#4: Akira Hokuto vs. Shinobu Kandori, AJW Dream Slam I (4/2/1993).
1990s Women's Wrestling in Japan is something of a golden era in professional wrestling. During a time where the women in the United States were not at all being treated like a serious attraction, the Joshi performers in Japan were at times outselling New Japan & All Japan throughout the country.
One of the reasons the Joshi wrestlers were helping to bring in so much revenue for Japanese wrestling is due to their willingness to participate in Supercards. Many times in the 1990s, the top Joshi promotions came together for huge cards that showcased the best of the best, including the inaugural Dream Slam show in 1993.
The highlight for the show, for me, is this absolute fight between AJW star Akira Hokuto and Ladies Legend Pro star Shinobu Kandori. It was a huge clash of styles, as Hokuto is a wild man ala Terry Funk, while Kandori is a fantastic technical wrestler. How did these styles make the match? Well, it's my pick for the most violent women's match of all time, and stands near the top of the most violent matches I've ever seen overall.
It does not take long for this match to turn into a street fight, as both ladies are hitting each other as hard as possible. Kandori tears away at Hokuto's arm early on, and it looks rough. What's telling about this match compared to a lot of other matches is just how nasty every bit of offense from both ladies looks. This feels like a real fight.
Both women are bleeding half way through, with Hokuto in particular gushing blood everywhere. It adds a nice visual to this match, and it makes this a unique match to show to anyone out of the know of Joshi wrestling. How often do you see women bleed in wrestling, and how often is it to this degree?
Hard kicks, hard strikes, and head drops are the story being told. The mat is covered in blood, and the urgency shown by both women early on literally does not let up all match long. In the end, Hokuto and Kandori exchange a series of hard closed fist shots to the face, and it ends with a double closed fist spot - which leads to Hokuto finding enough strength to crawl over for the pin and the win.
If you're looking for psychology, look elsewhere. If you're looking for two competitors beating the ever loving shit out of the other for just over a half hour, this is for you. There's not much to say about this, because it's just one long fight! But, it's so worth it. It's one of the greatest women's matches of all time, it set a new standard for violence in wrestling, and it proved once again why 90s Joshi is so damn good. I highly recommend you seek it out.