Forever Forward Fridays

Nikki Storm VS ASUKA - SHIMMER 4/13/2014

JJZ: So this was the first match that popped up when I typed in Kana on YouTube. You know how much I loved this feud in NXT. So this was a no brainer for me. I loved Nikki's mic work in the beginning, Dave Prazak is such a comfortable voice to hear. And this crowd wanted this match so bad. They really showed up and out. So right off the bat I'll say I was hoping for a little bit more piss and vinegar out of the bout. I realize that is because I had expectations from the NXT matches. Resetting my thoughts they did an excellent job of building this match. Solid base, good story throughout with a hot finish. I'm not sure how long after this match these women went to NXT but watching them reminded me of watching guys like Claudio and Danielson on the indies before they went to WWE. You knew it was time for the next step. They were way above everyone else. Not sure if this was the only indie match Kana and Storm had but I'd love to see a bunch more.

CJD: I think both ladies went to NXT about 2 years later. With how heated their rivalry there was I get wanting a little more oomph out of this match. But I thought this was a fascinating look back at how these two built such terrific chemistry here that when they had the chance in NXT, they knocked it out of the galaxy. I think the best thing about this match was how every little component came together so nicely. If you were really excited to see this live at the time I bet you'd leave extremely happy even though no one aspect of the match especially stands out. Two very talented pro wrestlers from opposite ends of the world coming together in the Berwyn Eagles Club to do pro wrestling things. Ain't nothing wrong with that!

Forever Forward Fridays

Kana VS Munenori Sawa - 

Triple Tails Re:Start 2/11/2011

CJD: This match is brutal. The only intergender match I can think of that I've seen that made me feel this way was Necro Butcher VS LuFisto. This was obviously a completely different type of violence but I wouldn't say it had any less of any affect on me. Both are intergender matches that feel like a straight up fight. And both leave me with so much respect for the female competitors in the match. Both are also great examples of niche styles of pro wrestling, and I bet when you hit me up with a FFFriday shootstyle BattlArts gem the last thing you expected was for me to come back with an equally good shootstyle intergender match! I know I'm preaching to the choir with you but ASUKA has to go down as one of the all-time greats at this point and I'd use this match as a prime example of how deep her career has been.

JJZ: This was a fight between two people. Gender be damned. I feel like I watched Kana and Sawa equally fight for dominance. This was a 50 50 match that drew a lot of emotions out of the crowd. More of a fight then a match but so entertaining. You know how much I love Kana/Asuka. I had a thought while watching this match. Is Asuka the most successful Japanese wrestler to make the transition to the states ever? If we are honest with ourselves she is probably a top 5 women's wrestler all time. Am I giving her to many flowers? I don't think so. Muta and Liger are the only other wrestlers from Japan that have come close to her success but neither have had this long of a run in America. I know I've totally ignored Sawa with my comments and that was not my intention when I began to write this. Sawa was a fantastic dance partner for Kana. Him treating her like an equal made this match feel like a must see.

Bad Kana Follows You Around

Kana VS Yuko Miyamoto - Kana Box Office SGP Global Jr Heavyweight Championship 10/27/2013

CJD: I'm not going to lie, I'm a Yuko Miyamoto mark and would've played this match forward even if it was just to see what you played back. But lucky for both of us this match is actually really damn good. Kana has to work for every little bit she gets in this match and Yuko definitely does not ease up due to the intergender aspect. Watching these two Asuka matches back to back from earlier in her career I'm immediately impressed by how good she was at just plain wrestling. Her transitions into and out of holds puts a lot of other wrestlers to shame. The other thing I'm struck by is how she refuses to let a match drag. She brings energy into moments that hook you back in before your attention can even start to wander. Add in the charm of that weird tiny venue that looks like an early level boss fight in a NES game, and Ultraman Robin presenting the prestigious SGP Global Jr Heavyweight Championship, and this match was an easy choice.

JJZ: I feel like I've seen wrestling in this venue before. Any help on that CJD? I love that Miyamoto is respecting Kana at the start with his "You do belong in the ring with me" attitude. It's very inspiring to think that Kana who became Asuka has reached such great heights in the biggest wrestling company in the world. This match is the opposite of junk food. It's an art house feature. Nothing was wasted and the crowd was buzzing at times. No commentary added to the drama while the camera work really made the match feel epic. It definitely wasn't 50/50 but I never felt like Kana was getting dominated. Everything was executed well and stiff. I liked the finish and thought both wrestlers came out of this match looking great.

CJD: I THINK it's the venue BattlArts ran later on. Not positive though. Love it either way!

I Should've Known You Would AP Cross Me

Kana VS Ayako Hamada - SHIMMER 10/27/2012

JJZ: I definitely should be in bed right now. I need to be up in 5 hours. But! I'm feeling my drink as my grandmom would say and want to watch some wreslting! I'm picking Kana to give you a path out of Joshi if you'd like. The back and forth hold for hold start was very well done in my humble opinion. This was a nice 50/50 match with stiff strikes and tight spots. The crowd is super into this and I am jealous I wasn't there live for this one. I loved the finish because I wasn't expecting it. I thought it would go the other way! Hamada is really good. We both now how good Asuka is but Hamada can work. I was really left impressed with how well rounded she was.

CJD: First of all, my wife and daughter are away visiting family for the first time since she was born and I'm eating copious amounts of pizza drinking some beers and keeping one eye on our group message with our buds as they razz you about not being able to figure out where to watch Dark Side of the Ring online. So I very much feel like I'm in your living room right now watching this match. Second of all, I love this venue, it looks like somewhere you'd have a beef & beer at. Third of all, this match was paced beautifully! I agree complete that the early game of chess was perfect, really slick wrestling which built the foundation for a great finishing stretch. This match felt so big, like an irresistible force VS an immovable object. They could have easily pressed the tempo because of how hooked the crowd was but instead that kept that steady build and the big moments were all that much more rewarding as a result. We have been featuring so much great women's wrestling lately and this match still stands out as one of my favorites.