One of my new favourite wrestlers over the last year is Command Bolshoi. She’s one of the all-time great technical wrestlers, a great flyer, a great brawler, and an ace of comedy matches.

On her YouTube channel, she is uploaded most of her JWP career! I thought it would be a great idea to review many of these, which I started on pro wrestling only. Volume 1 is on this very blog.

For the Greatest Wrestler Ever project I am focussed on ranking each year and currently, I am focussing on 2001, so here are all the 2001 Bolshoi matches I can find!

Command Bolshoi vs Azumi Hyuga
“JWP Openweight Championship”
JWP
February 18, 2001
Differ Ariake

Bolshoi came in as the champion and this was a great main event big title change! Bolshoi had the advantage in strikes and submissions, while Hyuga has the speed and flying advantage, so both tried to play to their strengths throughout the match. It was a great dynamic.

It’s amazing how often I find a new cool counter by Bolshoi in a match, this time coming off the ropes and looking to be hit by a powerbomb, but turned it into a triangle choke. Hyuga wasn’t to be out down in counters as later on Bolshoi went for a moonsualt, but ate two boots to the face for her trouble!

The last few minutes of Bolshoi trying to keep Hyuga down with the palm strike only for Hyuga to be in the ropes or to drop from exhaustion causing a miss was tremendous. When Bolshoi finally hit it, you thought it was over! Hyuga just had enough to barely kick out. After some tremendous nearfalls, Hyuga hit the Michonoku Driver to win the title.

Rating: 8.5/10

Command Bolshoi, Azumi Hyuga, Kayoko Haruyama, & Tsubasa Kuragaki
vs
Acute Sae, Kana Mizaki, Kaori Yoneyama, & Ran YuYu
JWP
April 20, 2001

There was a giant swing train and later on an airplane spin, so this match is a win. Lots of awesome spots, but this was pretty much a fun house show match.

Rating: Fun

Command Bolshoi vs Tsubasa Kuragaki
JWP Beauty
August 31, 2001
Itabashi Green Hall

This is an early version of this matchup that a few years later becomes magic. There are glimpses of that magic here, but this isn’t hitting their usual standard yet.

Rating: 6.75/10

Command Bolshoi & GAMI vs Azumi Hyuga & Kayoko Haruyama
“JWP Tag Team Champiosnhip”
JWP Flappers
September 10, 2001
Cinema Club

Weird note, this is shot from above the ring looking down. It’s an interesting perspective to watch a match on TV. Makes you feel like you are live.

Bolshoi and GAMI are a really good team. GAMI clearly makes Bolshoi work more like a heel and she’s great when she’s mean. Hyuga and Haruyama are a great face team to go against and take the titles from. The intensity of Bolshoi and GAMI really make this match.

Rating: 7/10

Command Bolshoi & Ran YuYu vs Azumi Hyuga & Kyoko Inoue
JWP Cannavaro
November 13, 2001
Cinema Club

This was an awesome high-action tag match. Everyone contributed great moments to this. Hyuga had the most time in the match and really shined through as a great talent. I did love Bolshoi’s interactions as she did something she always does, where she fits into the match and doesn’t try to overshadow others.

Rating: 8/10

Command Bolshoi vs Azumi Hyuga
JWP Cannavaro
November 21, 2001
Itabashi Green Hall

A great match that was mostly built around respect and trying to outwork the opponent on the mat and with submissions. That was all good, because both are awesome at that, especially Bolshoi. The match really picked up when then went to the floor and Bolshoi hit a vicious palm strike knocking Hyuga into chairs. Hyuga answered in kind relying on vicious knee strikes leading to a very exciting finish.

Rating: 8/10

Command Bolshoi vs Kayoko Haruyama
JWP
December 9, 2001
Differ Ariake

This was great! Haruyama attacks Bolshoi before the introductions and destroys her on the floor. The bulk of the match is Haruyama trying to put Bolshoi away, but Bolshoi was a tremendous babyface here. Her selling was tremendous and the kick outs were dramatic including bridging out of pins. She would also use kip-ups as hope spots.

When Bolshoi makes her comeback it’s awesome, including great moments on the ramp and brawling on the floor. When it gets back in the ring it’s intense and looks like it could go either way. The finish may have been a little anti-climactic, but I loved this.

Rating: 8.75/10

Command Bolshoi vs Kaori Yoneyama
JWP Beleza
December 18, 2001
Itabashi Green Hall

Yoneyama is less than two years into her career at this point and this is an opener that goes ten minutes, so your expectations can’t be too high. It’s really solid though and Bolshoi makes Yoneyama look like she can hang. The last couple of minutes really heats up.

Rating: solid

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