Hikaru Shida vs Emi Sakura

For the Regina Di Wave Championship.

So as I had speculated last week, Emi Sakura’s tag team of her and Maki Itoh winning over Hikaru Shida’s team of herself and Skye Blue would setup a match for the Regina Di WAVE Title.

Excalibur puts over the fact that Emi & Hikaru have faced each other 9 times in their careers and Shida is 1-8 having only beat Sakura early this month in AEW on Elevation. If you haven’t watched this match already, as glad as I am that you’re here, give it a watch first and then come back.

Emi races at Shida and hits her with her crown as Bryce Remsburg is handing off the Regina Di WAVE title belt. Sakura does her “We will chop you” spot but too much showboating gets a running knee from Shida. Shida then can’t help herself and showboats in the same manor to which Emi kicks her.

Shida sets up Sakura for the Meteora off the middle rope but Emi gets up and punches Hikaru, knocking her to the apron. When she gets up she’s met with a cross body dive knocking Shida to the floor. Emi then goes for a running apron attack but Shida kicks out her feet causing her to land face first on the apron. Shida then sets up a chair to launch off of but Sakura dodges and then back suplexes Hikaru onto the chair. Really good action.

Back in the ring Emi Sakura hits the Tiger Driver but she only gets 2. Then Emi goes for the moonsault off the top rope and hits 110% of it on Shida but still only gets 2. Shida reverses the back breaker attempt and goes to the top rope but again, Emi stops her and gets her into a powerbomb position which Shida reverses into a Hurricanerana. Shida then comes running in with a jumping knee right to Sakura’s face.

A pumped up Hikaru Shida rips open her shirt and dares Emi Sakura to chop her. Not gonna lie, this was hot, as Sakura chops her and she returns fire with a forearm shot. Sakura continues attempting chops but Shida just bludgeons Emi with forearms, taking her down to a knee and continuing to pummel her in the back of the head. Fucking badass.

Sliding elbow strike followed by a Meteora for Shida. Pins. Two. We get a couple pinning attempts from Emi. Shida reverses the Queens Gambit, Venice Shoot, Tamashi (running knee strike) and the pin but no! Finally Shida gets up and hits the Katana which wins her the match.

A great match made infinitely better by Excalibur peppering the match with backstory and context of not only Shida & Sakura’s history together but referencing that Shida hitting the Venice Shoot was an homage to her ex-tag team partner in Japan.

Watch this match on YouTube