Kyoko Inoue

[Grimmas]

Discuss here.

[Grimmas]

I'm really looking forward to re-watching some of her career. When I did watch a bunch of joshi Bull Nakano and Kyoko Inoue were my favourites. I need suggestions for this one.

[ohtani's jacket]

Early Kyoko has the most natural charisma of any wrestler I've seen and her enthusiasm is infectious. Here are the matches I remember liking:

 

vs. Mariko Yoshida, 7/5/92

vs. Mariko Yoshida, 8/30/92

vs. Akira Hokuto, 11/16/92

vs. Takako Inoue, 1/24/93

vs. Shinobu Kandori, 8/25/93

w/ Toshiyo Yamada vs. Akira Hokuto/Manami Toyota x2, 12/10/93

vs. Bull Nakano, 1/24/94

vs. Bull Nakano, 3/26/95

[Timbo Slice]

The Kandori match and the two Nakano matches are both good, especially the Kandori match, which you would think is a huge styles clash but becomes a fantastic match by the end.

 

I'm not sure if early Kyoko is enough for me to put her on the Top 100, although people who are fans of the go-go style she has will probably think differently.

[ohtani's jacket]

Coey's match database is a good reference point for Joshi -- http://web.archive.org/web/20060428211822/http://www.airraidcrash.com/ajwmatch.html

[MJH]

I don't think she's the best female wrestler ever, but... I can't think of another I've had more fun watching, consistently, than Kyoko. As Dan said, incredible charisma, enthusiasm, she captures the joy of performance better than any wrestler I can think of. She might have had the most well-rounded move-set in AJW, and I certainly think she had the best "shine" routine as the early baby-face control. I'm not sure she has anything of note after the Asuka series (the '99 match with Toyota is a nice tribute, I guess), nor do I envision myself combing through NEO shows to find any, but she's certainly a Top 10 female, perhaps pushing her way as high as #5?(I'd have to think about it more), but absolutely someone who warrants mention in this whole debate and I'd push for something around the 50-spot...

 

I also second those matches listed above. Some people might enjoy the 9/91 match with Bull more than the later ones. I'd add:

 

w/Takako vs. Ozaki/Cuty - Dream Slam

w/Takako vs. Toyota/Hasegawa - 1/95 TV and especially 8/30/95

vs. Kansai - Big Egg

vs. Toyota - 8/94 and the 60:00 5/95.

 

Toyota vs. Kyoko were a better pair at the most stereotypical Zenjo sprint than Toyota vs. Yamada (for me, for their differences). The 8/94 - sans finish - is the "perfect" sprint for them... and the broadway just has to be seen. That they tried to work their match for an hour is insane; that they made it to about the 45:00 mark before it all fell apart is pretty fucking incredible.

[Jetlag]

Kyoko is very weird. Sometimes she's really great with her unpredictable, unique offense and good selling, sometimes annoying with Kurt Angle-ish tendencies, popping up and killing a match and sometimes just plain boring. I felt those Nakano matches were carries. She gets bonus points for having one of the best Hokuto matches and looking great in it. I also have a feeling her late career run as grumpy gender switched Super Porky is either terrible or has some bizarre interesting stuff in it. Can't be bothered to watch it though. I like some of the matches listed above, and some not so much. The Kandori match is very fun but seems to be overrated just because it's "different". I could see someone who's really into joshi ranking her, but I don't see the case right now.

[Grimmas]

I'm up until 1992 in my joshi watching and I have fallen completely for Inoue. What a tremendous babyface with great sympathetic charisma.

Yes, she's a freaking oddball doing bizarre shit all the time, but it's really charming. She sells amazing, and looks awesome in all of her big matches. Plus a giant swing gets bonus points, and super bonus points for adding spins into almost any other moves she does!