What's new, disciples of dramatized devastation?!
Y'know, I'm kinda proud of myself! I've been keeping my nose to the ground and picking up on a lot of the most talked about and exciting matches from this past month. Moreso than usual! I think I've watched just about every really noteworthy match that happened this month! Well, noteworthy to me and my tastes, at the very least!
So, let's check out one more noteworthy match from March, yeah? Round the third month of the year off with a certified, bona-fide banger.
 |
| Sareee-ISM |
Weekly Roundup
Here's what I watched for the week;
Here’s what we’re reviewing for the Watchlist;
• • • • •
Sareee & Takumi Iroha vs. Chihiro Hashimoto & Syuri - Anniversary War
 |
| Battle lines are drawn. Sareee-ISM |
🔔 Bell to Bell 🔔
Celebrating Sareee's (yes, that's how it's spelled. I'm not sure why her name is spelled with 3 e's, it just is) 15th year in wrestling, a show held under her own promotion has Sareee tagging with the current RCW Women's Champion and AAAW Champion Takumi Iroha. Across from these two, stands Sendai Girls World Champion Chihiro Hashimoto & IWGP Women's Champion Syuri. All four of these women have either teamed or faced each other in different constellations over the years, and it can be argued that they are each others greatest rivals. It's also, admittedly much harder to argue against, up for debate whether these four women are some of the best Joshi wrestlers on the planet right now. Certainly after this match, I find it hard to argue against that point, but opinions are like assholes, y'know? Maybe mine does stink, but yours probably ain't much better, pal!
I'd like to start this off by saying that I was only, really, familiar with Sareee and Syuri prior to this match. I've heard of Takumi Iroha and had seen a Chihiro Hashimoto match earlier in the day, which I loved, so I was really looking forward to seeing her again in this match. For my money, Hash was the MVP in this match. I'll get into it as this review goes on, but I thoroughly loved her work here. So why don't we get down to the match, yeah?
Sareee and Syuri start things off for us, both women looking confident and ready to go as they circle each other and meet in the middle. They fight for waistlocks out of a double knuckle lock, with Syuri able to take Sareee down to the canvas with a mini back suplex as she gets caught with a side headlock. She tries for an armbar but lets the hold break as Sareee gets to her feet, resetting in the middle again.
Something I really like at the opening moments here is that there's some legitimate wrestling going on here. Sareee shoots in for the legs and Syuri sprawls, dropping her weight on the back of her head and forcing Sareee to adjust to prevent getting crushed and taken to the canvas. Syuri gets a tight side hadlock on, then shot off the ropes and caught with armdrag, which she counters with one of her own. They lock up in the middle and fight hard to the ropes, eventually spilling to the floor as the cameras struggle to pick up the action. We catch Sareee on her back, kicking Syuri off her in a hesitant "you got me that time, but you won't get so lucky next time" sort of way.
They stand face to face on the floor, a silent acknowledgement and challenge as they march back to the ring, grabbing each other by the hair and staring daggers through each other. We're barely minutes in and things are already set to boil over. I love it. Hash and Iroha tag in, with the taller Iroha charging into Hashimoto, but her sturdy adversary absorbs the charges as if they are nothing. Hitting the ropes herself this time, Hash catches a kick to the gut from Iroha, staggering her as Iroha takes off from the ropes and flies with a spinning heel kick, but Hash ducks the blow. Ducking a lariat, Hash shoots in for a waistlock and tries one of her dangerous German suplex's, but Iroha is flailing and keeping her weight low. Iroha drops put of the grip and further drops to the canvas when Hash rebounds off the ropes and collides with a shoulder tackle.
 |
| Holding nothing back. Sareee-ISM |
Syuri is in against Iroha now, with the pair meeting each other with stiff leg kicks. They start with single kicks and a bit of walking to work out the muscle, but quickly begin laying into each other with stuff, harsh kicks to the calves. Back and forth with kicks that could fell a tree, Syuri gets the better of the exchange with knees to the gut as Iroha is against the ropes, only for Iroha to land a spinning heel kicm that takes Syuri down. With the opposition down, Sareee is tagged in and climbs to the top, flying with a missile dropkick to Syuri and a forearm shot to Hash after landing and charging across the ring. Just for good measure, y'know?
From kicks to forearms, Syuri and Sareee trade back and forth with bombs until Sareee charges for the ropes, only for Syuri to follow close behind and drill her in the gut with a knee. Tripping her down to a seated position against the ropes, Syuri takes a few steps back before charging in for another knee shot, sending her out to the apron from the momentum. Climbing to the top rope, Sareee is able to bound high and meet Syuri up high, ripping her down to the canvas with a massive superplex. Holy hell. Wasting zero time, Sareee ascends to the middle rope and leaps, landing a double foot stomp. Yeesh.
 |
| Taken down in a hurry! Sareee-ISM |
Back up top, she tries another stomp, but Syuri rolls out of the way in the nick of time. Sareee rolls through the landing, turning and attempting a lariat but Syuri ducks and catches a waistlock, taking Sareee up and over with a big 'ol German suplex. Sareee slowly pulls herself to her feet as Syuri stalks her, landing a heavy kick to the chest that flattens Sareee. Two more kicks take Sareee down, with the third caught as Saree gets to her feet, slaps Syuri across the face, and rolls through while keeping hold of the leg, trying to break the limb on the canvas.
Hash and Iroha are in the ring now, with Hash trying to break up the hold and Iroha sending Hash out of the ring to save her partner. With the hold broke now, Sareee decides to climb to the top rope as Syuri gets to her feet. Confident as ever, she marches to Sareee and slaps her across the face, staggering her on the top. Snatching her as she ascends to the middle rope herself, Syuri rips her off the top with a modified vertical superplex. Again, she kicks Sareee when she's seated on the canvas, trying to crack her spine and cave in her chest with each visceral shot. She covers, but Sareee escapes at two.
Hashimoto tags in now, pulling Sareee up into a vertical suplex and holding her straight upside down for a full 12 seconds, dropping her tough in the centre of the ring. She covers, but Sareee bridges out at two to survive. Pulling Sareee off the canvas and onto her back, she appears to want a Samoan drop, but Sareee shifts in place and gets an octopus hold started on the much larger, more powerful Hashimoto, but Hash literally shrugs her off her back, like a big brother shaking off his kid brother during an unwanted piggyback. Sareee rebounds off the ropes and catches Hash with a tilt-a-whirl head scissors, rolling around and into a high stacking pinfall attempt, but Hash not only kicks out, but grabs the ropes as well. More wrestlers should do that if they are close to the ropes. Kick out and get the ropes. Double up on getting out of the pin!
 |
| Got 'em both! Sareee-ISM |
Tagging Iroha in, her and Sareee double up on Hash, catching her with punches to the gut off a rope rebound, with Iroha taking down the doubled-over powerhouse and tying her legs up in a Sharpshooter. Syuri is in to break it up, but Sareee is in to run defence, catching her in an octopus hold! Eventually, Sareee lets the hold go, sending Syuri to the floor as Hash crawls to the ropes to break the hold. Back vertical in the middle, a flurry of strikes catches Hash and staggers her, with a spinning heel kick nearly taking off her head, but Hash catches the foot! Snatching it out of the sky, she twists the limb and takes Iroha down with an ankle lock! It should be noted that Hashimoto not only has a background in legitimate wrestling, but actively practices along with professional wrestling, so she's the real fuckin' deal, and you guys know I love that stuff.
Iroha flips free after getting pulled deeper into the middle, only to get crushed by Hashimoto after rebounding for a shoulder tackle, a Hash lariat flattening her in seconds. Iroha did catch Hash's arm with a kick in the moments before, weakening the lariat to a degree and giving Hash a reason to tag Syuri in. Lining up Iroha, she dropkicks her into the corner hard, kneeing her before pulling her out for a snap vertical suplex, scoring a close two count.
 |
| Watch your feet! Sareee-ISM |
With Iroha still on the canvas, Syuri goes for the ropes and rebounds, only to turn around to find Sareee inside the ring, laying out in front of her and forcing a leapfrog attempt. See, this, I like, creative ways for your partner to get in and help you. It doesn't always need to be a pin breakup or a strike of some sort on the opponent. Syuri hit the ropes knowing Iroha was on the farther side of the ring so she'd be safe to hit the ropes and come back with something big. Sareee took to the ring and tried to literally trip Syuri up to give Iroha time to get to her feet and fight back. It's the same as throwing a stick in the spokes of a bike, it's not until it's too late do you realize what happened.
Sareee's interference worked as intended, slowing Syuri enough that Iroha was able to get to her feet and kick Syuri down to the canvas, with Sareee leaping off her back and landing a nice double foot stomp onto Syuri. Iroha is able to snatch Syuri and bridge over for a pin, with Sareee holding back Hash as she tries to get inside and break the pinfall. Thankfully, I suppose, Syuri gets out at two. Iroha starts to climb the ropes as Sareee returns to the apron, with Syuri meeting Iroha up top with a slap across the face. Again, this gives her the advantage, allowing her to snatch a double wristlock and flip Iroha down to the canvas, nasty work. Now, it's Syuri's turn to look for a submission. She has the wristlock in tight, with Sareee trying to get in the ring, but Hash runs interference, keeping her on the apron. Iroha's free arm flails for support, with Syuri snatching the limb and bending her backwards in a vicious hold, with Sareee desperately trying to get free from Hash's grasp.
Sareee succeeds, saving Iroha's limbs and joints from turning to dust. Catching one of Syuri's kicks, Iroha looks for a powerbomb, but Syuri slips out. Deciding to just straight out strike her instead of going for the 'bomb again, Iroha lays in heavy, heavy kicks to the head of Syuri. Over and over until Syuri is dropped flat out, she tries for a running crucifix powerbomb, but Syuri slips out as Iroha's momentum keeps her going across the ring. Ducking a lariat, Syuri lands a killshot, dropping Iroha with a nasty running knee.
 |
| Jaw breaker! Sareee-ISM |
Both women are down, struggling to collect themselves as they begin to move to their respective corners. Tagging their partners in unison, Hash and Sareee hit the ring as Sareee runs into a living wall, hitting the canvas hard. Trying to send one another into the ropes, they counter each others whips with forearms, halting each others momentum. Meeting in the middle, Sareee and Hash trade heavy, and I mean heavy slaps back and forth across the face, holding absolutely nothing back. A Sareee slap nearly sends Hash packing, but the powerhouse grabs Sareee by the hair and clobbers her with a fucking lariat across the head. Making Vader blush with that one, Hash.
Catching a rebound into a rolling pin attempt, Hash finds herself flat out as Sareee jumps for a double stomp, only to roll out of the way just in time. Iroha runs interference now, catching the seated Hash with a kick across the face. Teaming up to send Hash into the ropes, they try to take her down together, but the powerful Hash holds fast, taking down both women before taking off for the neighbouring ropes, crushing both with a flipping senton. Taking Sareee back down to the canvas, Hash climbs to the top, but Sareee gets up and rips her down from the top with a simple snapmare. It's not pretty, but it's damn sure effective.
Sareee tries to go up top this time, but Hash gets up and meets her there, only for Sareee to twist and manoeuvre her way around the torso of Hash, tying her up with an octopus hold on the top rope! Slipping down, Sareee tries a powerbomb, but Hash holds fast, keeping herself from crashing into the canvas. Iroha is back running interference, catching Hash with a knee that stuns her enough to weaken her ghrip, allowing Sareee to drill her with a powerbomb. Syuri is in the ring, quickly breaking up the pin to save Hashimoto from certain disaster.
 |
| Get down from there! Sareee-ISM |
Iroha is in the ring and is all over Syuri, taking her down and ascending to the top while Sareee climbs an opposing corner. Both Syuri and Hash are flat out, with Saree and Iroha taking flight, the former going for a double stomp, the latter trying a Swanton bomb, but both end up missing as their targets roll out of the pool just in time. Syuri dropkicks Sareee, landing on Iroha as a result, with Sareee getting caught in the waiting arms of Hashimoto, who takes Sareee up and over with a big 'ol German. Lining Sareee up out of the corner, a heinous spear cuts Sareee in half as she gets held down for a pin, managing to escape at two.
⚡Move of the Match⚡
Pulling Sareee up off the canvas and into position for a powerbomb, Sareee tries to headscissors Hash down, but she stays sturdy, with Syuri in the ring to run interference. A kick to the chest forces Sareee to fold up like a hinge, with Hash able to score the most vicious, heinous, disgusting, atrocious, beautiful powerbomb I've seen in a long time. Mother of god this was beautiful.
 |
| Straight murder. Sareee-ISM |
Iroha saves Sareee with a kick, with Syuri in to try and take both out, only for both Sareee and Iroha to catch a rebounding Syuri with a pair of dropkicks. Hash gets the same treatment from Sareee and Iroha, but she stays on her feet and double lariats her opposition. Iroha manages to stay somewhat on her feet, able to crack Hash with a kick that drops her, before Syuri gets in and fires off a kick, the same time as Iroha. Both feet connecting with both heads, dropping both Syuri and Iroha flat out.
All four women are flat out on the canvas, sucking back pounds of air and slowly rousing themselves to continue. Sareee and Hash, still legal, go at it in the centre, with Sareee hitting Hash as hard as she can, only to get clobbered with massive forearms that nearly send her tumbling to the floor. Hash absords forearm after forearm from Sareee, standing firm until it's her time to fight back. Grabbing the head of Sareee, she clobbers her over and over with straight arm lariat's, with Sareee struggling to stay vertical after each shot.
Backing Hash to the ropes, Sareee continues the offence to the point of having Hash backed against the ropes. Taking off for the opposite side, Sareee hits the ropes but gets caught and crushed against the ropes by a charging Hashimoto. Holy fuck, dude. Hashimoto takes off for the ropes this time, but, much like Saree, she turns and gets caught under the jaw with a vicious dropkick from Sareee. Nasty work. Sareee dropkicks a seated Hash's head outside the ropes and takes off for the ropes again, but Hash is somehow able to get to her feet and shoot behind the charging Sareee and take a waistlock, getting her poff her feet as she stumbles forward. Sareee is able to grab the ropes and save herself, but only for a moment.
Back in the centre, Hash has Sareee in her grasp and tries to pop her up for a German. Letting her get her feet back on the canvas, she's able to slip to the side as Syuri gets in the ring and fires off a kick, catching Hash instead of Sareee. Whoops! Iroha is in the ring now, tying Syuri up in what would normally be a pinning predicament, but with Syuri not being legal, all it does is serve as a way to keep her out of the action. Catching Hash, she not only bridges over Syuri, but holds Hash down off a German suplex! Flipping over, Sareee is able to pin Hashimoto, but only for a two count!
 |
| The pin contraption! Sareee-ISM |
A vertical suplex from Iroha takes Syuri down, while Sareee just repositions Hash near the corner as both women ascend to the top. Flying with the same offence they looked for earlier, a double stomp and Swanton, Hash is able to escape the pin while Iroha takes Syuri out to the floor to keep her occupied. With insane power, hash not only gets Sareee up from a waistlock, but deadlifts her as she is folded completely forward, ripping her around for a nasty German suplex. Somehow, someway, Sareee fires up to her feet and takes Hash over with a big Ura nage, but Hash absorbs the shot and gets right to her feet too! What is happening?! A massive lariat takes Sareee down to the canvas
 |
| This is just nuts. Sareee-ISM |
Pulling Sareee up for a powerbomb, Sareee is able to actually headscissors out of it this time, pulling Hash to the canvas, only for Hash to roll through and fold Sareee down for a pin, but she survives at two. Pulling her back up for a powerbomb, Sareee slips behind and sunset flips Hash down for a cover, but Hash survives. Rebounding off the ropes as Iroha holds Syuri on the apron, Hash kills Sareee with a lariat, covering her for the one, the two, and thre- no! Sareee survives!
Pulling Sareee up, a powerbomb sends her back to earth, with Hash sprawling for the cover, but it's still not enough for three! Iroha is desperate to get in the ring to break the cover up, but Syuri has her legs to keep her trapped at the threshold. Rebounding for a lariat, Sareee ducks and catches her for a Ura nage and a cover, but it's only good for two! Iroha is able to get in finally, catching Hash with a kickm to drop her. A triplet of Ura nage's take Hash down for a cover, but Syuri gets in to break it up! Dammit! Iroha takes her to the floor and joins her, leaving Sareee to deliver an arm trapped Ura nage for the final, decisive pinfall. Holy hell.
 |
| Onto yer head! Sareee-ISM |
Match Time: 23:06
Overview & Final Rating
🟢⭐ - Christ, this match was exceptional. What fantastic work from all four women here. I loved the fire and intensity from everyone here. Syuri was confident and angry the whole match, letting that energy ooze from her pores with everything she did. Sareee was determined and Iroha was a steady hand to help along the way, with Hashimoto rounding off the foursome as the force of nature both ladies had to try and repeatedly overcome. Everyone fit into their roles brilliantly and worked off each other exceptionally. Easily one of the best matches I've watched this year, this was as good as the hype made it out to be. Find a way to watch this match as soon as you are able, it's a real treat. Exceptional work all around.
• • • • •
Until next week. Be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment