Joshi Spotlight: AJW in 3-4.2002 (Zenjo in the Tokyo Dome!)

AJW IN APRIL & MAY:
* Time for Zenjo in April! With six matches that I’ve found! The biggest of which is Kaoru Ito facing Kumiko Maekawa, one of the two “these are the future stars” acts! Plus an Ito/Momoe vs. Manami/Hotta match! In the TOKYO DOME, as they head to New Japan for a big 30th Anniversary show for that promotion! Plus the AJW vs. ARSION war heats up as Rossy Ogawa of all people starts to feud with Hotta in her matches, and both AJW & LLPW show up in Kodo Fuyuki’s short-lived WEW promotion for a Kawasaki Stadium show!

Importantly, as mentioned in February, Zenjo lost their TV in February, right around their biggest show in ages (and their only Pay Per View)… and that pretty much screws the company. For now they still have a bit of hype, but now they’re gonna be on the dregs of TV, in channels nobody gets or cares about.

APRIL 28th:

BLACK JOKER (Eagle Sawai, Takako Inoue & Tomoko Watanabe, w/ Rumi Kazama) vs. KISS WORLD (Nanae Takahashi, Kayo Noumi & Mika Nishio):
* So at the PPV, Black Joker defeated Tomoko & Nanae, retaining the Tag Titles and also winning Tomoko’s services in their stable! So she was forced to join the dastardly heel group, and is now being made to fight her friend and partner. Eagle’s in red/black, Takako black leather & Tomoko orange, while Nanae’s in red tassels, Noumi’s in some pink & silver Sailor Moon-ish costume that marks her as an idol & Nishio in white & purple, also skirted. I keep forgetting these three are in that Zenjo singing group, so I’ll try to indicate that with their name from now on.

Despite showing intros, we’re JIP with Nanae selling from a bunch of BJ running kicks (including from Rumi). Eagle body attacks her, but Nanae charges into the corner and holds her for the kids to hit missile dropkicks. Kayo gets a funny bit where she keeps pulling Eagle’s hair, and gets defiant even when Eagle overpowers her- Tomoko comes in but takes a sunset flip and the kids pose over her with double-biceps poses! Tomoko soon comes back on Nishio, leading Takako to abuse the rookie. Nishio eats a DDT, but holds up for too long so Takako has to kinda drag her down, so she does a proper one after and Eagle adds two body attacks. Tomoko deliberately has Nanae tag in, clotheslining her former partner but getting TRUCKED with a body-check that has Nanae overshoot into the ropes, then adds another one for good measure. Tomoko gets a lariat, but Nanae flings Takako and in comes Kayo for an Idol Fight! Kayo gets some hooking clotheslines but Takaiko just drops her and walks it off- Kayo uses some evasion from her spinkicks but TOMOKO runs in and boots her to inferfere! Okay she is NOT playing nice! Takako lifts Kayo for Tomoko’s bulldog and that gets two, but Kayo tags out and Takako avoids a triple-team (even slapping Nishio BEFORE it’s about to go off), dodging their dropkicks. Takako just bullies and slaps around Nishio to continue their thing from last year, then Eagle comes in and correctly doesn’t sell some wimpy rookie dropkicks, then flattens her with a big body attack and 2nd-rope dropkick- the partners have to break the pin and the crowd was pretty into Eagle’s counters.

Eagle even sits on Nishio out of a sunset flip and everyone charges and forces the tag, but she no-sells dropkicks from Kayo & Mika and then RUSHES into Nanae for a double-clothesline clash. Each refuses to sell for more lariats, but Eagle tries to sneak in an uranage and is stopped by Kayo- Nanae then lariats her down at last but Tomoko cheats AGAIN to set up Eagle’s. Eagle double-clotheslines Nanae & Kayo when they double-team her, and everyone starts missing top-rope moves until Tomoko gets caught by Kayo for a Superduper-Double-Wrist Armsault. Nanae misses her Vader Bomb but gets Tomoko with a Superduperplex, then Vader Bombs fror two. Rumi shoves her off trying a second, but she manages a backdrop driver, then does two more for two. Nanae gets her Flying Back Senton, but Takako saves- Nanae tries the NanaRakka (falcon arrow) but Tomoko fights out, but her Screwdriver attempt is stopped by Kayo’s German, the NanaRakka hits- RUMI saves! Nanae’s exhausted but is about to try again when Eagle flattens her- Screwdriver from Tomoko! Kayo supermans in to save! Takako urakens her to deal with that, leaving Kayo doing the “leg in the air” flop-sell and all four Black Jokers hit the ring to kill Nanae- for whatever reason they don’t help Eagle powerbomb her so it’s a wimpy gentle drop to set up a TRIPLE Assisted Powerbomb, but Kayo comes in AGAIN because they stopped covering her! So Tomoko just finishes her with another Screwdriver at (14:37 of 18:48 shown).

Quite the fighty match! I was not expecting this one to go that way- Tomoko was on the side of the heels but more or less cheated without a fuss, fitting right in- the only thing is she’s not like… cheering or being heelish in personality, just doing mean things like interfering. Yet the match ended up being “Nanae is crushing her former partner”, which miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight be what the plan is from the beginning- they’ve been struggling to get Nanae over the hump and be “legit”, and since Tomoko’s over and one of their best workers, she’s probably the ideal candidate for putting her over, which necessitates some form of “break-up” to give them lots of time against one another. The match itself was good, especially in the back half with all the attempts at winning- I feel like the Quadruple Powerbomb was the ideal way to end it, but I sense the “Kayo Superman Saves” are their way of getting cute with the match-booking and keeping fans guessing. It’s just kind of a buzzkill for a Screwdriver to not get it, an uber-finisher not do it, then they just do the regular Screwdriver again.

Rating: *** (actually very fighty and spirited, if a bit too sloppy)

KAORU ITO vs. KUMIKO MAEKAWA:
* This is unfortunately clipped, but is Ito against one of the top rising stars. Like the Ito/Momoe match, it’s a good way to show how far Kumiko has come, and how far she has left to go. Commentary points out that both are recently dethroned Champions (Ito lost the WWWA Title; Kumiko failed to win her vacated All Pacific belt), so have to win.

We’re JIP with a salty Ito smashing Kumiko down and burying her in chairs on the floor. Back in she hits a big release uranage, but Kumiko responds to an Irish whip with a big scissor kick. Kumiko fires off more to bring her down but gets dumped and dived into. But Ito takes forever getting back into the ring and gets hit with a knee-driver into the mat, kicked down for two, but Ito’s up first and powerbombs her. Flying Stomp misses and Kumiko Ax Kicks her down for two, shoving her down on the sell so she can pin her as fast as possible- I like that. Ito comes back with a powerbomb attempt but Kumiko lands on her feet and sweep-kicks her from the front and a rolling kick gets two. Ax Kick- two! Kumiko’s losing energy- Ito pops up but gets punched, but still catches her charging in via a lariat, powerbomb and Ligerbomb for two. Flying Stomp misses but Ito easily gets ANOTHER Ligerbomb for two, and only now does the Flying Stomp hit, getting three (6:02 of 15:35 shown).

A good showcase of styles & characters here- Kumiko is facing a senior known for her durability so just spams every button on her controller to try and wear down her HP, but this leaves her exhausted so Ito’s trademark durability and explosivity can have her fire out shots in between them, catching the exhausted Kumiko with big moves. Invincible Ito is always a situation in Zenjo, and Kumiko just doesn’t have enough “go” to stop it either… but her own kicking out of spammed finishers is also helping to put her over.

Rating: **1/2 (such a quick version of a match, being about 2/5 of it, it’s hard to assess. Seemed fine)

APRIL 30th:
* From Korakuen.

YUMIKO HOTTA & MOMOE NAKANISHI (AJW) vs. RIE TAMADA & AI FUJITA (ARSION):
* THE ARSION INVASION! Tragically, we’re here! ARSION had called out Zenjo’s wrestlers in February, hoping to juice both companies with a bit of the old reliable “Fighting Promotions”. Unfortunately, it wasn’t 1992 anymore and ARSION was HATED by the Zenjo fans, so this failed badly. Also they send out an obvious job squad to lose to top Zenjo wrestlers. Fujita, with her extremely dark skin tone and fake “fro”, is wayyyyyyyyyyy into Ganjuro Girl fashion (which mimicked Black American fashion to a degree). President Rossy Ogawa, head of ARSION, is out there waving posters at Hotta, pissing her off. It’s said she came to an ARSION show and attacked him, suggesting this whole feud is much more venomous than others were intended to be.

Team ARSION attacks before the bell, striking down Momoe with a double-team- Ai gets a standing moonsault for two, but Momoe recovers and dropkicks her off the top and to the floor for an Orihara Moonsault to both opponents. Two missile kicks get two, then Hotta adds a back elbow and kicks. Fujita gets worked over a while, but hits cartwheel handspring back attacks to Momoe, then tags in Rie for some work as commentary talks about the 5-year experience gap between her & Momoe. Rolling butterfly suplexes and taunting submissions abound, but Momoe fires back with Mongolian chops on Fujita & figure-fours her. Momoe gets a good reaction for just shoving Fujita out of the corner after a big boot, but gets held for some dropkicks, only for Hotta to splatter Fujita out of the clutch. Fujita uses speed to take back over (Momoe expertly moves like 5 feet back into position for a dropkick to the floor). They have a lazy brawl in the stands, but HOTTA CHARGES OGAWA! Mostly to fuck with him, as she laughs as he pouts. Fujita sunset flips Momoe and does a rolling move with her legs cradling her like that, then Rie uses a standard rolling cradle for two. Hotta gets a pop for Bret Harting Rie from the apron, but she dodges Momoe so Hotta gets knocked off, then hits the kid with a stunner. Hotta lariats Team ARSION and Momoe uses her run-up Moonsault for two.

ARSION double-teams Hotta but of course take her double-facecrusher- Rie avoids the Tiger Driver but gets enzuigiri’d, then Fujita stops another driver with a crossbody and Rie missile kicks her- Hotta kicks out at only one and OOOOOOOOOOOOF they butcher a Manami Roll counter- Rie doesn’t get a good jump, gets hung up on Hotta and even the sunset flip portion is botched. Rie hits a tornado DDT as commentary openly talks about how she’s a “late bloomer” as she’s only peaked now, ten years into her career. Fujita gets a missile kick & rana that Hotta barely sells, but Momoe accidentally moonsaults Hotta on the floor, allowing Fujita to Orihara moonsault them both. Rossy sticks posters on the AJW team’s bodies, but Hotta stops Ai’s moonsault and Tiger Drivers her for two. Ogawa pulls off a manager distraction of all things, Ai getting two off a schoolboy, then Rossy TRIPS HOTTA, drawing tons of heat. Fujita hits a rana into a jujigatame, but Hotta easily powers out and beats Fujita. Rie missile kicks Momoe out of a German, but she powerbombs Fujita and a fun bit sees the two do the same wheelbarrow-rollup repeatedly to work counts, and Momoe does her moonsault dodge into a German, but Fujita lands on her feet herself and Momoe has to duck Rie so Fujita gets clocked. Rie saves Fujita from a Momo Latch, then Fujita rolls Momoe up for two, but the AJW team hits a Tiger Driver/Flying Splash… and Rossy pulls out the ref! hahahah oh man. The crowd HATES that to the point where a fan ACTUALLY SPLASHES HIM WITH WATER (unprecedented in Japan). Fujita scores La Majistral & a straightjacket German for twos, misses her 450, gets Shotei’d by Hotta, then gets booted when she tries a heel hook, then the melee sees Rossy actually slap Hotta, provoking her into fighting him on the floor (where he’s splashed AGAIN). The referee calls the whole thing off at (20:03)- No Contest. Hotta drags Rossy into the ring, provoking all the ARSION girls to rush in, and it’s pandemonium with bodies everywhere as we’re out.

A long, dreary match- almost twice as long as it should be. Since all the heat was on Hotta/Ogawa, Hotta had to be there, but her usual snail pace wasn’t helping the 20-minute bout, especially as Fujita & Tamada are kind of loads. Rossy actually helped the match as much as anything, as a boring contest ends up super-heated because the fans want him to die to the point they actually throw stuff at him, he provokes Hotta into having an emotional reaction for the first time in a year, and more.

Rating: ** (the Rossy stuff is fun and this is the kind of match that can only be saved by interference from outside)

TOKYO DOME (New Japan’s 30th Anniversary):
MAY 2nd:
* The fourth match on a New Japan 30th Anniversary card, this time from the Tokyo Dome!

KAORU ITO & MOMOE NAKANISHI vs. MANAMI TOYOTA & YUMIKO HOTTA:
* Oh, so Zenjo got to be in another Tokyo Dome show! This one is a New Japan show with lots of invited wrestlers. Last time, it was a huge showcase of their style with three of their top workers and “almost there” Sakie Hasegawa, showing the best of the all-out action Zenjo could provide. Now… it’s got 2002 Yumiko Hotta in it. And a much slower Manami Toyota. Ito’s the best of the lot right now and Momoe has the old Zenjo energy, though! Manami gets NOTICEABLY the best reaction of the four, which is not usual- I wonder if this is long-time fans who are like “hey, I remember her!”.

Momoe immediately runs into a Hotta rolling kick, but backflips off the top to avoid both veterans and tricks them into clotheslining one another, and they immediately yell to get the fans to roar, then charge into Manami’s missile kick. Smart move- do the fast stuff immediately to hook the less-familiar audience. And sure enough, Manami now does her Running Springboard Plancha for the first time in an eternity (using her knees to stop momentum and an arm to guide her, now), but only hits Hotta. Ito immediately hits her dive (Momoe roaring for the fans) and Momoe hits a Run-Up Plancha. Momoe tries a big flying splash but lands on Hotta’s feet and does her great “eat the full impact, crunch up and launch herself off without her feet touching the mat” thing (an impossibility in men’s wrestling, where everyone’s too big), screaming in agony. And then the veterans hit their Samoan drop/running head-slam thing, then Manami holds her in a clutch for Hotta’s kick, literally springing off on the “impact”. haha, EFFORT. Two big “clap for ME!” missile dropkicks have Momoe tumbling around the ring for two, then she’s trapped in the ropes for Toyota’s big dropkick to the spine, with the crowd being like “Holy FUCK!” as Momoe ragdolls around like she’s dead or crippled forever. Haha you can tell they don’t know that’s a routine spot, but Momoe’s sell makes it look murderous. Momoe counters a whip to her Run-Up Moonsault, bringing in Ito, but Manami responds to a whip by hitting a slingshot cross-body to both of them. Momoe finally gets one of her quick rollups and escapes, and Ito whips Manami and takes her Manami Roll… sorta, as they botch it and she slides onto her feet and has to do a regular sunset flip instead of her high-quality one.

Manami boots Ito away and hits her missile kick to the back, but a series of move attempts lead to Ito hitting her uranages for two. Double-clothesline & double elbows impress the fans, getting two. Ito hits our first weardown hold, her beloved half-crab, 5 minutes in as they FINALLY slow this down, Manami getting out with a JB Angels armdrag. Momoe actually counters Hotta’s kicks and does a standing run on her back to applause- Hotta gets her double-facecrusher counter to both, but Momoe just slaps her and hits a BIG deadlift Bridging German for another good reaction. Hotta goes for her Tiger Driver on Ito immediately, but they instead strike it out, Ito hitting a lariat but charging straight into a rolling kick, for two. Ito backdrops out of a Tiger Driver but misses her Flying Stomp, Manami immediately missile kicks her, and NOW the Tiger Driver hits for two, Momoe supermanning in to save. Toyota can’t get a German, and her rolling cradle is countered to an impressive judo flip, but naturally Manami coutners a powerbomb and NOW the Rolling Cradle hits, popping the fans. She misses a Moonsault, but counters a powerbomb only to try another Manami Roll and gets Ligerbombed for two. Momoe’s in but Hotta boots her to set up Manami’s Straightjacket German for two- Ito charges in to stop the Ocean Cylcone, but just hits her own partner, allowing Manami to dump them both and hit her insane Missile Dropkick Suicida, just THWACKING against the floor. OW. Commentary hilariously points out “she’s the type who won’t be satisfied until she’s used all her moves, and she has more to show”- OH NO THEY’VE FIGURED HER OUT! Hotta lands her Caribbean Splash (straightjacket superplex) into the Moonsault for two, and the vets’ tandem move (flying grab/Samoan drop)- earns the “Fuck YOUUUUU!” bridge! Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex hits! But Ito FLYING STOMPS Manami on the belly on her bridge! Momoe hits the Momo Latch (spinning rana), Hotta saving! Doomsday Powerbomb/Missile Dropkick- two! But Hotta cruelly Shoteis Momoe, setting up the Queen Bee Bomb- Ito saves! Cyclone Suplex again- same result! Hotta finally drags Ito away to leave them alone, but Manami just has the same idea again and Momoe… INVERTED MOMO LATCH FOR THE PIN AT (12:16)! Momoe wins it for her team!

Very smartly-booked match- this is a big Dome Show for a men’s promotion, so the game immediately is “HOOK ‘EM FAST” and they immediately go all-out with their “DON’T WORRY, WE DO COOL SHIT!” stuff with like 5-6 top-rope moves in the first two minutes. Manami even pulls out her SPRINGBOARDS for the first time in what feels like more than a year, albeit they’re her new, easier “use the knees and hands to guide her” ones, and her counter one is more of a slingshot than a springboard. And they wisely have Momoe in the first half, as she’s the most athletic wrestler in the company and the best bumper AND seller, making every move look like murder. This leaves Ito coming in 6 minutes after and hitting power stuff, which is a harder sell but at least the fans are sated in terms of excitement. And it’s funny because the fans are probably unfamiliar with all their stuff so they’re popping for EVERYTHING, to the point where just putting some stink on mundane Zenjo spots has the crowd like “WOW they can really go!”. The match was fun- no deep psychology nor big character bits, because really it shouldn’t be in this scenario- it’s just good fun and “LOOK WHAT WE CAN DO!”, maybe advertising a bit to the fans. Never mind that Momoe, their star of the future, is the one with all the emphasis (with Ito wrestling maybe 1/3 of it) and getting all the cool things to do. Manami must have a hell of a gas tank still, too, effectively doing the entire match by herself cuz Hotta gets maybe a minute of ringtime.

Rating: ***1/2 (one of Zenjo’s best matches of the year thus far… naturally on another promotion’s show but hey! They don’t have TV anymore! They better put their best foot forward when they can!)

WEW KAWASAKI STADIUM DEBUT SHOW:
MAY 5th:
* Live from Kawasaki Stadium, it’s the debut of WEW! This is Kodo Fuyuki’s promotion, shortly after the death of FMW and suicide of its president. FMW always ran big Kawasaki shows on May 5th from what I can see, so it’s fitting that the “successor” promotion would as well. Interestingly, this is also the day before the WWF changed its name to WWE, meaning WWE and WEW debuted nearly at the exact same time. The card itself actually looks sorta interesting, with Zenjo, LLPW and even Pro Wrestling NOAH sending wrestlers: https://www.cagematch.net/?id=1&nr=34600. All in really short matches, though! Like were they on a time constraint? Since when do Zenjo and LLPW matches barely go ten minutes? The main goes ten minutes and ends in DQ? Since when does JAPAN run DQ finishes in the 2000s? I was told this actually happens a lot on Stadium shows as they’re pressed for time with these stacked cards… maybe I’m just too used to Zenjo and their “wait, this goes 8 and a half hours and everyone will miss the trains home? Oh well lol”. ANYWAYS, this “WEW” only lasts a single calendar year, running their last show on May 5th, 2003.

MANAMI TOYOTA vs. KUMIKO MAEKAWA:
* Second verse, same as the first- Kumiko vs. a more elite wrestler! But it’s the Champion this time!

We’re JIP with Manami hitting a plancha suicida as even a 9-minute match is clipped on this thing. She misses a Moonsault and Kumiko gets her corner ax kick after countering a German, then smokes Toyota’s head with her “spinkick after they duck a head kick” for two. Manami ducks another kick for her Deadlift German. Manami goes for the Moonsault AGAIN but eats knees and takes the rolling kick for two, but she actually manages a sort of bridging capture suplex after snagging one of Kumiko’s high kicks, getting two. Weird bit as the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex fails and Manami just stands there doing nothing until she’s elbowed down, then Kumiko drags her up for the Ax Kick, getting two. Kumiko goes for a powerbomb and of course Manami rolls out of it for two, but Manami goes up and gets booted. Kumiko climbs up herself but Manami slips behind her to hit the Cyclone Suplex from there, getting only two. Queen Bee Bomb (wrist-clutch northern lights bomb) gets three at (3:21 of 8:56 shown).

Seemed like an okay, if slow and weird match. Largely “just big moves and counters”, as they immediately throw bombs and either miss or counter them. The JOCS botch is unfortunate given it’s such a short match- it looks like Manami just stands there and allows Kumiko to hit her.

BLACK JOKER (Eagle Sawai & Rumi Kazama) vs. HARLEY SAITO & NORIYO TATENO:
* LLPW’s entry into the same show- this is only a 3-minute YouTube clip. Commentator keeps saying “Gorgeous! Gorgeous!” over and over again about the outfits (or Eagle). It’s been a LONG time since I’ve seen Harley Saito in anything- she’s one of the LLPW most hard-done-by the splintering of everything post-1996 on YouTube and the like, rarely showing up elsewhere. Tateno even moreso, actually- the former Jumping Bomb Angel has been doing this a WHILE.

We’re JIP with Harley being hit with double running attacks by BJ, then getting German’d by Rumi when she goes behind Eagle. Harley ducks a 2nd-rope dropkick so Rumi takes in, then Rumi gets German’d so Harley can rolling kick & German suplex Eagle. Harley puts some “screaming effort” in as she “lifts” (ie. eagle jumps) Eagle into a Fisherman’s Buster- Rumi breaks the pin. Once again joshi puro commentary is all in on the differences weight makes, emphasizing how Eagle will hit REALLY HARD compared to the others since she’s like 120kg (that’s… probably an exaggeration? That’s 264 lbs- she’s big but she can’t be THAT big). Harley gets caught up in a big shoulder-mounted powerbomb from Eagle- Tateno saves, her leg so fucked up she can barely move or bump. Eagle tries a powerbomb and gets “rana’d”, Rumi kicking Harley off so she rolls back in for a jackknife pin. Man, the slow speed of these moves is a killer. Crowd doesn’t give a shit as Eagle counters a German to a lariat and an Assisted Powerbomb (with a single hand assisting from Rumi) gets three (2:55 of 10:14 shown). Dreadful- way too slow nad Tateno was hurt so Harley had to do everything. Very slow-motion and the fans picked up on it and were bored).