AJW Throwback: AJW Classics Episode 11 Review

With the success of Assemble, I’m feeling particularly warm and fuzzy towards the old-guard of joshi. The sight of Chigusa and Akira Hokuto hanging out and having a lovely old time has kept me happy during a period where everything else has been a bit shit. So, a chance to go back and spend time with their younger versions is not to be sniffed at. All the matches on episode 11 of AJW Classics came from the same show as we were in Osaka on the 20th of March 1986.

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13/10/2020 0

Assemble (1/10/20) Review

Just a smidge of talent in that ring. Credit: Assemble

Joshi Assemble! There was always going to have to be a response from the smaller wrestling companies to the effects of COVID and, in a heartening move, joshi decided the best way to deal with it was together. Assemble might be more of a showcase for the different companies involved rather than an inter-promotional supershow, but it is still easy to get excited about. Throwing matches from Oz Academy, Sendai Girls, Pure-J, SEAdLINNNG, Marvelous and T-Hearts (even if we’re not quite sure what that is yet) together sounds like a jolly good time, no matter how it’s done.

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02/10/2020 0

AJW Throwback: Classics Episode 8 Review

Has anyone ever mentioned that Bull is really cool?

We’re onto Episode Eight of AJW Classics, so we’ll definitely get to the end at some point in 2050. It’s another Crush Gals vs Gokuaku Domei heavy show, but we’re not about to complain about that, are we?

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19/08/2020 0

AJW Throwback: AJW Classics Episode 7 Review

Episode seven of AJW Classics is all from the same show, and it’s a biggy. This was AJW’s Summer Night Festival in Budokan, an event that features at least two legendary matches. It went down on the 22nd of August 1985 and it’s time for us to dive in.

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04/08/2020 0

AJW Throwback: Classics Episode 6 Review

Time for another trip down memory lane. Well, not my personal memory lane, I was not alive when these matches happened. History lane! Shut up, Stuart, talk about the wrestling.

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22/07/2020 0

AJW Throwback: Classics Episode 5 Review

There is a theme to episode five of AJW Classics. All three of these matches took place in April of 1985 during the Fuji Cup and all three feature tag team partners facing off. We’ve got Dynamite Girls, Gokuaku Domei and Crush Gals imploding! Okay, maybe only one of these matches falls into the imploding category, but there is definitely some violence.

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16/07/2020 1

AJW Throwback: Classics Episode 3 Review

Episode three of AJW Classics has us finish up 1984 and move into January of 1985. It’s also a very Crush Gal focused hour of television, with three of the four matches featuring them. That shouldn’t be surprising as they were massive at this point, so if you’re going to focus on anyone, they’re probably a good choice.

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28/04/2020 0

AJW Throwback: Classics Episode 2 Review

Unlike episode one of AJW Classics, episode two does not take place over a single show. Instead, it spans most of 1984 as we get matches from April right through to September. Sadly, it features our first retirements, but we also meet some legends that I’m sure you’re heard of and follow on from our previous main event. Are you looking forward to it?

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20/04/2020 0

Meltzer’s Classics: Lioness Asuka, Mika Komatsu, Kazue Nagahori, Mitsuko Nishiwaki, Etsuko Mita and Sachiko Nakamura vs. Chigusa Nagayo, Yumiko Hotta, Mika Takahashi, Mika Suzuki, Yumi Ogura and Yachiyo Hirata, 12/6/87

Time to be honest. There is no way I am going to be able to write out a match report for this or even anything close to one. There are twelve women in this and – outside of Nagayo and Asuka – I know nothing about them. They also all wear very similar gear and are constantly switching in and out of the ring. What I’m trying to say, is I don’t have a clue who anyone is. On top of that, I don’t think the full thing is out there. As far as I can tell there’s only a seventeen-minute highlight package online. It’s far from convenient but as Meltzer once described this as the best match he’d ever seen, I don’t think I can miss it out. So I’ll have to do my best with what I have.

Continue reading “Meltzer’s Classics: Lioness Asuka, Mika Komatsu, Kazue Nagahori, Mitsuko Nishiwaki, Etsuko Mita and Sachiko Nakamura vs. Chigusa Nagayo, Yumiko Hotta, Mika Takahashi, Mika Suzuki, Yumi Ogura and Yachiyo Hirata, 12/6/87” →

10/01/2018 0