Joshi Spotlight: JWP’s One-Count-Fall Gauntlet Tag Match

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zw5N8OF_5BI&ab_channel=Evito-X-Puro

JWP (March 21st 1995):
* This show’s a crazy one. Ever seen a match set up so that you win on the count of ONE? Well watch a Gauntlet Match of that, ending in a Multi-Person match under the same rules. And it’s not the disaster you think it will be! JWP has the weirdest, most incredible shows sometimes.

1-COUNT PINFALL GAUNTLET/TAG TEAM MATCH:
DYNAMITE KANSAI, DEVIL MASAMI, HIKARI FUKUOKA & HIROMI YAGI vs. MAYUMI OZAKI, CUTIE SUZUKI, CANDY OKUTSU & SUMIO TOYAMA:
* Okay, so the rules here are completely insane- everyone is set up in a Team Gauntlet of five-minute solo matches, and you win the fall on a ONE-COUNT. Which… okay that’s how amateur wrestling works, but still- in puro especially, every move on Earth at least earns a two-count, so the cadence here will be super-interesting. It can create some flukes pretty easily, at least. Following that gauntlet is a standard 8-Woman Tag. Pretty one-sided teams here, as the two Aces mix with Hikari and a higher-end rookie Yagi against Ozaki & Cutie, plus Candy (a bit above Yagi, maybe?) and Toyama, who is easily bottom-tier in this crew. Kansai’s in yellow & green, Devil’s in black & purple, Hikari’s in black & white and Yagi’s in black & purple. Ozaki’s in red, Cutie’s in white, Candy’s in black & white and Toyama’s in black & orange. Kansai’s still sporting a band-aid on her forehead from Ozaki trying to eat her face only four days earlier.

Kansai/Toyama: HAH! Kansai just charges in with a lariat and we’re done at (0:07).

Kansai/Cutie: Kansai hits a big vertical suplex for our first kick-out, and the fans actually mark out for it. See, now they instantly “get” the rules within ten seconds. Kansai scores brutal kicks and a piledriver for nothing. Cutie scores a couple of flash-pin attempts. Dragon Suplex- nothing! Cutie climbs and flies right into a brutal kick, signaling Splash Mountain from Kansai! She goes for it, but… Manami Roll! One-Count!!! Cutie wins (2:45) and the crowd and commentator freak! And now the fans know “flukes can and will happen” three minutes in, and will mark out for everything.

Devil/Cutie: Cutie, holding her agonized head, skoots around while Devil stalks her in a funny bit, but it’s all for naught- an overthrow powerbomb & backbreaker nearly get her. Massive press slam & powerbomb- nothing! An annoyed Devil tries a Guillotine Legdrop to finish, but misses and they get a “Cutie reversal dropkick only to be clotheslined” spot on the second try. Cutie puts both of them out when Devil tries a German, but gets dragged to the edge of a stage, where Devil teases a press-slam, only to get shoved off and hit with the Flying Knee from there! Cutie tries to get back in, but for the first time since I started these Spotlights, they are counted out (4:52)- Devil was grabbing Cutie’s leg to prevent her ascent into the ring. Awesome sequence.

Yagi/Candy: Yagi scores a snap armbar takedown that’s sold dramatically, then a few more amidst some flash-pins, including a great leglock that the fans are into. Candy reverses with a corner-dodge into a missile kick for nothing, then finishes with the GIANT SWING for the pin (3:55).

Hikari/Candy: Lonnnnggggg staredown & lockup to start, and Candy excites people trying another Giant Swing, but it fails. She hits missile kicks but misses a plancha, so Hikari drags her in for a Moonsault… for nothing! Another try misses, but Candy flies off onto Hikari’s knees, and Hikari’s Rolling Cradle finishes at (4:18).

Hikari/Ozaki: Ozaki tosses Hikari around, but Hikari’s Moonsault Dodge leads to her cartwheel elbow & POPEYE PUNCH~~, then two missile kicks and a Moonsault for nothing. Long brawl outside and a second Moonsault misses- Ozaki’s powerbomb gets nothing. Hikari kicks out after a Backdrop Hold AND a Cannonball as time runs out, and two pin attempts fail at (5:00).

8-Woman Tag: One fall ends it. Cutie gets beaten up first, then Toyama’s murdered by Kansai’s knees. Devil holds her in a surfboard while Kansai blocks interference in a cute bit- Cutie sneaks behind her to save. More torture and the crowd is actually amused at how mean it is, but Toyama comes back on Yagi and escapes, letting Candy try some stuff. Cutie & Ozaki try suplexes, getting nothing, and Yagi escapes so we get our first Kansai/Ozaki sequence since their violent ****3/4 brawl. Oz reverses a dragon sleeper to an armbar and Candy hits a bunch of charging stuff on Kansai and a DDT for nothing. She now tries that damn GIANT SWING again, but obviously that’s a no-go- Kansai has like 40-50 lbs. on her, minimum. Toyama tries dropkick spam but Kansai literally brushes them off (as in, literally brushes off the point of impact with her hand), then hits that JobberKiller Lariat again, necessitating Cutie DIVING in for the save. Hilariously, Toyama now tries dropkick spam on DEVIL, and it actually works, bringing her down because she was staggered in mid-charge by one! But Devil catches Cutie with a monster Giant Swing… and now Kansai does one! And Yagi! And Hikari gets 12 revolutions before she falls over!

Yagi does restholds, but Devil tries a powerbomb and Cutie tries that damn Manami Roll counter again- Devil’s too quick and gets out before the pin! Another Kansai/Oz sequence- Kansai lariats out of a Tequila Sunrise but Oz gets her spinning armdrag reversal of the powerbomb. DDT- Yagi saves. Candy is murdered by Kansai’s lariat, but hits her Run-Up Missile Kick to Hikari! Oz sets up Rolling Germans- nothing! Toyama tries Russian legsweep spam AND Chokeslam spam, but takes a DDT- Yagi forces a tag and judo flips Candy. She climbs, but Candy hits a Run-Up Northern Lights Superduperplex and the entire team has to charge in for the save. Kansai swipes Cutie from the apron and Devil hits a powerbomb- another group-save (from the other side, now). Hilarious bit as Devil gets hit by seven Germans in a row (shared among her opponents), barely kicking out. Toyama Flying Stomp! Candy Flying Stomp! Cutie AND Ozaki Double Flying Stomp! Massive dogpile to stop the pin!

Candy tries another move but eats a Sandwich Lariat from Devil & Kansai, and they try to finish her- Overthrow Powerbomb into Hikari’s Moonsault & Yagi’s flying splash, but another dogpile stops THEIR side’s finisher run now. Yagi hits her Super Armdrag… but Candy bridges out! This sets up the two reversing reverse-waistlocks on each other until Kansai charges in with a headkick that leaves Candy out- Yagi scores a German as her team runs interference- for ONE (17:39)! Team Kansai wins! The elders giving Yagi props for the win is great.

Okay this was a totally weird idea but the psychology of having to kick out at one just changed the entire game of pro wrestling as we knew it. Instead of just wearing people down with minor moves they had to dive in and try to get whatever they could. Kansai was immediately up-ended by a flash-pin to set the stage for flukes, but curiously we didn’t get any more. Devil/Cutie and Hikari/Ozaki were draws, and then we got a great continuing story with the Giant Swings, as Candy pins Yagi with one, then we get everybody trying them in the final match. Moves from earlier get callbacks and more- wrestling 101. And damn, lookit Candy here- charging in with all kinds of crazy stuff, going “LOOK AT ME! PUSH ME!”. I was hovering at ***1/2 for much of it and found the tag match a little subpar until they hit another gear and just started doing all these crazy-inventive spots.

Rating: **** (completely fascinating, bizarre match. Loved all the callbacks and it just would not stop getting better)