[1993-10-10-AJW] Aja Kong & Sakie Hasegawa vs Kyoko Inoue & Toshiyo Yamada

[Kadaveri]

This is a fantastic hidden gem. Aja and Sakie seem like an odd team at first, Monster Heel/Ace and the loveable underdog midcarder, but they make it work as the story of their partnership is Aja trying to bring out a killer instinct out of Sakie so she can elevate herself. There's nice spots like Aja chopping Kyoko super hard in the corner when Sakie is being half-hearted about it, or get Sakie to hold someone in a camel clutch so Aja can boot her in the chest. Sakie looks a bit "omg I can't believe I did that" afterwards but then rolls with it. Kyoko and Toshiyo are very good as well, Kyoko especially murders Sakie with a lariat when it's her time to take control.

****1/2

[squidlad]

A very good, unheralded match that showcased the depth this roster had at the time. Toshiyo Yamada was fantastic in this, believably taking the fight to Kong and delivering swift, brutal violence upon Hasegawa. There's one spot where Yamada whiffs on a kick over Kong's head and simply whips her leg back in the other direction to catch Kong flush. It's a neat little moment showing great versatility. ****