ALL JAPAN WOMEN DESTINY 9/2/95 Commercial Tape

Running Time: 4 hours 40 minutes

Many fans of joshi puroresu would argue that this event was the last one presented by AJW that was great from top to bottom. I am one of these people as this show cracks my top 10 list of the best shows I’ve seen. At least 3 ****+ matches, including a classic main event and a near-classic semifinal. Out of the other 6 matches, I rated 4 at *** or better. The only downside was the first two matches, which were the AJW rookie-style match and one of their pointless midget matches. Most of the matches on this show had strong heat.

Like most AJW major events of this period, the event began with a lengthy segment in which all participants were brought out in the order of their scheduled matches. Interviews also aired with each competitor before and after their matches.

1) Nobue Endo & Misae Watanabe vs Yoshiko Tamura & Yuka Shina

This was a rookie-style match with mostly simple offense and no psychology, although the execution was fine. Endo and Shina looked decent on the mat. Tamura dropkicked Watanabe all over the place. Everyone worked hard but there was too much emphasis on dropkicks. Tamura and Shina did a double dropkick on Watanabe. Tamura and Watanabe traded near falls. Watanabe pinned Tamura after a simple backdrop at 8:45. An okay match but the lame rookie match finish took it down. *3/4

2) Midget Thumbtack Match: Little Tiger Jeet Singh vs Little Abdullah

Little Frankie was the referee. This featured some of the worst crap ever in an AJW ring. An incredibly lame match with little worthwhile action and not much good comedy to boot. They actually did use thumbtacks. The lowlight was Abdullah giving Singh a stinkface with his bare ass (hey, he was years ahead of his time!!!). The match ended at 11:41 and Singh appeared to win. -**3/4

3) Rie Tamada & Yumi Fukawa vs Kumiko Maekawa & Chapparita Asari

Maekawa looked strong early and the fans noticed it. Maekawa and Asari mainly dominated Fukawa during the opening minutes. Fukawa caught Maekawa off-guard with a sunset flip for an early near fall. Tamada threw several dropkicks at Asari for a near fall. Asari looked good doing such moves as her handspring elbow on Fukawa. Maekawa gained a near fall on Fukawa after 2 superkicks and another after a roundhouse kick. Maekawa did a bicycle kick on Tamada for a near fall. Asari hit a great plancha on both opponents. Asari gained a near fall on Tamada after a spinning huracanrana. Tamada hit a plancha on both opponents at 10:18. She gained a heated near fall on Asari with a German suplex. Asari countered a second German suplex with a rollup of Tamada for a near fall. Asari gained a near fall on Tamada with a fisherman suplex. She gave Tamada what could best be described as a top rope somersault legdrop with a full twist and gained a great near fall. Asari hit her skytwister press and pinned Tamada at 12:34. A very nice match. Fukawa wasn’t anything special but the other three seemed to move up a level in terms of work. ***1/2

4) Mariko Yoshida, Kaoru Ito & Blizzard Yuki vs Toshiyo Yamada, Takako Inoue & Tomoko Watanabe

Yuki hit a tope con hilo on Watanabe early on. Watanabe and company took turns dominating Ito for a few minutes. Takako gave Yuki a nodowa off the apron to the floor and gained a near fall with a back suplex. Yamada stiffed Yoshida with a brutal roundhouse kick to the jaw and gained a near fall with a back suplex. Takako dropped Yoshida on her head with a back suplex. Ito gained a near fall on Watanabe after a couple hip attacks and another after a corkscrew senton. Takako gained a near fall on Ito with a back suplex and another with a destiny hammer (top rope nodowa). Ito rolled up Takako for a near fall at 12:16. Yamada gained a near fall on Yuki after a jumping kick. Yoshida hit a great plancha but hit her partners because her opponents moved out of the way. Yamada gained a near fall on Yuki with a 360 spin kick. Yuki gained a near fall on Watanabe with a spinning savate kick. Yuki and Ito took turns giving Watanabe urunages and foot stomps respectively and Yuki gained a near fall. Ito hit a top rope foot stomp on Watanabe and Yuki followed with a corkscrew senton for a heated near fall. Yoshida gained a near fall on Watanabe with a German suplex and another after a running top rope splash. Watanabe gained a near fall on Yoshida with a huracanrana and another with a lariat. She gained a near fall on Yoshida after 2 more lariats and another with a powerbomb. Watanabe powerbombed Yoshida and pinned her at 18:26. Mainly a spotfest, but a super one at that. Everyone looked good to great and fans enjoyed it. ****1/4

5) UWA Tag Team title: Etsuko Mita & Mima Shimoda (c) vs Lioness Asuka & Jaguar Yokota

Mita and Shimoda did simultaneous German suplexes on their opponents at the start. There was hot action early including Yokota hitting a top suicida on both opponents. Yokota gained an early near fall on Shimoda with a huracanrana. Mita and Asuka exchanged offense. Asuka and Yokota mocked their opponents’ double team move by doing it to Shimoda. Asuka dominated Shimoda for a time using kicks and submissions. Mita and Shimoda briefly dominated Yokota using occasionally heelish offense. Asuka dominated Shimoda with offense such as a sharpshooter. Mita attacked Asuka with a series of blazing chops for a near fall. Yokota countered a Death Valley driver attempt and rolled up Mita for a near fall. Mita gained a near fall on Yokota with a northern lights suplex. Yokota gained a near fall on Shimoda with a cradle back suplex. Shimoda countered a Yokota huracanrana with a powerbomb for a near fall. Yokota gained a near fall on Shimoda with a double arm suplex. Shimoda hit a springboard plancha on both opponents and Mita followed with her top suicida on Yokota and Asuka. Asuka powerbombed Mita for a near fall. Yokota and Shimoda traded near falls. Yokota gained a near fall on Shimoda with a tiger driver (almost a tiger driver ’91). Shimoda gained a near fall on Yokota with a tiger suplex. Shimoda pinned Yokota at 15:49 with a top rope victory roll. A very good match- all four had something to add to the match. ***3/4

6) Reggie Bennett vs Yumiko Hotta

Bennett attacked Hotta at the outset but missed a splash. Hotta unleashed a series of kicks but Bennett fought back and worked on Hotta’s legs. Hotta fought back with an enzuguiri and hit Bennett in the head with a series of knee strikes. Bennett hit a great fireman’s carry/Samoan drop and a big splash for a near fall. Bennett also gained a near fall with a Vader bomb. Bennett dominated the action outside the ring but went to piledrive Hotta through a table and the table caved in. Hotta fought back and hit a spin kick in the corner. Hotta gained a near fall with a second rope splash and another with a top rope spin kick. Bennett gained a near fall with a big splash. Hotta gave Bennett an amazing top rope released German superplex for a heated near fall. Bennett gained a near fall with a second rope splash and another heated near fall with a powerbomb. Bennett gained a near fall with a top rope splash but missed a second top rope splash. After a series of kicks, Hotta hit a spin kick on a hunched over Bennett and pinned her at 14:26. A very good match. The first 10 minutes were fine and the end had really good heat although fans weren’t ready for the finish. This match showed how much Bennett had improved. ***1/4

7) Aja Kong vs Bison Kimura

Bison German suplexed Kong at the start and assaulted her with a slew of chops and Aja’s own trash can. Kimura dominated a wild brawl into the crowd in which Kong was busted open. Kimura gained a near fall after a top rope headbutt that seemed to awaken Kong. Kong tore into Kimura with a series of headbutts and punches, and busted Kimura open in the process. Kong piledrove Kimura and gained a heated near fall with a second rope splash. Kong gained a near fall after two back suplexes and another near fall after a second rope dangerous backdrop. Kimura attacked Kong’s injured right arm with a series of chops. Both women were covered in blood by the 7 minute mark. Kimura gained a near fall after a blazing chop. Kong gave Kimura an uraken but hurt her arm in the process. Kimura gave Kong an uraken but Kong returned the favor with one of her own and pinned Kimura at 8:10. A super, dramatic match that was long enough to exploit their strengths but short enough to hide Kimura’s limitations as a worker. ***1/2

8) Bull Nakano vs Kyoko Inoue

Kyoko took the fight to Nakano at the start but Nakano fought back with two lariats. Nakano briefly dominated Kyoko on the mat but Kyoko fought back and dominated Nakano with moves such as a Romero special. They traded offense at 7:00 ending with both women hitting clotheslines. Kyoko missed a running top rope elbow. Nakano powerbombed Kyoko but Kyoko fought back and took the fight to ringside where she DDTd Nakano off the announcers’ table to the floor for a pop. Kyoko did a 60 foot windsprint into a lariat on Nakano. Kyoko went for a Niagara driver but Nakano gave her an inverted DDT. Nakano actually hit a rare tope suicida. Kyoko gave Nakano a running belly to belly superplex. Nakano missed a top rope legdrop and Kyoko hit a Niagara driver for a heated near fall. Nakano DDTd Kyoko on the floor and twice hit a legdrop off the apron to the floor. Nakano hit a top rope legdrop but only gained a one count on a pin attempt. Nakano hit another top rope legdrop for only a one count and fans popped huge. Nakano hit her top rope somersault legdrop for a super near fall. Nakano missed a moonsault and Kyoko applied her version of a camel clutch. Kyoko gained a near fall with a Niagara driver at 20:00. Kyoko hit a second Niagara driver for a dramatic near fall. Kyoko gave Nakano a third Niagara driver and pinned Nakano at 21:06 for the first time in her career. I forgot how great this match was until I watched it again while preparing this review. It built tremendously during the body and the final seven minutes were fantastic. As good as their 3/26/95 match if not even a hair better. ****1/2

9) Manami Toyota vs Akira Hokuto

This was the expected world class match between two of the greatest female workers in wrestling history. Not only were there great spots, but the psychology was stronger than usual, due in part to Hokuto. Hokuto attacked Toyota before the bell and gave her a top rope flip plancha. The action was fast and intense right from the opening bell. Hokuto cut off Toyota as she went for her springboard plancha but Toyota was successful in giving Hokuto her top rope missile dropkick to the floor. Hokuto then dominated Toyota for a stretch, using many of the submission holds that opponents typically stretch Toyota with. Toyota gave Hokuto a springboard cross bodyblock and a great dropkick. Hokuto gave Toyota a German suplex and then an inverted suplex. Hokuto dominated Toyota until she surprised Hokuto with a rolling cradle for a near fall. Toyota countered a powerbomb with a huracanrana for a near fall. However, Hokuto came back with a powerbomb. Toyota scored a near fall with a German suplex and Hokuto then gained one with a powerbomb. Hokuto hit her Dangerous Queen (DQ) bomb for a great near fall. Hokuto missed a top rope dropkick but countered a Toyota ocean cyclone suplex attempt for a great near fall. Toyota hit her ocean cyclone suplex for a dramatic near fall. Toyota then gave Hokuto a top rope splash onto a table at ringside, but the table did not break. Toyota missed a springboard flip plancha and took a crazy bump. Hokuto then powerbombed Toyota on a ringside table twice and then gave her a top rope senton to the outside, but the table still didn't break. Both wrestlers sold that move for a long time. Toyota gave Hokuto her own DQ bomb at the 20 minute mark. She then gave Hokuto a second DQ bomb and scored the pin at 20:59. A super match with nearly every move hitting flawlessly and no botched spots. Toyota had another classic and Hokuto proved she could still churn out a classic when the occasion called for it. ****3/4

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