While the eyes of the world were turned to AJPW’s Champion Carnival or to Las Vegas for WrestleMania Week, the sisters, as it were, were doin’ it for themselves in Japan. Saya Kamitani and Sayaka Kurara headlined Stardom’s biggest show of the year, All Star Grand Queendom, and Kurara avenged Tam Nakano’s loss at last year’s show. Meanwhile, Kenta Kobashi asked the ladies to perform in the main event of his annual Fortune Dream show for the second year in a row. Last year, Team 200kg (Chihiro Hashimoto and Yuu) defeated Meiko Satomura and Sareee in a match I really enjoyed. This year, Hashimoto and Sareee returned, and Kamitani, the most important women’s wrestler in the world today, joined them to make it a three way dance.
(Yes, the match technically took place in the show’s semi-main event slot. This was the concession Kobashi made so Sareee could fly to Las Vegas for her match at the Marvelous show. The match card showed Hashimoto vs. Sareee vs. Kamitani as the sixth match of the show.)
Meanwhile, Syuri, Sareee’s other rival, challenged Hashimoto to a match on Hashimoto’s home turf, tested Miria Kouga in SEAdLINNNG, and defended her title against Megan Bayne at All Star Grand Queendom.
Finally, we’ll check out the rematch between the teams of Honori Hana and Unagi Sayaka versus Selene Misora and VENY. I thought the first match was okay, but the second raised the stakes since the SEAdLINNNG Beyond the Sea Tag Team Championship were on the line.
In this edition, I covered:
- Syuri vs. Chihiro Hashimoto (Sendai Girls, April 12, 2026)
- Miria Kouga vs. Syuri (SEAdLINNNG, April 17, 2026)
- Syuri vs. Megan Bayne (Stardom, April 26, 2026)
- Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Sareee vs. Saya Kamitani (Fortune Dream, April 16, 2026)
- Chihiro Hashimoto & Manami vs. Seri Yamaoka & Yuuka Yamazaki (Shinya Aoki Produce, April 20, 2026)
- Honori Hana & Unagi Sayaka vs. Selene Misora & VENY (SEAdLINNNG, April 17, 2026)
Syuri vs. Chihiro Hashimoto
Sendai Girls
April 12, 2026
Cagematch ranking as of 5/1/26: 43
After Hashimoto and Syuri unsuccessfully teamed against Takumi Iroha and Sareee at Sareee-ISM X, Syuri challenged Hashimoto to a singles match, their first since 2023. It was possible that Syuri felt aggrieved that Hashimoto lost to Sareee and Iroha and wanted a piece of Hashimoto. Or, Syuri just wanted to challenge Hashimoto, now the undisputed queen of Sendai Girls. Either way, Hashimoto and Syuri were set to face off at Sendai Girls’s show at Korakuen Hall to lead up to their 20th anniversary tour.
To this point, Syuri held a decided advantage over Hashimoto. She had won three of their four singles matches, including their most recent match, which Syuri won by knockout. Syuri was the IWGP Women’s Champion, and Hashimoto was the Sendai Girls World Champion, so it was also an inter-company battle between two of the best wrestlers in the world. The fact that it was a battle between two companies’ champions gave the match a little extra intrigue. Syuri, as the representative of the larger company, ostensibly would be the more likely winner, but the match was on a Sendai Girls show.
As always, Syuri’s footwork impressed me, and the opening grappling was interesting because Hashimoto and Syuri played to their strengths. Hashimoto used her size advantage and always surprising agility to block Syuri’s probes while Syuri tested Hashimoto’s defenses. The fact that Hashimoto and Syuri got the crowd to ooh and aah with Hashimoto’s simple block of a side headlock takedown was proof of how invested the fans at Korakuen Hall were for this match.
Coming to a deadlock in grappling, Syuri and Hashimoto moved to striking, where Syuri took the early lead with a running kick, a front dropkick, and a DDT. After Syuri and Hashimoto dueled to a draw with their forearm strikes, I enjoyed that Hashimoto asserted herself by using her size advantage. First, Hashimoto planted her feet so a charging Syuri would bounce off of her. Then, Hashimoto squashed Syuri with a running charge in the corner. Finally, Hashimoto caught Syuri’s kick and turned it into a standing ankle lock. (Of course, Syuri, the ring general in this pairing, rolled through and caught Hashimoto in an ankle lock herself. Hashimoto returned the favor by rolling through and catching Syuri’s ankle too.)
Unable to stand and trade because all it was getting her was pain from abdominal stretches and side suplexes, Syuri had to fly a little to wear Hashimoto down. They pulled off a clean headscissors takedown together, and Syuri treated us to one of her great bug-eyed reactions after smooshing Hashimoto’s face into the mat with a facebuster.
Hubris brought Syuri back to trade her kicks to the chest for Hashimoto’s bearish swipes to the head. This started the next stage of combat, where Hashimoto took an early lead with a brainbuster and a German suplex in exchange for Syuri’s Codebreaker and jumping knee strike. Hashimoto demonstrated her explosive foot speed and power with the lariat that capped this segment.
Back on their feet, Syuri scored some knockdowns with her kicks and a running knee, but she ran into the same problem that Sareee encountered in her matches with Hashimoto. Just like how one does not simply walk into Mordor, one does not simply powerbomb Hashimoto with a sunset flip from the turnbuckle.
Instead, Syuri had to trap Hashimoto on the ropes like Aragorn and company had to pin Sauron’s forces at the Morannon so Syuri could kick Hashimoto in the butt like Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins had to attack Sauron from behind. (This analogy really fell apart.) Syuri’s aquiline armbar from the top turnbuckle set up a series of submission attempts that Hashimoto survived after some struggle. When Hashimoto charged in for a takedown, she was rewarded with a knee to the face that evoked the memory of Kazushi Sakuraba’s knee to Shinsuke Nakamura’s face in their match at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9.
Hashimoto had shown earlier in the match that she could reverse Syuri’s kicks, and they picked that narrative strand back up here. After absorbing so much punishment from Syuri, Hashimoto caught Syuri’s kick, lifted her for a powerbomb, and picked her up from the mat for a German Suplex. Hashimoto clobbered Syuri with a running lariat, but Syuri outsmarted Hashimoto when Hashimoto tried another powerbomb. She slipped out of Hashimoto’s grasp and choked her out on the mat to keep her strong ahead of her title defense at All Star Grand Queendom.
I enjoyed the match’s rhythm and even its sudden outcome. Syuri had established that she could leverage her body control and agility to get the better of Hashimoto, and that came into play in how she slipped off of Hashimoto’s shoulder to choke her out. For her part, Hashimoto showed that her fearsome power could withstand Syuri’s battering and that only a second’s lapse in concentration separated her from victory. It didn’t quite reach the levels of great, but it was enjoyable and deserving an easy recommendation.
You can watch the match and the show on Wrestle Universe.
Miria Kouga vs. Syuri
SEAdLINNNG Jump Up! 2026
April 17, 2026
Cagematch ranking as of 5/1/26: 278
I was amused that SEAdLINNNG had Syuri’s updated picture for its match announcement graphic while Sendai Girls used the older picture. And it’s fitting that SEAdLINNNG spells its name with a lower case “d” because it this show was a small draw. Only 425 fans attended this show at Korakuen Hall.
The twenty-years-old Miria Kouga was one of SEAdLINNNG’s promising young wrestlers along with the twenty-nine-years-old Yuki Fuuna and the twenty-years-old Selene Misora. With all due respect to Natsuko Tora, Konami, Rina, Hiroyo Matsumoto, and Miyuki Takase, Syuri would be Kouga’s toughest test in her young career.
The match began as you would expect with Syuri, the veteran and the former MMA fighter, dominating Kouga with ease on the mat. There was no reason to denigrate Syuri’s superiority in experience and grappling by making Kouga seem like her equal; logically, Kouga would need to find a different offensive route in this match.
Outmatched on the match, Kouga tried to find her deliverance in kicks. She only managed to make Syuri giggle.
Judging by her look of regret while waiting for Syuri’s kick, Kouga knew that she had done goofed.
However, to Kouga’s credit, she fired up and tried to return the pain to Syuri. It didn’t work because Syuri outmaneuvered her and bent her back with a kick again, but Kouga didn’t shrink from violence. Kouga tried punching Syuri, and Kouga should have listened to Viro the Virus’s wise advice to “Better bring ya best, cuz here comes the best” because Syuri’s been punched by the best in the world and was still standing.
Kouga got her one burst to keep up appearances with a running push kick, missile dropkick, and a German Suplex, but Syuri rightfully controlled the match. In the end, Kouga met her inevitable end via submission. After the match, Syuri lovingly patted Kouga on the top of her head and hugged her; I would have preferred if Syuri had just stepped over Kouga on her way out to set up a rematch later after Kouga had grown.
Syuri was her usual firm-footed self, and she made space for Kouga’s comebacks as needed for Kouga to get value from the match. Kouga earned some credibility for her perseverance. Her low kicks and calf kicks looked and sounded fine, though her push kicks looked terrible at multiple points in the match.
Syuri (c) vs. Megan Bayne
Stardom All-Star Grand Queendom 2026
April 26, 2026
Cagematch ranking as of 5/1/26: 52
Though Syuri stood only at 5’4″, she was a giant in the world of Japanese women’s wrestling. So, what would happen if Syuri fought an actual giant like the 5’11” Megan Bayne?
In some ways, Syuri’s match against Hashimoto ten days prior was a testing ground for this match because Big Hash might be a match for Bayne’s strength. However, it wasn’t an exact testbed since Hashimoto (5’2″) was even shorter than Syuri. Even the current crop of Japanese power wrestlers wouldn’t have simulated Bayne’s size advantage over Syuri. Chanyota was billed at 5’5″; ZONES at 5’3″; Maika at 5’4″. Echika Miyabi came close at 5’10”, but she wouldn’t have the skill or experience to match Bayne’s. Neither would Bozilla (5’11”), who’s injured anyway. Lena Kross, Bayne’s partner, could have been a warm-up match, but she hadn’t wrestled a singles match in Japan since 2024 for Sendai Girls.
Therefore, that positioned Syuri, the champion, as an unlikely David against Bayne’s Goliath at Stardom’s biggest show of the year. The big person vs. small person match template was familiar, and Syuri could center her kicks to make the template work. Bayne started the match by being the bigger person and letting Syuri walk away unbothered from the opening lock-up. Then, Bayne and Syuri spent the match’s opening to reinforce that yes, Bayne is indeed bigger and stronger than Syuri and that Syuri, for as hard as she can hit, can’t just rely on out-hitting Bayne.
Naturally, we got some classic bug-eyes from Syuri.
Since I had loaded the English commentary, I was treated to Walker Stewart using the same intonation that he normally used to decry House of Torture’s illegal interference in its members’ matches to describe Bayne’s tossing Syuri out of the ring. Did that mean that this was technically Bayne’s Yeet?
(And no, your eyes did not deceive you. Those were Saki Kashima’s parodies of Bullet Club shirts in the year 2026 Common Era. “KMOT” here stood for “Kimo-Ota,” or “creepy otaku,” which was supposed to be a tribute to her fans.)
From there, Syuri and Bayne told a story about Syuri’s endurance and good timing and Bayne’s arrogance. By going blow for blow with Syuri, Bayne opened opportunities for Syuri to counterattack with submission holds and kicks. Syuri’s DDT knocked Bayne’s headband off of her head, which proved to be the beginning of the end. Bayne headed to the top rope for no discernable reason since she only had the Mega-Steiner in her arsenal. That allowed Syuri to drop her with a super German Suplex, which stunned Bayne long enough for a kick to the face. Finally, Syuri wrapped Bayne in her submission hold to secure the victory.
Syuri and Bayne didn’t stick completely to the big vs. small format, which wouldn’t have made much sense since Syuri’s reputation was built on being tough and mean. It never felt like Bayne had a chance despite her that edge, so the match never reached the height of dramatic possibilities. Nonetheless, they managed to create an entertaining match where Syuri had to solve Bayne’s power advantage.
You will be able to watch the match and the show on Stardom World. For an alternate perspective on the match, check out Alex Richards’s review.
Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Sareee vs. Saya Kamitani
Fortune Dream 11
April 16, 2026
Cagematch ranking as of 5/1/26: 71
When Sareee accepted Tokyo Sports Fighting Spirit Award last year, she told reporters that she was ready and willing to face Saya Kamitani in a wrestling match:
“I’m extremely frustrated, to be honest. But I don’t feel like I’m losing to her in pro wrestling at all. That’s one thing I won’t lose at. But we haven’t even faced each other in a singles match yet, so I can’t say anything definitive. As for when that day comes, I am ready anytime, so I think it is up to her.”
While Kamitani extended the story that started with her legacy-defining feud with Tam Nakano by battling Sayaka Kurara at All-Star Grand Queendom 2026, Sareee prepared for this match (and another chapter in her feud with Hashimoto) and for her trip to Las Vegas to face Mio Momono and Johnnie Robbie with Takumi Iroha. So, until Kamitani and Sareee have their first-ever main course singles match, this match under Kenta Kobashi’s auspices will have to serve as the appetizer.
Kobashi’s annual Fortune Dream shows have produced some of my fondest memories of wrestling. For example, who can forget the chop battle between Yuji Okabayashi and Yuji Hino at Fortune Dream 3, one of the most meat-headed moments of professional wrestling in the 2010s?
Kamitani, as the most villain-coded participant in the match, ducked out at the opening bell to let Hashimoto and Sareee hash it out together in the ring while she sat in one of the few open ringside seats in a packed Korakuen Hall. Hashimoto, who looked like she was having none of Kamitani’s grandiose entrance, gladly grappled with her familiar foe on the mat. Hashimoto and Sareee did their thing, and Kamitani snuck back to the ring to ambush Hashimoto and give what everyone really wanted to see.
In that simple shoulder check, you can feel Sareee’s umbrage at Kamitani for ducking out of the ring and for stealing the hit on Hashimoto that she thought was hers. You can also see that Kamitani didn’t a flying fig about Sareee’s sense of honor. It made for an explosive combination.
To no one’s surprise, Sareee and Kamitani had great chemistry in the ring together. Hashimoto interrupted their passionate embrace with a double lariat to their abdomens, and the three of them executed a complex dance of pin attempts. Sareee and Hashimoto double-teamed Kamitani for a while, and then Hashimoto attacked Sareee because she’s Big Hash and she loves to fight.
Hashimoto and Kamitani paired after Hashimoto lifted Sareee out of her Mutoh Lock on Kamitani, and they were nicely contained in the ring until Ruaka, one of Kamitani’s compatriots in H.A.T.E., dragged Hashimoto out of the ring. Meanwhile, Kamitani and Sareee reconnected, and Sareee did not appreciate Kamitani shoving her into the floor seats.
Sareee and Kamitani continued to one-up each other in pettiness. Kamitani threw a juice bottle at Sareee, so Sareee whipped and choked her with a shirt. Kamitani choked Sareee with a shirt, so Sareee tried to throw her down some stairs. In the Korakuen Hall stands, Hashimoto and Sareee finally had enough of Ruaka and Kamitani’s chicanery and locked them in stereo abdominal stretches. Hashimoto and Sareee’s double team efforts just resulted in Ruaka locking Hashimoto out of Korakuen Hall and Sareee taking a 0.3 Iwatani tumble down the Korakuen Hall steps. Finally, Sareee closed the loop by throwing Kamitani into some floor seats threw some chairs at Kamitani’s face.
Not long after, Sareee and Kamitani gave Kobashi and Meiko Satomura their necessary tribute: a forearm strike battle in front of the commentary table that echoed Okabayashi and Hino’s chop battle.
Please note that Kenta “Doc Rivers” Kobashi was not pleased that Kamitani stole his water after this exchange.
Hashimoto threw off Ruaka and threw Kamitani out of the ring so she and Sareee could throw some of their greatest hits to the crowd. Kamitani and Sareee tried to whip Hashimoto together, which confused Hashimoto. Since it didn’t work, Sareee knocked Kamitani down so she could refocus on beating up Hashimoto. That led to a great feat of strength from Hashimoto, where she had to deadlift Sareee from her knees into a vertical suplex.
We got a little more candy with a dive chain to the floor and more of each pairing. With Kamitani and Sareee focused on each other again, Hashimoto took them both out with a double lariat. Hashimoto tried a double German Suplex that was successful in that Kamitani and Sareee left their feet and unsuccessful in that they all landed on their left sides.
Now on their knees, the three laid each other out with forearm strikes to the face.
On the top turnbuckle, Kamitani kept calling Sareee for something, but they pivoted away from whatever Kamitani had in mind. Surprisingly, Sareee and Hashimoto also got lost on Sareee’s attempt at a hanging choke. They got things back under control for Kamitani to launch Hashimoto onto Sareee.
They gave us another set of pin combinations, a Hashimoto and Kamitani pairing, another Hashimoto and Sareee pairing where Hashimoto powerbombed Sareee into oblivion, and a bit where, as one might say, they made Hashimoto look strong.
And with that, the match ended in a time limit draw, as it had to given the politics involved since the Sendai Girls World Champion, the World of Stardom Champion, and Sareee were involved.
Did it match up to my memory of Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Hino vs. Yuji Okabayashi & Go Shiozaki? There were moments that were a one-to-one parallel, and they both had the same sense of fun. This is my preferred version of a party match where nothing but pride was at stake. It was clunky at parts as one wrestler disappeared so that the other two could pair for stretches at a time, but they managed to give the fans a decent number of moments where they interacted together. Also, I have to give them credit for trying to make Hashimoto’s disappearance make sense.
Sareee looked surprisingly rough in some segments, but her attitude and intensity made up for any lapses in concentration. Kamitani brought the charisma and personality, and she more than kept up her end of the match. Hashimoto provided the glue, particularly at the end, that kept everything together. If nothing else, it whetted my appetite to see Hashimoto vs. Kamitani and Sareee vs. Kamitani (the more likely pairing) at some point in the future.
I’m sure that Kenta Kobashi will bless us with a way to watch this match and show at some point. If you happen to stumble upon the match, I recommend watching it.
Manami & Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Seri Yamaoka & Yuuka Yamazaki
Shinya Aoki Produce Aoki Clutch 01
April 20, 2026
Cagematch ranking as of 5/1/26: 70
Senka Akatsuki’s rise in 2025 was defined in part against the parallel rise of the nineteen-years-old Seri Yamaoka in Marigold. After making her unofficial debut in Giulia’s last match in Marigold in 2024, she made her official debut in 2025 against MIRAI. A time limit draw with and a loss to MIRAI later, Rossy Ogawa determined that the best way to heat Yamaoka to a boil was by teaming her with Nanae Takahashi and letting them run with a 111 days-long reign as the Marigold Twin Star Champions. It’s a time-tested formula that we saw NOAH, for example, use with Daiki Odashima to build him up to face AMAKUSA for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship.
After Yamaoka and Takahashi lost the Twin Star Championships, Yamaoka had a respectable showing in the 2025 DREAM STAR Grand Prix, a well-regarded match with Mayu Iwatani for the Marigold Superfly Championship, and a victory in Marigold’s Rookie of the Year tournament. She even teamed with Akatsuki against Sareee and Takumi Iroha at a Marvelous show and faced Akatsuki in their definitive singles match to cap (for now) their cross-promotional rivalry.
We last saw the twenty-one-years-old Manami when she bounced off of Hashimoto in Meiko Satomura’s retirement match. Since then, she linked up with Ryo Mizunami and Hiroyo Matsumoto in a couple of tag teams and actually won the Sendai Girls Tag Team Championship with Mizunami from Bob Bob Momo Banana, the team of Yurika Oka and Mio Momono. She had about as many singles wins as losses against notable joshi wrestlers, such as Sareee, Miyuki Takase, Sayaka Kurara, Yurika Oka, VENY, and Mika Iwata. And she failed to end Hashimoto’s long reign as the Sendai Girls World Champion.
Yuuka “The Naniwa Mad Dog” Yamazaki was another of Marigold’s rookie wrestlers; as of this writing, she had 97 total matches in her career. I’m impressed that anyone can earn a nickname as cool as “The Naniwa Mad Dog” in such a short time, so she must have something going for her, right? Could it even be possible that Yamazaki could surpass Yamaoka, since Yamaoka didn’t have a nickname nearly as cool as “The Naniwa Mad Dog?”
Yamaoka and Hashimoto started for their teams, and Hashimoto quickly showed how outmatched Yamaoka was in grappling. At one point, Hashimoto basically gives up the hold so Yamaoka could stand up and try again. That felt unprecedented, particularly from Hashimoto. Even the second attempt ended with Hashimoto giving Yamaoka a Karelin slam.
Likely bored, Hashimoto tagged in her junior partner so she could watch the kids fight. Yamaoka had more luck with Manami despite Manami’s aggressive takedown attempts.
Tired of giving the grapplefuck fanatics what they want, Yamaoka escalated with a kick to Manami’s side and tagged in The Naniwa Mad Dog, who promptly gave us a great (and possibly unintentional) comedic moment.
“I, The Naniwa Mad Dog, will knock Big Hash off of the apron to set up this double team on Manami. Actually, never mind.”
After Manami created some separation from Yamazaki with a scoop slam and a dropkick, Yamazaki got her wish: a beating from Hashimoto. As Hashimoto tried to tame the Naniwa Mad Dog with a Boston Crab, she dared Yamaoka to do something about it. Hashimoto smacked Yamazaki down and tagged out to Manami. I am sure that there’s a whole explanation about why Manami crossed her hands in front of her, started screaming, and led her splash with those crossed hands. It seems to be Manami’s thing, but I don’t get it.
Yamaoka and Manami traded control of the match; Yamaoka ripped off a really impressive spear on Manami during this section. Unsuccessful in her pin attempt, Manami summoned her senior partner, who decided it was time to mess some kids up. Hashimoto wailed on Yamaoka, but Yamaoka survived and even showed off a neat takedown.
This section of the match invited direct comparisons to Akatsuki’s performance against Hashimoto.
Yamaoka wasn’t positioned as the striver and struggler that Akatsuki was; instead, Yamaoka was presented as already proficient and someone who should be seen at near Hashimoto’s level. (With the departures of Giulia, Bozilla, and Utami Hayashishita, Marigold likely had to speed up the development and promotion of its young generation.) Given that Yamaoka had, as of this writing, only 151 matches to Hashimoto’s 626, that might seem faintly ridiculous. However, in Marigold’s hierarchy, Yamaoka was already a former tag team champion, and she would win her first singles title, the British Empire Women’s World Championship, just five days after this match. In Marigold’s DREAM STAR Grand Prix last year, she already got her first major win over Mayu Iwatani. The company both wanted and needed her to be part of their next harvest.
Meanwhile, Akatsuki had 84 matches as of this writing, and she didn’t score her first major victory until this year, when she avenged her loss to Aja Kong at Marvelous’s WrestleMania Week show. (The video of that show still hasn’t emerged for viewing.) Akatsuki might have claimed a singles title first because she beat YUNA for the Sendai Girls Junior Championship in January, but it was clear that Marvelous presented Akatsuki as someone who still needed to grow to match Hashimoto’s level.
Yamaoka made way for Yamazaki after a dropkick; if I were Yamazaki, I’m not sure that I would be grateful for the opportunity since Hashimoto proceeded to batter Yamazaki’s body and soul. One final lariat knocked Yamazaki from Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo six and a half hours west back to the Naniwa Ward in Osaka.
After the match, Hashimoto, much like Syuri, approached her young challenger. Hashimoto offered no hugs or pats on the head, only what looked like words of encouragement to Yamaoka. She gave none to Yamazaki. Manami just bowed and walked away, but at least she didn’t cross her hands in front of her face and scream on her way out.
You can watch this match and the show on AbemaTV.
Unagi Sayaka & Honori Hana (c) vs. Selene Misora & VENY
SEAdLINNNG Jump Up! 2026
April 17, 2026
Cagematch ranking as of 5/1/26: 53
While I didn’t think much of their first match in February, I still found some nuggets of enjoyment. I appreciated how well VENY played to her character and how Misora and Hana showed good effort. Based on the way that VENY stared down at Sayaka while she pinned Hana, I had assumed that these two teams would fight again. And since Sayaka and Hana were the SEAdLINNNG Beyond the Sea Tag Team Champions, the rematch would obviously concern that title. So, after Syuri put Miria Kouga through her paces on this show, VENY and Misora took on Sayaka and Hana for some tag team gold.
The summary video showed Hana and Misora grabbing each other’s hair after their singles match in February, so there was a promise of animosity and violence to this match. (After Syuri’s love fest with Miria Kouga at the end of their match earlier in the show, I was ready for some mutual hatred.)
Hana and Sayaka jumped Misora and VENY at the bell this time to tie up the narrative strand from their last match, where Misora and VENY did the ambushing. Sayaka and VENY cleared the deck for Hana and Misora to pick up where they left off in their singles match. As Hana took Misora through a guided tour of Korakuen Hall’s front row seats, I liked that Misora tried to resist being slammed into the chairs. Too often do wrestlers just let themselves be dragged around and thrown into chairs in these moments. VENY came out of nowhere with her special chair to rescue Misora, which I imagine is the joshi equivalent of this.
That allowed them to switch the pairings so Sayaka could brawl with Misora. VENY and Hana pretended that VENY smashed Hana in the face with a chairshot to draw some blood that quickly raised the match’s temperature. Once again, VENY deserved credit for playing such a disagreeable person with such panache. Leading a bloodied Hana around ringside to show off her handiwork was a masterful display of disdain, as was kicking at the back of Hana’s head while Misora kicked her chest. Also, rubbing Hana’s bleeding head wound against the top rope was just plain mean.
Furthermore, I cracked up when VENY took out Sayaka to taunt Hana some more.
It was remarkable that Misora and Hana, who had 19 and 127 matches respectively as of this writing, were able to create such a heated environment. The match’s emotional temperature dipped when VENY and Sayaka had their exchange, but Misora and Hana dialed it back up when they re-entered the match. Ironically, there’s just something about slamming your opponent’s bloodied forehead into the corner cushion enough times to leave an impression of blood behind to quicken the viewer’s pulse.
Misora’s and Hana’s strikes were much better this time around. However, Hana’s running knee to VENY looked clunky, and the setup for Misora to get into the middle of the ring for her own running knee from Hana made no sense. The match flow got awkward when it seemed like everyone was confused about who was supposed to be doing what where, but it improved when it was back to just Misora and Hana. Misora showed great body control in this roll-up.
Ultimately, without VENY’s back-up, the less experienced Misora could not fend off the bigger Hana. After surviving Hana’s Angel’s Wings, Hana’s splash from the top rope finished Misora off.
The match was remarkable for the animosity that Hana and Misora projected. Their layout at the start and the decision to make Hana bleed enhanced the chaotic and violent tone of the match. Similar to the first match, Sayaka was almost an NPC here and left almost no impression. VENY made the best of her moments in the spotlight, and she played to her character as well as always. The pacing was choppy, and the match was troubled with SEAdLINNNG’s camera direction issues. For example, the operators couldn’t pan over to show VENY’s interference in the referee’s count in time. Still, it was an enjoyable display of enmity, and I hope it positioned Hana and Misora as antagonists for years to come.
You can watch the match and the show on SEAdLINNNG’s streaming service.
Next time: It’s easy when you’re big in Japan. We return to the Champion Carnival and also pick up some matches that we may have missed along the way.
