Post by Diamondhead Media Group on Jun 24, 2010 0:37:40 GMT -6
Greetings wrestling fans, I'm Maggie Paulson, lead writer for the brand new K-USA newsletter. There has been a ton of hype about KOKORO's rebirth on US shores. Diamondhead Media have certainly spared no expense in making this one of the best new women's promotions in North America. Quite a few of the original KOKORO wrestlers are making their returns, but the company is opening its doors to new blood as well. Big names in the American wrestling scene making their debut in K-USA include Myra Benedict, Gaia Brasher, Andrea Kristian, and Kiora Donavon. It's a really great group that should provide hours and hours of wrestling entertainment. anyway, K-USA's return show "Resurrection in Blood" took place over the weekend at the CEFCU Arena in Albany, New York, and I'm here to give you guys a rundown of what exactly happened.
K-USA #1 - RESURRECTION IN BLOOD
CEFCU Arena, Albany, New York
Attendance: 3,268
The show actually started off an hour early to accomodate for a press conference and group photos. Scottish-born Commissioner Kenna Calhoun welcomed everyone to the arena, and talked at length about what KOKORO USA would bring to an American market that for so long has been starving for top caliber women's wrestling. She made it clear that in KOKORO, there are no rules. She wants to keep the feel of the original KOKORO promotion from Japan intact. Furthermore she ensured fans that this wouldn't just be a garbage fed, as they can expect to see some of the cleanest wrestling around too. "K-USA brings together the best from every fighting style, including street fighting and the martial arts." A few of the original KOKORO wrestlers also made statements for the press, talking at length about KOKORO's success over in Japan. Sonya Benedict and Jayde Griffen in particular were especially passionate about the company and its highly anticipated return. Then came the group pictures, which some women weren't thrilled about, but others seemed to enjoy greatly. Nevertheless, with all that out of the way, the ring was cleared, the lights went down, and the show got underway.
[SINGLES MATCH]
Andrea Kristian vs. Matilda "The Homeless Inbred"
Matilda is a big-mouthed, beer-drinking brawler that the fans really didn't take a liking to right away. Andrea Kristian, on the other hand, instantly drew some fan support. But despite her heavy use of sexual innuendo, Andrea was extremely focused and vicious in the ring. Matilda brought quite a few weapons into play, but more often than not it was her that felt their wrath. Matilda did manage to hit a couple moves of her own, including a flapjack onto a pile of glass shards and thumbtacks that bloodied Andrea. But the Bi-Psycho seemed to feed off of the blood-loss, and finished Matilda off with her Crime of Passion.
WINNER: Andrea Kristian via pinfall after the Crime of Passion.
Post-match, Kiora Donavon came out, announcing her arrival in K-USA, and celebrating Andrea's vicdtory with a long kiss. She then announced that the two would be reforming the tag team Sex & Violence, which Andrea was once a part of with Dahlia Lincoln.
[SINGLES MATCH]
"Spitfire" Kyra Braddock vs. Azumi Tanaka
Azumi Tanaka came out first to Rise Against's "Broken English", getting a nice reaction from the crowd. But their tune soon changed with the cueing of "Don't Stop" by Innerpartysystem, and "Spitfire" Kyra Braddock's subsequent entrance. The cocky and confident Brit immediately drew their ire with a few harsh words for the Los Angeles based Japanese woman. Azumi responded in kind though, taking the fight to the much smaller Braddock. But Kyra's edge in experience proved invaluable, as Azumi made a few mistakes which Kyra took advantage of. She nearly got the submission with her hanging hammerlock, but Azumi showed great toughness fighting out of it. But then Braddock immediately caught her from behind with the lungblower.
WINNER: "Spitfire" Kyra Braddock via pinfall after the Acid Reflux.
[SINGLES MATCH]
Gaia "Bullhead" Brasher vs. Madison Pierce
"Don't Tread on Me" by Damn Yankees cued up, and the Albany, New York instantly recognized the 40-year-old Gaia Brasher as she made her way to the ring with her students in tow. Madison Pierce came out next, and got a good reaction from the crowd. But nowhere near as big as Gaia's. When the bell rang, the two shook hands in a show of mutual respect. But then the match was on, and there was no more friendliness. Size-wise, Madison was actually larger than Gaia, which doesn't happen often. But Brasher definitely had the huge experience edge. Pierce had her matched pretty well in the strength department, but Gaia was far better prepared for this match, focusing on Madison's back much of the time, using simple but very effective techniques to wear the Chicagoan down. Madison fought back hitting some nice suplexes and other power moves, but Gaia went after her back every chance she got, until putting her away with the Crybaby Cradle.
WINNER: Gaia "Bullhead" Brasher via submission with the Crybaby Cradle.
[TAG TEAM MATCH]
"Twilight Angel" Sonya Benedict & "Hunter Killer" Hannah Kristian vs. "La Onza" Mariana De Leon & Sadie "Mayhem" Morales
Sonya Benedict and Marian De Leon drew a lot of anticipation going into this card, but few had any idea what they were truly in for, not knowing what Hannah Kristian and Sadie Morales would deliver. But when the bell rang, they were treated to one of the best matches of the night. Sadie and Mariana workd surprisingly well together, as if there was some kind of connection between them, whereas Sonya and Hannah had a fair bit more difficulty gelling right away. Morales and De Leon worked well in isolating Kristian, using all the tricks in the book to punish the blonde beauty. Hannah eventually fought them off though, and made the hot tag to Benedict, who cleaned house. Sonya was on fire, hitting a flying jawbreaker straight out of the corner on "Mayhem", and then a Burning Sunset piledriver on Mariana. And she used weapons that they had brought into the match against them, including a Psycho Driver off the apron and through a table at ringside. She and Kristian started working in some good tag moves as well, before Benedict got the win with her Black Halo on Morales.
WINNERS: "Twilight Angel" Sonya Benedict & "Hunter Killer" Hannah Kristian via pinfall after Benedict hit Morales with the Black Halo.
The members of Team Taipan came out, lead by Sora Kawaii, and entered the ring. Kawaii got on the mic and talked to the crowd in pretty good English, about how fortunate and grateful her team is to have a member as the Heart of K-USA, but also no matter who wins tonight, to have another member challenging her for that belt. Inside the ring, each member has different ways of doing things, that others may not agree with. But she said that every member is on the team through a desire to be their absolute best. "No matter who wins tonight, and who wins in the title match, Team Taipan's legacy continues to grow."
[HEART OF K-USA CONTENDER'S TRIPLE THREAT MATCH]
"Black" Jayde Griffen vs. "Nightshade" Sora Kawaii vs. "Sugar Blossom" Izumi Sato
All three women exchanged bows, but then in typical fashion, Jayde Griffen struck first with a boot to Izumi Sato's stomach. The Team Taipan leader Sora Kawaii came at her, but Griffen was prepared for her, and took her down easily. She took the early advantage with some dirty tactics and high impact wrestling. She was able to match hold for hold with Kawaii, however Sato's judo and wrestling expertise easily outmatched her. Izumi wow'd the crowd on hand, wrestling rings around both of her larger, more experienced opponents. She used her quickness and aerials to keep them off balance, while showing some new moves as well. Like a top rope Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Eventually Jayde brought a chair into play, but Sora blasted it into her face with a nasty Yakuza kick. It looked like she would get the win there, but Sato pulled her off at the last minute. Sora and Izumi went toe-to-toe from there while Griffen recovered. But Kawaii was considerably stronger, and hit much harder. She even hit a sequence of rolling backdrop drivers, ending in a pinning bridge, but Sato couldn't be kept down. Soon Griffen got back into the mix with a snapmare driver on Sato, and then a KOKORO Cutter on Kawaii. She tried pinning Kawaii first, to no avail, and then tried the same on Sato. But Izumi got her shoulder up in the nick of time. Frustrated, Jayde started arguing with the ref, until Izumi rolled her up from behind. But Griffen got out of that predicament and leveled her. The match went on like this, for the most part staying inside the ropes. All three women got many close pinfalls, but nobody could score the win. But in the end, it was a tornado reverse STO that ended the match, shocking the crowd - who were on their feet the whole time.
WINNER: "Sugar Blossom" Izumi Sato via pinfall after the Pixie Twister.
Post-match, "Feel My Heart" by Every Little Thing cued up as Izumi's hand was raised in victory. The crowd gave all three women a standing ovation, but Jayde Griffen was none too pleased - walking out in a huff. Kawaii left soon after, letting Izumi soak in the crowd's adulation. But it was short-lived, as the Heart of K-USA, "Mockingbird" Nina Grimsson leapt the guardrail and entered the ring, decking Sato in the back of the head with her belt. But Nina didn't stop there, putting the new number one contendor on the top rope and nailing her Murderous Air Wave Drop onto the title belt. Satisfied, Nina exited the ring to a chorus of boos, leaving Izumi in a pool of her own blood.
K-USA #1 - RESURRECTION IN BLOOD
CEFCU Arena, Albany, New York
Attendance: 3,268
The show actually started off an hour early to accomodate for a press conference and group photos. Scottish-born Commissioner Kenna Calhoun welcomed everyone to the arena, and talked at length about what KOKORO USA would bring to an American market that for so long has been starving for top caliber women's wrestling. She made it clear that in KOKORO, there are no rules. She wants to keep the feel of the original KOKORO promotion from Japan intact. Furthermore she ensured fans that this wouldn't just be a garbage fed, as they can expect to see some of the cleanest wrestling around too. "K-USA brings together the best from every fighting style, including street fighting and the martial arts." A few of the original KOKORO wrestlers also made statements for the press, talking at length about KOKORO's success over in Japan. Sonya Benedict and Jayde Griffen in particular were especially passionate about the company and its highly anticipated return. Then came the group pictures, which some women weren't thrilled about, but others seemed to enjoy greatly. Nevertheless, with all that out of the way, the ring was cleared, the lights went down, and the show got underway.
[SINGLES MATCH]
Andrea Kristian vs. Matilda "The Homeless Inbred"
Matilda is a big-mouthed, beer-drinking brawler that the fans really didn't take a liking to right away. Andrea Kristian, on the other hand, instantly drew some fan support. But despite her heavy use of sexual innuendo, Andrea was extremely focused and vicious in the ring. Matilda brought quite a few weapons into play, but more often than not it was her that felt their wrath. Matilda did manage to hit a couple moves of her own, including a flapjack onto a pile of glass shards and thumbtacks that bloodied Andrea. But the Bi-Psycho seemed to feed off of the blood-loss, and finished Matilda off with her Crime of Passion.
WINNER: Andrea Kristian via pinfall after the Crime of Passion.
Post-match, Kiora Donavon came out, announcing her arrival in K-USA, and celebrating Andrea's vicdtory with a long kiss. She then announced that the two would be reforming the tag team Sex & Violence, which Andrea was once a part of with Dahlia Lincoln.
[SINGLES MATCH]
"Spitfire" Kyra Braddock vs. Azumi Tanaka
Azumi Tanaka came out first to Rise Against's "Broken English", getting a nice reaction from the crowd. But their tune soon changed with the cueing of "Don't Stop" by Innerpartysystem, and "Spitfire" Kyra Braddock's subsequent entrance. The cocky and confident Brit immediately drew their ire with a few harsh words for the Los Angeles based Japanese woman. Azumi responded in kind though, taking the fight to the much smaller Braddock. But Kyra's edge in experience proved invaluable, as Azumi made a few mistakes which Kyra took advantage of. She nearly got the submission with her hanging hammerlock, but Azumi showed great toughness fighting out of it. But then Braddock immediately caught her from behind with the lungblower.
WINNER: "Spitfire" Kyra Braddock via pinfall after the Acid Reflux.
[SINGLES MATCH]
Gaia "Bullhead" Brasher vs. Madison Pierce
"Don't Tread on Me" by Damn Yankees cued up, and the Albany, New York instantly recognized the 40-year-old Gaia Brasher as she made her way to the ring with her students in tow. Madison Pierce came out next, and got a good reaction from the crowd. But nowhere near as big as Gaia's. When the bell rang, the two shook hands in a show of mutual respect. But then the match was on, and there was no more friendliness. Size-wise, Madison was actually larger than Gaia, which doesn't happen often. But Brasher definitely had the huge experience edge. Pierce had her matched pretty well in the strength department, but Gaia was far better prepared for this match, focusing on Madison's back much of the time, using simple but very effective techniques to wear the Chicagoan down. Madison fought back hitting some nice suplexes and other power moves, but Gaia went after her back every chance she got, until putting her away with the Crybaby Cradle.
WINNER: Gaia "Bullhead" Brasher via submission with the Crybaby Cradle.
[TAG TEAM MATCH]
"Twilight Angel" Sonya Benedict & "Hunter Killer" Hannah Kristian vs. "La Onza" Mariana De Leon & Sadie "Mayhem" Morales
Sonya Benedict and Marian De Leon drew a lot of anticipation going into this card, but few had any idea what they were truly in for, not knowing what Hannah Kristian and Sadie Morales would deliver. But when the bell rang, they were treated to one of the best matches of the night. Sadie and Mariana workd surprisingly well together, as if there was some kind of connection between them, whereas Sonya and Hannah had a fair bit more difficulty gelling right away. Morales and De Leon worked well in isolating Kristian, using all the tricks in the book to punish the blonde beauty. Hannah eventually fought them off though, and made the hot tag to Benedict, who cleaned house. Sonya was on fire, hitting a flying jawbreaker straight out of the corner on "Mayhem", and then a Burning Sunset piledriver on Mariana. And she used weapons that they had brought into the match against them, including a Psycho Driver off the apron and through a table at ringside. She and Kristian started working in some good tag moves as well, before Benedict got the win with her Black Halo on Morales.
WINNERS: "Twilight Angel" Sonya Benedict & "Hunter Killer" Hannah Kristian via pinfall after Benedict hit Morales with the Black Halo.
The members of Team Taipan came out, lead by Sora Kawaii, and entered the ring. Kawaii got on the mic and talked to the crowd in pretty good English, about how fortunate and grateful her team is to have a member as the Heart of K-USA, but also no matter who wins tonight, to have another member challenging her for that belt. Inside the ring, each member has different ways of doing things, that others may not agree with. But she said that every member is on the team through a desire to be their absolute best. "No matter who wins tonight, and who wins in the title match, Team Taipan's legacy continues to grow."
[HEART OF K-USA CONTENDER'S TRIPLE THREAT MATCH]
"Black" Jayde Griffen vs. "Nightshade" Sora Kawaii vs. "Sugar Blossom" Izumi Sato
All three women exchanged bows, but then in typical fashion, Jayde Griffen struck first with a boot to Izumi Sato's stomach. The Team Taipan leader Sora Kawaii came at her, but Griffen was prepared for her, and took her down easily. She took the early advantage with some dirty tactics and high impact wrestling. She was able to match hold for hold with Kawaii, however Sato's judo and wrestling expertise easily outmatched her. Izumi wow'd the crowd on hand, wrestling rings around both of her larger, more experienced opponents. She used her quickness and aerials to keep them off balance, while showing some new moves as well. Like a top rope Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Eventually Jayde brought a chair into play, but Sora blasted it into her face with a nasty Yakuza kick. It looked like she would get the win there, but Sato pulled her off at the last minute. Sora and Izumi went toe-to-toe from there while Griffen recovered. But Kawaii was considerably stronger, and hit much harder. She even hit a sequence of rolling backdrop drivers, ending in a pinning bridge, but Sato couldn't be kept down. Soon Griffen got back into the mix with a snapmare driver on Sato, and then a KOKORO Cutter on Kawaii. She tried pinning Kawaii first, to no avail, and then tried the same on Sato. But Izumi got her shoulder up in the nick of time. Frustrated, Jayde started arguing with the ref, until Izumi rolled her up from behind. But Griffen got out of that predicament and leveled her. The match went on like this, for the most part staying inside the ropes. All three women got many close pinfalls, but nobody could score the win. But in the end, it was a tornado reverse STO that ended the match, shocking the crowd - who were on their feet the whole time.
WINNER: "Sugar Blossom" Izumi Sato via pinfall after the Pixie Twister.
Post-match, "Feel My Heart" by Every Little Thing cued up as Izumi's hand was raised in victory. The crowd gave all three women a standing ovation, but Jayde Griffen was none too pleased - walking out in a huff. Kawaii left soon after, letting Izumi soak in the crowd's adulation. But it was short-lived, as the Heart of K-USA, "Mockingbird" Nina Grimsson leapt the guardrail and entered the ring, decking Sato in the back of the head with her belt. But Nina didn't stop there, putting the new number one contendor on the top rope and nailing her Murderous Air Wave Drop onto the title belt. Satisfied, Nina exited the ring to a chorus of boos, leaving Izumi in a pool of her own blood.