Joshi Spotlight: OZ Academy (5.2002)

OZ ACADEMY IN MAY 2002:
(ZEPP Tokyo, May 11th, 2002)
* There’s four May shows on YouTube, so let’s see how long it takes to get through them…. *reviews* okay so every match on the first show is LONG so it’s a one-show review! But interestingly, it’s an entire OZ Academy show, which I’ve yet to see on this watchthrough… and every match is an interesting pseudo Dream Match! It’s first themed around veteran wrestlers taking on the younger generation- Mita vs. Sato, Aja vs. Amano, and Devil Masami vs. Chikayo! Then the Sakura/Chigusa goof team Eccentric is split up and they’re teamed with JD’ wrestlers The Bloody & Fang Suzuki against one another, and then *D-FIX* is split up, as Mayumi Ozaki is teamed up with Mima Shimoda & KAORU is teamed up with Takako Inoue in a bloodbath main event! Some really interesting matchmaking here, so come see what OZ Academy is all about!

From ZEPP Tokyo, it’s an OZ Academy show, with their eye-bursting green ring! This looks like a pretty small, but very full, mini-hall.

JUST BEFORE RETIREMENT- OZ GRADUATION:
MAYUMI OZAKI vs. KAORI NAKAYAMA:
* Nakayama, who’d been placed on some GAEA Japan cards here or there as a jobber, is retiring (in October, I guess), and they’re doing an exhibition here- everyone’s in t-shirts.

Oz picks on Nakayama and poses on her while her former proteges (Sugar, Chikayo & Carlos) boo her- she hits running shoteis but misses a cannonball, but Nakayama sits up out of the tree of woe, catches Ozaki and launches back for a stunner in a unique spot. Another stunner and a big DDT get two, but Ozaki catches her with a superplex. Nakayama rolls her up out of a Ligerbomb, and a bridging Exploder suplex gets two. Oz gets a surprise uraken for two, but gets slapped up top and a Super Frankensteiner hits. Nakayama counters a move to a Tomikaze/Unprettier (!) for two, but moonsaults onto feet. Oz urakens her but is immediately rolled up for two, and the former OZ grads hit some SNUG sandwich missile dropkicks to Ozaki and Sugar belly-bashes her so Nakayama can do an interesting leg-rollup thing. Oz counters a Tiger Suplex to her own for two, nearly gets the Tequila Sunrise (tiger/german suplex), but Kaori nearly reverses to her own, but it’s countered again by Ozaki for the pin at (5:43). Actually one of the better “Traditional” Ozaki performances, showing she can still do it, short as it was. We’re then clipped to the end of the show, where Ozaki reads a thing and gives a teary-eyed Nakayama a tribute.

Rating: **1/2 (actually not bad! Fairly quick and well-wrestled, and one of the better Nakayama performances I’ve seen)

Mita forget some of her gear or something?

ETSUKO MITA vs. SUGAR SATO:
* Mita looks humorously like she forgot her gear and had to wear mismatched clothes- a frilly white top with a leather skirt. Sugar’s in black & white, and this is her first singles match back- a little bit of a test. As they’re acting like Sugar’s a powerhouse wrestler, I imagine Mita (a reliable veteran with good technique) is there to make her look strong and good, but still win.

They play it SLOW to start- lots of staredowns and tests of strength, Sugar getting some reactions for equaling Mita in them, and she belly-bashes Mita a bit, then ducks a Blazing Chop & dragon screws her. Mita stunners Sugar on the ropes but ends up in a leghlock, no-selling hilariously as she just completely ignores it and grinds her elbow into Sugar’s leg, cranks on it herself, then hangs her upside-down in the corner and smashes away at the knee with a yellow chair. They fight a LONG time in a figure-four, Mita refusing to turn over and Sugar howling as she sells, and eventually Mita just releases- Sugar turns a stunner into a backslide for two, then ducks another Chop for a belly bash! The timing and screaming really got that one a reaction. Another gets two and Sugar climbs- she even catches a thrown chair and tosses it back to Van Daminator it into Mita’s head off the top. Of course Mita had to hold it in front of her for no reason- they even copied the shittiness of the spot, too. Sugar hits a running belly-bach “avalanche” in the corner- Mita catches her going for her flying back elbow but takes a BIG Sunset Flip Powerbomb from there- Sugar gets two. Ligerbomb gets two. Shimoda slides in a chair so when Sugar flies off for her back elbow, Mita whips it at her elbow in a big counter. Chair toss & avalanche electric chair drop get two. Sugar avoids the DVD but MITA gets La Majistral for two, but Sugar no-sells a stunner and hits a big Spinning Ligerbomb for two. Man, she’s throwing some BOMBS here. Mita hits the Death Valley Driver- TWO! Sugar escapes a stunner with a swinging neckbreaker but charges into an elbow that gets two. Mita lands two more stunners but Sugar screaming no-sells into a charge and belly-bashes her… for three (10:38)! woof, they musta paid a good bit to get Mita to do THAT.

About what I expected- slow & steady (OZ is not fought in front of a huge audience) but technically fine- Mita’s always been a steady pro. I wasn’t expecting THAT many huge moves from Sugar, though- while I sometimes roll my eyes at her being a “powerhouse” (she’s short and only mildly overweight for a wrestler, yet they treat her like Vader), her hauling Mita up into 3-4 variations of the powerbomb was unexpected, and a good sign of Mita’s bumping skill, as she’s got a LOT of height to take a move like that from such a short wrestler. Mita being so generous with the bumping had me thinking she was gonna win, but nope- it’s portrayed as a bit of a lucky shot, but Sugar being able to eat her finisher, NO-SELL her tertiary move repeatedly, then surprise her with a belly-bash for the pin… it’s unexpected. Poor Mita went from being a WWWA Title Challenger a year or two before to jobbing to Sugar Sato clean in OZ Academy.

Rating: **1/2 (a solid midcard match- slow & steady but mostly well-wrestled with some BIG bumps by Mita)

AJA KONG vs. CARLOS AMANO (JWP):
* Aja, the top freelancer in GAEA, does a solo bout against Carlos. Carlos always impresses me but is usually the “designated pin-eater” in GAEA, as she’s a guest from JWP and not that high-tier in the pecking order. But Aja’s still the best carry artist around and Carlos is GOOD, so this might be very good.

They scramble for position to start, Aja maintaining control but backing off Carlos’s fightiness. Aja comes in with some slaps and a punch (ref warns her), then smothers Amano with a hand but has to work like hell just for a half-crab. You can tell Aja’s REALLY good because even simple weardown stuff comes off as agonizing and deep strategy- like she’s putting all her body weight into making this hurt as much as possible and require as much energy as possible to escape (thus literally wearing at Amano’s body). Carlos finally escapes by biting the wrists and gets back control- hey she’s got till five. Aja sells it like a choke and actually twists the ankle until AMANO has to get the ropes, then boots her spine and thus gets a camel clutch. Aja has it so well in hand she starts pulling at Amano’s nose and showing it off to different sides of the ring, but she mistakenly whips Amano off the ropes and the faster wrestler is able to roll her into a heel hook, and now AJA is growling in pain and desperately hanging into the ropes (signifying the advantage Amano just got), and she gets a pop for just using raw power to shove Amano off a half-crab. She works kicks and uses her oil can, hits the piledriver, but again whips Amano and pays for it as the kid flies out of the corner with a lariat. But Aja resists a German and this time ends the rolling heel hook with a deadlift & drop. Amano defiantly fires back with elbows but keeps getting dropped with kicks… but catches one and anklelocks Aja, sending her screaming for the ropes!

Amano senses an advantage, knocking Aja off the top to the floor, but tragically biffs it on a dive and eats the floor. Aja beats her ass on the floor and the backdrop driver gets two, and flattens her with the flying back elbow. Amano does a terrific sell blocking the Uraken but being knocked down anyways, then getting kicked square in the mush and Aja puts it over by waiting Amano out, reaching “9”- Amano is dizzied and ducks an Uraken but is flattened by a slap for two. Amano gets a snap German and La Majistral – Aja stuffs a Tiger Suplex but eats a rolling elbow & Amano pulls out a swank Moonsault for two. She has the sand to try HEADBUTTS against Aja, who is almost as insulted as she is pained, but when Aja tries to fire back with a wind-up one… Amano ducks her and gets that Tiger Suplex for two! TREMENDOUS. A quick jujigatame has Aja get the ropes, but Aja avoids the shoulder-mount juji and lariats the hell out of her for two. Persistent elbows from Amano ALMOST get the pin, but Aja turns the shoulder-mount into a TORTURE RACK of all things- a major rarity in joshi style- and when she lets to, Amano unsteadily walks right in and the URAKEN drills her for the pin at (15:47). Amano has to be pulled away from Aja after the bell.

Really good little match- I love “Aja takes apart an upstart” type matches and Amano is a great underdog, using persistent strikes and speed and submissions instead of the usual high-flying or huge bombs like most wrestlers do. She was REALLY good at selling throughout- doing things like bouncing off an uraken and then acting like a kick to the mouth had just killed her, then hitting a headbutt, selling the pain herself but making it look like she was fighting through the pain to take Aja. Aja for her part was awesome looking SUPER pissed that this punk kid was trying headbutts of all things on her, and wanted her to pay for it… paying off as Amano had been struggling to get that Tiger Suplex, and had Aja suckered into it. Amano had nowhere near the credibility to beat Aja and everyone knew it, so flukes were all that could be hoped for (and Aja was only ever in trouble maybe once) and notably Aja only ever had to hit her Uraken once.

Rating: ***1/2 (really good Underdog match)

DEVIL MASAMI vs. CHIKAYO NAGASHIMA:
* Devil’s been back for a bit and is mostly doing slow-mo versions of her old stuff as her body is WRECKED after a long career. She was actually badly injured in a big show’s solo match against Chikayo in 2001- one where she was probably supposed to put the kid over.

Chikayo attacks before the bell, tries to choke out Devil with her jacket, then counters a whip with the Tarantula, but Devil no-sells a missile kick and lariats her down. Devil hits a big press slam and dramatically avoids a German, elbowing Chikayo to the floor for a beating in the stands, only for Chikayo to knock her off the 5-foot balcony, but vault off a chair into a Flying Stomp down there! Chikayo gets whipped over the table where Police & Ozaki are sitting, but comes back with a variety of rollups & ranas in the ring, then does Cattle Mutilation of all things until Devil forces her grip apart. Chikayo works a jujigatame, but Devil resists some arm-snaps, but after powering through strikes, gets bulldogged & flying stomped. But Chikayo charges into a windmill backbreaker and is Ligerbombed out of a rana, but Chikayo pops up after a superplex and Germans her. Shoulder-Seated Armbar and Devil has to make the ropes, then is countered trying a suplex for two. Chikayo fires off repeated shots to the arm using the ropes for momentum, then Flying Stomps it and crushes the hand with her boot. But she gets too overconfident and leaps right into a Buckle Bomb & lariat for two. Devil goes up but gets Super Frankensteinered off, then Chikayo rolls her up out of an Argentine backbreaker, but Devil gets a sleeper that almost ends it. Devil pulls out the TRIPLE POWERBOMB from the mothballs, but is stunned as Chikayo tries to no-sell while on her knees- she manages a rollup, then armbars Devil out of a powerbomb. Devil breaks and ax kicks her for two, but a running powerbomb is turned into a flash rana for 2.8, only for Chikayo to charge in and get lariated to death at (16:32), kicking out at 3.1.

A pretty long, arduous match that shows that Devil is Not Aja- she gets more tired, is much slower, and doesn’t have the well-roundedness to try strikes, submissions and counters the same way, so she’s more the Immovable Wall that Chikayo has to wrestle around. They still pull off the overall story, but you can see how broken down Devil is, to the point where even her “playing to the cheap seats” stuff isn’t as good as it used to be. Chikayo really had to wrestle around her limitations and pull off some big counters, but at least she’s clearly moving up a bit if she’s getting nearfalls and Devil has to desperately hold her down for the pin.

Rating: **1/4 (better than bad and adequately tells the “Chikayo nearly got her” story, but too long for what Devil can pull off)

SAKURA HIROTA (GAEA) & THE BLOODY (JD’) vs. CHIGUSA NAGAYO (GAEA) & FANG SUZUKI (JD’):
* Hey! More JD’! And they’re split up and teaming with Eccentric! The Bloody is usually a lot of fun, and has zero care for her own health so usually puts in a good match. Fang is a much bulkier wrestler with EIGHTIES HEEL FACEPAINT~~, and Sakura says “your fangs are QUITE ROUNDED” while rubbing her belly, which has Chigusa on her knees with laughter and even Fang cracking up.

Sakura jiggles Fang’s belly to start, but gets side-slammed for two- she manages a double tummy-grab to her opponents but tries to clothesline both of them and just gets knocked down. They pull out the old M-Pro “accidentally armsnaps her own partner” bit with Fang hurting Chigusa and begging forgiveness, then Sakura gets a running headbutt to the get and hugs Chigusa for two. Sakura accidentally pushes The Bloody over trying to help in a test of strength, but saves her from a straightjacket hold, jams her fingers in Chigusa’s ass, then helps The Bloody get her own straightjacket. Fang & Bloody brawl and Eccentric break it up and the teams are suddenly switched, Eccentric hitting double bronco busters on the JD’ girls. Chigusa slingshots Sakura, who faceplants when Fang moves, and now Sakura hits her double-arm submission on Chigusa, the sides back to normal. Fang lariats her off and her & Chigusa hit the Double Crush Punch to Bloody. They score double backdrop suplexes, and Sakura accidentally urakens Bloody, who takes a lariat for two. Chigusa hits the Fameasser for a nearfall, then a backdrop- Blood ranas her out of a powerbomb but Sakura saves a pin counter, but Fang chokeslams both women at once. Chigusa directs traffic and has Fang hit her Running Three (running razor’s edge) on Bloody, but both she & Sakura get blind tags, so when Sakura rushes in for a flash-pin, Chigusa counters her and leverages for the pin at (9:03). Clever- Chigusa & Fang win.

Rating: ** (Another semi-fun Sakura exhibition, this time with Fang having fun doing spots with Chigusa and Sakura getting outsmarted- thinking she was getting a sneaky tag when Chigusa did the same thing)

MAYUMI OZAKI & MIMA SHIMODA vs. TAKAKO INOUE & KAORU:
* Okay, this is pretty wild- D-FIX is split up and teaming with people they hate. Well they hate Shimoda. Everyone else in Japan but Mita does too, I guess, but it’s a wild & wacky team-up. Both teams are at least color-coded, Oz/Shimoda in red and the others in black (Takako is now in a leather outfit with garters). Oz & KAORU eagerly shake one another’s hands before the bell to the amusement of the fans. Surprise surprise, Ozaki & Shimoda are arguing before the bell, so KAORU just comes up and happily beats on Shimoda while Ozaki claps.

Thankfully Takako’s evil is enough to shift KAORU into abusing Ozaki, and they hit the Bitch Pose on her (Oz now shouting at Mima to help). Shimoda finally comes in and they clothesline KAORU with a chain and double-strangle her with it, but Takako brings in the stungun so they shove KAORU at her and scamper off. KAORU does her flip-dodge through the chain and gets handed her board to smack everyone, blocking Ozaki’s chain-uraken with it and bopping her. They brawl into the stands as the fans shout their names, Ozaki eating a ladder shot in the wimpiest way possible (blocking the entire thing with her hands 2 feet in front of her, then falling back to sell while it lands on the railing). But they lightly throw chairs at KAORU and powerbomb her on two of them, but Ozaki gets cannonballed onto them and Shimoda’s German’d into them, too. But they quickly come back with a chain and make the other team sell, chaining them together by the neck and pulverizing their foreheads with a chair (KAORU) and the post (Takako). Ozaki’s bleeding, as is KAORU as they bite at the cut, and after a minute or so Takako comes in and starts kicking away, but Ozaki quickly hits her with a slap & shotei palm strike. GREAT bumping and selling by Takako, who has done nothing all match. She wins a slugfest with Shimoda via a good spinkick & uraken, but misses the Destiny Hammer (flying knee) and is ax kicked down for two. Oh hey Takako did in fact start bleeding… way late. Did she go too high in the hairline with the blade? Takako hits the super armdrag & KAORU moonsaults in & uses the board, all bloody–faced. Brainbuster on the board- no count, but she absolutely CRACKS a board over Shimoda’s head & a regular brainbuster gets two- Oz saves.

Shimoda blades and they do a triple sleeper spot in the corner, but Oz accidentally hits Shimoda, setting up Excalibur (Michinoku driver) from KAORU. She now swings the ladder around, Takako whipping Shimoda & Ozaki into it, but KAORU climbs up and gets dumped onto her knees on the floor (RIP KAORU’s knees). Shimoda dives into them, KAORU apparently having hurt her fingers more judging by how distracted she is with them, then a powerbomb in the ring gets two (Shimoda tried to assist but just sailed over top, lol). Ozaki keeps throwing these huge running punches with the chain that has KAORU doing epic arcing sells, and the Ligerbomb gets two. They drape a ladder in the ropes and it gets see-sawed into KAORU’s stomach and Takako is powerbombed onto her, but it’s time for a Big KAORU Spot, as a ladder is set up on the balcony with a table below, KAORU spews red mist to drop Shimoda, then does a flying side-splash onto Ozaki on the table. Back in the ring, Excalibur hits & Takako saves. Doomsday Shoulder-Mounted Backdrop/Moonsault gets two on Oz, but an uraken/ax kick combo drops KAORU, then Takako urakens Shimoda & Oz urakens her, but KAORU ignores an uraken & rolls Oz up for two. Ozaki hits her with a shitload of urakens, then Shimoda wastes time so Oz can wrap the chain around her leg, and a SHINING WIZARD chain-kick hits! The ref won’t count and Takako draws a reaction for nearly stungunning Oz, who bolts away, but she’s ax kicked down by Shimoda, and KAORU’s hit with an uraken/flying chairshot- KAORU kicks out at one and scrambles around, but Takako stunguns Ozaki down & Shimoda has to save Oz from Excalibur. But now OZAKI kicks out of Exalibur at one, and KAORU takes the Flying Ax Kick from Shimoda into a Shining Wizard Kick from Shimoda- Takako saves. Takako urakens Shimoda down, but gets urakened by Ozaki and goes to all-fours, allowing Oz to spring off of her for another Shining Kick, and THAT gets the three when Shimoda holds Takako down (19:57). Everyone makes nice after the match. Except Shimoda, who fucks off, lol.

Wild match, as scientific and clean as I was expecting. It’s fascinating how little Takako was doing- she comes in for a few segments that are easily the most athletic moments of the match (Takako ruled in the ’90s but she’s so much more athletic here it’s weird), but 90% of the bout is KAORU and her spots and selling while Takako hangs back like she missed all the planning before the show, lol. TBF some of her selling/bumping was really good, like arching her back whenever Ozaki did a big running chain-punch. Naturally it was quadruple-juice but kind of way too early so they’re just bleeding all match long and Takako does the most half-assed bladejob ever, which contributes to it looking like she does very little. Naturally the match has some remarkable, memorable spots but just has to be 20 minutes long and stuffed FULL, with KAORU getting all this wild stuff to do but starts no-selling in the end-game to spoil a lot of it and look tough. This felt like Shimoda & KAORU came up with a bunch of spots the day of the match, Takako didn’t want to do any of them, and then both agreed to hit each other with every wicked thing they could think of and still do the stupid “kick out at ONE” thing. And like… why build up the Shining Chain Kick and then do TWO MORE Shining Kicks later on? Talk about missing the peak.

Rating: **3/4 (was looking to be an easy ***+ wild brawl but does way too many of my pet peeves, lol)

So that’s OZ Academy! It was a pretty interesting show, honestly- Mita being called to job to Sugar Sato surprised me, Aja Kong got a very good match out of the underrated Amano, Devil…. tried against Chikayo, and the main tossed a whole lot of stuff out there- the fans probably thought they got their money’s worth, even though I found it a bit excessive and full of bad habits.