I'm about to start watching a comp of recommended Yoshida matches and I wanted to keep them separate so she can be discussed in-depth in this thread if the opportunity comes up. So this is the thread for it.
First up:
Mariko Yoshida v Candy Okutsu - 12/18/98
Hmmm. I think Yoshida's performance was better than the match itself in this case. I did like that there was a very competitive feel, but I didn't like that Okutsu wrestled like she was trying to upstage her opponent the entire time. Candy -- at least in this match -- comes across as someone who thinks that wrestling is just moves. Without Yoshida to ground things, I don't know how much purpose or direction this would have. Anyway, specifics:
* Yoshida's "I dare you" pose right in her opponent's face before the match starts is very cool
* In terms of the style and the fluidity on the mat, Yoshida greatly resembles Destroyer. The difference is that I'd compare her character work more to Chris Benoit at his peak (which is a high compliment) in terms of being very serious and no-nonsense.
* This match had really awesome, fast-paced matwork but what put it over the top for me wasn't the movement, but the way that it was put over, and Yoshida's great facial expressions.
* I like that Yoshida is determined to have "her match" here ... one of my favorite moments in the match sees Candy miss ... something ... she was trying off the top rope, only for Yoshida to casually drag her where she wants her before locking her in holds again
* Yoshida's headscissors has ZERO daylight. Usually, there's at least some, but if the sun was shining on the other side of Yoshida's legs and Candy's head, I wouldn't have known
* Nice match in terms of hierarchy. Yoshida staying in control is sort of the de facto direction of the match, while Candy's openings are much harder fought. Her big problem is that she can't seem to capitalize, even when she does do something right. She's probably a better high-flyer and if the match was wrestled a little more vertically, things may have been a little different, but what's cool about this is that Yoshida isn't going to let her find out how she might fare in that situation. The point is only reinforced when Candy misses her *second* dive off the top, and this time, she's caught in a submission
* What I like about Yoshida is not just her tendency to roll out athletic spots she seems capable of, but also to understand their place in the big picture. Whenever the match leaves the mat, it's done to make a point, specifically when she takes Okutsu's German suplex and a few minutes later raises the stakes by executing the same move with even more force -- she's so confident in what she's doing that she's almost wrestling the match like she's doing a favor for her opponent by keeping things on the mat, but for Candy, that's like asking the best way to die
* Continuing on that point, Yoshida does many combo moves on the mat, like she's thinking three or four steps ahead, preventing any opportunity her opponent might have to fight out of the predicament instead of arrogantly thinking her signature spots are enough to do the job
* Okutsu is annoying here at times, but she also has her moments. Her desperation to sneak in a win after the vertical suplex is both amusing because we know it isn't going to be enough, and telling because she's so frustrated when it doesn't work. Where she's annoying -- as a worker -- is that there are times when Yoshida sets up nice spots for her and she doesn't take the opportunity to follow up in logical fashion. Yoshida blocking the corner splash by raising a foot could have turned the tide to something better, but instead, Candy went all Sabu and repeated the spot. I'd think she'd be above wrestling like RVD where she "has to get in all her shit". She also shows how raw she is by successfully executing move after move without attempting a pinfall. How much does a moonsault mean if it takes three of them before you even think it's worthy of a cover? It means even less when Yoshida kicks out of it anyway.
Overall, I'd go ***1/2 on the first match, but this is a nice sampling of Yoshida's talent. After seeing this, my hopes were to see her in the ring with a true peer instead of someone not at her level. I'm hoping that comes later on this set.
