In this very first installment of the Retro Indy Rewatch of IWTV in chronological order, and for the next eighteen installments, I went all the way back to 1989 to the first Wrestlemarinepiad event from All Japan’s Women’s Pro Wrestling. The event was held at the Yokohama Arena on May 6, 1989. It started what would become a thirteen year tradition and ended up being one of AJPW’s cornerstone annual events until 2002.
The main focus of the show was the retirement of Chigusa Nagoya. Well, it was actually the first retirement for Nagoya as she would return to the squared circle just five years later after a brief career in the theatre. During her first run, Nagoya quickly formed the most important professional association of her career when she began teaming with former rival, Lioness Asuka, to form the Crush Gals.
Nagayo and Asuka went on to have great success in the tag team division, as well as success in the music industry, releasing their first hit single, “Bible of Fire” in 1984. The team broke up in 1986 after Nagayo returned from injury, to focus on their singles careers. The two former partners would face each other several times over the next few years while, at the same time, Nagayo focused on her feud with Dump Matsumodo and her stable, The Atrocious Alliance.
They would team up, once again, on this night, for what appeared to be the last time, on the night of Nagayo’s forced retirement by rule at the age of 26. At this first Wrestlemarinepiad for, The Crush Gals reuined for not one but two, tag matches, after which Nagayo would participate in a gauntlet style match before her official celebration which took place in the ring.
MATCH #1
ETSUKO MITA & TOSHIYO YAMADA vs MANAMI TOYOTA & MIMA SHIMODA
Manami and Mima took charge early in this opening match using quick tags and a multitude of dropkicks to get the crowd’s attention. Following four consecutive dropkicks from Mima, Yamada managed a small package that was nowhere near a pinfall, but gave Yamada the chance to tag in Etsuko Mita.
Mita would withstand a long-held Fujiwara arm bar on the mat until she was able to throw Manami off and tag Yamada back into the match. Yamada finally changed her team’s fortunes with with a dropkick off of an Irish Whip, followed by an airplane spin that nearly ended the match until Manami Toyota bridged out at two. Now, it was Mita and Yamada in control with their own series of quick tags and dropkicks before Mita locked Toyota in her own Fujiwara arm bar on the mat.
Mima Shimoda hit two head scissor takedowns and a cross body once she re-entered the match, but once she tagged back out, Etsuko Mita used two tilt-a-whirl backbreakers to regain control of the match. Yamada followed with a fireman’s carry into a gut buster and went for a second. Manami Toyota escaped that time and landed on her feet, only to end up in a Yamada full nelson. Toyota kicked out with a modified mule kick, but Yamada was relentless. She used a dropkick off of a whip and two boots to the gut to re-establish her dominance before she tagged Mita back into the match.
With the match now seemingly in hand, Mita hit a drop kick off the ropes, followed by four more off a whip into the corner. Mita went for a cover following a suplex, but Manami bridge out once more. Mita followed with a whip and a sideslam, then went for another. This time, Manami reversed it into a German suplex with a bridge for the pin.
WINNERS: MANAMI TOYOTA & MIMA SHIMODA
MATCH #2
KAORU MAEDA & MIKA TAKAHASHI vs. TEXAS & TIFFANY
Here is what I learned from the pre-match promos for G.L.O.W superstars Texas and Tiffany: Texas has a lasso and Tiffany can talk. The sad thing is, those promos were their highlight of the night, as far as I am concerned. The Americans showed what great heels they were by using a series of hair-pull snap mares to start the match, then tagged in and out double-teaming Takahashi to the referee’s dismay.
Of course, Takahashi and Maeda rallied against these less-than-impressive opponents. Takahashi sprang up instead of taking the full brunt of Texas’ monkey flip, hit a drop kick and a body slam, then tagged Maeda back in. Takahashi used two body slams and a snap mare to set up a long-held rear choke on the mat. Somehow, Texas made it to her corner to tag Tiffany who came in with more hair pull snap mares and a tag to Texas for more double teaming. Fed up, Takahashi grabbed a hold of Tiffany in one corner to prevent her from interfering any more.
With Tiffany incapacitated, Maeda hit a series of kicks, tagged Takahashi, and hit a leg drop with Takahashi holding her legs to be sure. Not finished, Maeda then picked up Takahashi for her own assisted leg drop to Tiffany. Takahashi locked Tiffany in a head scissors until Texas came in to break it up. When she did, all four women entered the ring before the action spilled outside.
One one side of the ring, we saw Takahashi slap Tiffany across the face. On the other side of the ring, we saw Texas choking Maeda with some time of cord. Takahashi continued her domination of Tiffany, choking Tiffany on the ring ropes from inside the ring. Maeda quickly joined Takahashi and Tiffany followed. Maeda and Takahashi lifted both G.L.O.W. superstars up into double underhook suplexes. As Texas rolled away, Takahashi and Maeda both drop kicked Tiffany, then they hit a double back body drop and made the cover.
WINNERS: KAORU MAEDA & MIKA TAKAHASHI
MATCH #3
YUMI OGURA vs. BULL NAKANO
DOUBLE JEOPARDY MATCH
Checking the card beforehand, I had no idea what a double jeopardy match might be. Turns out, since they had two rings set up for the battle royal, they decided to utilize them by having two singles matches going on at the same time. The camera work here was terrible and really seemed to miss a bunch of big moments in the match. So, the descriptions of these two matches are more a collections of highlights than anything else.
Bull Nakano is a name that I would become familiar with in the mid 90s through her multi-promotional feud with Madusa Miceli (Alundra Blayze in WWF). However, I had no prior experience with Yumi Ogura. These two fierce competitors put on a display of sheer brutality featuring a plethora of weapons.
Early in the match, the action spilled outside where Nakano slammed Ogura into the guardrail so hard officials had to come check on her before allowing Ogura to continue. Back inside the ring, Nakano hit Ogura repeatedly with a blue plastic bucket (which popped me), then snapped Ogura’s neck on the rope and literally dragged her around the ring. The action spilled outside again moments later, where Nakano laid out Ogura once again, this time by throwing her face first into the ring post.
Nakano continued her assault back inside the ring, sitting on the top turnbuckle pulling Ogura’s hair, then jumping and driving Ogura down to the mat face first before destroying Ogura with a piledriver. Ogura would eventually hit an even prettier piledriver of her own to build some momentum, then followed with a double underhook suplex into a bridge pin that would have ended the match if Nakano had not reached out and stopped the referee’s hand from hitting the mat a third time.
The action spilled outside once again after Ogura tangled Nakano’s legs in the ropes and pummeled her with nunchuks. Nakano managed to get free just in time for Ogura to send her crashing into the guardrail. Back inside the ring, Ogura hit a double underhook suplex, followed by a cross body from the top rope. Again, the referee’s count was stopped by outside interference. This time, it came from from Nakano’s supporters around ringside.
As the Tateno/Yamakazi match finished in the other ring, Nakano was looking to end Ogura’s night as well. Nakano used a series of nunchuk strikes, a lariat off the ropes, and a suplex into a bridge, all for near falls. Nakano climbed to the top, but Ogura met her up there and superplexed her down to furious crowd approval. Ogura went for the cover, but the referee’s count was again stopped by outside interference. Nakano managed to make it to her feet first, hit a Northern Lights suplex and held the bridge long enough to finally put Ogura away.
WINNER: BULL NAKANO
MATCH #4
NORIYO TATENO vs. ITSUKI YAMAKAZI
DOUBLE JEOPARDY MATCH
In the other ring, while Nakano and Ogura physically decimated one another, a more scientific, but less interesting, match was taking place. Yamakazi threw Tateno out quickly and hit a springboard plancha to the outside. Once they returned to the ring, Yamakazi slowed things down with an arm bar on the mat, then standing up, and continuing as Tateno tried to climb the ropes to escape. Soon, Yamakazi held a head scissors on the mat until Tateno reached the ropes and forced a break. Unphased, the tenacious Yamakazi immediately locked Tateno in an abdominal stretch.
Finally, Tateno made her move with a body slam, and two Irish Whips and running knee strikes. Tateno went for a leg scissors, looking to weaken the leg to hinder Yamakazi’s offense. Yamakazi escaped and hit a tombstone piledriver, then climbed to the top. She took too long getting up there, which allowed Tateno to regroup and evade a flying headbutt.
Even still, Yamakazi continued to right the ship and maintain control of the match for the majority of it. She would withstand a splash and a double underhook suplex, then hit two dropkicks and a back suplex. Only Tateno’s foot on the ropes saved her from the pinfall. The action spilled outside yet again after Yamakazi stepped on Tateno’s neck with her boot, then nudged her out to the floor with her foot.
Yamakazi was still firmly in control as the two competitors tried to return to the ring. Tateno was in first, but foolishly charged at Yamakazi on the apron. Yamakazi used a sunset flip to re-enter the ring and nearly ended the match, once again. However, as both women made it to their feet, Tateno used a cazadora roll-up for a near fall. Soon after, Tateno managed a German suplex with a bridge to stun everyone by defeating Yamakazi after being dominated for nearly the entire match.
WINNER: ITSUKI YAMAKAZI
MATCH #5
BEASTIE THE ROAD WARRIOR, BIG BAD MAMA & LEILANI KAI vs. REIBUN AMADA, SUZUKA MINAMI & YUMIKO HOTTA
SIX WOMAN TAG TEAM MATCH
The only G.L.O.W. superstar that made any impact on the evening was Big Bad Mama, who could not be a better heel to send to Japan on a stage such as this. Big Bad Mama was a fantastic heel in any time period, but in the 1980s, she was the type of big monster heel that every babyface with a superhero complex dreamt of taking down.
Her teammates in the six woman tag team match were Beastie the Road Warrior, whom I had never seen in action before, and Leilani Kai who participated in the first women’s wrestling match I ever watched: Wrestlemania I vs. Wendi Richter. In her pre-match promo that night, Kai misspoke as she promised to have her “hand raised in Victor.” On this night, though, it would actually happen.
Beastie looked just as menacing as Big Bad Mama as she started the match by brutalizing Reibun Amada. She slammed Amada’s head into the turnbuckle, ran her face along the ropes, then nearly ended the match with an airplane spin. Beastie tagged in Big Bad Mama who simply laughed as Amada tried a series of shoulder tackles as if she had a chance to take Mama off her feet. Eventually, Amada came to her senses and used her quickness, instead. She evaded Mama by crawling through Mama’s legs and surprised her with a double leg take down.
This just angered Big Bad Mama. Amada tagged in Yumiko Hotta who tried a series of kicks that just made Mama angrier. Suzuka Minami ran in to assist, but two-on-one proved to be no test for Mama, either. Amada returned and the three women tried a triple team effort, with Hotta climbing Mama like she was Mount Everest (not to be confused with former G.L.O.W. superstar Mt. Fuji. I’ll show myself out…).
With zero effort, Big Bad Mama shook them all off like fleas. Mama whipped all three women into the same corner one by one, then splashed all three at the same time. Big Bad Mama went for a second splash, but all three moved. Amada and Minami tried to capitalize with a double team suplex, but the two competitors’ strength combined could not lift Mama into the air. So, Hotta came up from behind Mama and helped push her into the air as the other two lifted to hit the suplex and drive Mama into the mat as the crowd came to its feet.
Leilani Kai and Beastie the Road Warrior consecutively entered the match and used eye rakes and illegal chokes to regain control. Big Bad Mama soon returned and went right back to the airplane spin, during which she tried to spin Amada’s legs into Minami’s face, but missed completely.
As the match wound down, the good guys looked to rally when Minami hit a back elbow to Leilani Kai, tagged Hotta who followed with a second back elbow off the ropes, and then a third. Minami suplexed Kai and tagged Amada who whipped Kai into one corner. Amada charged, but Kai got both feet up to repel the attack and tagged Big Bad Mama. Amada tried a shoulder tackle off the ropes and ended up flat on her back. Mama picked her up, whipped her into the ropes and stood still as Amada again ran into her and fell to the mat. This time, Big Bad Mama simply fell on top for the easy pin.
WINNERS: BEASTIE THE ROAD WARRIOR, BIG BAD MAMA & LEILANI KAI
MATCH #6
AKIRA HOKUTO & MITSUKO NISHIWAKI vs. THE CRUSH GALS
Before this match began, there was an extended recognition ceremony in the ring for the retiring Chigusa Nagayo. She received several awards and accolades as her teammate and friend, Lioness Asuka looked on. The real Nagoya retirement festivities would take place after the next hour, during which Nagoya would compete in two tag team matches and a gauntlet match to end her career.
Although I have never watched Mitsuko Nishiwaki before, I knew this match would be more high level than the matches that came before it, both because of the esteem of The Crush Gals, but also because Nishiwaki’s partner, Akira Hokuto is a performer I have seen many times and always been impressed. Like Bull Nakano, I would not hear of Hokuto until the mid-1990s. So, this was another opportunity to get a look at Hokuto’s early work.
The Crush Gals started fast, each grabbing one opponent and simultaneously suplexing both to the mat and climbing to the top rope. Hokuto and Nishiwaki both jumped up and foiled whatever top rope plans the Crush Gals had and double teamed Nagayo. Hokuto managed to slow Nagayo with a kick off the ropes which led Nagayo to tag in Asuka. Lioness Asuka withstood some strikes from Hokuto, then tagged Nagayo back in for a double team. Nagayo followed with a powerbomb and a gut wrench suplex, then slowed things down with a rear choke on the mat.
After a spinning back kick and a near fall by Nagayo, Asuka tagged back in and kicked Hokuto in the ribs with Nagayo holding her still. Confident, Asuka whipped Hokuto into the ropes and was stunned with a modified sling blade from Akira. Nishiwaki held Asuka as Hokuto followed with a top rope drop kick followed by a suplex.
The rally was stalled when Asuka set Hokuto on the top turnbuckle and tagged in Nagayo for a beautiful superplex that would have ended the match but for Nishiwaki’s interference. Nagayo grabbed a single leg crab on Hokuto. Again, Nishiwaki broke it up. In response, Asuka went over and kicked Nishiwaki off the apron. Hokuto capitalized momentarily by grabbing a Fujiwara arm bar, but Nagayo quickly escaped and locked Hokuto in one of her own. Then Nagayo tagged Asuka back in and the Lioness grabbed an arm bar, too.
In truth, The Crush Gals never really relinquished control at any point during the match. As the two teams started to go home, it was clear they planned to dominate throughout as the last few minutes of the contest seemed like a victory march for Nagayo and Asuka. Nagayo returned with a stomp off the top rope with Asuka holding, and followed with a nasty lariat. When Nishiwaki kicked out at one, Nagayo got visibly upset. She pummeled Nishiwaki with a series of kicks, then destroyed her with one of the best looking piledrivers I have ever seen.
Asuka returned with eight consecutive knee strikes and a belly-to-belly suplex on Nishiwaki before Hokuto tagged back in. Asuka kicked Hokuto in the midsection off the ropes and tagged Nagayo for a double clothesline coming from opposite sides. Asuka disoriented Hokuto with a giant swing as the fans counted each rotation aloud. Nagayo returned with an assisted flying cross body, but still could not get the pin. Nagayo lifted her up into a powerbomb that sealed the deal.
WINNERS: THE CRUSH GALS
MATCH #7
YUMIKO HOTTA & SUZUKA MINAMI vs. THE CRUSH GALS
This was an impromtu match from what I could tell. The video looked like it skipped forward a few minutes as soon as the previous match ended. In fact, Hotta and Minami simply jumped Asuka and Nagayo the moment the bell rang to end the last contest. From my perspective, the poor production value and camera work for this show made it difficult to tell where one match ended and another began.
The Crush Gals righted the ship without much trouble following the ambush. Nagayo ended up in the ring with Hotta as Hotta hit a series of rapid kicks to stall Nagayo momentarily. Chigusa returned fire with her own kicks and a series of headbutts and a nasty back kick, then tagged in Asuka who climbed right to the top rope and finished off Hotta with a flying clothesline.
WINNERS: THE CRUSH GALS
MATCH #8
BULL NAKANO, LIONESS ASUKA, NORIYO TATENO, ITSUKI YAMAZAKI, & YUMI OGURA vs. CHIGUSA NAGAYO
CHIGUSA NAGAYO RETIREMENT SERIES MATCH
The moment the referee counted three, Jumping Bomb Angels, Itsuko Yamakazi and Noriyo Tateno attacked The Crush Gals with a double clothesline to Asuka, then Nagayo. The Angels double dropkicked Asuka, then hit a double shoulder tackle on Nagayo. Yamakazi slammed Nagayo to the mat as Tateno came off the top rope with a knee strike. Yamakazi fell on top of Nagayo for the three count, then hit a piledriver on Nagoya to set up a Tateno flying splash for another pinfall.
Next up, Bull Nakano squared off with Nagayo in the center of the ring for a test of strength, which Nagayo converted into a bridge pin attempt. Nagayo hit a spin kick and tagged Asuka. The Lioness hit a back elbow from the top ropes, a cross body, and a fireman’s carry takeover into an arm bar. Nakano reversed into a toe hold/hair pull combo that brought Nagayo back into the ring. Bull hit a bicycle kick and a lariat to set up a suplex for a one count, then used a German suplex into a bridge to get her victory over Nagayo.
The penultimate challenger, Yumi Ogura, made quick work of the exhausted Chigusa Nagayo with a double underhook suplex for a one count, followed by a flying knees strike to get the three. With all of the other challengers out of the way, Nagayo’s teammate became her final opponent.
Asuka struck first with a rear choke that only broke when Nagayo reached the ropes. Having some fun, Lioness Asuka broke the hold and slapped Nagayo in the back of the head before a reset. When they re-engaged, there was another test of strength, won by Nagayo. Chigusa whipped Asuka into one corner for a clothesline, then whipped her again. Asuka reversed the whip, sent Nagayo into the corner, and followed with a clothesline of her own. Nagayo countered with a spinning back kick and a rear choke on the mat before climbing to the top rope. Nagayo missed the flying cross body when Asuka simply stepped to one side like Samoa Joe, then locked her partner in the giant swing and made the easy pin.
After the match, it was a party. More streamers flew into the ring than I have ever seen at one time as Nagayo hugged Lioness Asuka. Nagayo and Asuka both took to the microphone. I don’t speak Japanese, so I put Google Translate near the TV. I got a bunch of broken fragments, but the one translation I understood was Nagayo urging the fans to continue to love and support women’s professional wrestling. A ten bell salute followed for Nagayo before several performers presented flowers and carried her off into the sunset on their shoulders.
WINNERS: BULL NAKANO, LIONESS ASUKA, NORIYO TATENO, ITSUKI YAMAKAZI, & YUMI OGURA
MATCH #9
TWO RING BATTLE ROYAL
With all of the fanfare out of the way, it was time for a two-ring battle royal. Anyone expecting a match as good as any of WCW’s World War III matches (which were all terrible), would be sorely disappointed. I thought this battle royal would never end. There were virtually no high spots or memorable moments of any kind in this match.
One thing became clear very early, pinfalls were allowed in this battle royal, and the AJPW women fully intended to take advantage of that rule. It seems counter-intuitive nowadays to see pinfalls being preferred over top rope eliminations in a battle royal, but it seemed to be the norm in this case. Right off the bat, one competitor was eliminated when at least seven other women threw her high in the air, slammed her to the mat, and all piled on top for the pin. This happened several times throughout.
Soon after, we see someone put G.L.O.W. girl Texas out of her misery while, in the background, we see several competitors working together to tie up Big Bad Mama, each holding tightly on her limbs. Of course, Mama escaped that with little effort. Later, seven different competitors backed themselves into one corner looking terribly frightened of Aja Kong. They really start quaking in their boots when Kong was joined by Big Bad Mama and Beastie the Road Warrior. The teams circled around each other, but the big battle between the sides never really materialized.
We momentarily panned over to see Bull Nakano having no trouble at all with the variety of much weaker competitors. Suddenly, we flash back over to a bunch of people pushing Big Bad Mama over the top for the elimination. When this match started, all I wanted to know what who would eliminate Big Bad Mama and how. This was a disappointing spot in the first place, but the terrible camera work left us to miss most of it.
Akira Hokuto could be seen exchanging kendo stick shots with one competitor after eliminating a few competitors back-to-back. Hokuto used a bridge pin to eliminate the competitor with the kendo stick, who only made it as far as the apron before she stopped to give Bull Nakano some advice. When Hokuto turned around, she realized everyone was ganging up on her. She leapt to the other ring as one competitor chased her. The others in the group followed after, but pinned the chasing wrestler instead of Hokuto, then turned their attention to attacking the referees.
Down to the final four, Kai and Nakano teamed up against Hokuto and Mitsuko. Hokuto was also battling every eliminated competitor that remained around ringside. Anytime Hokuto got close to being eliminated, the folks around ringside jumped in to help. Leilani Kai pretended to befriend Mitsuko, but betrayed her immediately. Hokuto came off the ropes as Bull held Mitsuko. However, when Mitsuko moved out of the way, Nakano, Kai and Mitsuko piled on top for the elimination.
Kai and Nakano whipped Mitsuko into the ropes but Mitsuko held on. Kai decided to charge Mitsuko. Mitsuko pulled the top rope down and Kai went flying over to the floor. Nakano quickly tried to eliminate Mitsuko, but the wrestlers on the outside jumped up to form a wall to prevent it. Nakano pummeled Mitsuko with nunchuks followed by a piledriver. Somehow, Mitsuko kicked out at one. Mitsuko tried to throw Nakano over with the help of everyone at ringside. Of course, the powerful Nakano broke free of them all.
Realizing that their outside interference was not going to be enough, one-by-one, formerly eliminated competitors would come back into the ring to assist Mitsuko. Most notably, Akira Hokuto joined Mitsuko for a double drop kick, but it still was not enough. Eventually, one person jumped in the ring to assist Bull. She held Mitsuko tightly until Nakano climbed to the top turnbuckle in one ring, leapt across to the top turnbuckle in the other ring, ran across the top rope, and flattened Mitsuko with a cross-body for the pin. Afterward, Nakano was presented with a comically large check for $10,000.
WINNER: BULL NAKANO
MATCH #10
MADUSA MICELI vs. LIONESS ASUKA (c)
WWWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Madusa Miceli, a legendary competitor in women’s wrestling, cut a heel promo before the match in which she claimed to the the number one American champion. She said she has besuty and brains and came to Japan to make a statement against Lioness Asuka. The special referee for this match, former AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel, was interviewed before the match and, after calling Asuka “AKASA,” said he looked forward to this opportunity as all of his previous trips to Japan have been positive and good.
Madusa, flanked by Leilani Kai and an American flag, insulted Asuka by hitting her with flowers upon her entrance and continued to antagonize her throughout the referee’s instructions. Asuka reached out for a handshake. Madusa kicked Asuka’s hand away and moved over into the second ring to be obnoxious.
When they eventually locked up, Asuka hit a suplex with a bridge that sent Madusa outside for a breather. Unfortunately for Madusa, all of the competitors around the ring gave her no chance to regroup. Asuka had much better luck when she went outside, though, as none of the spectators touched, or even came close to, her.
Madusa went for the win early with a cross arm breaker submission, but Asuka rolled it over into a pin attempt to force a break. Miceli maintained her advantage with a spinning neck breaker, a rear choke and a leg scissors around the mid-section of Lioness Asuka. Asuka broke the hold and converted into a Fujiwara arm bar which Madusa rolled into a pin to force a break. Asuka rolled outside as Madusa yelled at her. Madusa approached to try to pull Asuka back into the ring, but was met with a headbutt to the gut.
Asuka pulled Madusa outside and flung her into the guardrail. Lioness pulled Miceli back into the ring while pounding her with kicks, but Miceli fought back with a series of punches. Miceli’s suplex attempt was blocked, as well as her attempt at a single leg takedown. Asuka countered by powering Miceli up into a suplex of her own. Asuka tried for a giant swing, but Madusa kicked out and attacked the referee as he checked on Asuka.
Asuka held a chin lock on the mat for a while, then hit a series of strikes before a slow German suplex to Miceli. In mid-air, though, Madusa reached behind and clapped Asuka’s ears. Asuka finished the suplex, but the challenger recovered first and covered the champion for a two count.
Miceli grabbed some sort of foreign object and jabbed it into Asuka’s forehead. Madusa continued with a series of punches and headbutts, then bit a chunk out of Asuka’s forehead. Madusa pummeled Asuka with punches and knees to the face before Asuka started to rally. Desperate to maintain control, Miceli poked Asuka in the eye and made another cover for a near fall.
Asuka regrouped with a rear choke on the mat to slow things down. Madusa broke the hold with an over head knee strike. Asuka countered with another giant swing attempt. This time, Lioness Asuka nailed the swing, but couldn’t secure the victory. Asuka tried a clothesline in one corner, but Madusa moved and quickly hit a German suplex. Miceli followed with a body slam for a two count and a second rope leg drop for another near fall. Madusa climbed back up to the top rope and yelled at the people around ringside instead of focusing on Asuka. With that small window of opportunity, Asuka pulled Madusa off the top rope, climbed up, herself, for an incredible moonsault that put away the evil American heel challenger for good.
WINNER: LIONESS ASUKA
This card was a very 1980s style, house show card. The first few matches were almost preliminary matches to get the crowd going. The second phase of the show featured a step up in terms of the quality of the competitors and also featured more gimmicky matches. The main event featured the hometown hero destroying the smug, foreign heel challenger in a hard fought and entertaining match that sent everyone home happy.
Not long into this show I realized how much I miss great piledrivers. The Crush Gals and Bull Nakano hit some textbook, picture-perfect jumping piledrivers that just looked so devastating. It is understandable why piledrivers disappeared from many of our screen due to so many injuries, but when done right a jumping piledriver is a thing of beauty.
The matches with the G.L.O.W. girls were all terrible, for the most part. Honestly, it was only Big Bad Mama who made any type of real impression on this crowd, in my opinion. Sure, Leilani Kai lasted deep into the battle royal, but who really thought she would beat Nakano?
Obviously early in her career, Akira Hokuto showed glimpses of the tenacious competitor she would become by the time she made her way to the States in the mid-1990s.
Lioness Asuka basically spent the final hour and a half of the show in the ring or near the action, including the final tag match of Crush Gals, the Nagayo retirement gauntlet, AND the successful defense of the world title in the main event. Absolutely awesome performance.
This was a unique viewing experience for me as I have very little experience with classic joshi wrestling in general, or any of the old promotions. For this show, in particular, the most noticeable thing was the poor production and camera work. So many moments were missed or not framed correctly, leading to a lot of unnecessary gaps in the story telling from a fan perspective.
On the other hand, the actual wrestling on this show as far and above anything going on in the United States until after the turn of the century (with the exception of Miceli’s work in AWA along with the legendary Sherri Martel). Although the offense was still not as innovative as the kind featured in today’s matches, it was very good and created an enjoyable show from a wrestling perspective.
EVENT SCORE: 74/100
Next up, All Japan Pro Wrestling “Japan Grand Prix 1990” from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan from June 17, 1990.
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