1. Arisu Endo & Suzume vs. Juria Nagano & Moka Miyamoto
A solid debut for Juria Nagano. Juria only used karate based strikes, never grappling or running the ropes. She was incongruous in a good way. Moka's performance was marred by timing issues throughout the match. Suzume & Arisu were stable without doing anything particularly impressive. **3/4
2. Mahiro Kiryu, Nao Kakuta, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami vs. Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & YuuRI
This was better than I expected. Solid action throughout the match and mostly everyone was able to look good, with Mahiro and Manase being highlights of the match. ***1/4
4. Yuki Kamifuku vs. ASUKA
Kamiyu has grown a lot since her debut and it's nice that she was given a showcase match on the card. It was a well paced match that was surprisingly physical, where both wrestlers were able to show their best points from the entrance to the ring. ***1/4
5. Nodoka Tenma vs. Yuki Aino
This was a well wrestled match, I suppose, but it was monotonous due to the similarity of the competitors and didn't have much going for it story wise beyond them being sisters and partners. They're both larger in weight but aren't particularly impressive power fighters or hard hitters and most of their offense was repetitive tackles and throws. **
6. Marika Kobashi, Pom Harajuku, Raku & Ram Kaicho vs. Saki-sama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent
Bii-gun's entrance was the best. The match itself was only moderately entertaining with some interesting interactions, most of which involved Ram Kaichow. It was also great to see Saki-sama and Marika revisit their feud from the past. **1/2
7. Hikari Noa vs. Hikari Shida
Shida's first proper match in Japan since 2019 and a big test to see how far Hikari has come. They meshed surprisingly well together and it didn't feel like an " exhibition" match you often see between unfamiliar opponents from different promotions. The difference in body size and the way Shida radiated power created an atmosphere of a boss fight. Shida showed how much she has grown in AEW and has become a much more confident and dynamic performer. ***1/2
8. International Princess Championship: Maki Itoh (c) vs. Yuki Arai
Itoh was in great form as usual and showed her match carrying abilities. Yuki Arai did her best, but I felt her limit at this early stage in her career. In her first title match as a 10-month rookie, I would say she met expectations rather than exceeded them. There were lagging parts and a lot of the offense was lacking in impact, but towards the end they built the drama well and delivered a good finish. ***
9. Princess Tag Team Championship: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) vs. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
MSR and Daydream always have a good sense of balance in their performance and they performed very well here. There were lots of exciting double teams and sequences crammed into the match without it feeling like it was too much. Miu and Mizuki mixed their respective hard and soft wrestling styles, while Yuka and Rika recalled their dramatic 2021 singles title match. Over the course of its 17 minutes, it was almost nonstop action from the bell but worked in such a way that it didn't peak early and only escalated in tension as it went on. ****1/2
10. Princess of Princess Championship: Miyu Yamashita (c) vs. Shoko Nakajima
Miyu and Shoko have been wrestling together since 2013 and their comfort working together was palpable. It was mostly a good match that was brought down by a weak and abrupt finish. Miyu's striking was very pristine and on point, and Shoko did a great job of working underneath and scoring timely counter bursts. However, Shoko's final comeback was less than convincing. Miyu had been dominant up to that point, but was beaten by moves that aren't even Shoko's best. When Shoko beat Miyu for the belt the first time she had to use locomotion Northern Lights suplexes. Here it was only a DDT and a diving senton. It was totally baffling that someone who had been so dominant in all her title defenses, even against the years-undefeated Saki-sama, would lose so routinely. ***1/2
No comments:
Post a Comment