1. Special Tag Match: HARASHIMA & Yasu Urano defeated Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida when HARASHIMA pinned Ishida with the Somato (8:54).
2. Thank You Toru Owashi ~ Toru Owashi 20th Anniversary Of DDT Participation Series Vol. 3: Antonio Honda defeated Toru Owashi, Danshoku Dieno and Kazuki Hirata when Honda submitted Hirata with an Ankle Lock (6:58).
3. Akito defeated Yuya Koroku with a Cradle (9:59).
4. Jun Akiyama & Yuni defeated Daichi Sato & Kazuma Sumi when Yuni pinned Sumi with the Messiah DDT (8:46).
5. After KING OF DDT 2025! Special Single Match: KANON defeated Takeshi Masada with the Cobra Twist 2.0 (7:56).
6. Special Tag Match: Chris Brookes & Minoru Suzuki defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Naya when Brookes pinned Higuchi with the Praying Mantis Bomb (13:22).
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Daisuke Sasaki, Hideki Okatani & Ilusion (c) defeated Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & To-y when Okatani pinned Katsumata with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster (18:31). *V2 for DAMNATION T.A.
Shunma Katsumata’s second straight shot at the KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles ended in failure again. DAMNATION T.A attacked The 37KAMIINA from the jump, Daisuke Sasaki hit Katumata with a chair and MJ Paul interfered too. Ilusion did the Swanton Bomb and Hideki Okatani hit the Skewered Claymore but Yuki Ueno & To-y came to their partner’s rescue. The three of them wanted to give Okatani the Everybody’s MADMAX but Sasaki came back with the chair to break them up. From there Okatani gave Katsumata an Avalanche Double Arm Suplex, Sasaki followed up with Diving Elbow Drops and Okatani scored the pin with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster.
After the match Ilusion rubbed salt on his opponent’s wounds by yelling “Fuck!” at Ueno. Then SCHADENFREUDE International walked out to the ring. Takeshi Masada joked that nobody in DAMNATION T.A is good enough to become SCHADENFREUDE’s mascot so now it’s SCHADENFREUDE’s turn to get a title shot. Ilusion pointed out that Masada lost his match earlier and shouldn’t be relying on some weird, shitty and creepy mascot. However Antonio Honda then pointed out that he pinned Ilusion at Korakuen Hall last week so Ilusion would be a chickenshit to turn down the challenge! Ilusion claimed he doesn’t remember that match but DAMNATION T.A will give them the next title shot. It will happen on 5th July.
The two champions are looking strong going at the moment. Chris Brookes & Minoru Suzuki teamed up as the KO-D Openweight Champion and DDT Universal Champion. Brookes’s next challenger Kazusada Higuchi was on the other team and Suzuki didn’t care that he had to fight Yukio Naya instead of Shinya Aoki. While Suzuki dealt with Naya, Brookes tried to put down Higuchi but found himself in danger instead. Suzuki came to the rescue by putting Higuchi in the Sleeper Hold, wearing him down for Brookes to beat him with a High Kick and the Praying Mantis Bomb. Suzuki called Brookes a strong wrestler but warned that as long as he holds the KO-D Title, Suzuki will always be nearby because one championship is not enough for him!
Upcoming KO-D Tag Team Title contenders Akito and Yuya Koroku were pitted against each other so they could test each other’s strength. They spent the match using a lot of grappling and mat work. It was an even contest until Koroku went for the Triangle Lancer. Akito ended up trapping Koroku’s arms in a Cradle and sat down with all of his weight to pin him for the victory. Koroku said he always wanted to wrestle Akito and felt he was able to show his own true self this way. Akito thinks Koroku has the desire to try out a new kind of wrestling. He also thinks they won’t be able to beat Astronauts if they just use normal wrestling. The path that will bring them to victory is to do what they want that is unique. That’s the DDT way.
One of the matches today was put together so everyone could show their appreciation for Toru Owashi. That meant the audience had to cheer and chant for Owashi as hard as they could whenever Kazuki Hirata raised his hand. Owashi didn’t suspect anything at first but caught on to the trick and didn’t appreciate the insincere cheering. So Hirata, Honda & Danshoku Dieno all ganged up on him. But when Dieno went to the corner in the Hell Gate position, Hirata Body Slammed Honda in the middle of the ring and encouraged Owashi to climb the top rope. Owashi did so but Honda then rolled up Hirata and put him in an Ankle Lock to make him tap out. A dumbfounded Owashi stood still on the top rope afterward. He was given the microphone where he thanked the fans for supporting DDT and told them to enjoy the rest of the show.
GANBARE☆PRO “GRAND BLEU 2025”, 01/06/2025 Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center 137 Fans
1. Keisuke Goto defeated Shota Kawakami with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster (9:06).
2. Ken Ohka, PSYCHO & Moeka Haruhi defeated Shinichiro Tominaga, Daisuke® & Banny Oikawa when PSYCHO pinned Daisuke® with the God Trap (10:54).
3. Yuna Manase & Mio Shirai defeated YuuRI & Nanami Hatano when Shirai pinned YuuRI with the Purple Flash (9:52).
4. GanPro Ultimate Rules: Tyson Maeguchi & Thanomsak Toba defeated Shuichiro Katsumura & Takuya Wada by Knockout when Maeguchi knocked out Katsumura with a Right Backhand Blow (14:00).
5. Keisuke Ishii, Toru Sugiura & Munetatsu Nakamura defeated Yumehito Imanari, Mizuki Watase & Shigehiro Irie when Nakamura pinned Watase with the German Suplex (21:34).
Munetatsu Nakamura was recently given the nickname “GanPro’s Promising Hope” and he is starting to prove he deserves the moniker. He scored the pinfall on Mizuki Watase in the main event thanks to some help from Toru Sugiura. The two set Watase up with a German Suplex for a nearfall. Then Sugiura hit Watase with a Rolling Elbow and Nakamura landed another German Suplex to get the three count. Nakamura then challenged Watase & Shigehiro Irie for the Spirit Of Ganbare World Tag Team Titles on 22nd June. However both Irie and Sugiura have bookings elsewhere that day. Michiyoshi Mishima decided the title match can happen on 19th July and 22nd June will get a Watase Vs Nakamura singles match instead.
The GanPro Ultimate Rules fitted Tyson Maeguchi really well and he ended up knocking out Shuichiro Katsumura to win the match for his team. In fact he likes the rules so much he might start calling himself Tyson “Ultimate” Maeguchi whenever he fights with gloves on. Bolstered by the win, he approached Yumehito Imanari at the end of the show and challenged him for the Spirit Of Ganbare World Title. He told Imanari he’s been treading the muddy waters of indie wrestling for the last year and finally climbed his way up to this point. Imanari agreed and wants the title match to happen on 22nd June. He pointed out that they both belong to the Ibushi Wrestling Institute and he knows what it is like to get stuck in the muddy waters of independent wrestling.
Mio Shirai is getting comfortable being in the ring again ever since she returned from retirement five months ago. After beating YuuRI today she wonders if YuuRI has been getting any stronger too wrestling in Ganbare☆Pro and Ice Ribbon? YuuRI may think she is but she should be training even harder if she wants to beat Shirai. If she has a problem with that then they can have a singles match against each other. GanPro obliged and booked the match for 19th July.
Mishima introduced everyone to a new trainee. Sentaro Motoshima was born in Kagoshima on 4th October, 2001. He is currently getting ready for his debut match and will participate in exhibition matches on upcoming shows as part of his preparations.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR 2025 IN NAGOYA”, 01/06/2025 Aichi Chunichi Hall 426 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Ren Konatsu Debut Match: Suzume defeated Ren Konatsu with the Hachinosu Eight Knot (7:06).
2. Moka Miyamoto & Yoshiko Hasegawa defeated Toga & Chika Nanase when Miyamoto submitted Nanase with the Rashomon (9:21).
3. Rika Tatsumi, Wakana Uehara & Mifu Ashida defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Shino Suzuki & Ivy Steele when Tatsumi submitted Steele with the Dragon Sleeper (9:24).
4. Mizuki defeated Uta Takami with the Cutie Special (9:53).
5. Shoko Nakajima & Haru Kazashiro defeated Kaya Toribami & HIMAWARI when Nakajima pinned Toribami with the Northern Lights Suplex (13:59).
6. Last One Standing 8-Woman Tag Team Elimination Match: Maki Itoh, Yuki Arai, Pom Harajuku & Arisu Endo defeated Miu Watanabe, Yuki Kamifuku, Yuki Aino & Jada Stone (21:20).
6a. Maki Itoh eliminated Yuki Kamifuku by Ring Out (6:46).
6b. Miu Watanabe eliminated Pom Harajuku with the Canadian Backbreaker (11:01).
6c. Maki Itoh eliminated Jada Stone by Ring Out (15:17).
6d. Miu Watanabe & Yuki Aino eliminated Maki Itoh by Ring Out (15:57).
6e. Arisu Endo eliminated Miu Watanabe by Ring Out (18:54).
6f. Arisu Endo eliminated Yuki Aino by Ring Out (21:20).
7. Last One Standing Final Showdown: Yuki Arai defeated Arisu Endo with the Finally (2:45).
Tokyo Joshi Pro decided to try out something new to determine the No. 1 Contender for the Princess Of Princess Title. They put together an 8-Woman Elimination Tag Match with the extra caveat that the match would continue until only one woman was left standing. So if one team defeated the other and still had more than one wrestler left, they would fight each other until only one remained. Over the top rope rules were also in effect and a lot of the eliminations ended up that way. When Maki Itoh and Yuki Kamifuku both found themselves falling over the ropes and onto the apron, Itoh convinced Kamifuku to play a game of Rock Paper Scissors only to kick her to the floor when her guard was down. Pom Harajuku thought she was given a power boost by Yuki Arai but Miu Watanabe made her give up to the Canadian Backbreaker. Jada Stone was the next elimination when she climbed the top rope and Itoh then knocked her to the floor with a Headbutt. Itoh’s reign of terror was then put to an end when Watanabe & Yuki Aino knocked her off the apron with a Double Shoulder Block. Arisu Endo then pulled off a clutch of double eliminations, first using the Mt. Bandai on Watanabe to bounce her out of the ring and then Super Kicking Aino out of the ring to knock the other team out completely.
However the winning team had two people remaining: Arai and Endo. The match continued as a singles bout between them. Endo fought to put Arai in the Camel Clutch but Arai outmaneuvered her and rolled the move into a Full Nelson Buster. Endo tried her hardest to fight back but Arai stunned her with the Rookie Award and scored the pinfall by using the Finally. After the match Arai called Mizuki down to the ring so she could challenge her for the Princess Title face to face. Mizuki said she has seen Arai show many different emotions ever since her pro wrestling debut. She is happy that Arai is challenging her but warns she will show Arai just how heavy the championship is to carry. The title match will take place at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’25” on 21st July. Arai told the Nagoya fans that she has never main evented a wrestling show in a venue as big as Ota Ward Gymnasium before so she wants as many people in Nagoya to come see the show and support TJPW.
Backstage Arai said she was never this close to getting a Princess Title shot before. The belt has always seemed far away from her but today she got a little bit closer to it which makes her happy. She still has a long way to go but that means Mizuki has a long journey to the big show too. Arai wants to do everything she can until then to convince Mizuki that she has gotten strong enough to win the championship at Ota Ward. She admits it is a lot of pressure to say that out loud but she wants to overcome the challenge. Meanwhile Endo is reaching her wit’s end. Every time she has these crucial moments, Yuki Arai is there to beat her. Today proves that her fate is now tied to Arai. Her message to her is go win the Princess Title because then Endo will come out and challenger her for it!
Shoko Nakajima dealt a big blow to Kaya Toribami’s momentum by pinning her in their final prelim match for their upcoming title bout. She almost caused Toribami to get counted out when she hit her with a 619 while Toribami was standing outside the ring. She was able to get back in at 17 but Nakajima immediately gave her the Northern Lights Suplex for the three count. Toribami said she was beaten to a pulp today and Nakajima showed her just how high the wall is to climb. She thinks her mistake was only seeing Nakajima as a champion and not as her senior. So she will now think about how she can win. Nakajima said that ever since the MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title match was announced she spent a lot of time thinking about Toribami. The positive to that was she got to enjoy wrestling their three prelim matches to the fullest. Her advice to Toribami is to do her best and dream of winning.
The debuting Ren Konatsu got to face her idol Suzume to kick off the show. She showed some agility by doing a leap frog as well as a Diving Somersault but it was the Dropkick that she used most to try and get anything on her opponent. Suzume got her to submit to a Crucifix Headscissors hold called the Hachinosu Eight Knot. She gave the new rookie a hug for her efforts after the match. Konatsu said when the match was over she was so relieved that tears filled her eyes. When she watches the match back she’ll see what she could have done better but in the moment it was fun for her. Her goal at the moment is to wrestle overseas. Suzume was happy because her start in wrestling was very similar. There is somebody in TJPW she wanted to be like and she became a pro wrestler because of it. That kind of admiration and determination are the most important things in life to her so to meet someone who looks up to her and joined TJPW feels like her dream has come true. She still has more goals to achieve so she and Konatsu can pursue their dreams together from now on.
Can’t say this month has been a quiet one. Konosuke Takeshita had a lot of TV time with AEW and we even got the lovely announcement that he’s married to Yuka Sakazaki. All of Takeshita’s work this month revolves around The Don Callis Family, yes even the American New Japan appearance. The group in its current form is nailing it at the moment with good tag matches week to week and the presence of Don Callis himself is not as overwhelming as it was before. I bet over the coming months Takeshita’s schedule will gradually switch from AEW over to New Japan as we walk through the Forbidden Door and approach the G1 season.
May saw Maki Itoh finish up her remaining dates in America before she travelled back home to rejoin Tokyo Joshi Pro. She has another tour lined up during the Tokyo Princess Cup so the Americans won’t be missing her for long. Miyu Yamashita is entering the second half of her excursion and her schedule is definitely keeping her busy. She’s bouncing back and forth from America to Canada and even found time to visit Italy. Her matches in the Upcoming Appearances section below are not all of the bookings she has left. She included a few unlabeled dates in her schedule on Twitter and it’s pretty easy to find online that they are for GCW’s sister promotion JCW. However JCW themselves haven’t announced her for anything yet so I left them off this post. As you’ll see at the very end, there is always a possible booking cancellation that could happen at any time.
TJPW’s grip on the Southeast Asian scene took something of a hit because Yuki Kamifuku and Raku both lost all of the SEA championships this month. It’s likely not the end of TJPW working with companies from Thailand and Singapore but for now the focus looks to be moving towards the new relationship with Major League Wrestling in America. MLW is currently going through a roster shuffle too with a good amount of contracts not being renewed and some new talent coming in to fill those emptying spots. TJPW may just be used as a temporary solution to fill in the gap but they’ll benefit from it for as long as it lasts.
The thing to watch for in the next month or two is how often Sakazaki will get to wrestle, whether it’s on the indies or if she can get booked in AEW/ROH again. I hear rumours every now and then that there’s an injury clearance issue going on with her. But it wouldn’t make sense if AEW uses that as a reason to keep her on the shelf only to let her go wrestle somewhere else. They haven’t like it in the past when their wrestlers got injured on another promotion’s show.
TOP TALENT “LIVE AT MIDWAY MUSIC HALL”, 02/05/2025 Midway Music Hall, Edmonton, Canada
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Ava Lawless (?:??).
We start off over in Canada where Yamashita headlined a Top Talent Wrestling show against Ava Lawless. The Canadian knew it was going to be a big test for her and she embraced it but Yamashita came out on top.
HOODSLAM “PHANTASMAGORIA”, 02/05/2025 Continental Club, Oakland, California, USA
1. GLAMpionship: MacDaddy MYLO (c) (w/KEiTA) defeated Maki Itoh with a School Boy (?:??). *V6 for MacDaddy MYLO.
On the same night one country away, Itoh was main eventing a show of her own with her return to Hoodslam. She was getting a shot at the GLAMpionship, a title that was originally created for the promotion’s sub-brand GLAM but made its way over to the regular shows. MacDaddy MYLO attacked her before she could finish her entrance but made the mistake of slamming her head into the turnbuckles which had no effect. Itoh’s momentum was cut off when MYLO pulled the ref into her way and then jumped in to do a Cutter. Itoh made another comeback only for KEiTA to interfere on the champion’s behalf. Itoh fought them both off and put MYLO in the Itoh Deluxe but KEiTA distracted the ref so she wouldn’t see MYLO tap out. Itoh got rid of KEiTA again but MYLO rolled her up in a School Boy to steal the win.
GCW “CRAZY SCARY SPOOKY HILARIOUS”, 03/05/2025 Ukrainian Culture Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Maki Itoh with the Skull Kick (13:23).
The day after that Yamashita and Itoh’s paths crossed over in GCW. The two of them were heading into a big weekend where they both had title matches to prepare for. But before any of that could happen the two would meet in the ring against each other! Did anyone on GCW commentary know about their history together as 121000000 beyond just them being tag champions a few times? Fucking of course not! At least the fans were super into it. The was the first time Yamashita would face Itoh in a place where Itoh has the home field advantage and while she didn’t go into MDK mode, she was able to put up her biggest fight against Yamashita yet. Even Yamashita seemed to be aware of it because when he knocked down Itoh with the Skull Kick, she ordered the ref to check her for a knockout. The ref dropped Itoh’s arm three times but on the third Itoh kept her hand up and raised a middle finger to the air! She got a second wind and almost scored the victory she waited so long for by countering the Attitude Adjustment into a Small Package. But Yamashita kicked out and nailed another Skull Kick to increase her singles match record with Itoh to 10-0. There was no hard feelings over the result and 121000000 shook hands afterwards.
GCW “WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU”, 04/05/2025 Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, Oregon, USA
1. JCW World Title: Masha Slamovich (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita with the White Knight Driver (10:13). *V36 for Masha Slamovich.
2. GCW World Title: Effy (c) defeated Maki Itoh with a Spinning Tombstone Piledriver (12:08). *V16 for Effy.
Well if plan of having iron sharpen iron was to result in championship wins it didn’t work out here. Itoh finished up her latest excursion by getting a shot at the GCW World Title held by Effy before she went home. Effy lightened the mood by singing “Mandy” on the microphone but changed the lyrics to be about Maki. She didn’t like it and told him to stop but that made Effy start to cry. It was all a trap to for Effy to get the one up on Itoh but she quickly escaped and turned the tables. She did a Diving Cross Body from the top rope to Effy outside the ring. Effy brought in chairs and ended up getting Choke Slammed onto one by Itoh! She also kicked out of a Spear at one and sliced Effy’s forehead open with her pizza cutter. Despite all that Effy countered the I.S.D by catching her in mid-air. He then spun it around into a Tombstone Piledriver to get the win.
Also on the show Yamashita challenged Masha Slamovich for the JCW Title in a continuation of their international rivalry. It was an even matchup but just like in Las Vegas last month, Slamovich got Yamashita in the White Knight Driver for the three count. Yamashita slapped away the champion’s hand after the match but immediately offered a handshake of her own, which Slamovich accepted.
AEW “COLLISION”, 08/05/2025 Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit, Michigan, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita & Josh Alexander (w/ Don Callis) defeated Evil Uno & Alex Reynolds when Alexander pinned Reynolds with the C4 Spike (2:30).
Even though Takeshita was already eliminated from the Owen Hart Cup last month, this month he was still in orbit of the tournament. His new tag team with Josh Alexander in The Don Callis Family were set up for a match against the two wrestlers who reached the final. So for a warm up match they went and destroyed two members of The Dark Order in quick fashion on Collision. Alexander picked up Evil Uno and with Takeshita did a Doomsday Jumping Knee to the masked man. Then they smashed Alex Reynolds with a Double Elbow Strike to the head before Alexander pinned him with the C4 Spike.
HOG “WAGING WAR”, 09/05/2025 Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago, Illinois, USA
1. HOG Women’s Title: Indi Hartwell defeated Miyu Yamashita with a Full Nelson Facebuster (12:13). *Indi Hartwell becomes the 8th HOG Women’s Champion!
The stakes were raised for Yamashita’s return to House Of Glory. Right before her match with Indi Hartwell began the HOG commissioner Jason Solomon walked out and announced that the HOG Women’s Title held by Megan Bayne had been vacated. He then announced that this match would determine the new champ! Yamashita had the end of the match under control until Hartwell ducked the Skull Kick and planted her with a Full Nelson Facebuster to win the match out of nowhere and become champion.
NJPW “RESURGENCE”, 09/05/2025 Toyota Arena, Ontario, California, USA
1. NEVER Openweight Title: KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c) (w/ Rocky Romero) defeated El Phantasmo with the Raging Fire (17:48). *V6 for KONOSUKE TAKESHITA.
Rocky Romero’s involvement with Takeshita in the NJPW USA shows have become a little more clearer now that Romero is part of The Don Callis Family. He accompanied Takeshita for his NEVER Openweight Title defence against El Phantasmo. It couldn’t reach the heights of last year’s G1 match but ELP still did a massive Thunderkiss ’86 dive to Takeshita into the front row, landed a Cutthroat Driver for a nearfall and also gave Takeshita a Piledriver on the ring apron. ELP had the win in his grasp when Romero pulled the referee out of the ring during a pinfall. ELP got some measure of revenge on Romero by Power Bombing him through a table but that gave Takeshita time to recover and pin ELP with the Raging Fire. There is growing respect between the two because they shook hands after the match.
MAPLE LEAF PRO “NORTHERN RISING”, 10/05/2025 Mattamy Athletic Centre, Toronto, Canada
1. Serena Deeb defeated Miyu Yamashita with the Detox (12:55).
Yamashita travelled back up to Canada for another appearance in Maple Leaf Pro. There she faced Serena Deeb who was making her third appearance in a row for the promotion. Yamashita hit the Skull Kick but Deeb made sure to topple out of the ring to avoid getting pinned. When she was put back in the ring, Deeb pushed Yamashita into the ref and then hit her from behind with a Chop Block. She then pinned her with the Detox, which is Deeb’s arm trapped Styles Clash kind of finisher.
MLW “AZTECA LUCHA”, 10/05/2025 Cicero Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, USA
1. MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) defeated Delmi Exo (?:??). *V1 for Shoko Nakajima.
Right, here’s the funny thing about MLW. Their shows nowadays are one half live iPPV and the other half TV tapings for the upcoming month. That’s not unusual for wrestling but barely anyone who goes to MLW shows cares about spoiling the tapings part. Shoko Nakajima’s appearance on the live PPV was just to be seen sitting in the front row to hype up her next MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title defence. That match is a rematch with Delmi Exo that will air on MLW’s TV show in June. I couldn’t find any result or talk of the rematch online anywhere and the only reason we know Nakajima is still the champion is because she brought the belt back to Japan with her. Once the match airs I’ll come back and write this with any necessary corrections included. Like I don’t know, maybe they went to a 60 minute draw. I can’t prove they did but you can’t prove they didn’t either.
AEW “DYNAMITE – BEACH BREAK”, 14/05/2025 NOW Arena, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA
1. Will Ospreay & Hangman Page defeated Konosuke Takeshita & Josh Alexander (w/ Don Callis) when Page pinned Alexander after the Buckshot Hidden Blade (18:34).
The two Owen Hart Cup finalists Will Ospreay & Hangman Page had to team up before their big PPV match. They needed to be on the same page because Takeshita & Alexander were coming after them like a well oiled machine. There was some communication between them to set things up but it still led to moments where Page almost hit Ospreay with the Buckshot Lariat and Ospreay almost hit Page with the Hidden Blade. But something eventually clicked between the two and they combined their finishers Kinnikuman style on Alexander to get the victory.
GCW “BIG TIME”, 17/05/2025 RJ Meyer Arena, Joppa, Maryland, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Marcus Mathers with the Crash Rabbit Heat (21:02).
Plans changed for Yamashita’s next match in GCW. She was supposed to face Tony Deppen but instead her opponent was Marcus Mathers. The match featured quite a bit of mat work with Mathers looking for spots to take Yamashita into an Ankle Lock. Yamashita also found herself getting thrown around more often than she would back in TJPW. Mathers press dropped her onto the ring apron and tried to do a Power Bomb but it was countered into a Sunset Flip. When Mathers went more high risk he paid for it by springboarding into a glancing Skull Kick for a nearfall. By that point Yamashita knew she had Mathers where she wanted him and wore him down with kicks before pinning him with the Crash Rabbit Heat.
GCW “RUN FOR IT”, 18/05/2025 Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, New York, USA
1. Billie Starkz defeated Miyu Yamashita with a Victory Roll Reversal (10:34).
Yamashita’s final GCW appearance for the month (probably because it was also the last GCW show of the month) was also the fourth singles meeting with Billie Starkz. It turns out Starkz has become a very slippery opponent for Yamashita to beat nowadays because this match was her third defeat in a row to her. Yamashita got a nearfall with an Avalanche Attitude Adjustment and continued the pressure after that but Starkz ended up reversing a Victory Roll to get the three count out of nowhere.
AEW “COLLISION”, 21/05/2025 (Aired 22/05/2025) Rio Rancho Events Center, Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita, Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero (w/ Lance Archer) defeated Bandido, Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd when Takeshita pinned Floyd with the Bastard Driver (9:35).
More shuffling going around within The Don Callis Family yet things look so similar. Trent Beretta is back from injury and has reunited with Rocky Romero. Their Roppongi Vice team in New Japan is now conveniently renamed RPG Vice in AEW. They and Takeshita were put together for a trios match against the wild combination of Bandido and The Outrunners. During the madness Takeshita used a well timed Jumping Knee Strike to make Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd clash into each other. Then at ringside Lance Archer wiped out Bandido so the rest of The Family had the coast clear to finish things off.
MKW “BATTLE OF THE DECADE”, 24/05/2025 Dongxin Plaza, Beijing, China
1. Yuki Kamifuku & Chen Wenbin defeated Alexis Lee & Big Sam when Kamifuku pinned Lee with the Diving Famouser (?:??).
Now let’s head over to Asia to see what some of the other TJPW wrestlers have been up to. Middle Kingdom Wrestling in China brought in Yuki Kamifuku for a mixed tag match with Alexis Lee on the other team, making it a preview for their big title match happening in Singapore one week later. Kamifuku was teaming up with Chinese wrestler Chen Wenbin while Lee had a big British brute named Big Sam as her tag partner. Sam was too strong to a fault because he ended up missing Wenbin and Clotheslining Lee off the ring apron by mistake. Kamifuku by herself couldn’t hurt Big Sam but Wenbin was there to help her out when needed. Things also went wrong for Sam when his manager messed up a pin break and stomped on him, allowing the other team to charge in and Double Big Boot Sam out of the ring. Lee tried to get her hands on Kamifuku afterwards but Kamifuku got the better of her, winning the match with the Diving Famouser.
SAJ “HUNTER’S NET”, 24/05/2025 Via Dante 72, Sporting Cesate, Milan, Italy
1. 3 Way Match: Miyu Yamashita defeated Irene and Session Moth Martina (?:??).
Yamashita can now scratch Italy off her growing list of countries she’s wrestled in. SAJ Wrestling brought her in for a 3 Way Match against Italy’s own Irene and the Irish wrestler Session Moth Martina. The latter was really looking forward to this because she was meant to face Yamashita at EVE earlier in the year but she had to cancel it due to illness. Yamashita also tweeted that her first time in Italy was an incredible experience.
AEW “DOUBLE OR NOTHING”, 25/05/2025 Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher & Josh Alexander defeated Adam Cole, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly when Fletcher pinned O’Reilly with (12:48).
Takeshita and co. were put in the unenviable position of following the annual Anarchy In The Arena match. They all did alright given the circumstances. Takeshita has crossed paths with Adam Cole, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly before but not when all three have been together as Paragon. In fact the previous times Takeshita has been in the ring with Strong was as tag partners. The Don Callis Family ended up isolating O’Reilly and left it to Kyle Fletcher to finish him off. The Family continued the attack after the match until an unlikely trio of wrestlers came to the rescue. Hiroshi Tanahashi made a suprise appearance leading Tomohiro Ishii & Brody King to the ring to chase off The Family. It’s all to set up the next “FORBIDDEN DOOR” that will be held in England this year. It’s since been confirmed that the show will feature Tanahashi’s final wrestling match in the UK before he retires. Could Takeshita become a part of it just like he was for Tanahashi’s last USA match?
AEW “COLLISION”, 28/05/2025 (Aired 31/05/2025) El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita, Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero defeated Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly & Tomohiro Ishii when Takeshita pinned Ishii with the Raging Fire (10:18).
Chaos broke out from the get go when The Don Callis Family attacked their opponents from behind only for Paragon & Ishii to bring the fight to them outside the ring. Don Callis also briefly got away from the commentary table to deliver a cheap shot. Takeshita and Ishii threw bombs at each other until Takeshita pushed Ishii into the ref. That allowed Romero to Low Blow Ishii from behind so Takeshita could pin him with the Raging Fire.
1. Queen Of Asia Title: Alexis Lee defeated Yuki Kamifuku (c) (?:??). *Yuki Kamifuku fails in V7. Alexis Lee becomes the 6th Queen Of Asia Champion!
The Queen Of Asia has been defeated. Long live the new Queen Of Asian Champion! Lee wanted one more shot at Kamifuku’s title in SPW and was willing to put up the biggest gamble of her life to do it. She promised to put her career on the line and retire from wrestling if she couldn’t take the title from Kamifuku! The bet paid off because Lee was able to get the win and become a two time Queen Of Asia Champion. Thing along with Kamifuku losing the VPW Women’s Title in TJPW earlier in the month brings her Southeast Asian dominance to an end, maybe just for the time being.
SETUP “THE FALLEN KINGDOM”, 31/05/2025 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. SETUP All Asia Women’s Title: Matcha defeated Raku (c) with the Stunner (?:??). *Raku fails in V2. Matcha becomes the 4th SETUP All Asia Women’s Champion!
The good folks at SETUP have kept me up to date on Raku’s return to Thailand this month which I appreciate greatly. Matcha wanted a chance to win back the SETUP All Asia Women’s Title she lost to TJPW and would get it with Raku coming over to defend it. But Raku had a devious plan put in place to give her the advantage. When Matcha was in Japan for a TJPW tour, Raku purposely sang “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to her her backstage to send her to sleep. Raku then sent a recording of the song over to the SETUP dojo, making everyone over there who played it fall asleep on the spot. SETUP staff also told me that Raku played the same prank on a delivery driver on Matcha’s birthday so her birthday cake would never arrive! So Matcha tried to fight fire with fire by bringing along a certain kind of pillow and mat used in Thailand for Raku to lie on. Raku almost fell asleep but had the awareness to roll up Matcha when she tried to pin her. The two proceeded to wrestle the match using the mat as a weapon on each other, mostly by one bundling up the other in the mat to try and immobilize them. When it came down to the final moments of the match, Matcha countered Raku’s Doctor Yellow into the Last Rights. After that she hit the Stunner to win and regain her championship! Raku was upset to lose the title but Matcha made it up to her after the match by giving her the pillow to bring home as a keepsake. Raku may have also got to sing Zack Sabre Jr. to sleep at the merch table as the main photo at the top of the article suggests.
———————————————————————–
Upcoming Appearances
NEW TEXAS PRO “BAT CITY”, 01/06/2025 Empire Control Room, Austin, Texas, USA
1. Charity King & AQA Vs VertVixen & Yuka Sakazaki
There was only one previous time when VertVixen & Yuka Sakazaki were in the ring together and it was for an AEW Dark match. They meet again for Sakazaki’s return to the American indies, this time teaming together over at New Texas Pro. Someone in this match who is also getting attention is AQA. She was seen as an exciting prospect on the indies a few years ago and even signed a deal with AEW (she got the graphic and everything) but unexpectedly quit the business only a few months later. All of a sudden New Texas Pro announced her return and this is going to be her first match back in three years. Charity King will be there to lend her a helping hand for the comeback.
KITSUNE “GOING BACK TO SAN DIEGO”, 07/06/2025 Primal Compound, San Diego, California, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Zara Zakher
2. Vipress & Hudson Envy Vs Nagisa Nozaki & Yuna Manase
Not long to go now until Yuna Manase returns for the next weekend of Kitsune shows. Yamashita will be there too.
KITSUNE “8888”, 08/06/2025 South Gate, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
2. Kitsune World Title: Yuna Manase (c) Vs Tae Honma
Manase has a Kitsune World Title defence against Tae Honma lined up while Yamashita won’t know who she faces until the day of the show.
LLL “BUY THE TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE – NIGHT 1”, 13/06/2025 The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
Yamashita’s first opponent for her weekend at Lucha Libre & Laughs has not been announced yet.
LLL “BUY THE TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE – NIGHT 2”, 14/06/2025 The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA
1. Dark Sheik Vs Miyu Yamashita
But her opponent on the second night is already known. It’s Dark Sheik!
GCW “BANGIN’ IN LITTLE ROCK”, 20/06/2025 The Hall, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
It won’t be until them middle of the month when Yamashita jumps back into GCW. There will be a couple of both new and familiar faces showing up by then, giving Yamashita a few potentially fresh opponents.
GCW “TAKE A PICTURE”, 22/06/2025 The Truman, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
1. GCW Tag Team Titles: Jordan Oliver & Alec Price (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita & Billie Starkz
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em! Yamashita and Starkz are teaming up for a crack at the GCW Tag Team Titles currently held by Jordan Oliver & Alec Price. This could be Yamashita’s last chance on this tour to win some gold.
MLW “SUMMER OF THE BEASTS”, 26/06/2025 Melrose Ballroom, New York City, New York, USA
1. Wakana Uehara Vs Yuki Kamifuku
The relationship between TJPW and Major League Wrestling will continue with more TJPW wrestlers crossing over to the world that never stops! While Nakajima is defending MLW’s Women’s Title in Japan, TJPW will be sending over Yuki Kamifuku and Wakana Uehara to compete against each other in the MLW ring. Cesar Duran says this is part of a new era for MLW’s women’s division being helmed by Salina de la Renta.
REAPER “REAPER RISING – A KING’S CORONATION”, 27/06/2025 The Pit, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Janai Kai
This is one of those times when the wrestling promotion in question is so far out of my reach I half consider if it’s someone’s eFed because the info is so sparse. However I can confirm Reaper Wrestling is a real company in Canada. Yamashita will get to face Janai Kai again and she sent a video warning Kai that nothing has changed since the last time they fought each other.
METALMANIA “2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY”, 28/06/2025 Stage 722, Portland, Oregon, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
And the award for the most unlikely place to book Yamashita during her excursion goes to METALMANIA! It’s where you go in Portland to see lucha mix with death metal music. Never would have thought Yamashita to be a headbanger.
SPARK “IGNITE TEXAS”, 29/06/2025 Baytown Community Center, Houston, Texas, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
2. Yuka Sakazaki Vs X
When was the last time Yamashita and Sakazaki were on the same show together? It wasn’t when Sakazaki graduated from TJPW a year and a half ago, was it? As you can see in the pic above, there’s also some Stardom talent appearing on the show. If SPARK has the pull to put together the tag match I’m thinking of then good job to them.
BZW “LES JEUX SONT FAITS”, 05/07/2025 Casino Barrière de Lille, Lille, France
1. BZW Tag Team Titles: MAO & Yoshihiko (c) Vs Danny Black & Joe Lando
It’s back to France for a quick summer break. Or maybe not because MAO & Yoshihiko have some business to attend to for their return to Banger Zone Wrestling. British wrestlers Danny Black & Joe Lando have challenged them for the BZW Tag Team Titles. The pair from the CPF (Close Personal Friends) stable held the titles before and are getting this match at the same venue where they lost them.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN HOUSTON – NIGHT 1”, 10/07/2025 POST, Houston, Texas, USA
The current lineup “confirmed” for the Texas tour is Maki Itoh, Miyu Yamashita, Miu Watanabe, Suzume, Yuki Arai, Mizuki, Shoko Nakajima, Pom Harajuku, Moka Miyamoto, Arisu Endo, Raku, Shino Suzuki and Yuki Kamifuku.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN HOUSTON – NIGHT 2”, 11/07/2025 POST, Houston, Texas, USA
The only one not “confirmed” yet but still included in the promotional material is Hyper Misao. That might depend on if she recovers from her elbow injury in time.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN DALLAS”, 13/07/2025 The OC, Forney, Texas, USA
The only other thing known about the show lineups right now is each night will have different matches.
———————————————————————–
Cancelled Appearances
MPX “METROPLEX WRESTLING”, 31/05/2025 Harwood Road, Bedford, Texas, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Maya World
A cancelled flight prevented Yamashita from travelling to Texas for her first appearance at Metroplex Wrestling. She was meant to fight Maya World at the show and called in a favour to Athena to be her replacement.
PRESTIGE “UNIT3D”, 01/06/2025 Vermont Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
Not much to say about this other than I’m including it just for the sake of record. When Yamashita first posted her list of USA bookings she included one for Prestige on 1st June. She later had an update saying the booking was cancelled and she was available for other dates on the weekend. Nothing was said on Prestige’s end but that’s also because they hadn’t at any point promoted she would appear on the show.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 