RISE – ASCENT Episode Seven Recap : New Phoenix, New Guardians!
By Harmony Cox
KIKYO VS SARAYA
It is always a special moment when two of your favorite wrestlers go head-to-head in a match. That moment is going to be inevitably tinged with terror if one of your favorite wrestlers is Saraya. Kikyo and Saraya have tangled before (I recommend checking out their match in RISE 2) but both are coming into this match with a chip on their shoulder. After a dominant streak at RISE Kikyo suffered her first high-profile loss since the Phoenix of RISE gauntlet at the hands of Madison Rayne, and despite literally hanging her from a balcony, Saraya wasn’t able to capture the IMPACT title from Su Yung.
Kikyo starts the match by jumping out of the ring, then jumping back in to tell Saraya she’s not scared of her and she’s ready to prove it. Saraya responds by kicking her in the crotch. And we’re off!
What follows is nothing less than an epic beatdown. Saraya is a terrifying opponent because she’s a great technical wrestler, but she’s also a hardcore wrestler. She’s as likely to put you into a submission hold as she is to hangman DDT you off the apron and toss you into a barricade. At one point she even strangled Kikyo with a magnetic sign that fell off the ring. Kikyo was thrown around by her hair, absorbed an incredible amount of body blows, and in general just suffered at the hands of Saraya’s offense.
It was interesting to see Kikyo in an underdog position for maybe the first time on ASCENT. She fell back on her training again and again, keeping it together enough to get a foot on the ropes to break a hold and try to roll up Saraya when her back was turned. She also refused to allow herself to be intimidated, yelling at Saraya to hit her again every time it looked like she might be backing off. I love Kikyo the monster heel, but it’s matches like this that remind you there are serious skills behind the bluster.
And of course, Saraya is incredible (and scary). Saraya ended the match with an ugly looking curbstomp that escalated into a rocking horse. When Kikyo wouldn’t tap out. Saraya strangled her with her boots until the ref called the match.
Some sad news out of Stardom: Kikyo got injured while training for her match with Tam Nakano. These episodes of RISE may be the last time we see her in the ring for a while. If so, a match like this one is a hell of a way to go out. Get well soon, Kikyo- the Phoenix of RISE title is waiting for you.