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The Wrestle Queens Fusion: Devil Masami & Candy Okutsu vs. Suzuka Minami & Kaoru Ito (AJW team) |
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This is the way to utilize quality veterans that aren't playing a prominent role on the big show. This is the way to showcase young wrestlers that can't carry a match. What you had here was the veterans, Devil and Suzuka, although really it was almost all Devil, carrying the match. They took the pressure off the younger wrestlers by placing the burden on themselves. They wrestled intelligently and made sure the younger wrestlers weren't forced to do things they don't do well. Ito & Candy only had to do the things they do well, so they were able to make an impressive showing. Ito was good by this time, so she didn't need too much help, but Candy was still a rookie. This was the Devil Masami show to the point where she made it an excellent match on her own and was largely responsible for Candy making a good showing even though she wasn't working against her. One way she did this was through double team spots, which were plentiful from both teams. The match was fast-paced with all the big spots. At one point Devil press slammed (actually, it looked more like a throw from vertical suplex position) Suzuka onto an unbreakable table, which had to hurt. Devil powerbombed Ito then delivered her diving guillotine leg drop, but Suzuka got back in the ring in time to make the save. Later on, Candy tried to counter Ito's whip into the corner by jumping onto the ropes and delivering a diving body attack, but she had trouble getting her balance so Ito pushed her off the top to the floor. Devil was outside fighting with Suzuka, so Candy wound up giving her own teammate a plancha (the spot wasn't insane because Devil was there to catch Candy). Suzuka used missile kicks on Candy while Ito took Devil out with her brutal diving footstomp to the floor. Ito then returned to the ring to fisherman suplex Candy and spike Suzuka's powerbomb, but Devil got back just in time to make the save. Devil saved Candy from Ito's Super fisherman buster and tried to press slam Candy on Ito, but Suzuka clipped her knee so Candy fell on top of Devil. Suzuka then tried to powerbomb Candy, but Devil revenged the previous spot by taking Suzuka's leg out, causing Candy to fall on top of her. Devil powerbombed Ito then Candy & Devil consecutively used Ito's own diving footstomp on her. The turning point was Candy getting hit when Devil's lariat backfired. Suzuka then got rid of Devil, while Ito did her rolling senton then Suzuka held Candy up so Ito could hit a sky high body attack for the win. Candy did the job because she was the youngest, but this was the match that made a lot of people take notice of her because it was the highlight of a long segment devoted to her on the second JWP show on WOWOW. This match was better than it should have been, and the fans gave these four a big hand to show their appreciation. Miko: I had a positive feeling going into this match. This was a younger Candy before the injuries, a much younger and thinner Devil Masami, and one of my all time underrated favs, Suzuka Minami. Kaoru Ito was good. I especially liked her unleashing some AJW style whoop ass with her heavy hitting dropkicks. I really liked how Candy sold Minami's double underhook backbreaker because her body really bowed with the impact, making the move look nastier. I liked the mirror spots in this match, with Devil pummeling Kaoru to try and give Candy the win, then Minami doing the same to Candy to set things up for Kaoru. There weren't a lot of big spots and Candy's execution wasn't always smooth, but overall it was the best match so far. Michael: Pretty good match though a little discombobulated in spots. Devil actually sold and there were some innovative spots thrown in as well. Candy's offense looked really weak at times, but not often enough to really hurt the match. Jerome: Great all action match. Devil was all-over that ring, dictating the pace and directing the whole match. She was dominating, but not in a random no-selling kind of way. Her work was smooth and dynamic, she had all the athlecism in the world to take great bump and her natural charisma was in full effect to get the crowd in the match. She totally guided Candy's work, setting up the opponents for her flying spots by using some great double team moves. A really impressive and highly enjoyable performance on her part. Candy was young and somewhat sloppy (like her rolling German suplex), but her work was already explosive. Of course, she played the underdog before doing the job, but she really made a strong showing. Ito was already a very good worker, but still deeply into the hip attack. She did her painfull-looking footstomp from the top to the outside on Devil. Suzuka really impressed me and her work against Devil was the highlight of the match. She's probably one of the most underrated wrestlers of her generation. I don't think five more minutes would have hurt this great match. Special thanks to: Jerome Denis, Michael Smtih, & Miko Kubota -
Michiku Pro 14:28
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