Joshi Spotlight: GAEA Japan in 09.2001

GAEA JAPAN IN SEPTEMBER 2001:
* When last we left off, KAORU had just won a tournament to determine the AAAW World Title #1 Contender, cheating a lot to beat Aja Kong & Meiko Satomura! GAEA is now dominated by D-FIX, the stable led by Mayumi Ozaki and backed by KAORU & Police. But wait! CHIGUSA NAGAYO returned at the last show, apparently! And here’s the angle surrounding it… and she JOINS D-FIX?!!

The aftermath of the last show is shown- a one-night tournament to determine the AAAW World Title contender… and KAORU wins it by cheating all night long. The fallout sees Chikayo Nagashima attack D-FIX in defense of the fallen Meiko, but she gets beaten down, too… and then Chigusa arrives! She’s back from her arm surgery! And she takes to Police with a steel chair… but then turns around and attacks her own students! She’s turned on GAEA Japan! But when she goes to shake Ozaki’s hand, Aja runs in from behind her to club down Ozaki and talk shit to Chigusa, then leaves. But the dreaded Chigusa/Ozaki handshake seems to set her up as a villain! I sense this might be a “Sting joins the nWo” situation where she turns on them later but I really don’t know GAEA’s angles from this time.

SEPT. 24th:

MEIKO SATOMURA vs. SAKURA HIROTA:
* This appears to be “Actually Trying” Hirota, which is always iffy. She’s in a frilly pink outfit with a skirt, while Meiko’s in red/yellow.

Sakura pounces to start, but gets beaten down until she starts faking Meiko out and hitting her strikes like the backfist. Sakura brings more comedy by acting like a little kid in a fight, windmilling feet from on her back, then nearly gets the pin off an ass attack that had the fans gasping. Meiko does the same with a forearm, then dominates a bit until Sakura hits another backfist into her bridging suplex for two. They keep working nearfalls off another backfist as Sakura’s desperation is played up, Meiko doing really well at “oh SHIT!” with her last-ditch jerks out of the fall. Meiko starts clobbering her after escaping the Flying Ass, but Sakura keeps getting more and more close falls on her, but Meiko counters a Flying Backfist with a nasty Fujiwara armbar, leaving Sakura scrambling across the ring. Sakura finally tries her suplex again, but Meiko Pele Kicks her to death and wins at (7:07). Seemed okay- like they were doing the “Sakura JUST MIGHT GET IT” story and pressing Meiko harder than Meiko expected, which also serves to put over Meiko since she wins anyways after all that fighting.

Rating: **1/4 (pretty good by Hirota standards! Lots of nearfalls off of basic stuff that had the fans biting because of how close they were working them)

RAI RAI KEN (Dynamite Kansai & Toshiyo Yamada) vs. MEIKO SATOMURA (GAEA) & CARLOS AMANO (JWP):
* Oh, interesting! Been a while since I’ve seen Amano, who stuck with JWP. Amano’s in blue & black gear, Kansai’s in neon yellow & Yamada’s in white/black.

Kansai dominates Amano with power, but Amano uses speed to come back- Amano backs away from Yamada’s kick and the Kick Demons work over Meiko until Amano runs in to make it a double-submission to Yamada. Amano fires shots and an anklelock at Yamada, but gets her head kicked off and Kansai’s back in for more methodical beatings. Amano comes back and now it’s a Meiko/Kansai kickfight & Kansai hits her lariat and Flying Stomp for two. Yamada preps a big lariat, but Amano slide-kicks her down right into Meiko’s waiting arms for an armlock to get a nearfall! Kansai helps but eats the Diving Brain Kick from Yamada by accident- Yamada bludgeons her down anyways but Amano keeps interfering, knocking Meiko out of the way then setting up the Pele Kick, then diving onto Kansai to leave Meiko alone. Meiko gets clubbed down for two, but does a SWEET forward roll right into a DVD for two- Kansai saves. Amano finally deals with her and Meiko teases a Pele Kick so she can haul Yamada up into another DVD for three (7:31 of 8:46 shown), picking up another win. Pretty decent- I liked thes tory of Amano not being dominant through ability so much as intelligence, interfering at all the right times and setting Meiko up.

Rating: **1/2 (another good, short match)

AJA KONG (w/ Dynamite Kansai) vs. KAORU (w/ Police):
* A revenge match for Aja, so unfairly screwed over by D-FIX in recent months! Aja’s in her silver/yellow gear, KAORU in silver & black.

Aja neutralizes KAORU’s board with kicks, convincing her to drop it, then tricks her into blasting Police off the apron, into Kansai’s waiting lariat, dealing with two unfair advantages straight away. Aja gleefully bludgeons KAORU around, then stops her comeback by catching a kick, then stopping a German with the counter-kick. KAORU misses a moonsault and her rana, but gets a German to finally end up on the board. Aja launches her to the floor when she tries the high-Thesz press as commentary puts over KAORU’s fat loss and getting ripped (“it may be hard to tell on TV”), saying she’s been working out, and she pulls the ropes so Aja eats shit and then moonsaults her on the floor. They fight into the stands but Aja just enjoys that, beating her with chairs and a metal barrier and a piece of guardrail! Aja preps the Uraken to finish, but KAORU wraps her up in an anklelock- she goes for a weapon but Aja actually chases her down and hits a Backdrop Driver, only for KAORU to grab Aja’s own oil can and bash her with it and work the knee using it!

Aja counters Excalibur (Michinoku driver) but KAORU anklelocks her again, Chigusa pulling the ropes away so Aja has to spend more time in the hold. Aja manages a desperation Brainbuster for two, but KAORU rolls her up. KAORU catches her up top with more oil can shots and hits Excalibur from there for two. Aja falls on her to avoid another one, then hits the Uraken while KAORU’s swinging her board around, getting two. AMAZING bit as Aja roars to life and grabs the stupid board, Police runs in, and Aja BLOCKS HIS MIST SPRAY using it and blows it up over his head, then wipes KAORU the FUCK out with a huge lariat that dumps her on her head, pinning her at (10:29 of 10:57 shown) while pieces of board fly off the mat with each count. Post-match, Aja challenges her to another match, with conditions to be met in the future.

This two always have good chemistry, playing Speed vs. Power while KAORU can heel it up and Aja can be a Monster Babyface. This time they used submissions as Aja’s moment of frailty, which makes KAORU seem more dangerous… especially as the whole story of the match is “Aja Counters Cheating”- this is seen repeatedly as she stops weapon shots, kills Police, uses weapons herself, then kills Police AGAIN right into the finish. Interesting in how dominant it was- barely a single nearfall for KAORU (who’s been scoring wins for MONTHS now), but Aja as freelancer mighta put her foot down, haha. Much more fun than the typical KAORU cheatfest thanks to the stories being told.

Rating: *** (one of the better recent KAORU matches)

D-FIX (Mayumi Ozaki & Chigusa Nagayo): vs. TEAM CRUSH (Chikayo Nagashima & Toshie Uematsu):
* Chigusa’s first fight as a new heel is against the two Class of 1995 trainees who AREN’T Meiko. Toshie’s the obivous “first jobber” of this sorta deal because she’s more credible than Sakura yet not important like Meiko & Chikayo are. So she’s a nice, big, safe sacrifice to put over how EEEEEEEVIL Chigusa now is. With a black t-shirt and backwards baseball cap and her hair slicked down, Chigusa looks like some sort of RUFFIAN. Much is made of her coming out first- “lower-ranked” to Ozaki? Also she’s not Zero despite being a heel. Also Team Crush is still called that despite her betrayal.

The kids pounce before the bell (which never sounds), but D-FIX counters them and Toshie ends up superplexed. Chigusa utterly dominates- she dodges so Chikayo flying stomps her partner, powerbombs her ON Toshie, then whirls Ozaki up into a powerbomb on BOTH of them. Oz powerbombs Toshie and Chigusa stretches out Chikayo from a rana attempt, then Toshie gets stiffed a bunch and they pose with four boots across her face like some sorta Tarantino dream. Toshie shoost a heartbroken look at Chigusa in a good bit, and Oz laughs off her punch comebacks by dodging EVERYTHING, but the kids finally come back on them- Chikayo ties up Oz & Toshie fires off a punch combo. Toshie gets a dragon suplex and Oz does the “you can’t pull me up” death-sell, but fires back with a double-clothesline, as does Chigusa. Chigusa hits a kneeling falcon arrow, but Toshie lands the Mortal Kombat uppercut & double-wrist armsault on Chigusa, then Chikayo runs in with a German & whirling headscissors, but Chigusa ligerbombs her out of a rana attempt. Toshie stops the Running Three (razor’s edge) so Chigusa lands a gutbuster, then a perfect plex after resisting Chikayo’s fisherman’s buster. Ozaki beats on her and hits a cannonball senton for two, but ends up in the Rings of Saturn after the kickout. Chikayo even countesr the counter with an X-Factor, but Oz hits a backfist & buckle bomb. Chikayo intercepts the big red staff from Police and goes to town on the heels but gets taken out. Chigusa snaps it so D-FIX can double-team using it, but Chikayo & Ozaki end up dueling using the bits. Chikayo lands two straight Fisherman’s Busters for twos, but they hit a double buster to Chikayo, who barely kicks out. Chikayo nearly rolls up Ozaki, but rushes up into Chigusa’s Rolling Back Elbow into Ozaki’s backfist and that ends her at (11:23).

A pretty typical “Scrappy GAEA Fight” with everyone rushing in at all times and multiple quick, if kinda sloppy, bits. Chigusa seems pretty healthy again, even if her best days are behind her, and developing a Rolling Back Elbow (backwards instead of forwards) is pretty great since she has more size than most of GAEA and it looks a million times better than all the shitty backfists the company is using. Every but Aja SUCKS at those. I did like the counter-game here- wrestlers would try and hit stuff but get countered, and sometimes even counter the counter. The kids didn’t really impress here, but didn’t even land much big offense- it was more of a showcase for the bigger D-FIX. Commentary kept acting confused about Chigusa’s intentions, too, as if they too sense something is up.

SEPT. 30th:
* This is from a small gym show. In typical GAEA fashion around this time, two people work twice- KAORU & Sakura Hirota.

AJA KONG vs. SAKURA HIROTA:
* Commentary is a bit surprised Sakura is playing it serious. “We expected one serious one and one funny one”, but were surprised.

They go LEGIT GRAPPLING to start, Sakura trying to actually mat-wrestle Aja and losing. She manages an armlock, but Aja counters and tosses her around in one. Sakura uses short-range ass slams in a weird bit, but Aja just cranks on a headlock for a while until Sakura finally whips her off. Aja brushes off a shoulder-check, but Sakura SPEARS HER and starts throwing forearms on top. But she throws more ass attacks for lack of a better idea and Aja catches her flying off the top rope, booting her right int he back. Sakura gets a really bad heel hook (basically just hugging the leg) and Aja counters with a MUCH better one that has the audience going “ooh!”, and it takes Sakura a while to get out. She rallies with some weak shit and mostly counters, but Aja’s good enough to sell the 2nd-rope backfist, tipping over like a tree. She avoids Sakura’s suplex and piledrives her for two, but misses her flying back elbow. Aja avoids the suplex again and then catches Sakura for a NASTY backbreaker and submits her with an elevated “bearhug the thighs” Boston Crab at (6:42).

Rating: ** (an interesting variant of the “slack house show match”, as they instead focus on doing simple mat wrestling and barely do their hard-hitting stuff. Aja was good at pretending Sakura had some credibility with those weak backfists, but then DESTROYED her with a backbreaker/crab combo very quickly)

KAORU (w/ Police) vs. SAKURA HIROTA:
* Hirota cracks KAORU up with a pre-match promo, boasting of “Baring my voluptuous muscles and revealing my meager chest, it’s as if I’m the epitome of charisma and physical beauty”. Then comes out all TARTED UP, making fun of KAORU’s glamorous image by wearing grotesque makeup like Mimi from “The Drew Carey Show” and carrying a wooden board. Then she bends over BACKWARDS to pass through the ropes and reveals her abs are literally painted on. KAORU can’t hold it together as SaKAORU preens for the cameras and blows kisses.

The bell sounds and both immediatley grab their boards, Sakura leading an impromptu dance-off (even the ref gets involved)- KAORU whacks her but Sakura uppercuts her through the uprights during her leaping attack, then crotch-chops and gives her the Bronco Buster (shouting “X-PACCIIIIIII!”), only for Police to come in and do the same to her (but more suggestively). Sakura mimics KAORU’s flip-dodge (badly) and eats a really high-angle German Suplex, but when she attemptsd a Moonsault, Sakura just crawls away and juts her crotch up at her. They collide heads both reaching for a board piece and KAORU finally tags her after another comedy bit, then Sakura avoids Excalibur and punches KAORU down for two. Sakura appears to attempt a flying headbutt, but KAORU hears her count down and smashes her in the head with the board for three at (4:43). Another legitimately funny Cosplay Sakura match- Japanese comedy matches rarely do it for me, but these are often a highlight. KAORU couldn’t hold it together all match long.

Rating: *1/2 (great comedy but not much of a match. Like ***+ if we’re rating comedy by its own scale, lol)

D-FIX (Chigusa Nagayo & KAORU, w/ Police & Mayumi Ozaki) vs. RAI RAI KEN (Dynamite Kansai & Toshiyo Yamada, w/ Aja Kong):
* It’s another D-FIX vs. RRK match, but this time with Chigusa involved! It seems like hte angle of the day is for KAORU to give her upcoming AAAW Title shot to Aja if Rai Rai Ken can beat Chigusa.

Rai Rai Ken pounces before the bell, and Aja fends off Ozaki when she interferes, but Chigusa easily fends off Yamada and nearly beats her with a front facelock. Aja breaks it up while KAORU/Kansai do some LIGHT work in the corner, knowing focus isn’t on them, and Chigusa hits the Runnig Three for two. Yamada finally enzuigiris her and Chigusa/Kansai lariat each other, but Chigusa drop-toeholds her into KAORU’s slingshot stomp. KAORU uses her board on Kansai, who powers up and lariats her down, then works the Iron Claw~~. Chigusa breaks it with a kick and uses the board herself, then KAORU does while Aja uses her can on Chigusa and Oz uses her staff on Aja. Kansai counters KAORU with an odd-grip Michinoku Driver, Ozaki saving, but gets hit by Aja’s Uraken when KAORU moves, then eats Chigusa’s Spinning Elbow Smash into Excalibur- but kicks out! Aja & Yamada both hit KAORU, but Ozaki & Chigusa both hit Kansai, but Kansai hits Splash Mountain for two. She tries another, but KAORU counters to a rana and pins her (5:20), getting a reversal win. Mostly fine in a “house show clusterfuck” kind of way- six people fighting for much of the match, but at least they didn’t get in each other’s way. Kansai was put over pretty well taking a bunch of finishers and still kicking out, but KAORU still won. Such a short sprint is pretty funny- the poor paying fans!

Rating: ** (the typical “fine” GAEA Sprint)

Next up… the month of October! Chigusa’s angle pays off! Things lead to an AAAW Title defense at last!