Joshi Spotlight: AJW Future Shock

AJW FUTURE SHOCK:
(Feb. 17th 2002)
* Welcome to a weird gimmicky small show! With Zenjo veterans fighting rookies! Well… it’s a one-day tournament of teams of superstars taking on extremely minor teams comprised of midcarders and barebones rookies that have no chance. But that’s something! Sort of! A way to showcase the next generation of newbies (most of whom I’m gonna have to look up) while giving the veterans easy wins until they obviously face each other in the finals. It’s actually a double-shot, as they have an afternoon show and then an evening show. This building is small and with a low-hanging ceiling. And oh man the hard camera makes the crowd look DIRE- there are more people on other sides, but whole swaths of empty seats in a building this small is not good.

There’s actually some scattered matches all around February & March, but as this is all on one show and isn’t important for “continuity”, I’ll stick it here.

The announcer sounds SUPER sick for this one- his poor voice is cracking with half the syllables.

AFTERNOON SHOW:

* Miyuki Fujii defeats Saki Maemura (7:15), Kayo Noumi beats Mika Nishio (10:25), and Kumiko Maekawa defeats Miyuki Fujii (12:13), who works twice.

MANAMI TOYOTA & MOMOE NAKANISHI vs. NANAE TAKAHASHI & FUMIKO YAMANE:
* Manami & Momoe JUST wrestled to a fantastic ***3/4 30 Minute Draw, but here are teamed up. Poor Nanae gets paired up with a green rookie and oh NOOOOOOOOOO it’s the dreaded “black name on Cagematch” situation, with young Yamane apparently retiring after not too long. She wrestles into March judging by other wrestlers’ match listings, though. She’s wearing a simply hideous, unflattering powder-blue singlet that is not sized properly at all, and has orange-ish super-short hair. Nanae’s in purple, Momoe’s in denim & Manami’s in black/red.

Nanae pounces on Momoe from behind so her team can take a quick lead, and Yamane uses a dizzying array of hairtosses and a decent crossface before Momoe’s like “wait u suck lol” and it’s time for everyone’s favorite game- “VETERAN MANAMI COMMITS CHILD ABUSE”! She even happily pulls the kid closer to the camera so it can get a better shot of her yanking up the kid’s nose. You can tell she’s motivated because she’s having a blast totally dominating. Momoe blasts her with running dropkicks but she finally tags out so Nanae can throw Momoe around. lol Yamane’s “avalanche” cracks up the commentators. Funny bit as Manami looks like she teleports because she interferes with a dropkick RIGHT as the camera switches, and Momoe hits her windmill crossbody. Manami does her JB Angels armdrag but Nanae waffles her with body attacks, but Yamane’s dropkicks are laughed off and Manami PULVERIZES her with one to the spine. Nanae works a late facelock on Momoe but gets blasted with a double-dropkick. She manages to backbreaker Manami but ends up rolling cradled for two. Moonsault misses and Manami hits the floor so Nanae can crash into both opponents with a dive. Vader Bomb gets two but Yamane distracts her wanting a tag & Nanae is German’d. Momoe/Nanae slug it out and Nanae hits her backdrop driver and a superplex. Momoe manages a Run-Up Moonsault, at least. Yamane is amusing with her “LET ME HELP, SENPAI!” act but her team eats dives from both opponents, but they miss a Double Flying Headbutt and Nanae gets another driver on Momoe. Yamane immediately gets killed again so Nanae cleans up with lariats so Yamane can hit a flying splash for two. Good timing on a snap backslide so the fans react when Momoe kicks out. Nanae accidentally flattens Yamane and the vets hit the Double Flying Headbutt… but Nanae saves! Momoe finally just hits a regular flying splash at (15:58) to win.

Yamane showed good fire. Good selling, too. Or they were just legitimately killing her out there because some’a that shit looked SNUG, lol. Everyone but the rookie looked like they were giving it pretty good, actually- lots of energy and perceived stiffness with fast movements instead of just restholds like most small shows, like they wanted a “proof of concept” or to look good on tape. Yamane ended up being pretty funny with her dorky helper act, as she desperately tries to help but looks wimpy and keeps running in place, but this pays off when the veterans just beat on her at will and she can only get the most minor offense.

Rating: ** (better than bad but not better than good- some funny “abuse the rookie” spots and some early stiffness but mostly developed into a casual house show thing)

KAORU ITO & YUMIKO HOTTA vs. TOMOKO WATANABE & AYAKO SATO:
* So Ito & Hotta ended a yearlong feud with mutual respect, and as is tradition have now formed a friendly tag team afterwards. Poor Tomoko draws the short straw and is made to team with a rookie. Sato has a generic look with a red swimsuit and a t-shirt over it. Rookie pixie-cut, too. Her career is very interesting on Cagematch- she disappears sometime in 2002, returns after the death of Zenjo and wrestles for half a dozen years, then retires again, returning a couple years later and wrestling until the present day! She’s still around! The vets are in white & Tomoko actually debuts a new shiny black skirt-based outfit, surprising the crowd & commentary. Definitely the first time I’ve ever seen Watanabe in a skirt!

Ito happily no-sells Sato’s weak dropkicks and throws her around & stretches her out. She milks an epic body slam and tags in Hotta, famous for her generous selling for limp-wristed newbie offense. Tomoko finally saves the kid from a beating and slingshots onto both opponents. Tomoko throws some lariats that Hotta half-heartedly sells before hitting a rolling kick, but she keeps failing a Tiger Driver. Tomoko Germans her as the crowd is DEAD, but a rolling kick/Tiger Driver gets two. Ito hits her powerbomb, but Sato delays her so the Flying Stomps misses- Tomoko gets her rana, reversed for two, then both duck lariats until Ito gets one, but whips Tomoko off the ropes and TOMOKO gets one in return- good timing. Sato does a harmless crossbody so Tomoko just pushes them over, then they do it again and Tomoko sets up a flying splash from Sato, which gets two. Sato misses the next and Ito does the rookie “standing back body drop” spot, but Sato holds on and, in a funny ending, Tomoko tries a lariat to help but Ito ducks and just sit-out splashes Sato for the easy pin at (7:19). Some easy fun- much more low effort than the prior match, but Sato seems to have better technique than Yamane, despite being scrawny and harmless-looking.

Rating: *1/2 (a lot of rookie abuse and Tomoko coming in for a few good sequences, but that’s about it)

NIGHT SHOW:

* Nanae Takahashi defeats Ayako Sato & Fumiko Yamane in a Handicap Match (6:18). Kumiko Maekawa also defeats Tomoko Watanabe (12:43).

MANAMI TOYOTA & MOMOE NAKANISHI vs. MIYUKI FUJII & MIKA NISHIO:
* The superteam takes on a preposterously weak squad in Fujii (who is still barely out of “rookie-tier” despite being a contemporary in Momoe’s class) and Nishio, who is still a rookie. Fujii’s in a slick orange & black uniform this time, and Nishio’s in pink & white. Nishio actually sticks with the business for a bit, lasting until 2006.

A rookie sneak-attack fails immediately and Nishio takes a SNUG double-dropkick. Nishio squeals in terror/pain as she’s flung around by the hair. Momoe locks on a dragon sleeper and Manami flies off the top with an elbow to the chest, ignores her pucnhes, then brutalizes her with a “wrap up the hair multiple times” pull in the ropes and stretches her. Momoe revels in the abuse as much as Manami does, but Fujii finally comes in and uses rookie-fu to bounce her around and lets Nishio get in some shots, too. But soon Momoe comes back on her and in comes Manami for missile kicks… and then Momoe slide-dropkicks the SHIT out of Fujii from the side in a camel clutch and even Manami looks suprised. Figure-four/frog splash combo punishes Fujii some more, then they egg the crowd on and do another. Manami really likes doing that “forced splits” double-leg spot now. Nishio finally gets in again, throwing some dropkicks, but Manami laughs off her stretching and pulverizes her spine with the dropkick in the ropes (Momoe holding the kid’s wrists to prevent escape).

They milk even more slams and suplexes to Nishio, Manami easily avoids a comeback, and a double-team barely affects Momoe- a German off the ropes sets up Nishio’s flying splash for two. Fujii immediately gets bashed in the face, but chases Momoe into the corner to hit a facecrusher off Bret’s rope, then a bridging suplex gets two. She misses wind-up punches and gets German’d, then Manami gets her deadlift wheelbarrow German for two. Manami misses a Moonsault, but lands a plancha to both opponents, Momoe adds her plancha, but Nishio stops the pin on a Moonsault. Fujii escapes the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex but takes the Double Flying Headbutts, only to kick out under her own power. She escapes another JOCS with a victory roll, and dodges Momoe’s missile kick so MANAMI takes it, nearly pinning her with La Majistral! To a pop! Manami does her “screaming no-sell” of a missile kick and lets Momoe fly in, and a double missile dropkick… gets two as Nishio interferes! She’s finally dumped as Manami ends it with the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex at (17:06).

Another gleeful “abuse the kids” match, as the veteran squad tears apart Nishio in particular, who has learned to squeal harmlessly in agony to put over the offense, making her the best seller so far. Fujii once again comes off like “Ring Filler” at best. It seems like the bookers just told Manami & Momoe to hammer the juniors as much as possible to test them, and have fun doing it, because they look like they ENJOYED this. Fujii getting some bigger moves and kickouts sorta shows her elevation, especially as she keeps avoiding Manami’s finisher, and the endless missile kicks as offense kinda made it fun and unique.

Rating: **1/2 (not as impactful as the first Manami/Momoe match, but more of a story was told)

KAORU ITO & YUMIKO HOTTA vs. KAYO NOUMI & SAKI MAEMURA:
* New rookie alert again! Maemura lasts from 2001-2009 (ending up in… ZERO1? I didn’t know they had women’s wrestling). She looks like a generic jobber in a pink swimsuit and a pixie cut. I miss the early ’90s “unflattering rookie bowl cuts”, lol.

Maemura immediately charges in and runs STRAIGHT into Hotta’s rolling kick, leaving her in a dead T-pose in a great bit. Noumi has to save her from the pin but she’s TOAST. Noumi keeps having to save her after Hotta repeatedly swats the kid down, then manages a hooking clothesline & missile kick for two. She flies off onto Hotta’s feet and gets beat on by Ito, but manages her double-wrist armsault. She manages a sunset flip, then even a sunset flip powerbomb from the top, then ducks Ito and slams her into Hotta and sets up a ROOKIE PLANCHA from Maemura! Kayo adds her own and sets up a flying splash on Ito (haha I think the kid bonked her head on the landing), Kayo gets one for two, and then leaves Maemura to… charge in and have the top of her head lariated, Ito pinning her at (4:41). Easy night for her team so far!

Rating: *1/2 (a very short one- some fun spots, though, taking advantage of the huge disparity in seniority)

MANAMI TOYOTA & MOMOE NAKANISHI vs. KAORU ITO & YUMIKO HOTTA:
* This is a bit funny so far, as Manami & Momoe are fighting these WARS, going 17 minutes and 15 minutes, while Ito/Hotta just crush the opposition in 4-7 minute squashes. Not really the greatest showcase of their effort and cardio!

Manami/Momoe take an early lead and throw their opponents into chairs on the floor, then into each other, but Ito crushes Momoe with uranages in the ring. They double-team her and Hotta methodically goes through some basic stuff (swatting kicks, double-arm suplex). Momoe takes a LONG bit of stretching, Ito USING THE ASS, but Momoe rolls her up and Manami charges in with a lightning-fast Manami Roll! Been a while since I’ve seen her do it THAT well- Ito’s obviously strong enough to base for it. Then she shoves Ito off the top and Ito’s so athletic she’s able to swing up to her feet by the time Manami’s off with a missile kick (she steadies her jump before Ito’s even finished bumping). Another missile kick and Manami lets MOMOE do her “dropkick in the ropes” bit, then does it herself. Ito lariats her and sets up Hotta’s back elbow, and Hotta struggles even putting on a figure-four (getting her legs caught up). Momoe flies in with a splash and then does the Mexican hat dance on Hotta’s chest to break it up, then figure-fours Hotta so MANAMI can splash, but Ito comes in and works Momoe’s leg. OWWWWWWW and jumps on her spine. She does a big corner lariat but eats a run-up crossbody trying another, two missile kicks, then the double one with Manami for two. Hotta batters Manami around, but can’t get her piledriver and Manami kicks her in the ass so Momoe can hit a butterfly suplex. But Ito quickly hits stomp spam and her senton on Momoe, who does the “duck so her partner can missile kick” spot but Manami only tags Hotta.

Momoe charges into Hotta on the top rope and follows with her run-up plancha to both, then Manami planchas as well, but Momoe splashes onto Ito’s feet. Neither can get a big move (powerbomb/dragon suplex) but Ito manages her crushing lariat/pin combo for two. Momoe manages a quick sunset flip and Manami does her rolling cradle for two. Ito stops a flying move, misses her Stomp, but powerbombs out of a Manami Roll. Hotta can’t get her stuff and Manami Germans her. Hotta tries the Caribbean Splash (straightjacket superplex) when Manami climbs but gets caught up there and sunset bombed for two. Moonsault gets two. Both tag out and Momoe hits a run-up Moonsault to Hotta for two, but Ito tope suicidas the other team. Ito & Hotta lariat each other and Momoe scores a German on Hotta, then Manami missile kicks her to set up the Momo Latch for two. Ito lariats her out of the Dragon Suplex and a brutal Tiger Driver/Flying Stomp hits, but Hotta goes for the Pyramid Driver (straightjacket ligerbomb) and gets rolled up. But a wiped out Momoe walks into a straight shot and the Pyramid Driver finishes at (20:15)- Ito & Hotta win!

Interestingly, the fans almost seemed noisier for the “Manami/Momoe crush rookies” matches than this one, which to be fair was at the end of a BUNCH of matches and they’d already seen like 32 minutes of these two wrestle by this point so all the moves were getting a bit old. This would also explain the “house show main event” effort of this match, as everyone had to be BAGGED from all the shit they’ve been doing. Interestingly this was almost all Ito/Hotta as they were able to hit a ton of big moves in a row, while the other two never got a really big nearfall off, nor most of their finishers.

Rating: **3/4 (solid effort but never really got much over the “good match” hump)

This was an interesting night of wrestling. On the surface it’s a totally bullshit tournament that fills a card with the same bunch of wrestlers, but Manami & Momoe were in a stiffness war trying to see who could abuse the rookies the most, and doing LONG matches, too- tons of effort and impact. Meanwhile Hotta was having her usual lazy Sunday approach, but Ito was good with some impacts too. And once they fight each other the stiffness is still there- this is the kind of thing that typically brings out “House Show Efforts”, and given the shitty seat sales I couldn’t blame them for slack-assing a bit, but they really gave it for most of the show, Manami/Momoe in particular doing almost an HOUR’S worth of wrestling between all their matches, and not resting or doing filler spots, either. Though you do get a sense of the pratfalls of that idea when EVERY MATCH features both women do planchas, Manami do her dropkick in the ropes, and 900 missile kicks abound.