It’s time to see who will win the Japanese Bracket of the AEW Women’s World Title Eliminator tournament. Ryo Mizunami was able to beat fan favorite Maki Itoh and a living legend in Aja Kong to get here. Meanwhile, Yuka Sakazaki beat Mei Sugura and Emi Sakura to reach this match. These are two of the best Japan has to offer, and both will be showing up more on AEW Dynamite in due time, but only one will reach the true finals, and that’s whoever wins.
Ryo Mizunami Shows Her Power Edge
Mizunami would crush the hand in the opening handshake, showing her clear power edge over Sakazaki. Sakazaki went for the waist lock, but Mizunami would grab the arm and despite the best efforts of Sakazaki, maintained control. Mizunami would only be beaten by Sakazaki in speed, so Sakazaki flipped on the ropes and took her down with a wrist lock. Sakazaki got moving with some dropkicks, Mizunami shrugging off the damage.
Mizunami would be then hit with some pinfall attempts by Sakazaki, before she’d flee the ring to stop wasting energy kicking out. Sakazaki hit a dropkick through the ropes to let Mizunami know she’s not safe anywhere. Back in the ring, Sakazaki hit a low dropkick on the leg of Mizunami, trying to maintain the high ground. Mizunami however would hit the scoop slam and a jumping leg drop for a near fall.
Sakazaki would be locked in a chinlock, and forced to crawl with Mizunami’s weight on her back to the ropes. She’d get no rest as Mizunami went for some Satoshi Kojima style machine gun chops. Sakazaki would dodge and block the last chops, before hitting a running hurricanrana and then applying a calf slicer. Mizunami would then be run over with a big lariat, before coming back with a wheelbarrow German Suplex.
Yuka Sakazaki Fights Until The Very End
A big clothesline from Mizunami would be followed up with a running leg drop, before applying a head & arm choke. This move beat Maki Itoh in the first round, but Sakazaki wasn’t done yet. She’d apply a triangle choke on Mizunami, who was quickly on the verge of passing out. Mizunami got the rope, and took her second wind to hit a big overhead belly to belly suplex and another lariat.
Sakazaki would throw some deadly strikes and rock Mizunami, before hitting the low Gamiguri Kick. Mizunami would be hit with the Magical Girl Splash, but kicked out at two. Next, Sakazaki went for the Magical Girl 450, but Mizunami slipped out of the way. She’d nail a high angle uranage on Sakazaki, before setting up a torture rack. Sakazaki slipped into a pinfall, getting a two count before trying again with a running hurricanrana.
Mizunami came back with a hard spear, before driving Sakazaki into the mat for the finish! It was not an easy fight, perhaps both women’s best match in AEW yet, and now Mizunami moves to the total finals. Ryo Mizunami wins the Japanese side of the bracket, and will now face the winner of tonight’s Main Event and Nyla Rose, a match tomorrow evening.
This was an absolute war from start to finish, with both women giving their all from bell to bell. Ryo Mizunami never looked better in AEW than in this match, one which was one of the best in the history of the AEW Women’s Divison. Both Mizunami & Sakazaki deserve to be at the top of this division. Match Rating: 4.25/5 (**** 1/4)
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