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Kyoko Inoue & Misae Genki vs. Yumiko Hotta & Nanae Takahashi 1/10/99 Tokyo Korakuen Hall From Neo Ladies Neo Ladys 1st Anniversary Neo vs. Zenjo Commercial Tape |
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This match did something that should be a given but these days seems doesn't seem to happen very regularly, it served it's purpose. The purpose of the match h was to make you want to see more Neo vs. Zenjo matches, and I did even though Neo isn't too interesting. The match had the intensity that needed to be there to show the fans this feud was more than a series of friendly matches, to show that it was important and there was a lot of pride on the line. Takahashi showed nothing, as always. To her credit, she did understand what needed to be done, she's just incapable of executing. Luckily, Kyoko & Genki did a good job of working with Hotta. Genki looked like a star here because she has the ability and she wasn't afraid to take it to Hotta. Hotta deserves credit here because she knew she had to work harder than normal due to having a stiff for a partner, and she did just that. Her performance was not great by any means, but it was good enough. This match wasn't glamorous, but it was fast-paced with pretty good stiffness and a lot of spots. The intensity and action were enough to get something almost never seen in women's wrestling these days, sustained heat. One thing that helped get heat (aside from the interpromotional aspect) was the match was pretty "wild" considering who was involved, including a segment where they brawled to the back. The post match was smart because it got all the seconds from both leagues involved, setting up the next series of Neo vs. Zenjo matches without losing focus of what this match did, which was set up Hotta vs. Kyoko and Genki vs. Nanae. Michael: Kind of a disappointing match. Nobody really did anything and there wasn't any sustained flow to the match. This wasn't back when Kyoko still had some mobility left, and she looked like she was in slow-motion for the majority of this match and nobody else really stepped up here either. The sequences between Genki and Takahashi weren't bad, but weren't that great either. Even the near falls and late submissions (and blocked submissions) didn't have any punch to them. This match didn't suck, but for a match of its importance it was a letdown, at least for me. I'm kind of surprised that you found it disappointing. Obviously, this wasn't a great match, but I don't think anyone expected it to be (I know you didn't). It was better than I expected because I thought it would be mediocre, but it turned out to be good. Thus, I was happy with it. I suppose that says something for lowered expectations, but it's not like I'm giving it **** because they caught me by surprise and had a good match. Miko: Not a bad match at all, but annoying in a way. I know the point of the match was building up for Kyoko v. Hotta, but Nanae and Genki both come off pretty weak. It's more annoying in Genki's case because she's clearly bigger than Hotta. Nanae's never been a big name, so it's not as big of a deal, but Genki's been pushed up close to Kyoko in Neo. Aside from that the match if good at building up for Hotta v. Kyoko, the two taking turns kicking around the other's more junior partner. The Kyoko v. Hotta segments were pretty evenly matched and the action was pretty cool. I just wish it had been Tanny Mouse getting punted around the ring instead of Genki.:^) I thought Genki made a mark here because she stood up to Hotta. Hotta punted her for that reason. To me, while the match showed Genki has a little ways to go, it did show she is edging closer. Special Thanks to: Michael Smith & Miko Kubota - Michiku Pro 18:39 (15:32 shown)
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