Today we will see WWE host Survivor Series 2020. Their latest annual show dedicated to 10-person elimination tag matches, in the past they were 8-person tags. Throughout the years many legendary names have competed in these matches. One match in particular stands out to us though, in 1995 WWF hosted Team Bertha Faye vs Team Alundra Blayze as a number of women from the famous All Japan Women’s Pro Wrestling (AJW) competed on both sides, in fact, every single member of the match had ties to AJW. This wasn’t the first time the two promotions worked together but never before had it happened on such a scale. Let’s take a look at some of the names that took part in the match and their ties to AJW.
Aja Kong
One of the all-time greats Aja Kong was an absolute monster and in 1995 was at the peak of her powers. After defeating Bull Nakano and ending her historic reign as WWWA Champion (the top title in AJW) Aja Kong took over as the top star of the company, holding the title for over 800 days. She was also a multiple-time WWWA Tag Team Champion as well as All Pacific Champion, AJW Champion, and Japanese Tag Team Champion. Kong still wrestles to this day.
Bertha Faye
monster ripper having her way with mimi hagawara pic.twitter.com/Vw7ZoVmxNA
— emil (@TheEmilJay) December 26, 2018
Before joining the WWF Bertha Faye was known as Monster Ripper and spent many years as a monstrous presence in AJW. Her time there primarily came in the ’80s when she was opposite Jaguar Yokota. She was a two-time WWWA Champion and unfortunately passed away at the age of 40 in 2001.
Lioness Asuka
https://twitter.com/i/status/1303338774785646596
Lioness Asuka is one of the biggest legends in AJW history. As part of the Crush Gals alongside Chigusa Nagayo, she helped Japanese women’s wrestling enter a boom period in the ’80s. She was also in the first three women’s matches to get 5 stars from Dave Meltzer. Asuka was known for her impressive Giant Swing, a move now done by Cesaro.
Tomoko Watanabe
When this match took place Watanabe was little more than a midcard act in AJW. Within a few years she would become one of their best tag team performers. She went on to have five runs as WWWA World Tag Team Champion, and two as All Pacific Champion. Watanabe still wrestles to this day as a member of Marvelous.
Alundra Blayze
Before she was WWF’s women’s division figurehead Alundra Blayze spent time wrestling in Japan. She worked in AJW as Madusa Micelli in 1990 and 1991. She never won a title there but spent time at the top of the card challenging Asuka for the WWWA title, she later joined Aja Kong’s Jungle Jack faction.
Chaparita Asari
Beautiful Sky Twister Press to the floor by Chaparita Asari. pic.twitter.com/kvqoTKra2X
— Allan (@allan_cheapshot) August 18, 2017
One of the most effortless high flyers of all time Chaparita Asari was always restricted by her size. She never won any of AJW’s top titles but she did dominate the WWWA Super Lightweight Championship scene. While Japan wasn’t the place for her she could have been a big star in the USA
Kyoko Inoue
Kyoko Inoue was one of AJW’s marquee names in the ’90s. From her time teaming with Bull Nakano to her departure, she was a popular star. Just before she left in 1997 she held the three top titles in AJW at the same time. A top-tier wrestler she has the second-most 5-star matches of any women’s wrestler ever and had many classics in AJW. She still wrestles and over the course of her career has won over 30 championships.
Sakie Hasegawa
blizzard yuki (aka sakie hasegawa) catches mariko yoshida slipping and kicks her head clear to knock her off guard pic.twitter.com/QiTOxL6Lfz
— crash and burn holly (@gifapalooza) September 4, 2020
A relative unknown compared to the other performers in this match Sakie Hasegawa unfortunately had her career cut short due to injuries in 1996. She was one of AJW’s most talented performers, especially in tag team matches. If not for her injuries we have no doubt she would have been WWWA Champion eventually.
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