Joshi Spotlight: AJW in June 2000

AJW IN JUNE 2000:
* It’s time for more Joshi, as we finally hit the mid-point of 2000! And it’s the rise of BLACK JOKER! This is the heel stable comprised of Takako Inoue (Freelance) with LLPW’s Rumi Kazama & Eagle Sawai. Takako is then a Freelancer mostly working for Zenjo still, but the other two are from LLPW and now getting into the “Dominant Heel Stable” schtick, albeit with more of a Team Uniform and focus.

This set features Black Joker teaming up against some hapless Zenjo kids, and ends with Takako Inoue taking on the WWWA Champion, Manami Toyota, in a match that’s a prelude to Toyota’s later title defense against Eagle Sawai. We also see more JWP interactions, as there’s both a rookie fight and ace Azumi Hyuga teaming with Command Bolshoi against the heel ZAPs.

MIHO WAKIZAWA & KAYO NOUMI vs. BLACK JOKER (Takako Inoue & Rumi Kazama)
* This is just clipped to nothing, but it’s the first time BLACK JOKER appears in my watchalong! They’re of course wearing all black and brutalize the Zenjo rookie squad. Wacky bleeds! Takako hits a big powerbomb (that is such odd offense from her) but Kayo slides out, annoying her. She hits a backfist that has Kayo barrel-rolling forward, pulls her up before three, then hits another two that leaves her a pile of limbs on the sell-job- that’s it at (1:28 shown)- Black Joker of course winning decisively. I actually have no idea when this match took place (it’s not on Cagematch, I think), but here’s as good as any.

June 11th:
* All of these are from the same show.

MIYUKI FUJII (AJW) vs. KAYOKO HARIYAMA (JWP):
* It’s time for more Interpromotional Mayhem! With green kids! Hariyama’s in a garish orange suit with lots of tassels, while Fujii is now in all black.

oh GOODIE, the very first move of the match is a horribly botched armdrag, lol. Hariyama “hooked” the arm and tried to bounce off the ropes using her foot, but their hands stopped locking and so Fujii noticeably flipped herself. She beans her with a knee and goes for a JB Angels armdrag next, but Fujii whips her off the top and starts chucking her around by the hair. Hariyama comes back with the running nothing and an X-Factor, lots of rookie stretching, and more, but Fujii comes back with shitty release bulldogs. Some flying mares and a sunset flip show slightly more athleticism, and Hariyama misses a splash off the second rope. The worst spinebuster ever gets two (looked like she just lifted Fujii and put her down) and a Flying Splash gets a close near-fall. Execution is getting very loose here as they’re getting tired. A Bridging German gets a closer count to some positive reaction, then Fujii rolls her off the second rope for two and a bridging suplex tries to finish, but it turns into a slugfest, won by Fujii for two, but she climbs and Hariyama brings her off with a Super Powerslam (!) for the struggling three at (10:08). Haha, damn.

About as much fun as two barely-trained women going 10 minutes would be- loose and sloppy throughout, with only the barest showing of fire (Hariyama appeared noticeably bored during all the stretching segments). At least they didn’t end up having to repeat all their offense as the match went on, consistently throwing out unique stuff.

Rating: * (boy have I not missed “ten minute rookie contests”, lol)

MARTIAL ARTS MATCH:
YUMIKO HOTTA vs. KUMIKO MAEKAWA:
* The two kickiest wrestlers in Zenjo go at it- Hotta is leagues beyond Kumiko in seniority/credibility, but Kumiko’s legit credentials and secondary-belt status means Hotta SHOULD be more generous with the selling. This is rounds-based with no pins.

Maekawa quickly blocks an enzuigiri and starts throwing those swiping kicks that have Hotta going all over the mat, but Hotta dodges a high kick and is now perfectly fine, throwing big sweeping palm strikes that have Maekawa flattened. Hotta hits the Tiger Driver but we’re clipped to her taking two kicks to the head, only to ignore it and rolling kick Maekawa down. She hits the Pyramid Driver and casually gets up to wait out the count, and Maekawa has to block kicks until the round is over. They open round 2 by firing kicks and slap attempts, but through sheer persistence, Kumiko puts Hotta into the corner and then the mat with tons of head shots! We’re clipped to a downed Hotta being peppered with more neck & back kicks, getting up at “9” and immediately eating two big bicycle kicks, then a third, then hauled up for the Ax Kick. Kumiko struggles to pull Hotta up for another, and that allows Hotta to block it and then hit a totally wimpy slap (SHOTEIMANIA strikes again- this was particularly sawft), kicks her, and hits the Pyramid Driver- no longer selling at all, Hotta hits two more, and then shoteis Kumiko rolling around until (4:59 overall).

This was a very good example of selling that fails to tell a proper story- the “story” here should be that Hotta is getting pressed by Maekawa and nearly being knocked out, possibly giving the upstart the win. This is played up by Hotta in the corner, on the ground, getting battered with no answer and nearly being KO’d. The crowd is somewhat into that and it’s believable. But then it’s time for Hotta to hit her shit and suddenly she’s back up like nothing at all happened as soon as she makes a block. She doesn’t take any time to recover and instead blasts Maekawa with her own offense, completely squashing her like a bug and no longer looking like she was hurt at all.

Rating: **1/2 (potentially really interesting kick-based match kind of wrecked by “time to stop selling” syndrome)

THE ZAPS (Zap I & Zap T) (AJW) vs. AZUMI HYUGA & COMMAND BOLSHOI (JWP):
* We’re still getting more Interpromotional stuff, this time with Kaoru Ito & Tomoko Watanabe’s heel characters taking on Hyuga & Bolshoi. As Azumi is the top wrestler of JWP right now, I have to think this would be an attempt at giving her a small win. Hyuga’s in blue & Bolshoi’s in red & gold. The ZAPs are in the usual white t-shirts and black singlets & masks.

We’re JIP with Hyuga missing a plancha and Bolshoi having to do the “step off the top” of shame so she can be thrown around in the stands. Tomoko CRACKS Hyuga with a big black kendo stick while Bolshoi gets buried in chairs, then Hyuga gets worked over with two sticks in the ring and stretched out. They strangle her between them with a chain. Bolshoi runs in to choke out a ZAP and gets brained for it, but we’re clipped to Hyuga’s dropkicks making the comeback, but she gets flattened trying a sleeper and sticked from the apron- Rolling Germans come back on ZAP T (Tomoko), but she runs into a lariat as the slaughter continues. This has very “the heels control all match in payment for Hyuga going over” energy. Bolshoi holds Tomoko up top so Hyuga hits a Butterfly Superduperplex to an impressed audience, but Ito just casually whacks the ref with her stick to stop the count- hah. Cut to Bolshoi’s hot tag and she immediately runs into a Ligerbomb, then Team JWP eats a boomerang attack to stop their comeback.

They finally manage a pair of dives to the floor onto the ZAPs but get tripped and dived onto and they’re on the defensive AGAIN. Ito climbs and is like, super hesitant about eating Bolshoi’s resulting Super Rock Bottom, haha. Tomoko chokes the clown out with the chain to stop the beating, but Ito clocks Tomoko and Hyuga’s flying knee takes her out. Bolshoi hits a running palm thrust (SHOTEIMANIA), and it’s a Double Flying Stomp from JWP to Ito, Tomoko stopping the pins. They just SMOKE Bolshoi with the kendo stick and a powerbomb gets two- Hyuga saves. A vicious kendo shot/Ligerbomb- same result. Ito misses a Flying Stomp and runs right into the single pussiest chairshot in history, Hyuga like sliding it across her face, lol. Ito thankfully just shrugs it off and beats her ass, JWP taking another beating on the floor- the manage to come back a bit (Bolshoi with chairs and Hyuga grabbing the stick and beating Ito, who no-sells and taunts her), and… we get one of the only count-outs in joshi history at (9:35). LMAO there are COUNT OUTS, now? I’ve seen beatings on the floor go on for four minutes and now a twenty-count arbitrarily does it? Could they not agree on a finish or what?

A pretty vicious beatdown by the ZAPs, who just made Team JWP look weak and soft the entire match. They shrugged off all their shit, at weapon shots and easily recovered (Ito flat-out refusing to sell), and doing awesome double-teams while Team JWP couldn’t get jack shit done. Like they barely went up for Bolshoi’s Super Rock Bottom and scarcely ate anything else. I kept thinking the one-sidedness was going to lead to a miracle Hyuga comeback and she just snags Tomoko with a finisher after a double-team goes awry to save face for the ZAPs, but nope- JWP lacks even that level of credibilty or “say” in the booking now. LOL get rekt, JWP. Not a bad match overall, just one-sidedly vicious on the parts of the ZAPs, who hit some pretty great precision stuff.

Rating: *** (good match, mostly from the ZAPs)

MANAMI TOYOTA vs. TAKAKO INOUE (w/ Black Joker):
* Speaking of Black Joker, here’s Takako Inoue with her heel stable! We get a clip of BJ beating Toyota in a multi-woman match earlier, just overwhelming her. Takako now has her music start with “Knockout”, but goes to what sounds like The Prodigy’s electronic beats. Manami is the Champion, but this is non-title, probabl setting her up for Eagle’s title shot coming up.

Takako of course slaps Manami to start, earning one in return, get gets a high kick to put an amused Toyota on her ass, then whips her to the corner and eats a missile dropkick, then the spine dropkick. Manami stretches her out, including doing “humiliation” gags like pulling the nostrils, then taunts Black Joker before putting on the Muta Lock (I feel like she’s entirely swiped Kyoko’s “dance before applying” move). Takako comes back with a DDT and does a glamor-pose while trying to pin Manami with one knee in a good heel move, then works a DDT. This is a very “early ’90s AJW” match so far. Manami hits the Rolling Cradle off a whip but tries a Moonsault like a dumbass and eats the Super Chokeslam trying to chase Takako up the ropes (YOU CAN’T SUPERPLEX TAKAKO). She knocks Takako off the top and hits a running springboard, but this puts her right into Black Joker’s clutches and they pounce on the floor, mostly kicking ring girls’ asses. In the upper section, Manami comes back on Takako and sure enough, it’s her New Fun Thing, as she climbs up the entranceway up there and runs down it to hit a dive. Eagle beats Manami up, leaving her vulnerable in the ring to Takako’s stun-gun, but IN COMES MOMOE, as Nakanishi runs in and missile kicks the shit out of her and Manami immediately hits a bad Moonsault (mostly hitting shins) for two, then fails the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex and ducks two fast urakens and gets wiped by a high kick to the head. Man, Takako is in SHAPE. Like, she had a solid physique in the ’90s with the standard “huge Zenjo thighs” but I can’t imagine that version hitting a high kick right to the head.

Takako bolts up for the Flying Knee, missing and whiffing two straight punches before finally backfisting Manami, who has to grab the bottom rope to save. Good reaction, there. Flying Knee gets two, Manami bridging out and blocking another uraken, but Takako spinkicks her in the face (!) and hits another Uraken (Manami sells this like a casual, painful punch, though, barely reacting physically- like just wincing and going “OWIIIIE!”)- a second one has her collapse more, so Takako tries to finish but Manami tags her with a German (lol she lifts before Takako is ready and has to do a shoot-bridge while holding her to complete the move). Manami climbs and gets uraken’d up there, holding her head and rolling to the apron, but Takako brings out the STUN-GUN and that, Manami sells- thrashing around and rolling on the mat. Two straight Urakens have Toyota down (I suspect she has a rib injury because she’s always doing a “collapse inward” reaction to head-shots), Manami “Fuck YOU!” bridging out! Takako has to haul her up to her feet, but Manami does her new Big No-Sell to another uraken… but Takako just snags her for a powerbomb, Manami rolling out and hitting her Pumphandle German for two. Takako struggles to her feet and dramatically misses a couple strikes, eating the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex- two! Manami hits the top and Takako gives chase, but Manami sneaks behind her and locks on another JOCS from there and that gets the pin at (11:39). Eagle gets on the mic afterwards and lays out her challenge, Manami replying and flipping her off.

Okay, this got a fair bit fun. The issue with Takako vs. Main Eventer battles is usually an issue of credibility, as Takako has never beaten one and probably never well, so you’re always sitting there watching her hit finisher after finisher, spamming them out because it takes three of hers to count as one of anyone else’s. But here they had Manami take shots from all sides, from interference to the Stun-Gun to lots of counts, Takako eventually battering her into a vulnerable position. Toyota’s selling of the backfists was… weird. Like she either didn’t know how to sell shots to the head except to collapse inwards and lurch over, leaning forwards, or she was legit hurt in the midsection and this was involuntary. She didn’t really sell the “KO” quality of the strikes but would at least not absorb them like they were nothing. I was about to right “at least she isn’t dramatically no-selling again” right before she indeed does the “stand with her legs and arms apart and roars defiantly” no-sell, but Takako cleverly immediately turned it into a move that got countered. One funny thing is that Black Joker were barely involved compared to other heel stables- like in GAEA you see non-stop interference in matches like this, but here they brawl on the outside but don’t hit the ring.

Rating: ***1/4 (a very good effort overall- fun, succinct and kept the fans into it)

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