PURE-J 5/29/2022 - PURE-J MANIA X 2022

PURE-J 5/29/2022 - PURE-J MANIA X 2022

Yuko Sakurai and SAKI vs Chie Ozora and Crea

Saki gets pounded on 2v1 early then her and Yuko avoid dropkicks. Yuko slams Chie then her and Saki frolick around, step on Chie and sit on her with a pose. Chie and Crea then double dropkick Saki then Chie gets dropped on Saki for a double footstomp. Chie walks the ropes with Saki's arm then armdrags her.

Crea indian deathlocks Saki then Saki atomic drops her. Yuko and Crea battle shoulders then Crea runs her over with one. The two trade chest forearms then Yuko shoulders her over. Crea rolls Yuko's leg into an ankle lock but Yuko rope breaks. Crea then face kicks her through the ropes.

Crea hits another facekick then Chie dropkicks Yuko. Chie armbars Yuko over the top rope then puts her in cattle mutilation. Saki helps out Yuko and they elbow drop and splash Chie. Chie gets put over the top rope then Saki running knees her. Saki misses a vader bomb then Chie 2nd rope shoulders her for 2.

Chie hits a nice sunset flip on Saki and Saki goes an odd gut punch to her. Chie then perfectplexes her for 2. Crea top rope dropkicks Saki then Chie does the same. Crea northern lights suplexes Saki for 2. Saki and Yuko double kick Crea then Crea and Saki exchange face kicks for a while. Crea takes a real stiff one then takes one through the ropes. Crea reverse brazilian kicks Saki then germans her for 2. Saki then michinoku drivers Crea for 2. Chie gets slammed on Crea then Saki facekicks Crea for 2. Saki hits a wild twisting brainbuster on Crea for the win.

They kept a fast pace and did keep it entertaining but I just didn't think it was great.

AKARI vs Yuu

They go to the mat early. Akari headscissors her and they stand off. Yuu shoulders her over then splashes her in the corner. Akari dropkicks her but gets boston crabbed right after. It turns into a single leg crab and Akari ropebreaks. Akari armdrags her then double reverse armbars her, which Yuu ropebreaks for.

Akari strangleholds her, or at least tries to, then is iconoslammed. Akari then fujiwara armbars her and Yuu comes back with a nice spinning side slam and a senton. Yuu hits some chops and Akari fires back with forearms. Yuu then hits a crossbody for 2. Akari hits a barrage of kicks to back her off then rolling leg bars her. Akari hits a 619 then top rope dropkicks her.

Akari then goes for a pin attempt for 2 and la magitral's her for another 2. Yuu dropkicks her in the gut and then crossbodies her off the bottom rope. Yuu then cannonballs her in the corner for 2. Yuu cannonballs her against the ropes then 2nd rope splashes her for the win.

This went too long and I didn't think they worked the big vs smaller girl angle enough. It wasn't bad or anything, but it could have been much better.

Hanako Nakamori vs Hiroyo Matsumoto

They battle over a lock-up to start. Hana leg and chest kicks her then gets shouldered over. Hana facekicks her and kicks her in the back and front. They test of strength which Hana loses. Hana kick combos her and gets lariated. Hana then gets put between the ropes and splashed. Hiroyo shoulders her over and cranks her neck.

Hiroyo hits some chops then Hana puts her into the ropes and face kicks her. Hana then top rope dropkicks her and rolls it into a fujiwara armbar. Hana kicks her in the arm then gets suplexed. Hana comes back with a facekick then takes a big lariat. Hiroyo then blade runners her for 2.

Hiroyo gets thrown off the 2nd rope then suplexes Hana off the top. Hana then superplexes her off the top. They trade forearms while on their knees and then they slap each other. They forearm each other at the same time. Hana then high kicks her and shining wizards her. Hana stunners her then Hiroyo germans her back. Hana hits a shining wizard then runs into a Hiroyo lariat. Hiroyo drops double knees on her from the 2nd rope. Then gives her a kawada kick.

They trade shots and Hana headbutts her then runs into a stiff back elbow. Hana high kicks her twice then hits a knee and a buzzsaw kick. Hiroyo hits a back drop as time is running out then sliding lariats her for 2. Hana slams her and the time runs out at 15 minutes.

This going to a 15 minute draw was a little lame. It wasn't bad. I thought they progressed it well and it made sense, but it was by no means a classic. They went rather even with each other here and got some stiff shots in near the end.

Cherry and Leon vs Kaori Yoneyama and Kakeru Sakiguchi

Leon and Kaori counter each other then both armdrag the other. Cherry and Kak trade holds then Kak dropkicks her. Cherry uses Kak to lariat Kaori then puts her on her and double stomps both. Cherry then does a cartwheel back elbow then Kaori takes a double flying chop. Leon butterfly suplexes Kaori for 2 then crabs her. Kak tries to pull Kaori to the ropes but Cherry comes in and steps on Kak's hand.

Leon has Kaori in a high crab. Kak forearms her and Leon goes back making the hold more painful. Cherry bangs Kaori's head off the mat. Kaori tries for some mongolian chops on Cherry and gets a gut punch. Kaori then gets a double shoulder block but recovers, flips off the ropes and double armdrags both opponents.

Kak gets thrown into the ropes and twisting springboard double crossbodies both opponents. Kak then top rope dropkicks Cherry for 2. Cherry then does a nice step up on Kak and rolls into an armbar. Kaori and Kak attempt a double team on Cherry on the ropes but Kak knocks Kaori down to the floor on a miss.

Leon gets in and lawn dart spears Kaak in the corner then tilt-a-whirl backbreakers her. Cherry headscissors Leon onto Kak then Cherry jumps off Leon's back for a flip onto Kak. Kak and Leon trade forearms then Kak fujiwara armbars Cherry. Kak then rolling armbars Leon but it gets broken up.

Kaori back rolls out of a sleeper then knees Leon in the back. Leon then counters her and hits a tilt-a-whirl slam. Leon then hits her top rope frogsplash for 2. Leon spinning high kicks Kaori then spears her in the back for 2. Cherry leg trips Kaori then turns it into a leg and arm submission. Kaori rope breaks and hits a ddt on Cherry. she goes for a knee to the back but gets caught then Cherry hits a nice northern lights suplex for 2.

Kaori takes a powerbomb from Leon with Cherry pushing her forward from the top then Cherry swantons Kaori from the top for 2. Kaori takes a hard spear on the ropes from Leon then gets a uraken from Cherry. Kak accidentally lariats Kaori then Leon spears boh opponents. Cherry then nothern lights suplexes Kaori and does a nneckbreaker into  a choker with her inner leg. Kak then rolls Cherry over and Kaori steals the pin to win.

This was almost 20 minutes long but this was surprisingly good. They kept the pace up here. Cherry really showed up by having one of the best performances she has ever had then we had some fun with Kak and Kaori not being able to hit any double team moves. Fun stuff.

WANTED (Rydeen Hagane and KAZUKI) vs Jaguar Yokota and Megumi Yabushita

Wanted get attacked with a chair and a belt at the start of this which should be a DQ. Jag sits on Rydeen's back and pulls on her hair while Megumi gets shots in. Jag then puts Rydeen in the octopus stretch but Kaz breaks it. Rydeen takes a 1v2 in the corner then hip throws Megumi

Kaz running knees Megumi when she is tagged in then Megumi face busters her. Kaz then takes a 1v2. Jag holds Kaz for a Megumi basement dropkick. Jag then figure fours Kaz. Megumi does a butt drop on Kaz's knee. Kaz backdrops Megumi then Rydeen pops her up into a Kaz knee.

Megumi knees Rydeen then facebusters and basement dropkicks her.  Megumi gets out her belt and whips Rydeen, then she armbars her over the ropes. Megumi top rope knee drops Rydeen's arm then Rydeen comes back with a spinning heel kick. Megumi hits a nice side throw then tags out.

Jag gets in and gets lariated they Rydeen sideslams her. Jag forearms Rydeen then headlocks her and headscissors Kaz over. Kaz backdrops Jag then Jag later brings in a chair and hits Rydeen and Kaz with it. Kaz then gets hit with a belt and a chair. Kaz is put in the chair and clotheslines with the belt then Megumi northern lights suplexes Kaz.

Rydeen lariats Jag then WANTED hit corner attacks on their opponents. Both opponents get put on the ropes and Kaz knee drops both down. Kaz then top rope knee drops Megumi for 2. Megumi hits a ddt on Kaz then Jag flip kicks her from the 2nd rope. Megumi then flying armbars Kaz but Rydeen stops it. Kaz misses a corner charge and trades pins with Megumi before winning it.

I appreciated Jag and Megumi working full on heel here and doing a good job of it. However, I hated them using weapons right in front of the ref and nothing happening over it. It really was a decent effort otherwise though and even though the crowd couldn't cheer, they still ended up doing so because they liked it so much.

Overall thoughts: It was a good effort by Pure-J. I really liked the Cherry tag, Hiroyo/Hanako was okay and the main had some issues but was good otherwise.