Street Fight: Megumi Kudo vs Shinobu Kandori - LLPW 05/01/1997
This was insane. And scary. When Kandori tried to throw Kudo over the Korakuen Hall standing section platform, with the chain around her neck, I was ready to scream involuntarily. Kudo naturally gave up to escape that fate and live up another day. Frightening but logical finish that was in perfect tune to the rest of the match and it's violent tendencies. I love Kandori coming out and wrestling in a suit. I have to think it's because she owned the place and meant business in defending her turf. Despite that the crowd was mostly behind Kudo, who put in a heck of an effort, taking right to Kandori. Kudo looked great against her as well, using the rules to her advantage, bringing chains and chairs into the mix, even busting Kandori open fits. Kandori eventually staged a comeback after a great moment in the match where she brushed Kudo off her and took off the chain that was wrapped around her neck like she was sick of Kudo’s shit. Some of the spots were cringe worthy. Kudo took a sick table bump (on a table that was upside down so the metal was exposed) and she took a chain assisted lariat into the chest like a champ. Outstanding match. Kandori showed her versatility playing into Kudo’s tendencies more than her own and she looked great despite. ****1/4
No Ropes Barbed Wire Death Match: Shinobu Kandori vs. Megumi Kudo - FMW Winning Road 1997 - Day 3 - 14/03/1997
Super good match between these two. Kandori is in foreign territory but she handles it well. In Judo, you have to have great footwork and awareness of your surroundings so Kandori dealt with the Barbed wire well with that. She could side-step Kudo easily and send her into the wire. I loved how the match escalated from cagey to a war with both wrestlers freely using the wire to maim each other. ***3/4
LLPW Title / WWWA World Title Match: Shinobu Kandori (c) vs. Yumiko Hotta (c) - LLPW 21/03/1998
12 minutes of sheer brutality. It felt longer than that but that’s not a criticism for me. This was paced in a way that maximises everything. So instead of a 12 minute match dragging, it felt like a hard fought battle. The rules were Submission or KO which suits both to a tee. I don’t think this was ending with a pin even if the option was available. But there was a lot of intelligence to the wrestling, from Kandori especially. Kandori is a machine on the mat and very much relentless with her intensity, always in control even if she is on her back. Hotta is pretty insane and does anything to keep up, including headbutting Kandori in order to pass Kandori’s guard, splitting herself in the process. The match builds up to a tremendous finish where Kandori finally wins the 3WA Title. ****1/2
WWWA World Title Match: Shinobu Kandori (c) vs. Manami Toyota - AJW Kawasaki Crimson Struggle - 23/08/1998
Toyota was great in this. She really pelted Kandori with her drop kicks, who sold them like bombs, and gave herself a great equalizer against someone like Kandori who is, essentially, a brute. Kandori in turn kept with the game plan to wait Toyota out and find ways to twist her on the mat after mistakes. And while Toyota gave Kandori a hard ride, it sorta paid off in softening Toyota up for the bomb-fest finishing stretch. Great title match. ****1/4
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