Kaoru Ito and Mariko Yoshida vs. Tokyo Sweethearts (Manami Toyota and Mima Shimoda) for the WWWA World Tag Team Championship, from AJW Zenjo Brightest 1996 Night 23

I’ve come to expect a lot from classic AJW, but I was still shocked with how well this held up. The challengers don’t have as many killer moves as the champions, but they are principled and patient with what they have, a story beat they’re able to convey while also keeping up a relentless pace. It’s all the little bits of stage direction, a moment of grandstanding cut down by an offscreen dive or Ito repeatedly going for the double stomp because why not, that render this compelling, as well as some of the most convincing near-falls I’ve ever seen.

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