THE MOSS COVERED THREE HANDLED FAMILY CREDENZA

ARTICLE #13
NOVEMBER 12, 2001

Toyota! Yamada! Kansai! Ozaki!

This is perhaps the most amazing trilogy of matches of any group of wrestlers ever. The first two matches were my top two matches of all time and their third match was also a classic. Toyota, Yamada, Kansai and Ozaki were at the forefront of the joshi puroresu boom in the 1990s due to having the best matches out of a deep pool of memorable matches produced at the time. Their matches exemplified the breakneck pacing, hot moves and intensity characteristic of joshi puroresu matches and also were paced well enough to complement the spots. This article includes reviews of all three matches, beginning with the one that started the interpromotional frenzy that was the centerpiece of the joshi puroresu boom.

WWWA World Tag Team Championship, best of 3 falls: Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada (All Japan Women; champions) vs Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki (JWP; challengers) 11/26/92

I never thought I would see a better match than their 4/11/93 classic, but this match proved me wrong. Same incredible workrate and moveset, but with even more stiffness and with crisper execution than in their sequel. This was also the first major interpromotional match between AJW and JWP, so the fan heat was enormous as they were popping for everything. The first fall began hot with a stiff exchange between Yamada and Kansai, who were both flawless in this match. Kansai and Ozaki dominated Toyota for a few minutes. Aside from the brutal exchanges between Kansai and Yamada, there were just lots of hot moves at a quick pace along with smooth matwork. Toyota got dumped on again for a while. Kansai even did a tope suicida. Kansai and Ozaki gave Yamada a double diving headbutt for a great near fall. Kansai nearly killed Toyota with a lariat. After several near falls, Kansai pinned Toyota at 14:34 after a splash mountain to win the first fall. The second fall was all Toyota and Yamada. At one point Yamada gave Kansai about 6 or 7 consecutive back suplexes. Yamada gave Kansai her reverse Gory special suplex and pinned her to win the second fall in 1:45. The thrid fall was all action as expected, with great execution and fan heat. Toyota shined in this fall, dominating Ozaki with great spots and crisp matwork. Kansai and Yamada again wowed the crowd with their stiff exchanges. The action briefly spilled to the floor. Yamada was then dominated both in and out of the ring. Kansai was really fired up as she kicked the stuffing out of Yamada. More great spots and near falls back and forth. Kansai and Ozaki continued to dominate as the action again spilled out of the ring. Yamada made an inspired comeback on Kansai. Toyota and Yamada gave Ozaki a double flying headbutt for a great near fall. A dive sequence climaxed when Toyota hit her superquebrada onto both opponents. Both teams scored more near falls until Toyota German suplexed Ozaki and pinned her to win the third fall in 23:58 and the match. As amazing as Toyota and Ozaki were in their work, both Kansai and Yamada nearly stole the show as both might have had their best matches here. They were so fired up, their kicks were brutally stiff and their execution as strong as ever. Actually, all four were at the very top of their game, making for the best match I have ever seen. The fan heat was also unreal, comparable only to the very best All Japan classics. *****+++++

WWWA World Tag Team Championship: Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada (AJW, champions) vs Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki (JWP, challengers) 4/11/93

This match was fought best 2 out of 3 falls. This was an amazing match - no play-by-play description could do these four women justice. Kansai shocked Yamada with a splash mountain to take the first fall in 12 seconds. The crowd absolutely erupted and maintained the heat for the rest of the match. The next two falls were beyond amazing, with all four women hitting every spot in their arsenal and then some. In the athletic highlight of the match, Toyota jumped to the middle of the second rope in the ring and acted as if she was going to fly onto Kansai, but instead, as she was on the second rope with her legs IN the ring, she flipped backwards onto Ozaki outside of the ring! She is the only wrestler I have ever seen attempt such a moonsault and, if she had messed up, she would have fallen on her head and ended her career. Yamada and Kansai had a great exchange of their kicks. Lots of fantastic near falls in the second fall ending when Toyota pinned Kansai at 14:44 of the fall with her ocean cyclone suplex. The third fall was even better with tons of amazing near falls. Ozaki really shined here, getting some great near falls with moves such as her tequila sunrise suplex. Toyota and Yamada were able to execute their back superplex in which the opponent landed on their stomach, but only gained a near fall. Kansai held Toyota on her shoulders as Ozaki came off with a brutal double impact clothesline. The move was repeated, with Toyota falling almost straight on her neck, and Ozaki pinned Toyota in 16:08 of the third fall to win the match and titles for her team. The celebration was great as fans chanted both Ozaki's and Kansai's names. Kansai & Ozaki became the first non-AJW team to hold the group's tag team championship. *****+++ - blew away the scale!

WWWA Tag Team Title: Dynamite Kansai & Mayumi Ozaki (champions) vs Manami Toyota & Toshiyo Yamada (challengers) 12/6/93

Their third big match wasn't nearly as amazing and off the charts as their first two matches, but still a classic featuring all the great work you would expect. Unlike the first two matches, this was a one fall match. About 14 minutes of this match aired on television. The match started hot with all kinds of action, including a double impact clothesline on Toyota. The champions dominated Toyota, including Kansai using her stiff kicks. Toyota surprised Ozaki with a springboard reverse flying bodypress in the ring. Toyota and Yamada then had their way with Ozaki, including Yamada lifting her up by the leg and spinning her around for about 20 revolutions. Toyota gained a near fall on Kansai with a moonsault bodyblock as heat picked up. The action was pretty much non-stop for the last ten minutes. Toyota used a lengthy rolling cradle on Ozaki to gain a near fall. Kansai gained several near falls on Toyota, including one after a splash mountain. Kansai and Ozaki attempted a double impact on Toyota, but Toyota ducked and rolled up Kansai for a cool near fall. Ozaki hit a corkscrew second rope dive onto Yamada. Kansai and Yamada had a great, heated exchange climaxing when Yamada hit a 360 degree spin kick and several back suplexes. Yamada then gained a near fall on Kansai with a top rope spin kick amidst great heat. Toyota and Yamada hit a double top rope headbutt on Ozaki after which Yamada gained the near fall. Toyota missed a moonsault and Ozaki gave her a tequila sunrise suplex for a near fall. The action spilled out of the ring. Toyota did an Orihara moonsault on Kansai and nearly killed herself in the process as she landed hard on the side of the ring. Toyota and Yamada gave Ozaki their double flip superplex and Toyota gained a great near fall. Toyota then gained a near fall at 25:00 on Ozaki with her ocean cyclone suplex. She hit Kansai outside the ring with her top rope missile dropkick. Back in the ring Toyota appeared to be giving Ozaki an overhead northern lights suplex but instead dropped her forward and scored the pin at 25:34 to regain the titles. ****3/4

NEXT ISSUE: Kenta Kobashi�s Pursuit of the Triple Crown

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