>>16626287I think this is accurate.
The whole reason the Io vs Mayu matches worked is that Io was superior, both in kayfabe as well as in terms of skill, and Mayu eventually overcame the odds.
I also think part of it is that there's a bit of resting on their laurels when Japanese wrestlers make it to WWE. I mean, they've made it, they don't have to go all out like they did back home. And audiences don't really expect them to. It takes off a lot of the pressure to perform.
