In this installment of my journey through IWTV in chronological order, the eighth consecutive event from AJW, I review the April 29, 1991 episode of AJW TV.
Again, the top half of the card is what grabbed my attention. The battle of the unrelated Inoues intrigued me. I just saw Takako Inoue for the first time at Wrestlemarinepiad ’91 in a tag match. I have seen Kyoko Inoue perform a few times recently, but never in a high stakes match.
Another show, another huge Akira Hokuto match. This time, for the All Pacific Championship against the woman who just won the belt last month on AJW TV, Suzuka Minami. Minami has been impressive in most of her matches lately, but Akira Hokuto has proven to be indestructible. Hokuto might actually perform better hurt than healthy, at least from what I have seen. Minami will be a test for Hokuto, especially if all of Akira’s injuries start to have some sort of effect on Hokuto.
The tag team championship match, though, is the most intriguing match on the card for me because of one woman, Esther Moreno. We have seen her several times lately, but always at the bottom of the card and mostly in throw-away six person tag matches. On this night, she would take on a highly skilled partner in Manami Toyota in an attempt to cement her place in AJW with a huge upset for the tag titles.
The main event features another Bull Nakano world title defense against a formidable opponent and a future WWF Women’s Champion, Monster Ripper, known in the United States as Harvey Whippelman’s girlfriend, Bertha Faye. Certainly, Monster Ripper’s size and strength make her a tough draw for the WWWA Women’s Champion.
MATCH #1
TOMOKO WATANABE, BONTEIPU SONTIETAM & HIRASUINE SONTEITAM vs. KAZUE SAITO, KAORU ITO & MAYUMI YAMAMOTO
All six women shook hands before the bell and started brawling instantly after it rang. Saito, Ito, and Yamamoto hit a triple dropkick in the early moments and Ito followed up by putting Watanabe in a surfboard for an early submission. When that failed, Inoue stomped on Watanabe’s back and tagged Mayumi Yamamoto.
Yamamoto hit three consecutive dropkicks and a body slam, then made the cover. Watanabe bit Yamamoto to escape at the count of one, then tagged in Hirasuine Sonteitam who used back-to-back Irish Whips to set up two back elbows. Sonteitam continued with a body slam for a nearfall and tagged in her sister, Bonteipu.
A basement dropkick sent Yamamoto into her corner where she tagged Kazue Saito who quickly hit three dropkicks and a body slam on Bonteipu and went for the cover. After just a one count, Saito locked Bonteipu in a body scissors in the center of the ring. Bonteipu made it to the ropes to force a break, but Kazue kicked her in the face and tossed Bonteipu into her own corner and tagged Kaoru Ito.
Ito hit three dropkicks and a back body drop for a near fall, then slowed things down by working the leg of Bonteipu Sonteitam. Ito stomped the leg to soften it, a leg drop on the leg to soften it some more, then secured a leg lock on the mat. When that failed to get the submission, a frustrated Ito stomped on Sonteitam’s leg some more, then began twisting the leg like a pretzel.
Yamamoto was the next to tag in and immediately locked Sonteitam into a Boston Crab. Tomoko Watanabe ran in to break the hold, then whipped Yamamoto into the ropes for a back elbow. Ito tagged back in and immediately found herself on the receiving end of a back elbow, a hip toss, and an eye gouge that sent her reeling into her own corner.
Kazue Saito returned with the hot hand, sending Watanabe into the ropes for a back elbow followed by a back body drop, then stomped Watanabe’s legs in the corner until the referee forced a break. Watanabe took advantage of the reset and quickly put Saito in a Boston Crab that eventually converted to a single leg. Ito ran in to try to break the hold with a series of stomps, but Watanabe refused to relent.
Once Saito finally escaped, she whipped Watanabe in the direction of a returning Yamamoto who nailed Tomoko with a clothesline, then held Tomoko as Kazue Saito climbed to the top for a missile dropkick. Ito leapt to the top rope to assist her teammates, but missed Tomoko Watanabe and struck Kazue Saito by mistake.
Feeling the momentum shift, Watanabe hit five consecutive dropkicks, followed by a hip toss and a suplex to Saito. Watanabe held Saito in place as Bonteipu ran in with a dropkick to Saito. Bonteipu made the cover while Watanabe stood guard to prevent anyone from interfering.
WINNERS: TOMOKO WATANABE, BONTEIPU SONTEITAM & HIRASUINE SONTEITAM
MATCH #2
MIKA TAKAHASHI & MIORI KAMIYA vs. ETSUKO MITA & MIMA SHIMODA
After some early back and forth, Miori Kamiya took control with a spinning back kick on Etsuko Mita, then tagged Mika Takahashi as Mita tagged Shimoda. Takahashi struck first with a dropkick to Shimoda, then grabbed on arm bar on the mat and tagged Kamiya back into the match.
Kamiya continued working the arm of Shimoda with arm bar into an arm drag before pulling Shimoda down to the mat for another arm submission hold. After a while, Kamiya got restless and picked Shimoda up for an Irish Whip. Mima managed to counter with a crucifix backslide to earn a near fall and gave Shimoda a chance to tag out.
Mita quickly picked Kamiya up into an airplane spin and called Mima Shimoda back into the ring. Shimoda went to work on the leg of Kamiya with a series of kicks, a leg drop, and a jumping leg strike on the ropes before settling in with a figure four in the center of the ring. Just as Kamiya seemed certain to tap out, she barely reached the ropes to force a break.
Etsuko Mita tagged back in and went for an Irish Whip. Kamiya ducked a clothesline and used a cazadora roll up for a near fall. Finally, Kamiya was able to tag out to the fresh Mika Takahashi. Mika hit a springboard snap mare, a top rope arm drag and a Northern Lights suplex for a near fall, then held Mita as Miori Kamiya came off the top rope with a kick.
Mita tagged Shimoda, but Kamiya soon hit Mima with a double underhook suplex for a near fall and tagged Takahashi. They double whipped Mima Shimoda who tried to counter with a cross body but missed completely. At that moment, all four women entered the ring. Takahashi climbed to the top, but Shimoda followed. From behind, Miori Kamiya put Shimoda on her shoulders as Takahashi came off the top rope with an assisted bulldog, then hit a perfect Northern Lights suplex for the win.
WINNERS: MIKA TAKAHASHI & MIORI KAMIYA
MATCH #3
AKEMI TORISU vs. BAT YOSHINAGA (c)
WWWA MARTIAL ARTS TITLE MATCH
Bat Yoshinaga became the inaugural WWWA Martial Arts Champion in the previous show a month earlier, and seemed unbeatable as she headed into this title defense against Akemi Torisu who looked afraid as she stared across the ring at Bat Yoshinaga. Torisu was clearly much bigger, and presumably much stronger than Yoshinaga’s previous opponents, but would that be enough?
After an early flurry of punches from both fighters, Torisu started to tire. Yoshinaga started landing more and more punches as the first round ended, with Torisu turning away from punches and throwing weak back fists at the champion in response. In the second round, Torisu got her second wind and starting landing some of those back fists to put Yoshinaga on her heels.
Yoshinaga busted Torisu open in the third round with a punch to the nose, but Akemi found some success late in the round by alternating forward punches and back fists as her arm swung in the air like a pendulum. In the fourth round, though, Torisu starting losing steam and got knocked down for the first time.
In the fifth round, Torisu looked beat. Yoshinaga landed a perfect punch on the chin of Akemi that knocked her down for a standing eight count. Moments later, a series of hard kicks sent Torisu to the mat again for a standing eight. After the reset, a weak Yoshinaga punch was just enough to knock Akemi down once more.
As the sixth round began, Akemi Torisu was obviously limping and the champion smelled blood in the water. Yoshinaga charged with a series of hard kicks and a blow to the face that briefly knocked the challenger down. Torisu seemed to have trouble staying upright at the count of eight, but the referee let the match continue. After two more knockdowns by Yoshinaga, Torisu made it to her feet but could barely keep herself upright, forcing the referee to call for the bell.
WINNER BY REFEREE DECISION: BAT YOSHINAGA
MATCH #4
SAKIE HASEGAWA, MARIKO YOSHIDA & TOSHIYO YAMADA vs. CYNTHIA MORENO, DEBBIE MALENKO & YUMIKO HOTTA
SIX PERSON TAG TEAM MATCH
Cynthia Moreno and Mariko Yoshida started off this six person tag match with Yoshida getting the upper hand with three consecutive dropkicks. Yoshida took a moment to tag in Toshiyo Yamada which gave Moreno just long enough to recover. Cynthia first reversed a whip into the corner with a hurricanrana, then reversed a whip into the ropes the same way which brought Yamada back into the match.
The fans roared with excitement when Yamada tossed Cynthia Moreno into her own corner, demanding she tag in Yumiko Hotta. Quickly, Yamada went at Hotta with a series of rapid kicks to set up a Boston Crab in the center of the ring. When Hotta broke loose, Yamada tagged Yoshida, who hoped for better luck with a surfboard.
Hotta escaped that hold, as well and tagged in Debbie Malenko. At the same time, Sakie Hasegawa entered for the first time, as well. Sakie took control first with a double underhook facebuster to set up a modified guillotine submission. When Malenko wriggled out of the hold, Hasegawa hit a spin kick and whipped Malenko into the ropes. However, off the whip, Malenko caught a Hasegawa boot to the midsection and reversed into a leg lock submission on the mat.
Malenko’s leg lock slowly converted to a leg scissors, then into a single leg crab before Yumiko Hotta re-entered to hit a double underhook suplex and an overhead throw on Hasegawa before quickly tagging Cynthia Moreno. Sakie struck first against Cynthia with a tilt-a-whirl slam, two dropkicks, and a cross body for a near fall
In an instant, both Yumiko Hotta and Mariko Yoshida returned with Hotta connecting on back-to-back tilt-a-while facebusters for near falls before Debbie Malenko ran in to assist Yotta with a double clothesline. Hotta covered Hasegawa, but Yamada and Yoshida broke up the pinfall. Sakie’s two teammates went for a double team on Hotta, but Yumiko ducked their clothesline and countered with one of her own to both Yamada and Yoshida.
Hotta tagged Cynthia Moreno and watched as Cynthia hit a beautiful Frankensteiner that nearly ended the match, then whipped Mariko Yoshida into the ropes. Yoshida rebounded with a sudden sunset flip while Sakie Hasegawa and Toshiyo Yamada stood guard in the ring to ensure no one would interfere with the pinfall.
WINNERS: SAKIE HASEGAWA, MARIKO YOSHIDA & TOSHIYO YAMADA
MATCH #5
TAKAKO INOUE vs. KYOKO INOUE
In this first-ever meeting of the unrelated Inoues, Takako was the early aggressor, attacking the face-painted Kyoko in the corner as the bell ran until the referee forced a break. The break was short as Takako grabbed Kyoko’s leg and twisted it around the ropes until the referee got involved once more. The break allowed Kyoko Inoue to roll to the outside where she was visibly limping.
As Kyoko climbed onto the apron to get back in the ring, Takako attacked again, looking to try to prevent Kyoko from re-entering. When she made it inside the ropes, Kyoko managed to counter Takako off the ropes with a back body drop, but could not sustain the momentum. Takako jumped up off the mat and instantly locked Kyoko in a figure four in the center of the ring.
Kyoko tried for a while to break the hold and only barely managed to do so when she got a hand on the bottom rope. Undeterred, Takako locked Kyoko in a Boston Crab and dragged her back to the center of the ring and ultimately converted it into a modified Texas Cloverleaf. Takako seemed to be poised for victory, but decided to just let go of the hold and stomped on Kyoko’s back as Kyoko rolled back outside the ring, supposedly to safety.
This time, though, Takako followed and rapidly ushered Kyoko back into the squared circle. Takako twice whipped Kyoko into the ropes, and twice found herself on the receiving end of springboard back elbows. Again, Kyoko’s momentum was short-lived after she whipped Takako into the corner and charged. Takako got her feet up in Kyoko’s face, forcing Kyoko to recoil, then hit a double underhook facebuster, knee breaker, and a back suplex for a near fall.
Takako climbed to the top rope and connected with a brutal flying knee drop, but went to the well once too often, and missed a second flying knee that allowed Kyoko to roll her up for a quick near fall. Finally, it felt as though Kyoko’s fortunes were improving. She hit a double underhook suplex, followed by a series of kicks to Takako’s face. Kyoko lifted Takako up for what looked like a Razor’s Edge, but her knee, weakened from all of Takako’s leg submissions, gave way.
Somehow, Kyoko was able to hit a body slam and confusingly decided to climb to the top rope. With the injured knee, Kyoko’s progress seemed too slow to make it to the top in time to be successful once she got there. Amazingly, though, Kyoko hit a reverse flying elbow drop, then lifted Takako once more into the crucifix for a spin and drop.
Unfortunately, Kyoko had to crawl on her bad knee to make the cover and only garnered a two count once she got there. Kyoko looked to the crowd for support and decided to try a Texas Cloverleaf, but Takako kicked her way out of the hold before it could lock in, then clotheslined Kyoko over the top rope to the floor. Takako followed, quickly threw Kyoko back in, and got the victory with an ankle lock.
WINNER: TAKAKO INOUE
MATCH #6
SUZUKA MINAMI (c) vs. AKIRA HOKUTO
ALL PACIFIC TITLE MATCH
Suzuka Minami just won the All Pacific Title from Manami Toyota title a month before and now she would forced to do battle with the indestructible, Akira Hokuto who could not possibly be at one hundred percent… could she?
The challenger started quickly with a whip into the corner, but Minami lifted the charging Hokuto up and over to the floor, followed with a tope suicida, and leapt back into the ring to furious crowd approval. Hokuto took her time getting back into the ring and got hit with a clothesline almost immediately once she did.
However, the challenger recovered and hit a piledriver to turn the tide, then locked Minami in a reverse face lock on the mat to slow the pace a bit. Minami got a foot on the rope to force a break, then used a body slam to set up a reverse chin lock on the mat. After a while, Hokuto escaped and used a clothesline to set up her own rear chin lock, that eventually added a body scissors like a Coquina Clutch.
Astutely, Minami saw an opportunity and rolled through into a surfboard submission, then began focusing on Hokuto’s leg. The champion stomped on Hokuto’s leg, then dropped a knee on her ankle and went for a figure four leg lock. Hokuto took forever to reach the ropes and force a break, only to see Minami to release the hold and grab an ankle lock instead. Even more time passed with Hokuto writing in pain on the mat and, seemingly, seconds away from submitting.
When Minami converted the ankle lock into a surfboard, Hokuto clawed her way to freedom. Frustrated, Minami jumped up and started stomping on the ankle. Suzuka draped Hokuto’s ankle over the bottom rope and jumped on it, then dragged her to the center of the ring and stood on it. From there, Minami dropped an elbow on the weakened joint and went back to a leg lock on the mat.
As usual, Hokuto spent a long time fighting to escape. Over the next minute, Akira slowly rolled toward the ropes. When she made it and forced a break, Hokuto rolled outside the ring to recover and stayed out there until the count of seventeen. Hokuto gently rolled back into the ring at the last second, and played possum until Minami charged. To Manami’s surprise, she soon found herself locked in a Texas Cloverleaf.
This time, it was the champion who was stuck in the center of the ring with, seemingly, no options. When Minami crawled to the ropes and forced a break, Hokuto hit three consecutive dropkicks and a body slam into a bridge pin, all while very obviously limping on the damaged ankle.
Off the two count, Hokuto whipped Minami into the ropes, but got reversed into a tilt-a-whirl back breaker, then another for a near fall. Minami went back to the surfboard, but this time rolled too far backwards and allowed her shoulders to be pinned to the mat, facilitating a pin count and forcing a break of the hold.
Undaunted, Minami went for a single leg crab, but had trouble locking it in correctly. So, Minami released the hold and went for a sharpshooter. Still, Hokuto refused to submit. Minami release yet another submission and climbed to the top rope. The champion hit a flying knee strike and climbed right back to the top rope to hit a flying kick to Hokuto’s face.
As the match began to wind down, it turned into a contest of competing near falls. Minami whipped Hokuto into the ropes, missed a clothesline, and got hit with a German suplex with a bridge for a near fall. Hokuto climbed to the top rope, but missed on a flying headbutt. Minami countered with a jackknife power bomb for a one count, then another for a two.
Minami hit a German suplex with a bridge pin, but Hokuto refused to stay down. Minami went for yet another jackknife power bomb, but Hokuto threw her weight forward and caused Minami to fall backwards to the mat. Hokuto followed with a double arm DDT for a near fall and climbed to the top rope. Minami met Hokuto at the top and hit a double underhook superplex for a near fall, then climbed back to the top rope.
Hokuto rolled out of the way of the Minami top rope senton and hit a double chicken wing suplex for a near fall. The challenger attempted a body slam, but got reversed into a small package for a near fall. Hokuto went for another body slam, but her ankle gave out and she dropped Suzuka Minami over the top rope to the floor. Turning lemons into lemonade, Hokuto waited until Minami hit the floor then unloaded with an incredible tope con hilo out to the floor.
Now, the momentum started to swing in Akira Hokuto’s favor and never swung back. Hokuto returned to the ring first and, as Minami made it to the apron, climbed to the top rope for a shotgun dropkick. When that worked, Hokuto hit another, and another…and another. Hokuto climbed to the top rope a fifth time and hit a 2 Cold Scorpio-esque Tumbleweed from the top rope. then a modified Michinoku Driver for the win and the All Pacific Championship.
WINNER AND NEW CHAMPION: AKIRA HOKUTO
MATCH #7
AJA KONG & BISON KIMURA (c) vs. ESTHER MORENO & MANAMI TOYOTA
WWWA TAG TEAM TITLE – TWO OUT OF THREE FALLS
Aja Kong was caught off guard early in the match as Esther Moreno seemed to be confusing Aja with her quickness. When Moreno reversed a whip into a sunset flip, Kong used her assets to her advantage and simply sat down. That brought all four women into the ring. Kong and Kimura tried to whip Moreno and Toyota into each other, but got reversed into simultaneous hurricanranas from the challengers.
Kong managed to regain some control from the champions when she began biting Esther Moreno then tagged in Bison Kimura. Moments later, Manami Toyota tagged in and quickly found herself being lifted to the top turnbuckle by Kimura and thrown down to the mat by her hair. Once there, Kimura flung her across the ring by her hair twice more.
When Kong returned, she locked Toyota in an arm bar and started biting the arm at the same time. Kong then took both of Toyota’s hands, stacked them on top of one another, stood on them, then jumped on them. Kong went back to biting the arm until the referee forced a break, at which point Kong dropped a knee on the bitten arm and tagged Kimura.
Kimura entered with a karate chop from the top rope, then followed Kong’s example with an arm bar that included more arm biting. Once the hold was released, Toyota reversed a whip with a two dropkicks and tagged Moreno to assist with a double clothesline.
After a near fall, Kimura was up first and began choking Moreno from a standing position. When the referee forced a break, Kimura tagged Kong, who immediately put Moreno back in a standing choke. Kong lifted Moreno into a fireman’s carry and dropped her face first on the turnbuckle for a near fall, then tagged Kimura. Kong grabbed a steel box and climbed to the top as Kimura held Moreno, but Moreno moved at the last second causing Kong to hit Kimura.
Moreno capitalized with two dropkicks to Kimura and Manami Toyota returned and hit a second rope shotgun dropkick. Toyota reversed a Kimura Irish Whip into a backslide for a near fall before Moreno returned to hit a flying cross body and assist whth a double Irish Whip. Kimura had the presence of mind to hold the ropes, causing Moreno and Toyota to miss a double dropkick.
Thinking the momentum was shifting, Kimura whipped Toyota into the ropes, but Toyota dropkicked Kong on the apron, then turned around to assist Moreno with a double suplex. Moreno and Toyota followed with simultaneous flying headbutts. Next, Toyota body slammed Kimura to set up a Moreno mooonsault to take the first fall.
The second fall started with Toyota hitting three consecutive dropkicks on the mat, and one more from the top rope to Kimura. Toyota held Kimura still as Esther Moreno climbed to the top for a missile dropkick. The force of the blow sent Kimura into her own corner where she tagged in a motivated Aja Kong.
Kong reversed a whip with a shoulder block, then hit a splash in the corner, and hit another shoulder block. Moreno fled to the apron and tried to headbutt Kong when Kong approached. Of course, the headbutt had no effect on Kong, So, Moreno hit a Thesz Press from the top rope and a Frankensteiner.
Moreno’s luck ended when Kong hit her with a snap powerslam as Moreno came off the ropes. Kong followed with five consecutive headbutts and a piledriver, but somehow could not get the three count. Kimura tossed the metal box into the ring for Kong to hit Moreno in the head. The blow sent Moreno out to the floor to recover.
When Moreno returned to the ring, she withstood a nasty jumping piledriver from Kong and a series of chops to the chest from Kimura. Moreno whipped Kimura into the ropes and Kimura dropped down. Moreno did a back handspring over the drop down, then dragged Kimura into her corner.
Toyota returned and locked Kimura in an abdominal stretch, then hit a cross body and climbed to the top for another. Kimura managed to sidestep and countered with two hard palm strikes to Toyota’s chest and a body slam for a near fall. Kong returned and whipped Manami in the ropes. Toyota countered with a cross body and tagged Moreno.
At this point, Esther Moreno’s face is bleeding profusely from the metal box shot. Toyota lifted Moreno into the air for an assisted dropkick, but Kong simply swatted Moreno out of the air. Kimura returned with a few more hard palm strikes and a diving headbutt for a near fall. Kimura continued with a slingshot back suplex, then a regular back suplex for another near fall. Toyota broke up the second pin attempt, which brought Aja Kong into the ring. As Kong dealt with Toyota in one corner, Kimura used a body slam to set up a top-rope rotating splash on Esther to win the second fall.
Kimura grabbed a single leg crab on Esther Moreno, as the third fall started, that converted into an STF and then into a surfboard. Finally, Manami ran in to break Moreno free and tagged herself into the match. Kimura threw Manami across the ring by her hair, and Aja Kong pulled her completely outside the ring. Kong slammed Toyota on the ringside table, grabbed a chair and hit Toyota in the head, then dragged her back to ringside and flung Toyota back into the ring.
Inside the ring, Kong grabbed a Boston Crab in the center of the ring. Moreno ran in and pulled Kong’s hair to help release the hold. As Kong confronted Moreno, Toyota snuck up for a quick roll up for a near fall. Kimura joined Kong in the ring and slingshotted Toyota into Kong,
Kong threw Toyota into her own corner to tag Moreno, but Toyota stayed around to assist Moreno on a double dropkick, then knocked Kimura off the apron. Toyota jumped to the top rope aor a suicide dive onto Kimura. Moreno followed with an Asai Moonsault to the outside onto everybody.
When the action returned to the ring, Moreno and Toyota hit a double back drop to Kong, followed by simultaneous dropkicks for a near fall. They double whipped Kong again, but Kong countered with a cross body to both women as she rebounded. Toyota and Moreno rolled outside the ring as Kimura climbed to the top rope. Bison hit a cross body to the outside on both challengers, and Aja Kong followed behind her with the same thing.
Kong and Toyota returned to the ring first. Kong missed a top rope diving headbutt, which allowed Toyota to climb to the top for a flying cross body. Kong caught Toyota in mid-air and converted into a powerslam. That resulted in just a near fall, so Kong hit a German suplex that resulted in another. Kimura ran in as Kong climbed to the top rope. Kimura lifted Manami Toyota into the air and handed her to Aja Kong for a top rope package piledriver to put the challengers away for good.
WINNERS: AJA KONG & BISON KIMURA
MATCH #8
BULL NAKANO (c) vs. MONSTER RIPPER
WWWA WORLD TITLE MATCH
The epic tag team match before it got me, and everyone in attendance that night, hyped up for the main event world title clash of behemoths. Monster Ripper wasted no time. Before the opening bell, Ripper attacked the champion, using streamers to choke out Bull Nakano. Both women rolled outside the ring together, with Ripper still choking Nakano, and brawled through the crowd. Ripper threw several chair at Nakano, then rammed Nakano’s head into a row of chairs.
Monster Ripper made it back to the ring first and tried her hardest to prevent Nakano from getting back in with her. Nakano managed to do so using a boot to the midsection and an eye rake, but Ripper countered with a steel chair shot and a body slam for a near fall.
Nakano was already bleeding from the chair shot when she got hit with a second. Monster Ripper choked Nakano with the middle rope, then hit a double underhook suplex for a near fall. Ripper took a moment to drive her boot into the gash on Nakano’s forehead, then set up another steel chair for a third shot to the head of Nakano.
Nakano blocked the third chair shot and hit Ripper with it instead, grabbed the chair from the top turnbuckle and slammed it into Monster Ripper’s back and head. Ripper rolled back outside the ring and Nakano followed for another brawl through the crowd.
Monster Ripper had started bleeding, as well, when she re-entered the ring. Nakano was right behind her and called to ringside for someone to toss her a pair of nunchuks. The fans roared with approval as Nakano unloaded with the nunchuks. Nakano hit a top rope leg drop and a DDT, each for near falls, then pulled Ripper’s hair and elbowed her bloody face.
Monster Ripper fought back with a series of low kicks to soften Nakano’s leg, then followed with a leg drop onto the leg, a headbutt of the leg, and an elbow drop on the leg. Ripper went for a second elbow drop, but missed. Nakano countered with a standard leg drop and went for a suplex, but could not lift Monster Ripper into the air.
Monster Ripper whipped Nakano into the corner for a splash, but missed on a second splash and got hit with a German suplex and a Saito suplex for a near fall. Monster Ripper managed to reverse a whip with a boot to the midsection and hit a sit out powerbomb. When that garnered just a two count, Ripper went for a senton. Nakano moved out of the way of the senton, climbed to the top, and hit a 450 leg drop to retain.
WINNER: BULL NAKANO
The opening four matches were all entertaining and well-performed. However, nothing stood out about them either with respect to advancing storyline or with respect to being memorable matches. As little as I care for the martial arts matches, this show’s version was probably the most substantial contest of the first half of the show. The fact that Torisu looked so overmatched, but never went down and had to have the match stopped in order to be defeated was impressive.
The battle of the Inoues was short, but really interesting. When I first saw the match, I thought the hook was that they were related. I was obviously wrong beause they are not related. The hook, for me, turned out to be putting a spotlight on two skilled performers who have not been pushed thus far and watching them put on a match that felt important. I hope to see more of both women in important matches moving forward.
The All Pacific title match was fantastic. Akira Hokuto is an incredible athlete and dedicated to her craft. The way she continues to battle through adversity with increasing success is compelling. Her matches all tell a story that is clear to the viewer and is believable. That’s not to take anything away from Suzuka MInami. Minami is also an impressive performer who belongs at the top of the card. I am sure her next title reign is not far off, but I won’t look ahead for spoilers.
The tag title match was by far the best match on the card. The challengers’ early victory in the first fall, combined with the way the new team of Manami Toyota and Esther Moreno gelled so quickly, convinced me that a title change was in the works. It was not, but the journey to find that out was worth it. Esther Moreno is fast becoming one of my favorite AJW performers. Her high flying, fast paced style was on full display in this match. On top of that, doing it all with a crimson mask late in the match gave her character a whole new dimension.
The main event was shorter than usual, but it was a good showing for both women. The energy was at its peak when this match started and Monster Ripper proved to be a worthy opponent for Bull Nakano on this night, and for years to come. Looking forward to the next one.
EVENT SCORE: 77/100
Next up, All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling TV from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan on May 26, 1991 featuring Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota plus a two out of three falls tag team main event of Bat Yoshinaga & Bull Nakano vs. Akira Hokuto & Sakie Hasegawa and much more!!
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