Posted February 25, 200817 yr comment_5428571 All Japan Classics 7 + 8 Classics 7 Yumi Ogura vs. Kanako Nagatomo (AJW Jr. Title tournament match 4/3/85) - This was a pretty neat back and forth match. As someone who has never seen Ogura before, I was getting a Ron Garvin stretch/stiff/carny twist vibe but not as big of a badass. Nagatomo doesn’t really stand out with her appearance but she worked nonstop in this one. I am not committed to nominating this but I do want to see more of Yumi. Yumi Ogura vs. Mika Komatsu (AJW Jr. Title tournament finals 4/6/85) - Not as good as the last match and I didn’t nominate that one. I found myself paying more attention to Ogura than I was the match itself. That Ron Garvin vibe was gone as well. Maybe she was displaying more vulnerability since she had fought in the earlier match. However, she did bust Mika’s nose open somehow which is something that Garvin would probably do on multiple occasions. I really want you guys to watch these two matches and tell me what kind of vibe you are getting. Itsuki Yamazaki vs. Yukari Omori (4/6/85) - This match really picked up in the middle. Omori had to get her wrist bandaged in the middle of the match so Yamazaki attacks it of course. I love common sense in a wrestling match. Stomping her hand and yanking it during an arm drag looked particularly painful. Omori’s comeback was pretty sweet also as she tried not to let the hand distract her and even had nice powerslam move where she put the JBA on the top rope and then powerslams her off. When the action spilled outside, both wrestlers went in opposite directions to regroup and Yamazaki takes a water break. Awesome! The end was also something I have not seen before as Yamazaki misses a missile dropkick landing flat on her back. Omori takes advantage and puts her in a Mexican surfboard until she submits. In the grand scheme of things, this may not make the final cut or rank high but I have no problem nominating this. Classics 8 Crush Gals performance (4/3/85) - EXTRA! Bull Nakano vs. Crane Yu (Japan Grand Prix tournament match, 4/3/85) - Both Crane and Bull bring nunchuks to the ring. Sweet… ninja battle! I know nothing about Crane Yu but a quick Wikipedia inquiry shows she was also a member of Dump’s Army. This match isn’t very good though but there are some highlights. Crane throws Bull into the chairs and returns to the ring to recuperate. As soon as Bull returns, she has the nunchuks hidden, locks up and immediately attacks Crane with the sticks. I have come to learn that they are very lenient when it comes to foreign objects and weapons. There were some nice weapon spots and some wild brawling but I want to see more of the Army before I nominate something I am on the fence on anyway. Dump Matsumoto vs. Chigusa Nagayo (Japan Grand Prix tournament match, 4/3/85) - Dump ambushes Nagayo before she can even get to the ring and it is mayhem! This match is more of a continuation of the Dump saga than it is a wrestling match. Anytime Dump is in trouble, the Army comes to the rescue. The goal is for Nagayo to find a way to counter this blatant interference. Maybe someone can fill me in… is the referee part of the Army? Eventually, Nagayo gets fed up and beats up the ref and gets disqualified. Crush Gals performance (6/14/85) - Another EXTRA! The choreography is amazing in these performances
April 29, 200817 yr comment_5430964 All Japan Classics 7 + 8 Classics 7 Yumi Ogura vs. Kanako Nagatomo (AJW Jr. Title tournament match 4/3/85) - This was a pretty neat back and forth match. As someone who has never seen Ogura before, I was getting a Ron Garvin stretch/stiff/carny twist vibe but not as big of a badass. Nagatomo doesn’t really stand out with her appearance but she worked nonstop in this one. I am not committed to nominating this but I do want to see more of Yumi. Man, Yumi Ogura needs to leave my TV screen forever. This was the longest rookie match in the history of AJW dropkicks. God, by twenty minutes in I was screaming for ANYONE to punch somebody in the face. This disc is going to be a hard one.
May 5, 200817 yr comment_5431075 All Japan Classics 7 + 8 Classics 7 Yumi Ogura vs. Mika Komatsu (AJW Jr. Title tournament finals 4/6/85) - Not as good as the last match and I didn’t nominate that one. I found myself paying more attention to Ogura than I was the match itself. That Ron Garvin vibe was gone as well. Maybe she was displaying more vulnerability since she had fought in the earlier match. However, she did bust Mika’s nose open somehow which is something that Garvin would probably do on multiple occasions. I really want you guys to watch these two matches and tell me what kind of vibe you are getting. I actually really dug this match. It pays to take a few days off the first match and then watch this. After the hatred for the first match dissipates, you realize that this is a heated and stiff little affair. I really dug the brawling through the chairs at the end and- overall- that Ogura set up the psychology in this one that she is angry asskicker and Komatsu fights through and comebacks from Ogura's offense. I would put this one on. It makes me wonder why they didn't do any of this in their first match. Itsuki Yamazaki vs. Yukari Omori (4/6/85) - This match really picked up in the middle. Omori had to get her wrist bandaged in the middle of the match so Yamazaki attacks it of course. I love common sense in a wrestling match. Stomping her hand and yanking it during an arm drag looked particularly painful. Omori’s comeback was pretty sweet also as she tried not to let the hand distract her and even had nice powerslam move where she put the JBA on the top rope and then powerslams her off. When the action spilled outside, both wrestlers went in opposite directions to regroup and Yamazaki takes a water break. Awesome! The end was also something I have not seen before as Yamazaki misses a missile dropkick landing flat on her back. Omori takes advantage and puts her in a Mexican surfboard until she submits. In the grand scheme of things, this may not make the final cut or rank high but I have no problem nominating this. I didn't hate this match but I think it was too sloppy and listless to make me too excited.
May 6, 200817 yr comment_5431112 Classics 8 Bull Nakano vs. Crane Yu (Japan Grand Prix tournament match, 4/3/85) - Both Crane and Bull bring nunchuks to the ring. Sweet… ninja battle! I know nothing about Crane Yu but a quick Wikipedia inquiry shows she was also a member of Dump’s Army. This match isn’t very good though but there are some highlights. Crane throws Bull into the chairs and returns to the ring to recuperate. As soon as Bull returns, she has the nunchuks hidden, locks up and immediately attacks Crane with the sticks. I have come to learn that they are very lenient when it comes to foreign objects and weapons. There were some nice weapon spots and some wild brawling but I want to see more of the Army before I nominate something I am on the fence on anyway. I'm the biggest Dump Army fan and the biggest Bull Nakano mark on earth but I don't think this one makes the cut. It's fine just nothing special at all. Total lack of heat for obvious reasons is alsoa major drawback. I'm wondering why they even ran this match. Dump Matsumoto vs. Chigusa Nagayo (Japan Grand Prix tournament match, 4/3/85) - Dump ambushes Nagayo before she can even get to the ring and it is mayhem! This match is more of a continuation of the Dump saga than it is a wrestling match. Anytime Dump is in trouble, the Army comes to the rescue. The goal is for Nagayo to find a way to counter this blatant interference. Maybe someone can fill me in… is the referee part of the Army? Eventually, Nagayo gets fed up and beats up the ref and gets disqualified. This match is baffling. Dump with a fork and Chigusa doesn't blade? the ambush is fucking AWESOME but the rest of this is the least of the Dump vs Chigusa saga. It should probably go on but if we have lose one, this would probably be it.
