THE MOSS COVERED THREE HANDLED FAMILY CREDENZA
ARTICLE #2
MAY 10, 2001
IWA Championship: Kyoko Inoue (champion) vs Manami Toyota (challenger) 4/25/92
This was every bit as great a match as you could expect given the stages of their careers. Both women were just shy of their working primes and churned out tons of great spots and action. Both women dropkicked each other at the start. Toyota gave Kyoko a plancha from the middle of the top rope early on. Toyota dominated Kyoko in the opening stretch using a variety of submission holds. Kyoko fought back and dominated Toyota for a few minutes also using submission holds. Kyoko dove backwards onto Toyota off the second rope. She gave Toyota an alleycopter type move at the ten minute mark for a near fall. Toyota gave Kyoko a series of dropkicks and one off the second rope for a near fall. Toyota gained another near fall with a double underhook suplex. Kyoko dove backwards off the second rope and elbowed Toyota. She stretched Toyota with a few submission holds briefly. Toyota dropkicked her, knocking her off the ropes to the arena floor. Tyotoa then hit a plancha on Kyoko. However, Kyoko then dove off the barricade with an elbow to Toyota. Toyota rolled up Kyoko for a near fall. Toyota then gave Kyoko a rolling cradle for a near fall. Toyota gave Kyoko four dropkicks off the second rope for a near fall. Toyota came off the top rope but Kyoko caught her and applied a half crab and then a camel clutch. Toyota gave Kyoko her Toyota roll for a cool near fall. Toyota German suplexed Kyoko for a near fall and then nailed her with a tope suicida and another top rope plancha. Toyota then gave Kyoko a superquebrada. Toyota gained a near fall with a dragon suplex but missed a moonsault. Kyoko gained a near fall with her top rope elbow and another with a powerbomb. Toyota gave Kyoko her ocean cyclone suplex and scored the pin at 24:37 to win the title. Toyota was still on the rise in terms of athletic ability and Kyoko was still a year from peaking, but this was a great sign of things to come. ****3/4
At the time of the above match, Toyota had five years of experience while Kyoko was about 3 1/2 years into her career. Neither woman had fully matured yet in terms of style and execution, but this was the first major realization of what these two women were capable of doing in the ring. In terms of ranking, while Kyoko was the defending champion going into this match, Toyota was on a pretty similar plateau as she was. Just one month earlier, Toyota and Toshiyo Yamada won the WWWA world tag team title defeating Aja Kong & Bison Kimura, a victory that was capped off by Toyota's biggest pin to date as she pinned Kong in the third fall to take the belts. Kyoko was Bull Nakano's frequent tag team partner and something of a protege in 1991, although Bull had focused more on singles competition and her WWWA title defenses as 1992 arrived. Kyoko had defeated Akira Hokuto in January in a great match that was arguably her biggest win to date. Now back to the match... Kyoko was mich lighter in 4/92 than she would eventually be, and in fact didn't look much heavier than Toyota did. Most of her better known moves had already been debuted, although she emphasized a (slightly) faster pace than in future matches. In addition, her pacing and execution were not quite as refined as they would be in future years. With Toyota commonly working a frenetic pace herself, much of this match was a bunch of fast-paced offense when they weren't doing submissions. Not everything worked perfectly, but the pacing and execution worked just fine for two young lions determined to steal the show from the main eventers (Kong vs Nakano) that would follow. And, to a certain extent, they actually succeeded. Dave Meltzer gave this match a 5 star rating. While I cannot bring myself to give the match such a lofty rating, I do think the match came close to such an achievement. Actually, for 1992 it just might have been worth *****. However, the standards were raised to unprecedented levels not too long after this match took place.
IWA & All Pacific Championship unification match: Manami Toyota (IWA champion) vs Kyoko Inoue (All Pacific champion) 8/24/94
This was an amazing match in terms of spots and workrate. It was very close to five stars but there were three or four botched spots by Toyota that held the match back a bit. Kyoko was at the top of her game here. Kyoko attacked Toyota at the start and hit a cool dropkick off the ropes. Toyota botched a spot and Kyoko gave her a giant swing. Kyoko then dominated Toyota for a few minutes until Toyota dropkicked her four times. Toyota dominated the match briefly until Kyoko dove off the second rope with an elbow. Kyoko used a couple submission holds but Toyota surprised her with a rolling cradle for a near fall. Kyoko gave Toyota a great released German suplex off the second rope. Kyoko gave Toyota a pair of lariats for a near fall. She then hit a diving elbow off the top for another near fall. Toyota used her Toyota roll for a near fall. Toyota dropkicked Kyoko out of the ring and gave her a springboard plancha. Toyota gained a near fall on Kyoko with a German suplex. Kyoko hit a great headscissors move off the ropes for a near fall. Toyota gave Kyoko her top rope missile dropkick to the floor. Toyota hit a stiff looking top rope missile dropkick in the ring and hit a second one for a near fall. Toyota missed a moonsault and Kyoko gave her a powerslam off the top rope for a heated near fall. Kyoko then applied her version of the camel clutch. Kyoko went for a Niagara driver but Toyota surprised her and scored a great near fall. Toyota scored near falls with a dragon suplex, a moonsault and her ocean cyclone suplex. Kyoko belly to belly superplexed Toyota for a dramatic near fall and gained another near fall with her Niagara driver. Toyota gave Kyoko an inverted ocean cyclone suplex. Toyota then gave Kyoko a springboard top rope sunset flip and pinned her at 23:28 to unify the titles. Great match with super heat in spite of the botched spots by Toyota. Kyoko was slightly better here because she sold better and did not botch any spots. ****3/4
In a way, this was the match that would unofficially determine who the next big superstar in joshi puroresu would be. Both women had improved their stature in AJW and were on the verge of being worthy singles main eventers. Toyota was still part of the group's best tag team with Yamada, while Kyoko had been the All-Pacific champ since defeating Yamada on 3/27/94. Meanwhile, Toyota had not lost the IWA title since beating Kyoko in their 4/25/92 match. However, while she became a legendary tag team wrestler with partner Yamada, her singles career had not made as much progress as Kyoko's. In hindsight, this was the match where not only did Toyota catch up to Kyoko, she surpassed her. In terms of ring work, both women had matured to the point that they were generally in their peak periods in terms of quality work and athletic ability. This match had the potential to be legendary since their match' two years earlier had been so great and both had definitely improved since then. Instead, this match fell just short of legendary status, partially due to a few botched spots by Toyota. To an extent, this was Kyoko's best singles match to date, because not only was her execution nearly flawless, but she was also able to carry Toyota through her miscues to produce what was still a phenominal match overall. This was Toyota's biggest singles win to date as she unified the two titles. However, Kyoko would get her back about six weeks later, when she and Takako Inoue defeated Toyota and Yamada to win the WWWA tag team title. While Toyota may have been Kyoko's superior, the gap was very narrow.
WWWA Championship: Manami Toyota (champion) vs Kyoko Inoue (challenger) 5/7/95
If I could best describe this match in one phrase, I would call it "the ultimate workrate match". These two had many classic matches in the 25 minute range, but this topped them all. For one hour, they went at nearly the exact same pace they did in their other matches! The content was every bit as breathtaking as well, with both women hitting nearly every spot in their arsenal. Toyota hit her springboard plancha at the 15:54 mark to charge the crowd up. Throughout this match both women spent a decent amount of time brawling around the ring, which gave the match a fresh feel and made it stand out from their others stylistically. Kyoko hit a pair of her running top rope elbows at 28:45. Three minutes later, Toyota delivered her top rope missile dropkick to the outside on Kyoko. Toyota gained a great near fall at 36:17 with her Ocean Cyclone suplex. For the final twenty minutes of the match, the heat generally remained at a peak level, as did the work. Toyota was going for an in-ring top rope dropkick but, in one single fluid sequence, Kyoko ran towards Toyota, leaped onto the top rope, and gave her a breathtaking belly-to-belly superplex for a great near fall at 43:00. One must see that move before it can be fully appreciated. The action continued back and forth with many great moves and near falls. Kyoko became dominant toawrds the end of the match and, with twenty seconds left, scored a near fall with her Niagara Driver. Toyota bounced back and was going for her frankentoyota, but time ran out as she started the move. An exhausting match for wrestler and viewer alike. Very similar content to their other classics, but more than twice the length. Undoubtedly the best 60:00 match I have ever seen. *****
This was Toyota's first title defense since defeating Kong on 3/26, and appropriately, it was against her number one rival. If they had failed in defining their status as two of the all time great talents in their 8/24/94 match, this was the match that they succeeded in doing so. Both women were at the top of their game, with great work and execution. Actually, their execution of big spots was pretty amazing down the stretch since they had worked so hard and done so much in the body of the match. One could say the weakness of this match was that it failed to tell a cohesive story. However, one should not have expected these two to work an All-Japan style 60:00 match in terms of psychology- that isn't their style. Instead, they just went back and forth with every big move and submission hold in their arsenal, mixed in some brawling around the ring, and added a good number of near falls. In all likelyhood, the purpose of this match was to (re)establish Kyoko as Toyota's equal, but on a different plateau than they were equals on before. This match achieved that purpose beautifully. Finally, I have described this match as the "ultimate workrate" match. Out of all the 60:00 (and actually 40+ minute) matches I have seen, I have never seen both sides keep up the pace these two did for so much of the match.
WWWA World Championship: Manami Toyota (champion) vs Kyoko Inoue (challenger) 3/31/96
This was another amazing match from these two made even more incredible by the fact that Kyoko had an injured shoulder. The pacing and psychology were also stronger than usual for these two. Toyota charged Kyoko at the bell but Kyoko gave her a giant swing. Toyota retaliated with a rolling cradle for an early near fall. Kyoko gave Toyota a great jumping elbow off the second rope and assumed the advantage from there. She dominated the next few minutes with mainly submission holds. Toyota then used a few submission holds of her own on Kyoko. Toyota gained a near fall with a second rope dropkick. Kyoko leaped to the top rope and belly-to-belly superplexed Toyota in an incredible move. Toyota missed a springboard somersault plancha and took a crazy bump. Toyota gave Kyoko a top rope missile dropkick, and gained a near fall after a pair of moonsaults. Kyoko German suplexed Toyota and powerbombed her for a near fall. Kyoko went for a powerbomb but Toyota countered with a sunset flip for a near fall. Kyoko gained another near fall with a top rope dropkick. Kyoko applied her version of the camel clutch on Toyota. Toyota knocked Kyoko over the top rope to the floor and gave her a top rope missile dropkick to the outside. Toyota did a 50 foot spring into a lariat on Kyoko. Toyota went for that move again but Kyoko suplexed her. Kyoko then did a 50 foot run and a lariat on Toyota. Toyota gained a near fall with her ocean cyclone suplex. Toyota was on the second turnbuckle but Kyoko surprised her with a great released German suplex. Kyoko gave Toyota a lariat for a great near fall and scored an even more dramatic one with a Niagara driver. Toyota gained a near fall with an ocean cyclone suplex. Finally, Toyota gave Kyoko her own Niagara driver and scored the pin at 21:31. Nice psychology in Toyota using Kyoko's own finisher in getting the win. The moves in the closing minutes meant something more often than usual. ****3/4
This was the rematch of their previous all-time classic. In many ways, they were similarly comparable rivals as they were a year before. However, this time Kyoko had defeated Bull Nakano for the first time the previous year, and had just regained the WWWA tag team title with partner Takako. Also, the Inoues had twice successfully fended off the challenge of Toyota and partner Sakie Hasegawa. In other words, the question was changing from if she would catch up to Toyota to when would she do so. In terms of this match, it was nowhere near the level of the match the year before. However, it didn't have to be and, due to Kyoko's shoulder injury, no one would have a right to have such expectations. Overall, they put forth about the best match they were capable of, with a couple pleasant surprises. First, the pacing was more logical than in any of their previous matches, including their 5/7/95 match. The pace was a tad slower, but their big moves had more meaning down the stretch because of that. Also, Toyota using Kyoko's own finisher was a creative finish, and served to prolong their feud with Kyoko wanting revenge for the insult and defeat. She ran into another stumbling block three months later when Toyota and new partner Shimoda would win the WWWA tag title. However, the tide would soon turn...
WWWA World Championship: Manami Toyota (champion) vs Kyoko Inoue (challenger) 12/8/96
This was perhaps their best paced and most psychologically sound match, but it was also their least intense. That said, this was a super match that measured up nicely to their previous classics. Toyota started out fast until Kyoko dove backwards off the second rope with an elbow. Toyota then dove off the top rope with a flying bodypress. Kyoko gave Toyota a giant swing and dominated her for the next few minutes with the usual submission holds. Toyota gave Kyoko a couple second rope dropkicks and slammed her on the ringside table. Toyota dropkicked an upside down Kyoko in the corner twice. Kyoko then dominated Toyota using more submission holds such as a camel clutch. Toyota gained a near fall with a rolling cradle. Kyoko German suplexed Toyota off the second rope but Toyota then kicked her off the top rope to the floor. Toyota went for her missile dropkick but Kyoko cut her off. Toyota gained a near fall with her Toyota roll and gave Kyoko a top rope missile dropkick. Toyota met Kyoko's knees on a moonsault attempt. Toyota nailed Kyoko with her springboard plancha but not smoothly. Toyota gave Kyoko a springboard somersault plancha through a table. She gained a near fall with a German suplex but Kyoko came back. Toyota gained a great near fall with her ocean cyclone suplex but then Kyoko gained a near fall with a lariat. Kyoko gained a near fall with her Niagara driver. After more near falls back and forth, Toyota gained a near fall with a German suplex. Kyoko gained a great near fall with another lariat and a very dramatic near fall with a Niagara driver. Toyota gained a near fall with her ocean cyclone suplex. Toyota went for it again but Kyoko countered and German suplexed Toyota for a near fall. After gaining a great near fall with a tiger driver, Kyoko used a torture rack dropped into a side powerbomb and scored the pin at 24:52 to win the title. Super final ten minutes with great moves and heat. ****1/2
This was the culmination of Kyoko's chase for supremacy of Toyota in their feud which really started two years earlier. Kyoko had failed in two consecutive title shots against Toyota, and was no longer a tag team champion. Time was running out for Kyoko, and this seemed as if it could be her last shot at greatness. While this was the worst of their five singles matches, worst is a relative term, as this was also a fantastic match. It was similar to their 3/31/96 match, but slightly slower paced and with slightly less spectacular offense. Kyoko had many times failed to put Toyota away in their singles matches with her Niagara driver. In this match, she pulled a new weapon out of her arsenal and used a torture rack turned into a side powerbomb to get the win. It was the first time she had used that move in a major match, and was a fitting way of giving her a renewed and unprecedented push as the WWWA champion. Unfortunately, this was their last great singles match as Toyota didn't get a rematch before Kyoko lost the belt the following August due to being part of the exodus of stars from the financially-troubled AJW. However, this match was a great and fitting culmination to their memorable feud.
NEXT ISSUE: Misawa vs Kawada: Men's feud of the 1990s?
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