Joshi Spotlight: GAEA G-PANIC Double Destiny!

GAEA G-PANIC! Kawasaki DOUBLE DESTINY
(Sept. 20th 1997)
* It’s time for more GAEA Japan! This show ends up being a pretty big one, with the WCW Women’s Cruiserweight and AAAW World Titles both being defended- Sugar Sato attempts to bring WCW’s belt back “home” to GAEA from an AJW wrestler (Yoshiko Tamura), while AJA KONG invades GAEA to take a swing at Chigusa’s top title! Chigusa also works TWICE, as we get her as “Zero” facing Super Heel Devil Masami (Devil doing an Undertaker schtick).

WCW WOMEN’S CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE:
YOSHIKO TAMURA (AJW) vs. SUGAR SATO (GAEA):
* WCW’s belt continues to see use, as it’s become a sort of “Rookie Title”, which is a good reward for all these promising stars. Sugar, repping OZ Academy, wears Ozaki’s distinctive fruit roll-up gear from 1993-ish in a great bit, and is taking on AJW’s best rookie, Tamura, in black & pink two-piece. This is unfortunately joined in progress 14 minutes in.

JIP with Sato using her “Dragon screw to figure-four” spot, Tamura screaming in pain and desperately clawing for the ropes. Tamura reverses a top-rope move to a super rollup for a nearfall- Sugar recovers first, going for her run-up flying back elbow, but Tamura dropkicks her in the back coming off the top and hits a Northern Lights Suplex for two. Tamura goes for a double-wrist backdrop suplex of sorts, but Sugar just grabs her and pulls her into Ozaki’s finish, the Ligerbomb, and that gets the win at (2:33 of 16:25 shown)! New WCW Women’s Cruiserweight Champion! It goes back to GAEA Japan with a heel holding it, giving Tamura a run of only two months.

Rating: N/A (not enough to really rate, but they looked suitably exhausted to the point of having trouble applying anything- the finish was more or less “resist the move and turn around to haul them into the finish” but had good psychology)

KAORU & SAKURA HIROTA vs. TOSHIYO YAMADA & SONOKO KATO:
* A “Veterans vs. Younger stars” match with KAORU & Yamada leading some kids against each other- Kato’s got real experience as a 1st-Gen GAEA girl but Sakura’s still a jobber. KAORU’s in a blue singlet which I don’t recall seeing, Sakura’s in pink, Yamada’s in white/gold/black and Kato’s in blue & white.

Yamada throws some Slaps of Disrespect to KAORU, who no-sells a kick and flip-dodges on her, but Yamada’s team beats her down. Good bit as she blocks a lot of Kato’s stuff and only barely gets taken down, but she rolls her up and tags out. Sakura USES THE ASS with remarkable effort, getting two, but Kato soon beats her up. She tries the “fired up rookie” act with Yamada, who just bludgeons her down, and Sakura then loses a slapfight and eats the Kick of Fear, Yamada taking pleasure in taunting KAORU- KAORU comes in and it’s a hair-pulling fest in a grapple, and they take a full minute to set Yamada up in the surfboard which lasts 10 seconds, as is tradition. Yamada gets another Kick of Fear, but Kato takes a head & leg-capture suplex trying kicks. KAORU adds a legbar and backdrop driver, and counters a reversal with a sunset flip powerbomb for two.

Yamada with three NASTY backdrop suplexes and KAORU gets her foot on the ropes, then sloppily reverses The Finisher That Never Hits to La Majistral for two. Yamada kicks her in mid-Moonsault, but another finisher attempt sees KAORU hit the Leg Hug of Death as her “submission” work still needs improving. Yamada scores a kick and they telegraph Kato flying off onto her by mistake- Yamada still backdrops her again, then stalls her so Kato can hit her Super Rolling Fireman’s Slam- Sakura saves. Kato hits a Dragon Suplex for two, gets frustrated, and takes Yamada’s Flying Enzuigiri by mistake- this lets Sakura set up KAORU’s Orihara Moonsault to deal with Yamada, then finishes Kato with a Springboard dropkick, Michinoku Driver & Springboard Moonsault at (14:59).

A pretty basic tag match for the most part, with KAORU/Yamada continuing a rivalry, and KAORU sadly doing this “I’m a SUBMISSION WRESTLER NOW” thing with these weak leg hugs. But it got better by the end. Shockingly, Sakura was only in it for a minute or two, as they seemed completely disinterested in continuing her thing. Yamada seemed to have KAORU’s number, but KAORU was able to repeatedly catch Kato vulnerable, especially by the end where she singles her out and hits three unanswered moves in a row (pretty typical KAORU stuff, actually- she does the “successive series of moves” thing a lot). Kind of funny that KAORU largely wins a handicap match, as Sakura added NOTHING.

Rating: *** (good without being great- a typical KAORU match)

AAAW WORLD TITLE:
CHIGUSA NAGAYO (GAEA) vs. AJA KONG (Freelance):
* Aja Kong invades GAEA Japan!! It wouldn’t be her home by this point (this is pre-ARSION), but it’s a good way to keep her active in the scene, as she’s just publicly quit AJW and is headlining her own company. This is a true-blue Dream Match, as the two haven’t wrestled in a singles match since the 1980s, when Aja wasn’t a Main Eventer. Chigusa is working twice, as Akira Hokuto is injured. Aja’s in her white & black “Champion’s Gear”, while Chigusa is in a yellow/white/black get-up. The two legends shake hands… and Aja Urakens her before the bell!

Chigusa drops from the Uraken and Aja roars with power, booting a ton of Aja-marked oil cans into the front row (actually full-on booting some right into fans) and headbutting another! Chigusa eats a few cans to the head, but manages an armbar. Aja puts Chigusa up top after stuffing a suplex attempt, but gets cannonballed for it. Chigusa mimics the roar and throws kicks, but gets caught and suplexed. Aja with an avalanche & second-rope suplex for two, then two Backdrop Drivers. Chigusa reverses something to the GAEA MDK Sleeper- Aja’s pained expression really makes that spot look effective. Aja slowly sinks to her back and Chigusa just releases on her own and hits a Death Valley Driver of all things for 2.7! Backdrop suplexes for two!

Aja stuffs a piledriver but gets kneed in the nose and nearly gets TKO’d, lying flat until “8” before popping up in a fighting pose, only to reveal her face scrunched up like she’s still stunned. A head-kick puts her down again, and she falls on her ass at “8”, only barely getting up after that. Aja catches Chigusa trying another kick and dragon screws her, slaps herself awake, and hits the flying back elbow for two. Brainbuster… and PULLS HER UP at “2”- in a TITLE match? Aja now calls for a MOONSAULT (!!), but Chigusa immediately awakens and hits her Running Razor’s Edge for two off a cover Monsoon would have shit all over. Chigusa gets cute and tries an Uraken, but Aja ducks it and smacks her with the real one, putting Chigusa on her ass while Aja drops from the accumulated damage. Aja signals the right, proper Uraken (complete with glove-slaps), but telegraphs it so bad Chigusa locks her up in this sloppy arm thing and Aja immediately taps out at (9:28). Aw, the sudden submission finish.

A somewhat surprising match, as they do what I’ma call the “GAEA Sprint” with nearly all big moves thrown down. The sleeper completely stuns Aja and she fights the rest of the match on her back, which is very unique for her (and probably what she got paid for, lol- it is Chigusa’s fed, more or less). Then Aja gets cocky, then CHIGUSA does (trying to Uraken AJA KONG?). Really, most of this was sold with Aja’s great selling, doing close-up shots looking totally brain-fogged by all these impacts to her head, and making Chigusa look like the most credible star in town. Not a fan of Chigusa’s submissions stuff, as always- her application is always so loose and sloppy so these things always come off as bad to me. Never mind that one is the FINISH, hitting a half-cross-armbreaker that’s barely even applied before Aja gives up mid-move.

Rating: ***1/4 (good while it lasted, and went right to throwing bombs- great selling by Aja but too short and a weak finish)

KYOKO INOUE (Freelance) vs. MEIKO SATOMURA (GAEA):
* Oooh! It’s the recently-dethroned WWWA World Champion of AJW taking on GAEA’s top 1st-Generation talent! The message here is clear- the rookie taking on the former Ace of the biggest company in joshi is a big deal, and a great “let’s see where she is now” moment for Meiko. Again, we’re JIP- Kyoko’s in the rainbow gear and Meiko’s in red (but with no cut-outs and instead has white piping on the neckline).

JIP with Kyoko missing her “against the ropes” lariat and Meiko takes the arm- Fujiwara armbar takedown from the apron to the floor! Kyoko actually visibly taps out on the floor before the ref breaks it up, and shakes it off- she no-sells Meiko’s wimpy kicks with a smirk, but sells a slap like it caused deep tissue damage (ah, she’s learned from Aja to sell “the last strike” well). Kyoko does this great “you little SHIT!” perfect plex for two, still rubbing her face and reacting to the pain, but Meiko hits a forearm & flying splash into a cross-armbreaker. Kyoko handily makes the ropes and Meiko keeps going for it, as if realizing no other move can do it for her, but takes a mother of a bump off Kyoko’s steamrolling lariat. Meiko does an “I’m still alive!” bridge-out at two, and is glassy-eyed as Kyoko preps the Run-Up Back Elbow… but pops up into her Flying Cross-Armbreaker! The crowd doesn’t quite buy it, but Kyoko sells the desperation of making the ropes.

A sweaty Meiko arm-snaps Kyoko on every side of the ring, but Kyoko recovers on the 4th and hits an inverted gutwrench suplex back into the ring from the apron. Meiko keeps trying to climb the ropes after her and gets launched off with a front superplex. Kyoko laughs off a DVD attempt and lariats her for two, but telegraphs another all cocky-like and the Death Valley Driver gets 2.8! Patented last-second Kyoko kickout there. Meiko has to fight her into another for the same count, and tries another… but Kyoko just FLINGS her backwards with a German Suplex right onto her head! Meiko flops around like a convulsing corpse and Kyoko wisely just pounces- Niagara Driver (gutwrench ligerbomb) finishes at (9:03 of 16:28 shown).

“Meiko vs. Veteran” matches are swiftly becoming the official “GAEA thing to watch” and for good reason- nobody goes as all-out as Meiko, and once she reins in the hamminess it truly comes off as perfect, as Japan’s wrestling system is ideal for “Spunky Kid Who Thinks They Have a Chance” as they can get big move after big move and the vets can just shrug them all off and break the rookie and the fans’ hearts. And few are better at being a spunky kid than Meiko. Kyoko also brought it here as well- going all-out in a way she hasn’t in her AJW matches all year, doing the “Aja Sell” of strikes and submissions, and acting like the kid nearly got her several times. Her trademark explosiveness was taken out repeatedly, and was of course the means by which Meiko lost as well- All Japaning the poor kid onto her head and then hitting the finisher right after.

Rating: ***1/2 (a picture-perfect “Rookie vs. Veteran” match, and we missed 7 minutes of it!)

AAAW WORLD TITLE:
ZERO (GAEA- w/ Zera) vs. SUPER HEEL DEVIL MASAMI (JWP):
* Yes, I finally hit an actual Japanese match featuring “Zero”. This is, of course, Chigusa Nagayo in scary monster facepaint for a “No-Selling Heel” alternate persona, as those were getting big in Japan at this time I think. Meanwhile, Devil Masami brings out her own old one- effectively the Undertaker in Crush’s Demolition facepaint, no-selling moves and moaning like a zombie. This is, again, a clipped match. And… oh jesus, lights are flickering for the whole duration. Wrestling just LOVED weird lighting gimmicks like this back then. This is before Kane’s debut by a few weeks so you can’t blame him on this one.

Devil misses her somersault senton as we’re JIP, Zero getting up as Devil no-sells the miss, and hits the GAEA MDK Sleeper on her. Devil elbows free, but takes a lariat and Zero’s own somersault attack off the top for two. They brawl to the floor to make it look chaotic as Zera (Chigusa’s sex kitten dominatrix manager) wimpily throws some cat-o-nine-tails shots as Zero launches a row of chairs at Devil. They do the classic “walk and punch” bit as Zera’s shots could not possibly look weaker (thank god Devil ignores them entirely as this would completely expose the business otherwise). Devil eventually wanders back to ringside, not having sold any of this, and grabs Skeletor’s Havoc Staff and starts busting loose on the two, with Zero selling well and Zera just kinda falling over going “oww” while holding her side. Devil finally just clobbers her with a rather tight shot to the throat that probably had some mustard on it, well-earned after a ton of “a maid dusting something REALLY HARD” shots with the cat-o-nine-tails.

Zero gets choked out with the staff and sells death while Devil cackles, but recovers to catch her up top- Devil still manages that “grab them and guillotine them using the leg” falling off move that won her the JWP Title from Dynamite Kansai years ago, and it gets two. Devil avoids the Razor’s Edge and scores an ax kick, then a Ligerbomb gets two. Devil won’t stop building her SmackDown! meter in the corner, so Zero gets an ax kick of her own, Devil slumping to the corner. Then Zero just stands there hitting a taunt pose for half a minute while Devil recovers, but staggers in and Zero throws a ton of running kicks into her head. Zero prepares to finish her with a powerbomb, but Devil rolls over to the side and ends up on top… FOR THE FUCKING PIN at (8:40 of 12:31) shown, winning the AAAW Title off a goddamn pinfall reversal!

Man, this was just DREADFUL. This had two great wrestlers and huge stars go out there and lazily just punch each other in the head and do weapon shots in lieu of a real match, no-selling everything so almost none of it mattered, and doing D-league horror movie acting while they were at it. It fed the worst impulses of both, made better only slightly by the fact that Chigusa had a pretty hard-fought match just 30 minutes before. And like… all this brawling, the weapon shots, and then it’s just a couple of powerbombs as major MDKs (when both typically hit tons during matches- one of Devil’s secondary moves is a triple powerbomb, f’crissakes!) and then a FLASH-PIN wins it for the No-Selling Monster Heel in something the crowd probably couldn’t even see because of all the lights. This is one of those moments where I’m just dumbfounded, as GAEA swaps its top title out in such a weird way with a banana peel finish that puts over neither wrestler. Like, these are two big no-selling Monster Heels and they’re doing a technician’s ending after a match full of brawling and weapon shots?

Rating: *1/4 (just a bunch of brawling, weapon shots and a reversal pin)

And that’s it for another GAEA Japan show! Two big Dream Matches with Chigusa/Aja and Meiko/Kyoko, and both pretty much delivered (the latter was apparently much better in full), ending with an all-time bad main event that apparently largely ended the “Zero” experiment for good (not that she appeared like that very often). The Yamada/KAORU issue is continued and the rookies get some shots, and that’s it for another month of GAEA shows.