#257: Manami Toyota vs. Kyoko Inoue, AJW G*Top 2nd (5/7/1995).
This is for Toyota's WWWA World Championship.
Your enjoyment of Joshi wrestling in its heyday depends on how much you enjoy watching the fastest wrestling known to man. If you canât keep up with nonstop action, then it probably isnât for you. However, if youâre like me and you love watching wall to wall action, then welcome to the club! No Joshi wrestler defined this crazy style like The Flying Angel, Manami Toyota.
Often hailed as the greatest womenâs wrestler who ever lived, Toyotaâs matches were high speed blitz-filled contests that kept the audience on edge for what would happen next. She was seemingly made of air, being able to go faster and harder than even the modern of modern wrestlers today. She was known extensively for her stamina, and her execution in the technical department. Sheâs an icon in Japanese wrestling, and rightfully sits with the likes of Okada, Tanahashi, Misawa and Kobashi as one of the greatest to come out of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Here, she defends her newly won WWWA World Championship against Kyoko Inoue, a woman she has plenty of history. It was Kyoko, along with Takako Inoue â no relation, oddly enough â who ended Toyota & Toshiyo Yamadaâs 307 day reign as WWWA Tag Team Champions. Thatâs a huge feat considering that reign produced some of the greatest tag team matches of the entire decade, regardless of promotion.
Other than that, not a ton of history here. Toyota has the top championship in All Japan Womenâs, while Kyoko wants it. And both women were willing to do anything to attain it. Little did anyone in Korakuen know that these two were about to push the limits of not only themselves, but the entirety of Joshi as well.
The bell sounds and Toyota immediately explodes with dropkicks. She goes to the top, and attempts a crossbody to the outside to Kyoko, but the challenger is up there to toss her right down to the floor! Back in the ring, Kyoko hits a series of clothesline into Toyota on the ropes. She follows with a suplex, into a camel clutch. Fun fact: submissions in the 1990s were not a huge deal in major promotions, and they were mostly used as a way to attack a body part, and not win a match. Now I know why so many people break these holds after 15 seconds. Inoue pulls all the way back on the hold, and Toyota gets her hand on the ropes.
She irish whips Toyota into the corner, and she is able to scale the top and go for her signature shotgun dropkick. Inoue avoids it and traps Toyota in a Boston Crab submission. She digs her knee into the back for added pressure. Inoue lifts Toyota up and drops her right across her knee for a backbreaker. Inoue locks in a half Camel Clutch now. Seems the strategy of the challenger is to destroy the back of the champion.
Inoue has Toyota in the Torture Rack position, and just tosses her across the ring. Now she locks in the Sharpshooter, but also turns it into a back stretch as well! Mongolian chops follow, and Inoue sends Toyota into the ropes. She jumps right to the top rope, and comes down with a splash. She attempts a dropkick, but Inoue catches her in a Boston Crab once again. Toyota uses all of her strength to crawl towards the bottom rope to break the hold.
Inoue looks to jump from the middle rope, and Toyota stops her with a dropkick to the back. She places Inoue over the ropes, and kicks her in the back. She hits a shotgun dropkick right to the back, and follows with one more. Toyota locks in the Octopus submission to wear down Inoue right in the middle of the ring. She transitions quickly to a kneebar submission. Inoue makes it to the ropes, and Toyota drags her back to the middle and puts the kneebar on again, and Inoue once again crawls to the bottom rope.
Toyota wraps her legs up and brings her body weight down to torque the knees. She lays backwards and grabs under Inoueâs arms, and locks in some kind of stretch. Whatever it is, it looks painful. Toyota transitions into a back stretch next. She goes for the Octopus again, but Inoue flips her away several times. A back suplex attempt is countered by Toyota, who gets a nearfall. Toyota is up on the top rope, but Inoue is quick to meet her up there. She connects with a nice back suplex that nearly spikes Toyota! That gets a nearfall.
Inoue hits a body slam and goes to the top herself, but Toyota kicks her off and sends her to the floor! Toyota attempts a crossbody from the top rope, but Inoue is smart and walks away. Toyotaâs athleticism is incredible. She goes for a dropkick to knock Inoue off the apron, but the challenger moves and Toyota goes flying to the outside. A hard clothesline follows. Both ladies take their fight into the crowd now, as Inoue clotheslines Toyota into the fans.
She carries Toyota back to the ring, and hits a powerslam. She jumps to the top rope, and comes down with a backwards elbow drop for a 2 count. Toyota sends Inoue into the corner, but she fights back and goes to the top. Toyota boots her to the floor, then jumps up to the top rope and flies to the outside onto Inoue. The fact she can do that without using her hands is astonishing. Back in the ring, Toyota powerslams Inoue, then hits a beautiful moonsault for a 2 count. Toyota with a Tiger Suplex for another nearfall.
Toyota goes to the top, and Inoue runs up to catch her in a twisting hurricanrana to the mat for a 2 count! Inoue attempts a powerbomb, but Toyota counters into a Code Red for a close 2 count. Inoue quickly recovers and locks in the Boston Crab. The champion crawls, and finally reaches the ropes. Inoue drags her back to the middle, and puts the Sharpshooter on Toyota. Inoue transitions from that into a Camel Clutch. The submission transitions are on point tonight.
Both are back up, and Toyota misses a crossbody, and Inoue catches her in an STF submission. Toyota crawls towards the ropes to break the hold, but Inoue does not slow down. She sends Toyota into the ropes, who comes back with a dropkick and a powerslam. Toyota goes to the top rope and comes down for a splash attempt, but Inoue gets her feet up to avoid it. Now the challenger is up top, and Toyota goes in for the attack.
The champion is countered by an inverted suplex from Inoue, who follows that up with a top rope dropkick that gets a 2 count. She lifts Toyota up, who slips out and gets a bridging German Suplex for a 2 count. A powerslam follows, and Toyota heads to the top rope. She goes for the moonsault, but Inoue moves out of the way. Inoue is up to the top now, but Toyota slows her down with kicks to her leg. Toyota then attempts a nasty looking move that sends both women crashing to the mat. Not sure what it was supposed to be, but I think it wouldâve led to a pin attempt. Inoue is up and she clotheslines Toyota into the ropes, then sends her crashing to the outside.
Now she locks in a vicious Boston Crab that completely contorts Toyotaâs body! The champion is somehow up first, and she goes for a running boot off the apron, and Inoue catches her, and swings her around ringside. Both women are back in the ring, and Inoue hits a powerslam. She runs up the ropes several times and hits three diving back elbows that somehow only get 2. Toyota suplexes Inoue for a 2 count of her own. Powerslam follows, and a series of moonsaults come from Toyota next. Inoue somehow kicks out of that!
Toyota with a bridging German Suplex next that gets a nearfall. Inoue catches a Toyota offensive move into a nice powerbomb. She elbows her in the head, and then Toyota sends her to the outside. She scales the top rope and flies to the outside with a diving shotgun dropkick to Inoue! Toyota has now decided to turn this into a hardcore match, as she grabs a ringside table and places it next to the ring. She lays Inoue across it, then goes to the top rope. She dives to the outside with a splash that doesnât even budge the table! Those 90s Japanese tables were notoriously stiff.
Toyota pulls the floor mat back, and hits a piledriver to Inoue right on the exposed floor! Another one spikes Inoue, as Toyota is showcasing her inner Bruiser Brody with this chaos. Back in the ring, Toyota comes off the top with a shotgun dropkick to Inoue that gets a close 2 count. Toyota lands one more, and heads right back up. One more for good measure, and Inoue still kicks out of all of that! Toyota hits a moonsault to the back of Inoue, who just barely gets the shoulder up!
Inoue is lifted into the air, and Toyota holds onto the wrists and drops her with the Cyclone Suplex for a 2 count! Toyota places Inoue on the top turnbuckle next. Inoue manages to knock her off. She goes to attack, but Toyota counters into a Cyclone Suplex attempt, and Inoue counters that into the STF submission! Toyota is crawling as best as she can, while Inoue is doing what she can to prevent it! Toyota finally gets to the ropes. Inoue gets a variation of the Regal Stretch locked in now. Toyota once again grabs the ropes to break it.
The selling from both women at this point is well done. Inoue whips Toyota into the corner, and the champion comes down with a moonsault, which misses and she nearly spikes her head off the mat! Inoue with the STF submission in again, and somehow, Toyota continues to fight it off! The stamina on these women is impressive! Inoueâs attempt at a piledriver is stopped, but sheâs able to hit a nice lariat instead. She goes to the top rope, and Toyota meets her there with slaps to the face.
Toyota is lifted in the air and dropped with a powerslam to the mat below! Inoue attempts a powerbomb, but Toyota counters into a sunset flip pin attempt for a 2 count. Toyota is back up to the top rope, and Inoue runs up there to catch her with a belly to belly suplex down to the mat for another nearfall! Lariats follow from the challenger, and Toyota kicks out again! Inoue connects with a Razors Edge into a sit out powerbomb! I donât even know how, but Toyota fucking kicks out a 2.
Inoue goes for it again, but Toyota uses her body weight to knock her and Inoue to the outside. Inoue reenters first, and Toyota just barely gets back inside before getting counted out. Inoue hits a spinning slam, and Toyota bridges out of it! Yes, this late in the match, and this lady has the stamina to bridge out of a pin. Incredible. Chops to the head by Inoue, and Toyota jumps up to the top rope and comes down with a sunset flip pin attempt for 2. She hits the Cyclone Suplex once again, and Inoue kicks out again!
Shotgun dropkick sends Inoue out of the ring. Toyota goes for a flying move, but it appears her leg jams up on her. Inoue takes advantage by clotheslining Toyota from the apron. She grabs the champion, and suplexes her to the floor. Inoue drags Toyota to a ringside table and slams her face off of it, then places her back into the ring. Inoue attempts to jump off the middle rope, but Toyota dropkicks her to the outside, then lands a diving Tope onto her. Toyota goes back to the top rope, and lands a knee right into the midsection of Inoue! Toyota reenters the ring, then dives once again onto Inoue, this time with a splash. Toyota then hits a moonsault from the top rope onto Inoue. Both women return to the ring, before getting counted out. Toyota places Inoue on the top rope, and brings her back down with a double arm suplex. Inoue manages to get her shoulder up at the count of 2. Inoue with Kawada kicks, and a hard clothesline now, followed by another!
One more for good measure, and another that sends Toyota inside out! Inoue makes the cover, and Toyota kicks out again! Inoue powerbombs Toyota and makes the cover. Toyota again bridges out of it. Inoue forearms Toyota into the corner, and goes to whip her into the opposite corner, but Toyota is able to reverse into a sunset flip pin for a 2 count. She places Inoue on the top rope and hits a German Suplex, but because of the exhaustion, it doesnât really do much.
One more in the middle of the ring by Toyota, and now she has Inoue against the ropes. Shotgun dropkick connects twice against Inoueâs body. Toyota goes for the Cyclone Suplex, but she canât lift Inoue up! A bridging German Suplex gets a 2 count. Toyota dives from the top, hitting a nice splash that also gets a 2 count. Inoue whips Toyota into the corner, then drops her with a DDT. On the apron, Inoue hits a diving DDT to the floor! Back in the ring, Inoue hits the Razorâs Edge perfect! She makes the cover, and Toyota kicks out! The champion places Inoue on the top rope, and goes for a sunset flip powerbomb, and as the time expires, both women fall! Itâs a draw!
With matches like this, itâs no wonder Manami Toyota is considered the greatest womenâs wrestler of all time. She, and Kyoko Inoue, absolutely tore the house down at Korakuen with a standard 15 minute Joshi sprint done in a 60 minute time frame. I have no fucking idea how these two were able to wrestle at the speed and pace that they did, but they did it!
This was the definition of a marathon, as Toyota and Inoue would not stay down, and continued to assault each other even when their own stamina was starting to deplete. But when you think that one of them is going to finally gas out, they somehow make a comeback! Nothing was settled between these two, but one thing is for sure: they were equals on this night. Inoue had a great strategy early on in targeting the back of Toyota, and I think that came into play as the match wore on.
Credit has to go to the champion, whoâs high octane blitz offense kept Inoue on her toes all match long. Toyotaâs athleticism and speed are commendable to the highest order. Sheâs able to do things that most modern wrestlers only dream of. My personal favorite spot of the entire match was the diving knee to the outside. Thereâs no way that didnât hurt. It looked fucking painful from here.
The only negative Iâd give this match is one that is common for matches that go for one hour or more: it starts to drag towards the end. It gets repetitive in some places, and at some point, you can see a mile away that itâs going to a draw. Exhaustion set in, and some of the moves werenât as well executed as they were early on. Still, you absolutely cannot deny the work put in. Toyota and Inoue wrestled a full hour at the speed of a standard 15 minute match. That alone is impressive as hell.
Also, one thing that I think gives Toyota her legendary status is her selling. Sheâs definitely the prototype for the modern wrestler who just wants to get âMOVESâ in during their matches. You know, when they hit 20 offensive moves in 10 seconds, and it doesnât have any kind of flow? Yeah, that. Not a bad thing. I enjoy seeing it. But bad selling can make those things come off as tedious. Toyotaâs strength is that she can hit her entire offense in seconds, but sheâs always selling damage she receives. That little thing separates the good from the great.