Joshi Spotlight: GAEA Japan in 03.2002 (Here Comes A New Challenger!)

GAEA JAPAN IN MARCH:
* GAEA Japan is the only promotion I have much of for March, but there’s some interest… a new debut! ARSION fans will probably guess who it was already, haha. This time, the Akira Hokuto Countdown continues with her teaming with Aja Kong against Meiko Satomura & Chikayo Nagashima! Sakura Hirota has one of her funnier matches- inspired by the contemporary WWF! Chigusa Nagayo faces outstanding rookie Aya Sakurai! oh, and GAEA Japan adds another Freelancer to the regular roster- you might remember her from ARSION.

FEB. 16th:
* This is all February has save that one big Korakuen show. This is another house show.

CHIGUSA NAGAYO vs. AYA SAKURAI:
* And now Aya must take on the BOSS! Being the new “Chosen One” and super best rookie, she must now go through the customary “get her ass beat by a demanding Chigusa” that all GAEA rookies must go through.

In an interesting opening moment, they tease locking up and then just EXPLODE into it, Chigusa shoving her to the ropes, but Aya dropkick spams her instead of breaking- a few whiff pretty hard, but she soon asks for a TEST OF STRENGTH. Chigusa is amused, easily overpowering the skinny rookie but cranking on a headlock just has Aya reverse them, even doing the “whipped off the ropes but still cranking on it” thing. Chigusa puts some STINK on a kneecrusher and lariats the shit out of her for two, then takes her down in leglocks to control for a while. Her leg hurting, Aya charges a kneeling Chigusa and gets hauled down into another painful hold, screaming her ass off. See, Chigusa’s smart and using size and leverage instead of playing the rookie’s game and trying to outpace her. Aya goes into the railing twice as the fans are EERILY quiet, and Chigusa absorbs three chops but her own has the kid completely flattened for two. But Chigusa over-swings and eats a backdrop suplex for two, then another & a missile kick, but handily no-sells with a wheel kick for two. Big suplex gets two, but Sakurai floats over another- she tries the Chokeslam, Chigusa plants her foot to stop it, and an STO-style takedown gets two instead. Chigusa counters another to a neck-planting backdrop suplex… for two! The fans are now impressed. Chigusa tries a sleeper, but Aya repeatedly escapes using a heel hook & the ropes, so Chigusa has to stun her and spear her down for two. Aya averts a powerbomb and tries the Chokeslam again, but Chigusa counters to the armbar that had her give up against Meiko… but she makes the ropes now! An absolute MOTHERFUCKER of a powerbomb finishes at (11:37), though.

This is another great showcase of “how good the rookie is”- Chigusa normally treats these matches like a challenge to make her sell, getting dwarfish GAEA rookies to pummel her for ages until she sells ANYTHING, and only going down for flash pins or the occasional “big effort” move. Here, she’s almost immediately on the backfoot and getting her own simple holds reversed. But unlike the other bouts, Chigusa plays a smart game in the middle and ends up controlling, whereas everyone else had to act like Sakurai could pin them at any moment, haha. Granted, Chigusa’s being way more broken down is probably why it was better for her to be on offense all match long (taking moves is actually more athletics-requiring that giving them IRL).

Rating: **1/2 (very interesting, methodical, intellectual bout versus the other more manic ones- not QUITE as good and the fans were dead until the last 2 minutes, but interesting)

Sakurai utilizes the “throw your feet onto the mat so your neck doesn’t take the full impact” bump.

MARCH 17th:
* This show actually took place shortly after the WWF show at Yokohoma Arena, hence the following:

SAKURA HIROTA & CHIGUSA NAGAYO vs. DYNAMITE KANSAI & CARLOS AMANO:
* Sakura weirds me out by saying “Stone Cold Steve Austin” (like I KNOW they were all aware of the WWF but hearing names spoken out loud is always strange to me- like it’s an alternate universe crossing over) and admitting she bought a t-shirt, at which point the camera zooms out to reveal a “FAT?” shirt instead of a “WHAT?” one. And she now comes down to TOO COOL’s theme song and handing out signs to the fans so it can be more like a WWF show. Then they do THE WORM while commentary talks about Too Cool. Chigusa doing the Worm like “oh, uh, okay” under Sakura’s lead is the best. Then Sakura starts getting the fans to do “WHAT?” so now even THAT ends up in Japan. She then hands the ref a “Just Bring Ito” shirt and then does the “Bring It” gesture of the Rock to demand KANSAI face her.

Sakura demands Kansai, but her wussy kicks result in a little swat from Kansai’s foot that has her selling and immediately rushing to tag Chigusa, who armdrags Kansai but gets smoked with a lariat into a stand-off. Carlos comes in and Chigusa immediately holds up a finger like “wait” and tries to bring Sakura in, but alas Hirota has some grievous injury and cannot proceed. Chigusa gets German’d but manages to sleeperhold Amano and Sakura MIRACULOUSLY RECOVERS and heads to the top, where Chigusa just bonks Amano’s face into her ass before Sakura uses the Flying Ass. She ends up copying Amano’s backroll throw, but gets caught in the same and a headscissors, doing the least-agile World Of Sports headstand ever to escape, then figure-fours the legs… and ends up the wrong way so she tries a pinfall from there, amusing the fans (and Chigusa). Sakura does her goofy headbutts and tries Eccentric (bronco buster), but Amano misses getting her foot up so awkwardly kicks her in the crotch and leaves. Kansai then proceeds to… work the CROTCH, hitting an atomic drop & drops Sakura onto the top rope, but Sakura escapes Splash Mountain and it’s STEREO Eccentrics, only Sakura ends up crotch-punted by Kansai. Chigusa helps out with a wheel kick but Sakura goes for the People’s Elbow, but takes the ropes 4 or 5 times and gets caught for it. Sakura manages her hold & flash-pin and escapes.

Chigusa’s turn, and she brings back the spear, so it’s now a recurring element of her offense. Kansai gets chops & a backdrop driver, but Chigusa gets her own, then counters Amano’s leaping headscissors with a stun-gun. Sakura’s back in but fails the Shii Suplex and ends up armbarred out of her flying uraken. Sakura suckers her with a regular one but a leaping ass attack gets her caught in a Deadlift German that impresses the fans, then takes out Chigusa to give her a shot at finishing with the Jujigatame! Sakura barely gets out, then ends up rolling elbowed so Chigusa has to save, and then she takes the DOOMSDAY DEVICE! And “fuck YOU!” bridges out! Carlos hits a Tiger Suplex and Chigusa takes her bridging legs out. That finally lets Chigusa tag in, but she smashes the rival team together and hits a Diamond Cutter into a Fameasser (named as such) on Kansai. But Kansai catches her up top, but gets crotch-shotted by Sakura. Amano hits a flying jujigatame on Chigusa, but Sakura gets her goofy headbutt on her, then Chigusa superplexes Kansai for two. Kansai tries Splash Mountain (sit-out razor’s edge), Chigusa escapes, but she clumsily climbs the ropes so Kansai catches her there for it… but Sakura uses a LONG “tag rope” (an elastic band) and the ref counts that as a tag that Kansai doesn’t see, so when she hits Splash Mountain, she’s rolled up from behind by Sakura… for three (11:43)! SAKURA PINS KANSAI! Kansai is furious, but Sakura’s like “the ref allowed it!” (since ya know, WESTERN rules use a tag rope) and eventually Eccentric t-shirts are given to the wrestlers and fans to make amends.

A long, entertaining tag, mixing up the comedy stuff with “actual wrestling” and having Sakura tease her spots before hitting them, Chigusa & Kansai trying to be rivals, and doing a showcase for Amano, who is definitely one of the most underrated people of this era. Even the sneaky pin was fun and believably annoying for Kansai.

Rating: *** (one of the more fun “Sakura matches” because they played it straight 50% of the time and did less goofy shit and more “amusing in context” stuff)

AYAKO HAMADA DEBUTS:
* Post-match, Chigusa has an announcement! “I’ve been talking to ARSION…” and AYAKO HAMADA comes out! The failed Main Eventer of ARSION quit after a couple months of being shit on by the booking, the fans openly rejecting her for MONTHS of silent matches, and a huge bomb of a title run… she’s immediately got another big role as a Free Agent! “But what about her failed ARSION run?” you ask? Well I think all 200 ARSION viewers might have failed to spread the news that “Ayako sucks” and what most fans know is the gooner calendars and stuff so NOBODY MAY BE THE WISER! So for all the GAEA fans know, Ayako was a top star in a company nobody was watching, it didn’t go well, but now GAEA gets a new star.

And Hamada comes out with the UWA World Title that she won in Mexico (ie. instant “credibility” since she has ANOTHER belt so is “clearly good”). She beat someone named “Miss Janeth” for it in Mexico and it goes back to her at some point and never leaves- ie. it’s a temporary trophy. And the big match is declared- Akira Hokuto’s Final Countdown will have Hokuto & Mayumi Ozaki vs. Chigusa and AYAKO in a “Dream Match” of sorts (uh, kinda)! Sakura immediately grabs the mic and gets the fans to do the “FAT/WHAT?” thing, then says “I also have a belt” with a smug look (her silly hand-made title).

LAS CACHORRAS ORIENTALES (Etsuko Mita & Mima Shimoda) vs. D-FIX (Mayumi Ozaki & KAORU, w/ Police):
* LCO is done in Zenjo for now, but they’re still all over GAEA for much of the year! And they have yet ANOTHER match against D-FIX!

Too bad the auto-translate is disabled, because LCO jump D-FIX before the bell and talk shit, then D-FIX talks some back. Tons of childish bullying and stomping on LCO’s chairs, knocking Police’s hat off, etc. Finally D-FIX pounces and it’s a brawl all over Korakuen, Mita biting KAORU, everyone walking around ringside and into the stands, Shimoda running KAORU the full length of Korakuen into a wall, etc. Big pop for chairing Police in the head and kicking him square in the ass, and Mita walks Ozaki upside-down into the floor area and piledrives her. This goes on so long the fans kinda die down, so Shimoda wisely drags Police into the ring for a more public humiliation and beating, then they do the LONG build into the Guardrail Drop on all three heels! LCO hits their DVD/Ax Kick finisher to Ozaki (lol Shimoda smokes Mita in the head, I think), but a German only gets two. Ozaki springs up with urakens until she “recovers” (ie. gets to stop selling) and D-FIX use their staff & board to smash Shimoda, including putting the board on her head and the staff smashing it, which hurts more because of science. Oz powerbombs her but KAORU eats feet on a moonsault and gets chopped by Mita into an Ax Kick for two.

Everyone kinda wanders around indiscriminately but KAORU pulls out the red mist on Shimoda, then throws the biggest, fakest-looking punches I’ve ever seen with her foreign object. WOOF- whatever the opposite of Lawler is, this is it (well, that and someone who bangs old ladies). KAORU puts Shimoda through a table on the floor and Exalibur (michinoku driver) gets two. KAORU pulls out a Somersault Senton off the top for two, but builds her SmackDown! Meter too long and gets Tiger Suplexed for two. Oz urakens KAORU by mistake and gets ax kicked, but D-FIX interferes on another finisher attempt, but now SHIMODA pulls out red mist and rolls up KAORU- Police has to save. Crowd got into that one. Mita hauls down Police for it, but Shimoda overswings and gets caught in a really shitty Doomsday Device Buff Blockbuster (Ozaki barely taps head head on the way down) for the three (8:15). Yeah, I figured that was the ending once LCO dominated like 80% of the match. Mita abuses Police while D-FIX crow and cheer for themselves, and Shimoda staggers around and gets whipped around a couple more times, and we’re out.

Well this was a fun little diversion- more just “screwing around” than anything, as they brawl for like FOUR MINUTES until it’s time to spam weapon shots and finishers in the ring. And then they just sorta wander around and stuff. This repeatedly kills fan interest, as “wild brawls” only really work with the “wild” part, and once you start obviously fucking around and killing time and going “let’s just stomp each other till the next booking period of the match we planned” the fans can sorta tell and die down. Matches like this are actually easier on wrestlers than ones involving like… actual work, because you can just rely on weapon shots and punching instead of doing tons of bumps, but you could see the wear & tear as they were looking rough only minutes in.

Rating: ** (just turns ugly at points- a few good spots but they somehow spend ages fucking around and wasting time in an 8-minute match)

Man, GAEA’s ring is starting to look spongy and gross. They really gotta get a new one so people aren’t squishing into it.

AKIRA HOKUTO FINAL COUNTDOWN:
AKIRA HOKUTO & AJA KONG vs. MEIKO SATOMURA & CHIKAYO NAGASHIMA:
* One more “Dream Match” out of the way, as Hokuto & Aja, two survivors of pre-1987 Zenjo, face GAEA’s Class of 1995. Akira’s last truly great match was with Meiko last year- a match that nearly broke her but hit ****1/2 as she passed out right at the “10” count and Meiko won by KO. Hokuto’s in white, Aja’s in dark brown, Meiko red & Chikayo yellow.

We’re JIP with Meiko elbowing out of the Dangerous Queen Bomb, but Akira wins a slap vs. kick fight for two. Commentary is Monsoon-tier blunt as they flat-out state that Hokuto’s in rough shape (“Her signature slaps are still there, but you can see her condition is bad” “Even with that backdrop earlier, the sharpness is definitely not the same as when she was at her best- I think she’s gotten quite old” before FINALLY admitting “it’ll be a match where she has nothing to lose”)- she backdrops Meiko and calls for the NL Bomb but Meiko armbars free. Hokuto tries Stranglehold Gamma as a counter but Chikayo immediately missile kicks her in the back and Aja finally tags in. She knocks the kids to the floor and Hokuto limps up to the top so of course Aja can rocket launch her all the way to the floor, lol. Aja brainbusters Meiko for two and drops a flying back elbow to the back of the head as Hokuto gets caught up top- Meiko surpises Aja with the Pele Kick and the DVD gets two. Aja manages to get her oil can and smashes Meiko, looking rough herself, but Chikayo dodges and then windmills around Aja’s body (Aja somehow fails to fall over) and Aja’s “rolled forward”… for three (5:56 of 18:35 shown)! Chikayo pins Aja! So yes, Chikayo just pinned Chigusa in Feburary and Aja in March. Aja herself looks shocked and heartbroken while Chikayo runs around cheering for herself, then gets in Aja’s face with a huge smile like “Hahahaha THREE! THREE!” with her fingers all up.

Aja’s look of heartbreak and surprise like “no… not CHIKAYO. No please” while Chikayo’s like “OMG YAYYYYYYYYYYY!”.

Not the best showcase of anyone, as Akira was looking shattered and commentary COMPLETELY buried her (“it’s tough when your body doesn’t move the way you want it to” “she probably wants to be in better shape for her final matches”) and Chikayo was in for like two seconds and scored a flash pin that was obviously Aja doing all the work (holding up a spinning Chikayo and then rolling forward for no reason to get pinned). tbf Hokuto’s whole thing for years was being held together by duct tape and human spite and commentary is sorta expected to treat it like it’s real but it’s funny how they’re counting her down like “yeah she’s gonna die at this rate”.

Rating: *1/2 (just too little to really show from anybody)

Post-match, Hokuto sits on her ass and is like “Well it can’t be helped. At least I didn’t get pinned” then starts talking shit to Ayako Hamada on the floor. Meiko draws some laughs for going “Hi, nice to meet you” to Hamada, then calls HER out, as it’s gonna be Akira Hokuto and MEIKO vs. Chigusa & Ayako on April 7th! Chikayo & Aja do a “hey, what about us? Remember we were in the deciding pin!” thing and amuse the fans, then Chikayo brings in SUGAR SATO, who’s been out hurt for an entire year! They’re going to be wrestling D-FIX in a defense of their AAAW World Tag Titles (which have been undefended that entire time).

I’m unsure if this was ever broadcast, but in the meanwhile Las Cachorras Orientales defeated Akira Hokuto & Mayumi Ozaki in (16:47).