Azumi Hyuga/Tomoko Kuzumi

[Dylan Waco]

Discuss Here.

[Jetlag]

I really, really liked her match vs. Amano from 1999. Really out of left field great performance. However, her other, more praised stuff that I've seen isn't on the level. Maybe she would benefit from someone doing a mass uploading spree because there's still a lot I like about her and the online footage from her is limited. I recall her matches vs. Haruyama are some of the best 2000s joshi bouts simply for being psychotically fast paced, violent deathfests.

[ohtani's jacket]

Is that Amano match online? She had a quietly great career, which impresses the crap out of me because she should have faded away when JWP semi-folded. I would be really surprised if workers like Yagi, Yoshida or Hyuga got much of a look in, though.

[Jetlag]

Here you go:

 

https://youtu.be/WO1r5gcTNPw

[donsem43]

The problem with uploading stuff now is that a lot her matches from her peak were on Samurai TV, and that stuff gets taken down pretty quick nowadays. Her peak was also during the time that people considered joshi to be "dead" so that's another hurdle to overcome. But to me, she's the best female worker of her generation and maybe the most underrated overall. She was able to convincingly play the role of ace despite looking like a waifish model. Excellent at selling, surprisingly good matwork, and violent strike-based offense.

 

Her 12/9/07 match with Kaori Yoneyama is fantastic and is what got me to look further into recent joshi. The 4/29/08 title switch with Kayoko Haruyama might be the most sound joshi match in history in terms of selling and psychology. Her run in the late 00's in JWP is just terrific and something I prefer over other's like Meiko Satomura and even some of the big names from the previous two decades.

[ohtani's jacket]

Here you go:

 

https://youtu.be/WO1r5gcTNPw

 

Good match. Wasn't worked with the sort of pacing I like, but the competitive drive was in the right place.

[jushin muta liger]

Hyuga is up there with Nanae Takahashi, Ayako Hamada, Yoshiko Tamura and Meiko Satomura as the best women wrestlers of the 2000s. The Yoneyama gets praised a lot but the matches with Yoshiko Tamura are great as well. Has a thrill ride bomb fest with Nanae Takahashi in Pro Wrestling Sun. Have to rewatch the Manami Toyota match from JWP but I remember it being very good. Just check her if you can.

[Clayton Jones]

She also got me into joshi again circa 2007 but I didn't have her down on my names to consider list for some reason. Granted I've only watched stuff from a year or two from what seems like the peak of her career but she's someone who can clearly generate a ton of interest and it sounds like there's much more I should dig into.

[ohtani's jacket]

I'm receptive to any praise Hyuga gets, but I'd need match recommendations to be swayed. 

[DylanZero]

Everything I've seen of her is excellent and I still consider her one of the most underrated of all time.

 

Let's find lots of Hyuga matches to post.

[donsem43]

Personally, this match is Hyuga's best vs Kayoko Haruyama on 4/29/08.

Worth checking out the main event of the 5/15/05 JWP show is worth checking out as Hyuga works a more methodical match against Kaoru Ito.