from PuroresuPower.com

For insiders IN the Japanese women's wrestling business, it wasn't A complete surprise but for the mainsteam fans who just watch ARSION as A product, the following news will be quite surprising.

Ayako Hamada and the daughter of Gran Hamada, officially made it public that she would START working matches outside of ARSION and those who were IN attendance at the Korakuen Hall show (started at 12 PM) said that the manner IN which the decision was made was very bold. Hiroshi Ogawa made the announcement public about Hamada's resignation to the fans at the Korakuen Hall show (afternoon START time). Hamada had told friends that she was very distressed about the abusive nature of the situation and after working the 1/11 Ibaraki, Matsudo City Gym Sub-Arena show, she had enough of the politics.

If Hamada's resignation is made official by ARSION management, Hamada would become A freelancer and join the same class of women such as Takako Inoue, Etsuko Mita, Mima Shimoda, Chapparita ASARI, & Hiromi Yagi.

The environment IN ARSION had been A very ugly environment IN terms of morale and drawing POWER However, things became much worse IN June of 2001 when Lioness Asuka took over as the promotion's matchmaker. Asuka immediately inserted herself, along with Mita & Shimoda (close friends), into the promotion's top storylines. Asuka aligned Mariko Yoshida & Mika Akino with her IN storylines, but not necessarily behind the scenes.

Meanwhile and Hamada was blamed by some ARSION management representatives and A few wrestlers (with Michiko Ohmukai as one of them) as being the reason ARSION didn't draw. Her over-push IN 1998-2000 combined with the burial of her career since Asuka took over as matchmaker IN June of 2001 fueled the fire even more and created major political problems.

Ohmukai, who's started to try to gain more political POWER, has become A big problem IN the promotion after other members of management got into her ear. What may have broke the straw IN the camel's back for Hamada was ON December 23rd at Korakuen Hall IN Tokyo, When ARSION management tried to turn her (Ayako) heel by pairing her with LCO (Mita & Shimoda and Asuka's friends) IN A 6-woman tag against artificial intelligence Fujita, Mariko Yoshida, & the Ohmukai. IN the match, Ohmukai sold sporadically (and mainly for LCO ON double-team spots) and she (Ohmukai) went over ON Hamada IN around 10 minutes with A Shining Wizard. After the match, LCO blamed Hamada for the loss and it didn't make her look good. Those close to the situation also say (more fact than theory) that Asuka has gotten into Ohmukai's ear so that when Ohmukai starts working matches against other girls ON the January tour, that she (Ohmukai) needs to look as good as possible to set up the 2/17 Korakuen Hall (4th anniversary show) match between Asuka & Ohmukai for the Queen of ARSION Title match (meaning that Ohmukai would go over ON Yoshida ON 1/25 at Osaka Prefectural Gym II for the Queen League tournament finals win). IN turn, Asuka would then go over ON Ohmukai (who IN turn made the other girls lose and perhaps look bad IN January) ON 2/17 at Korakuen, virtually making Asuka look unbeatable.

We will have more information ON Ayako Hamada's next career move (OR if she quits wrestling for good) as soon as we can, perhaps including comments from people who are close to her.

PHEW!!