[2000-12-03-ARSION] Chapparita Asari vs Mika Akino

[Jetlag]

This was clipped but we get a good picture of it. I imagine this would have been really good if we had gotten the early build, because what was shown was really good. Asari is really sharp, and the contrast between her lucha headscissors and flash armbars and Akino's more basic style made for an entertaining match. They had great rhythm and Akino's arm selling was right on the money. The finish was really neat aswell. Even without the ARSION trademark gone these two are still a welcome antidote to the more overkill-y joshi workers.

[cheapshot]

For what this was, I thought it was great. Back and forth action throughout. Asari is really crisp and the match flowed really well. Lots of Lucha spots that didn't look forced, or shoehorned in. Pace was good throughout, especially the closing stretch.

[ohtani's jacket]

Not bad. Asari's reinvention from a young flier into a hybrid submission wrestler is arguably as interesting as Yoshida's and has a Plum Mariko/Command Bolshoi element to it. Akino is clearly a good worker but there's not a lot of upside to her aside from being the next Toshiyo Yamada. I'm not convinced it would have been any better in full than it was clipped. Can't really comment on the rhythm without having it in full tho. 

[soup23]

The first couple of minutes are clipped but this was another awesome Asari sprint full of high octane action, slick submissions and stiffness. AKINO should a lot of fire working from underneath and not tapping out. Overall, Asari ends 2000 as probably the best sub 10 minute worker in the world as far as matches we have seen. I look forward to her advancement throughout the decade. ***1/2 (6.8)