[2001-03-20-ARSION] Mariko Yoshida & AKINO vs Ayako Hamada & Ai Fujita

[ohtani's jacket]

This was JIP, which is annoying because I wanted a longer look at Yoshida. What was shown looked good. A reminder that even if she was being under-utilized, Yoshida remained one of the best workers in the business in the early 00s. 

[GSR]

Joined in progress, Yoshida treating Fujita with utter disdain, as if she’s nothing. Double underhook facebuster, she then picks Fujita up at two so she can continue to punish her.  Hamada is in, having seen enough, which in turn brings in AKINO and we get a double sleeper spot.  Yoshida ties Fujita up, Ai rolling and scrambling as she looks to reach the ropes, eventually doing so, for the break.  AKINO accidentally hits her own partner on the flying crossbody when Fujita moves out the way, any momentum she may gain being short lived as she gets planted with a powerbomb.  Yoshida is back to showing her contempt so Hamada nails her from behind with a missile dropkick. Great springboard dropkick by AKINO to Hamada.  Again Hamada tries to save her partner, this time though Yoshida ducks out the way and she gets caught with an AKINO flying armbar.  That takes her out the equation, Yoshida then gives Fujita three Air Raid Crashes before choking her out for the win.   Hamada and Yoshida exchange words post-match, although my eyes are drawn to what looks like a globule of spit in Yoshida’s hair!