Tokyo Joshi Pro - '18 (1/4/2018)

4. NEO Biishiki-gun (Saki-sama & Azusa Christie) vs. Super Milk Combination (Nonoko & Yuna Manase) (w/ Haruka Nishimoto)

Not the best effort I've seen from Super Milk Combination, but solid. The finishing stretch was nuts -- Saki-sama makes a counter of the boinmaker into an STO!

**1/2

5. TOKYO Princess Tag Team Championship: MiraClians (Yuka Sakazaki & Shoko Nakajima) (c) vs. Mizuki & Riho

Riho in TJPW! I feel like this could have been so much better, but I probably had unrealistic expectations for it. It was still really good. They created great moments even though the execution could be spotty, and the high speed exchanges between Riho and Shoko were easily the highlight.

***1/4

6. TOKYO Princess of Princess Championship: Reika Saiki (c) vs. Miyu Yamashita

This was everything you'd want from a match between these two and more, a spirited back and forth with beautiful kick exchanges. It doesn't reach the dramatic heights of Reika's previous defenses, but it still was very good. I hope to see these two clash again in the future.

***3/4

Stardom - New Years Stars 2018 (1/3/2018)

2. Hiromi Mimura vs. Kaori Yoneyama

This was boring during Yoneyama's control segment, per usual with Yoneyama matches, but once they start getting into the shouto stuff it gets really good.

**1/4

5. Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, Kris Wolf & Sumire Natsu) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, HZK, Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe)

This was enjoyable, a lot of fun. Nothing in joshi puroresu comes close to the intimacy of Stardom's 1stRING shows.

***

Daisuke Sekimoto vs. HARASHIMA (DDT, 7/25/2010)

DDT - Ryogoku Peter Pan 2010 ~ Summer Vacation (7/25/2010)

KO-D Openweight Championship: Daisuke Sekimoto (c) vs. HARASHIMA

Great match. It was an intense and competitive championship bout, where HARASHIMA shows off a wide range of facial expressions. The finishing run probably went overkill with headbutt trading and HARASHIMA kicking out of a CROSS-ARM GERMAN SUPLEX, but I was totally into it.

****

Masa Takanashi vs. Yuji Hino (DDT, 5/4/2012)

DDT - Max Bump 2012 (5/4/2012)

KO-D Openweight Championship: Masa Takanashi (c) vs. Yuji Hino

Masa cheats his way to a victory by pretending that he was attacked by Hino with the belt, but the GM restarts the match. Now Hino is ultra pissed, his groans and facial expressions putting him over as this no-nonsense monster. Masa finds sneaky little ways to mount offense and targets the leg, and Hino punishes him with sheer brute strength. Great clash of power and technique.

**** 

KUDO vs. Masa Takanashi (DDT, 11/6/2011)

DDT - Osaka Bay Blues Special 2011 (11/6/2011)

KO-D Openweight Championship: KUDO (c) vs. Masa Takanashi

Masa's aiming for the leg in this match, a game plan that got him far in his first Openweight challenge against Daisuke Sekimoto. This match ruled, loved the slap exchange and KUDO's Palo special between the ropes (into a rolling German suplex) was awesome.

***1/4

W*ING - Dead or Alive (5/7/1992)

3. W*ING World Junior Heavyweight Championship Tournament - Qualifying Match: Masaru Toi vs. Masayoshi Motegi

An engaging match, with explosive offense and selling. There's a powerbomb where their heads collide and they start pouring out blood, match doesn't go on for much longer after that.

**1/2

4. Mitsuteru Tokuda vs. Mongolian Mauler

**

5. W*ING Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship: Yukihiro Kanemura (c) vs. Super Invader

Third match in a row to start off with an outside brawl. This was action-packed, and it's only 9 minutes long. There's a sloppy avalanche belly-to-belly from Super Invader where Kanemura lands on his arm; both threw caution to the wind in some of the bumps they took.

***

6. Indian Strap Match: The Grappler vs. Wahoo McDaniel

Loving the gritty tone of this show. This was a violent brawl with tons of a bloodshed. Wahoo drags the lifeless body of The Grappler to each corner as blood leaks on his white boots -- a chilling visual.

***1/2

7. Undertaker Deathmatch: Jason the Terrible vs. Mr. Pogo

More brawling and bloodshed. The ending was madness. Pogo and Super Invader try to set Jason on fire while he's in the casket, and that causes a giant brawl to end the show. Jason is taken away in the casket (his mask mysteriously returning after having been removed) with a title card promising his return.

***3/4

Cho-un Shiryu & Masahiro Takanashi vs. Riho & Mitsuru Konno (Gatoh Move, 10/22/2017)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・317 (10/22/2017)

Cho-un Shiryu & Masahiro Takanashi vs. Riho & Mitsuru Konno

"Nice" intergender violence. I like the moment where Masahiro blindsides Konno during her posedown with Shiryu. Riho & Konno's reprisals were strong, the assisted crossbody was an awesome spot. Shiryu finishes Konno with a unique hold that looked like a Gory special into a standing cloverleaf.

***1/4