Joshi Spotlight: GAEA Japan’s 6 vs. 6 GAEA/Nostradamus Gauntlet!

I’m posting the start of the Gauntlet here because… I don’t want the first match’s thumbnail showing up as the header.

GAEA JAPAN’s GAUNTLET MATCH:
* It’s time for more GAEA Japan! This time, we have a huge match- Nostradamus vs. GAEA Japan in a GAUNTLET match! 6 vs. 6! The losers are handcuffed to their respective corners so they can’t interfere as easily! This means that Nostradamus (which now adds RIE to the roster of Aja Kong, Mayumi Ozaki, Akira Hokuto, Chikayo Nagashima, Sugar Sato & Kaori Nakayama, though RIE isn’t in this match) takes on GAEA’s loyalists (Chigusa Nagayo, KAORU, Toshiyo Yamada, Meiko Satomura, Toshie Uematsu & Sakura Hirota) in a series of “600-second” matches- these are prone to flukes, sudden rollups, flash-submissions and other quick finishes, meaning there’s a lot of drama and potential for unexpected things. This is also the infamous moment we get a complete change in Toshiyo Yamada, who possesses a new look going forward. The legendary “Flintstones Mad Max” Yamada era begins here!

I sincerely apologize for this thumbnail.

TOSHIE UEMATSU vs. SAKURA HIROTA:
(Oct. 23rd)
* Sakura’s now dressed like a giant baby, complete with false baby belly and diaper, in an image that will haunt my nightmares. It cracks Toshie up before the match.

Toshie is unable to deal with Sakura’s creepy baby-dance or the slimy makeup on her face, so sells being grossed out every time she grazes it. Then she nearly decks her but cracks up at her face, then Sakura mimics the same out of spite. We’re clipped to Sakura apparently having dumped the belly, then mimics her “run-up” way up the ropes, but gets caught & falls upside-down, then plays evasion from that position and fights off Toshie’s super northern lights move, but Toshie counters the FLYING ASS with a powerbomb for two. As usual, the “Sakura does comedy spots” thing soon turns to “hey she might score a pin, maybe!” with her arm submission thing turning to rollups and backfists, with a 2nd-rope one getting two. Toshie does a complex rollup, then Germans Sakura when she mimics it, and they trade rollups until Toshie hits the Northern Lights Suplex for the pin at (8:39 shown).

Rating: 1/2* (these matches wouldn’t be so annoying to recap if they weren’t all like ten friggin-minutes and all have the exact same flow to them, lol)

NOSTRADAMUS (Akira Hokuto & Mayumi Ozaki) vs. CHIGUSA NAGAYO & TOSHIYO YAMADA:
(Oct. 23rd)
* Oh no! The video before the match indicates that RIE, the sorta-trained FMW wrestler who sorta joined GAEA, has done the dreaded “put on a t-shirt to show allegiance” and joined Nostradamus! GAEA Japan is FUCKED, now! And now it’s just a random Nostradamus/GAEA tag match. Ozaki’s in red & Hokuto’s in green & white, while Chigusa’s in red & black and Yamada’s in black & white.

Chigusa bolts in to start, hitting a DVD on Hokuto and throwing her in her husband’s own Stranglehold Gamma submission while GAEA holds off Nostradamus… but RIE proves her worth by walloping Chigusa with a barbed wire stick and grinds it into her forehead. And of course the camera zooms in at the EXACT moment the referee blades her. Nostradamus does a 6-on-1 beating and an assisted powerbomb hammers Chigusa, then a Tequila Sunrise (dragon/tiger suplex) gets two for Ozaki. She grinds a red bo staff on her until Yamada runs in, and she & Oz hold each other’s hair long enough to make you think they forgot what they were gonna do, and they aimlessly brawl until Yamada gets 6-on-1’d, too. She’s draped over the top and Hokuto hits a flying barbed-wire shot, but Yamada soon runs WILD with a blue bucket and actually kicks everyone’s asses! That gets a good reaction, but soon it’s Oz with the bucket and scads of sextuple-teaming on Yamada again. This goes on FOREVER until Chigusa just charges in to break up a Northern Lights Bomb and she DVDs Hokuto again for two. She attempts a Northern Lights Bomb of her own on Hokuto, but gets countered out and locked in Stranglehold Gamma herself and gives up at (7:00). Shockingly quick!

Ozaki hops on to double-stretch the arm, bringing in Yamada who… in a very “Yamada”-ish moment, instead of doing something cool, just pushes Ozaki away and grabs Hokuto’s hair. The post-match is better than anything else, with Oz & Hokuto getting on the mic to talk shit, provoking Yamada into some ACTUAL anger, then Chigusa gets a towel placed over her dead arm and is taken out, her face the picture of agony. And then, in a picture-perfect moment, LIONESS ASUKA spots Chigusa all crumpled up in the back, and places the ICEPACK OF FRIENDSHIP on her shoulder to bury the hatchet! Nostradamus has gone too far and is reuniting the CRUSH GALS!

This was a shockingly half-hearted match, mostly going for “gang up on one, then the other” in-ring, then having Chigusa tap out to a move seven minutes in, then do a half-hearted pullapart to end the whole deal. This came off more like someone was hurt and they wanted to go easy. Chigusa wrestles two weeks later, but only in short bouts till the end of the year. Everyone else seems to wrestle normal-length GAEA matches so she might be working hurt.

Rating: *3/4 (just filler nothing- some fun bits in the manic brawls but swiftly we’re back to “GAEA is overwhelmed by a heel army” stuff where they come off as useless)

LIONESS ASUKA & SONOKO KATO vs. NOSTRADAMUS (Mayumi Ozaki & Chikayo Nagashima):
(Nov. 11th)
* Lioness now works against Nostradamus with her sole remaining friend, so this is a Mentor/Student team match in a pretty dark hall. Chikayo’s in yellow, Oz red, Asuka black & Kato blue.

We’re JIP with everyone throwing out random stuff and Nostradamus being arrogant, then Chikayo shoves Asuka’s table into her. Ozaki uses her staff, but Asuka takes it away- Chikayo prevents anything cool from happening and Oz clocks two backfists to bring Asuka down. But the heels take too long setting stuff up and Asuka hits an Iconoclasm on Oz, Kato does a flying stomp to a table on Oz, then a Blue Thunder Bomb gets two for Asuka. Kato gets a guillotine legdrop on Ozaki, but Chikayo keeps breaking up all her cool move attempts, and Ozaki hits a backfist into a Ligerbomb for two. Rocket Launcher gets two. Kato wins a reversal sequence with a German, but Lioness helps out and Kato hits the Super Kamikaze Bomb (rolling super fireman’s carry) for two. Kato hits a Lioness-style rolling kick and then Kowloon’s Gate… gets two, as RIE is late on the break and Chikayo kicks out. Way to save that finisher, haha. But now Nostradamus hatch their master plan, mass-charging the ring, Hokuto using a stick to hold off Asuka while the girls take turns crushing Kato’s arm, locking her in a jujigatame until she taps out at (6:54 of 9:11 shown). Nostradamus wins again by cheating! This is obviously all building somewhere.

Rating: **1/4 (a solid house show-ish show with Kato & Chikayo dominating the match and doing some decent-looking stuff)

GAEA vs. NOSTRADAMUS:
6 vs. 6 SURVIVAL SINGLES (aka Gauntlet Match)w/ LOSERS HANDCUFFED:
GAEA JAPAN vs. NOSTRADAMUS:
(Nov. 27th 1999)
* Yeah! Big stable fight! With rules! Actually it’s just a bunch of 600-second (ie. 10-minute) matches. But with random draws, I think! Oh, so it’s a Gauntlet Match.

CHIGUSA NAGAYO (Gaea) vs. AJA KONG (Nostradamus): Probably the two biggest stars “randomly” drawn to fight! Chigusa still has her arm taped from last month, landing on it from a backdrop driver, but hits her wheel kick to Aja’s also-taped shoulder, disabling the Uraken. They keep trying arm stuff, but Chigusa underhooks one arm from the front, then grabs another when Aja swings at her… and Aja gives up to a dramatic double-arm submission hold just like that (0:50)!

CHIGUSA NAGAYO (Gaea) vs. MAYUMI OZAKI (Nostradamus): Oz walks into a backdrop driver but spams backfists until Chigusa throws on a dramatic kimura from the ground that nearly causes Fluke #2. Chigusa impresses by one-arming Ozaki up out of an armlock, but Ozaki just fully extends it and Chigusa’s forced to tap after nearly getting the ropes at (1:31).

SAKURA HIROTA (Gaea) vs. MAYUMI OZAKI (Nostradamus): Sakura is now cosplaying LIONESS ASUKA, carrying big pink tables to mimic Asuka’s black one. Ozaki no-sells her and beats her up, but Sakura plays dead and bursts up… only to get kicked in the crotch and locked in her own double-arm submission. Sakura has to walk them to the ropes to break, then USES THE ASS and her “tables” are revealed to be harmless-looking, fragile pink styrofoam. She gets thrown off the top onto one and fakes a “KO”, then tries a backfist & flash-pin. Ozaki powerbombs her for two, Sakura hits the Tequila Sunrise, but Oz no-sells it and just clobbers her for the pin at (4:33).

KAORU (Gaea) vs. MAYUMI OZAKI (Nostradamus): Oz immediately grabs her staff and they do a tolerable exchange of dodges & weapons-shots until KAORU’s knocked down, then Oz hits that shot again (ugh, is that a shotei? I hate that move), but KAORU kicks out. She’s dragged to the floor by Aja, but Chigusa also interferes when Oz hits an uraken. Chigusa sets up a KAORU superplex, then Aja accidentally kicks Ozaki to set up KAORU’s brainbuster. Oz eats a sleeper and hits the floor, KAORU braining her with a flying knee as soon as she comes back in, getting two. Ozaki avoids some Michinoku Drivers and uses the staff, then hits the first buckle bomb I’ve ever seen in women’s wrestling. Ligerbomb gets two and KAORU tries to come back but eats a ton of fists to the face (her head snapping back on each one makes them look AMAZING), nearly getting three but KAORU finally rolls her up to win at (4:56), ending Ozaki’s run of the gauntlet.

KAORU (Gaea) vs. KAORI NAKAYAMA (Nostradamus): Kaori beats on KAORU and hits some X-Factors to try and pick up a quick win, then hits a flying elbow and counters a Michinoku Driver to a bridging T-Bone suplex. KAORU avoids a super rana but eats a DDT counter, but Nakayama charges right into a Michinoku Driver, and a second finishes at (2:46).

KAORU (Gaea) vs. AKIRA HOKUTO (Nostradamus): KAORU immediately stuns Hokuto with a rana, Michinoku Driver & dive to the floor! KAORU is looking wiped out as she lands on her feet “missing” a moonsault (Hokuto gets her feet up- was that not the plan?), then hits a one-legged springboard one for two. Hokuto hits a German suplex reversal and seemingly gives her time to recover, but KAORU can barely get up for her high Thesz press. KAORU is BAGGED as Hokuto powerbombs her and pretty well wrestles herself into a pinfall exchange in business-exposing manner, just flinging herself around while KAORU can barely roll over. She charges into KAORU’s brainbuster, but dodges a Corkscrew Senton. Northern Lights Bomb, goodnight at (3:07). Put KAORU outta her misery.

TOSHIE UEMATSU (Gaea) vs. AKIRA HOKUTO (Nostradamus): Hokuto tries to charge her at the beginning, but Toshie lights her up with dropkicks and strikes to the knee, but charges straight into the Northern Lights Bomb- goodnight at (0:24). Hokuto still doing the “kneel on their throat” pin while selling her leg is why she rules.

MEIKO SATOMURA (Gaea) vs. AKIRA HOKUTO (Nostradamus): It’s Meiko! The Meiko/Akira rivalry was a “1996 GAEA” thing, and now Meiko dives in on that injured leg, firing off an ax kick into the DVD for a close two-count. What follows is a dramatic amount of legwork that punishes Hokuto (once, Aja has to pull her to the rope-break), Hokuto selling all the while, but when Meiko is all “YEAH it’s a SCORPION DEATHLOCK!” Hokuto suddenly pops free and STFs her for a counter! Meiko’s of course more defiant than the howling Hokuto was, and makes the ropes. Hokuto ends up in another leglock, this one aided by Nostradamus using that staff and literally pulling Hokuto to the ropes using it, and Meiko, tasting the win, hits a FLYING windmill elbow for two. A dramatic NL Bomb/DVD/NL Bomb reversal sequence ends in Meiko’s German for two, but finally the kid gets TOO hungry, charging into the corner with her windmill elbow- Hokuto boots her in the face and hits the Northern Lights Bomb for the win at (6:06). This was GREAT, Meiko using the prior legwork to showcase a ton of precision and putting over her savage desperation to win while Hokuto actually sold the frustration and pain of the knee, snapping her head back off strikes, etc.- putting over how hard Meiko was pressing her and making fans think a fluke was possible. Easily *** by itself- no mean feat for a six-minute match.

TOSHIYO YAMADA (Gaea) vs. AKIRA HOKUTO (Nostradamus): And… it’s a CHANGE in Toshiyo Yamada! Finally the woman who hasn’t changed gear styles in like seven years shows up dressed like a Mad Max reject with bleach-blond hair and some makeup on the side of her face to look like a street tough! The difference in presentation is immediate, as Yamada defiantly growls through Hokuto’s offense, shakes off a superplex, and keeps firing off kicks to the head that Hokuto sells like a tree falling over. Though Yamada’s oddly clunky here in this big, elaborate gear, and The Finisher That Rarely Hits is countered to a victory roll, countered to the Owen sit-down for two in an awkward way. Yamada hits a flying elbow smash but taunts and gets hit with the Dangerous Queen Bomb for two, but shakes it off and hits the Reverse Gory Bomb in a snapping “flash pin” motion instead of a major bump for three at (4:59). Hokuto was obviously tired an unable to help much at this point.

TOSHIYO YAMADA (Gaea) vs. SUGAR SATO (Nostradamus): So now we see the issues with Nostrdamus leading with mostly big stars, as now the Class of 1995 is left against a pretty fresh veteran. Sugar immediately gets kicked in the face and Flying Enzuigiri’d, but counters The Finisher That Rarely Hits for two. Some more clunky bits as Yamada is like a totally different person, and Sugar starts keeping it simple with running kicks, but Yamada no-sells her missile kick, only for her finisher to be countered to a figure-four this time. Nostradamus cleverly use the staff to push Yamada so she can’t reach the rope-break, but GAEA is finally able to cheat, Meiko sticking her whole body in the ring so Yamada can grab her feet and get dragged to the ropes. There’s a weird bit as Yamada & Sato fight up top while Hokuto “tries to cheat” using the staff, Sugar whiffs on a sunset flip bomb, then just hits a big, dramatic Ligerbomb, but Yamada does the “kick out at ONE!” thing- another Ligerbomb gets two, then they do some awkward kicks and counters until Yamada hits the Gory Bomb again, Sugar coming down terrifyingly vertically in a massive bump, and that’s three at (8:01). Awkward and weird match like they were doing two separate matches entirely- in a different universe. Barely **-worthy.

TOSHIYO YAMADA (Gaea) vs. CHIKAYO NAGASHIMA (Nostradamus): lol so RIE dramatically joins the heel stable the month before, but she’s not here for their big match? Chikayo smartly comes from the OPPOSITE side everyone else had, hoping for a quick win with a jujigatame, but no dice. She counters Yamada with another armlock, then stands in the heel corner taunting Yamada to come in when all the Nostradamus members are standing there with staffs at the ready. And of course this allows Yamada some time to rebuild her cardio. Better yet, Chikayo gets knocked into the GAEA corner and sells it with a complete freakout, desperately trying to get away. Nostradamus hauls Yamada down and gangbeats her, but that bit is so ugly with so few obvious shots that it’s only saved by Chikayo doing a flying stomp from the top to the floor. Regular flying stomps gets two, and she counters the Flying Enzuigiri with a chair. The ugliest Fisherman’s Buster ever (Yamada is either too tired or hurt to push off right so Chikayo has to deadlift her in a scary bump and then botches the floatover) gets two. Yamada fights her down with a sleeper, then catches her leap into a powerbomb lift that turns into the Gory Bomb for two. Pretty clunky. Speaking of, after Yamada (who is now doing the “flop around and stagger” thing to sell “being tired”… though she probably is) ends up in the heel corner and eats some stick shots so soft a toddler could have made them, she gets the Gory Bomb reversed, but threads it into a full one… that’s horribly botched, so she tries AGAIN, botches it almost as bad (flopping flat and landing over Chikayo) and finally has to do another “quick” snap version for three at (12:17), FINALLY ending this match. Barely over **, too. But at least GAEA wins! If only Nostradamus had used RIE!

Well that turned into kind of a boring slog in the end, sadly. The early going was full of those “GAEA Quick Match Flukes” that are always super-disappointing, since they blow through “big wins” in meaningless contests that help neither wrestler (and in fact hurt them- AJA KONG tapping out in less than a minute? Even when hurt?), mostly to get the “important” wrestlers out of the way, then Ozaki does a comedy match with Sakura. KAORU/Ozaki was better thanks to some good cardio by KAORU, but after fighting Nakayama she’s BAGGED and the Hokuto match is horrendous because of it. Hokuto herself is tired but manages a very good match with Meiko using her selling and Meiko hungrily going for “that big win”- THIS match treats a potential fluke like it’d be an amazing “get” and both wrestlers know it. Hokuto pulls one out in the end, but is so tired for Yamada’s big reveal that it’s weaksauce, and Yamada seems to actively having a hard time with her Flintstones gear. Yamada/Sato and Yamada/Chikayo are as a result rather clumsy, then go into full-on “oh my god END THIS MATCH!” levels of botchery.

So on one hand, they debut the new, improved “Mad Max/Flintstones Cosplay” Yamada with a big win- a SET of wins, actually. She defeats a tired Hokuto in a long enough match to make it not be a fluke (even though Hokuto had fought three times), then, instead of doing some quick wins to recover, Yamada’s forced to take down fresh Sugar & Chikayo in legit matches. On paper, that’s better for what they seem to be going for (“Yamada isn’t a midcarder anymore! She’s GOOD now! Totally new push!”) but it kind of grinds the match down. If it’d ended stronger, the whole gauntlet would have been **** (despite being comprised of mostly *-*** matches) because of the strength of the booking and some of the timing and mini-stories popping up, but as it stands, it weakened out. A blown-up Yamada repeatedly going for her horrible finisher (new character! Invent a NEW finisher! This isn’t hard!) does not an impressive ending make.

Rating: **3/4 (sooooooooooooo disappointing! This could have been AMAZING and had some great booking and mini-stories and people running the field in it! But by the end, I was begging for it to stop!)

Fans really sellin’ the moment, here.

But it doesn’t end here! Yamada, reveling in victory, prepares to uncuff her team, but then RIE shows her head… and she’s got rookie Saika Takeuchi with her! And she’s been gouging her forehead with BARBED WIRE! Takeuchi is bleeding profusely! RIE taunts everyone, and then TAKEUCHI’S MOTHER shows up to rip the weapon from her until a ref intercedes! Yamada sells this by… standing there too tired to do anything I guess, so Chigusa runs in and helps out her trainee, who bawls in agony and fear (in the kind of sell only a rookie could get away with). Yamada gets the fans to cheer on Takeuchi as we’re out. Damn Nostradamus to Hell! They lost the match and put over Yamada, but now THIS!

That’s the first time in puro I’ve seen a wrestler’s MOMMY run in for the save.