Forever Forward Fridays

Mariko Yoshida (c) VS Sakie Hasegawa - AJW Championship 7/15/1992

JJZ: This match was wild brother. I want to call it a car crash of a match but usually those kinda matches have a sloppy element to them but this match was  pretty goddamn tight. Nothing whiffed, everything was hit pretty much dead on. Super fucking stiff. The fact that I had no knowledge of Sakie Hasegawa before this match honestly makes me sad. What makes me even more sad is that this is only the second match of Mariko Yoshida I've ever seen. Both these wrestlers brought the fire and violence that only seasoned workers usually have. So I know there are more gems out there that are waiting to be dug up! Get that shovel baby!

CJD: I'm also totally ignorant of Hasegawa. Which honestly made this match that much more special. What a fucking ride!! These women were bringing the heart and soul, the primary colors of pro wrestling, the desperation of the underdog challenger bum rushing the Champ, the injured valiant defender fighting with such passion, the struggle, the drama!! What a battle condensed into such a tight package. John. This made me so happy. This was the Yoshida I've always heard about. And I can't wait to discover more Hasegawa. Thank you!!

Forever Forward Fridays

Yumiko Hotta VS Mariko Yoshida - AJW 10/9/1994

CJD: Did you know that Yumiko Hotta also competed in MMA? And lost a fight to Gabi Garcia? Now you do! I learned quite a bit about her and Mariko Yoshida researching this match. Yoshida is a curious case to me, as some people consider her an all-time great, and there's flashes I've seen in what I've watched. But she's never jumped off the screen to me. I did learn that she innovated the Air Raid Crash while reading up about her career though, which was also news to me! Anyway, about this match. It's a masterful performance from Hotta working on top but giving a very competitive match to a rising star. I knew Yoshida was in for a beating heading in but was pleasantly surprised at how she brought that fight and how Hotta played off it. This is not a match where everything is hit perfectly but that's half the charm. This is a match that will make you wince and say "god damn!" on occasion. And I'm curious if you can find gold with Mariko based on the reputation she has in some circles. But mostly I'm curious how you feel about this match JJZ??

JJZ: This was a really fascinating watch man. It felt like a fight between an older and younger sibling. The older one, Hotta is just kicking the shit out of the younger one Yoshida but every now and then Mariko is able to pop Yumiko really good. Hotta's no selling on a lot of the punches added to that vibe also. I did not know the Hotta fought in MMA before, that's pretty fucking wild. You can see she can kick the shit out of someone in this match. All the powerbombs, back drops and piledrivers were wincing moments like you said. I really did find myself pulling for the PUB (plucky underdog babyface!) by the end. That finish was pretty sick. Enjoyed this one man.