Aoi Ishibashi, Goya Kong, Dalys la Caribena , Zeuxis, Kimber Lee, Mia Yim (back row)
Lady Apache Commandante, Saya (front row)
Mia and Aoi get ready for their match
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
REINA Celebrates its 1st Anniversary in Korakuen Hall Sunday (5/13/12)
Here is the line up:
- Basara & Saya vs Hikaru Shida {Ice Ribbon} & Tsukasa Fujimoto {Ice Ribbon}
- Mima Shimoda {CMLL}, Ray {Ice Ribbon} & X vs Goya Kong {CMLL}, Zeuxis {CMLL} & Dalys la Caribena {CMLL}
- Mexican National Women's Title: Princesa Blanca {CMLL} vs Lady Apache {CMLL}
- Aoi Ishibashi & Mia Yim vs Kyoko Inoue {Diana} & Sareee {Diana}
- Hair vs Hair Falls Count Anywhere Street Fight: Yumiko Hotta vs La Commandante {CMLL}
This show marks REINA debuts for Kimber Lee, Goya Kong and Lady Apache, and the return of Mia Yim
What you love about this show is that REINA remains true to the cosmopolitan palette of wrestlers that they opened with on May 8, 2011. REINA continues to be the only promotion in Japan where you can regularly see Lucha Libre wrestlers thanks to their partnership with CMLL in Mexico. Though REINA has a relatively small cadre of Japanese women that call their promotion home (Aki Kambayashi, Aoi Ishibashi, Saya, and Hotta) they have built relationships with Diana and Ice Ribbon and the wrestlers from those promotions are in evidence at this big show.
Let's not fail to mention that this is a big "homecoming" for Mia Yim who graduates from college next weekend in Virginia and has stated that she hopes to move to Japan and make a name for herself as one of the respected gaijin in the Joshi world -- her idol and mentor is Hailey Hatred. She seems to want to focus on the ring work that Japanese promotions (and fans) prize rather than the crazy-ass spring she had in CZW and AIW that featured hard-core feuds with Greg Excellent and Allison Kay respectively. It is certainly an honor for her to be the only gaijin featured in a REINA v Diana match at the Anniversary show tomorrow.
Mia Yim brought her friend and CZW rising star Kimber Lee to REINA with her this time. Kimber Lee and Mia will give their CZW and JAPW feud a rest this weekend as they face different opponents. Kimber Lee with square off in singles competition against REINA veteran and trainer Aki Kanbayashi.
All in all the show promises to be enjoyable and I will plan to post photos on this page after the show. I imagine that Mia and Kimber will be peaking through the back stage curtain when ice Ribbon headliners Shida and Fujimoto take on Basara and Saya (we will see how Basara's knee is holding up). They will also be interested in Shimoda and Ray battling CMLL ladies Zeuxis and Kong. And everyone will want to see if Hotta or Commandante loses her hair.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, REINA!!
Mia Yim and Aoi Ishibishi make their Korakuen Hall entrance
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Updated 5/14/12
REINA 33 First Year Anniversary The Results
May 13, 2012
Korakuen Hall
800 fans
1. Hikaru Shida & Tsukasa Fujimoto [Ice Ribbon] defeated Saya & Shuri Okuda [formerly Basara] (13:23) when Shida used a Three Count of the Soul on Saya.
May 13, 2012
Korakuen Hall
800 fans
1. Hikaru Shida & Tsukasa Fujimoto [Ice Ribbon] defeated Saya & Shuri Okuda [formerly Basara] (13:23) when Shida used a Three Count of the Soul on Saya.
The event ended with an announcement the REINA would be dissolved. Don't know much about that. If it means that Mexican, American, and Australian wrestlers will no longer have a platform in joshi, that will be unfortunate. It does seem like joshi fans appreciate a variety of wrestling styles. Japan needs a REINA somewhere. But as SMASH demonstrated, running a wrestling promotion is a business and they do not always survive.
Mia throws Sareee in REINA v DIANA tag bout
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Mia seems bemused by Tommy's 4-count
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Poor Sareee is getting worked over by Mia and Aoi
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Mia flexing for the mildly amused Kyoko Inoue
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
When I asked Joshi fan and photographer Youji Kawauchi about Mia's performance in the tag match on Sunday, he said, "She has greatly improved at everything compared to what she was before." There you have it! Youji had not seen Mia wrestle in REINA since late September of 2011. In eight months, fans have seen a world of improvement from Mia Yim!
Kyoko's not amused now! Damn, Mia's strong!
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Mia's partner, Aoi, fares less well against the Joshi legend, Kyoko
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Aoi will feel this later -- ouch!
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
The REINA team goes back to work on Saree
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Mia leaves her calling card between Saree's shoudler blades
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Mia with a cannonball on Saree in the corner
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
But Saree fights back with a drop kick
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Now the heavy hitters do battle!
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
SkyYim to the outside on Kyoko! Loco Lucha from Mia!
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Sky Yim -- Quebrada!
Photo by (unknown)
Mia has no respect for legends! Damn!
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Aoi gets a chance to fly too!
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
All good things must come to an end
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Kyoko with powerbomb finish on Aoi
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
DIANA Team are victors!
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Promising REINA team are vanquished
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
After the match -- much respect!
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
. . . and Mia gets to sign the Korakuen wall!
Photo by Masa-san
Kimber Lee also made her Japan debut v Aki Kambayashi
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
Things got rough for Kimber early on . . .
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
. . . and they didn't get much better later
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
a glimmer of hope!
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
but it was short-lived
Photo by Youji Kawauchi
REINA 19 October 30, 2011
Tokyo Shin-Kiba 1st Ring
146 Fans
Aoi Ishibashi dives from top rope onto Hanako Nakamori
1. Sachie Abe defeated Lady Afrodita (8:29) with a Frankensteiner.
2. Hanako Nakamori defeated Aoi Ishibashi (13:17) with a Fisherman's Suplex Hold.
3. Leon defeated Dama de Hierro (10:34) with the Mad Splash.
4. Aki Kanbayashi & Ishinriki defeated Zuexis & Lingerie Muto (10:52) when Kanbayashi defeated Muto.
5. Yumiko Hotta defeated La Commandante (16:48) with a Reverse Cross Armbreaker.
Dama De Hierro
Lady Afrodita v Sachie Abe
Wait, does Aoi Ishibashi have a stud in her tongue?
(I guess she idolizes Mia Yim)
Aoi Ishibashi with drop kick on Hanako
Leon over Dama De Hierro
Dama has Leon on the ropes
Leon with spear on Dama
Zeuxis and Lingerie Muto team up on Aki
They didn't win, but they look awesome!
Hotta elbows la Comandante
Hotta still in control
La Comandante with K.I.D. on Hotta
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