Joshi Spotlight: JD’ Tag Explosion (Lioness Asuka vs. Dynamite Kansai)

Every once in a while someone in joshi shows they’re still all crazy, even with business down. A goddamn German Superduperplex.

https://archive.org/details/jd-2000.01.10

JD TAG EXPLOSION:
(Jan. 10th 2000)
* So I reviewed the last JD’ show of 1999 a couple weeks ago to prepare for their 2000 stuff- I can only find two videos but that’s almost prefered since I won’t have to watch TONS of stuff. This show features a BIG interpromotional match- JD’s top star Lioness Asuka vs. the former Ace of JWP- Dynamite Kansai! In 1995 this is a guaranteed ****+ match! Unfortunately it’s 2000 so don’t get your hopes up! Also we get the “good rising stars who debuted in 1995” with Yoshiko Tamura vs. The Bloody! Then some other invader matches as AJW sends Nanae Takahashi & Miho Wakizawa to take on JD’s youngster team. Plus Cooga gets her retirement ceremony!

COOGA’S RETIREMENT CEREMONY:
* Cooga’s a funny one with me. I was only vaguely familiar with her until I started my “start from 1992 and move forwards” Spotlight run (when I first did the column I just kinda found shows “wherever” and watched them at random)- she was the one Zenjo wrestler I didn’t recognize, because it turned out she retired by year’s end! She was Miori Kamiya, a thoroughly mediocre wrestler from the Class of 1986 (the one that produced Aja Kong, Megumi Kudo, Combat Toyoda, Bison Kimura and KAORU), and was clearly on her “veteran who now jobs to up & comers to establish them at the next tier” tour of duty- she ends the year jobbing out to Mima Shimoda and gives it up. When JD’ is formed by Jaguar Yokota and some others, she turns up as the masked “Cooga” (which is supposed to be “Cougar”, from all evidence I’ve found) with a fire under her ass, having like… okay **1/2-*** matches but it was pretty decent. But she had fallen apart a bit judging by later stuff I saw, and wrestled her last match in 1999.

The funniest thing here is playing Celine Dion’s “Because You Loved Me”. Which at this point was a contemporary song! But it’s weird because I’m used to joshi always playing ancient-ass 1980s metal (like, Kansai comes out to “Night Danger”, a metal song from *1984*! Kyoko’s theme song is a knockoff of Van Halen’s “Panama”!), and here’s a fuckin’ song from when I was in high school playing. Though even here that’s like 4 years old.

The crew giving flowers includes Jaguar Yokota, Aja Kong, KAORU, Megumi Kudo (!), and even Combat, who looks like a totally ordinary person in retirement. Interesting, Cooga keeps the mask on the whole time, tossing an extra mask over it to the crowd. I mean, they used her real name- we know who she is!

MEGUMI YABUSHITA & SUMIE SAKAI (JD’) vs. NANAE TAKAHASHI & MIHO WAKIZAWA (AJW):
* The next generations of two promotions fight! Yabushita/Sakai get a bit of focus in JD’ from what I’ve seen, Nanae is a hot prospect (though at this point is still clumsy and kinda weaksauce) and Wakizawa is a tryhard rookie. Yabushita’s in black, Sakai’s in white, Nanae’s in white/pink & Wacky’s in yellow and red.

We’re JIP with Nanae being flipped around and rolled into arm submissions, but Team AJW just gangs up on Yabushita. Clipped to Wacky flying onto Yabushita’s feet and Yabushita leisurely strolling to the apron for a springboard whirling ass slam to the face for two. Sakai tries a moonsault (waiting for Wacky to get up so she’s cued to jump), missing, but she manages to lionsault both girls when they charge in. Nanae eventually interferes to allow a tag, but quickly takes a really shitty German with Yabushita holding one of her arms, too, and it seems to hurt Nanae’s OPPOSITE arm, and she does the world’s weakest kickout of a Sakai moonsault. This is pretty clearly a real injury because she’s putting in zero effort, covers her face a lot (to give open conversation) and then turtles up until the ref comes over, then rolls to the floor.Miho goes out to check on her, and sure enough, the ref just calls it at (4:15 of 14:23 shown). The replay shows that godawful German hitting really badly- Nanae is held awkwardly by one arm and falls at a 3/4 angle, slamming down shoulder first.

FANG SUZUKI vs. OBATCHI IIZUKA:
* What looks to be a comedy match sees Iizuka, in pink pajamas (with a rob that has Hello Kitty designs on it), using a “shockstick” that looks more like a sex toy. Fang is a tomboyish, squat girl with short hair and black street clothes. Both girls are quite heavyset. Fang is struck by the “shockstick”, taking this rapid flat-back bump like she’s been shot, and nearly KO’d with a left hand. Fang comes back with a lariat after a clip, and Iizuka fires up… but Fang stomps on the ring, causing her to fall over because of science, and we’re clipped again to Iizuka judo-flipping out of a Rock Bottom, only for Fang to hit the world’s ugliest takedown into a half-crab that’s equal parts hideous yet also EXTREMELY painful-looking, like she just struggled to grab it but bent it all the way back at (1:20 of 6:25 shown). Looked pretty awful and clumsy, but I’d imagine this is mostly comedy.

MORIMATSU & KAZUKI vs. SACHIE ABE & HIROYO MUTO:
* A rookie match! uh, no idea who these people are for the most part. Morimatsu’s in white tiger-stripes, KAZUKI’s in green and black, Abe’s in yellow & Muto’s in blue/white with tassels. We’re JIP with KAZUKI eating some flying moves from the other team, then Abe hits a plancha on both and we’re clipped to stereo flying headbutts on KAZUKI. She manages a rollup on Muto, but gets backdrop suplexed, only to counter a top rope thing with an Avalanche Waterwheel Drop for the pin at (2:06 of 12:02 shown). I spent more time figuring out who was who than the match took. Morimatsu wasn’t even shown in the ring!

YUKO KOSUGI vs. RANMARU:
* Ranmaru is a super-skinny girl in a blue outfit and mask, with a high-flyer motif. Kosugi’s a longtime JD’ wrestler, and in frilly pink gear.

We’re JIP with Ranmaru cartwheeling past Kosugi, who gets bounced around a bit before judo flipping Ranmaru off the top rope. Kosugi hits some methodical stomps, but misses a top rope one and Ranmaru hits some spinning heel kicks for two. She hits a missile dropkick with a high stack for two, but can’t get a straightjacket suplex and tries a mule kick that was probably supposed to hit but whiffed by a mile- they improvise some stuff and then Ranmaru gets some kicks that aren’t sold terribly well- Kosugi’s just a little too wibble-wobbly to sell “being dazed/KO’d” and flops down. Ranmaru tries to finish with a Somersault Ax Kick, getting two (Kosugi telegraphs it by wide-eyed staring at the ref’s count the entire time), but climbs again and gets dropkicked in the tree of woe and knocked to the floor so Kosugi can hit a Flying Stomp out there. Kosugi tries a Fiserhman’s Buster, getting rolled up by using leverage to get two. Then Kosugi hist the second rope and backflips off with a “moonsault stomp” that is more like her overshooting and maybe grazing Ranmaru with a knee- even the commentator is like “MOONNNNNSAULTOOO… Foot-u-stompu?” like he’s trying to make up his mind on what to call that. And of course that’s the finish, lol (3:51 of 9:48 shown).

This felt REALLY amateur hour, with two clumsy people slowly going through some spots and messing up every time they amped up the pace a little bit. Ranmaru showed some good flippiness but little selling, and Kosugi didn’t appear good at selling OR offense, overshooting stuff. really weak stuff overall.

Rating: * (cut to about half, and mostly really clumsy)

AWF WOMEN’S TITLE:
YOSHIKO TAMURA (NEO) vs. THE BLOODY (JD’):
* It’s Neo vs. JD’! This is a rematch from Dec. 1999 where Tamura won with a vicious mountain bomb that sent The Bloody out on a stretcher (looked to be for a shoot). The AWF Title they’re fighting for is from IWA Japan, which is a mixed federation- the belt seems to have moved to NEO and/or JD’ at points.I love how a belt held by a baby Emi Sakura is called a “World Title” in its lineage. The Bloody’s in red, Tamura’s in white.

They immediately launch their biggest stuff and holy crap this is SNUG. Like they’re obviously working but the elbows look damn-near shoot quality. Tamura seems to be stepping over Bloody’s stuff and hits two missile kicks, which Bloody kicks out from at “1”. Bloody does an open-hand choke, which the ref is fine with until they go to the ropes. Bloody bites away and smashes a chair over Tamura’s head a couple times and tombstones her, copying the Takako thing of kneeing her in the head first (damn, I just realized I haven’t seen Takako do that for like two years). Tamura uses speed to come back, hitting a leg hump submission into a heel hook, but Bloody gets a chain and smashes her way out. Tamura gets hung in the tree of woe and eats a triple-dropkick from Bloody and her goons, setting up Bloody working some hairpulling as a characterful rest spot, then Tamura fights out with some angry kicks and they yank each other’s hair, showing this is getting nasty again. Tamura starts ignoring stuff and headlocks her really snugly, nearly putting on the Million Dollar Dream, but Bloody claws out and dropkicks her (from the top but facing inwards so she jolts backwards).

Bloody Germans Tamura off the 2nd rope but gets defiantly roared at, but Tamura overshoots a punch and ends up in a BIG Dragon Suplex for two. Tamura is dazed, but escapes a second and when her backslide fails, spins Bloody over for her double-wrist armsault suplex for two. Tamura hits a flying splash for two, but Bloody does a Jaugar Yokota-esque bridge-out, only to charge into a German for two. Bloody tries a Byers bridge as both are getting desperate, and Tamura dropkicks her legs out and hits La Majistral for two. Bloody halts a whip and does two Germans for two, and they’re getting slower and slower with each kickout. Bloody has her goons attack on the floor and throws some chairs- back in they try a Doomday Device but have to settle for a German. They get a double backdrop suplex and Bloody goes up- Tamura tries to stop her but Bloody spins around and hits a motherfucking German SUPERDUPERPLEX, launching her from the very top rope into a near-vertical bump. Jesus Christ. And I should fuckin’ HOPE that scores the pin, as Tamura’s dead at (9:46 of 13:56 shown), Bloody getting her win back.

The point of landing.

An interesting little match- the early going seemed to be playing up a “they’re shooting/not cooperating” thing even as they were clearly working, as they seemed to be no-selling and interrupting one another, and then intersperse the match with nastiness like chairshots, a chain, and people ripping with their teeth or yanking hair. Tamura ignoring offense and hitting what looks to be a shoot punch (just so quick and sudden vs. a pro wrestling punch) into a stuffing headlock (a real-life effective move but rarely done in puro)- like they wanted people to think they legit hated each other and were “disagreeing” during the match, maybe. This is mixed in with obvious cooperation but comes off very differently from the usual matches, like it was just a little bit “extra” and disagreeable, creating an interesting mix that was pretty fun for what was only a 10-minute match. Some really good bridging suplexes, particularly by Tamura, and HOLY SHIT that finish- Tamura just launched herself off backwards like a missile and landed high on her shoulders and flipped over instantly. Manami-tier bump there. Both these women are insane.

Rating: ***1/4 (actually super interesting and unique with some good spots)

LIONESS ASUKA (w/ Goons) vs. DYNAMITE KANSAI (JWP):
* An interpromotional Dream Match! Asuka vs. Kansai! A ****+ match in any era… except this one, cuz Kansai’s massively broken down due to a joint disorder. Still has god-tier ring gear with this monstrosity with disco ball pauldrons and green glitter-tassels everywhere.

We’re JIP with Asuka putting on a leglock, but Kansai kicks free and puts on THE IRON CLAW~~ and won’t release on the rope-break, holding it all the way to the floor while the useless ref just admonishes her. She pushes Asuka against the post then pulls her into the ring as this is certainly a unique use of match time. FINALLY she releases after like two minutes and a small “A-su-ka!” chant and they rev up a bit until Asuka pulls her into an armbar. Asuka is still selling her forehead, allowing Kansai to score more kicks and a lariat, but Asuka counters the backdrop driver with a kick and does the armbar again, playing smart over methodical Kansai. Goon #1 brings in a table and whips it into Kansai so Asuka can do her flying stomp to the table, but she counters being powerbombed through it and kicks it away. This leaves her open for a chairshot, and Asuka starts laying waste to her belly (ie. hitting a chair into another chair so it only looks like it hurts Kansai) and stacks up Chair Mountain. Kansai again avoids a powerbomb but swings into a backdrop suplex, selling the back of her head enough that Asuka nearly fights her into a superduperplex- Kansai finally (and carefully) steps down and flings her backwards into the chairs. Asuka counters Splash Mountain, but Kansai manages to counter the third armbar with a counter-lariat at last and gets that backdrop driver for two, and then actually gets Splash Mountain (sit-out razor’s edge) for two.

So after this, the two justifiably sell for a bit- they probably wanted a bigger reaction for “kicking out of the finisher” but it’s like 10 minutes in- the fans must have known. Kansai slowly tries to set up Die Hard (the top-rope version) but obviously can’t get it (she’s locking arms like a backslide, telegraphing it) and Lioness hits her with the RED MIST. This puts her down long enough to set up the draped table, but Kansai backdrops her off it and follows with a double-footstomp. A top-rope version misses, and Asuka’s stumbles disguise her going to the ropes so she can backdrop Kansai out and hit a dive. Time for a floor brawl! They spend a minute or two fucking around out there, but it all pays off with Kansai put on a table and Lioness FLYING STOMPS her through it all the way to the floor! Holy shit that one is dangerous- that table doesn’t break and Asuka flings backwards. And this is JAPAN- table breakage is miraculous! Asuka declares IT’S OVER, and hits an Iconoclasm in the ring for a big false finish. She tries the Towerhacker Bomb, settling for a kick, but goes up and gets caught- Splash Mountain! Two! Kansai misses a couple methodical strikes, getting a kick hung up on the ropes- thus sets up the Towerhacker Bomb for two! Michinoku Driver is countered to Splash Mountain coutnered to a rolling kick, and that sets up the Michinoku Driver for the pin (17:31 of 23:29 shown)! Lioness Asuka wins!

Turned into a very good match at the end there, with long bouts of time-killing making it a good, long match without being DULL (mixing a 2-minute claw-hold AND a fight to the floor), as the “resting” portions were actually either unique or ended in great bits (the flying stomp suicida through the table). Multiple spots were terrifiic, and both being such credible strikers made their reversals and intermediate moves great as well. No wasted movements in the final portion of the match, with two wrestlers clearly being hurt methodically trying to set up big moves- a flying stomp to the floor in insanity, and Asuka following with a popular 2000-era move (the Iconoclasm started popping up a LOT around this time) was a solid bet, and each woman gets their normal finisher to put over how important the match is and how great a threat both are (in today’s “2.9 Wrestling” world it can be easy to pooh-pooh endless kickouts but in big matches with two top stars it’s usaully a good bet- it’s when you’re doing it every week on TV it’s a problem). And after the Towerhacker immediately comes the finish as each one tries a last-ditch move but Asuka’s the lucky one to get it out. It’s still a pity Kansai in particular had been slowed so badly, because you could definitely see this as being BETTER.

Rating: ***1/2 (very much a “Battle of Titans”, which is a great match concept, wtih two smart workers able to work past Kansai’s limitations)

Then outta nowhere we get a 47-second clip of a Lioness Asuka, Crusher Maedomari & Morimatsu vs. Yuko Kosugi, Megumi Yabushita & Sumie Sakai match, with Asuka winning via a ligerbomb.

So all in all, another JD’ show! With enough to show there’s still some interesting things going on in the promotion, with The Bloody grabbing that brass ring and being a nutjob, and Lioness Asuka still good for a very solid main event no matter what. Asuka/Kansai is a rare Dream Match we haven’t seen a ton, so that was also interesting.