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I’ve decided to go through every appearance of the tag team The Kabuki Warriors during their initial WWE run (2019-20). I saw part of their run in 2020, but I never saw it all because midway through their run was when I decided to watch WWE regularly. I thought if I have this piece of social media, I can actually rec the things I’m watching on Peacock to other people, right? So here is my first recommendation, when the team first formed on SmackDown in 2019.
Feb 21, 2024
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(A note: Some of these matches are ‘in full’ on YouTube, but I’m not trying to get those uploads wiped from YouTube. Search for them there instead if you wish. I’m only using official WWE clips.)
The first official outing of the Kabuki Warriors, an eight woman tag team match to showcase the newer members of SmackDown (after the 2019 Superstar Shakeup, which swapped wrestlers between WWE’s three brands). Wild here to see Bayley, Kairi, and Asuka faces here as later on (first Bayley against the Kabuki Warriors in 2020 and later when the Kabuki Warriors joined Damage CTRL) you don't see these three appear onscreen as faces.
Feb 22, 2024
This WWE exclusive explains how Kairi and Asuka initially wanted to call their tag team "Kabuki Girls" but Paige suggested "Warriors" to make the team sound more "fierce."
A comment under the video (look for the "Joshi Warriors" comment and read that thread) says Asuka wanted the name to come across as "eccentric, weird, unusual." And she's not wrong! There's a Japanese verb called kabuku, which translates to English as "to lean" or "to be out of the ordinary." (The fact I looked for this on the Wikipedia page for "kabuki" in the face of an online fan base that'll yell at you for not knowing a wrestler without Googling but will also make racist jokes without Googling Japanese words says a lot.)
In my opinion Paige should've conveyed the Kabuki Warriors were more eccentric than other teams to the WWE audience as well as their opponents instead of "my girls are the best" and explained what the term kabuki meant to an English-speaking audience but oh well.
After their London appearance the Kabuki Warriors and Paige don't appear for several episodes of SmackDown.
Feb 26, 2024
Bayley and Sasha Banks introduce a video package (first shown on SmackDown and known on YouTube as "Bayley and Sasha Banks pay tribute to Bayley and Sasha Banks"). They hug after the video finishes and say they are the greatest before the Kabuki Warriors come out. After the Kabuki Warriors are introduced Bayley and Sasha jump them.
Bayley and Sasha have the early momentum in the match until she hits a facebuster and tags in Kairi. Bayley and Sasha regain momentum after knocking Asuka off the apron and stopping Kairi from hitting an InSane Elbow. Bayley and Sasha slam Kairi into the plexiglass.
Asuka and Kairi almost win the tag championship after Asuka kicks and Kairi hits an InSane Elbow on Sasha but Bayley pulls Sasha out of the ring, breaking up the count. Bayley and Sasha win after Sasha reverses Kairi's Sliding D attempt to a Bank Statement.
This would be the last Kabuki Warriors match (not including Survivor Series: WarGames, as members of Damage CTRL) until December 15, 2023.
Apr 15, 2024
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Writers questioned Asuka's poison mist gimmick after it appeared in WWE at Hell in a Cell. A writer from Wrestleview called the gimmick "stereotypical." The Ringer blamed the mist gimmick on...Paul Heyman. But here is a video from a WrestleMania weekend where Asuka talks about her admiration for The Great Muta and her desire to do a poison mist gimmick in WWE about a year and a half before she started doing it.
Mar 2, 2024
Since all of this is not on YouTube.
On this episode of SmackDown the Tokyo tour dates are recapped, complete with footage of the Kabuki Warriors winning against the IIconics in Tokyo.
A backstage segment (linked here) follows where Paige and the Kabuki Warriors confront the IIconics for the title shot they were promised. The IIconics delay the title match. The segment ends with face manager Paige slapping Billie Kay.
Feb 27, 2024
IIconics (champions) vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville vs. Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. Kabuki Warriors.
* Mandy Rose rolls up Billie Kay for a pin, eliminating the IIconics.
* Asuka submits Rose with the Asuka Lock, eliminating Rose and Deville.
* Nikki pushes Kairi off the turnbuckle, leaving her susceptible to a punch (forearm?) by Bliss as Paige watches. Bliss hits Twisted Bliss, win titles.
Feb 28, 2024