Joshi Spotlight: GAEA The World

GAEA THE WORLD:
(Dec. 2nd, 1995)

* One more GAEA show- this one has a weird look to it, where the ring is HIGHLY reflective and looks nearly silver on the tape transfer, so there’s these super-prominent dark shadoes of the wrestlers. It’s very odd.

BOMBER HIKARU & CHIKAYO NAGASHIMA (GAEA) vs. BAD NURSE NAKAMURA & MIWA SATO (FMW):
* A weird “Dream Match” of sorts, as FMW’s mid-tier heel team takes on GAEA’s Bomber, plus a rookie. Sato has frizzy, crimped hair (the universal sign of the high school ruffian) and silver facepaint, Bad Nurse has black clothes and ghost-white facepaint, Bomber’s in black/purple/green & Chikayo’s in yellow/black. And the GAEA girls storm the ring during the introductions to go right on the attack!

Bomber stacks the heels up and splashes onto them, then scraps with Sato, who actually does the JB Angels bridge-out before getting caught in a crab. Chikayo takes a beating once she’s in, Sato & Nurse making like LCO and repeatedly double-teaming her and taunting the crowd. This goes on for way too long, with nothing more complicated than a bodyslam, but Chikayo finally hits a Stone Cold Stunner and escapes, only for Bomber to get nailed from the apron and whipped with a flag (?) and struck by multiple soda cans (which a camera close-up reveals are EMPTY). But Nurse eats one by mistake and Bomber steals hers and whales away with it. Chikayo does rookie offense on Nurse but actually nails a rana, then leapfrogs off Bomber’s shoulders with a dropkick for two. But the towel gets involved and they beat on Bomber with some very basic stuff, then Nurse uses a rolling cradle of all things for two. She does an STF so bad even Cena would shame her, but runs into a powerslam for two.

Bomber hits an overthrow powerbomb but gets rolled up out of a Blue Thunder Bomb before hitting it- this is getting really ugly and sloppy. Bomber misses a Vader Bomb off the top and eats a flying knee to the head for two, then gets DDT’d on a chair and thrown into it in the corner. Nurse goes for a shot, but Chikayo actually disarms her and throws the wimpiest chairshots ever at the heels, only for Bomber to be chaired off the top rope and Chikayo left alone against Sato. She actually rolls her up for two, but gets slammed repeatedly (pretty basic stuff; seems disrespectful), but gets a pop for kicking out of a backdrop hold. Bomber breaks up the pin off a missile dropkick but Nurse comes in with a chain to choke her, and Chikayo takes a Saito suplex for two, then Sato keeps picking her up, and forces Bomber to watch as she hits a German & a Falling Powerbomb for the three (16:51).

Very basic “Most of us can’t do much beyond running stuff and strikes” match, with Nurse in particular being REALLY loose and sloppy as things went on, just flopping over in submissions and reversals so they had to scramble to cover. Chikayo actually impressed me the most, doing “Rookie Stuff” but having all the character desperation bits down. The “story” ended up being much better than the actual move application, as the heels just kept fighting dirty, and ultimately forced Bomber to watch helplessly as they put the rookie away with a ton of stuff.

Rating: **1/2 (poor wrestling match; good “story” match)

GAEA’S BRAND “GRAZIE”:
KAORU & SONOKA KATO vs. CHIGUSA NAGAYO & TOSHIE UEMATSU:
* Chigusa & KAORU, the two top-ranked GAEA wrestlers, now ally with rookies for a big tag match. KAORU’s in white, Kato’s in blue, Chigusa’s in red, gold & black, and Toshie’s in green.

The rookies engage in Scream-Fu, with a funny bit where Chigusa & KAORU shove their partners in the butt to help them out in grapples. Chigusa/KAORU go, the boss getting into it with the crowd. They do a good sequence and Chigusa belly-to-bellies her for two, then there’s a funny bit where Uematsu is easily Oklahoma Stampeded because she’s smol. The kids tear off on each other at high speeds and then Chigusa stuffs Kato a bunch, clotheslining her down to stop a dropkick flurry. Tall lanky KAORU is nonetheless able to no-sell Uematsu twice before going down to a charge, but KAORU quickly works her leg and even Muta Locks her to death. Bridging fallaway slam gets two, then Kato does stuff, then Chigusa comes in and wipes out KAORU with roundhouse kicks, only to be caught in the GAEA Sleeper of Death. Uematsu comse in and we trade off a bit until Kato/KAORU hit a backdrop suplex/flying clothesline for two on Uematsu.

KAORU blasts her over to Chigusa and hits a high Thesz press, but gets caught with a big Ligerbomb trying another. Chigusa beats up Kato for breaking up the pin, and gets German’d by KAORU for it. Two more set up the Moonsault Press for two, but Kato’s in to break up another double-team… stereo planchas! Vicious Running Dominator from KAORU looks awesome, and Kato again saves & pays for it. KAORU tries a Manami Roll reversal out of another but biffs it and they’re in a pile, then Kato gets murdered again and Uematsu scores a flying cross-body for two, but Kato reverses a whip to a big bulldog. Another gets two, but Uematsu throws her to the corner and then RUNS UP HER BODY, backflipping and hitting an elbow- KAORU interferes and hits a Flying Thesz Press so Kato can get two, then they crush Uematsu with a Doomsday Device Missile Dropkick- she kinda kicks out because Chigusa’s late breaking it up. Double-whip turns to Chigusa wiping out Kato with a roundhouse and hits the most vicious side suplex I’ve ever seen for two- KAORU has to save. Wow I’m not used to Dino Bravo offense looking good. The kids try various rollups until Chigusa runs in and sets up a huge Powerbomb/Flying Cross-Body, obviously getting the three as KAORU is blocked from coming in (19:54)- Chigusa’s team wins!

I kinda love Veteran/Rookie tag bouts, because the dynamic shifts entirely with each tag. The kids are even, and KAORU can go well with Chigusa, but the levels are so different than you can have a vet completely destroying the rookie, who just shows a lot of fire in their comebacks. Uematsu has a lot of “go” in particular (look at that run-up move!) while Kato has the Chigusa-style movements down, and the GAEA rookies show their “A for Effort” style throughout, wailing their heads off to come off as fighty. This ends up being a BIG showcase for the rookies, as the vets barely do anything so Uematsu & Kato can stand on their own two feet. And then Chigusa just runs interference by the end, singling out Kato and preventing KAORU from helping overly much. I marked out hard for that side suplex, though- that was HUGE.

Rating: ***1/4 (despite being 20 minutes it didn’t feel “too long” and had those fight-y rookie spots and good character bits throughout to keep it interesting. The final minutes were pretty great)

Looks like another solid GAEA show, as the kids have real potential and Chigusa & KAORU can always be counted on.