grapple for position with Hanako getting the early advantage. She goes for a cross armbreaker but Arisa blocks it, they end up back on their feet and trade holds. Irish whip by Hanako but Arisa boots her, Hanako returns the favor as they exchange boots to the face. Arisa knocks Hanako off her feet but Hanako snapmares Arisa and kicks her repeatedly in the back. PK by Hanako and she hits a leg drop for a two count. Hanako gets Arisa in the corner and chokes her with her knee, waistlock by Hanako but Arisa reverses it. Cradle by Arisa into a double footstomp, Arisa kicks at Hanako’s head before delivering a running boot. Snapmare by Arisa and she kicks Hanako in the back, dropkick by Arisa and she covers Hanako for two. Chinlock by Arisa, she lets go after a moment but Hanako throws her into the corner. Arisa avoids Hanako’s charge and slides out to the apron, but Hanako grabs her and slams her head repeatedly in the top turnbuckle. Hanako goes out to the apron but Arisa boots her down to the floor, she then gets a start on the apron and hits a missile dropkick down onto Hanako.

Arisa goes to the top turnbuckle and jumps off, but Hanako kicks her in the midsection while she is on the way down. Hanako slides Arisa back into the ring and applies an Octopus Hold in the ropes, she lets go and hits a running kick to Arisa’s back. Armbar by Hanako, she puts Arisa’s arm around the top rope and twists it. Arisa fires back with an elbow but Hanako trips her and applies an armbar, but Arisa gets to the ropes for the break. Hanako kicks Arisa in the chest while she is against the ropes, she charges Arisa but Arisa catches her kick and hits a Sling Blade. Arisa picks up Hanako and puts her in the ropes, she goes out to the apron and elbows Hanako repeatedly. Arisa kicks Hanako back and goes to the top turnbuckle, missile dropkick by Arisa and she covers Hanako for two. Waistlock by Arisa but Hanako elbows out of it, she goes off the ropes but Arisa avoids her and kicks Hanako in the back of the head. Knee by Arisa, and she covers Hanako for two. Ankle Hold by Arisa and she hits a release German, she goes to the top turnbuckle but Hanako elbows her before she can jump off. Hanako joins Arisa and hits a superplex, she goes to the top turnbuckle but Arisa also recovers in time and gets on the turnbuckle too. They trade elbows, Arisa knocks Hanako down in a Tree of Woe outside the ring before she jumps off with a footstomp.

Arisa returns to the top turnbuckle and dives down to the floor with a footstomp on Hanako, Arisa slides Hanako back in and hits another diving footstomp from the top. Cover by Arisa, but Hanako kicks out. Knees by Arisa and she kicks Hanako into the corner, running double knee by Arisa but Hanako blocks the suplex and kicks Arisa in the head. Hanako applies a seated armbar but Arisa gets a foot on the ropes, knees by Hanako but Arisa elbows her in the head. High kick by Hanako and she delivers a Shining Wizard, cover by Hanako but it gets a two count. Hanako scoops up Arisa and nails a tombstone piledriver, but that gets a two as well. Hanako goes to the top turnbuckle but Arisa rolls out of the way of the guillotine leg drop, Hanako still recovers first and hits a heel kick but Arisa returns with an elbow. The two trade shots until Arisa drops Hanako with a release German, but Hanako delivers a step-up kick. Unfazed, Arisa rocks Hanako with an elbow before they both knock each other to the mat. They both slowly get up, elbow combination by Arisa but Hanako ducks one and hits another kick. Hanako hits two Requiem Drivers but Arisa blocks the third and they trade flash covers for two. Head kick by Hanako and she hits a third Requiem Driver, but Arisa barely kicks out. Hanako drags Arisa up but Arisa blocks her next move attempt, Arisa blocks Hanako’s kicks and catches one to hit a Leg Capture German Suplex Hold for two. Arisa puts Hanako in a Dragon Sleeper, she lets go so she can hit a Dragon Suplex Hold but it only gets a two count. Hard elbow by Arisa and she nails the DxD Suplex for the three count! Arisa Nakajima wins and is still the champion.

Arisa Nakajima doesn’t wrestle as much as she used to, but when she does she certainly doesn’t hold back. Her style really hasn’t changed that much since her “prime” years in JWP – lots of suplexes, lots of jumping off the turnbuckles, and lots of hard elbows. Course, even though she debuted in 2006 she is only 32 years old, so she still can certainly bring it. Hanako was very game, I wouldn’t put her on Arisa’s level but these two know how to put a match together and have great chemistry. There were a few little things that weren’t needed, such as Hanako’s half-hearted arm work that went nowhere fast, but there was little filler here as Arisa only knows one speed. It felt like it ended at just the right time, so many promotions now think the main event has to have a super long ending sequence, while this one felt satisfying without being excessive. Hard hitting and captivating, not quite a MOTYC but not too far from it as Arisa Nakajima is still one of the best in the world and she showed it here. Very entertaining and a fitting main event in every aspect, worth tracking down for some old-school Joshi action.  Highly Recommended

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SEAdLINNNG 2021 Opening Match on 1/11/21 Review https://joshicity.com/seadlinnng-2021-opening-match-1-11-2021-review/ Tue, 26 Jan 2021 12:42:37 +0000 https://joshicity.com/?p=18087 Best Friends vs. Sareee and Yoshiko!

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SEAdLINNNG 2021 Opening Match Banner

Event: SEAdLINNNG 2021 Opening Match
Date: January 11th, 2021
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 467
Broadcast Information: Aired on Samurai TV! on 1/17/21

As I finally begin my 2021 Joshi viewing, lets start with SEAdLINNNG. I don’t watch near as much SEAdLINNNG as I should, which is something I hope to fix in 2021 as they pretty consistently put on quality shows. Their ‘home’ roster is very small but solid, featuring Arisa Nakajima, Nanae Takahashi, and Yoshiko. The best Freelancers also tend to swing by SEAdLINNNG, such as Rina Yamashita and ASUKA, giving them generally pretty complete events. This show has a big main event, as Best Friends take on Yoshiko and Sareee! Here is the full card:

All wrestlers on the event have a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go straight to it. Let’s get to the fun.

Six Wrestler High Speed Match
AKARI vs. Nagashima vs. Ibuki Hoshi vs. Kobayashi vs. Leon vs. Tsukushi Haruka

This is a High Speed Match. From my understanding of the match structure, this is a free-for-all (no teams) with two winners. Once one wrestler gets a victory, the match continues until a second wrestler gets a victory, and then those two wrestlers will have a singles match later in the show. Why we are doing all this extra work for a silly high speed match, I have no idea. This is a unique bunch of wrestlers from a variety of places. Leon and AKARI represent PURE-J, Ibuki Hoshi and Tsukushi are from Ice Ribbon, while Nagashima and Kobayashi are Freelancers. Of course, Natsuki Taiyo is the referee, which will likely lead to extra chaos.

They start with a melee as they pair up with each other, with wrestlers from the same promotion generally working together. Everyone gets made at Natsuki and attack her in the corner before singling out AKARI, but Leon helps her promotion-mate out. Leon gets attacked for her trouble as they try to throw her out of the ring, but she lands on the apron. While that is going on, Nagashima and Ibuki go into an exchange as they are left alone in the ring, they trade holds but neither can get an advantage. AKARI and Kaho run in and dropkick them so they can go at it, hard shoulderblock by AKARI but Kaho kips up. Armdrag by AKARI but Kaho returns the favor, both go for dropkicks but they both miss. Leon and Tsukushi trip them from the floor so they can take their turn, armdrag by Tsukushi but Leon cartwheels out of the next one. Tilt-a-whirl headscissors by Tsukushi, she goes off the ropes but Leon catches her with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. Ibuki  and Tsukushi take turns hitting Leon but AKARI runs in and dropkicks both of them. Leon and AKARI both apply submission holds but Kaho and Nagashima schoolboy them for two counts. Armdrag by Kaho to Nagashima and she applies an armbar, but Nagashima gets a foot on the ropes for the break. Kaho goes after Natsuki but Nagashima interrupts them, hurricanrana but Kaho but Nagashima rolls through it and they trade cradles. Tsukushi returns and they Irish whip Nagashima, making her go back and forth off the ropes before Kaho hits a dropkick. Tsukushi quickly cradles Kaho, but it only gets a two count. AKARI and Leon come in but they accidentally collide into each other, drop toehold by Tsukushi to Ibuki and she cradles her for the three count! Tsukushi wins and advances to the next match.

After a brief reset the remaining five get back into it, all five go for random cradles but none get a three count. AKARI wraps up Kaho in a submission, Ibuki tries to break it up but fails. Nagashima finally is able to free Kaho, AKARI and Leon double team Nagashima but Nagashima fights them off tries to kick Leon out of the ring. Nagashima is cradled from behind before she succeeds, senton by Kaho to Nagashima as all four wrestlers stomp out Nagashima. Nagashima fights them off with elbows before hitting a double lariat on Kaho and Natsuki (poor Natsuki), Leon dropkicks Nagashima on the apron and comes off the top but accidentally hits a missile dropkick on AKARI. Leon throws Kaho into the corner but Kaho drops her onto the apron when she charges in, Leon knocks Kaho back but Kaho avoids the Frog Splash. Kaho kicks Nagashima but Ibuki shoulderblocks her to the mat, diving crossbody by Ibuki to Kaho but AKARI dropkicks her. AKARI gets Kaho up but Kaho flips away from her, schoolboy by Kaho but Nagashima breaks it up with a footstomp. AKARI goes for a series of pins with no success on Nagashima, Nagashima reverses one into a cradle of her own and she gets the three count! Chikayo Nagashima wins and advances to the next match later tonight!

While I always viewed the High Speed matches as harmless fun, at best, sometimes I think “less is more” and this show may lean too far on the “more” side. Natsuki Taiyo has gone from occasionally getting involved in these matches to being almost an active participant, and there wasn’t a ton of substance to this match beyond the wrestlers from the same promotion tending to work together. If this was just the opener, no harm done, but since we have another High Speed match now later, it feels like a little too much of a gimmick that is cute but nothing more. Even on the High Speed match scale, this wasn’t their best effort.

Aja Kong, Honori Hana, and Rina Yamashita vs. ASUKA, Makoto, and Riko Kaiju
Aja Kong, Honori Hana, and Rina Yamashita vs. ASUKA, Makoto, and Riko Kaiju

Up next we get Las Fresa de Egoistas in action. ASUKA and Makoto have been teaming for quite awhile now in SEAdLINNNG as part of the Las Fresa de Egoistas stable, with the rookie Riko just started teaming with them in December. They are against a bit of a hodge podge, as the young SEAdLINNNG wrestler Honori Hana teams with two well known and popular outsiders – Aja Kong and Rina Yamashita. With a young wrestler on both teams that can eat a pin, no real way of knowing how this match will go.

Rina and Makoto start the match, they trade wristlocks until Rina shoulderblocks Makoto to the mat. Makoto bridges out of the pin and hits a crossbody off the ropes, leading to Rina tagging in Kong while Riko also tags in. Riko tries to elbow Kong but it has no impact, Kong moves out of the way of Riko’s dropkick and kicks her in the ribs. Riko has had enough and tags in ASUKA, ASUKA slowly gets in the ring and lures Kong into a false sense of security before schoolboying her for two. Her teammates come in as they all stomp on Kong, but Kong fights them all off. We clip ahead to Makoto and Rina back in the ring, knee by Rina but Makoto delivers a Pump Kick. She tags in ASUKA, boots by both ASUKA and Makoto to Rina and ASUKA covers her for two. ASUKA picks up Rina but Rina gets her back, she goes for a suplex but ASUKA lands on her feet and connects with an elbow. Rina fires back with a hard lariat and tags in Kong, Kong goes for a suplex but ASUKA blocks it and hits a moonsault off the ropes for a two count. ASUKA grabs Kong but Kong ducks down and kicks her in the head. Kong goes for a lariat but ASUKA ducks it, punch by Kong and she plants ASUKA with a backdrop suplex for two. They trade strikes until ASUKA lands two kicks and nails a German suplex for a two count.

ASUKA goes to the top turnbuckle but Kong gets her feet up on the moonsault attempt, both wrestlers struggle to crawl to their corners as they tag in Honori and Riko. Honori shoulderblocks Riko to the mat, she picks her up but Riko fights back and they trade elbows. Irish whip by Riko but Honori ducks the lariat and hits a shoulderblock. Dropkick by Riko, she elbows Honori into the corner but Honori reverses the Irish whip and hits a running elbow. ASUKA kicks Honori from the apron and gets in the ring, Makoto comes in too as all three boot Honori in the head. Riko goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, but Rina breaks up the cover. Superkick by Rina to Riko, Kong comes in and hits a lariat. Honori gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Honori but ASUKA breaks it up. Heel kick by ASUKA to Rina and she goes for Kong, but Kong blocks the suplex attempt. Makoto comes in to help but Kong suplexes both of them, spear by Honori to Riko but Riko gets the shoulder up. Honori goes for a couple flash pins with no luck, she picks up Riko and hits a scoop slam for two. Riko throws Honori into the corner but Honori avoids her charge, she goes for a cradle but Riko reverses it into a triangle choke. She struggles for a moment but has to tap out! ASUKA, Makoto, and Riko Kaiju are the winners.

This was a perfectly acceptable midcard match. While most of it was just your standard fare, they mixed in some fun moments such as ASUKA suplexing Kong to at least make you pay attention when the big hitters were in the match. I still am not sold on Honori and maybe SEAdLINNNG isn’t either, since she took the pin to the newer wrestler. Something just isn’t really clicking with her. But the veterans all looked good and it wasn’t long enough to get stale. Nothing special but nothing bad either.

Chikayo Nagashima vs. Tsukushi Haruka
Chikayo Nagashima vs. Tsukushi Haruka

In a continuation of sorts from the opener, we get our second High Speed Match of the evening. No real need for a big intro here and nothing is really up for grabs, just more of the same of what we saw 15 minutes ago.

They get right into it with a kick from Tsukushi, Irish whip by Nagashima and she hits an armdrag. Tsukushi gets a few quick pin attempts with no luck, Tsukushi flies in to Nagashima but Nagashima catches her with a backdrop suplex. Rolling cradle by Nagashima, but it gets a two count. Nagashima picks up Tsukushi and knees her, she goes off the ropes but Tsukushi avoids her charge. They take turns running the ropes with Taiyo helping, but Tsukushi rolls out of the ring to try to catch her breath. Tsukushi returns but is met with a boot, scoop slam by Nagashima and she gets on the second turnbuckle, but Tsukushi recovers and knocks her out to the apron. Nagashima elbows Tsukushi and goes to the top turnbuckle, but again Tsukushi recovers and tosses Nagashima to the mat. Now it is Tsukushi that goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick, she runs off the ropes before applying a cover but it only gets a two count. Footstomp by Tsukushi and she goes to Taiyo for help, but Taiyo powerbombs her. Not sure why. Nagashima picks up Tsukushi but Tsukushi cradles her, Taiyo kicks Tsukushi instead of counting and Nagashima hits a lariat for a two count. Nagashima goes for a suplex but Tsukushi gets out of it, elbows by Tsukushi and she goes after Taiyo. Taiyo avoids her for a bit until Tsukushi catches her and elbows Taiyo off the apron. Nagashima charges Tsukushi but Tsukushi holds down the top rope, leading to Nagashima landing on the apron. Tsukushi tries to kick of Nagashima but Taiyo helps her hang on, finally Tsukushi is able to kick them both off the apron and the match is over! Tsukushi wins by Over The Top.

I assume there were some elements to this match that I didn’t get just parachuting in, with Taiyo helping Nagashima when she normally helps Tsukushi, but for a midcard nothing match it wasn’t worth my trouble scrolling through websites to try to figure it out. Or it was just random anyway, who knows. I am sure some will love it but for me its just midcard filler, just too random and short to get excited about.

Itsuki Aoki and Ryo Mizunami vs. Miyuki Takase and Nanae Takahashi
Itsuki Aoki and Ryo Mizunami vs. Miyuki Takase and Nanae Takahashi

While the main event is the match I was most looking forward to on the show, this match looks pretty hot too. On paper, both of these teams are in MAX VOLTAGE (although Nanae has other things going on too), so its not a blood feud. Rather its just two of the better teams in SEAdLINNNG looking to put on a banger of a match. Itsuki Aoki and Miyuki Takase are the less experienced wrestlers on their respective teams but neither are new either and both are feisty, so it should be a pretty even encounter.

Miyuki and Itsuki start off, they lock-up and exchange holds until Miyuki gets Itsuki to the mat with a headlock. Itsuki gets out of it and the two return to their feet, quickly going into an elbow exchange. Hard shoulderblock by Itsuki, she goes off the ropes but Miyuki catches her with a dropkick. They tag out as Nanae and Ryo come in, they lock knuckles and go into a Test of Strength but break cleanly. Waistlock by Ryo but Nanae gets away and gets Ryo to the mat, kicks to the leg by Nanae and she puts Ryo in a necklock. Nanae tags Miyuki, Ryo quickly gets in control however and tags in Itsuki. Itsuki sets up Miyuki in the ropes and hits a body avalanche, double knee strike to the back by Itsuki and she covers Miyuki for two. She tags in Ryo, Ryo chops Miyuki into the corner and invites Itsuki to hold Miyuki so she can dance her way into a running lariat. Ryo picks up Miyuki but Miyuki fights back with elbows, Irish whip by Ryo to the corner but Miyuki rebounds out with a missile dropkick. Nanae runs in and they both chop Ryo in the corner, lariat by Miyuki but Ryo fights them both off with shoulderblocks and a double spear.

Elbows by Ryo to Miyuki but Miyuki hits a headbutt and applies a modified armbar on the mat. Itsuki tries to break it up but Nanae cuts her off, Miyuki keeps the hold on but Ryo eventually makes it to the ropes. Dropkick off the second rope by Miyuki and she hits a lariat followed by a cutter for a two count. Miyuki tags Nanae, lariat by Nanae in the corner but Ryo blocks the backdrop suplex attempt. Chops by Nanae but Ryo returns fire, jumping kick by Nanae and she covers Ryo for two. Lariat by Nanae but Ryo headbutts her, Ryo goes for a suplex but Nanae elbows her off. Overhead belly to belly suplex by Ryo and she hits a spear on Nanae for a two count. Ryo goes off the ropes but Nanae avoids her charge and hits a release German. Ryo quickly gets up and levels Nanae with a lariat, but Nanae returns the favor and both wrestlers end up down on the mat. Ryo gets to her corner and tags Itsuki, Itsuki throws Nanae in the corner and hits an elbow followed by a face crusher. Nanae chops Itsuki but Itsuki hits a lariat in the corner, she goes to the apron but Miyuki grabs her before she can do anything. This gives Nanae time to recover, she joins Itsuki and hits a superplex for a two count. Miyuki comes into the ring and hits a Kamikaze in front of the corner, Nanae goes for a body splash but Itsuki rolls out of the way.

STO by Itsuki but Nanae gets back to her feet quickly only to get hit with a side slam from Ryo. Ryo and Itsuki both grab Nanae and slam her to the mat, Miyuki runs in but she gets thrown on top of Nanae. Itsuki goes to the top turnbuckle and delivers a diving footstomp, cover by Itsuki but Nanae gets a shoulder up. Bridging vertical suplex by Itsuki, but that gets a two count as well. Itsuki gets Nanae on her shoulders but Nanae wiggles off, Miyuki comes in but Nanae kicks her in the face by accident. Spear by Itsuki to Nanae, and she covers her for two. Backdrop suplex by Nanae, she goes off the ropes but Itsuki catches her with a lariat for another two count. Itsuki goes off the ropes but Nanae hits a hard lariat of her own, Nanae picks up Itsuki but Ryo runs in. Nanae lariats Ryo while Miyuki comes in and hits a spear onto Itsuki. Nanae goes back to Itsuki and drops her with a reverse piledriver, but Ryo breaks up the cover. Lariat by Nanae to Itsuki, and she covers her for the three count! Nanae Takahashi and Miyuki Takase are the winners!

Even though this won’t end up on anyone’s MOTY list, it was a solid match. The best thing I can say about it is that even though it was 18+ minutes, the match never slowed down or had any moments that dragged, they just kept the action going from bell to bell. Nanae Takahashi is an acquired taste – she still has an old school 90s mindset and no-sells quite a bit, and long term selling isn’t really her thing. That is not to say she doesn’t sell at all, she does, but its on her own terms. I’d have liked for one of the younger wrestlers to get the pin rather than Nanae, but again that’s part of the deal too. Anyway, a good fast paced match with four quality wrestlers, even if the structure may not have been perfect.  Mildly Recommended

Arisa Nakajima and Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Sareee and Yoshiko
Arisa Nakajima and Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Sareee and Yoshiko

Main event time! Even though Sareee and Yoshiko are the tag team champions coming into the match, the belts are not on the line here. This is more of a “special attraction” match for Arisa Nakajima’s 15th Anniversary as she tags with her long time friend Tsukasa Fujimoto. As Best Friends, Arisa and Tsukasa are arguably one of the top tag teams in Joshi history, and even though they are in different promotions they get together as often as is realistic. Sareee and Yoshiko actually won the tag titles from Best Friends in November, so even though the titles are not up for grabs, there is still a revenge factor to give Best Friends a little extra motivation.

Sareee and Arisa start the match, they go into a Test of Strength with Sareee ending up with a wristlock. Arisa gets out of it and applies a side headlock, Sareee tries to Irish whip out of it but Arisa keeps a hold of her hair. Irish whip by Arisa but Sareee blocks it and hits an elbow, with Arisa quickly returning the favor. Dropkick by Sareee, she goes off the ropes but Tsukasa runs in and Best Friends dropkick Sareee. Yoshiko also comes in and lariats both opponents, sending them out of the ring. Sareee goes to the top turnbuckle and dives out of the ring onto Arisa and Tsukasa, Sareee slides Arisa back into the ring and delivers a dropkick. Scoop slam by Sareee, and she covers Arisa for two. Sareee tags Yoshiko, Yoshiko grabs Arisa by the hair and tosses her to the mat. Bootscrapes by Yoshiko and she delivers a running boot to Arisa’s face, she picks up Arisa but Arisa kicks her in the stomach. Arisa goes off the ropes but Yoshiko catches her with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, Sareee runs in and hops on Yoshiko’s back while Yoshiko hits a splash. Sareee goes back to the apron so that Yoshiko can tag her in, kicks by Sareee to Arisa but Arisa blocks the suplex attempt as the two trade footstomps. Stomps by Sareee and she puts Arisa in a crab hold, she lets go after a moment and stomps more on Arisa. Dropkick by Sareee and she tags Yoshiko, kicks by Yoshiko to Arisa and she hits a running knee. Cover by Yoshiko, but it gets a two count. Yoshiko picks up Arisa, strike combination by Yoshiko but Arisa catches her with a bridging powerslam for two.

This gives her time to tag in Tsukasa, dropkick by Tsukasa to Yoshiko as Sareee runs in, but Tsukasa fights them both off. Tsukasa stacks them in the corner and hits a dropkick, kicks to the back by Tsukasa to Yoshiko but Yoshiko ducks the PK. Arisa runs in and boots Yoshiko instead, German suplex by Arisa to Yoshiko and Tsukasa applies a jackknife cover for two. Tsukasa goes for the Infinity but Yoshiko blocks it, Yoshiko gets Tsukasa on her shoulders and hits a Samoan Drop while Sareee hits a neckbreaker. Sareee gets on the second turnbuckle while Yoshiko hits a running senton, following with a diving footstomp. Reverse Splash by Yoshiko, but it gets a two count. Yoshiko tags Sareee, dropkick by Sareee to Tsukasa but Tsukasa flips away from her and kicks her in the chest. Sareee and Tsukasa trade elbows until Sareee catches Tsukasa with a fisherman suplex hold for two. Sickle Hold by Sareee to Tsukasa while Yoshiko keeps Arisa busy, Sareee lets go after a moment and stomps on Tsukasa. Sareee goes for a suplex but Tsukasa lands on her feet and kicks Sareee in the back. Tsukasa gets Sareee on her shoulders but Yoshiko comes in and saves her, Yoshiko throws Sareee at Tsukasa but Tsukasa dropkicks both of them. PK by Tsukasa to Sareee and she tags Arisa, Arisa goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick. German suplexes by Arisa to Sareee, but the last one she holds only gets two.

Arisa goes up top but Yoshiko grabs her from the apron, Sareee joins Arisa but Tsukasa runs in and dropkicks Sareee from behind. Arisa plants Yoshiko with a DDT on the apron, while Tsukasa goes up top with Sareee and hits a footstomp while Sareee is in the Tree of Woe. Arisa goes back up and hits a diving footstomp, but Sareee gets a shoulder up on the cover. Arisa knees Sareee while she picks her up, Arisa and Sareee trade elbows, lariat by Arisa but Sareee nails a dropkick. Sareee hits two more dropkicks before Yoshiko hits one as well from the apron, Sareee goes up top and hits a diving footstomp onto Arisa for a two count. Yoshiko rolls in and gets on the second turnbuckle, but Tsukasa runs over and kicks her off before she can do anything. Running double knee by Arisa to Sareee and she hits a trapped German for two. Yoshiko lariats Tsukasa but Tsukasa drops her with the Infinity, and all four wrestlers are down on the mat. Sareee and Arisa trade elbows as they get back up, German suplex hold by Sareee but Arisa kicks out. Sareee drops Arisa with a pair of Uranages, but again she can only get a two. Yoshiko comes in and holds Arisa while Sareee goes up top and hits a missile dropkick. Sareee then picks up Arisa so that Yoshiko can hit a diving lariat, cover by Sareee but Tsukasa breaks it up. Sareee grabs Arisa but Arisa elbows her off, Yoshiko tries to help but she lariats Sareee by accident. Arisa catches Sareee with a half and half suplex hold for two. Arisa picks up Sareee and hits her with elbows, Tsukasa handles Yoshiko while Arisa hits a German suplex. Leg clutch suplex by Arisa, but that gets a two count as well. Arisa drags Sareee to her feet and plants her with the DxD Suplex Hold, and she picks up the three count! Best Friends win!

I wouldn’t have minded if they had gone a few more more minutes, but this was a great match. Understandably since it was her Anniversary match, Arisa Nakajima did the bulk of the work for her team while Sareee did the same for hers, with Yoshiko and Tsukasa being pushed back to support roles. For a sub-20 minute match, they squeezed a lot into it, and even though I called the last match non-stop action this one took it to another level. What is impressive is not just the constant violence but how smooth it all was, with not a miscommunication or awkward moment in sight as there was just always something going on. And of course the hits were snug and the suplexes tight, as there was no weak link in this match when it comes to execution. I wouldn’t quite put it at the MOTYC level as it felt like they had more to give (especially since two partners still felt fresh), but still a very entertaining match.  Highly Recommended

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SEAdLINNNG Close To You on 7/13/20 Review https://joshicity.com/seadlinnng-close-to-you-july-13-2020-review/ Wed, 12 Aug 2020 03:42:47 +0000 https://joshicity.com/?p=17215 Yoshiko challenges Arisa Nakajima!

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SEAdLINNNG Close To You Poster

Event: SEAdLINNNG Heart is Near ~ Close To You
Date: July 13th, 2020
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 401

In my quest to find a recent Joshi event to review that isn’t Stardom, this show caught my eye. The lead-up to the main looks a bit pedestrian, but the main event has potential to be pretty damn great. Here is the full card:

This aired on Samurai TV! so its a two hour show, but SEAdLINNNG is pretty good about not clipping more than necessary so I suspect most matches will be shown in full (or close to it). All wrestlers on the show have profiles on Joshi City, including the debuting Riko Kaiju, you can click on their names above to go straight to it.

Riko Kaiju vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto
Riko Kaiju vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto

We start off with the debut of Riko Kaiju! Riko is 18 years old and is SEAdLINNNG’s second wrestler to come up through their training program, with the first being Honori Hana. She is up against one of the most respected veteran Joshi wrestlers on the current scene – Ice Ribbon’s Tsukasa Fujimoto. Clearly we know who is winning, but hopefully Riko shows a little spunk in her first professional wrestling match.

Riko dropkicks Tsukasa as soon as the match starts and goes for a quick cover, but it only gets a two count. Side headlock by Tsukasa and she hits an armdrag, she gets Riko to the mat but Riko escapes and they reach a stalemate. They lock knuckles and trade wristlocks , snapmare by Tsukasa and she kicks Riko in the back. Camel clutch by Tsukasa, she lets go after a moment and knocks Riko against the ropes. Tsukasa throws down Riko by the hair and applies a crab hold, but Riko gets to the ropes for the break. Tsukasa chops Riko in the corner, Irish whip by Tsukasa but Riko jumps on the second turnbuckle and hits a crossbody for two. Riko dropkicks Tsukasa but Tsukasa blocks the scoop slam and puts Tsukasa in an Octopus Hold. Riko gets into the ropes for the break, Tsukasa wraps up Riko in the ropes and delivers a dropkick. Cover by Tsukasa, but it gets two. Tsukasa gets on the second turnbuckle but Riko avoids her dropkick and cradles Tsukasa for two. Riko tries a few more flash pins with no luck, elbow by Riko but Tsukasa elbows her back and they trade shots. Riko goes off the ropes and dropkicks Tsukasa, but Tsukasa rebounds off the ropes and dropkicks Riko to the mat. Tsukasa throws Riko into the corner and hits another dropkick, Riko lands in a seated position and Tsukasa dropkicks Riko full in the chest. Bodyslam by Tsukasa and she puts Riko in an armtrap crossface, but Riko gets to the ropes for the break. Kick by Riko and she applies a sunset flip, but it gets two. Riko goes off the ropes and hits a dropkick, she hits two more but Tsukasa stays on her feet. Finally on the fifth dropkick she gets Tsukasa to one knee, she hits three more kicks but Tsukasa doesn’t go all the way to the mat. Finally Riko knocks her over, cover by Riko but it gets a two count. Kick to the stomach by Tsukasa and she kicks Riko repeatedly in the back, PK by Tsukasa and she covers Riko for two. Elbows by Tsukasa and she dropkicks Riko for two. Tsukasa goes up top and nails a missile dropkick, cover by Tsukasa and she gets the three count! Tsukasa Fujimoto is the winner!

Considering the dynamics, I am surprised that this match lasted as long as it did. Its hard to know in advance how much the veteran wrestler will give a wrestler debuting, but Tsukasa was rather generous here, perhaps almost too much so. It was far from a 50/50 match but Riko was in control for a few parts here and there for longer than just a hope spot, and she had several (flash pin) nearfalls. Tsukasa was pretty gentle with the rookie, aside from a dropkick in the corner that looked particularly hurt-y, and won with a move other than a submission hold which is a little unusual in a debuting match. A fun watch as the young Riko seems to show some early promise, just not the structure that I was really expecting.

Ayame Sasamura vs. Kaho Kobayashi vs. Tsukushi
Ayame Sasamura vs. Kaho Kobayashi vs. Tsukushi

This is a High Speed Match, so Natsuki Taiyo is the referee. The setup of high speed matches in SEAdLINNNG are unique, and they really have some die-hard fans out there. Its best not to overthink these matches but its a fun trio of wrestlers anyway as we have the evil Tsukushi, the still-learning Ayame, and the seasoned globetrotter Kaho. So, I am sure they will put together something entertaining.

Tsukushi is double teamed off the bat but she avoids both opponents as they get into a high speed exchange, but they end up in a stalemate. They both go after Tsukushi again, dropkick by Kaho and Ayame hits a running elbow. Double Irish whip to Tsukushi as the double teaming continues and they put Tsukushi in a double armbar. They put Tsukushi in the ropes so they can both pose around her while pulling on her nose, dropkick to the back by Kaho and Ayame hits a dropkick as well. Kaho and Ayame sit on Tsukushi with submission holds, but Taiyo has seen enough with his boring action and kicks both of them. Kaho dropkicks Taiyo, she throws Tsukushi and Taiyo into the corner but Taiyo rebounds out with a crossbody. Catapult dropkick by Tsukushi to Ayame, but Ayame and Kaho avoids their next attack as Ayame schoolboys Kaho for two. She apologizes to Kaho which gives Tsukushi time to dropkick Kaho, Ayame flies out of the ring while Kaho recovers and trades elbows with Tsukushi. Dropkick by Kaho, she picks up Tsukushi but Tsukushi blocks the fisherman suplex. Cradle by Tsukushi, but Ayame quickly breaks it up. Ayame picks up Tsukushi and hits a delayed vertical suplex, she goes off the ropes twice and covers Tsukushi for two. Kaho goes up top and hits a missile dropkick on Tsukushi, she goes up top again but Ayame quickly schoolboys Tsukushi for two. Kaho fusses at Ayame, Tsukushi goes for a crossbody on both of them and Taiyo pushes them over when Tsukushi is initially caught. All three trade flash pins with no luck, Kaho chops both Tsukushi and Ayame (and Taiyo) before dropkicking both opponents. She goes off the ropes but eats a triple dropkick, Ayame goes for cradles on Tsukushi but only gets two counts. La Magistral by Tsukushi on Ayame, and she gets the three count! Tsukushi wins!

The best part of these matches is just seeing Natsuki Taiyo getting involved, she’s the best. The formula for this one was a little bit different from usual as the goal was to double team Tsukushi, partially because her and Taiyo are somewhat in cahoots so its already lopsided against her opponents. Some good exchanges but overall it was pretty simple even for a High Speed Match, they really didn’t do anything in-ring different or memorable. A decent enough watch but not enough to really differentiate itself from what you’d expect and Tsukushi wasn’t as evil in the match as I was hoping she’d be.

ASUKA and Makoto vs. Honori Hana and Yumiko Hotta
ASUKA and Makoto vs. Honori Hana and Yumiko Hotta

I guess if you are going to find Honori Hana a random teammate, you can do a lot worse than Yumiko Hotta. ASUKA and Makoto have been teaming together off and on since last year as Las Fresa de Egoistas, they haven’t had any major success yet but seem to be having fun and are a regular fixture in SEAdLINNNG. Hotta recently resigned from her position in Actwres girl’Z so we may be seeing more of her in promotions like SEAdLINNNG, however its too early to tell. Honori is the clear weak link here, so we’ll see how long Hotta can protect her before it becomes too much and she takes the pinfall.

We join this one in progress as Makoto attacks Honori in the corner, she grabs Honori by the hair and tosses her to the mat. Boot by Makoto and she sits on Honori for a two count. Makoto applies a kneelock, Honori tries to get out of it but Makoto bites her. Makoto tags ASUKA, punches by ASUKA but Honori elbows her back. ASUKA knocks Honori to the mat and stomps on her head, Irish whip by ASUKA but Honori reverses it and hits a dropkick. Honori tags Hotta, Hotta throws ASUKA into the corner and Honori returns as both hit running strikes on ASUKA in the corner. Another dropkick by Honori and a third while Hotta encourages her, she finally leaves the ring and Hotta picks up ASUKA, but ASUKA rakes her in the eyes. Springboard moonsault by ASUKA and she stomps on Hotta, Makoto comes in to stomp on Hotta too, ASUKA goes for a boot but Hotta catches it. Honori tries to help but Hotta elbows her by mistake, Makoto is still around but Hotta hits a face crusher on both of them. Hotta and Honori put an opponent in a camel clutch and pose, they let go after a moment and Hotta tags Honori. Honori dropkicks ASUKA a few times but ASUKA stays up and dropkicks Honori in return. ASUKA tags Makoto, scoop slam by Makoto and she covers Honori for two. Makoto picks up Honori but Hotta lariats her, cover by Honori to Makoto but it gets a two count. Makoto chops Honori in the chest and delivers a boot, handstand double kneedrop by Makoto and she covers Honori for a two count. Makoto waits for Honori to get up and nails the Blazing Kick, and she picks up the three count! ASUKA and Makoto are the winners!

This was clipped in half but what they showed was fine. I liked Hotta basically being Honori’s cheerleader, since she was the head trainer in Actwres girl’Z it makes sense that she’d be comfortable in the mentoring role. Of course, Honori had to lose, but she showed some fire even though her dropkicks still need work. Not enough made TV to get a real feel of the match, but an effective midcard tag match.

Hiroyo Matsumoto, Rina Yamashita, and Yuu vs. Itsuki Aoki, Miyuki Takase, and Ryo Mizunami
Hiroyo Matsumoto, Yamashita, and Yuu vs. Aoki, Takase, and Mizunami

As MAX VOLTAGE, the team of Itsuki, Miyuki, and Ryo have been having a lot of fun together and putting on entertaining matches in the process. Even though none are SEAdLINNNG contracted wrestlers, they have wrestled in the promotion together since last year. No title wins yet, but they are a quality group that can’t be overlooked. They are against a killer Freelancer tag team, as the super veteran Hiroyo Matsumoto teams up with Rina and Yuu. Nothing is on the line here, but its a big match with a lot of heavy hitter so it should be a fun one.

We start this one slightly in progress, with Yuu in the ring with Ryo. Ryo chops Yuu into the corner with some theatrics, lariat by Ryo and she covers Yuu for two. Ryo goes for a scoop slam but Yuu blocks it, hitting a slam of her own. Body press by Yuu, and she covers Ryo for two. Yuu tags Hiroyo, Rina comes in also and they both elbow Ryo to the mat. Rina jumps on Hiroyo’s back while Hiroyo hits a double knee drop, Yuu then comes in to have a turn so she hops on Hiroyo’s back for a second double kneedrop. Cover by Hiroyo, but it gets two. She tags in Rina, Rina clubs on Ryo and lariats her in the corner. Knee to the back by Rina but Ryo recovers and elbows Rina as the two trade strikes. Bodyslam by Ryo and she tags in Aoki, stomps by Aoki to Rina  and she hits a pair of running elbows in the corner. Face crusher by Aoki and she hits a falling body press for two. Aoki picks up Rina and slams her in front of the corner, she goes for a footstomp but Rina moves out of the way and delivers a sliding kick. Rina goes off the ropes but Aoki catches her with a Samoan Drop, picking up two.

She makes the tag to Miyuki but Hiroyo and Yuu run in and all three attack Miyuki in the corner. Miyuki’s teammates help her swing the match back in her favor, chop by Miyuki but Rina kicks her in the head. Rina tags Hiroyo, Hiroyo gets Miyuki on her shoulders and throws her out of the ring onto everyone else. Hiroyo brings Miyuki back in with a delayed vertical suplex, she gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers the reverse double kneedrop for a two count. Hiroyo picks up Miyuki but Miyuki elbows her, Hiroyo elbows her back and goes for a powerbomb, but Miyuki blocks it and plants her with a DDT. Miyuki picks up Hiroyo but Hiroyo goes off the ropes, Miyuki does as well and hits a satellite DDT. Missile dropkick off the second but Miyuki and she makes the hot tag to Ryo, lariat by Ryo but Hiroyo ducks the kick attempt. Lariat by Ryo, and she covers Hiroyo for two. Ryo applies the rolling Anaconda Vice, but it gets broken up. Ryo goes up top but Hiroyo recovers and joins her, superplex by Hiroyo and she makes the tag to Yuu. Yuu chops Ryo repeatedly and hits a swinging sidewalk slam, running senton by Yuu and she covers Ryo for two.

Yuu picks up Ryo but Ryo blocks the powerbomb, Aoki runs in and elbows Yuu but Yuu drops her with a lariat. Miyuki comes in but Yuu knocks her down as well, she goes back to Ryo but Ryo gets her back. Miyuki and Aoki go for a double shoulderblock but floor Ryo by accident, Hiroyo lariats both of them while Yuu goes to the second turnbuckle. Rina and Yuu lift Yuu and help her hit a diving body press, but Ryo kicks out of the cover. Yuu picks up Ryo and goes for the powerbomb, but Ryo reverses it with a back bodydrop. Lariat by Ryo, but her cover gets two. Ryo picks up Yuu but Yuu elbows her and dropkicks Ryo into the corner. Cannonball by Yuu but Ryo barely gets a shoulder up. Yuu goes to the second turnbuckle but Ryo avoids her diving senton, lariat to the back by Ryo but Yuu blocks the Uranage attempt. Chops by Yuu but Ryo chops her back and plans her with the Uranage for two. Ryo waits for Yuu to get up and hits the spear, cover by Ryo but Yuu kicks out. Ryo goes up top and nails the Diving Guillotine Leg Drop, and she picks up the three count! MAX VOLTAGE are the winners!

All six of these wrestlers are good, but matches like this are always conflicting for me. Six wrestlers is too many for a ~15 minute match for everyone to shine, in this case Aoki was the odd woman out as she didn’t do a whole lot in the match. There wasn’t really a story behind the match, which isn’t a deal breaker but it makes it harder to really get invested. It was also a little odd that the last several minutes were really just Ryo and Yuu one on one, you expect some Joshi Chaos in the home stretch but it wasn’t there. That all being said, the action itself was solid from bell to bell and it stayed moving, so it never felt like it was dragging. A good match with six quality wrestlers, but nothing memorable which is a shame since in a slightly different circumstance this combination of wrestlers could put on a banger.  Mildly Recommended

Arisa Nakajima vs. Yoshiko
(c) Arisa Nakajima vs. Yoshiko
SEAdLINNNG Beyond The Sea Championship

Arisa Nakajima won the SEAdLINNNG Beyond The Sea Championship from Takumi Iroha in September of 2019, and this is her 5th defense of the title. She last defeated ASUKA, but this is a real test for her as she faces off against the formidable Yoshiko. Yoshiko used her pandemic time off well as she became popular on the app TikTok, but her first love is wrestling and after a long wait she finally gets her chance at Nakajima to win the championship for the first time. This belt always felt like it would be Yoshiko’s to win, and this may be her best chance to do so as the stars have aligned for her to take her spot as the top wrestler in SEAdLINNNG.

They start slow as they trade holds, Yoshiko pushes Arisa into the ropes and chops her hard in the chest. Arisa doesn’t like that and slaps her, the two trade strikes until Yoshiko shoulderblocks Arisa to the mat. Kicks by Yoshiko and she pushes Arisa into the ropes, snapmare by Yoshiko and she applies a chinlock. Arisa gets into the ropes for the break, Yoshiko throws down Arisa by the hair and hits a few facewashes, but Arisa avoids the running boot and knees Yoshiko repeatedly in the head. Yoshiko tosses Arisa to the mat but Arisa hits an armdrag, another armdrag by Arisa and Yoshiko falls out of the ring. Arisa goes up top but Yoshiko quickly gets back in the ring and knocks Arisa onto the apron. Elbows by Arisa and she gets back into the ring with a cradle into a footstomp, running boot by Arisa and Yoshiko falls out of the ring again. Arisa goes to the apron and hits a missile dropkick down to the floor, she then gets on the top turnbuckle and dives down onto Yoshiko with a plancha. Arisa throws Yoshiko back in and throws her down by the hair, double underhook by Arisa but Yoshiko blocks her move attempt and hits a back bodydrop. Arisa reverses it into a sunset flip and applies a submission hold, she lets go after a moment and starts working on Yoshiko’s arm. Yoshiko eventually fights back with elbows but Arisa slaps her, she goes off the ropes and goes for a cradle, but Yoshiko reverses it.

Arisa rolls out of the ring and Yoshiko goes out after her, hitting a running senton on the floor. Yoshiko throws Arisa into the guardrail a couple times before returning to the ring, Arisa slowly follows and Yoshiko kicks her in the back. Kicks by Yoshiko and she puts Arisa in a sleeper, but Arisa gets a foot in the ropes. More kicks by Yoshiko but Arisa snaps off a hurricanrana for two. She puts Yoshiko in an ankle hold, but Yoshiko wiggles to the ropes to force the break. Waistlock by Arisa but Yoshiko gets out of it, the two trade strikes until Arisa hits the Sling Blade. Arisa goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, she goes up top again and she hits a second one for a two count. Arisa positions Yoshiko and goes up top again, but Yoshiko recovers and joins her as the two trade elbows. Arisa pushes Yoshiko into the Tree of Woe and hits a quick footstomp, Arisa returns to the top turnbuckle and delivers a diving footstomp for a two count. Arisa goes up again and considers the moonsault, but Yoshiko elbows her from behind before she can jump off. Yoshiko goes up too and grabs Arisa around the waist, hitting a German suplex down to the mat. Yoshiko gets Arisa on her shoulders and slams her to the mat, cover by Yoshiko but it gets two. Senton by Yoshiko, she hits a Reverse Splash followed quickly by a senton off the second turnbuckle for a two count. Yoshiko goes to the second turnbuckle again and hits a senton, but once again it gets two.

Yoshiko goes all the way up next time but Arisa rolls out of the way of the diving senton, Arisa goes up top but Yoshiko gets her feet up on the moonsault attempt. Both wrestlers slowly get up and trade elbows, release dragon suplex by Arisa and she boots Yoshiko in the face. Another dragon suplex by Arisa and she kicks Yoshiko in the head again, La Magistral by Arisa but it gets a two count. She goes for another flash pin with no luck, she picks up Yoshiko but Yoshiko blocks the suplex attempt. Arisa hits a trapped German suplex hold anyway, but it gets two. Arisa picks up Yoshiko and delivers the dragon suplex hold, but Yoshiko gets a shoulder up. Arisa quickly goes up top and nails the moonsault, but again Yoshiko kicks out. Arisa drags up Yoshiko and hits a series of elbows, Yoshiko elbows her back and levels Arisa with a lariat. Yoshiko goes up top and nails the diving senton, cover by Yoshiko but Arisa bridges out of the pin. Yoshiko goes off the ropes and hits another hard lariat, a third lariat by Yoshiko but Arisa returns to her feet. Release German by Yoshiko but Arisa fires back with a half and half suplex, but she is slow to the cover and Yoshiko kicks out. Arisa picks up Yoshiko but Yoshiko blocks the next suplex attempt, Arisa goes for a hurricanrana but Yoshiko catches her with a powerbomb for two. Sliding lariat by Yoshiko, she goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a diving senton. Yoshiko then goes all the way up top and hits a diving senton, cover by Yoshiko and she picks up the three count! Yoshiko is the new champion!

This was a pretty amazing match. I loved the whole dynamic, where Yoshiko started off with her usual bully act but Arisa is a bully too and gave it right back to her, leading to an entertaining opening stretch with both trying to get in control. The submission holds were sold in the moment but not long term, which was fine since that wasn’t really their focus point of the match, and once they got into the home stretch they were just throwing bombs. The German suplex off the ropes by Yoshiko looked great, and both just had that “I’m not backing down” aura that made it feel like a real clash. No real obvious flaws, just a hard hitting and intense match from bell to bell with very little downtime. A must see match, one of my favorites so far in 2020.  Highly Recommended

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Riko Kaiju https://joshicity.com/joshi-wrestler-profiles/riko-kaiju/ Tue, 04 Aug 2020 14:52:08 +0000 https://joshicity.com/?page_id=17209 Profile for Joshi wrestler Riko Kaiju.

The post Riko Kaiju appeared first on Joshi City.

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Riko Kaiju
Birth: December 17th, 2001
Height: 5’1″
Weight: 135 lbs.
Background: Trained by Natsuko Taiyo in SEAdLINNNG
Debut: July 13th, 2020 vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto
Promotions Wrestled For: SEAdLINNNG
Notable Partners: None
Other Identities: None

Championships Held: Princess of Pro Wrestling Championship and the SEAdLINNNG Beyond The Sea Tag Team Championship
Tournaments Won: None
Awards Won: None

Notable Matches:

  • October 21st, 2021 vs. Yurika Oka  (title challenge)
  • December 18th, 2022 vs. Crea   (title win)
  • April 16th, 2023 vs. Chie Ozora  (title defense)
  • June 28th, 2023 with Ayame Sasamura vs. ASUKA and Makoto  (title win)
  • August 20th, 2023 with Kohaku vs. Jaguar Yokota and Mayumi Ozaki   (title challenge)

Signature Moves:

  • Backdrop
  • Cloverleaf
  • Dropkick

Sample of Matches Reviewed on Joshi City:

  • None

In Action:

Riko Kaiju Dropkick
Dropkick

Back to Inactive Wrestlers

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