All Japan Women Korakuen Hall 5/2/94 Commercial Tape
Running Time: approx. 2 hours 20 minutes
This was one of All Japan Women's almost-monthly Korakuen Hall shows, which were usually loaded with workrate and at least a couple great matches and this was no exception. The midgets match was the usual blemish one came to expect on these shows, but from there the show built nicely, beginning with a good match featuring a 2+ year pro in Maekawa, a couple midcarders and a veteran legend in Nakano. Then you had a very good Kong-Hasegawa match, and a title match that started slow but really rocked down the stretch. The show climaxed with a classic, and unique parejas increibles match with Manami Toyota and rival Kyoko Inoue as a team to battle their usual partners Toshiyo Yamada and Takako Inoue. I think the opener was Chapparita Asari vs Rie Tamada, but for some reason that match was chopped off the tape I got. I didn't really care, because chances are it didn't add anything to the show. This is a tape I would definitely recommend, especially to joshi puroresu fans.
1. Mr. Buddaman vs Tomezo Tsunokake
Tsunokake ran after Buddaman and tripped over him. Tsunokake dropkicked Buddaman but went for a slam and Buddaman fell on him. Buddaman slammed Tsunokake and applied a wristlock but Tsunokake fought back with some lame kicks. Tsunokake hit a Vader bomb and tried to apply an octopus but Buddaman was too fat for him to get around his body. Buddaman took the fight out of the ring and out of Korakuen Hall. They ended up fighting on the balcony where Buddaman teased throwing Tsunokake off the balcony to the floor. The bell rang at 3:03 and the match was a double countout. However, the ref restarted the match over a minute later. Tsunokake missed a dropkick and Buddaman gave him a kick and a slam. Buddaman fell off the top rope. Tsunokake went for a Vader bomb but crashed onto Buddaman's feet. Buddaman slammed Tsunokake and hit a top rope splash. Buddaman gave Tsunokake a splash mountain and pinned him about 6:05 after the opening bell. The second half was okay and much better than the terrible first half, but still a crappy match. Their usual lame match without much if any value to the show. 1/2*
2. Bull Nakano & Kumiko Maekawa vs Suzuka Minami & Tomoko Watanabe
Nakano steamrolled through Watanabe at the start. Watanabe ducked a clothesline and Minami hit a top rope dropkick on both opponents. All four women left the ring and brawled into the crowd. Minami dominated Maekawa while Watanabe surprisingly held her own brawling with Nakano. Minami hit Maekawa with a chair. Back in the ring Watanabe stomped Maekawa and kicked her. Watanabe gave Maekawa a hairmare and Minami slammed her. Minami elbowsmashed Maekawa and applied a Boston crab. Watanabe and Minami double teamed Maekawa and attacked her right leg. Watanabe applied a half crab on Maekawa and then grabbed her arms and bent them back for added pressure. Minami jumped off the top rope with an elbow on Maekawa and elbowed her again. Minami applied a modified figure 4 leglock until Maekawa reached the ropes and then applied another leglock. Minami slammed and legdropped Maekawa for a near fall. Maekawa tried to fight back but Watanabe went after her left arm. Watanabe slammed Maekawa and hit a second rope elbowsmash and a second rope legdrop for a near fall. Watanabe snapmared Maekawa but went for a second and Maekawa countered with a backslide. Nakano gave Watanabe a pretty stiff lariat for a pop and a modified Bubba bomb (Nakano just dropped Watanabe without falling with her) before applying a sleeper. Watanabe fought back with some kicks but Nakano clubbed her with an enzu-lariat. Nakano missed a lariat and Watanabe kicked her. Nakano gave Minami an enzu-lariat but missed a lariat and Minami rolled her up for a near fall. Nakano double suplexed her opponents for a pop. Minami basically no-sold a Maekawa dropkick in an annoying spot and kicked her. Minami gave Maekawa a lariat and piledrove her. Watanabe hiptossed Maekawa twice for a near fall but Maekawa surprised her with a rollup for a near fall. Watanabe missed a dropkick and Maekawa gave her a hairmare and somewhat of a monkey flip. Watanabe responded with a lariat on Maekawa. Minami snapmared Maekawa and applied a double chicken wing followed by a chinlock. Minami gave Maekawa a kneelift for a near fall and applied a camel clutch. Watanabe gave Maekawa a running lariat in the corner and some chops. Watanabe suplexed Maekawa for a near fall and backdropped her for another near fall. Watanabe gave Maekawa a hairmare but Maekawa rolled her up for a near fall. Nakano came in and hit Watanabe with her nunchucks. Watanabe gave Nakano a huracanrana for a near fall but Nakano fought back with a double clothesline on Watanabe and Minami. Nakano powerbombed Minami for a near fall but Minami knocked Nakano off the top rope. Minami knocked Maekawa off the apron and hit a tope suicida on Nakano. Nakano countered a German suplex but Minami rolled her up for a near fall. Minami slammed Nakano but Watanabe crashed onto Nakano's knees attempting a top rope splash. Nakano piledrove Watanabe but Watanabe fought back with a really sloppy second rope cross bodyblock. Minami hit a flying bodypress on Nakano for a near fall but Watanabe totally missed/botched a moonsault bodyblock and hit Minami. Nakano gave Minami a lariat and Maekawa dropkicked her. Nakano powerbombed Minami for a near fall and gave Watanabe a lariat when she tried to interfere. Maekawa slammed Minami and Nakano gave her a top rope legdrop for the pin at 14:33. This turned into a good match and would have been really good if not for some sloppy spots. Maekawa looked fine because she mainly bumped around and wasn't on offense long enough to expose her limitations. Nakano was cool in this setting as far as spicing up the undercard, as she often did by this point in her career. Minami looked solid and sharp in her work while Watanabe worked hard but her execution varied quite a bit. **3/4
3. Aja Kong vs Sakie Hasegawa
Hasegawa attacked Kong before the bell and gave her a bulldog and suplex on the floor. The bell rang and Hasegawa clotheslined Kong. kong fought back with a ton of slaps and repeatedly rammed Hasegawa into opposite corners before throwing her out of the ring. Kong threw Hasegawa into a sea of chairs on the floor and piledrove her on the exposed wodden floor. Kong gave Hasegawa her usual stiff roundhouse kicks but Hasegawa held her own. Hasegawa went for a kick but Kong caught her leg and clotheslined her. Kong applied a surfboard and gave Hasegawa another roundhouse kick. Kong gave Hasegawa a running lariat in the corner. She suplexed and elbowsmashed Hasegawa for a near fall before applying a bodyscissors. Hasegawa fought back and legdropped Kong's right arm. Hasegawa went for a sleeper but they were in the ropes. Hasegawa went for a cross armbreaker but Kong blocked it. Hasegawa gave Kong a bunch of slaps and mounted her back with a sleeper but Kong just backed her into a corner. Kong gave Hasegawa some brutal roundhouse kicks and suplexed her for a near fall. Kong applied a half crab and then an STF on Hasegawa. Kong headbutted and kicked Hasegawa. Kong no-sold some chops from Hasegawa and flattened her with a single chop. Kong lifted Hasegawa and slammed her into the corner, where Hasegawa ended up upside down. Kong then hit a brutal corner splash twice. Kong piledrove Hasegawa for a near fall and gave her somewhat of a cradle piledriver for another near fall. Kong applied a chinlock and then a modified camel clutch on Hasegawa. Kong landed more roundhouse kicks. She no-sold chops from Hasegawa but Hasegawa scored with a dropkick. Kong no-sold subsequent dropkicks and gave Hasegawa another stiff roundhouse kick. Hasegawa flipped out of a powerbomb attempt and gave Kong a spinning savate kick. Kong blocked a urunage but missed a corner splash. Kong slammed Hasegawa but Hasegawa caught her on the top rope. Kong blocked a superplex attempt and both fell to the mat. Kong hit a second rope splash on Hasegawa for a near fall. Kong attempted a second rope dangerous backdrop but Hasegawa countered with a sunset flip. Hasegawa gave Kong three savate kicks for a near fall. Hasegawa hit a fourth savate kick for a more heated near fall. Kong countered a urunage by grabbing the ropes and caught a charging Hasegawa with a dangerous backdrop for a near fall. Kong went for a back suplex but Hasegawa fell on top of her for a near fall. Hasegawa missed a savate kick and Kong gave her a brutal slap and a backdrop driver for a heated near fall. Hasegawa missed a kick and Kong missed an uraken. Hasegawa popped the crowd by giving Kong three urunages for a near fall. Kong blocked a fourth urunage and gave Hasegawa a hard nodowa for a near fall. Kong flattened Hasegawa with an uraken and pinned her after a backdrop driver at 15:57. Pretty much a perfectly scripted match except for a couple no-sell spots by Kong. Both women looked strong on offense, especially Kong, who turned in a perfect performance for a champ-underdog match. Hasegawa looked great just by throwing Kong around with those urunages and her star would really rise with the next Korakuen Hall show (see 6-3-94 review). ***1/2
4. UWA & JWP Tag Team Titles: Etsuko Mita & Mima Shimoda (c) vs Yumiko Hotta & Kaoru Ito
Ito dropkicked Mita and landed on her feet out of a backdrop attempt. Ito dropkicked Mita but Mita elbowed Hotta off the apron. Shimoda went for a springboard plancha but Ito moved and Shimoda took out a couple attendants. Ito hit a plancha on both opponents. Ito and Hotta threw their opponents into chairs on the floor and Ito buried Mita under a bunch of chairs. Back in the ring Ito applied a half crab on Mita as the pace slowed. Ito crossed Mita's legs and bent them back. Ito applied a camel clutch on Mita and Hotta punted Mita while in the hold. Ito applied a half crab on Mita but Shimoda attacked her and broke the hold. Ito recovered and applied a Boston crab on Mita. Hotta gave Mita a bunch of roundhouse kicks and piledrove her. Hotta applied a Boston crab on Mita and then a half crab. Shimoda knocked Ito off the apron and went after Hotta with some roundhouse kicks but Hotta shrugged them off and maintained the hold. Hotta dumped Mita upside down in the corner and gave her a roundhouse kick. Ito missed a clothesline but took Mita down and worked on her leg. Ito pulled Mita's hair and applied a chinlock. Ito dropkicked Mita and applied a sleeper. Mita fought back with a blazing chop on Ito and finally tagged Shimoda. Shimoda gave Ito two hairmares and piledrove her twice before applying a sleeper. Mita held Ito in the corner by her neck and Shimoda dropkicked her. Mita and Shimoda gave Ito a double boot and Mita dropped Ito neck first across the top rope. Mita legdropped Ito and applied a sleeper but Ito quickly reached the ropes. Shimoda choked Ito in the ropes. Ito sunset flipped Shimoda for a near fall but Shimoda recovered and applied a Boston crab and half crab on Ito. Shimoda applied a Romero special on Ito briefly. Mita jumped off the top rope and elbowed Ito. Mita lifted Ito on her shoulders, Ito went for a victory roll but Mita blocked it and Ito nearly fell straight down on her head. Mita gained a near fall on Ito and applied a sleeper, which Hotta broke up with a kick on Mita. Ito fought back with a hip attack on Shimoda. Hotta gave Shimoda an enzuguiri and a spin kick in the corner. Hotta gave Shimoda a spin kick in another corner and suplexed her for a near fall. Hotta gave Shimoda an overhead flip powerbomb in which Shimoda landed front-first. Hotta attacked Shimoda with a bunch of roundhouse kicks and knocked Mita off the apron. Hotta rammed Mita into the announcers' table and threw her into a sea of chairs at ringside. Ito slammed Shimoda on the floor near the entrance and jumped off a barricade with a foot stomp. Back in the ring Ito dropkicked Shimoda four times but missed a fifth dropkick. Mita gave Ito a blazing chop and a couple hairmares for a near fall. Shimoda gave ito a couple clotheslines for a near fall and a headscissors off the second rope that missed and Ito fought back. Mita caught Ito on the top rope but Hotta went after her. Shimoda German suplexed Hotta and Mita lifted ito on her shoulders and superplexed her. Shimoda tiger suplexed Ito for a near fall. Mita jumped off the top rope with a blazing chop on Ito and Shimoda gave her a top rope dropkick for a near fall. Ito missed a clothesline, Hotta grabbed Shimoda, but Ito elbowed Hotta when Shimoda ducked. Mita kicked Ito out of the ring and launched Shimoda up into a springboard plancha on both opponents. Mita then did her tope suicida onto Hotta and Ito. Mita suplexed Ito out of the corner but Shimoda missed a top rope splash. Ito gave Shimoda 4 foot stomps and a standing senton for a near fall. Ito slammed Shimoda but missed a top rope foot stomp. Hotta dumped Mita out of the ring and Ito kicked Shimoda. Ito slammed Shimoda and hit a second rope corkscrew senton which nearly missed its target. Hotta slammed Mita on the floor and Ito gave her a top rope foot stomp. In the ring Hotta slammed Shimoda and ito gave her a top rope foot stomp for a heated near fall. Shimoda flipped out of a powerbomb attempt but Hotta caught her and gave her a nodowa. Shimoda countered a tiger driver and rolled up Hotta for a near fall. Hotta missed a spin kick in the corner but Ito dropkicked Shimoda before she could fight back. Shimoda gave Ito and Hotta a double clothesline. Mita countered a tiger driver with a backslide on Hotta for a near fall. Mita went for a blazing chop but Hotta kicked her and went for a tiger driver, but Shimoda clotheslined Hotta. Mita and Shimoda missed a double dropkick on Hotta, who then bulldogged them. Mita countered a tiger driver and Hotta countered a Death Valley driver attempt with a kick to the face. Hotta gave Mita a tiger driver for a heated near fall. Hotta went to superplex Mita but Shimoda pushed her to the mat. Mita jumped off the top rope but Hotta caught her with a kick. Hotta attempted to powerbomb Mita but Shimoda interfered. Mita flipped out of a pyramid driver attempt but Hotta gave her a back suplex for a near fall. Hotta slammed Mita and Ito went for a top rope splash but crashed onto Mita's knees. Mita attempted a Death Valley driver but Ito countered with a sunset flip for a dramatic near fall. Mita missed a blazing chop and Ito German suplexed her for a near fall. Hotta hit Ito with an uraken when Mita moved out of the way. Mita went for a death Valley driver bit Ito rolled her up again for a near fall. Ito German suplexed Mita for a near fall. Mita caught Ito and gave her a Death Valley driver for a very near fall as Hotta barely made the save. Mita gave Ito a second Death Valley driver and pinned her at 26:47 to retain the title. This was almost a tale of two matches. The first 15 minutes, maybe more, contained very solid but often dull work except for the hot opening minute. After about 18 or 19 minutes, they suddenly realized this was a title match and really kicked into high gear in terms of intensity. The last 6 minutes saw a fast pace with all four women hitting or teasing their signature moves along with some very dramatic near falls that really energized the crowd. Ito's execution was a bit spotty, but she played the underdog role to perfection, showing a great sense of urgency in using her big moves and gaining near falls. If nothing else the last 6 minutes were fantastic in that the wrestlers worked with a great sense of urgency with the titles on the line. Mita and Shimoda were still perfecting their tag team style, so perhaps that explains the lackluster first 15 minutes. After about 15:00, this was looking like a **1/2 match, but the last 6 minutes were so great they almost pulled this match up to the excellent level. ***3/4
5. Kyoko Inoue & Manami Toyota vs Toshiyo Yamada & Takako Inoue
Yamada and Kyoko traded kicks and Mongolian chops early and Yamada won the exchange. Yamada missed a corner splash and Kyoko and Toyota double clotheslined her. Kyoko and Toyota also gave Yamada a double dropkick and Toyota kicked Takako out of the ring. Toyota then took out both opponents with her springboard plancha. Kyoko took Yamada down and attacked her right leg. Toyota and Kyoko each stomped one of Kyoko's legs. Toyota dropkicked Yamada and gave her an armringer into a wristlock. Toyota jumped to the top rope and gave Yamada a lucha armdrag. Yamada fought back with some kicks to Toyota's leg and gave her a sharp superkick. Toyota tried to jump to the top rope but fell to the mat selling the kicks to her leg (look closely- it wasn't a botched spot by Toyota). Takako held Toyota, gave her some knees to her head and tombstoned her for a near fall. Takako gave Toyota a double arm suplex for a near fall. Takako pulled Toyota around by her hair and attacked her in the ropes in heelish fashion. Yamada kicked Toyota and gave her a modified snap suplex/DDT. She gave Toyota a stiff kick and elbowed Kyoko on the apron. Yamada continued to attack Toyota's left leg with stiff kicks and hit her with a solid spinning kick. Yamada applied a half crab on Toyota's left leg and then her right leg. Yamada and Takako drove Toyota's knees into the mat. Yamada kicked and elbowed Toyota's leg before applying a leglock. Toyota kicked Yamada to break the hold but Yamada responded with some brutal roundhouse kicks to Toyota's back. Yamada back suplexed Toyota. Toyota dropkicked Takako and tagged Kyoko. Kyoko gave Takako an overhead slam but Takako fought back with an armdrag. Yamada and Takako missed a clothesline and chased Kyoko around the ring. Toyota caught both opponents with a flying bodypress. Kyoko applied her rolling leglock/surfboard combo on Takako while Toyota teased the same move on Yamada. Kyoko applied a Romero special on Takako, then bent her back further with a chinlock. Toyota dropkicked Takako and gave her two hairmares. Toyota hairmared Takako again and pulled on her nose. Takako kicked Toyota and DDTd her. Takako tied up Toyota in the ropes and pulled on her nose as well. Takako continued to dominate Toyota in heelish fashion but Toyota fought back with a springboard inverted flying bodypress. Takako caught Kyoko and back suplexed her for a near fall. Kyoko jumped to the middle rope and gave both opponents a double elbow. Kyoko slammed Takako and ran to the top rope but Yamada caught her there and Takako suplexed her out of the corner for a near fall. Kyoko gave Takako a lariat and slammed her. Kyoko jumped to the top rope and hit a top rope elbowsmash on Takako for a near fall. Kyoko went for a piledriver but Takako countered and gave her a nodowa. Yamada gave Kyoko three jumping kicks for a near fall. Kyoko caught Yamada on the top rope but was unable to superplex her and both women fell to the mat. Kyoko then gave Yamada a top rope northern lights superplex for a near fall as Toyota held Takako at bay. Yamada flipped out of a powerbomb attempt but missed a spin kick. Kyoko went for a German suplex but Yamada elbowed her. Toyota came in and German suplexed Yamada. Takako got the better of Toyota at ringside as Kyoko applied her modified camel clutch on Yamada in the ring. Takako broke the hold but Toyota attacked her. Kyoko went for a Niagara driver on Yamada but Takako gave her a Takako panic and Yamada back suplexed Kyoko for a near fall. Kyoko blocked a superplex attempt but Yamada knocked her to the floor with a jumping kick. Takako back suplexed Kyoko off the apron to the floor. Back in the ring Yamada back suplexed Kyoko for a near fall. Kyoko jumped off the top rope and dropkicked Yamada. Toyota went for her Toyota roll but Yamada countered with a powerbomb. Toyota went for a rolling cradle but Takako countered with a hiptoss. Toyota caught Takako with her Toyota roll for a near fall. Toyota then gave Takako her rolling cradle for a near fall. Kyoko gave Takako a 20-revolution giant swing and slammed her. Toyota missed a moonsault on Takako. Toyota German suplexed Takako for a near fall. Toyota slammed Takako and went for a moonsault but Yamada kicked her. Takako back suplexed Toyota for a near fall. Yamada missed a kick and Toyota gave her a cross arm German suplex for a near fall. Toyota slammed Yamada and moonsaulted her for a near fall. Toyota went for an ocean cyclone suplex but Yamada countered and German suplexed her for a near fall. Toyota knocked Yamada off the top rope to the floor with a kick. Takako caught Toyota on the top rope and gave her a destiny hammer (top rope nodowa). Yamada gave Toyota a top rope spin kick for a near fall. Toyota countered a reverse Gori special suplex with a rollup for a near fall. Yamada elbowed Kyoko and gave Toyota a 360 spin kick. Yamada then gave Toyota a reverse Gori special suplex and pinned her at 20:35. Not a ton of psychology, although there was more of that than you might expect with Toyota doing a good job of selling her left leg early and incorporating her usual style into that story by botching a springboard move. Toyota and Yamada held nothing back against each other, which was typical of the usual tag team partners, but neither did the Inoues, who fought with great intensity against each other. The main story of this match was the vintage mid-90s All Japan Women workrate displayed by all four women. Toyota and Kyoko were the stars as expected with their athleticism and energy. Yamada delivered some stiff and really sharp-looking kicks, along with her usual great workrate, while Takako looked solid throughout and worked at a comparable level with the other three. Fun match with lots of action from start to finish, especially in the last 9 minutes. ****1/2
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