In this installment of my journey through IWTV in chronological order, the fifth in a row from All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling, I review Wrestlemarinepiad ’90 from the Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium in Yokohama, Japan on November 14, 1990. This is my second Wrestlemarinepiad and I am hoping not to see any G.L.O.W. wrestlers on this show like we did last year.
The first thing that grabbed my attention when I looked at the card was the the steel cage main event between Aja Kong and Bull Nakano. Not only is this the most interesting match on the card, but it involves the most interesting feud in the company by far at this point.
MATCH #1
KAORU MAEDA & MIKA TAKAHASHI (c) vs. ETSUKO MITA & MIMA SHIMODA
JAPANESE TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH
The second thing that grabbed my attention when I looked at this card was this tag title opportunity for Etsuko Mita and Mima Shimoda. Mita has been in the opening match, or close to it, in most of these shows and it is about time she gets her due. The champions withstood some early offense from the challengers until Maeda nailed Mima’s arm off the ropes and Takahashi grabbed a single leg crab that converted into a bow and arrow on Mima Shimoda.
Maeda returned and continued to work the leg of Shimoda, holding a sharpshooter before locking in a bow and arrow of her own. When Takahashi retunred, she hit a Jeff Jarrett-style Stroke from the top rope, two dropkicks and a suplex to set up a rear choke with body scissors on the mat.
However, Takahashi would make a mistake when she sent Mima crashing into her own corner which allowed Etsuko Mita to tag in. Quickly, Etsuko hit a back body drop and an atomic drop for a near fall. After a short breather on the apron, Mima returned for some double team offense with Mita, two clotheslines of her own and a reverse cross body from the second rope.
At this point, Shimoda worked the leg of Kaoru Maeda with a Boston Crab in the center of the ring. Maeda tried desperately to reach the ropes, but to no avail. Mita eventually tagged back in for a double clothesline with Mima and a cover after Shimoda hit a dropkick from the second rope. When that failed to earn the victory, Etsuko Mita went back to the leg with a figure four leg lock. Maeda only managed to escape when she barely grabbed a hold of the bottom rope.
Mita dragged Maeda to her corner and tagged Shimoda, who whipped Maeda into the ropes but was stunned with Kaoru hit a Lou Thesz press and tagged Takahashi. Quickly, Takahashi hit back-to-back facebusters for a two count, and a suplex into a bridge that was broken up at one by Etsuko Mita.
Mita came back into the ring after Mima Shimoda reversed an Irish Whip into a crucifix off the ropes. The challengers hit a double clothesline and double body slam before Mita tried to back body drop her own partner onto Mika Takahashi. However, Takahashi moved at the last second, jumped up and got a near fall with a Northern Lights suplex. Kaoru Maeda followed with a Frankensteiner and a cover, but, again, Etsuko Mita broke up the pinfall at the last second.
Undeterred, the champions hit double flying shoulders and simultaneous flying elbow drops, only for Mita to break up yet another pin attempt. Seemingly still in control, Takahashi and Maeda hit a double suplex on the mat, then a double superplex to Etsuko Mita. This time, the pinfall attempt was broken up by Mima Shimoda who pushed Takahashi off of her partner. Mita followed with a suplex into a bridge on Kaoru Maeda, and, just like that, new tag team champions were crowned.
WINNERS AND NEW CHAMPIONS: ETSUKO MITA & MIMA SHIMODA
MATCH #2
KAORU ITO vs. BAT YOSHINAGA
BOXING MATCH
Round one of this, seemingly obligatory, boxing match was even until Bat Yoshinaga rang Kaoru Ito’s bell with a hard punch to the kisser, after which Ito looked stunned and seemed to be stalling until she could get her bearings again. In round two, Yoshinaga used hard low kicks to weaken Ito’s legs. Every time, Ito looked to mount some type of offense, Yoshinaga would hold Ito or use her strength to slow things down. As the second round ended, Yoshinaga knocked Ito down with a particularly hard low kick.
Bat Yoshinaga came out swinging with some hay makers early in round three, but Kaoru Ito managed to stay on her feet. In the fourth round, it was obvious both competitors were slowing down as, many times, they would throw just a handful of punches before leaning their body weight on each other to rest. Just before the bell to end the round, there was a flurry of punches from each competitor that spilled over into a brawl as the referee declared this bout a four-round draw.
RESULT: DRAW
MATCH #3
ESTHER MORENO, NORIYO TATENO, TAKAKO INOUE, & XOCHITL HAMADA vs. HYPER CAT, LA DIABOLICA, MIORI KAMIYA & MAYUMI YAMAMOTO
EIGHT WOMEN ELIMINATION TAG TEAM MATCH
Takako Inoue and Mayumi Yamamoto started this match, with Yamamoto gaining the early advantage after three dropkicks and abody slam. Inoue tagged out to Esther Moreno who assisted on a double suplex and followed with a cross body before Inoue returned. Takako hit a body slam and a cross body for a near fall, then eliminated Yamamoto with a double underhook suplex.
Soon after, all seven remaining competitors were battling outside the ring after Moreno hit a missile dropkick that sent Hyper Cat outside, followed by a tope suicida to Hyper Cat once she got out there. When order was restored, it was La Diabolica in with Esther Moreno. La Diabolica used an Irish Whip to set up a tilt-a-whirl back breaker and a hair mare. Hyper Cat would return to face off with Moreno once again and with similar results. Moreno leapt to the top rope off the tag and hit a flying cross body, then followed with a double underhook suplex into a bridge for the elimination.
Miori Kamiya took over with two running knees and a body slam to Esther Moreno, then locked her in a Boston Crab. La Diabolica returned to assist Kamiya with some stomps to Moreno still in the Boston Crab, then tagged in officially and hit two flapjacks to Moreno. Moreno managed to tag Takako Inoue when she escaped the hold. Inoue immediately missed a cross body, then got hit with a spinebuster. Diabolica watched as Inoue jumped to the second rope, then slammed her back down to the mat and used a bridge pin to eliminate Takako Inoue.
Xochitl Hamada entered, following the Inoue elimination, and found herself on the receiving end of a double clothesline. She managed to pull Kamiya into her corner by her hair and tagged Tateno who got a near fall with a double underhook suplex and tagged in Moreno. Esther missed a drop kick in one corner and a flip from the top rope to La Diabolica, but connected on the arm drag and used a modified kip up to bring the crowd to its feet.
Hamada followed with a hip toss, arm drag, and a head scissors takedown that brought Miori Kamiya back into the ring. Kamiya held onto the ropes off an Irish Whip, then pulled Hamada outside by her hair as La Diabolica followed with a tope suicida. Kamiya helped Hamada get back into the ring where she fell victim to a victory roll to even the sides.
Noriyu Tateno rushed in with an elbow drop for a near fall and help Kamiya for a cross body from Esther Moreno. Unfortunately, Moreno missed the top rope move and Kamiya quickly capitalized. Miori leapt to the top rope and hit a flying knee, then followed with a regular suplex and a back suplex, that ended the night for Esther Moreno.
The last member of her team remaining, Noriyu Tateno withstood a double underhook suplex and a body slam for a near fall, then came off the ropes with a cross body and a clothesline. Tateno climbed to the top rope, but missed the double knees. Kamiya used a cazadora to set up a pin attempt, but garnered just a two count. Kamiya came off the ropes for a leg drop, but Tateno moved. Tateno hit a German suplex for a near fall, then, suddenly, Kamiya hit a Victory Roll and held on tight for the final elimination.
WINNERS: HYPER CAT, LA DIABOLICA, MIORI KAMIYA & MAYUMI YAMAMOTO
MATCH #4
MARIKO YOSHIDA & YUMIKO HOTTA vs. BISON KIMURA & MADUSA MICELI
Madusa Miceli entered the arena with some weird, over-the-top energy as she and Bison Kimura prepared to battle Mariko Yoshida and Yumiko Hotta. In the pre-match interview, Miceli pushed the interviewer, exclaimed that she and Kimura were undefeatable. Miceli said that they will crush and grind anybody and everybody.
Bison Kimura was caught off guard when Yoshida evaded her offense with a handspring and countered with back-to-back monkey flips. The savvy Kimura recovered quickly, moved out of the path of a drop kick and snapped Yoshida’s neck on the ropes. Kimura slammed Mariko’s face in the mat, then tagged Madusa who lifted Yoshida high into the air and taunted the crowd before slamming her down to the mat.
After a nasty spinning back kick, Madusa used one foot for a cover, then argued with the referee when Yoshida easily kicked out and rolled her up for a near fall. Mariko scurried to her corner to tag Yumiko Hotta who unloaded with a series of punches on Miceli in the corner. Hotta whipped Miceli to the corner, but Madusa got her knees up when Hotta charged and used a snap mare to set up a rear chin lock on the mat.
Hotta eventually reversed into an arm bar as Mariko Yoshida came off the top rope with a strike to that arm. Yoshida took over with the arm bar and held it until Madusa rolled her over for a pin attempt. Kimura returned and went to work on the arm of Yoshida with an arm bar, leg drop on the arm, and snapped the arm across the top tope. If that wasn’t enough, Kimura started biting Yoshida’s arm, as well.
Madusa Miceli was on auto pilot when she returned to find a crippled Yoshida. She clocked Yoshida with two wind up blows that earned just a two count, then whipped Mariko into the ropes. Madusa leap-frogged Yoshida beautifully, and turned to let the crowd know just how smart she was. Of course, when Madusa turned back around, Yoshida was waiting with a cross body which set the stage for Yoshida’s hot tag to Hotta.
Hotta did some damage to Bison Kimura upon her re-entry, using a piledriver and a double underhook power bomb for two near falls, but Mariko Yoshida was not so lucky. Yoshida missed a cross body immediately, then was thrown across the ring by her hair. Not satisfied, Kimura set Yoshida on the top turnbuckle and used Mariko’s hair to send her crashing back down to the mat.
Kimura picked Yoshida up by the throat for a standing choke, then used her boot for the same purpose with Mariko lying on the mat. Madusa tagged in briefly for a spinning neck breaker, then joined Kimura for a double clothesline. Kimura pulled Yoshida into her corner and pummeled her with a nightstick. Bison threw the night stick down to the floor and started choking Yoshida with her knee.
Miceli mistakenly facilitated Yoshida’s escape when she snap mared Yoshida into her own corner where she made the tag to Hotta. Hotta whipped Madusa into the corner, then knocked her down to the ringside floor when Madusa tried to leap up and over. Yoshida ran in and allowed Hotta to pick her up for a kick to Madusa’s face as Madusa re-entered the ring and followed with a drop kick that sent Madusa running for cover.
Kimura tagged in and tried again, to thwart a rally, but with little success. Hotta hit a facebuster and Mariko Yoshida followed with back-to-back dropkicks, a cross body, and a modified flapjack as Hotta climbed to the top rope. Yoshida whipped Kimura into the ropes as Hotta flew from the top with a back elbow to Bison Kimura.
Somehow, Kimura had the presence of mind to reverse a whip into the corner and hit a series of chops that dropped Yoshida to the mat. Kimura held a boot choke, then used a forward suplex to set up a pinfall attempt that was broken up by Hotta. Yumiko whipped Kimura into the ropes for a clothesline, then joined her partner for a double whip. From the apron, Madusa grabbed Hotta and tied her up while Kimura pummeled Yoshida and made the cover.
WINNERS: BISON KIMURA & MADUSA MICELI
MATCH #5
LOS BRAZOS (c) vs. GRAN HAMADA, KENDO, & YOSHIHIRO ASAI
UWA WORLD TRIOS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
A rare men’s match for the UWA World Trios Championship caused me some embarrassment because I had no idea, at first glance, that I knew Yoshihiro Asai by his more popular moniker, Ultimo Dragon. Of course, it was at the point that the Asai Moonsault suddenly made sense. But, I digress.
Los Brazos entered to a party atmosphere, as Chubby Checkers’ “Twist” played, but it did not last long. After some chops from Kendo, all three of Los Brazos decided to leave. Once they changed their minds and returned, the bell rang and the match turned to pure chaos. Operating under lucha rules, the competitors in this match were not required to tag in and out, resulting in constant, sudden in-ring personnel changes throughout the contest.
Los Brazos managed to put the challengers on the defensive at first, triple teaming anyone who got in the ring. From there, the champions would cut off the ring and “tag” in and out quickly to maintain the upper hand. It was Yoshihiro Asai who got a rally started when he countered an Irish Whip into the corner by leaping up and over and hitting an arm drag followed by an Asai Moonsault to Brazo de Plata. Brazo del Oro ran in, only to be sent tumbling outside the ring after a hurricanrana from Asai. El Brazo ran in next and was sent packing with a back handspring elbow.
Hamada kept the momentum for the challengers after he, too, reversed a corner whip by leaping to the second rope and doing a back flip over all three of Los Brazos. At that point, the champions were so flustered, they started arguing amongst themselves. Brazo de Plata decided, once again, that he had had enough and headed toward the dressing room until El Brazo went to retrieve him.
Los Brazos were not finished yet, though. After Asai sent Brazo del Oro outside with a series of rapid kicks, Brazo de Plata returned and used some punches and a body slam to set up a rear chin lock on the mat in Los Brazos’ corner. El Brazo returned and hit several chops to Asai with Plata holding, but missed on a top rop Coffin Drop and found himself in a sharpshooter.
Once El Brazo reached the ropes to force a break, all six men ended up in the ring together where Asai and Kendo stretched out Plata and El Brazo’s legs in a diamond formation while Hamada rolled up Brazo del Oro up for a near fall. Kendo then drop kicked El Brazo out to the floor, and followed him outside with a springboard plancha. Hamada came right behind with a moonsault from the apron and Brazo Del Oro hit Hamada with a tope. Not to be outdone, Asai faked a 619, then hit a moonsault onto the floor onto Brazo del Oro. Finally, Brazo de Plata hit a tope suicida to all five men.
The crazy sequence brought the crowd to its feet and you could sense the contest was reaching its crescendo. Kendo and Brazo de Plata returned first and Kendo hit a Victory Roll for a two count, then Brazo de Plata hit a lariat for a near fall of his own. Kendo tried a sunset flip off an Irish Whip, but Plata stopped himself and sat down on Kendo for another near fall. Brazo de Plata used a body slam to set up a frog splash, though, that ultimately got the win for the champions.
WINNERS: LOS BRAZOS
MATCH #6
AKIRA HOKUTO & SUZUKA MINAMI (c) vs. KYOKO INOUE & MANAMI TOYOTA
TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS – WWWA TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH
In the first fall of this match, Kyoko Inoue was double teamed by the champions early as Hokuto and Minami worked the leg of Kyoko and cut off the ring to prevent a tag. Minami grabbed a single leg crab and pulled Inoue back to the center when she tried to grab hold of the ropes. Hokuto tagged in and continued to work on the leg until Inoue finally did reach the ropes to force a reset.
Manami Toyota used a similar strategy once she got into the match. Following a drop kick, running cross body, and several stomps to the leg of Suzuka, Toyota locked in a figure four leg lock that ended up converting to a Boston Crab. Minami forced a break and tagged in Hokuto, who used a piledriver to set up a Boston Crab of her own, but Manami Toyota quickly reached the ropes.
After the reset, the champions were in control. Hokuto used Toyota’s hair to leverage a pinfall attempt, then tagged in Minami who quickly hit a dropkick, cross body, suplex and a back drop on Kyoko Inoue, the latter two for near falls. When Hokuto tagged back in, Inoue used a cazadora roll up to even the score, and immediately followed with a German suplex with a bridge, a fisherman’s suplex for near falls.
Hokuto managed to rebound off an Irish Whip to hit a German suplex as Suzuka Minami climbed to the top rope for a knee strike. Hokuto trailed Minami to the top rope, but Kyoko Inoue evaded the missile dropkick, then used the giant swing as a precursor to the big splash to capture the first fall for the challengers.
Looking to capitalize, the challengers started the second fall by attacking Akira Hokuto right away. Toyota hit a trio of dropkicks from the mat and a second rope dropkick to set up a chicken wing suplex for a near fall. However, when Kyoko Inoue tried to use a steel chair to assist her partner, Inoue hit Toyota by mistake. In the chaos, Minami hit a powerbomb to Toyota before they each hit simultaneous top rope drop kicks to her. Hokuto body slammed Toyota as Minami climbed to the top rope for a moonsault to earn the champions the second fall.
Early in the third fall, Kyoko Inoue whipped Akira Hokuto into the corner and charged. Hokuto lifted Inoue up and over the top rope, then leapt outside with a plancha to the floor. Immediately, Toyota hit a suicide dive onto Hokuto and Minami followed right behind with one to Toyota.
When order was restored, the champions took control inside the ring. Hokuto hit a couple of spinning back kicks and Minami nailed Kyoko Inoue with a powerbomb before locking Kyoko in a camel clutch that ultimately converted to a rear choke. Toyota faired somewhat better at first, using three dropkick to set up a German suplex for a near fall, followed by a chicken wing suplex for another.
Minami managed to get Toyota to her corner and held Manami as Hokuto came off the top rope with a dropkick that nearly won the match. A dragon suplex and a double underhook suplex similarly failed to earn the victory for the champions, so Hokuto slowed things down on the mat with sleeper and body scissors on Toyota. Minami managed to break the hold, but Suzuka tagged in and used a suplex to set up a rear chin lock to keep things on the mat.
Toyota made it to her feet and had the presence of mind to rebound from an Irish whip with a cross body and made the hot tag to Kyoko Inoue. Just like that, Inoue hit a running knee and drop kick, then held Suzuka as Toyota climbed to the top rope. Unfortunately, Toyota missed the dropkick.
Hokuto grabbed Inoue as Suzuka hit her with a top rope drop kick, then Suzuka hit a tilt-a-whirl back breaker and held Hokuto’s hands to assist her top rope senton bomb. Hokuto’s pin attempt on Inoue was somehow broken up by Minami Toyota, which led Suzuka to punch her in the face and knock her off the apron. At the same time, Akira Hokuto hit a powerslam and made the cover to win the third fall and retain the championships.
WINNERS: AKIRA HOKUTO & SUZUKA MINAMI
MATCH #7
AJA KONG vs. BULL NAKANO (c)
WWWA WORLD TITLE STEEL CAGE MATCH
These two fierce competitors couldn’t make it through the pre-match promos without getting physical. Moments later, Aja Kong jumped Bull Nakano on the entrance ramp and the two women battled outside the cage before the bell even rang. Kong made it into the cage first, slammed Bull Nakano’s face into the cage, then grinded it along the steel and bit Nakano’s face.
Nakano returned fire with an exploder suplex as the lights mysteriously went out, then drove Aja Kong’s face into the mat as they came back on. Nakano climbed to the top rope, but a back fist from Kong knocked the challenger back to the mat. About a dozen more back fists in a row from the champion bloodied the nose of Bull Nakano.
When another backfist dropped Nakano to the mat, Aja Kong tried to escape the cage. Nakano was up quickly and hit Kong with a pipe to knock Kong back to the mat. Nakano ducked a Kong clothesline and countered with a hard chop that earned an ovation from the fans.
Using the crowd as fuel, Nakano took control with a clothesline, two bicycle kicks, a spin kick, and a modified Styles Clash. At the same time, someone threw a metal box into the ring from the outside. Nakano repeatedly pummeled Kong with the box, at first with no effect. Soon, though, a box shot dropped Kong to the mat and Nakano began using nunchucks on Kong in one corner.
After Nakano rammed Kong’s face into the cage once again, she tried the same with a turnbuckle. However, Kong managed to block the move and unloaded with a series of rapid headbutts to Bull Nakano. Kong drilled Nakano with a piledriver, then unloaded with another series of strikes, this time while standing over Nakano on the second rope.
Nakano pushed Kong off of her, climbed to the second rope, and slammed Kong’s face into the mat. Nakano jumped back to the second rope for a spinning back kick, then jumped to the second rope in the center for another. Nakano tried to climb the cage to escape, but Kong made it to her feet and pulled the champion back down to the mat.
Kong grabbed the steel pipe and went to town on Nakano’s left leg, then switched to the metal box for the same purpose. Nakano grabbed actual scissors and began digging them into Kong’s arm and striking Kong’s arm with them like she was trying to stab the challenger. At that point, Madusa Miceli scaled the cage from the outside looking to fight Nakano herself until the other competitors on the outside pulled Miceli back down to the floor.
Someone else threw a long rope into the ring from the outside and Kong grabbed it first. The challenger wrapped it around Nakano’s neck many times and brutally choked her in the center of the ring. From there, Kong climbed to the second rope and used the height as leverage to choke Nakano even more forcefully.
Eventually, Nakano escaped the choke and managed to wrap the rope around Kong’s bloody, damaged arm. Nakano tied the other end of the rope to the bottom ring rope. For some reason, Nakano used this opportunity to try to climb the cage to escape, but did so right next to Kong instead of on the other side of the ring from her hog-tied opponent. Not surprisingly, Kong made it to her feet and pulled Nakano back down to the mat. Kong tried to climb and Nakano pulled her down to the mat. Nakano tried to climb again and Kong pulled her to the mat once more.
Another metal box was thrown into the ring for Kong to attack Nakano. At the same time, someone threw a metal chain into the ring for Nakano. As Nakano went to use the long chain, Kong’s supporters grabbed the other end to, unsuccessfully, prevent Nakano from doing so. Nakano choked Kong with the chain, then handed one end of the chain through the cage to someone on the outside who held Kong in place while Nakano pummeled Kong with one of the metal boxes.
Nakano took the entirety of the long chain and tied one end to each of two turnbuckles. With Kong really trapped this time, Nakano tried to soften her up with two second rope leg drops before trying to climb the cage and escape once more. This time, Kong managed to grab hold of a steel pipe and used it to knock Nakano off the cage, then drove one end of the pipe into the champion’s leg.. An exploder suplex from Kong brought Nakano back to the mat and Kong quickly started climbing again.
Nakano grabbed the nunchucks and hit Kong in the legs until she fell, then hit her with a piledriver and climbed to the top for a super leg drop. Kong rolled out of the way just in time, then hit a German suplex and grabbed a kendo stick that had been thrown into the ring.
Kong pummeled Nakano with the kendo stick, but missed when she tried to use it from the top rope. Nakano hit a body slam and looked to be climbing the cage to escape again. However, when Nakano got to the top of the cage she appeared to have an idea. She looked back down at her fallen opponent, stood upright on top of the cage, and crashed back down to the mat with a leg drop from fifteen feet in the air. After that, Nakano was easily able to climb the cage and escape to retain the world championship.
WINNER: BULL NAKANO
It seemed like Etsuko Mita has been in the opening match of every show I have reviewed so far. When I noticed her match on this card was a title match, I was hopeful it was a sign that Mita was ascending and I was right. I like this team she’s formed with Shimoda. Mita is quickly improving and becoming a presence in AJW. I look forward to seeing her continue to grow as she is clearly very talented.
Ultimo Dragon is one of my all-time favorite performers. Seeing him perform here, this early in his career was really fun to watch. What I did not expect was being so impressed with the trios champions, Los Brazos. They know how to work a crowd and they are great heels. On top of that, they can GO in the ring which just made this match a blast from start to finish.
What kind of beast is Akira Hokuto? The injury to her knee looked so bad when it first happened months before this event. Yet, here she is, taking nasty bumps and hitting suicide dives to the floor. Unbelievably tough, gritty performer and her tag team with Minami is a fun one to watch.
Kong and Nakano was every bit the war I hoped for and more. That kind of brutality inside that steel cage on this grand stage could have been the perfect blow-off for this feud. However, the events that followed the match made it clear that the feud is not ending, but growing and recruiting soldiers on each side. I am here for it. I am not a fan of the “fight forever” chant that is popular these days, but I feel it is appropriate here. I will take more Kong/Nakano matches in any form AJW cares to present them.
EVENT SCORE: 75/100
Next up, All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling’s Television from January 11, 1991 as originally broadcast on Fuji TV from Kowasaki, Japan. This show features a hair vs. hair tag team main event with Jungle Jack facing off against Bull Nakano and Kyoko Inoue.
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