Combat Toyoda vs. Megumi Kudo

[10.0] "The best barbed wire match I've ever seen. Hell, it's probably the best FMW match ever, for that matter. Megumi and Toyoda do something that's totally logical yet completely novel for a gimmick match of the sort; they opt to have a REAL pro wrestling match *despite* the ring being surrounded by barbed wire. There's never that cornball moment where they try to grind each others' noses into the wire and they're somehow able to stop themselves like two centimeters away from making contact. It's more like "we're going to beat the crap out of each other and if one of us gets blown up in the process, so be it." After the first exposure Toyoda resolves herself to power move Kudo into oblivion, then she starts breaking out the submissions. Atsushi Onita himself is in the crowd and the dude is CRYING watching these two women annihilate each other and I don't care who you are, that's a POWERFUL moment in wrestling. And good lord, that German suplex into the exploding wire! I don't think it's physically possible for a spot to look that good without a subsequent wrongful death lawsuit. By the time Kudo lands the CRISPIEST Vertebreaker in the history of wrestling you'll KNOW you witnessed something truly special and something utterly irreplicable. The post-match stuff, which involves both women crying on the floor and bleeding all over each other, is one of those rare transcendent moments in wrestling that actually feels like "real" art."

[10.0] "My all time favorite barbed wire match, the pacing adds so much to the drama & tension with how serious the outcome is. There is an untouchable aura and neither hold anything back, unleashing the full force of their arsenal while remaining focused and determined. The Kudo Driver finish is iconic and all the post match scenes just further add to the spectacle. Love everything about it."

[9.0] "Builds tensions really well with the slow start, teasing pushing each other onto the barbed wire ropes which means that when it does come it means so much more. Both women battled tremendously well, going through hell to get to the end. As the tension built, so did the heaviness of the match, along with stronger moves being performed in a desperate attempt to put the other down."

[9.0] "An absolute masterclass in tension building. The way these two build to the first impact with the exploding barbed wire is absolutely phenomenal. They both try their best tp avoid it early on with both of them coming extremely close on a few occasions, but eventually it's Kudo who get dropkicked into it and because of all the great work that both women did at building to that spot, it's made to feel all the more impactful. I think there's only 4 times in the entire match that the exploding barbed wire comes into play and each time it feels like such a huge moment because of how well both women were able to build tension leading up to the payoff of them coming into contact with the barbed wire. The final barbed wire spot in this is pretty wild with Toyoda nailing a German suplex which makes both her and Kudo disappear into an explosion of sparks. The match doesnt end with that though, as there is some more fantastic work which goes on afterwards. Both women are absolutely spent after that spot so both are running on fumes heading into the closing stretch. Kudo is able to get the advantage and nail some brutal looking suplexes and powerbombs which Toyoda is somehow able to kick out of. The emotion is pretty high here too with this being Toyoda's retirement match, making each kick out feel all the more desperate as she fights hard to not lose her final match. Eventually though, she is put down with this brutal vertebreaker from Kudo which dumps her directly on her neck. There was a bit of stalling here, especially after the third impact with the barbed wire, but for the most part i thought this was pretty fantastically paced and fantastically wrestled and featured some brilliant performances by both women and i thought the context of the match added a lot of emotion too. ****3/4"

[10.0] "My Favorite women's match of all time bar none. Last night I finally got around to watching the highest rated FMW match and I was completely blown away by what I saw. Tension, emotion and just great wrestling make this match just out of this world. Also, them cutting to Onita every few minutes crying as he watches on is just the cherry on top. Im not sure if the post match locker room footage is out there yet but I own the DVD and it is one of the most moving moments I've seen as a wrestling fan, just a lot of sobbing. They used the ropes to great effect and got me a few times when I thought either one would hit it but slid to stop. A side rant about Meltzer that I never liked about him is that I always felt like he looked down on death matches If they weren't high flying. I mean really? three and a half seems low but my fellow compatriots seem to have seen the light Dave couldn't. *****"

[9.0] "Tension is everything in wrestling, and this is an utter master class is using tension and anticipation to produce something astonishingly good. Every single little thing they do have meaning and risk and tension. Stick around for the post match tears in the dressing room even with the dreadful 90s backing track."

"Despite this being a death match, it's relatively mid-paced. As a consequence of this, the various barbed wire bumps are incredibly climactic. Overall this was fantastic."

[10.0] "Top 5 women's matches of all time for me. Absolutely should've main evented. I didn't know the story for this other than they murdered each other, but I didn't need to. Because simply put this match is nothing short of perfection."

[10.0] "Nothing I love more than matches where quite literally move means something, and this is that. The emotion, stakes, struggle, it was all so palpable and took this up several notches from being a typical barbed wire match. You really can't help but marvel at the anticipation, wondering who would find an opening an send their opponent into the barbed wire lined with explosives. Although this didn't necessarily happen in the match, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the camera cutting to Onita looking absolutely distraught. He assumed the role of wrestling's Oppenheimer where he's horrified by the thing that made him such an important figure. He absolutely turns into himself after the awe-inspiring yet brutal german suplex from Toyoda onto Kudo which I still maintain is one of the best bumps in the history of this sport. It could be considered the climax of this match and what a climax it is, cause you really sense the release after almost 20 minutes of anticipation. The finishing stretch is utterly fantastic too, with Toyoda trying to cling on and hope that her retirement doesn't end in defeat but unfortunately for her Kudo delivers a nasty powerbomb and Kudo Driver to get the pin. The best contests feel like a battle, but this one felt like an all out war. Quite possibly my favourite match of all time."

[10.0] "I mean this is pretty much just my favorite match of all time. The emotion is unparalleled. And I think the pre match comments are so beautiful and insightful. And the post match is just kind of the most emotional thing ever. I dunno. I think this match is utterly beautiful and so perfect."

[10.0] "A spectacle match with a complete focus on story. Every explosion serves the build and I both admire and enjoy their commitment to building to the incredible explosion spots and the selling after them. These two have chemistry off the charts and make each other look incredible, Toyoda taking so much to put down and Kudo's final burst of strength and then getting stretchered off is amazing. Found the whole match quite emotional as it went on and the final explosion spot is both awesome and devastating at once. Perfect match, set out it's goals and achieved them beautifully, no complaints."

[8.0] "Some of the best selling I've seen in a while. The tension and fear was there and the ref falling down every time is hilarious. I would have given this win to Toyota though. (8/10)"

[9.0] "I was expecting a spot fest but was surprised to see a rather subdued deathmatch where the wrestlers took great care to build up the danger of the electrified barbwire ropes. The barb wire spots obviously stand out but so does the stiff ring and the impressive moves thrown out by both women. This is a great example of a deathmatch that isn't grotesque for the sake of being grotesque. Both wrestlers display great humility and integrity with their pre-match promos and throughout the match as well."

[8.0] "its a pretty good match, starts slow but gets pretty action packed later on with some great power moves by both Kudo and Toyoda, the suplex counter into the barbed wire is an awesome spot. A worthy retirement match. Both women put a shift in and put their bodies on the line."

[7.0] "Classic and iconic match but it starts off at a snails pace, I was ok with the teasing, it made sense even if it was a bit repetitive, once it got to the first barbed wire spot I was horrified but in a good way. I wish there was more electrified spots although I know why there wasnt."

[7.0] "It is very dramatic and very brutal sometimes, but specially on the start the match just does not get going. Both women start with pretty mediocre and slow movements, although to be fair the pace gets MUCH better, but it sadly ends when it was starting to get great. That suplex to the barbed wire was class tho"

[9.0] "A retirement match that was more about the emotion and story than anything, but it still had suspense, excellent selling, some crazy moments, and some gnarly bumps."

[6.0] "This match was really something else. I don't like exploding barbed wire matches generally and find the gimmick to be a deterrent. So I would say with that in mind, this was a very well worked match. It was very slow paced in the beginning to sell the barbed wire. No one wants to get thrown into barbed wire and they really need you to know that no one wants to get thrown into it. Yeah, I get it, it obviously is going to suck when someone gets thrown into it. Anyway Combat Toyoda gets thrown into it and we get a close up of Onita's face. Fast forward through most of the match with the highlight being Toyoda pushed into the ropes by Kudo's back, big explosion, looks cool. Everyone is exhausted and we get a really solid closing segment with Megumi having to hit a very high stack powerbomb onto Toyoda's neck and into her Kudome Driver for a pin fall. Honestly, this match is another really rough watch barbed wire match made only really serviceable by the insane talent of Koda and Toyoda. Just skip to the ending segment if you must watch it."

[8.0] "A different type of deathmatch/barbed wire match in that it's more about building the tension of someone crashing into the wires than it is about the visceral thrill of seeing someone beaten and bloody. The German suplex into the wires spot is incredible and there are some gnarly neck bumps that Toyoda takes here"

[10.0] "When you're booked into a deathmatch with Terry Funk and Mick Foley in their hardcore prime, you need to go big or go home, and both women stole the entire show. Spectacular from beginning to end. A lot of deathmatches use blood as a crutch, so it's nice to see a much more psychological deathmatch for once, and yes, they do exist! If Foley and Funk are your Saws of the deathmatch world, then this match is a Shining. How Meltzer could only give this 3.5 is a shock; it's a bigger snub than his infamous 4.75 ratings to HBK vs. Angle and HBK vs. Taker."

[10.0] "I think here we have a very very special match. Its hardcore, its very hard hitting and brutal even without those barbed wires and yet is so emotional you feel like watching drama. What the hell. This is magic"

[10.0] "The greatest death match of all-time. A great many of these matches devolve into violence for the sake of violence. Not this match. They build to every moment expertly. They sell the damage of the previous blows in a way that is realistic (BECAUSE GAHHHH) and dramatic. A violent, bloody, beautiful, insane, masterpiece. If you're going to do a death match, do it like this. 5*"

[9.0] "They build towards the explosion spots quite well here which us better than some of the other exploding barbed wire matches I have seen. A great emotional spectacle fit for a retirement match. Some insane bumps here on what is surely a brick of a ring, tiger driver 91 some awesome powerbombs, the beautiful almost German suplex into the barbed wire. Fucking great stuff. ****1/2"

[8.0] "No doubt I would've enjoyed this even more with some emotional investment but as it stands, this is still really great. The endless teases for the first big barbed wire spot kinda tired me...and then the first spot happened and I could understand why. They used the spots really well and both of them got cut up pretty badly. Toyoda's offence without the barbed wire was real fun though, she hit a kinda one-armed electric chair into a powerbomb and a double underhook on the legs for a powerbomb, one of which was countered into a sweet yoshi-tonic. Kudo's offence towards the finish was brutal, including a rough version of a Ganso Bomb. The best spot was of course the german into the barbed wire - ****"

[9.0] "The atmosphere in this match is fantastic, the emotional charge for Toyoda's retirement, the explosive spots, the nearfalls everything fits perfectly well, if the beginning had been a little more dynamic, maybe my score would be higher (****1/2)"

[10.0] "4. 5 Stars - So the version I watched came with English subtitles for the pre match promo which helped set the stage of the match massively. I watch this match in prep for the Moxley vs Omega barbed wire match and holy shit what a choice. Ive never seen either competitors before but Combat had a look that absolutely loved and screamed pro wrestler. The first time I've seen an exploding barbed wire match but there such beauty in the simplicity that is missing in deathmatches today with the barbed wire adding to match then just being sole thing of the match. The thing that stood out to me the most was the pacing and escalation was perfect and just kept building at the right times. HOLY SHIT the German suplex and the power bomb at the end ruled."

[10.0] "Wow. The story, the psychology, the usage of barbed wire - everything was spectacular here. Selling is on another level at all. If anyone thinks deathmatches are stupid and hurt wrestling, this is one of the matches which can easily convince you otherwise. It was the first time I saw Megumi Kudo, and from the start I absolutely admire her wrestling and character. That German suplex on the barbed wire was totally sick, and by the end of the match I was like Atsushi Onita who was watching the match in front row. *****+"

[10.0] "This is very easily the best deathmatch ever. It's nowhere near as crazy as other top matches in the genre, but the psychology, the teases, the pacing, the selling, and the fact that they made every single move count make this such a compelling watch. (*****+)"

[9.0] "90s Joshi whether it was AJW or FMW was an amazing era for wrestling, one of the best if you ask me. This match is one of the best examples of how a deathmatch can really elicit incredible drama and emotions like almost no other type of match. People who write them off as garbage should re-evaluate. I wish this is how deathmatches should be treated should be treated all the time. It really adds something to the psychology instead of being the core of the action."

[8.0] "There's not a whole lot of excitement outside of the, ya know, exploding barbed wire bits, but the emotion was at an all time high with these former tag partners battling in Combat's last match. Unfortunately in these matches, there isn't a whole lot you can do other than tease the barbed wire spots and hit the barbed wire spots, but if you're patient, it pays off. In the end, it wasn't just the exploding barbed wire, but the head drops that ultimately did in Combat. The powerbomb she took was essentially a modified Tiger Driver '91 that sickeningly drove her head first into the mat. Then the Cop Killer (forgive me for not knowing the proper name for the move) finally did her in. It drags at first when their options are limited, but the ending is a satisfying end to Combat's career. ****1/4"

[10.0] "Exceptional. It was truly one of those matches that happen once in a lifetime. But when such matches involve women talent, it is just unheard of. When I watched this match for the first time, it was emotionally hard for me to witness all of this violence going on inside the ring, especially when Onita teared up whenever something crazy happened. Every time I decide to rewatch this match, it just baffles me how respectful they are towards each other in their pre-match promos, yet so merciless when it comes to wrestling itself. Those well-executed teases alone make me nervous as hell, not to mention all of those head/neck bumps and bloody, life-threatening spots with the explosive barbed wire. I don't know what else to say here, other than it was hell of an emotional rollercoaster and undeniably one of the greatest matches I have ever seen. [5/5]"

[10.0] "I don't even know how to describe this match. It made me feel things I can't even comprehend. This is more than a wrestling match. This is beyond wrestling *****"

[10.0] "If I had to pick one match to show someone to people that deathmatch isn't just a vulgar display of very real violence, I'd pick this match. Kudo and Toyoda tease the big barbed wire spots well and there are only four occasions when they take a bump into the barbed wire. Toyoda is retiring and wants to go out with a literal bang. After eight minutes of teasing that someone is going boom, the much smaller Kudo takes the plunge and she sells it like death. The later part of this match felt like Manami Toyota bombfest, but if they took the time to slow things down and sell their arses off. Toyoda takes one of the nastiest head drops I think I've ever seen. All this complimented with a pained Onita looking on from the commentary, makes this one of the best women's and one of the best deathmatches ever."

[10.0] "The best deathmatch and one of the best matches I have ever seen. Combat Toyoda ends her career in a perfect way, in a deathmatch against imo the second best woman to ever step in a wrestling ring (Manami Toyota is untouchable) and her best friend, that wasn't just a spam of violent spots but before all a pure technical masterclass by both of the wrestlers. I could also say a lot about the performance of Kudo here, but this level of greatness is the average level of Kudo. This may also be the most under rated match by the WON. It shows that a deathmatch can feature good wrestling and a lot of psychology while being violent af, and that joshi from the 1990s may be the best era of wrestling ever. *****"

[10.0] "The standard for Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatches and a beautiful way to end Combat Toyoda's legendary career."

[10.0] "Fantastic match, Combat Toyoda is a vibe and a half and the way she lays into Megumi at times is wild, some of those powerbombs, jeez! And despite being smaller Megumi gives as good as she gets, awesome performance from both, plus the spectacle and the tease of the exploding wire was executed extremely well."

[10.0] "very emotional also very brutal even without those barbed wires this match was very brutal from back drops to powerbombs even bloody tiger driver this ladies earned my respect"

[8.0] "Great female death match. You can be deeply moved when you see the two wrestlers being cut by the wires and bleeding. It's astonishing how they are willing to sacrifice themselves to the match. (****1/2)"

[10.0] "This was a match built around atmosphere, everbuilding tension and selling. Onita may have had his best performance on the outside. His facial expressions of worry, regret (for popularizing the match style) and sadness added to this a lot. The slow teases of sending each other into the exploding barbed wire was great. Each strike sending each other just that one step back, edging closer and closer into the wire. They milked it for all its worth, and I was totally captivated by it all. The explosions were visually horrifying and their selling of it was sensational. I loved how each bump into the wire got more intense and violent. And the eventual pay off with Kudo running full pelt attempting to hip attack Toyoda into the wire only to get caught and be german'd into the exploding wire along with Toyoda was epic. Both struggled to continue on after which was shown tremendously in their selling. Kudo's legs were shaking while she tried to stand up while Toyoda couldn't even get to that stage. And the finishing stretch with the crowd begging for Toyoda to keep fighting was the perfect finish. The Tiger Driver looked so impactful but the subsequent Ganso powerbomb from Kudo was one of the cringe worthy variations of the move - a very damning statement. The Kudo Driver finished off what was an all time classic. The post-match send off was touching. Kudo had to be helped away, Onita came in with a bucket of water and doused them both due to the fire injuries they suffered and Onita and Toyoda crying in-front of the loving crowd. ****3/4"

[6.0] "This was a slow burn but had a great final quarter. It started off with some fine teases of both women going into the electrified barbed wire and some rather basic actual wrestling work. This was all of course to build up suspense, and it was definitely quite exciting and cool the few times both women would eventually end up crashing into the explosive fire, but I was still hoping that the wrestling work itself would pick up. That would eventually happen, luckily enough. Toyoda would show some pretty impressive power moves while showing great emotion at the same time, given this was her big retirement match, and Kudo eventually won me over with her sympathetic selling plus the brutal power moves she brought out which would rival even Toyoda's. I would have liked to see a lot more of these power move trades, but I can respect that FMW had their own style of match they liked to focus on instead, and I ultimately thought this was quite good anyways. ***1/4"

[8.0] "Really love how this one was worked. To start, Kudo and Toyoda are acutely aware of their surroundings and focus more on ring-awareness than pure brutality. The teases toward the wires were great, but the slow pacing once they got back to the center did stifle it a bit. There's a great moment where Kudo dives back first into Toyoda, sending them both careening into the electrified wire. A bit later, Toyoda hits an excellent back suplex to Kudo, and follows it with a series of powerbomb variants (though they only manage to get two-count's). In the end, it's a horrifying, neck-shattering suplex/Kudome Valentine combo that gets one over on Toyoda. ****"

[9.0] "Shit, that was one hell of a match, they both delivered for the last match of Toyoda. The promos before the match was good too, it was clear that they respect each other very much, but they wanted the win so badly that they almost killed each other."