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L typhoon: Takako Inoue & Noriyo Tateno (LLPW) vs. Shinobu Kandori & Harley Saito (LLPW team) |
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This match got off to a hot start, but kind of died in the second half. Harley was a step or more above everyone in this match, but after the first few minutes, she never really had a chance to show it. As was the case with most of the matches on this show, the selling was weak. The execution could have been a little better, and the match definitely would have been better if there weren't so many restmissions. The work was good though. The sad thing is, even with Kandori involved, they couldn't get any heat. You might say that's no surprise, but I attribute it to the failure to use Kandori in a match that sounded interesting. I know Takako cherishes the opportunity to team with her senpai (kind of like a mentor) Tateno, but they could have had Yasha or Carol or someone from AJW on the opposite team instead of Kandori. The highlight of the match was a submission sequence between Takako and Kandori where Kandori tried an ipponzeio into an udehishigigyakujujigatame, but Takako countered it with a jujigatame of her own. However, Kandori put Takako in a hizaujigatame, forcing a rope escape. Takako got a series of near finishes on Kandori including using la magistral and the Teio lock, but Kandori turned the Teio lock into her Kandori special II for the win. With three LLPW wrestlers, Takako had to be the one to do the job? Takako losing to Kandori in a singles match would have been fine, but it was terrible booking to have her lose in tag because it eliminated the possibility of Takako getting a WWWA title shot against Kandori. Takako's credibility on that level is questionable enough to begin with, but had she pinned Harley or especially Kandori, it would have been enough to validate the title shot she probably should have got in the first place. Now that we've seen Kandori beat her, no one is going to buy that she can beat Kandori unless she gets hot and starts beating a few of the movers and shakers in women's wrestling. Michael: I liked the near falls and submissions towards the end, but the body of the match wasn't that strong. In all their infinite wisdom, AJW caved into LLPW and let their three biggest stars (at the time), Manami, Hotta, and Takako, job to Shinobu in 1998 without even one of them getting a win over her. At least Takako and Kandori worked pretty well together. Miko: The focus of this match was Takako v. Kandori, though I'm not sure why. Takako has not been treated as world title level for some time and there was no indication from this match she was going to be pushed up to that level. If anything, this match made it seem quite the opposite. Takako and Kandori had some good exchanges of moves and counters, but not for a second did I believe Takako was going to beat Kandori. She doesn't have the submissions, and I just don't see the Destiny Hammer doing it. It looked like the bell was called for before Kandori even fully got her submission locked on, which hurt the ending a little. James: AJW booking is sooooo stupid at times. Here they give Takako some credibility by letting her get a ton of near falls on Kandori, then they kill it straight away by jobbing her in this match. Then, a month later they let Kyoko kill her dead in another interpromotional match. AJW could have used this match to build up Takako as a WWWA title contender, but they screwed up again. Special thanks to: Michael Smith, Miko Kubota - Michiku Pro, & James Phillips- Japanese Women's Wrestling15:27
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