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ARSION COMPLETE ARSION Vol.
1 Commercial Tape 7/21/98 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (1,450/1,000) THE FIRST STARLIGHT: Mika Akino (debut) vs. Mariko Yoshida (11-1-1) |
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Yoshida did a fantastic job of carrying her protégé, the debuting Akino, to a good, highly technical match. Akino looked really good because she was never put in position to make a mistake. Akino wasn't all that competitive, but she hung in there on the mat long enough, and showed some spunk before, of course, doing the job. Yoshida looked great going from hold to hold on the mat. Akino didn't really initiate anything, but who would want her to at this point when she could just follow Yoshida's strong lead? The strength of the match was the counters, which were pretty choice. A couple of times Akino looked like a rookie, but for the most part she appeared to be a natural. Beyond those few occassions, you really couldn't tell if she had been wrestling for one day or four years. Akino nearly won a few times, most notably with her huracanana, before Yoshida put her away with a henkei sleeper hold. With the exception of Jun Akiyama's debut vs. Kenta Kobashi on 9/17/92 at Korakuen Hall, this was the best debut match I can remember seeing in this decade. If Akino wasn't 25 years old already, I'd almost be willing to say she's a lock to be a great wrestler. Even in spite of her age, it's very likely that she could be great because she's the smoothest female wrestler to debut in this decade. Really, the only thing that will probably keep her from greatness is ARSION's incredibly stupid decision to put her in CAZAI, thus making her a one-dimensional spot wrestler. Anyway, this was mainly on the mat, so she didn't show great smoothness here. ARSION gave all the hype to Ayako because of whom her father was, but Akino was better of the two from day one. Jerome: This match totally sold me on Yoshida's new style. It seems unbelievable that it was a debut match because Akino looked so good. Yoshida took her by the hand and she was more than able to follow her lead. The way Yoshida goes from one submission to another is just a pleasure to watch. Everything she does is fluid, like her monkey flip to a jugigatame. To me her style is the most promising evolution in joshi puroresu because it puts the emphasis on building and psychology instead of relying on highspots. Sooner or later, the spotfests take their toll on the body of the workers and if they don't change their style, they end up like Toyota today, broken down and doing the same kind of match as before, only with much less talent. The focus on submissions gives the girls an opportunity to stay healthy and have more intelligent matches. It's just a shame that ARSION doesn't draw well because this should be the future of joshi. It's also disapointing that the promotion didn't force all their wrestlers to adapt to that new style, but the contrast between the spotmachines and the submission specialists is also interesting, so ARSION delivers something good anyway. This was a major mistake because you have to know what you want to be. You can't run a successful league if half the wrestlers are doing whatever they want. As time went on, instead of the strays being pulled into the flock, more and more women steered off the path. At this point the league is more of a Lucha league than a submission league, which is not a good thing at all. Yoshida still carries the torch for all that is good about ARSION, but instead of the promotion having Yoshida style wrestlers with unique looks and personalities, I worry that her style will retire with her. Jerome: In this match, you better not blink or you won't see how a move has been countered. Akino really looked comfortable, but, of course, Yoshida was on offense during most of the match. The near falls after the huracanrana and the backlide were really credible, with Yoshida doing a great job of kicking out at the last moment to make it seem like it could have been the end. Michael: I'm not a huge fan of Yoshida's, but nobody makes near falls more believable then she does because she seems to stay down for 9-9.5/10 everytime so it adds drama to her matches. Jerome: Akino showed a lot of character, slaping her opponent in the face, before falling in the web of Yoshida. Great debut match that demonstrate the philosophy of the promotion : everybody is a player and no matter how small or experienced, you can be a threat in any circumstance. Miko: Akino showed spirit and some good moves here. She almost beat Yoshida with a backslide and a hurracanana. She hung in there on the mat, getting a couple of near submissions, but Yoshida is always able to counter her way out and pretty much controls the match. I liked Yoshida's transitions into the submissions. Special Thanks to: Jerome Denis, Michael Smith, & Miko Kubota - Michiku Pro 7:18
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