[2022-02-21-SEAdLINNNG-Shin-Kiba Night!] Arisa Nakajima vs Hanako Nakamori

[corwo]

This match was the prime example of fighting harder with your friends than you do anyone else. The Violence Princess duo started with competitive mat work, but neither was able to gain the advantage. Things quickly escalated and they ended up fighting on the apron. Normally, I’d not be a fan of them heading to the so-called hardest part of the ring so quickly, but this felt like a battle of wills. The match got suitably more violent, and Nakamori bounced Nakajima’s head off the ring post a few times, but she got too confident and ended up falling off the apron to eat a dropkick. This overconfidence would likewise cost Arisa as she came off the top rope, only to eat a gnarly-looking kick.

From that point on, Nakamori honed in on Nakajima’s arm, snapping it across the ropes and yanking at it. Nakamori would wear her down with arm drags and later come back to the injured limb by applying a Fujiwara armbar. Arisa’s selling wasn’t great or anything, but a subtle reminder that Hanako may have a fighting chance at capturing SEAdLINNNG’s top prize.

Hanako brutalized Arisa with knee-strikes. Nakamori dumped Arisa on her head with a driver, but went to the well once too many times and nearly got rolled up for her efforts. Some may view this as overkill, but I liked Hanako’s desperation as she willed herself on to win the title. The finish was a delightful callback to their previous title match. Nakajima got Nakamori in position for a dragon suplex. Nakamori went for a headbutt, but this time it was reversed into a dragon sleeper. I’d argue Nakamori got one too many kick-outs, as that would have been a suitable finish, but Nakajima put her down immediately with one more half-and-half suplex. Despite some qualms with the finish, this was a great match in its own right and properly visceral at times.