Maya Yukihi vs. Suzu Suzuki (Ice Ribbon, 6/13/2020)

Ice Ribbon - #1046 ~ Yokohama Ribbon 2020 (6/13/2020)

ICExInfinity Championship: Maya Yukihi (c) vs. Suzu Suzuki

This was an improvement over their previous title match in Yokohama, but fell short of expectations. Both have undergone character transformations since then, with Yukihi becoming a heel and Suzu becoming a ninja, which added a new dimension to the matchup. The taunting at the beginning was fun, and there were some really cool sequences and moves throughout, but the match never felt like it shifted into that next gear. Moreover, Suzu never felt like she was even close to becoming the champion despite her momentum coming in.

***1/2

Arisa Nakajima vs. ASUKA (SEAdLINNNG, 6/13/2020)

SEAdLINNNG - Delivered To You! (6/13/2020)

SEAdLINNNG Beyond the Sea Championship: Arisa Nakajima (c) vs. ASUKA

This was a good match, although it felt like it dragged at parts. Slowly building from groundwork to heavy attacks may not work well with no-fans. But I did enjoy the groundwork, with ASUKA using her power advantage and Nakajima targeting the leg. The leg work was sold well, but unfortunately didn't lead to anything particularly interesting. Both wrestlers traded tremendous offense in the mid to latter stages, with ASUKA using some crushing power moves.

***1/2

Mei Suruga vs. Yuna Mizumori (ChocoPro, 5/27/2020)

ChocoPro - #17 (5/27/2020)

30 Minute Iron Man Sudden Death Match: Mei Suruga vs. Yuna Mizumori 

A well paced iron-man match with a unique layout. They went for something different from other iron-man matches and they pulled it off well. Mei showed her wrestling IQ with creative attacks and strategies against the larger opponent. Yunamon was good as well, and this was made for a satisfying end to her character arc.

***3/4

Yoshiko vs. Saori Anou (AWG, 4/30/2019)

AWG - Actwres girl'Z in Korakuen (4/30/2019)

Yoshiko vs. Saori Anou

A solid match that could have been better. It started exciting, but they slowed things down suddenly and from there it was a start-stop pacing that I didn't find very compelling for the feud they had built. Too much of the match was spent with Yoshiko applying holds to Anou and Anou reaching the rope after a stretch of time. One or two peril segments is fine, but four of them is a bit much. And the crowd wasn’t getting any hotter because of them. Anou's comebacks were lacking too. She could have put up more of a fight. Yoshiko took most of the match and won in a dominant fashion.

***1/4

Ryo Mizunami vs. Hikaru Shida (WAVE, 8/12/2019)

WAVE - Anniversary Wave 12th (8/12/2019)

Ryo Mizunami vs. Hikaru Shida

A fitting sequel to their great singles match of 2017. This was intense and hard-hitting throughout its duration, and they paced the action well into the time over draw. Both were connecting heavy offense, the knee strikes from Shida in particular were brutal. 

****

Saori Anou vs. Miyuki Takase (AWG, 12/4/2017)

AWG - Act 26 (12/4/2017)

POP Championship: Saori Anou (c) vs. Miyuki Takase

This was a great match, the best singles match I've seen from Saori Anou personally. They both brought tension and drama and everything felt like it was executed at a good pace. Could’ve used a stronger finish, but this was a very good match, even more impressive considering Takase's lack of experience at the time.

***3/4

Natsumi Maki vs. Saori Anou (AWG, 10/9/2018)

AWG (10/9/2018)

AWG Championship Tournament - Quarter-Finals: Natsumi Maki vs. Saori Anou

This was an intense match, a surly back and forth between former tag partners turned rivals. There was brawling and some big time exchanges. Both have beautiful bridges that were on display as they traded suplexes.

***1/2