84. Aja Kong vs. Manami Toyota, at AJW Doumu Super Woman Great War.
Manami Toyota is widely regarded as the greatest women's wrestler of all time.
In the 90s (from 1990 - 1997), Toyota led a revolution in women's wrestling that puts WWE's feeble attempt to absolute shame. She consistently delivered performances that earned her comparisons to some of the top male wrestlers of her era. Toyota's name was mentioned alongside legends such as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Mitsuharu Misawa, Jushin 'Thunder' Liger, Kenta Kobashi, Rey Mysterio, and Chris Benoit. Her success was both critical and commercial in the realm of joshi (women’s) wrestling in Japan. Toyota was a prominent figure in numerous top-tier joshi events, headlining many sold-out venues across the country. She was to AJW (All Japan Women’s Wrestling), what Mitsuharu Misawa was to All Japan Pro-Wrestling. During a time when All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling (AJW) was a major competitor to both NJPW and AJPW in terms of selling out venues. Toyota was a key player in their success. She participated in historic events, including:
Big Egg Tokyo Universe: The largest and longest women’s wrestling show ever, on November 20, 1994. The event was a massive ten-hour spectacle held at the Tokyo Dome. It featured an absolutely staggering 23 matches, with joshi wrestlers from various promotions and even some amateur shoot fights.
A highlight of this event was the V*TOP Five Star Tournament: a single-elimination competition. In the first round, Toyota faced then-AJW Champion Aja Kong, a women also deserving of mention in the conversation of the greatest women’s wrestlers of all-time.
The match began with Toyota hitting a running dropkick on Kong as soon as the bell rang. Kong reversed an Irish whip, but Toyota countered with a Manami Roll (a modified Yoshi Tonic powerbomb reversal) for a one-count. Toyota quickly ascended the top rope, and despite Kong's attempts to stop her, she executed a diving Rolling Powerbomb for a near-fall. Remarkably, all of this action occurred in less than 30 seconds of the match.
Toyota leaps onto the top rope and attempts another aerial maneuver, but Kong intercepts her mid-air with a suplex, securing a two-count. Kong then Irish whips Toyota into the corner and follows up with a stiff clothesline and some equally brutal kicks to the back. A running shoulder tackle from Kong leads to another pin attempt, but Toyota kicks out at two and bridges out impressively. Considering Aja Kong's significant size and Toyota's relatively slight frame, this display of strength is remarkable.
Kong locks in a Boston Crab, prompting Toyota to shout what can only be assumed are Japanese obscenities. Kong transitions to a Camel Clutch, arching backwards to exert even more pressure on Toyota’s lower back. Toyota counters with head-butts and kicks to Kong's lower back, momentarily grounding her. Kong retaliates with a drop suplex for another two-count as Toyota bridges out once more.
Kong executes a backbreaker, sending Toyota rebounding off the ropes and back onto Kong’s knees, then transitions into a Single Leg Crab. She slingshots Toyota into the corner, follows up with a vertical suplex, and pins again, but Toyota bridges out yet again.
When Kong whips Toyota into the ropes, Toyota lands on the top rope and springboards into a crossbody. Toyota attempts another top rope move, but Kong counters with a hard kick to the gut upon her landing. Kong hits a brutal-looking piledriver, but Toyota kicks out at two.
Reversing another Irish whip, Toyota lands a dropkick and starts kicking Kong while she’s down. However, Aja Kong begins to no-sell Toyota's kicks, responding with a death glare. The two exchange fierce kicks as the match reaches the five-minute mark.
Yes, all of this chaos unfolded within just the first five minutes.
Toyota continues to kick Kong, but Kong counters with a smashing elbow to her leg. Kong executes a superplex, yet Toyota bridges out at 2.5. Kong applies the Boston Crab again, and Toyota cries out in pain. Toyota crawls to the bottom rope, breaking the hold, only to be lifted onto Kong’s shoulder and thrown into the turnbuckle. Kong follows with a running body splash, pressing Toyota further into the corner.
Kong drags Toyota onto the elevated entrance ramp connected to the ring and plants her with a move resembling a cross between a Dominator and a Powerbomb. Hanging Toyota in the ropes, Kong hits a running spear into her torso. A brutal piledriver follows, but Toyota kicks out. A third piledriver also fails to keep Toyota down as the match surpasses the ten-minute mark.
Kong delivers another overhead suplex-like move, but Toyota bridges out at two yet again. After a scoop slam, Kong climbs the turnbuckle, but Toyota kicks her off, sending her to the floor. Toyota runs, leaps onto the top rope, and hits a diving plancha onto Kong, thrilling the crowd. She then climbs the turnbuckle again and delivers a missile dropkick right to Kong's face.
Toyota then fetches a table, places Kong on it, and hits a splash from the top rope. Unfortunately, the table, like Toyota, is Japanese and does not break, but the crowd still gives Toyota a standing ovation and chants her name.
Back in the ring, Toyota slams Kong and hits a Muta-like snap moonsault, but it only gets a two-count. Toyota attempts a German suplex, but Kong blocks it and goes for her Uraken finisher (a stiff spinning backfist). Toyota counters and hits a bridging Japanese Ocean Suplex (a double-hammerlock suplex from behind) that scores a deep near-fall. Toyota charges Kong, but gets met with a German Suplex from Kong for her troubles. Kong then whips Toyota, who tries the Manami Roll again, but Kong counters it into a VICIOUS Powerbomb for another close near-fall.
Kong delivers a diving body splash, but Toyota powers out. Kong climbs the turnbuckle again, but Toyota catches her and starts pummeling her with punches as they both straddle the top rope. Toyota shows her own brutality by nailing Kong with the VICTORY STAR DROP! (One of the most dangerous moves ever seen in a wrestling ring. A move that scares me, no matter how many times I see it), dropping Kong straight on her head and neck from the top rope. That should be it, Kong is finished, but somehow kicks out, shocking Toyota and everyone else.
Fifteen minutes into the match, Toyota attempts the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex, but Kong powers out. Toyota tries another moonsault, but Kong gets her knees up. Kong rises and tries to hoist Toyota onto the top rope, but Toyota blocks and hits a missile dropkick to the back of Kong’s head for another two-count. Toyota attempts another Rolling Powerbomb from the top rope, but Kong counters by sitting on her Yokozuna-style for another close two-count. Toyota blocks a back suplex, and Kong smashes her face with a brutal URAKEN but is too exhausted to capitalize on it immediately. Kong lifts Toyota and drills her with a Brainbuster-style Falcon Arrow. The referee counts one… two… three.
Maybe it was due to the massive stage and crowd, or that it was more intense, but this is my favorite of the matches these two women had together. 17 minutes of peak joshi wrestling.