JWP “Tag League The Best” Finale 2015
A Review by Kevin Wilson

Date: March 22nd, 2015 
Location:  Lazona Plaza Del Sol in Kanagawa, Japan
Announced Attendance:  158

I wanted to review something current-ish from Joshi but not Stardom since I watch a lot of them, so I ended up landing on JWP. This event for JWP had the finals of the Tag League The Best 2015 Tournament so it is an important event in that regard, although nothing else on the card jumps out as anything special. Here is the full card:

- Sendai Sachiko vs. Yako Fujigasaki
- KAZUKI vs. Raideen Hagane
- Arisa Nakajima and Rabbit Miyu vs. Sareee and Meiko Tanaka
- Eri vs. Leon
- Tag League The Best Final: Aoi Kizuki and Kayoko Haruyama vs. Command Bolshoi and Kyoko Kimura

Everything is shown in full which is appreciated, let's see how this goes.

Sendai Sachiko vs. Yako Fujigasaki
Fujigasaki dropkicks Sachiko in the back to start off but Sachiko retorts with a dropkick of her own.  Another dropkick by Sachiko and she stomps on Fujigasaki.  Sachiko works over Fujigasaki’s arm but Fujigasaki hits a jumping double chop followed by a trio of dropkicks.  Scoop slam by Fujigasaki, she goes up top but Sachiko throws her off.  Somersault senton by Sachiko, she goes up top and hits a missile dropkick.  Bridging vertical suplex by Sachiko and she hits a superkick.  Dropkick by Fujigasaki, she goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick of her own.  Fujigasaki goes to a new corner and she hits another missile dropkick.  Slap by Fujigasaki and she delivers a Northern Lights Suplex Hold for two.  Scoop slam by Fujigasaki, she goes up to the top turnbuckle and she hits a diving body press for a two count.  Sachiko and Fujigasaki trade elbows and Sachiko hits a tornado DDT.  Superkick by Sachiko and she hits a second one.  German suplex hold by Sachiko, she goes up top and nails the diving body press for the three count!  A really basic match, lots of dropkicks and what not but they kept the match moving.  Not a bad way to open the show but pretty straightforward.  Score:  5.0

KAZUKI vs. Raideen Hagane
KAZUKI knees Hagane into the ropes but Hagane hits a shoulderblock.  Hagane applies a crab hold but KAZUKI gets out of it and hits a face buster.  KAZUKI puts Hagane in the camel clutch and then into a body scissors, but Hagane gets out of it and elbows KAZUKI.  Hagane goes for a cross armbreaker but KAZUKI blocks it and goes for one of her own.  Hagane blocks it as well and applies a cross kneelock but KAZUKI gets out of it and kicks Hagane into the corner.  Knees by KAZUKI in the corner but Hagane hits a vertical suplex.  Body press by Hagane, but it gets a two count.  Hagane and KAZUKI trade strikes but Hagane picks up KAZUKI and drives her into the corner.  Body avalanche by Hagane and she hits a lariat.  Hagane goes up to the top turnbuckle and she hits a reverse splash.  She goes up top again but KAZUKI rolls out of the way of the diving body press. 

Backdrop suplex by Hagane, she goes up again and this time she hits the diving body press for a two count.  Back up Hagane hits a lariat, she goes up top but KAZUKI catches her from behind.  KAZUKI slams Hagane to the mat, she goes up top and hits a reverse double knee drop for a two count.  KAZUKI goes up top but Hagane avoids the diving knee drop.  Hagane hits a rolling monkey flip but KAZUKI reverses it, she goes off the ropes and hits a knee for a two count.  KAZUKI picks up Hagane and she hits a cutter for another two.  KAZUKI goes up top and she nails the diving double knee drop for the three count cover.   This was a weird match.   Two big wrestlers spend the first half of the match trading submission attempts and spend the second half attempting top turnbuckle moves without a lot of transition.  I’m not really sure what they were going for.  It wasn’t necessarily bad, just confusing so it was hard to get into.  Score:  4.0

Arisa Nakajima and Rabbit Miyu vs. Sareee and Meiko Tanaka
Tanaka and Nakajima begin the match and Nakajima kicks Tanaka around the ring.  Sleeper by Nakajima, she releases the hold and kicks Tanaka but Tanaka headbutts her.  Tanaka tags in Sareee and Sareee kicks Nakajima into the corner.  Nakajima trips her and applies a kneelock before applying a single leg crab hold, but Sareee makes it to the ropes.  Scoop slam by Nakajima and she tags in Miyu.  Double Irish whip to Sareee and Sareee eats a double DDT followed by a double dropkick.  Miyu and Nakajima take turns running on Sareee, Miyu picks up Sareee but Sareee hits a fisherman suplex hold for a two count.  Sareee tags in Tanaka but Miyu throws down Tanaka by her hair.  Body avalanche by Miyu in the corner, honestly I have trouble taking her too seriously since she is so itty bitty.  She tags in Nakajima and Nakajima elbows Tanaka in the corner.  Nakajima knees Tanaka and kicks her in the head.  Nakajima and Tanaka trade elbows until Tanaka hits a spear for a two count.  Tanaka tags in Sareee and Sareee hits a trio of dropkicks.  Shoulderblock by Tanaka in the corner but Nakajima comes back and trades elbows with Sareee. 

Nakajima kicks Sareee, she goes up to the top turnbuckle and she hits a missile dropkick.  After trading holds Nakajima gets an ankle lock applied, and then she hits a German suplex hold for a two count.  Nakajima tags in Miyu and Miyu hits a vertical suplex on Sareee.  Elbows by Miyu and she hits a dropkick but Sareee comes back with one of her own.  Sareee and Miyu trade elbows, Tanaka comes in the ring to hold off Nakajima while Sareee goes up top and hits a missile dropkick on Miyu for a two count.  Sareee tags in Tanaka, and Tanaka hits a series of dropkicks on Miyu.  Scoop slam by Tanaka but Miyu hits a DDT.  Dropkick by Miyu but Sareee runs in and dropkicks Miyu.  Tanaka hits a spear on Miyu, but Nakajima breaks up the pin attempt.  Miyu catches Tanaka with a release German suplex and Nakajima runs in with a boot to Tanaka.  Missile dropkick by Miyu, but Sareee breaks up the cover.  Crossface by Miyu but Tanaka gets a hand on the ropes.  Miyu picks up Tanaka and she hits a German suplex hold for a two count.  Miyu goes off the ropes, she hits La Rabistral and she picks up the three count!  I really like Nakajima and don’t get to see her much, so it was nice to see her in an unclipped match.  This was a bit all over the place but still fun overall.  Miyu is a funny little thing and Tanaka is still a bit green but an enjoyable fast paced match.  Score:  6.0

Eri vs. Leon
Eri gets Leon to the mat to start and they trade holds with neither getting a clear advantage.  Dropkick by Leon and she applies a camel clutch, but Eri gets out of it and bites Leon’s arm.  Scoop slam by Leon and she hits a somersault senton for two.  Leon stands on Eri as Eri tries to fight back, dropkick by Eri and she gets a two count.  Leon gets Eri’s arm and she hits a double underhook suplex for two. Single leg crab hold by Leon but Eri gets to the ropes.  Chops by Leon in the corner, dropkick by Eri and Leon falls out of the ring.  Eri charges the corner and attempts to do a dive, but she flops back in the ring.  No idea if that was intentional or her gimmick but they don’t re-do it as Leon gets back in and elbows her.  DDT by Eri, she goes up top and hits a diving crossbody for two.  Knees by Leon and she hits a pair of backbreakers.  Crab hold by Leon but Eri eventually makes it to the ropes.  Leon drives Eri into the corner and she hits a spear, cover by Leon but it gets two.  Leon picks up Eri but Eri gets away and applies an ankle hold, but Leon gets to the ropes.  Single arm suplex by Eri but that also gets two.  Eri goes off the ropes but Leon catches her with a spinning slam for two.  Leon goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick.  Spinning backbreaker by Leon, she goes up to the top turnbuckle but Eri rolls out of the way of the diving body press.  Tilt-a-whirl DDT by Eri, but Leon gets a shoulder up.  Leon goes off the ropes but Eri sneaks in a schoolboy for two.  Eri chargesbut Leon goes off the ropes and levels her with a spear, picking up the three count.  Another fun match, these matches aren’t doing anything to go to the next level but it is still entertaining.  Leon isn’t the best masked joshi wrestler but she is perfectly competent, and Eri is decent.  A solid mid-card match.  Score:  6.0

Aoi Kizuki and Kayoko Haruyama vs. Command Bolshoi and Kyoko Kimura
This match is the Finals of the Tag League The Best Tournament.  Kimura and Kizuki start off the match but Kizuki tags in Haruyama.  Kimura hits Kizuki anyway before trading shoulderblock attempts with Haruyama.  Haruyama shoulderblocks Kimura down and tags Kizuki back in, double Irish whip to Kimura but Bolshoi also runs in to help.  Haruyama and Kizuki scoop slam their opponents on top of each other but they quickly get back up and knock Haruyama out of the ring.  Kimura tags in Bolshoi and Bolshoi throws down Kizuki by her hair.  Elbow to the head by Bolshoi and she applies a sleeper.  Bolshoi throws Kizuki to the mat and applies a camel clutch while Kimura rakes at Kizuki’s face.  Kizuki is then tied up in the ropes and they abuse her some more.  Kimura tags in Bolshoi and Bolshoi hits a vertical suplex.  Bolshoi wraps up Kizuki in the ropes while Kimura chokes her, then back in the ring Bolshoi jumps on Kizuki’s back.  Bolshoi tags in Kimura and Kimura knocks Kizuki out of the ring.  Back in the ring Kizuki finally kicks them both back and makes the hot tag to Haruyama.  Kimura trips Haruyama from the floor which allows Bolshoi to dropkick her.  Haruyama fires back with lariats for both, and Haruyama drops Kimura onto Bolshoi.  Haruyama picks up Bolshoi but Bolshoi snaps off a release German suplex.  DDT by Bolshoi, cover, but it gets a two count.  Bolshoi picks up Haruyama but Kizuki hits Bolshoi from the apron and Bolshoi is double teamed in the corner.  Haruyama slams Bolshoi to the mat, cover, but she gets a two count.  Haruyama tags in Kizuki and Kizuki hits a senton.  Another senton by Kizuki and she hits a third.  Kizuki goes off the ropes but Bolshoi knees her in the stomach.  Backbreaker by Bolshoi, and she applies a single leg crab hold to Kizuki.  Irish whip by Bolshoi but Kizuki chokes Bolshoi over her knee. 

Kizuki goes up to the second turnbuckle and she hits a diving senton for two.  Bolshoi kicks Kizuki in the back and she tags in Kimura.  Kimura boots Kizuki in the face and hits another big boot for a two count.  Kimura puts Kizuki in a crab hold but it is quickly broken up.  Haruyama lariats both Kimura and Bolshoi and Kizuki hits a suplex on Kimura.  Haruyama goes up to the top turnbuckle and she hits a senton.  Kizuki then hits a twisting crossbody for a two count.  Kizuki tags in Haruyama and she grabs Kimura, applying a grounded necklock.  Kimura hits a scoop brainbuster to get out of the hold, she stands up Haruyama and they trade elbows.  Haruyama hits a lariat but Kimura hits a big boot.  Another lariat by Haruyama but Kimura applies a sleeper and gets Haruyama to the mat.  Haruyama gets into the ropes to force Kimura to release the hold, cover by Kimura but it gets a two count. Bolshoi comes in the ring and Haruyama is kicked into the second rope.  Tiger feint kick by Bolshoi and Kimura hits the big boot, but Kizuki breaks up the pin attempt.  Kizuki hits a release German on both Kimura and Bolshoi, and she holds down Bolshoi while Haruyama hits a lariat on Kimura.  Lariats by Haruyama in the corner to Kimura and she hits a sliding lariat for a two count.  Haruyama goes up to the top turnbuckle and she hits a diving leg drop for a two count when Bolshoi breaks it up.  Haruyama picks up Kimura but Kimura gets away and rolls up Haruyama for two.  Bolshoi hits a jumping knee and Kimura drops Haruyama with a backdrop suplex for two.  Kimura goes off the ropes but Haruyama catches her and hits a slam for a two count.  Haruyama goes up top and delivers a diving leg drop as Kimura gets up for a two count.  Haruyama kicks Kimura and she levels her with a lariat for the three count!  Haruyama and Kizuki win the tournament!  This match got plenty of time which was great, the only thing holding this match back was the wrestler quality.  Not that these wrestlers are bad but Haruyama and Kizuki just aren’t top tier wrestlers.  The match stayed interesting throughout, it just lacked an overall story to tie all 26 minutes together.  An entertaining main event but not exactly a classic.  Score:  7.5

Final Thoughts:

A solid event. What hurt it more than anything else (and if I knew any JWP fans they'd probably get mad for me saying this) is the general wrestler quality in JWP is just not as good as other Joshi promotions. I really like Bolshoi and Nakajima, but a lot of the other wrestlers are well trained but nothing special. The matches have issues going beyond "very good" because it is hard for a match to be better than the best wrestler in that match. So nothing really wrong with the show, it won't blow you away but you can certainly do a lot worse.

Grade: C+ 

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review completed on 4/10/15