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The AEW Women's World Championship Eliminator kicked off the bracket's Japan side with four exciting first-round matches in the AEW tournament.
Thunder Rosa has already qualified for the semifinals of the AEW tournament's American bracket. In case you didn't know, the winners of the American and Japanese brackets will face each other in the grand finals of the AEW Women's title eliminator.
Let's not waste any time and get to some classic Joshi action. The AEW matches were taped at Emi Sakura's Ice Ribbon Dojo in a closed set in Japan.
#1. Mei Suruga vs. "The Magical Girl" Yuka Sakazaki (AEW Women's Title Eliminator first-round match)
Both women began the AEW tournament match with some good sportswomanship before the gong went off. Yuka had wrist control early on, but Suruga escaped with a series of rolls. Suruga executed an arm drag before taking Sakazaki on a ride with the Oklahoma roll. The pin got her a 2-count.
Sakazaki fought back by sending Suruga face-first into the turnbuckle. Yuka took Suruga down with a shoulder tackle. Both women put together a fast-paced sequence that ended with Sakazaki landing a scoop suplex.
The Magical Girl began wearing her opponent down with precise body strikes. Yuka wrenched back on Suruga before going up to the top. Sakazaki avoided contact with a cartwheel across the ropes.
She then transitioned to an STF after evading a few incoming strikes. Suruga pulled Sakazaki across the ring to reach out for the ropes.
Yuka applied the straightjacket, but Surugu valiantly caught the bottom rope. Suruga fired back with a kick, followed by an unorthodox leg sweep before sending Sakazaki into the corner with the hammer throw. Suruga then dropped her opponent with a body slam in the middle of the ring.
Suruga stretched Sakazaki's neck before coming back up. She then focussed on Sakazaki's knees. She arched back to lock in the inverted double underhooks. Incredible sequence! The technical skills involved here were exemplary.
Sakazaki made it to the bottom rope, and ref Tommy called for the break. Suruga elevated herself to the middle rope and connected with a diving double ax handle.
Sakazaki got back with a kick and followed it with a diving back elbow from the top rope. She was back in the driving seat. Yuka held Suruga up high in the vertical suplex position before dropping her down with the brainbuster.
Yuka looked for the Magical Girl Splash, but Suruga had her scouted. Yuka went over the top and got caught in a crossbody. Yuka used her opponent's momentum to get a near fall.
Back on their feet, both women battled in a back-and-forth exchange that ended with another near fall. Suruga got a very near fall, too, with a body scissors pin. She used great bridging techniques to continue the submission onslaught.
Yuka rolled through and connected with a kick to the face, followed by a sliding lariat and near fall. Yuka finally laid out Suruga with a Northern Lights bomb. She climbed up to the top rope and connected with the Magical Girl 450 splash. 1...2...3! Phenomenal opening match.
Result: "The Magical Girl" Yuka Sakazaki def. Mei Suruga to the next round of the AEW Women's Title Eliminator tournament
Grade: A
#2. Veny vs. Emi Sakura (AEW Women's Title Eliminator first-round match)
Veny began the AEW tournament match well with a drop step to get behind Emi, who got back with a front chancery. Sakura delivered the Mongolian chops. She brought Veny back to her feet and sent her flying across the ring. Emi's hair whips were vicious!
Sakura locked in the Romero Special on Veny, who writhed in pain. Sakura shoved her boot into Veny's face in the corner. It was all Emi!
Emi's brutal chops were finding their mark. Veny responded with a back handspring elbow. She leaped over the top and followed with a strike and a diving crossbody.
Sakura rolled over to the outside. Veny went to the top and crashed onto Sakura on the floor with the Orihara moonsault. Veny looked for the springboard attack, but Sakura broke her momentum. Emi executed a neck breaker and a flipping senton. She didn't go for the pin and preferred to talk trash at Veny.
Sakura targeted Veny with an underhook backbreaker, but Veny stopped her at the top with a Venus hammer uppercut. Veny then dropped Sakura with the springboard variation of a side headlock takedown.
Sakura was down in the corner, and Veny connected with a running shooting star press for a near fall.
Veny showed perseverance in the AEW match, but Sakura turned it around with a standing dragon sleeper hold. 'We will rock you' chants melodically echoed around the empty hall.
She stunned Veny with a diving crossbody in the corner followed by a Vader bomb. Veny got her knees up in time to counter the second Vader bomb. Veny stepped over and locked in a submission move, which could have been the end of the AEW match.
Sakura somehow broke the hold and connected with a big right. Sakura followed a leg kick with a monstrous chop.
Veny reacted with a roundhouse kick, and she got two near falls with subsequent kicking combos. Sakura responded with Angel's Wings. Both competitors were down in the intense AEW match.
They got up to the feet and traded punches, forearm strikes, and headbutts in the middle of the ring. This was a stiff battle!
Both women weren't willing to back down as they matched each other blow for blow. Sakura was on her roller skates as she ate almost a dozen different strikes. Veny went up and delivered the shotgun dropkick for another near fall.
Back on the feet, Sakura landed a left for a quick fall. A pinning sequence ended in a stalemate as ten minutes had elapsed in the AEW match. Sakura charged in for a right but got rocked with a leg lariat from Veny.
Veny then delivered a sit-out chokeslam for yet another near fall. She was looking for the big moonsault press from the top, but Sakura rolled in.
Emi went for the cradle pin, but Veny was kicked out. The veteran rolled into a Dragon Sleeper hold as Veny began to fade. Sakura finished the AEW match with the Tiger Driver. Another great match!
Result: Emi Sakura def. Veny to advance to the next round of the AEW Women's Title Eliminator tournament
Grade: A
#3. Maki Itoh vs. Ryo Mizunami (AEW Women's Title Eliminator first-round match)
Itoh's entrance for the AEW tournament match was an elaborate song-and-dance routine. Mizunami was all fired up for the AEW contest, and the match kicked off after a handshake. Itoh backed Mizunami into the ropes and rocked her with a big right. Itoh taunted, and she got a big strike for all her troubles. Itoh began crying, but it was all an act as she connected with a cheap shot.
Itoh's shenanigans were quite amusing to watch, but Mizunami was having none of it. She took control of the match with a big shoulder tackle. Mizunami executed a scoop slam-leg drop combo for a two-count.
Mizunami connected with a barrage of Satoshi Kojima-esque chops in the corner. She sent Itoh to the other corner and ran in for an elbow strike and a clothesline.
Itoh fired in a few ineffective shots, but she still created some separation with a hammerlock DDT. Itoh then rallied for her comeback with a back elbow followed by a bulldog.
Itoh connected with the right-hand punches in the corner, followed by one of her signature moves. Itoh got a two-count. She continued looking for the finish with a Boston crab.
Mizunami broke out of it with a few knuckle push-ups. She delivered a tremendous powerslam for a two-count. Itoh then got rolled over with a clothesline. Mizunami landed a leg drop for a near fall, but Itoh was not out of the fight yet as she let her hands loose.
Both women exchanged rights. Mizunami asked for Itoh to bring it, and she indeed did! Itoh landed a flurry of forearm strikes, but Mizunami absorbed it all and exploded.
Mizunami took Itoh down with a massive chop and lariat. Itoh, however, rolled through in the following sequence and locked Mizunami in a single-leg Boston crab.
Mizunami flipped over and got back to her feet. Itoh connected with two hard headbutts, and Mizunami tried to shake off the cobwebs.
Itoh's head was just too hard for Mizunami! They engaged in a headbutt power struggle in the middle of the ring. Itoh won the exchange and delivered two DDTs, but Mizunami still managed to kick out in the AEW match and stay alive in the AEW Women's title eliminator tournament.
Itoh went to the top rope for the Kokeshi, aka the diving headbutt, but Mizunami moved out.
Mizunami got up and cut Itoh in half with a brutal spear. Itoh kicked out, but Mizunami swiftly locked in the head-and-arm triangle choke. Mizunami rag-dolled Itoh, who was in a tight vice-like grip.
Itoh had no option but to tap out in the first-round AEW tournament match.
Result: Ryo Mizunami def. Maki Itoh to advance to the next round of the AEW Women's Title Eliminator tournament
Grade: B+
#4. Main Event: Aja Kong vs. Rin Kadokura (AEW Women's Title Eliminator first-round match)
It was time for the main event of the AEW show. Rin Kadokura came out with her WAVE Tag Team Championship belt around her waist. The legendary Aja Kong made her entrance, and the final match of the show got underway with Kadokura laying in the shots.
Kong was unfazed as Kodokura continued to hammer away with strikes. Kong shut Rin down with a lariat. Kadokura continued to fight, but Kong dropped her with a clubbing strike followed by a diving elbow. She got three two-counts for the combination.
Kadokura kept trying to punch her way back into the match, but Kong was just too mighty. Aja toyed around with her opponent by connecting with a couple of palm strikes.
Kadokura got spiked on the top of her head with an unforgiving piledriver. Kadokura finally countered with a DDT and a diving dropkick against the ropes.
Kadokura's comeback looked promising as she caught Kong on the shoulder with a dropkick from the top. Kong quickly grabbed the bottom rope, showcasing her elite ring generalship. Kadokura fired in the elbows and baited Kong with a crucifix.
Kong just sat on Kadokura for a pin. She followed it up with a kick to the ribs.
Kong attempted the backdrop driver, but Kadokura fought out of the headlock. Aja dropped Kadokura with another clubbing strike before casually going for a pin.
Kadokura stopped Kong on the middle rope and sent her crashing on the mat. Kadokura delivered a tornado DDT followed by a flipping senton in the corner that gave her a two-count. Kadokura missed the top-rope Mariposa and left herself vulnerable to the backdrop driver.
Kong connected it and got a near fall. Rin countered a brainbuster but got caught in a massive clothesline. Kadokura kicked out again, and Kong looked irritated. The veteran finally went up top and executed a big diving elbow for the win.
Result: Aja Kong def. Rin Kadokura to advance to the next round of the AEW Women's Title Eliminator tournament
Grade: B
Aja Kong moves on to the semifinals of the AEW tournament, where she will face Ryo Mizunami. Emi Sakura will take on Yuka Sakazaki in the other semifinals match. Serena Deeb will face Riho on the next AEW Dynamite episode in a first-round match from the American bracket.
We'll leave you with the updated brackets for the AEW Women's World Championship Eliminator tournament.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
