NEO Japan Cup continues

The NEO Japan Cup round robin tournament continued at the Aug. 10 Itabashi Green Hall show. A big raspberry to NEO for this lame tournament but major props to Yoshiko Tamura for selling her loss to Hiroyo Matsumoto as meaningful. The whole thing is just lazy. The opener had rookie Nozomi Dai vs Tanny Mouse. Not much to this. Tanny controlled the match as she should and won with the Tanny Butt at 7:53. NEO announced that Dai is suffering from headaches and will miss some shows. Next was Yuki Miyazaki vs Kana. Miyazaki begins with a hip attack followed by a Boston crab turned into a camel clutch. Kana escapes and returns the favour. Kana whips Miyazaki into the corner and follows with a hip attack. Miyazaki comes back with a body slam and Kana misses a dropkick. Kana hits a hip attack but Miyazaki applies the dreaded boob lock. You think I'm kidding? Look at the pic. Kana whips Miyazaki into the ropes and connects with a hip attack. Then they both try it at the same time and bump butts. Miyazaki hits a dropkick and two German suplexes and wins with the Gedo clutch rollup pin at 11:20. Miyazaki has been doing comedy for way too long.

One of the problems with this tournament is what to do with Kyoko Inoue. This match reveals all. She's teaming with Aya Yuki vs Etsuko Mita & Makoto. At a time when many joshi wrestlers are underwhelming for various reasons, Makoto has to be the most pathetic excuse for a wrestler I have ever seen. I know that's her gimmick. I don't care. I don't have to like it. That's the excuse I get from fans. "Oh, it's her gimmick." It's a crappy gimmick. Anyway, send your hate mail to idontgiveadamn@hotmail.com. Makoto begins by coming of the ropes with a cross body on Yuki. Kyoko tags in and tosses her around. At least she can take bumps. Then the dreaded stinkface. Makoto comes back with kicks and Kyoko actually tries to sell them. Yuki tags in and an atomic drop gets a two count. Mita tags in and shoulder blocks Kyoko. Yuki hits her with a forearm smash. Yuki can't get her up in a fireman's carry so Mita body slams her and propels Makoto from the top rope for two. Yuki hits Makoto with a forearm smash. Makoto is whipped into the ropes and hits a cross body. Yuki rolls through and gets the STF for the win at 8:22.

Now it's time for the NEO Japan Cup tournament matches. The first one is in the Red Zone with Kyoko Kimura vs Natsuki*Taiyo. Kimura is at her heelish best in this match. Maybe she's auditioning for D-Fix. Hell, I wouldn't mind seeing her there. Kimura begins by throwing Natsuki outside and clocking her with some sort of metal object that she has in her tights. I'm not sure what it is. It looks like a crowbar. Don't the refs check for foreign objects anymore? Kimura gets her back in the ring and starts ripping at her forehead and busts her open. She continues that while applying a camel clutch. Then she gets her in a front facelock and rips at her forehead behind the ref's back. Then she stands on Natsuki's throat. Kimura continues the assault with a rear naked choke. Natsuki turns purple. She traps her in the ropes and rips at her some more. The ref breaks it up and that gives Natsuki a chance to come back with dropkicks and an atomic drop. She has Kimura on the run when a top rope splash finds Kimura's knees. Natsuki goes piggy back on Kimura but is tossed off. Kimura power bombs Natsuki through a table. Kimura is distracted while the ref gets rid of the table so Natsuki hits a power bomb for two. Kimura finishes her off with the Big Boots at 13:04. This may have been a receipt for some unfinished business from last summer in SUN. And NEO president Koda really puts Kimura over on his blog. But it's so hard to put anyone over consistently these days.

The first Blue Zone match is Nanae Takahashi vs Hiroyo Matsumoto. Matsumoto is coming off her big upset over Yoshiko Tamura. I expect Takahashi to win because I expect her to be in the tournament final. But she's very generous and will make Matsumoto look very good. They begin with a test of strength and Takahashi gets a rear chinlock on Matsumoto. She then picks up Matsumoto in an inverted body vise and slams her into the corner and follows that with a splash. That's a standard Takahashi spot. She does it in every match. Takahashi hits a missile dropkick followed by a backbreaker. They slap each other and then Matsumoto hits a missile dropkick. She picks Takahashi up in a fireman's carry and they both fall out of the ring. They get back in and Matsumoto hits a missile dropkick. They trade blows and Matsumoto hits a backdrop suplex followed by an Argentinian backbreaker. Takahashi escapes and hits a power bomb for two. Matsumoto comes back with a sidewalk slam and then the back elbow she used to beat Tamura for two. Then another backdrop suplex. But Takahashi regroups with a backdrop suplex followed by a jumping high kick for the win at 13:29.

The next Red Zone match is Misae Genki vs Haruka Matsuo. Remember when Matsuo was champ? Never mind. But she should ditch those silly stockings she wears. Matsuo tried to surprise Genki with a flash pin for two. Genki backs her into the corner and chops her several times. Matsuo has a late lunch and bites Genki's arm. Genki bodyslams Matsuo and turns her over for the half crab. Genki follows this with a surfboard and an inverted body vise and a Boston crab. They go outside and Matsuo splashes from the top rope to the floor. Back in the ring, Matsuo goes for a top rope splash but Genki gets her knees up. Genki follows this with a choke slam for two. Matsuo hits a German suplex for two and follows with another for two. She kicks Genki in the back. Genki power bombs her for two and wins with the Super Freak at 15:10. The Super Freak is a running power bomb variation.

The final Blue Zone match is between Yoshiko Tamura & Atsuko Emoto. Kyoko Kimura is at ringside. Tamura does that high facewash in the corner that she does in every match. She gets an abdominal stretch on Emoto and then pounds her. Tamura then tries to submit Emoto with a neck crank. But Kimura interferes and Emoto pounds Tamura with a steel chair. Emoto continues to pound Tamura while Kimura gets in cheap shots from outside. Emoto bodyslams Tamura but Tamura comes back with a facewash in the corner and an Ace Crusher for two. Emoto hits a backdrop suplex for two. Tamura gets control but Kimura interferes again and Emoto whips Tamura into the corner and follows with a lariat. Emoto attempts a Texas Cloverleaf but Tamura escapes. Emoto misses a spin kick and Tamura's elbow smash gets a two count. Tamura hits another flying elbow smash for the win at 16:07. The standings in the Red Zone are Misae Genki with 2 points, Kyoko Kimura & Natsuki*Taiyo with 1 and Haruka Matsuo with 0. The Blue Zone has Nanae Takahashi with 2, Yoshiko Tamura & Hiroyo Matsumoto with 1 and Atsuko Emoto with 0. I still expect Genki to win the title shot. But if they really wanted to do something with this time waster, they could elevate Matsumoto. Sadly, they don't think that way.