JWP Sumo Hall 10/13/96 TV Special

-This was apparently longer than two hours, but the tape I got didn't cover the first three matches. Oh well, I heard they weren't all that great anyway. I haven't seen any of this tape in about 4 years, so this will be one of my fresher reviews.

1. Mayumi Ozaki, Sugar Sato & Rieko Amano vs Cuty Suzuki, Plum Mariko & Kanako Motoya

Mariko went after Ozaki but Ozaki's partners attacked her in turn. Amano and Sato stomped Mariko. Mariko slapped Amano but Amano responded in kind. Mariko gave Amano a nice rolling leglock. Ozaki gave Mariko a powerbomb with help from her teammates and Amano gained a near fall. Amano missed a top rope splash and Suzuki gave her a top rope dropkick. Motoya rolled up Amano. Amano kicked Motoya but Sato missed a flying bodypress. Motoya hit a series of somersault sentons (jumping off the canvas not the ropes) on Sato for a near fall. Sato blocked a sunset flip and slapped Motoya. Sato won an exchange of slaps with Motoya and slammed her. Suzuki attacked Sato and Motoya gave her several headbutts. Suzuki gave Sato a running knee to the back but missed a top rope foot stomp and Sato bulldogged her. Sato slammed Suzuki for a near fall but Suzuki fought back with an elbow. Sato gave Suzuki a dragon screw into a leglock but Suzuki was already in the ropes. Ozaki attacked Suzuki and lifted her on her shoulders. Amano and Sato then gave Suzuki a top rope bulldog off Ozaki's shoulders. Ozaki and co. went for a triple team powerbomb but Mariko and Motoya dropkicked Sato and Amano while Suzuki countered a powerbomb with a sunset flip on Ozaki for a near fall. Motoya top rope splashed Ozaki, Mariko followed with a top rope foot stomp and Suzuki hit another top rope foot stomp for a near fall. Suzuki dragon suplexed Ozaki and Mariko followed with a German suplex. Amano and Sato double dropkicked Suzuki and Ozaki powerbombed her for a near fall. Suzuki tried to counter a German suplex with a rollup but Ozaki blocked it for a near fall. Mariko gave Ozaki three dropkicks but seemingly missed a top rope dropkick. She covered Ozaki anyway but didn't get the fall. Ozaki caught Mariko and powerbombed her. Mariko flipped out of a back suplex attempt but Ozaki gave her an uraken. Mariko caught Ozaki in an abdominal stretch. Motoya lifted Ozaki on her shoulders but Ozaki escaped her grip and gave her a released German suplex. Amano dropkicked Motoya. Motoya pushed Sato off the ropes to the canvas and hit a top rope dropkick. Sato caught Motoya with a dragon screw and applied a sloppy figure 4 leglock. Suzuki threw Ozaki out of the ring but missed a plancha and landed on several attendants. Sato slammed Motoya and hit a jumping top rope elbowsmash ala Kyoko Inoue for a near fall. Suzuki hit a Takako panic on Sato and Motoya gave her a top rope somersault senton for a near fall. Sato gave Suzuki a dragon screw and Amano followed with a top rope dropkick. Ozaki caught Suzuki with an uraken and gave her a Liger bomb for a near fall. Ozaki attempted a splash mountain but Suzuki countered and applied a sleeper on the top rope. Suzuki gave Ozaki a top rope victory roll for a near fall. Ozaki fought back and gave Suzuki a tequila sunrise suplex for a near fall. Ozaki went for a top rope huracanrana of sorts but Suzuki countered with a superbomb for a near fall. Suzuki gave Ozaki a Takako panic for a near fall. Suzuki tried to launch Mariko into a dropkick on Ozaki but Ozaki moved. Sato and Amano gave Mariko dropkicks to the right and left sides of her head. Motoya attacked Ozaki in the corner and Suzuki dropkicked her. Mariko went for a top rope huracanrana but Ozaki blocked it and Mariko almost landed right on her head in taking the bump. Ozaki gained a near fall on Mariko. Amano went after Mariko but Mariko caught her with a leglock. Mariko went for a top rope huracanrana, Amano tried to block it, but Mariko shifted gears and spun Amano around and off the top rope to the floor! Sure the spot was a bit slow and not very sharp, but fans popped just for the insantity of the move. Motoya slammed Sato on the floor and whipped her into the barricade. Amamo tried to catch mariko coming off the top rope but instead Mariko locked her in a leg grapevine. Amano reached the ropes after a long struggle with great fan heat and selling. Amano did a great move where it looked like she jumped up for a victory roll, but instead grabbed Mariko's arm and applied a cross armbreaker. Mariko submitted at 15:21. What a neat and well-plotted finish that was, and the suddenness of the finish was perfect for the youngster Amano defeating Mariko, who was a veteran but making a comeback after a lengthy injury sabbatical. This was one of those matches that literally improved with every minute, and I dig that kind of match. It started out rather nondescript and with spotty execution, similar to the All Japan Women TV 5/4/01opener (see review). However, they got their act together, thanks in large part to Ozaki and Suzuki, and turned in a great second half. Youngsters Amano, Motoya and Sato all looked spotty in their execution and selling, but they all worked with great effort and fire. Suzuki looked pretty sharp next to them, while Mariko looked solid considering her long layoff. Ozaki was a league better than anyone else, and served as the match's glue at times. All action from bell to bell with one of the neater finishes I've seen in a while. ***1/2

2. Manami Toyota vs Tomoko Kuzumi

Toyota dropkicked Kuzumi at the bell but missed a second dropkick and sailed through the ropes. Kuzumi hit a springboard plancha on Toyota but Toyota quickly fought back and whipped Kuzumi into the barricade. Toyota gave Kuzimi a hairmare and stood on her in the corner. Toyota double arm suplexed Kuzumi, no-sold several forearms and flattened Kuzumi with a single forearm. Toyota blocked a German suplex attempt and Kuzumi applied a bodyscissors. They exchanged headbtts after which Toyota gave Kuzumi a high kick. Kuzumi gave Toyota a flying bodypress and three dropkicks. Kuzumi gave Toyota two double arm suplexes and a double arm suplex into a backbreaker. Kuzumi applied a half crab and dropkicked Toyota as she was trapped in the ropes. Kuzumi dropkicked Toyota again and slammed her. She snapmared Toyota and applied a sleeper. Toyota escaped and fought back. Toyota placed Kuzumi upside down in the corner and dropkicked her. Toyota kicked Kuzumi and jumped off the top rope with an armdrag. Toyota applied an armbar similar to a Nagata lock and then a camel clutch. Toyota crossed Kuzumi's legs and stretched her further by grabbing her head and arm with her arms. Toyota hit two second rope dropkicks for a near fall. She slammed Kuzumi but missed a moonsault. Kuzumi hit a solid springboard dropkick for a near fall. Toyota countered a German suplex with an elbow. Toyota went for a German suplex but Kuzumi countered with a rollup for a near fall. Kuzumi slammed Toyota but missed a corkscrew top rope splash by crashing onto Toyota's knees. Kuzumi blocked a German suplex attempt and hit a top rope sunset flip for a near fall. Toyota reversed the rollup for a near fall of her own. Kuzumi caught Toyota on the top rope and gave her a top rope double arm superplex for a near fall. Toyota caught Kuzumi and gave her a rolling cradle for a near fall. Kuzumi caught Toyota on the top rope, Toyota slapped her to the mat but Kuzumi kept coming. Toyota finally slapped Kuzumi to the mat and hit a top rope missile dropkick. Toyota German suplexed Kuzumi for a near fall. Kuzumi countered an ocean cyclone suplex and rolled up Toyota for a near fall. Kuzumi jumped to the top rope in a corner but Toyota charged and literally punted Kuzumi off the top rope to the floor. Toyota hit her springboard plancha on Kuzumi and mocked her by sitting in the middle of the ring. Toyota slammed Kuzumi and moonsaulted her for a near fall as heat picked up. Toyota gave Kuzumi a cross arm German suplex for a near fall. Toyota gave Kuzumi her ocean cyclone suplex and pinned her at 15:18. I'll get to the negatives first, and most of them centered around Toyota. I'm one of her bigger fans, but this was one of the few times where she genuinely annoyed me. It wasn't so much that Toyota dominated the match and was on offense for a majority of it, but how she sold much of Kuzumi's offense, especially early. Kuzumi gave her a ton of forearms, and the least Toyota could do was stagger around, or knock Kuzumi down with a barrage of her own blows, but instead just used one lame forearm. This just made Toyota look egotistical and Kuzumi look bad, which was the last thing a declining JWP business needed. Toyota also didn't allow Kuzumi enough near falls down the stretch, and the few that Kuzumi gained didn't generate much heat because Toyota made sure fans knew Kuzumi didn't stand a chance. With all that said, the main strengths were the great moves by both women and the execution, which was pretty sharp. The injustice of how Toyota treated Kuzumi really came through in just how good Kuzumi was on offense. She displayed some great flying moves, including a springboard plancha, and seemed like a cross between Candy Okutsu and Hikari Fukuoka athletically. Kuzumi had great potential, and I think she had not yet reached 20 when this match took place. Too bad she never realized her potential, both in the ring and at the box office. Very good match that could have easily been a full star better had Toyota made Kuzumi look more credible and thus make more effective use of the veteran-youngster storyline. ***

Great Sasuke, Hikari Fukuoka, Tiger Mask & Hiromi Yagi vs Super Delfin, Candy Okutsu, Gran Naniwa & Boirshoi Kid

Tiger kicked Naniwa early. Naniwa gave Tiger an armringer and a wristlock, but Tiger countered with an armringer and wristlock of his own in a good opening sequence. Okutsu kicked and armdragged Yagi. She kicked Yagi again and DDTd her. Yagi fought back and applied a bodyscissors of sorts. Yagi snapmared Okutsu and tagged Fukuoka, who gave Okutsu a northern lights suplex. Fukuoka gave Okutsu a high kick for a near fall. Okutsu gave Fukuoka a top rope dropkick and sunset flipped her for a near fall. Fukuoka won an exchange of blows with Okutsu. Sasuke tagged in and Okutsu tagged Delfin after some hesitation. Sasuke tripped Delfin and applied a facelock but Delfin held his own on the mat. They had a wristlock-nipup exchange and Sasuke gave Delfin a fireman's carry takedown. Delfin and Sasuke had another fast-paced exchange. Boirshoi attacked Yagi and dumped her over the top rope but Yagi landed on the apron. Yagi rolled up Boirshoi for a near fall. Boirshoi jumped off the middle rope with a cross bodyblock three times on Yagi but Yagi fought back and caught her in a cross armbreaker. Boirshoi elbowed Yagi but Yagi flipped around Boirshoi and rolled her up for a near fall. Yagi applied a leglock on Boirshoi and Okutsu actually tied the tail on Boirshoi's mask to the bottom rope to force a break in a neat comedy spot. Fukuoka took Boirshoi down and applied a Boston crab. She began to apply a camel clutch but instead grabbed the tail on Boirshoi's mask to bend her back. Yagi dropkicked Boirshoi three times while Fukuoka maintained the hold. Boirshoi armdragged Fukuoka but Fukuoka fought back with a handspring elbow. Boirshoi walked along the top rope ala Shinzaki and backtracked when Yagi shook the rope in front of her. Boirshoi jumped off the top rope with a lucha armdrag on Fukuoka. Okutsu dropkicked Fukuoka and Boirshoi led some clownish comedy. Tiger mule kicked Naniwa, countered a backdrop by landing on his feet, and mule kicked Naniwa again. Tiger kicked off of Naniwa in the corner and backdropped him. Tiger gave Naniwa a great spinning corkscrew kick. Delfin hiptossed Sasuke out of a criss cross exchange. Delfin kicked Sasuke and gave him a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Fukuoka overpowered Okutsu and stepped on her hands. Okutsu jumped to the top rope and hit a flying bodypress on Yagi and followed with a top rope dropkick from the other corner. Yagi caught Okutsu on the top rope the third time around and gave her a flying armdrag. Naniwa tried to interfere but Yagi went after him and gave him a flying armdrag off the top rope after which Naniwa begged for mercy. Sasuke kicked Naniwa and slammed him. Fukuoka then hit her moonsault/foot stomp on Naniwa for a pop and Naniwa bailed out. Delfin missed a lariat and Fukuoka gave him a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Fukuoka dropkicked Delfin out of the ring and Delfin climbed over the barricade while retreating. Boirshoi hit a flying bodypress on Sasuke and gave him a somewhat tentative but well-executed Misteriorana. Okutsu gave Sasuke a top rope dropkick and she and Boirshoi taunted him. Naniwa gave Tiger a backbreaker and went for his second rope walk into an elbow but Tiger stood up. Naniwa just simply pulled Tiger back down by his mask and jumped off but crashed onto his knees. Tiger kicked Naniwa and he and Yagi elbowed Naniwa. Tiger snapmared Naniwa and Sasuke applied a chinlock. Naniwa countered and Okutsu jumped off the top rope with a blow to Sasuke's arm. Delfin and Okutsu double suplexed Sasuke. Delfin kicked Tiger and Naniwa hung Tiger upside down in his corner. Both men and women on Naniwa's team stood on Tiger's crotch in the corner. Naniwa kicked, headbutted and slammed Sasuke and gave him a senton. Delfin and Naniwa clotheslined Sasuke and Delfin gave him a lengthy vertical suplex for a near fall. Naniwa applied a Boston crab on Sasuke but Tiger attacked him with several kicks. Delfin did the pumphandle spot on Sasuke's arm with 10 pumphandles, then did it with Tiger's arm. Delfin then gave Yagi's arm a series of pumphandles. However, Yagi grabbed Okutsu's arm and fed it to Delfin, who gave her a series of pumphandles as well. Okutsu slapped Delfin when he turned around and teased joining Sasuke's team. Tiger and Sasuke whipped Boirshoi and Okutsu into each other and did the rowboat/legsplit spot on them. Fukuoka gave Naniwa a huracanrana in the middle of this group for a near fall while Delfin applied a Romero special on Yagi. Sasuke knocked Delfin out of the ring with a handspring elbow and hit his virtually uncatchable Asai moonsault. Boirshoi hit her own Asai moonsault on Sasuke and Yagi hit a plancha on Boirshoi. Okutsu hit a great running top rope plancha on Yagi while Fukuoka then took out Okutsu with an Orihara moonsault. Tiger kicked Naniwa, who fell crotch first onto the turnbuckle bolt. Tiger slammed Naniwa to the mat and gave him a flying bodypress for a near fall. Tiger tombstoned Naniwa and hit a top rope headbutt for a near fall. Naniwa fought back with a lariat on Tiger for a near fall. Naniwa gave Tiger a top rope huracanrana for a near fall. Yagi armdragged Okutsu and applied a cross armbreaker but Okutsu escaped quickly. Okutsu gave Yagi a released German suplex. Yagi caught Boirshoi off guard with a leglock but Boirshoi reached the ropes. Boirshoi got caught in the ropes and Fukuoka knocked her to the floor with a dropkick. Delfin tripped Fukuoka, slammed her and gave her a Delfin clutch for a near fall. Sasuke hit a great tope con hilo on Delfin but Naniwa then hit a flip dive on Sasuke. Tiger hit a plancha on Naniwa as Okutsu top rope dropkicked Fukuoka. Boirshoi gave Fukuoka a spinning huracanrana for a near fall. Boirshoi attempted a huracanrana but Fukuoka powerbombed her. Fukuoka launched Yagi, who gave Boirshoi a foot stomp. Yagi German suplexed Boirshoi and Fukuoka hit a top rope somersault kick to the back of Boirshoi's head. Fukuoka gave Boirshoi a tiger driver and pinned her at 22:24. This was probably the least interesting result that could have been booked, but it wasn't the result that was important. These mixed gender matches have been done before, and very often since, and with mostly negative results quality-wise. However, the way in which the 8 participants approached this match could not have produced a more pleasant and plausible result work-wise. Sure the mixed match stips produced several comedy moments and light-hearted moments, but they weren't excessive or as annoying as they could have been. That's because the wrestlers knew fans wanted to see them hit all their big spots, especially the women do their spots on the men, so that's what they did. Somehow, and this was perhaps the most impressive aspect of all, the men took lots of offense from the women and sold for them abundantly, yet didn't really suffer in their own credibility. Perhaps that's a tribute to the four women, who all looked great in hitting their spots and simply rocked at times. I thought all four women worked to the higher end of their abilities, while Okutsu and Fukuoka might have stolen the show. As for the men, they did hold back a bit because of the nature of the match and setting, but not much, as each of them provided their share of great work. While the setup of the match resulted in little in the way of traditional psychology, pacing or continuity, the flow of this match as the spotlight shifted from the men to the women and back was for the most part much smoother than you might expect because they took this match and especially their performances seriously. If you're in the mood for a change of pace with great action and some light-hearted moments, this is THE match to get. ****

Kyoko Inoue & Devil Masami vs Aja Kong & Dynamite Kansai

Kansai overpowered Masami with a lariat but Kyoko then gave Kansai a lariat of her own. Kong came in and gave Kyoko a lariat. Masami could not knock down Kong with a lariat and Kansai gave her a lariat. Kansai kicked Masami's leg and applied a sharpshooter. Kansai scored with a roundhouse kick but Masami blocked a second and gave her a dragon screw. Kyoko took Kansai down and applied a Romero special. Kyoko applied a chinlock on Kansai. She and Kansai exchanged Mongolian chops and elbows, and Kyoko won the exchange. Kyoko whipped Kansai into the corner but ran into a superkick. Kong gave Kyoko a few chops and hit a running lariat in the corner. Kong gave Kyoko a big splash for a near fall. Kong catapulted Kyoko into the ropes and Kyoko fell back onto Kong's knees. Kong applied a half crab on Kyoko and kicked her leg three times. Kong applied a Boston crab on Kyoko. Both Kansai and Kong gave Kyoko several kicks to her leg but Kyoko fought back with an elbow off the second rope on Kong. Kyoko gave Kong a lariat. Masami tried to apply a Romero special on Kong but could not turn her over. Masami legdropped Kong. Kong fought back with a bunch of palm strikes on Masami and gave her a lariat in the corner for a near fall. Kansai piledrove Masami for a near fall and applied a chinlock. Masami gave Kansai a Samoan drop but Kansai caught Kyoko coming in and took her down. Kansai applied an STF on Kyoko until Masami intervened. Kansai gave Kyoko a side slam for a near fall. Kong attempted a piledriver but Kyoko countered with a backdrop. Kyoko missed a lariat and Kong gave her a Bubba bomb (seriously, the same move Bubba Ray Dudley uses today). Kong piledrove Kyoko for a near fall. Masami interfered and Kong immediately ran over and clocked her with her trash/oil can in a really cool spontaneous spot. Kong missed a corner splash but Kyoko ran into a boot. Kyoko gave Kong a weird leg takedown (looked like a bodyscissors takedown with only one leg wrapped around Kong) that just didn't look right. Kong gave both opponents a cross bodyblock and hit a top rope elbowsmash on Kyoko for a near fall. Kong went for a superplex but Kyoko pushed her to the mat. Kyoko gave Kong a top rope dropkick for a near fall. Kong blocked a piledriver attempt but Kyoko gave her a lariat. Kyoko went for her running top rope elbow on Kong but Kansai knocked her off the top rope to the floor. Kong took out both opponents with a tope suicida for a pop. Kyoko caught Kong on the top rope and gave her a great loose version of a superplex for a near fall. Kyoko and Masami tried to suplex Kong but Kong countered with a double suplex of both simultaneously. Masami countered a brainbuster attempt and gave Kong some kicks including an ax kick. Masami gave Kong a lariat for a near fall. Kong caught Masami and powerslammed her for a near fall. Kong slammed Masami but missed a second rope splash. Kong gave Masami a back suplex for a near fall. Masami countered a second back suplex but Kansai gave her a lariat. Masami ducked a clothesline from both opponents but Kong gave her an uraken for a near fall. Kong slammed Masami. Kong met a charging Kyoko with an elbow and kicked Masami. Kansai slammed Masami and Kong gave her a second rope splash for a near fall. Masami countered a splash mountain and Kyoko gave Kansai a lariat. Masami powerbomed Kansai for a near fall. Kansai missed a lariat and Masami gave her a lariat in the corner. Kyoko DDTd Kansai for a near fall. Kyoko jumped off the second rope but Kansai kicked her in mid-air. Kansai went for a back suplex but Kyoko fell on top of her. Kyoko gave Kansai a running top rope elbowsmash for a near fall. Kansai blocked a powerbomb and caught Kyoko with a back suplex for a near fall. Kansai slammed Kyoko gave Kong gave her a top rope foot stomp. Kansai then gave Kyoko a top rope foot stomp for a near fall. Kong and Kansai missed top rope foot stomps and Kyoko gave Kansai a released German suplex. Kyoko tried to German suplex Kong but Kansai kicked her. Kansai applied a sleeper on Kyoko for a while. Masami applied a sleeper on Kansai while Kansai maintained the sleeper on Kyoko, then Kong completed the chain with a sleeper on Masami in a weird spot. Kansai elbowed Kyoko. Kyoko went after Kansai on the top rope but Kong caught her and German suplexed her after which Kansai gained a near fall. Kong went for a second rope dangerous backdrop but Kyoko countered with a sunset flip for a near fall. Kong and Kansai gave brainbusters to Kyoko and Masami and Kong gained a near fall. Kansai gave Masami a roundhouse kick and gave Kyoko a splash mountain for a near fall. Kong missed a tope suicida on Masami. Kansai went to give Kyoko a splash mountain off the second rope but Masami held Kansai at bay. Kyoko then gave Kansai a top rope DDT for a near fall. Kyoko was going to give Kansai a Niagara driver, but Kong charged so she held Kansai up and Kong ended up giving her partner an uraken in a neat spot. Kyoko gave Kansai more of a Liger bomb for a great near fall. Kyoko powerbombed Kansai and Masami gave her a top rope legdrop after which Kyoko gained a near fall. Kyoko gave Kansai a Liger bomb and pinned her at 23:36. This was really close to being excellent, but ultimately fell short and was just "great". Actually, kind of emblematic of many big joshi matches at this time, in which the work was really good, if not great, but never kicked into overdrive as much as similar matches in the previous few years. For the first 15+ minutes, they just cruised along at a solid pace with good work, but very few exchanges stood out and fan heat was really weak as a result. In fact, fans only got into the near falls during the last couple minutes. Kong seemed like the best worker of the match, while Kyoko showed she could still turn in a strong athletic performance despite her advancing weight. Kansai and Masami looked fine when they were involved, but they both seemed to be in cruise control as far as their workrate. Granted their work was solid, but Kansai wasn't her usual explosive (no pun intended, you get it...) self while Masami didn't impress with her psychology and selling. For this setting, not as memorable of a main event as these four women could have had, but not necessarily disappointing because it turned out great. Fine ending to a great TV show. ***3/4

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