Joshi Spotlight: GAEA Japan in 03.11.01 – 04.08.01!

GAEA JAPAN IN MARCH-APRIL 2001:
* It’s time for more GAEA Japan! This one features a pair of big shows, as Aja Kong announces her partner for a match against the Crush Gals, Chigusa & Meiko team up against the main eventer squad of Mayumi Ozaki & Akira Hokuto, and finally the Crush Gals team up for revenge against that same team… in a match where if they lose a second time, the Gals have to split up!

First off, however, I hadn’t realized there was a mini-angle after the match on my last GAEA review- Aja Kong comes out in street clothes & attacks Chigusa Nagayo & Chikayo Nagashima after the match, then seems to argue with teammates Mayumi Ozaki & Akira Hokuto as well. Judging by the comments section, Aja declares a challenge to the Crush Gals, but won’t announce her partner:

MARCH 11th:
* From Korakuen Hall!

DEVIL MASAMI & SAKURA HIROTA vs. DYNAMITE KANSAI & KAORU:
* A weird match splits up the Second Generation Army, with Devil forced to team with goofball “Akira Hirota”.

haha, Devil & Kansai are so good they’re able to get a minute or two just out of fighting over THE CLAW~~, forcing each other back repeatedly. They do the old “lariat each other” spot from their JWP rivalry, then KAORU missile kicks Devil. Kansai climbs, but Sakura sets up a SUPERDUPERPLEX of all things from the giants. KAORU breaks up the pin with her board, but positions her boardsault early and Devil gets her feet up. Sakura comes in with a fake sword and KAORU impresses the fans by “Matrix dodging” it, but Sakura nails her in the groin and points to her head to indicate intelligence… then gives her a double-noogie. KAORU beats her ass with the board and Kansai hits her flying stomp for two. Sakura counters a powerbomb and even pops the crowd doing a Byers bridge but missing a leg so the pin immediately fails- I think that was an accident, actually (actually nope cuz she does the same against Aja later). KAORU boardsault/brainbuster- Devil saves. KAORU smashes her board into Kansai’s lariat arm (Sakura ducks WAY too early) and Devil lariats them down so Sakura can score a punch to the jaw- KAORU springs up at one and “tanks” some Eddie Kingston-level backfists from Sakura so Devil just clotheslines her and powerbombs Sakura on her- Kansai has to save. Everyone hits each other by accident (Devil is good enough to sell Sakura’s uraken, lol) and KAORU detonates another board piece over Sakura’s head, getting the pin at (8:01) when Kansai tells the ref there’s a cover.

Rating: ** (this was every “Sakura Regular Match” without the cosplay, in that it exposes her poor technique and lack of credibility, but there were some clever moments and double-teams. Devil/Kansai crushing each other is fun for old time’s sake, but they’ve lost a step)

THE THIRD GENERATION ARMY (Chigusa Nagayo & Meiko Satomura) vs. THE SECOND GENERATION ARMY (Mayumi Ozaki & Akira Hokuto):
* The leaders of the heels take on the top veteran & 1995 girl in the promotion.

A semi-decent sequence ends in “pause for applause” and so the fans are like “OUTSTANDING!” haha- that is such a devious way to “work”- convince the fans something is better than it was by pausing afterwards. But I guess if it tricks the fans into thinking it’s good work then it’s REALLY good work XD. Meiko & Oz even do the “Dramatic staredown as they tag out” bit to put it over as this THING. Ozaki beats on Chigusa with a chain and Meiko has to save the boss from a double-team, popping the fans for Pele Kicking Hokuto on the top rope. Chigusa lands a wheel kick but their double-team is countered and Chigusa/Meiko are CHAINED TOGETHER with double dog-collars, and now this match has its “hook”. Meiko keeps fighting but is tossed, then flung off the top onto Chigusa and stereo piledriver/DDTs keep up the punishment. Chigusa & Meiko kick free but separate and get “dragged down” by the chain and double-bump to put over the weapon, haha. But they manage stereo DVDs and unhook themselves for a pop. But they try a Doomsday something and Ozaki superplexes Meiko while on Chigusa’s shoulders (nice one, chig), and they just go nuts with their bokkens. All the heels on the floor put the boots to Chigusa & Akira locks on Stranglehold Gamma, but Meiko misses a high kick on Oz and boots Hokuto for a good reaction.

Hokuto tries to catch Chigusa with her spinkick, but gets caught & backdropped, then held for a funny “standing on the top” windmill elbow by Meiko. Ozaki breaks it up and a Dangerous Queen Bomb gets two. Hokuto blocks the Pele kick and another DQ Bomb hits- Chigusa saves. Oz cannonballs her and spams urakens, then beats everyone’s asses with the chain… but clobbers Hokuto by mistake and the babyfaces grab chairs! Multiple heel beatdowns! Double juice from the heels! And Chigusa pulls a DUMP MATSUMOTO by showing the fans her handywork! But Ozaki just flees and immediately hits a Tequila Sunrise on Meiko for two. But Meiko’s tied the chain around her foot and hits a Pele Kick to Ozaki with it! She’s incensed when the ref refuses to count, and Ozaki uses it to punch free of Chigusa’s powerbomb, and 3 urakens with the chain get two (BIASED REF!). Chigusa holds a chair up to block another, and hits her Running Razor’s Edge for two- Hokuto saves. She hits her backdrop suplex, Meiko hits her with a DVD, Ozaki urakens her, and Chigusa hits a DVD… for two! She tries another but gets rolled up for a super-close one (the crowd is biting HARD), then charges in blind and CHIGUSA urakens her (classic sloppy open-hand one- she’s learned from Ozaki!)- huuuuuuuge gutwrench Spinning Ligerbomb- three (13:23)! The good guys win! The incensed heels have to be pulled away from them after they hug triumphantly, then Hokuto just stalks up to Meiko and POW! Holy shit the sound that slap made!

Okay, a pretty manic “full effort” match, using weapons in the RIGHT way and not just spamming the match with interference. Moves built well and you saw the perfect way to put over a chain-wrapped Pele Kick finisher without a pin- the ref just following the rules and refusing to count it, lol. I’m guess her semi-friendship with the Second Generation Army is why she still counted the chain-wrapped uraken. It’s funny how most GAEA matches are the same “type” (weapons & cheating-based clusterfuck) but there’s a very clear distinction between “lazy filler” and “this is a real show”- the hotly contested near-falls (not just hitting a finisher in clear view of the person about to break it up), the weapon-assisted finishers, and more. Like, when the crowd is even biting for Ozaki’s rollups you know they gottem.

Rating: ***1/2 (a delightful surprise as a lot of GAEA’s in-ring is falling apart)

THE THIRD GENERATION ARMY (Lioness Asuka, Chikayo Nagashima & Toshie Uemtasu) vs. THE SECOND GENERATION ARMY (Aja Kong, KAORU & Toshiyo Yamada):
* A weird trios match sees Lioness lead two kids against Aja and two… lesser members of the veteran squad. Kinda weird this is the main event, though. KAORU throws some baby-light shots with her board to Asuka and we’re off.

A big crowd brawl is set off, Aja taking special care to murder Lioness, hitting her with a HARD oil can shot, then a chair (one shot sends the chair flying on impact). KAORU & Yamada are seen trying to commit homicide with poor Uematsu in the upper balcony while Asuka scores a comeback by shoving Aja off the four-foot balcony and stomping her off it. Toshie hangs by a giant tube thing, dangling literally 20+ feet above the floor (you can tell it’s a big show cuz they’re pulling out these spots). She’s finally lowered to safety (caught by her stablemates) as Aja flattens Asuka with a lariat in the ring. Aja keeps countering her, even pulling her old “chop-chop-come at me” taunt out of the mothballs, but gets caught up top and Ligerbombed down. Aja charges into the table after the kids delay her, but gets a brainbuster thanks to KAORU. Yamada takes a shot, but gets the table knocked onto her and powerbombed, but gets some awful kicks from the ground. Asuka gets an Iconoclasm- two flying kid moves get two, then Uematsu spams strikes, but Yamada weathers them and spinkicks her after escaping the armsault. KAORU uses her board on everybody, but misses the boardsault and has to brainbuster out.

Chikayo runs across Toshie’s back to hit a rana, impressing the crowd (tho it was ugly), but the babyfaces are stacked in the corner and squashed by Yamada, then Aja (Toshie’s “EEEEE!” when she realizes it’s Aja coming at her is great), only for KAORU’s to be met by Asuka’s lariat. Asuka tosses Chikayo into a Super Frankensteiner for two, saved by Yamada, as now Chikayo gets her chance to shine. KAORU powerbombs her out of a slingshot rana attempt, but Chikayo flips out of Aja’s wheelbarrow German attempt, only to try her arm submission in the ropes and get dragged off & powerbombed. Second rope splash! Two! It takes three people in unison to bring Aja down when Chikayo counters a rack to her armlock. Aja accidentally urakens Yamada but OH GOD Chikayo lands on the back of her neck trying to backflip sell a lariat. She still “fuck YOU!” bridges out of that (HIGHLY, too) and Aja signals the uraken, but takes too long and gets German’d. Aja gets rolling kicked by Asuka, but KAORU interferes and a brainbuster gets two. Aja gets German’d off the second rope and takes Chikayo’s rana, but Chikayo makes the mistake of taking a swing with the oil can- Aja of course no-sells and Urakens her and that’s it at (13:19). Aja wins this one incredibly easily.

This seems to be a “rebuild Aja” thing (oh yeah, cuz she’s challenging the Gals later, DUH), as she just recently lost the AAAW Title but here more or less mows down three opponents at once and easily pins Chikayo after no-selling a shot from her own weapon. She even countered the counters and was reversing everythign ASUKA tried, much less the 6th years. Interesting too was that the match was 1/3 Asuka, 1/3 Toshie & 1/3 Chikayo, like each getting their own segment where only they were legal. The execution was fine, especially from Chikayo (though Yamada has lost a LOT of steps by now). Overall it was pretty good but not much further than that.

Rating: **1/2 (better than the dregs of GAEA’s style, but not really an all-star performance either)

Post-match, Aja gets the mic and declares her upcoming partner vs. the Gals… KYOKO INOUE!! Kyoko’s naturally all mega-babyface even though Aja is being a grump like always, but she gets into it with Hokuto & Ozaki AND the Gals and it’s a big pullapart. THEY BETTER NOT RENAME THE STABLES AGAIN.

APRIL 8th:
* This is a show from Nagoya.

AJA KONG vs. SAKURA HIROTA:
* Aja, now in navy blue, must face the threat of Sakura, doing sumo stance stuff.

Apparently they’re gonna do it like an ACTUAL sumo match to start, so Aja is shamed into doing the stance, too, then Sakura comes in with the hundred-hand slap to her, Aja just no-selling and casually pushing her down with one hand and the bell rings (0:04) hahaha. Sakura demands an actual match, and the ref comes down- Aja no-sells everything Sakura has until a headbutt to the gut stuns her, but she runs across the ring to yank Sakura out of her double-arm submission. Sakura rubs her ass in Aja’s face, so Aja pays her back after sitting on her. Sakura nearly knocks herself out running into Aja’s ass, and can’t get her up for any stuff, but the Flying Ass puts her down for two. She & Police squabble over him accidentally tossing the oil can to Aja, but she successfully puts in on Aja’s head and rolls her up. Aja cracks her with the can and a backdrop driver earns the “Fuck YOU!” bridge, and Sakura manages the flying uraken despite Aja stuffing her attempt at an inside cradle. Aja comically no-sells Sakura’s uraken and menacingly adjusts her own glove, and Sakura flops down hard to avoid it, Aja almost pinning her from that. Sakura does some goofy slaps but ends with a punch to the jaw that ALMOST gets a miracle pin, but Aja flattens her with a lariat. Sakura keeps lifting herself up to avoid Aja’s corner charge, but she cracks her with the can again and a Brainbuster gets two (9:03).

Rating: *1/2 (A bit more fun that the typical Sakura squash, because Aja is so menacing and fearsome that all the spots kinda mean more, and she’s oddly good at comedy despite being a monster)

REVENGE MATCH:
CRUSH BREAKS UP IF THEY LOSE:
CRUSH 2000 (Chigusa Nagayo & Lioness Asuka) vs. THE SECOND GENERATION ARMY (Mayumi Ozaki & Akira Hokuto):
* Oh damn! Before Aja/Kyoko can take their shot, the Crush Gals team up against the 2nd Gen leaders! This is a rematch from the Jan. 27th match, where Hokuto pinned Asuka with the Northern Lights Bomb. Thank god for recaps. And Crush are ready to FIGHT- Asuka has a dark blue table in her Crush colors, and Chigusa’s brought a big red bullrope. The heels bring their fake swords- Hokuto’s like an actual katana and Ozaki with her giant red staff one.

They brawl before the bell, Chigusa going for a killshot with Hokuto’s bokken but missing- she ends up in Stranglehold Gamma while Ozaki swings hers at Asuka, who tug-of-wars her into the submission to stop it. Oz hits a regular cannonball on Chigusa, then a flying on one Asuka and they double-team Chigusa in the Stranglehold. Chigusa wheel-kicks out but her arm is dead- Lioness comes in but takes a 5-person Bitch Pose with all their feet in her face. She finally wins a strikefest with Hokuto, giant swinging her (lol Hokuto’s flailing arms). Ozaki’s chain stops a powerbomb and Chigusa eats some chairshots to prevent her from saving- Asuka gets a dog collar around the neck and a chair around the head, then another. The ref won’t count after a short piledriver cuz of the chain, so Hokuto just drags Asuka around the ring like a dog. They FINALLY get some juice on her forehead (lol I think that took some work- you see the ref pile in), and they work the cut and tease Chigusa with tags, hitting a chain-uraken for two. Finally Chigusa’s like “o right- we can cheat too” and starts hanging Ozaki with that bullrope, dragging her around in turn, and then Asuka powerbombs her through the blue table! Blue Thunder Bomb gets two.

Ozaki finally spams chain-punches and urakens her for two. Great bit as Hokuto pokes Ozaki with the giant bokken so she’ll grab it and be dragged over to the corner, but Chigusa whips them both with the bullrope and DVDs Ozaki for two. Gutwrench Ligerbomb- Akira’s bokken breaks it up. Chigusa tries a bullrope lariat, but Hokuto missile kicks her in the back, only to charge into it herself. The crowd is still mostly just “random screams” and not really that into this. Hokuto avoids the Razor’s Edge twice and gets a sloppy German on Chigusa’s arm, tries a lariat and the same thing happens, and a third German gets two. Asuka finally just interferes with a flying lariat and the Double Crush Punch stuns Hokuto. Chigusa nails her own partner, but so does Oz (with a chair!)- Asuka hits the wheel kick on Hokuto while Oz KOs Chigusa with the uraken, then stuns Asuka so she can’t hit the Towerhacker Bomb- Hokuto brings back her dangerous inverted DDT/backdrop suplex out of nowhere for two, then a double fisherman’s buster for the same. Chigusa & Oz swing their weapons to stop moves, and Hokuto tries a small package for two, but the Gals hit stereo high-kicks and Asuka pulls out a Michinoku Driver for the three at (14:05).

Well that was a weird one. Kind of one of the “messy everyone-fights-at-once” GAEA matches, preventing any match flow, and the nearfalls weren’t really NEAR FALLS, you know? Like, nothing happened from a finisher. Hokuto didn’t even go for the Northern Lights Bomb, which won her their last match! And Lioness never got her Towerhacker, nor Chigusa her Razor’s Edge thing! It was like they were all at half-speed doing an “elevated house show match”, and it feels like the crowd was kind of in that zone, too, never being terribly loud (though they mighta been mic’d poorly, as they’re seen cheering at points).

Rating: **1/4 (solid at points with a few good spots, but mostly a chaotic mess and fought at half-effort vs. a major match, especially one with these stips)