Got my hands on three REINA shows from 2012 thanks to
http://www.ivpvideos.com - only $1.50 a download. Anyway, the 01/15 show has an awesome 2/3 falls title match for the CMLL Womens Title between defending champion Hailey Hatred and the challenger Ayumi Kurihara. Hatred is carving out a real career for herself in the joshi wrestling scene, but because she's not in the states all that often, and because joshi is hard to come by in this day and age, I often forget how good Hatred really is. She plays the powerful gaijin role well, and her offence looks great against the smaller Kurihara. Ayumi's no slouch though, repeatedly surprising Hailey with her speed and agility as she tries to turn the match in her favour. If there's one thing I could criticise, it's Ayumi's selling. In front of a particularly lively crowd you'd have expected Ayumi to evoke more sympathy, as she's often having to fight from under the much more powerful Hatred, but for much of the match the crowd is still split 50/50. The finishing sequence was a bit over the top too, one too many head-drops, but it made Hatred look strong. Still, despite my nitpicking, this is easily one of the best women's matches I've seen all year, well worth the asking price.
