[1996-05-02-JD'] Lioness Asuka vs Bison Kimura

[Jetlag]

They show about 22 minutes of a 60 minute draw. Damn you to hell GAORA TV editors, because this looked damn great, potentially the greatest match Asuka has ever been in. Asuka was working different from her later 90s-early 2000s stuff, no cute stuff or table shenanigans, just straight no nonsense wrestling with little rope running. Most of the first 15 minutes was matwork and Asuka lacing up Bison with kicks. Bison get her in a Stretch Plum which she didn't like at all so she bloodied her mouth and demolished her with a series of brutal kicks. I'm not sure if Asuka was bloodied by Kimuras punches or simple by getting Bisons blood on her, but both of them struggling over a Scorpion Deathlock with the blood all over them was quite the epic visual. The middle portion of about 30 minutes is almost completely removed. The ending looked damn intense with Bison barely getting her shoulders up on a pinfall, Asuka countering Bisons Chop with a Fujiwara armbar and going mad with spinning wheel kicks etc. Really maddening to get robbed of a potential classic like this.