Women's Wrestling Features

Joshi Wrestlers

Japanese Women Wrestlers have featured in both the WWF (WWE) and WCW in America. Here is a brief overview of historical Japanese Women invasions of USA wrestling promotions.

1980's Jumping Bomb Angels in WWF

Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki were known as "The Jumping Bomb Angels". The pair won the WWF Women's tag team titles from LeiLani Kai and Judy Martin at he first Royal Rumble in a 2 out of 3 falls matchup. The women were involved in a fued with "The Glamour Girls" and they were also victorious as the sole survivors at the first Survivor Series in 1987

Jumping Bomb Angels

The Crush Gals in WWF

The Crush Gals wrestled for a short period of time during the 1980's in the WWF but never received the same degree of popularity as the Jumping bomb Angels did in America. In their own country Japan the Crush Girls were a huge phenomenon having popularity comparative to Hulk Hogan in America. The Crush Girls consisted of Chigusa Nagayo and Lioness Aska.

Japanese wrestlers

Bull and Dump in WWF

Dump Matsumoto and Bull Nakano were the punk style heels of AJW. For a brief period of time in the 1980's the pair went to the WWF and tagged against the American WWF female tag teams.

AJW JWP

AJW VERSES JWP IN WCW

Akira Hokuto and Bull Nakano vs. Cutie Suzuki and Mayumi Ozaki
Winnners: AJW Bull Nakano and Akira Hokuto when Bull Nakano does a leg drop from the top rope.

Alundra Blaze vs Bull Nakano in WWF and WCW

Madusa (Alundra Blaze) and Bull Nakano worked against each other first in the WWF and then in WCW. Bull Nakano held the WWF women's title belt and was first brought in by Luna Vachon who was then her manager. In WCW Bull came to the ring with Sony Ono who was used as a mangaer for Japanese Wrestlers. Bull Nakano was known for her superior strength over her opponents and her devastating Leg drop off the top rope.

WWF Survivor Series 1995

Alundra Blaze, Sakie Hasegawa, Kyoko Inoue and Chapparita Asari vs. Bertha Faye, Aja Kong, Tomoko Watanabe and Lioness Aska
Winner: Survivor AJA Kong

The match started well but things went wrong when Kyoko Inoue was removed from the ring before what was obviously meant to be the time for her to go. In Japan the referree always does a delayed thrid count and when it came time to kick out of a pin from Aja Kong, Kyoko unuse to the American count was pinned prematurely. This is noticable on the faces of especially Tomoko Watanabe (who one would guess was probably meant to be pinned by Kyoko and as a result had to quickly rework what to do with Alundra. As it was it left the Alundra's team short too quickly and made the second half of the match more disjointed and one sided.

GAEA Joins Forces with WCW

Although WCW had previously had recognized title holders it never had an official women's belt until 1996 when they decided to hold a tournament to crown its first champion Round one saw Madusa take on Akira Hokuto under her mexican guise of Reina Jubuki. As Reina Akira was the CMLL women's champion of which she was stripped of that title after appearing in WCW under the mask.Madusa won the match as Zero looked on from the outside of the ring.

WCW GAEA

In the next round Zero took on Malia Hosaka. Zero as the winner of that round went on to take on Madusa Madusa won the match and went on to be one of the participants in the final. In the other grouped section of the tornament Kaoru faced Sonoko Kato in the fist round with Kaoru taking the win.

Kaoru went on to round two to fight against Akira Hokuto. Akira had he win and went on to the final to take on Madusa.

WCW GAEA

The final saw Medusa take on Akira Hokuto. Akira came to the ring with her husband and Sony Ono. The two wrestlers faced each other on three ocassions with Akira being victorious on all three occasions

Akira Hokuto became the only official WCW Womens title belt holder on 29/12/1996 when she won against Madusa.

WCW GAEA

In their first match up Ono entered the ring whilst the referee was distracted and hit Madusa on the back of the head with a Flag Pole. On the second ocassion Luna interfered in the matchup.

Akira Hokuto took time off from wrestling due to and injury and to have a baby and the WCW Women's title became defunct.

WCW Women's Cruiserweight Division

There were four participants in the tournament.
Semi Finals: Malia Hosaka def. Sonoko Kato, Toshie Uematsu def. Meiko Satomura
Toshie Uematsu defeated Malia Hosaka in a tournament final in WCW for the WCW Women's Cruiserweight Title.

WCW Toshie Uematsu

The belt was then defended in GAEA Japan before it became a defunct title.
The title matches:
Toshie Uematsu retained her title against Yuka Shiina and Sugar Sato
Yoskiko Tamura then captured the title and then defended against Sayo Endo and Momoe Nakanishi.
Sugar Sato held the belt when the title became obsolete having successfully defended it against Sonako Kato.

WCW women

LPWA PPV

LPWA Japanese Title Tournament in Feb 1992 Minneapolis, MN.
Mami Kitamura & Miki Handa defeated Alison Royal & Lisa Starr

LPWA

LPWA Japanese Tournament-Round 1:
Denise Storm def. Susan Green, Reggie Bennett def. Yukari Osawa, Harley Saito def. Mizuki Endoh, Eagle Sawai def. Midori Saito (Carol Midori)

Semi Finals:
Denise Storm def. Reggie Bennett, Harley Saito def. Eagle Sawai.

Final:Harley Saito, def. Denise Storm.

LPWA

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