It’s been a hectic week or so, meaning that I’m a little late to this show. Nonetheless, I heard great things and so, this’ll be the first of three reviews from this event. I’m ashamed to admit that my exposure to both Hazuki and Saya Kamitani is limited to clips and gifs, so I’m excited to even slightly change that here. This seems to be the consensus match of the night and it’s also first up of the three, so let’s sit down for some professional wrestling.
They work the mat early, soon increasing the pace as Hazuki scores first to an enthusiastic response. With even a moment’s control, Hazuki ups the ante, washing Kamitani’s face with her boot but eating a dropkick for her troubles. With that, this has immediately lost all control, as a brawl takes centre stage. Hazuki is strikingly explosive, scoring a sudden dive before again running her boot across Kamitani’s face. The intensity on display here is extraordinary, really adding an instant desperation to this match.
Hazuki is especially aggressive, wrestling viciously whenever sporting an advantage. Kamitani’s dropkick again comes in response though, offering a comeback that already feels imperative after sustaining a mere minute or two of control. The dropkick continues to serve Kamitani well throughout, setting the stage for a big springboard crossbody to the floor. That edge isn’t leaving Hazuki’s offence however, launching a pump kick that Kamitani responds to accordingly. They go back and forth in this domain, trading head kicks until both women are floored.
Hazuki takes a terrific whiplash bump on one of these, which only makes her retort more impactful. The pace increases again from there, with Kamitani regaining control as she heads up top for another dropkick. Three big suplexes follow but Hazuki survives, kicking out at 2 and then firing back with a superb sequence of moves. This epic combination comes with such character too, as Hazuki stumbles from one blow to the next, wrestling frantically as she looks to take Kamitani’s title
There’s this palpable sense that after such a wild shootout, Hazuki’s window is already closing, resulting in a wonderfully hectic performance. No matter what she tries though, Hazuki can’t quite close the show, with Kamitani producing some dramatic late kickouts as the challenger lands just about every move she can muster. With each near fall, Hazuki becomes more desperate, walking into a counter as Kamitani almost snatches a win from the jaws of defeat, then landing a violent knee to reset things.
Bombs follow, as these two return to that initial exchange, launching forearms at one another before again increasing the pace. This is breath-taking stuff, an absolute thriller that just refuses to let you leave the edge of your seat. It’s never showy in that regard either, with the result always feeling totally central as both women frantically chase the three count. On one pin, Hazuki even grabs Kamitani’s hair, just trying anything possible to hold the champion’s shoulders to the mat.
The kickouts on both sides are weakening though, especially from Hazuki after her outburst failed to close the show. At that point, Kamitani produces her own offensive salvo, getting the job done at last to remain champion. Somehow, this match was supposedly 22 minutes long, which I simply refuse. The pacing here is unbelievable, often feeling like a sprint without ever sacrificing any gravity. Instead, this felt like the fight of their lives, with that hectic nature only increasing the drama.
There are very few matches in 2023 thus far that I’d deem better than this, and I say that without any context or investment in either wrestler. Hazuki was especially staggering here, wrestling with a truly refreshing desire to win. Kamitani matched her admirably on that front too, resulting in one of the most exciting matches in recent memory. This was simply incredible, a match that manages to thrill while maintaining the stature of a pivotal title tilt.
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