Manhattan, NY – 12.4.2011

Commentary is provided by Leonard F. Chikarason, Bryce Remsburg, Gavin Loudspeaker, UltraMantis Black and Mike Quackenbush.

Gavin Loudspeaker opens the show by presenting Isuki Yamazaki, one half of the Jumping Bomb Angels, a bouquet of flowers and allowing the Manhattan crowd to give her some well deserved praise. Gavin then sings a song about the Jumping Bomb Angels which is really good, like most of Gavin’s songs.

Sugar Dunkerton was originally set to team with Hatfield in the opening contest but is unable to make the show. In typical CHIKARA fashion, they will pull names from a hat to pick Hatfield’s new partner. Kwang and Kelly Kelly aren’t here, but the debuting Saturyne, a masked female wrestler who appeared on the “Wrestling Is Fun!” show last month is and will take Dunkerton’s place in the match.

Dasher Hatfield & Saturyne vs. Los Ice Creams (El Hijo del Ice Cream & Ice Cream Jr.)

Hatfield and Jr. start off. Hatfield smacks Jr. in the bottom to evade a backdrop. Hatfield gets a pair of armdrags in, but Jr. backrakes him to cut off his momentum. Hatfield hands Jr. an invisible ball. Hijo and Jr. argue over who should pitch it to Hatfield. Hatfield rolls them both up for a two count. Hatfield sends the Ice Creams to the floor and baseball slides them into the guardrail. Saturyne tags in to square off with Hijo, who looks very pleased to be in the ring with her. After raking her eyes and forearming her in the neck, Saturyne dropkicks him. He side steps a second and struts in victory. Hijo accidentally strikes Jr. on the apron. Hijo goes back to her eyes. Saturyne whips Hijo to her corner. Hatfield and Saturyne both forearm Hijo back to his corner. Saturyne ducks a few strikes from Jr. in the corner. She hops onto his shoulders, falling off with an armdrag. Hijo hops in and boots her out of the ring. Saturyne gets beaten down in the Ice Creams corner for a considerable amount of time. Saturyne throws their heads together in order to roll to the corner and tag in Hatfield. He takes them down with some double sledges to the stomach. He gives Hijo the Cold Stone Stunner and Jr. the Jack & Jill Hammer. Hijo baits Hatfield to the apron where his chest and throat get slammed into the ring apron. Saturyne gives Jr. a wheelbarrow bulldozer, then tilt-a-whirls into a standing Rings of Saturn. Hijo kicks her off, but Saturyne gives him a pair of a knee lifts and a spinwheel kick. Hijo reverses the momentum of a dragonrana to get the pin at 16:07. If any weekend was appropriate for Saturyne to debut, it’s this one. Her athleticism and style will mix right in with the rest of the CHIKARA roster if she’s sticking around. This felt like more of her coming out party, but the match itself was a good blend of comedy and action to start the night off on a good note. **1/2

Portia Perez says people keep talking to her about her match with GAMI as if it’s something she should be honored by. Perez says GAMI should be honored to fight her since GAMI’s time has passed and she’s able to step in the ring with someone of her caliber. She hopes GAMi is ready for their fight, because she is.

GAMI vs. Portia Perez

Perez attacks GAMI before the bell. She gets two after a low dropkick in the corner. GAMI shoulder blocks her to the mat and stomps on her head. GAMI stomps on her face after a bodyslam. GAMI puts her in a headlock and applies a bodyscissors. Perez leans back for a pin but GAMI does a good job of keeping her shoulders elevated. Perez escapes and begins to target GAMI’s left leg. GAMI recovers and delivers a delayed vertical suplex for two. GAMI torques Perez’s fingers and arm on the mat. She puts Perez in a standing Octopus stretch. She then rolls up Perez for a two count. Perez thrusts GAMI in the throat and applies a rear chinlock. GAMI fights up to her feet and nails a big boot. A legdrop gets her a two count. I guess the big boot/legdrop combo only works for certain wrestlers. GAMI walks the top rope forwards and backwards while holding Perez’s arm. She leans back, pulling Perez’s arm socket across the top rope. Perez kicks GAMI in the head to block an armbar. She kicks GAMI’s leg out and DDT’s her for two. GAMI kicks Perez in the head after taking a superkick herself. GAMI brings in the plastic cone she used in Philadelphia. Perez rolls her up and steals the cone from GAMI. GAMI then rolls Perez up and referee PJ Drummond takes the cone away. GAMI and Perez shake hands, but GAMI of course stomps on her foot. Perez does the same and cradles GAMI for two. GAMI delivers an enzuigiri and a wheelbarrow suplex for two. Perez drops her with a reverse STO for two, then transitions into a crossface. GAMI turns it into a roll-up for two. They each deliver a superkick. GAMI hits the Adios Amiga (a pump-handle slam) for two. GAMI follows up with a cradle suplex for the pin at 11:50. I said that I wanted GAMI to beat Perez silly, and that is exactly what happened. Perez seems to have improved between this show and her appearance at Chikarasaurus Rex, so I certainly am starting to appreciate her more. This was orchestrated very smartly and made for an enjoyable twelve minutes. **3/4

UltraMantis Black says he is not pleased because he was looking forward to a relaxing vacation after Season 10 ended, but now he has to take on Brodie Lee tonight instead. He plans to beat Brodie to a pulp and then begin his vacation and planning period. He says Brodie will be sorry that he agreed to this match. These two were supposed to meet in the “12 Large: Summit” but an injury kept Brodie out of action, forcing him to forfeit that match and three other matches.

UltraMantis Black vs. Brodie Lee

Mantis attacks Lee with his skull staff at the get-go. He stomps Lee in the corner and forearms him against the ropes. He Cactus clotheslines himself and Lee to the floor. He comes off the apron with a somersault senton to Lee on the floor. Mantis presses his face against the guardrail. Lee chops Mantis to try and get some control. He reverses an Irish whip, sending Mantis into the guardrail. Lee takes Mantis up to the stage. Lee boots Mantis from the ring back into the aisleway. Mantis charges but unfortunately gets backdropped back into the ring. Lee chokes him on the mat with a bandana. He slingshots Mantis’ throat into the bottom rope for a two count. Lee then hits a slingshot senton for two. Mantis looks for the Praying Mantis Bomb. Lee forearms him to stop the attack. Mantis however hits a Full Nelson slam, but only for a one count. Lee catches Mantis off the ropes with the Truck Stop for two. Mantis slips out of the Liger Bomb and delivers the Cosmic Disaster. Lee manages to kick out. Lee catches Mantis coming off the top rope with a Big Boot. The Liger Bomb picks him up the win at 7:44. These two packed in a lot of hard hitting action in just under eight minutes. Lee seems to have returned to CHIKARA a little more vicious and with a little more fluidity in his movement. It goes to show that you don’t need a lot of time to make a match good if you make the most of what you are given. ***

The Colony (Fire Ant, Soldier Ant & Green Ant) & Cherry vs. The Batiri (Obariyon, Kodama & Kobald) & Toshie Uematsu

Uematsu is done up in Batiri face paint which looks killer. Uematsu stomps on Cherry’s knee in a test of strength. She bites Cherry’s arm and then feeds it (literally) to the Batiri on the apron. Uematsu gets two after a back elbow. Cherry cartwheels to avoid a double clothesline, then clotheslines Kobald and Uematsu simultaneously. Kobald bits Cherry’s clavicle to break her Camel Clutch on Uematsu. Green Ant strikes Kobald and splashes him in the corner. Green Ant slams Kobald but gets attacked by Obariyon and Kodama from behind. Soldier Ant and Fire Ant come in to even the score. They backdrop the Batiri and send them to the corner with dropkicks. Green Ant and Fire Ant double team Kodama in the corner, allowing Soldier Ant to hit him with a diving headbutt. Soldier Ant, Green Ant and Cherry deliver Revenge of the Ants to Obariyon after Fire Ant hits an antzuigiri. Uematsu brings Soldier Ant to her corner where she and the Batiri wear him down. Soldier Ant drops Kodama with a Samoan drop and finally tags out to Fire Ant. He comes in with a crossbody and tornado DDT to Obariyon. He hits the Yahtzee Kick and a brainbuster and Kodama breaks him pin. Kodama ducks an antzuigiri and DDT’s Fire Ant for two. Green Ant assists Fire Ant with a swinging DDT, then delivers a gord buster. Kobald spears Green Ant. Soldier Ant hits him with the TKO. Uematsu superkicks Soldier Ant to the stage. Uematsu back elbows Fire Ant in the corner. She scrapes her boot against his face, finishing with a facewash. Obariyon and Kodama deliver a few kicks of their own. Kobald hits a super seated senton and the Colony break his pin. Uematsu slams Cherry and heads up top. She misses a diving splash. Cherry rolls her up in a crucifix for two. She suplexes Uematsu and Obariyon breaks the pin. Uematsu slams Cherry and goes up top again. She hits a Superfly splash but The Colony break her pin. Green Ant clothesline Uematsu and Cherry headscissors into a roll-up. Obariyon breaks the pin. The Colony take out all three members of the Batiri with various dives to the floor. Cherry huracanrana’s Uematsu and yet Obariyon breaks the pin again. He suplexes Cherry, leaving her for another Superfly splash from Uematsu for the pin at 12:59. Uematsu and the Batiri are a perfect quartet and again I’m sad we won’t see them team up ever again. This was a great showcase for them and it seemed odd that Cherry and the Colony didn’t get to do much themselves. Then again, the Batiri getting this kind of rub is exactly what they need to get on the Colony’s level. Like I said in my Night 2 review, CHIKARA can’t go wrong with Atomicos matches. ***1/4

Kaori Yoneyama vs. Mayumi Ozaki

Ozaki cuts a promo backstage in Japanese before the bout. Ozaki stomps on Yoneyama’s feet and hairmares her across the ring. She rakes Yoneyama’s eyes across the top rope. Ozaki steps on the ropes and presses her boot into Yoneyama’s temple. Yoneyama trips Ozaki and steps on her back a few times. She applies a bodyscissors after a couple Mongolin chops. Ozaki responds by biting Yoneyama’s hands while applying an armbar. Ozaki ducks a corner clothesline and pulls on Yoneyama’s hair. The women trade forearms mid-ring. Yoneyama wins the exchange, but Ozaki brings her to the mat in a rear naked choke. Yoneyama rolls to the ropes to break. Yoneyama delivers a stunner to escape. Ozaki applies a sleeper in the corner and throws her down before the five count. Yoneyama blocks a kick and waistlocks Ozaki. She spins her out and hits a running knee strike to the chest. She follows with a Northern Lights suplex for two. Ozaki shrugs of an O’Conner Roll. Yoneyama ducks a backfist and suplexes Ozaki for two. Yoneyama comes off the top with a senton splash for two. Ozaki backfists Yoneyama and powerbombs her for two. Ozaki fights Yoneyama off the top rope. She hits a somersault senton on the standing Yoneyama for two. Yoneyama ducks a backfist and small packages Ozaki for two. Her other quick pinfall attempts fail. She lifts Ozaki into a bridging German suplex for two. Yoneyama hits her with a running dragon kick. She misses a top rope maneuver and eats Ozaki’s backfist for two. Ozaki picks Yoneyama up for a powerbomb, again getting a two count. Ozaki finally hits the Ozakick for the pin at 9:49. This was like Mantis vs. Brodie in the sense that they came at each other fast and furious and didn’t waste a second of their time in the ring. Ozaki is an exceptional heel and I will track down some of her matches after seeing her in three impressive outings this weekend. Yoneyama can also be proud of her last weekend in the US before retiring. ***

Manami Toyota, Sawako Shimono & Hanako Nakamori vs. Aja Kong, Tsubasa Kuragaki & Mio Shirai

Kong and Toyota stand-off. Before any altercation is had, Kong tags in Shirai. Toyota shrugs off her kicks and slaps her in the face. She hits a dropkick and tags out to Nakamori. Kong also tags in and blocks Nakamori’s kicks. Kong brings Nakamori’s hands to the mat. Nakamori avoids being stomped on but can’t whip Kong across the ring. She does however uses a neckbreaker drop to take Kong off her feet. Kong then knocks her down with a double overhand chop. Shimono and Kuragaki tag in. Kuragaki escapes a back elbow and sits down on Kuragaki’s chest. Kong tags in and kicks Shimono numerous times. She gets two with a jumping elbow drop. Kong and the rest of her team isolates Shimono while taunting her other teammates. Shimono sneaks out of a cradle from Shirai and tags in Nakamori. Her and Toyota nail Shirai with a double clothesline. The three Tecnicos attack Shirai in the corner giving Nakamori a two count. Nakamori stretches Shirai’s back out over her feet. Toyota comes off the top with a double sledge while she’s in that position. Toyota then puts Shriai in a Muta Lock. She then pitches Shirai out of a Ganso surfboard. Shimono tags back in, slamming Shirai five times. Kong breaks the pin and Shimono tags in Nakamori. She puts Shirai in a half crab. Kong brings Shirai to the corner and tags in. Kong slaps Nakamori silly and then piledrives her for two. Kong and her partners victimize Nakamori, much like they did to Shimono earlier in the bout. Shimono actually tries to interject when Shirai and Kuragaki are both in the ring, but she is pitched back to the floor. Kong even forearms Toyota on the apron. Nakamori double clotheslines Shirai and Kuragaki, allowing Shimono to tag in.

Shimono takes down Shirai with a Judo throw. She Earthquake splashes Shirai’s chest and back, then puts on a Fujiwara armbar. Shirai rolls into a pin for two. They exchange forearms until Shirai axe kicks Shimono and delivers a running boot. Nakamori and Shimono attempt to double team Kong. Kong knocks them both down with a running crossbody. Shimono gets the best of Kong until she foolily attempts a Death Valley Driver. Kong Saito suplexes her instead for two. Kuragaki and Shirai knock Shimono’s partners off the apron. Kong and Shimono brawl on the ropes. Shimono takes Kong off the ropes with a Samoan Drop for two. Toyota flies in and gets caught with a kick from Kong. Toyota boots Kong to the ramp and sends Kuragaki out there as well. Toyota dropkicks Shirai after tying herinto the ropes. Nakamori crossbody’s all three Rudos on the stage. Toyota does the same. The three Tecnicos lock the Rudos in triple figure four leg locks in the ring. Once they are broken, Toyota missile dropkicks Kong in the neck for two. Toyota sunset bombs Kong for two. Toyota ducks the Uraken. Kong however delivers a brainbuster for two. Kuragaki suplexes Toyota for two. Toyota blocks a piledriver with a backdrop. Kuragaki lariats her in the back of the neck. She heads up top and comes off with a dropkick to Toyota’s chest. Toyota rolls Kuragaki around the mat in a cradle for a two count. Toyota counters a Razor’s Edge with a sunset flip for two. Kuragaki gets her feet up to block Toyota’s top rope splash. Toyota does the same to block Kuragaki’s moonsault. Nakamori comes in and fisherwoman suplexes Kuragaki for two. Kong throws Nakamori off the rope rope. Kuragaki puts Toyota and Nakamori in a torture rack at the same time! Kuragaki fails to hold onto them long enough for a submission. Kuragaki double suplexes Toyota and Nakamori. Kong and Shirai neutralize their opponents as Kuragaki moonsaults onto Nakamori for two. All six women hit a string of moves on one another. Nakamori hits Kuragaki with a Shining Wizard for two. Nakamori rolls up Kuragaki to avoid a Razor’s Edge. Kuragaki lariats Namakori for two. She flips Namakori out of a crucifix into a facebuster for the pin at 28:57. The only disappointment in this match is that the teased initeraction between Kong and Toyota never transpired. Despite that, this was an awesome trios match. All six women came off like stars and beat each other senseless (yet with sensibility) in a convincing, intriguing manner. Although this almost went a half an hour, it never got dull and every moment had purpose. This is certainly the best match of the weekend. ****

Sara Del Rey vs. Ayako Hamada

Sara whips Hamada to the corner after a waistlock exchange. Hamada superkicks Sara and goes up top. She comes off with an armdrag. She and Sara trade armdrags leading to Hamada trapping Sara by her foot on the mope. She turns her into a lateral press for two. Each woman takes control in a knuckle lock. Hamada laces Sara’s ankles and presses her knees apart to inflict more pain. Hamada and Sara reach a stalemate after each going for a quick pin. Hamada headbutts Sara a couple of times. Sara headbutts Hamada herself, then kicks her while she’s on the mat. Sara kicks Hamada to the mat. Hamada catches Sara coming off the ropes with a boot and DDT. Sara ducks a superkick and kicks Hamada in the side of the head. Hamada headbutts Sara to the floor. She throws Sara’s face into the ring apron. Sara fights Hamada on the apron. Hamada finishes the exchange with a DDT. Back in the ring she hits a moonsault for two. Sara transitions Hamada into an arm-capture crossface. Hamada wiggles to the ropes to escape. Sara crescent kicks Hamada before taking her over with a Northern Lights suplex for two. Hamada palm strikes Sara as Sara goes up top. Hamada hits the Iconoclasm and a running chest kick for two. Sara high kicks Hamada and German suplexes her for two. Hamada ducks another high kick. Hamada connects with the enzuigiri and a Liger Bomb for two. Sara superplexes Hamada. Hamada fires up and spinkicks Sara for two. Sara blocks a second spinkick. Two Koppu kicks and an axe kick score Sara a two count. Sara only gets two with the Royal Butterfly as well. Hamada comes back with a Michinoku Driver, leaving both women on the mat. Sara blocks a second one with a small package for two. Hamada spinwheel kicks Sara to hit another Michinoku Driver for yet another two count. Hamada hooks Sara for the Royal Butterfly. Sara aggressively escapes, then misses a Koppu Kick. Hamada hits the Hamachan Cutter for two. Sara fires up with a pair of forearms. Sara delivers a piledriver for the pin at 14:52. If you had told me that these two would have a better match with each other than with Aja Kong, I don’t know if I would believe you. However, these two have been opposite each other a few times in SHIMMER and knew just how to work one another. Their styles meshed perfectly and their timing was impeccable. This was pro wrestling excellence and a fine way to end Joshimania weekend. ***3/4

Hamada brings in all of the Joshi stars from the weekend and the crowd applauds them all. Kong thanks the fans as the show fades to black.

Overall: If you’re interested in which night of Joshimania is the best one, it’s this one. In fact, it’s not even close. The women’s trios match, Del Rey vs. Hamada and the inter-gender Atomicos match are three tremendous bouts, and that’s without mentioning the rest of the undercard bouts which are all really fun to watch. It seems that all the wrestlers took the “saving the best for last” phrase seriously and all put their best foot forward on this night. There really is no better way to cap off the weekend, and I highly recommend checking this show out no matter your feeling on Joshi wrestling.

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