Joshi Spotlight: GAEA Japan in 05.2001 (D-FIX, Team Crush & Rai Rai Ken Rise!)

GAEA JAPAN:
(May 13th)
* Big happenings in GAEA Japan… by which I mean STABLE RESHUFFLING TIME AGAIN! Yes, GAEA falls back to their exact same idea as always- once they run outta shit for their existing stables to do against one another, they break them up and do other stuff. Case in point: Last show saw Aja Kong get sick of KAORU’s endless cheating and URAKEN her. She then pals up with Dynamite Kansai & Toshiyo Yamada, her pals in the Second Generation Army. Meanwhile, the rest of the stable is in tatters- Devil Masami suffers a brutal leg injury that puts her out of action for an entire year! Also, Akira Hokuto puts so much of herself into a losing effort against Meiko Satomura that SHE’S out of action for months as well! We won’t see her again until the Fall. Therefore, the rest of the stable is effectively Mayumi Ozaki, KAORU, Police & Sakura Hirota. Thankfully Ozaki is still GAEA’s Champion.

But injuries are found elsewhere, too- Sugar Sato will miss a year with a knee injury, and even Chigusa Nagayo’s going down for shoulder surgery, and will miss months! Therefore the entire promotion is in a highly vulnerable position, missing out on a few major acts and even some midcarders to fill out the cards!

The card here sees the Class of 1995 split off into a variety of teams to take on veteran squads, making use of the limited roster for a unique show at Korakeun. And the aftermath sees the formation of the three NEW stables that form GAEA Japan for the next chunk of time: D-FIX, Rai Rai Ken & Team Crush!

A recap of the previous show, leading to this one, where the sole survivors of the GAEA classes, Meiko Satomura, Chikayo Nagashima, Toshie Uematsu & Saika Takeuchi, celebrate before the show. This is actually a huge opportunity for Uematsu, who’s been “ugh, I dunno- an extra girl” to the booking for like two years.

MEIKO SATOMURA & TOSHIE UEMATSU vs. AJA KONG & TOSHIYO YAMADA:
* Aja & Yamada formed a renewed partnership at the last big show, and take on the Class of 1995. Aja’s in navy blue & black, Yamada’s in white & black, Meiko’s in red & Toshie’s in green.

Aja & Meiko start us off, and are far more equal than in most matches- Meiko dodges Aja’s elbow and scores her own, debuting a nifty rolling elbowdrop. Aja can’t get anything going, Meiko countering her at every step, and a LONG sleeperhold spot nearly puts Aja out- she actually gets pulled back off the ropes and has to roll the other way. Then Meiko DVDs Yamada & ducks the Uraken & Pele Kicks Aja! But it’s a mere glancing blow and Aja only sells it like a “brought to one knee” stun, so Toshie comes in with a knee to the cheek (super slow-mo so she can actually make contact) and then an Attitude Era PUNCH COMBO (all channelling Road Dogg & shit with the stompy punches), but Aja starts to no-sell her, scaring her and slugging her down before going wobbly-legged again, and THEN getting absolutely walloped by a huge uppercut for two. Aja’s selling is so awesome. Toshie nearly ends up powerbombed but Kidmans out of it, but straightjackets her neck AND Germans her for two.

Aja finally sneaks out with a backdrop driver, but Toshie holds Yamada for Meiko’s windmill elbow. Meiko kicks her down pretty good and they start working her arm, Toshie pulling out some unique submissions. Aja sneaks in to pummel them both, backdrop driving Meiko- “Fuck YOU!” bridge! Meiko Germans her off the second rope but gets lariated for two. Yamada sets up the Brainbuster for two. Yamada tries to dust her off with backdrops and then pulls out a FALLAWAY SLAM of all things for two. Aja breaks up Meiko’s jujigatame but Toshie trucks her (!), but Yamada fires back with her spinkick and the Diving Brain Kick for two. The kids punch her down for two, but Aja sets up a heel kick for two. Some dramatic pin reversals get the fans’ attention, but then Toshie charges right into Yamada’s weirdo arm submission (a double-arm lock, like the set-up to a butterfly suplex) and gives up right away at (13:53).

This was a very basic “GAEA Tag Match” where they tried hard but not SO hard, and kind of told the story of “Meiko & Toshie are rising up” because they can challenge these veterans. Yamada, who is SERIOUSLY cooked at this point, is still trying hard and even adding to her toolkit at this stage, which is kind of sad, haha. Toshie got a ton of spots showing she was being elevated, like bowling over AJA KONG with punches, so it seems GAEA is very aware they need to be elevating her fast with so many other girls down. Yamada & Aja were game to sell for them and put them over a bit, then got a “fluke” victory, almost to remind fans that Yamada isn’t just a JTTS, either.

Rating: **1/2 (lots of effort but not SO much effort- the “good TV match” special, lol)

D-FIX (Mayumi Ozaki & KAORU, w/ Police) vs. CHIKAYO NAGASHIMA & TOSHIE UEMATSU:
* I don’t think Oz’s team is called D-FIX yet but they will be soon so I’m calling it now, haha. This is their first match together since the heel stable split.

The heels assault before the bell, but quickly the kids come back- Chikayo hits a chair-assisted missile kick to KAORU and they do chair-vault dropkicks in the corner. More chair stuff sees Ozaki & Police capture them with a giant staff and flip off the fans while posing. Oz uses SHOTEIMANIA on both (ugh, another low-effort strike for Ozaki to spam), but they stop KAORU’s Boardsault and Chikayo stomps the board into KAORU. Chikayo hits a spinning headscissors and three great ranas in a row, but gets caught up top & manages to land on her feet from a SUPERPLEX, which KAORU immediately ruins by hitting an inverted Samoan drop. Oz beats on Chikayo and hits a buckle bomb, but accidentally urakens KAORU and the Fisherman’s Buster gets two. KAORU accidentally nails Oz with the board and another F-Buster gets a close one. Toshie spams punches until Ozaki strikes her fist with the staff, but Chikayo saves. Toshie keeps dodging KAORU’s board but punches THAT, too, and the Brainbuster gets two. They try a leapfrog move to the top, but Police slips KAORU her board and Chikayo gets smoked with it, then Toshie, then Excalibur (michinoku driver) gets… two! Cheating fails and Toshie gets a Dragon Suplex for two, then dodges Oz’s baton shot so KAORU takes it, but KAORU kicks out of the next Dragon at one. But then Toshie dodges a board-shot and Dragon suplexes KAORU, still holding the board, for three at (12:01)! So Toshie finally gets a bit of elevation, pinning KAORU. Funny how the heel stable split nonetheless leads to an immediate job for Ozaki’s team. Aja gest on the mic after to talk shit (“I can see where your team is already headed”), and congratulates Toshie, who says that an amused Yamada & Kansai are next.

Rating: **1/4 (Another very generic one to start, but the dramatic nearfalls at the end improved things, with KAORU spamming her stupid board but getting caught repeatedly, and Uematsu just persistently aiming for that suplex again and again until she got it)

SAKURA HIROTA vs. LIONESS ASUKA:
* We’re shown clips of an oddball match where Sakura gets her nose busted open, and allies with Toshie & Saika against Police, her tag partner… but turns on them, then randomly beats on Police and pins him… to win? She still walks off with Police and does their “P & A” pose, but now she’s just Sakura, mimicking Toryumon’s Stalker Ichikawa in response to an angle he recently did. But against Asuka’s she’s just in pink outfit with a big feather boa.

Asuka swiftly beats up Hirota, but suddenly Hirota hits a goofy pose and then the ref starts doing acrobatics, then Asuka is shamed into making a goofy pose. I assume if you’re from Japan you understand what this is and think it’s hilarious. Asuka hits her giant swing immediately after, then they play “what’s that?!” games leading to Asuka kicking out the table onto her. Flying Stomp with the table on Hirota & a big lariat only get two, and Hirota punches Asuka in the knee and the groin, setting up a heel hook, then the Flying Ass gets two. Asuka finally fights out after another leg submission- lariat & Ligerbomb get two. Sakura even counters the Towerhacker Bomb to a heel hook, then spams urakens until she gets two, but Lioness finally catches a rolling kick and an emphatic Ligerbomb gets three (6:59). The match was most notable for Hirota’s giant boa shaking off feathers with every movement, looking like Manami Toyota at Dream Slam. Asuka even tears up the boa after the match.

Rating: * (Asuka was pretty generous in bumping for Sakura and making her submissions look like actual things, but she made sure not to sell TOO much for them, acting more annoyed than anything. A little more tolerable than the non-cosplay Hirota matches)

MEIKO SATOMURA & CHIKAYO NAGASHIMA vs. AJA KONG & DYNAMITE KANSAI:
* The main event sees the top two of the Class of 1995 against the elites of Aja’s new stable.

The kids both use their speed to harry Aja, messing her up and tagging repeatedly, but Aja outwits Chikayo… but charges into her legs for a rana, then they hit a flying stomp for two. Kansai lariats them both down, but Chikayo again puts Aja down, bulldogging her out fo a backdrop. Aja keeps coming like “not yet, kid”, but charges into the upside-down-in-the-ropes hold, then again! Chikayo kicks the uraken arm and Aja has to tag out after scoring a lariat with the same limb. A double-team German on Kansai gets two- they pummel Meiko a bit, but her Pele Kick gets two. Aja sets up Kansai’s flying stomp for two. Aja follows with her flying back elbow- Chikayo saves. Kansai goes for Splash Mountain but just tosses Meiko onto Chikayo to stop her charge. Aja avoids Meiko’s sleeper this time, then her Pele, but Chikayo runs in & knocks her oil can out of mid-air- Meiko using it to set up a DVD for two. Chikayo can’t get her Fisherman’s Buster so goes for a rollup, and Kansai sets up a lariat for two. Chikayo does the sunset flip powerbomb counter on Aja for two, but Aja no-sells her missile kick for another lariat. Meiko runs in with a DVD to Kansai, but Aja beats her and a Sandwich Lariat crushes Chikayo, and an emphatic Splash Mountain… is countered with a rana & Aja has to save! But a Pele Kick strikes Chikayo and Meiko has to save after Splash Mountain finally hits. Aja’s Uraken… strikes Kansai! Meiko DVDs Aja but an Uraken puts her lights out, so both are down! Kansai is staggered but recovers to kick Chikayo in the nose, setting up a weird Michinoku Driver for three (11:07). Chikayo challenges them both after the bell, Aja saying “I like those words”… but D-FIX attacks! They hit weapon shots and flee immediately, setting off another promo- the four students of Chigusa still raise hands at the end.

This was more of the “GAEA Sprint” variety, as most of them had wrestled already so just started out throwing bombs until one team fell. The speed of youth led at first, but the veterans kept spamming lariats and interfering until the had done enough damage to equalize it. Chikayo just didn’t have the durability to absorb all that punishment.

Rating: ** (pretty typical for that style- “fine” but not great or anything, as there’s little story beyond “whoever can’t help their partner will result in the loss”)

MAY 26th:
* The last show’s weapons shots are shown again, and a shot of KAORU & Ozaki laughing is illustrated with “D-FIX” written across it, as their stable has a name. Aja’s stable also has a name- Rai Rai Ken! Raijin is the Japanese God of Thunder & Lightning and they mention thunder a bunch in their interview, so this is probably a Raijin + Fist (“ken”) thing. Meanwhile, Meiko/Chikayo/Toshie/Saika becomes known as “Team Crush”. So yes, the old GAEA standby of STABLE RESHUFFLING and everyone getting shaken up to feud for another year continues on! We’re shown clips of the Osaka show where D-FIX makes their debut against Lioness Asuka & Saika Takeuchi. Saika actually looks really good against KAORU, working over her arm and even pulling it in the way of Ozaki’s staff, but she gets clobbered by a table piece and Asuka’s kick, and she’s finished off by Excalibur in (8:59). Toshiyo Yamada vs. Meiko Satomura sees it being an even war of strikes until a Pele Kick/DVD ends it for Meiko at (12:08). Rai Rai Ken’s first outing has Aja Kong & Dynamite Kansai take on Chikayo Nagashima & Toshie Uematsu. Toshie gets a German & Aja takes two missile kicks, but Aja gets an Uraken- Toshie breaks up the pin. Another gets the pin at (13:40).

MAY 27th:
* That weirdo gymnasium sees another GAEA show.

MAYUMI OZAKI (w/ Police) vs. TOSHIYO YAMADA:
* The D-FIX boss takes on the lowest-ranked Rai Rai Ken member.

Oz & Police make poses on Yamada to annoy her, then counter her offense with stuff. Yamada kicks the staff and sells her foot, then gets caught up in the ropes, and it’s an open handicap match on the floor with Police doing most of the work. Yamada finally gets sick of it and throttles her with a sleeper, but Ozaki shrugs off the Diving Brain Kick and fires off a shotei. Ligerbomb gets two. She hits a flying cannonball and gets out the giant staff (commentary says she’s finally getting into “this guy” mode so you KNOW it’s serious). Ozaki cuts off ANOTHER comeback but finally eats the spinkick reversal for two. Yamada with another kick, but Ozaki counters her with an uraken, then spams them to set up another Ligerbomb for two. Yamada tries another comeback but Ozaki kicks out at one REPEATEDLY from her strikes, Yamada does as well, and a big elbow gets two for her. She tries another, but ends up in a shitty Tequila Sunrise (tiger/dragon suplex) for two. Ozaki charges into an elbow for two, gets a shotei for two, they nail each other’s hands, Oz gets a rollup, Yamada scores a kick after getting out, then hits the REverse Gory Bomb… for THREE (9:09)?!?!?! Yamada pinned the Champion! Okay I was in NO WAY guessing that one- Ozaki’s dominance bordered on selfishness and no-selling because she was reversing EVERYTHING, but it was the old “if you lose, you get 80% of the offense” trick. Didn’t see THAT one coming- Yamada’s push has been deader than a doornail for years. Commentary even notes how she’s been lagging “in fifth place” for years and hasn’t used this move in a year.

Rating: ** (a very lazy “house show special” for ages, then Ozaki kept using shitty strikes, but at least the nearfalls and escalating stuff was done okay)

Best part of house shows with the lights up is seeing “random weird solo dude in the stands” at multiple angles.

Wait, is this the janitor? There he is again!

CHIKAYO NAGASHIMA vs. KAORU (w/ Police):
* The show’s main sees Chikayo taking on the lesser half of D-FIX!

KAORU attacks before the bell, but Chikayo counters her big stuff and gets three ranas immediately, seeming to thread that into her regular rotation. She lands her upside-down hold to stop a board shot, but KAORU comes back on the floor. Back in, Chikayo hits a bulldog counter but ends up powerbombed trying another rana, and KAORU lands two moonsaults- boardsault misses but Police drags Chikayo down and a brainbuster gets two. KAORU spams board-shots and hits another brainbuster, but Chikayo catches her in another upside-down hold, then they do the “land on her feet/ass from a superplex” spot like last time, ending up in a scramble on the mat. Things get increasingly ugly until KAORU hits Chikayo’s own flying stomp for two. But she climbs up and Chikayo goes nuts with the board, blasting her & Police repeatedly, but leaps up to the top and gets brought down with a HUGE Superbomb… for two!

Now it’s the KAORU special- more random bullshit, as she adds an Orihara Moonsault and fucks around with a table instead of capitalizing on a huge move like that. Saika tries to stop her doing a table move, and KAORU goes ass-first through it! Flying Stomp to the floor by Chikayo! But Police interferes with a long beatdown until Chikayo dropkicks him and bulldogs KAORU in one move. German gets two. Fisherman’s Buster & Excalibur both fail, then Chikayo cleverly steals Police’s baton and uses it to set up the Fisherman’s Buster for two. Crazy spot sees Chikayo attempt a slingshot rana but KAORU catch her and hit Excalibur from THERE, but Chikayo kicks out at ONE and runs into a boardshot, flopping down dead. But she fires off a quick F-Buster for two. KAORU catches her with a powerbomb lift but Chikayo ranas her (OUCH but lands flush on the side of her head), KAORU rolling through for two, then smashing her with a board, but Excalibur is rolled through at (14:11 of 15:13), Chikayo stealing one! haha so D-FIX loses two singles matches in their second show. Chikayo is all cheers and Meiko runs out for hugs as KAORU kicks Police in a rage for not cheating well enough, haha.

oooooof long KAORU house show matches, lol. It’s wild because you’ll have a crazy thing like a “leap up to the top and end up Superbombed” move, but the rest is BS because KAORU responds to that match-ender by screwing around on the floor and trying more stunts, then it’s a long Police beatdown, etc. Once again like she writes down spots on flashcards, then randomizes them before the match. There’s some good stuff after, but seeing moves that SHOULD be ultimate killers treated like nothing is so weird- Chikayo is just flying around with perfect agility later on all fine. At least they keep us guessing as to the finish until the end, as rollups and finishers are established winners, but they keep kicking out of finishers at one and killing THOSE and I dunno. KAORU matches are just an arduous watch- all stuffed with MOVEZ but with so many weird sloppy bits and “then it breaks down and they kinda scrap for a minute like there’s no plan” and such.

Rating: *3/4 (some good stuff and some awful stuff, ending up in “fine”- good ending but a lot of HUGE moves sold as nothing and bad spots in the match and way too long for KAORU)