Chikako Shiratori, Numacchi & Tomoko Watanabe vs. Mizuki Endo, Utako Hozumi & Yasha Kurenai (LLPW) 15:44. What a collection this was. LLPW had wrecked Hozumi by this point, and just had her waving around a stupid pink fan and wearing feathers, Yasha at least wielded a shinai, while charisma vacuum Endo rounded off the team. Shiratori was dressed up in a white dress and a hat with her typical confused facial expressions, making me wonder if she got lost and ended up at a wrestling show by mistake, while her partners Numacchi and Watanabe got dressed in the dark. This was a junior spotfest except no one had any spots. Yasha, who got the best crowd reactions, Hozumi and Watanabe were alright, but they didn’t have much to work with, and the teams weren’t really familiar with each other. Numacchi just added some comedy. I can stomach Numacchi running around hitting people with a plastic shovel and wearing a hard hat a lot more than I can the stupid nonsense the clown did in the next match. It wasn’t terrible, it just dragged along, and was probably five minutes longer than it really needed to be, which probably doesn’t say much for them when it’s a six woman tag. They lost the lights in the building towards the end, but they came back just before the finish. Yasha got a pretty good pop for beating Numacchi with a top rope chokeslam. *1/2

Chaparrita ASARI & Infernal KAORU vs. Bolshoi Kid & Candy Okutsu (JWP) 13:03. Mariko Yoshida refereed this, and got a bigger pop than anyone in the match, and the best part of the whole match was her getting involved when KAORU provoked her. This was about the worst you’d expect. Third rate lucha, pointless spots, and the clown just making everything worse with her stupid comedy. The only way this could have been adequate would be to have gotten rid of ASARI and the clown and ran a Candy vs. KAORU singles match, they were alright when they were in together and it at least resembled a competent wrestling match. But it was too much to overcome when the clown was so abysmal and ASARI was clueless. At least Candy, who gave the best performance despite being the least experienced got the pin, defeating ASARI with a German Suplex. 1/2*

Elimination Match: Bat Yoshinaga, Bull Nakano, Etsuko Mita, Mima Shimoda & Suzuka Minami vs. Eagle Sawai, Harley Saito, Leo Kitamura, Miki Handa & Yukari Osawa (LLPW) 15:47. This was the first proper match on the show, and it was an excellent one. It also must have been a rib getting the annoying FMW ring announcer (who sounds like that guy on the Simpsons who says “e-yes” all the time) to introduce the match with the most wrestlers in it. It did suffer from the limitation of being a 15 minute elimination match where everyone wanted their chance to shine. It was spot after spot the whole time, and well laid out. Not a second of it was wasted, and everyone was good. BATOMANIA wasn't confined to the LLPW 5/11 show, as she got massive reactions in this match as well. While not the best in the match, she was the standout performer, leaving the biggest impression and delivering the most memorable moments. Kitamura, Handa and Osawa were the first three out within about 2 minutes of each other, leaving the LLPW team 5 v 2. The point here was to make Eagle and Bat look great, though Eagle was probably the worst one in the match due to some issues she had lifting Bull on spots. Eagle eliminated Minami and Shimoda within 10 seconds of each other, and followed up getting rid of Mita soon after, bringing it back to 2 v 2. Harley and Eagle were trying to put Bull away, but failed and Bat came in like a total wrecking ball. She demolished Harley with a rolling kick, Eagle with one, Bull with one by accident, and delivered one to Harley to eliminate her. It was only a matter of time before Eagle followed. She survived a lot of what Bull threw at her, but Bat destroyed her with a rolling kick, and Bull finished up with a somersault guillotine leg drop to win. ****

Takako Inoue vs. Cuty Suzuki (JWP) 18:17. While it didn’t quite match her matches with the Scorpion in 1991, this was one of Cuty’s more notable singles matches, and Takako’s to an extent. The first two thirds were mostly just the two working each other over in holds. Cuty did a decent job on top, but it was a lot better when Takako was working her over. Takako did a good job with her knee work, and the way Cuty put it over made this portion of the match, she actually gave a really good babyface performance in general, though she wasn’t really the fan favorite given she was an outsider. They dropped the submissions and started working for their key spots, and did a really good job of it. They threw out just about everything they knew. Cuty survived the top rope chokeslam, and Takako kicked out of a Dragon Suplex. They ended up decking each other, with Takako recovering first. She kept knocking Cuty down, and hit a diving knee attack to get the win. As good as this was, and they made the most of what they do well, it was probably 5 minutes too long and did show that these two were better suited to tags. It was really good match though. ***1/2

Toshiyo Yamada & Kaoru Ito vs. Megumi Kudo & Yukie Nabeno (FMW) 14:24. Zenjo sent Ito over to FMW to job, so FMW repaid them by sending Yukie Nabeno. Maybe they should have sent Numacchi, that was about the talent level of Nabeno. This match was probably at its worst when it fell into the veteran vs. youngster match that took up the majority of it. Yamada couldn’t do much with the hapless Nabeno aside from punt her around, and Kudo didn’t work well with Ito. There was plenty of awkwardness, and at one point, Kudo made the strange decision to do four Tiger Drivers in a row because I guess nothing else was working. Then Yamada saved her from a fifth, which saw Ito go on offense immediately after (that may have been one of those times where a chinlock might have been a better choice). Kudo and Yamada were good together, and Nabeno followed along better with Ito, who was all fired up to get her win back from the FMW show. The finish was excellent though. Some really good spots, and Kudo looking to finish off Ito while Yamada frantically saved her after dealing with Nabeno. The urgency was high throughout this portion, and the finish was great with Ito eventually stomp spamming Nabeno, hitting a diving footstomp to take Kudo out on the outside before finishing Nabeno with a diving footstomp in the ring. When this match was bad, it was really bad, but when it was good it was really good. ***1/4

Kyoko Inoue vs. Shinobu Kandori (LLPW) 17:46. Kyoko embodies the goofier aspects of pro-wrestling with her Mongolian Chops, wacky lucha matwork, run up dives, giant swing and slingshots, while Kandori embodies the realistic shooter side. These two were like oil and water, and the idea that this match could work seemed to be if Kyoko compromised her style to work a more realistic one to fit what Kandori does, however she went the opposite way, and it worked perfectly. She was just as jovial as she always was, and did every wacky spot she knew, while selling Kandori’s submissions as frantically as was warranted. Kandori didn’t compromise either, and knew how to sell Kyoko’s wrestling with a mixture of pain, surprise and anger. The match started off brilliantly, Kandori aimed to rough up Kyoko, but found herself caught in a helicopter slam. Kyoko ran through her non-threatening submissions and Kandori gave her a reality check by roughing her up when she got the chance and going for her more lethal submissions. Kyoko did eventually concede that she couldn’t mat wrestle with Kandori, and would have to rely on superior speed and athleticism. That worked until Kandori began anticipating her moves. One of the most effective spots in the match occurred when Kyoko attempted a slingshot elbow, only for Kandori to step back and apply a sleeper hold in the middle of the ring. It wasn’t the most well-executed spot they did, but it didn’t need to be. Kandori really wanted to choke Kyoko out, and every subsequent sleeper spot was great, with Kyoko frantically getting out of them. Kyoko was worn down, but she’s the most energetic player in the game, and always had something left in the tank. She wore Kandori down with spots to where they were both getting tired. Each tried for their finishers, but were still able to counter them. Kandori struck hers first, hitting the Tiger Driver, but only got a two count. Kandori went for flash submissions, Kyoko went for flash pins, and they both countered each other. The great thing was it really felt like a flash finish was just as, if not more likely to end it than a finisher. Kyoko hit the Niagara Driver, but it also only got two, and Kandori came back from the dead, locking in a wakigatame. Kyoko made the ropes once, but Kandori reapplied a modified version to get the win. Kyoko led a great match, and gave an amazing performance in all aspects, but it was far from a one woman show. The idea that Kandori was a bad worker who only brought a reputation is beyond me while matches like this exist. While it's true that she wasn't always motivated, she was prone to forgetting planned spots, and she had limitations in terms of technique and execution, she got pro-wrestling, she was unique, she knew what worked and she understood her own limitations. ****1/2

Yumiko Hotta, Manami Toyota & Sakie Hasegawa vs. Mayumi Ozaki, Plum Mariko & Hikari Fukuoka (JWP) 25:10. Coincidentally, or uncoincidentally this was Hotta coming up against all the three JWP girls she concussed. Given how badly Hotta abused them all, you probably wouldn’t even buy the JWP team in a 3 v 1 handicap match against her. Beyond that, there were rivalries with Sakie and Toyota too, so there was more than enough here to pique the interest. The beginning saw Hotta get triple teamed which had no effect, then she kicked Plum out of the ring and did a tope. Toyota perched up for a dive, but Hikari dropkicked her. She couldn’t stop Sakie, who hit a plancha, but missed. Plum and Ozaki followed up with her special dive from the middle rope. That was the first minute gone, and it was equally as messy and pointless as it was spectacular. They settled things down and worked a good slower phase where everyone just seemed to trying to one-up each other. The dislike between both teams were on show with a bit of extra niggle and a little extra on their moves, holds and pins, with no one wanting to give an inch. Just as it appeared someone was about to get worked for a traditional extended heat segment, they’d make a comeback and the momentum would change. It was a really intriguing build with lots of good action throughout, but it always felt on the verge of falling apart. Hotta did a grab of carrying the match, while Toyota did a terrible job of it because she just wanted to get her shit in all the time. Plum and Sakie were fine. Ozaki didn’t have a great day, which may have been due to some head bumps she took about half way through or just a lack of interest. Hikari wanted to stand out and tried the hardest on her team, but she could only do it if Sakie was in with her, she couldn’t do much to Hotta, and Toyota wouldn’t give her anything. At one point, Hikari and Toyota fought over a rolling cradle and Hikari got the better of it, but Toyota did her own straight after, except for twice as long just to put her in her place. The match picked up with plenty of suplexes and saves. The JWP team kept Hotta under control by triple teaming her, and got her set up for Hikari’s moonsault, but she got her knees up. The match was threatening to fall apart, and it did with a classic Manami jumpstart that turned it into a complete mess. She started a dive sequence early, sprinting past to the opposite corner and quickly climbing onto the turnbuckle. Ozaki wasn’t in position and had to rush over to dump her. Hikari and Hotta weren’t ready either and looked bewildered. Hotta tried to improvise something, directing Hikari, but Hikari must have been too confused by what her idol was doing to pay attention, and they ended up just standing around awkwardly. Ozaki held Toyota on the outside a while, and Hikari went up top and hit a plancha, Plum followed with one, Hotta was almost comically just standing making no attempt to even get involved while they were getting this sequence over with. Toyota finally got to hit her quebrada, so at least she got her dive in and to hell with the match that was happening. They got things back on track and finished up with the usual big run of spots, finishing up well at least, and something of a surprise was Hikari getting the pin on Sakie to finish the match. This match was always entertaining on at least some level, it was brilliant at times, and a complete farce at others. ***1/2

All Pacific Title Match: Akira Hokuto vs. Rumi Kazama (LLPW) 15:53. Hokuto was so great at this point that a mere good match was well below her standards, and this could only be good. She had a knee that badly needed surgery, and her opponent was decent at best. Kazama was up for this. She always displayed good aggression and disdain, but her performances typically left a lot to be desired. On this occasion, she gave one of her better efforts, executing better than normal and selling well. Hokuto worked her over first and Kazama came back on the leg. Hokuto would desperately try to thrash her way back, but Kazama was relentless, staying on the leg even when they tumbled outside. Hokuto successfully turned it into a scrap after that point and the second half, but Kazama was able to stay on top until she missed a plancha and Hokuto hit her somersault plancha. Hokuto went for the Northern Light’s Bomb and Kazama kicked her in the mouth to counter, which was a strange looking counter that Hokuto either sold a lot more than was warranted or she really did potato her (I’d assume the latter since Hokuto was straight back on offense). Hokuto went for the DQ bomb but that was also countered, and Kazama caught her in a kneebar soon after, which given the state of Hokuto’s knee was probably Kazama’s most threatening spot in the match. Hokuto came back with a DQ bomb and Kazama survived it but she was done. She looked defiant, but held a glassy eyed stare and looked like she had nothing left. Hokuto just needed to put her down. Kazama mustered up the strength to hit a German Suplex and a Powerbomb after she slipped out of the Northern Light’s Bomb, but Hokuto hit another DQ bomb and finished her off with the Northern Light’s Bomb. With President Kazama beaten, Hokuto called out Kandori after the match, and bet her life on the rematch, stating she’d retire if she lost, setting up their 12/6 rematch. This was a good, even really good match. Hokuto’s selling made it compelling, and Kazama held up her end well enough. Maybe comparing to Hokuto’s matches against Toyota and Hotta is unfair, but those matches were significantly better, and it’s hard not to group them when they all told the same basic story and came only four days earlier than this one. ***1/4

WWWA World Title Match: Aja Kong vs. Dynamite Kansai (JWP) 22:54. Coming off their first encounter at JWPs Thunder Queen Battle, this promised to be a hard hitting, stiff and brutal war and that’s exactly what it delivered, even the opening staredown was great. Early on, the pace was deliberate, as both competitors sought to wear each other down with submissions while occasionally attempting something more ambitious. Aja had more control throughout this, but Kansai did her share of damage as well. There were hints at their striking throughout, and it became clearer as it went along that this was their key to winning. It was a very slow first half, but it served its purpose, and set the stage for the second half, which turned the match into one of the most dramatic of the year. They mirrored each other at times, with both catching corner boots and lariats. They were more wary of the strikes than the big moves, so they had an easier time with suplexes and then landing knockout blows. Kansai hit a tope and diving headbutt. Aja got out of the first two Splash Moutain attempts, and a piledriver attempt soon after saw Aja wipe her out with a Uraken, perfectly timed and couldn’t have potentially been a finish, particularly after they’d established precisely that it was at the Thunder Queen Battle. Kansai didn’t even start stirring until the count of 5, making it up at 8. Aja pressed on, hitting a diving body press. She went for another, which saw Kansai kick her on the way down, but Aja came down on the leg, making it worse for Kansai. Kansai avoided two Urakens and kicked Aja’s arm on the third attempt. She did her own Uraken, which was a lousy one, so she kicked Kansai in the head with her left leg instead, which made up for it. Aja got up at 9, but was playing possum, and caught Kansai with a backdrop. She went up to the top turnbuckle, but Kansai grabbed her and hit Splash Mountain for a huge near fall. Aja blocked her second attempt at it and dropped to the mat, so Kansai put her in an STF, then teed off with kicks. Aja came back looking for suplexes, but came up with another Uraken after Kansai elbowed her way out of one. Another Uraken followed, and then two bare fisted Urakens followed, but Kansai refused to surrender and kept getting up. Aja kept slamming her with Urakens, and hit the Waterwheel Drop to put her away. ****3/4

Best Joshi Puroresu Matches YouTube Playlist