Thursday, December 27, 2007

Corporate Sponsorship -- Japanese Style

The most obvious difference between athletic companies' sponsorship of lady wrestlers in Japan, as opposed to in Europe, is that there are no teams for companies to sponsor. Instead, each lady is free to contract with as many sponsors as she can attract. For example, Yuki Kato, above in the Adidas grey one piece, also has contracts with Asics for her knee pads, Mizuno for her elbow pads and Puma for her wrestling shoes.
Yuki's opponent, Kazuha Ogura, has two sponsors -- Speedo for her suit and Mizuno for her elbow pad. Given that each sponsor supports several women, it's not uncommon to see ladies wearing clothing from the same manufacturer going up against one another.
Yuki is known for her flowing brunette locks, exuberant approach to wrestling and her custom high-cut suit.
Unlike in American or European pro-style matches, low blows are an accepted part of the game. Below, Kazuha finishes Yuki off with a quick downward leg strike between Yuki's legs.
Aki Hirakawa, pictured below, has taken an entirely different approach towards sponsorship. Instead of being covered with a cacophony of different labels like a Nascar driver, she has an exclusive arrangement with Speedo. Aki's only labelled apparel is her one-piece suit, and her logo-free elbow pad, knee pads and wrestling boots compliment her signature red and beige suit.

Could Shoe Companies Sponsor a Catfighting League?

These photos are reportedly from a test session to assess the merits of German shoe companies sponsoring catfighters. It goes without saying that such sponsorship is simply outside of the realm of possibility for an American company, such as Nike. For purposes of market testing so as to focus solely on marketability of shoe sponsorship, the ladies tussled in the nude.
Here, Jessica wearing a pair of Adidias trainers, puts Sarah into a very tidy small package. Given that the ladies are wearing regular trainers that would be bought by women and not wrestling shoes, it is possible that the test was designed to see whether catfighting would spur demand for athletic footwear by women.
Jessica yanks on Sarah's hair, leaving no doubt but that this is a catfight . . .
. . . and then adds a body scissors to try and force a submission from her Puma-clad opponent.
Sarah escapes and tries to mount a comeback, but Jessica smartly steals a march on her by quickly getting off her knees.
Jessica was the better woman this day, finally exhausting Sarah with a traditional boob-pressing School Girl Pin. It goes without saying that it is this writer's fervent hope that the test will be deemed a success by the corporate honchos. If so, we can look forward to a new breed of catfighters shilling for European athletic apparel brands.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Big Girls Can Wrestle Too, Part 2

I've written before about my current favorite plus-sized catfighter for Bout Time Studios, London. Here's she's matched up against one of my all-time favorites, Casper.
London steals a march on her smaller opponent, immediately going to work on Casper's right nipple. A smart move, as Casper has shown before that she's not very good at protecting her tits. London's outfit nicely accents her wide hips and it's good to see that she's not embarassed at all to strut her stuff. Although I'd commented previously that it just didn't seem right for a catfighter to wear a pair of briefs that had a belt, Casper proves me wrong.
Of course, this being a catfight, both ladies engage in all manner of unconventional attacks. From mouth grips . . .

. . . to double nipple pulls.

Casper, having a bit of experience under her belt, knows enough to return to work on London's left nipple.
But as a loyal reader has noted, you just can't teach big. And London puts an end to the fight with a knee lift to Casper's belly.
London certainly seems to be getting the hang of torturing her opponent for the final shot. With her right hand on her hip and her breasts proudly displayed, London lets everyone know that she not to be taken lightly (no pun intended). In their rematch, London simply dominated Casper by catching her in a body scissors.
Casper, who has certainly taken her fair share of beatings, seems to want no further part of getting squeezed by London's huge and powerful thighs.