Mar. 1, 2013 - Athena Pro

[Deleted]

Athena Pro - Mar. 1

Unified Tag Team Title Contender's Gauntlet
Team Kick Out, Dancing Queens, Syuri & Act Yasukawa, Nakagawa & Yoneyama, Martini & Taya
1. Gauntlet Match
2. Gauntlet Match
3. Gauntlet Match
4. Gauntlet Final Match
5. Gail Kim, Hiroyo Matsumoto & Cherry vs Dark Angel, Ramu Endo & Kana

Before the Unified Tag Team Title Contender’s Gauntlet begins, the Blossom twins walk to ringside. Hannah is carrying a picnic basket and Holly is carrying a small folding picnic table. Holly unfolds the table and sets it up and places a checked cloth over it. Hannah opens the picnic basket and takes out a box of cupcakes and a jar of milk. They sit at the table, ready for the matches.

---

Unified Tag Team Title Contender’s Gauntlet

Just their second week as a team, Evie & Yuhi have their opportunity to prove themselves as challengers for the Unified Tag Team Titles. They look very confident as they come to the ring. Nobody is sure what to think of Act Yasukawa & Syuri as a team, but the fans do know to reign down boos on both of them. Act smiles and gives the fans a one-finger salute while Syuri has a blank expression on her face. Evie & Yuhi and Syuri have a staredown in the middle of the ring while Act leans back in the corner taking a swig from her bottle.

Syuri starts the match against Yuhi. If this match wasn’t in a wrestling ring it could easily be mistaken for a kick boxing match. Yuhi and Evie are both happy to test their martial arts skills against Syuri while Syuri remains placid. Yuhi & Evie make frequent tags while Syuri seems determined to go it alone. Yuhi & Evie wear down Syuri to the point where Syuri makes a tag to Act.

Act comes in full of energy but is immediately flattened by Yuhi’s jumping back kick. Syuri finally shows some emotion as she rolls her eyes in disgust. Act scrambles back to the corner to make a tag. When she holds up her hand, Syuri drops to the floor and walks off. Act gets up and is yelling for Syuri to come back. Yuhi spins through the ropes and catches Act with two boots in the gut. Act stumbles back and is caught with a superkick from Evie. Evie covers Act and gets the three count
Evie pinned Act Yasukawa with a superkick

---

Unified Tag Team Title Contender’s Gauntlet

TKO’s second match will be a very different test. Martini & Taya are all about their power game. Taya & Martini come to the ring, wearing their Chiefs jerseys again. Evie and Yuhi are staying loose by doing some light stretches. Taya shows off her flexibility by dropping down into the splits. Yuhi smiles and fires a kick just over Taya’s head. The ref calls for the bell.

Yuhi fires another kick, narrowly missing Taya again but sending Taya off balance. Yuhi goes for a cover but Taya throws her off easily. They both get back to their feet at the same time. Yuhi ducks a clothesline from Taya and kicks her in the leg. Taya tries for another clothesline but Yuhi ducks again and lands another kick to Taya’s leg. Yuhi snaps off a couple more solid kicks to Taya’s leg. Taya is limping already as she hops back to her corner and tags in Martini. Yuhi also tags out to Evie.

Martini cautiously circles around to avoid Evie’s kicks. Martini manages to catch one of Evie’s kicks, lift Evie and slams her. Still holding Evie’s leg, Martini turns her over into a single leg Boston Crab. Tomoka Nakagawa and Kaori Yoneyama run to ringside. Taya jumps to the floor to chase them off. With Taya distracted, Yoshiko comes into the ring. Yoshiko smiles at Martini and kicks Evie in the head. The ref calls for the bell.
Taya Valkyrie & Martini Ip are disqualified. Winners by disqualification, TKO

---

Unified Tag Team Title Contender’s Gauntlet

While Evie and Yuhi are calmly waiting in the ring. Nakagawa and Yoneyama are brawling with Martini and Taya in the aisle. Officials finally break up the fight and Yoneyama & Nakagawa make their way to the ring. The ref calls for the bell.

Evie and Yoneyama start the match. Evie keeps Yoneyama off balance with her kicks. Yoneyama’s experience starts to pay off and she turns the match around. Yoneyama and Nakagawa have control of the match for several minutes. Nakagawa has Yuhi in trouble. Nakagawa sets Yuhi up for a Bridging suplex when LuFisto shows up at ringside. LuFisto jumps up on the ring apron, distracting the referee. With the ref distracted, Taya and Martini come into the ring from the other side and attack Nakagawa and Yoneyama. Martini spears Yoneyama off the apron and Taya hits Nakagawa with a sit-out full nelson bomb. Martini and Taya take off back through the crowd. LuFisto drops down to the floor and walks away. When the ref turns back around, Yuhi has Nakagawa rolled up. The ref makes the three count.
Yuhi pinned Tomoka Nakagawa with a roll up

---

Unified Tag Team Title Contender’s Gauntlet Final

Each match in tonight’s gauntlet has had a controversial finish with TKO managing to come out on top each time. Will that trend continue here in the final? Evie and Yuhi get a bit of a chuckle when they see The Dancing Queens dancing down the aisle and around ringside as ‘Dancing Queen’ plays. Hikaru and Miyako come into the ring and continue dancing while Evie and Yuhi look on, bemused. The ref calls for the bell.

Evie and Hikaru start the match. Hikaru shows her experience by dancing away from Evie’s kicks. Hikaru surprises Evie when she catches one of Evie’s kicks and returns one of her own. Hikaru uses this opening to take control of the action for a few minutes before Evie can make a tag to Yuhi. Hikaru tags out to Miyako.

Hikaru’s momentum is snuffed out when Yuhi flattens Miyako with a rolling kick. Miyako tumbles out to the floor. Yuhi goes to the floor. Yuhi lifts Miyako and rolls her back into the ring. Yuhi doesn’t see Hikaru make a hot tag. Miyako rolls back out, followed by Yuhi. Miyako slides back in and backs off to a corner on the far side of the ring. Yuhi is stalking Miyako. Hikaru charges and drives Yuhi into the turnbuckle with a double knee strike. Hikaru grabs Yuhi in a double underhook and rolls her up with the Shidax Q. The ref makes the three count.
Hikaru Shida pinned Yuhi with the Shidax Q
The Dancing Queens win the Unified Tag Team Title Contenders Gauntlet

---

Gail, Hiroyo and Cherry come to the ring with Shae Guevara to a chorus of boos. Dark Angel, Ramu and Kana come out to the cheers of the fans. Both teams engage in a staredown in the middle of the ring.

All six girls are on top of their game as the match transitions back and forth for almost 10 minutes. There was pin attempts and submission attempts from both sides but escapes and saves were made from both teams. At the end, Dark Angel, Ramu and Kana have Cherry trapped on their side of the ring. Ramu lifts Cherry and drops her on the top turnbuckle. Ramu climbs to the top turnbuckle, double underhooks Cherry and takes her over with a superplex. Ramu holds on to Cherry, rolls over and bridges into a Cattle Mutilation. Cherry has no choice but to tap out.
Ramu Endo forces Cherry to submit to the Cattle Mutilation

[Deleted]

The match writing and storytelling was superb here, and I must say that was a big pinfall for Yuhi to go over a veteran like Tomoko, and she is quickly becoming a favorite. I really like the gauntlet matches you promote and the stories entwined in them. I like Hikaru and Miyako a lot, so seeing them come out on top wasn't a bad thing. Nice rub for Ramu there, who looked really good alongside two stellar tag team partners.