Aja Kong vs. Kaoru
February 2, 2000
GAEA

Have you ever wanted an example that proves storytelling in wrestling can be just as captivating in a high-energy wild brawl as it is in a well-paced technical exhibition? Or have you ever just wanted to see Aja Kong beat someone senseless with a broken table? Then this match is for you!

Aja Kong’s ability to deliver punishing physical offense while taking bumps that should be impossible for a human her size are two of the reasons why she’s my favorite female wrestler. I’m familiar with her work from All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling but haven’t watched much of her work in GAEA. Seeing this match was from 2000 filled me with hope it could be a classic Aja Kong outing. I was not disappointed.

The match opens with a sneak attack at a fast and furious pace. Kaoru knows she has to stay on the offensive to keep this monster opponent on her heels. She attempts to end the match early with a series of high-risk maneuvers but misses a top rope senton and crashes through a table on the floor. A pissed Aja picks up half of the broken table and bashes it over Kaoru’s head before dragging her all over the building while viciously beating her with chairs and other random objects. At one point, Aja sprints across the auditorium with Kaoru in tow to launch her against a wall.

Kaoru is busted open when they finally get back in the ring, where she uses her speed and agility to avoid and counter Aja’s strikes and keep her opponent off balance. Both women learn something from each and every exchange they have. Moves that land the first time are subsequently countered on the second attempt.  Offense that is initially blocked later becomes effective when slight adjustments are made to neutralize the counter. Each woman introduces weapons which are later picked up by their opponent and used against them. Kaoru even returns the favor by dragging Aja around the building to beat her with random objects like a metal bulletin board.

While Aja Kong is notorious for her heavy strikes and forceful slams, the smaller Kaoru shows no mercy in this battle. She uses a broken table as a shield (which became a carriable size after it was split over Aja’s skull) to block her opponent’s patented spinning back fist and injure Kong’s hand. Kaoru takes advantage of the injury by grinding the wood’s jagged edges into Aja’s wrist then follows up with arm-focused submissions. The monster’s finishing maneuver has been neutralized. Aja screams in pain and sells to the degree you begin to feel bad for her. 

This sets the stage for a closing stretch of beautiful counters, call-backs, and big moves (including an avalanche variation that could have killed Kong). A perfect finishing sequence ties the story together and puts a bow on this flawless classic. This match proves fast-paced wild brawls with plunder can tell some of the best stories you’ll ever see in a wrestling ring. 

Secret Santa Guess: Gerard Di Trolio (Emerald Flowshow)