#101: Combat Toyoda vs. Megumi Kudo, FMW Fighting Creation (5/5/1996).
Hello all! I just want to say firstly how excited I am to have published 100 match reviews so far. I hope to continue this as long as possible.
This week, we're taking a look at famous Retirement Matches in pro wrestling. Though a wrestler's final match almost always never stays that way, the matches themselves can be tremendous ways to garner emotion from the crowd.
Up first, we take a look at the retirement match of Combat Toyoda, arguably the greatest Women's champion in the history of FMW, the influential hardcore promotion in Japan ran by Atsushi Onita.
This is a No Rope Barbed Wire Current Blast Death Match for Toyoda's FMW Independent Women's & WWA Women's Championships.
Kudo and Toyoda were long time rivals in FMW for years, and the dastardly face painted heel antics of Toyoda went a long way in establishing Kudo as one of the biggest Joshi stars of the 1990s scene. This is the blow off, as Toyoda heads to a life post wrestling.
They lock up, and Toyoda has the strength advantage immediately. Kudo prevents her from forcing her into the barbed wire. Toyoda tries for it again, and Kudo again fights it off.
Kudo with some nice kicks to the chest. She slaps Toyoda repeatedly, until Toyoda goes back on the offensive. Kudo tries to fight back with shots to the mid section, but Toyoda just headbutts her to the mat.
Now she tries to force Kudo's face into the barbed wire, but Kudo rolls away. They circle each other. Toyoda pops off multiple kicks to the chest, then tries to bring Kudo into the barbed wire. Kudo will have none of it, and we're at a stalemate again.
They trade forearms, then Kudo grips Toyoda and takes the side headlock. Toyoda tries to throw Kudo into the barbed wire, but she cranks the headlock to prevent that a few times. Kudo powerslams Toyoda and gets a 2 count.
They circle each other again, and Kudo gets a single leg takedown. She kicks at Toyoda's leg. She tries to kick Toyoda into the barbed wire, but she's too damn strong. Chop by Toyoda, and then she drops Kudo face first to the mat.
Kudo rolls her up for 2. Toyoda is right back up with a boot to the face. A scoop slam gets her a nearfall. She headbutts Kudo repeatedly. Toyoda attempts to over power Kudo with her Raw strength. She hits a Shotgun dropkick that sends Kudo into the barbed wire, causing an explosion!
Toyoda powerbombs Kudo for a nearfall. Argentina Backbreaker follows, and that also gets a nearfall. Toyoda next puts Kudo in a Surfboard Lock submission. Kudo blocks a backbreaker, and then sends Toyoda into the barbed wire! Another explosion goes off. It's gnarly.
The ref is wearing snowboarding goggles. Kudo with a sleeper hold on Toyoda, and she fully applies it after trapping her midsection with her legs. Enziguri by Kudo, and then locks in a Dragon Sleeper submission.
She goes to Irish whip Toyoda, who simply collapses to the mat. Toyoda blocks a Tiger Driver and sends Kudo into the barbed wire. No explosion this time. Toyoda with a bridging German Suplex for a nearfall.
Kudo blocks a powerbomb to hit a DDT for a 2 count. Northern Lights Suplex gets Kudo a 2 count as well. Toyoda folds Kudo up with a nasty back suplex that gets a nearfall. Sit out powerbomb by Toyoda, and Kudo kicks out.
Tiger Driver by Toyoda, and Kudo kicks out. Another powerbomb by Toyoda, and again Kudo won't stand down. Kudo reverses a powerbomb into a roll up for 2. Toyoda tries to use her whole body to force Kudo to the barbed wire, but she escapes. She runs into Toyoda, who German Suplexes her and herself into the barbed wire, nearly going out of the Ring and setting off another explosion.
I'd say Toyoda took the brunt of that move. Both women are down, selling the impact very well. They struggle to get to their feet. Kudo hits the Tiger Driver, but somehow Toyoda manages to kick out. Kudo is shaking, as she gets to her feet. She lifts Toyoda up for a powerbomb, and damn near spikes her on her head. Again, the tough SOB Toyoda kicks out.
Kudo lifts Toyoda up for the Gringo Killer, and that's finally enough to end this war.
This was the definition of a slow burn. Considering the previous barbed wire matches I've seen, I went into this expecting a lot more big spots. Suffice to say, there weren't many big spots.
But, what this lacked in crazy spots, it made up for in the little things. These two are definitely rivals, and they wrestled this with the intensity of two people at the end of a year's long battle.
Every moment counted, and very few things came off as filler. Plus, when the barbed wire was utilized, it actually meant something. And it came off very brutal, because how often do you see women in a match like this?
Very good match, and a nice sendoff for one of FMW's best.