Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted October 11, 2002 I just finished watching this match and I have to say it was just amazing at times. Incredible work from Aja who was the epitome of everything that a monster heel should be, and Toyota impressed the hell out of me, too, not only taking Aja's beating and asking for more, but playing the defiant underdog to the point that it was impossible not to rally behind her. Some of the moves they tried here were absolutely insane, and Aja's ability to pace the match and reel in Toyota was impeccable. However, when the match ended, I couldn't help but feel short-changed. It wasn't like some of the underwelming juniors matches I've seen where I was unable to find a story within the moves and sequences, or anything like that, I just wasn't satisfied with the finish, for whatever reason. Maybe it was due to Hotta and Combat raising my expectations for false finishes too much with their overwelming amount of kick-outs, or maybe it was because I was too imersed in the "Monster vs. Underdog" storyline to see past it. I'm deffinately going to have to re-watch it, that's for sure. Anyway, fantastic match, and I need to get more Aja material. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest wolverine Report post Posted October 11, 2002 This is 11/20/94. Yes this match was quite an amazing experience the first time I watched it. It was my first exposure to Toyota's singles work after 1992, and it blew me away, since I was used to the wide array of suplex stuff she was doing with Yamada, and this was intrinsically so much different. An incredible shitkicking by Aja, who I became an instant mark for after seeing this. Although I'm not a fan of their 3/26/95 rematch, I would recommend it just to see what kind of high 11/94 really was for them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted October 11, 2002 Tabe has it listed as 11/30 - ah well. I felt the same way about Aja, as her monster aura made her tons of fun to watch and yet, she was able to put over all of Manami's offense wonderfully. One of the best cases I've seen where a worker managed seem dominant and vullnerable at the same time. I agree, Manami wasn't nearly as suplex heavy in this match as she was before, but I think it fit very well. She seemed very aware of when to make her comebacks and hit her flurry of offense before Aja cut her off again. Great performance by both. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DragonflyKid Report post Posted October 11, 2002 I just ordered the part of BEU that featured the Aja/Toyota match as well as AJW Best*One to see their rematch. Watching some Kong lately and having watched some Toyota I can see why the match would be great, the formula of world-class monster vs. worlds-class bumper seems perfect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest wolverine Report post Posted October 11, 2002 Good choice getting AJW Best*One (6/27/95). I really enjoyed that tape, since not only do you get the great Aja-Toyota match, but there's also a fun 6-person tag with Ito/Yoshida/Bennett vs. Hokuto/Shimoda/Mita. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted October 12, 2002 That does sound like quite a lot of fun, and I deffinately wouldn't mind seeing another Aja/Toyota match, even if it's not nearly as good as the first. I'm going to watch Aja/Kansai now. Fun, fun, fun. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest wolverine Report post Posted October 12, 2002 Actually, 6/95 is pretty close to the 11/94. The build is more deliberate, but the stretch run is fantastic. I initially had it at ****3/4, but I've since dropped it a quarter. Great match. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DragonflyKid Report post Posted October 12, 2002 Both the 11/94 and 6/95 Kong/Kansai matches were stiff and exciting. They showed that two larger wrestlers could go out there and put on a great match, it usually requires a larger wrestler to have a smaller worker to bump for them but Kong and Kansai are both so talented that it wasn't neccessary. The use of the KO 10-counts in both matches provided alot of drama. Plus I mark out for Aja Urakens and Kansai Kicks which made the matches all the better. I heard Vader vs. Hansen despite Vader's eye popping out was ultra-stiff but a bad match and I can't think of any monster vs. monster match that was as good as the two Kong/Kansai matches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest wolverine Report post Posted October 12, 2002 You mean the 8/30/95 Kong-Kansai. I like this one a lot more than their 11/94 match. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DragonflyKid Report post Posted October 12, 2002 My mistake, I did mean the 8/95 match. I liked the 8/95 match a bit more also because it went longer, I know the 11/94 match was part of a tournament so it had to be on the shorter side. Both were worked really well, the 8/95 just had more time to prolong the drama. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted October 12, 2002 I'd like to see both 6/95 Kong/Toyota and 8/95 Kong/Kansai quite a bit. Kong/Kansai 11/94 was great, but I could tell they had a better match in them. I really liked the focus on strikes as it made both fighters seem lethal and able to finish each other off at any time. Kyoko did a good job of putting over Kansai as both a devastating kicker and a capable mat wrestler. Great, great tourniment, and an awesome show, overall. As an aside, was Kong's leg injury in the final legitimate? It would seem to be a work, but one can never tell with these things. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Lear's Fool Report post Posted October 12, 2002 Work. Watch their 10/93 match and see the connection. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted October 13, 2002 Thought so. Great selling job from Aja had me in doubt, though. I imagine the '93 match would explain why it took five Northern Lights Bombs to put her down, also? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Lear's Fool Report post Posted October 13, 2002 No. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted October 13, 2002 Ah well. Is it a worthwile match on it's own? I'd like to get around to seeing it at some point to fill in the gaps on the Aja title reign and the set-up to BEU in general, but I haven't heard much about the match's actual quality. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest J*ingus Report post Posted October 13, 2002 I heard Vader vs. Hansen despite Vader's eye popping out was ultra-stiff but a bad match and I can't think of any monster vs. monster match that was as good as the two Kong/Kansai matches. Vader/Hansen was kinda disappointing, all things considered, it was before Vader really hit his stride. And yeah, the whole eyeball-hanging-out thing (which happened in the first two minutes) didn't help the match any. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest MrRant Report post Posted October 13, 2002 Ugh... makes me want to see the match yet run like hell away from it at the same time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted October 13, 2002 Yeah, Vader/Hansen wasn't that great. Seemed like Hansen thought that they could stiff each other out and make the match good under that pretense alone. Kong/Kansai 11/94, which isn't even the best of their meetings, really smokes it, in my opinion. In general, there are just better "monster vs. monster" matches to be found. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DragonflyKid Report post Posted October 13, 2002 I heard good thing about the Nakano/Kong matches, I have only seen their cage match from 11/14/90 but that was gimmicked. I know they had a match in '92 that was supposedly good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest wolverine Report post Posted October 13, 2002 Ricky: You'd be better off getting that entire 10/9/93 show - from what I understand, it's one of AJW's better shows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RickyChosyu Report post Posted October 15, 2002 Yeah, that looks like a great event. Any idea where I can get a review of it besides Lorefice? I read his spiel, and the from the looks of it, the show is promising, but I don't always agree with him, so I'm hesitent to relly on his star ratings alone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jubuki Report post Posted October 15, 2002 It's in the works. I've got: JGP Finals Legacy of Queens FMW vs LLPW 9/9 ahead of it, in addition to whatever other stuff I pick up from '92 (which will be a lot in the next 3 weeks). The ultimate goal is to get to BEWU by year's end - sort of as a tribute to someone else all of you would hate for having been smarter than you - which could be a pain in the ass with all the Nov./Dec. 93 stuff to cover, but luckily my focus is on Hokuto, and she was only on 3 AJW cards for all of '94 (and I've already knocked off 1 of those matches, though it's in serious need of an overhaul). I can say, though, that I've been quite disappointed in the bulk of the "very good" stuff from other cards of the time period (mainly when Yamada/Kyoko/Hotta are involved), so it wouldn't surprise me if it turns out underwhelming. So anyway, which asshole banned my home IP address? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
