BASARA “BASARA 234 ~UTAGE~”, 24/10/2023 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Isami Kodaka, Minoru Fujita & KUBITO Vs Takato Nakano, Masato Kamino & Tsutomu Oosugi
2. Turnabout Pro Wrestling Trial: Yasu Urano Vs Gouma Ryu Vs Banana Senga
3. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 2B: Takumi Tsukamoto & SAGAT Vs Lil’ Kraken & Leo Isaka
4. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 2A: Ryota Nakatsu & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Daichi Kazato
5. Union MAX Title: FUMA (c) Vs Daiki Shimomura
BASARA announced today that Daiki Shimomura has been suspended from their activities for one year due to inappropriate behavior in regards to his private life. Alongside this, Shimomura is also taking a year long hiatus from pro wrestling in general. The company will not disclose what happened to cause this in order to protect people who have been hurt by the situation. Shimomura was supposed to face FUMA in the main event of next week’s BASARA show but that will obviously be changed. The changed card will be announced as soon as it is decided on.
BASARA “BASARA 235 ~UTAGE~”, 07/11/2023 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
-. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Semi-Final: Winners Of Match 2B defeated Daiki Shimomura & Minoru Fujita by Forfeit.
1. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Semi-Final: Winners Of Match 2A Vs Yasu Urano & Antonio Honda
2. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Final: X & X Vs X & X
Shimomura is also in the middle of the IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT with Minoru Fujita as the current IRON FIST Tag Team Champions. The two of them have already reached the semi-final stage and were waiting to face the winners of next week’s Takumi Tsukamoto & SAGAT Vs Lil’ Kraken & Leo Isaka match. BASARA has decided to pull Shimomura from the tournament and will instead give the winners of that match a bye straight into the final. I guess the titles will be vacated and then rewarded to the tournament winners too.
To help build up towards Tokyo Joshi Pro’s 10th anniversary of their launch show in December, a Next Generation Tournament will be held featuring all of the TJPW wrestlers who debuted this year. HIMAWARI, Wakana Uehara, Shino Suzuki, Toga, Haru Kazashiro and Runa Okubo are all part of the 2023 Class. The bracket will be fully revealed on a later date.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT ’23 ~SAKI AKAI TJPW LAST PARTICIPATION~”, 03/11/2023 Shinjuku FACE
1. Next Generation Tournament ’23 – Round 1A: X Vs X
2. Next Generation Tournament ’23 – Round 1B: X Vs X
3. Saki Akai TJPW Last Match: Saki Akai & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Rika Tatsumi & Hyper Misao
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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE MOUNTAIN TOP 2023”, 19/11/2023 Osaka Edion Arena #2
1. Next Generation Tournament ’23 – Semi-Final: X Vs Winner Of Match 1A
2. Next Generation Tournament ’23 – Semi-Final: X Vs Winner Of Match 1B
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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO WRESTLING 10TH ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCE ~WE ARE TJPW~”, 01/12/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
BASARA “BASARA 231 ~OJI NI KITSUNE 27~”, 07/10/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MONSTAR ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Trans-Am ★ Ryota defeated Trans-Am ★ Takato & Trans-Am ★ Ika when Hiroshi pinned Ika with the Perfect Plex (11:47).
2. 3 Way Match: Daiki Shimomura defeated Isami Kodaka and Ryuichi Sekine when Shimomura pinned Sekine with the Shimomura Hurricanrana (11:08).
3. Fuminori Abe defeated A.YAZAWA by submission via Self-Report (17:19).
4. Hardcore Tag Match: Takumi Tsukamoto & Akane Fujita defeated SAGAT & Jun Masaoka when Tsukamoto pinned SAGAT with the Dragon Kicker (16:52).
Trans-Am ★ Ryota was Ryota Nakatsu, Trans-Am ★ Takato was Takato Nakano and Trans-Am ★ Ika was Lil’ Kraken all impersonating different eras of the Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi gimmick along with Hiroshi himself.
Some of the wrestlers performed karaoke before the matches began. Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi, Antonio Honda, Takumi Tsukamoto and Lil’ Kraken all took part. Kraken actually did a diss track aimed at Rikiya Shindo instead of karaoke.
BASARA “BASARA 232 ~OJI NI KITSUNE 28~”, 07/10/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MONSTAR ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 1: Yasu Urano & Antonio Honda defeated Isami Kodaka & Gouma Ryu when Honda submitted Ryu with the Octopus Hold (10:58).
2. Takumi Tsukamoto defeated Ryuichi Sekine with the Zudon (11:02).
3. 3 Way Match: Ryota Nakatsu defeated SAGAT and Daiki Shimomura when Nakatsu pinned SAGAT with a Back Roll Clutch Hold (11:54).
4. Takato Nakano, Masato Kamino & Fuminori Abe defeated FUMA, KUBITO & Lil’ Kraken when Abe pinned Kraken with a Back Drop Hold (14:48).
5. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 1: Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Daichi Kazato defeated Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga when Kazato pinned Oosugi with the OPA! (16:41).
The first few IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT matches in the opening round saw Yasu Urano & Antonio Honda and also Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Daichi Kazato going through. Hiroshi & Kazato will face Ryota Nakatsu & Kazusada Higuchi in Round 2 on 24th October. The winners of that match will face Urano & Honda in the semi-final on 7th November.
BASARA “BASARA 233 ~OJI NI KITSUNE 29~”, 07/10/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MONSTAR ??? Fans – Unannounced
1. Isami Kodaka defeated Lil’ Kraken with the Isamiashi Zan (8:27).
2. Ryuichi Sekine, Fuminori Abe & Banana Senga defeated Ryota Nakatsu, Daichi Kazato Vs Yasu Urano when Senga pinned Kazato with a Rolling Cradle (11:50).
3. Tsutomu Oosugi defeated Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi with an Inverted Hurricanrana (9:36).
4. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 1: Daiki Shimomura & Minoru Fujita defeated FUMA & KUBITO when Shimomura pinned FUMA with the Asai DDT (16:20).
5. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 1: Takumi Tsukamoto & SAGAT defeated Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino when SAGAT pinned Nakano with the Goregrind (13:49).
The remaining 1st Round matches had Takumi Tsukamoto & SAGAT as well as Daiki Shimomura & Minoru Fujita both advancing. Tsukamoto & SAGAT will meet Lil’ Kraken & Leo Isaka in Round 2 on 24th October. The winners of that match will face Shimomura & Fujita in the semi-final on 7th November.
Daiki Shimomura challenged FUMA for the Union MAX Title on 24th October.
The IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT is back for the first time since 2020. It is also going to be the first time the reigning IRON FIST Tag Team Champions will be competing in the tournament. The 2020 tournament was held to determine the No. 1 Contenders and the 2019 edition was to crown the first champions. Every playoff match has a 30 minute time limit except for the final which has no time limit. If a match ends in a draw then both teams are eliminated. The teams taking part are:
BASARA “BASARA 232 ~OJI NI KITSUNE 28~”, 07/10/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MONSTAR
1. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 1A: Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Daichi Kazato
2. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 1B: Isami Kodaka & Gouma Ryu Vs Yasu Urano & Antonio Honda
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BASARA “BASARA 233 ~OJI NI KITSUNE 29~”, 07/10/2023 Tokyo Oji BASEMENT MONSTAR
1. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 1C: Daiki Shimomura & Minoru Fujita Vs FUMA & KUBITO
2. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 1D: Takumi Tsukamoto & SAGAT Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
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BASARA “BASARA 234 ~UTAGE~”, 24/10/2023 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 2A: Ryota Nakatsu & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Winners Of Match 1A
2. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Round 2B: Winners Of Match 1D Vs Lil’ Kraken & Leo Isaka
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BASARA “BASARA 235 ~UTAGE~”, 07/11/2023 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Semi-Final: Winners Of Match 2A Vs Winners Of Match 1B
2. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Semi-Final: Winners Of Match 1C Vs Winners Of Match 2B
3. IRON FIST TAG TOURNAMENT – Final: X & X Vs X & X
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 13/08/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 657 Fans
1. Hikari Noa defeated Runa Okubo with the Blue Racer (5:13).
2. 3 Way Match: Nao Kakuta defeated Haruna Neko and HIMAWARI when Kakuta pinned HIMAWARI with the Shiden Kai (8:04).
3. Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Shino Suzuki & Haru Kazashiro when Raku pinned Kazashiro with the Doctor Yellow (7:40).
4. Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano defeated Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami when Nagano pinned Toribami with the Whirlwind Kick (8:58).
5. Yuki Arai & Mahiro Kiryu defeated Wakana Uehara & Toga when Arai submitted Uehara with the Sasori-Katame (10:18).
6. Mizuki, Shoko Nakajima & Suzume defeated Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & Yuki Aino when Mizuki pinned Watanabe with the Cutie Special (15:31).
7. Tokyo Princess Cup – Final: Miyu Yamashita defeated Yuki Kamifuku with the Skull Kick (15:57).
The tenth edition of the Tokyo Princess Cup has brought closure to one of the longest running curses in Tokyo Joshi Pro. That’s right, Miyu Yamashita has finally won the tournament! Her victory in the final ended Yuki Kamifuku’s strong run but it wasn’t without a fight. Kamifuku used the Reverse Famouser she debuted yesterday, a Superplex, the Manjigatame and also some good old Eye Pokes to her advantage. But Yamashita fought back with German Suplexes, the Return Crash and the Skull Kick. That last move would have won the match if it wasn’t for Kamifuku’s long leg reaching over to cause a rope break. Kamifuku had one last gasp that led to her missing the Famouser. Yamashita quickly capitalised with the Crash Rabbit Heat to the back followed by another from the front to win the final.
Yamashita told the fans it’s taken 10 years but she finally won the Princess Cup. However she still has big ambitions for the future and is moving straight on to the next one. She called down Mizuki to the ring and told her she wanted to win this tournament so she could challenge her for the Princess Of Princess Title with pride. Mizuki admitted she is frustrated she lost to Yamashita in the 1st Round. Her pro wrestling life is the exact opposite of Yamashita but she respects her a lot. Mizuki accepted the challenge and the title match will take place at “WRESTLE PRINCESS IV” on 9th October. Yamashita requested a handshake afterward but Mizuki declined with a shake of her head.
Backstage Yamashita repeated her points. She has thought about winning the Princess Cup for the last ten years but the championship Mizuki has is more important to her. She also praised Kamifuku and is really glad to have fought her in the final. When a reporter pointed out that Yamashita has won both of TJPW’s annual tournaments this year, she said she can now add “Tournament Wins” to her special skills column. Kamifuku revealed that right after the match she received a LINE message from Aja Kong that said “You did your best.” Kamifuku still does not like competing in tournaments but understands she has to enter them and do her best.
Mizuki kept her skills sharp in the semi-main event by scoring the pinfall on Miu Watanabe in a 6-Woman Tag Match. Suzume took out Yuki Aino with the top rope Facebuster, Rika Tatsumi got rid of her with the Twist Of Fate and Shoko Nakajima bowled out who was left with a Topé Con Hilo. Back in the ring Mizuki unleashed the Whirling Candy on Watanabe and pinned her with the Cutie Special.
Yesterday’s fortunes were switched around for a few people in Match #5. Toga was coming in fresh off of winning a match by herself for the first time and Wakana Uehara was on the winning team with her. Yuki Arai on the other hand had to bounce back from her semi-final loss while Mahiro Kiryu is dealing with the hand she’s dealt with like always. Toga used her new Rock Bottom finisher again on Kiryu but the match came down to Uehara against Arai. A Big Boot from Arai led to her submitting Uehara with the Scorpion Deathlock.
The first time meeting between Hyper Misao and Juria Nagano saw the two facing off for a Karate duel. Misao then immediately threw away that idea and strangled Nagano with her cloak instead. Nagano had her Karate Tag partner Moka Miyamoto to count on though and together they kicked away Misao. Kaya Toribami stepped in and got a nearfall on Nagano with the 2nd Rope Twisting Senton. But Nagano hit her with a flurry of strikes, finishing her off with the Whirlwind Kick for the three count.
There was some confusion during the morning over Pom Harajuku. A couple of hours before the show began, TJPW announced she would be absent for various reasons and the card would be changed in response to that. The new card had Aino replacing Harajuku so Aino would have ended up wrestling twice. However Sayuri Namba then announced during the show opening introductions that Harajuku was here and will be wrestling her match after all, just a little later than scheduled. In the match itself Harajuku had a handle on Shino Suzuki while Raku beat Haru Kazashiro with the Doctor Yellow.
The last of the summer vibes were cherished in the 3 Way Match. Nao Kakuta stood on HIMAWARI like a surfboard, tied Haruna Neko’s tail to the rope to immobilise her and then pinned HIMAWARI with the Shiden Kai.
Hikari Noa won her match by using the Blue Racer submission hold for the first time in a while. She locked the move in on Runa Okubo and pulled her away from the ropes. Stuck in the center of the ring with nowhere to go, Okubo gave up.
TJPW is heading back to America this December for a co-promoted show with Presitge Wrestling! The two promotions are putting together “COMBAT PRINCESS USA” at the Globe Theater in Los Angeles on 14th December. The names announced so far are Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi, Miyu Yamashita, Maki Itoh, Taya Valkyrie, Masha Slamovich, Killer Kelly and Sandra Moone.
Maki Itoh Vs Nyla Rose was announced for “WRESTLE PRINCESS IV” on 9th October.
The vacant Princess Tag Team Titles will crown new champions at “WRESTLE PRINCESS IV”. Details will be announced at a later date.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 12/08/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 525 Fans
1. Wakana Uehara, Toga & Runa Okubo defeated HIMAWARI, Shino Suzuki & Haru Kazashiro when Toga pinned Suzuki with the Rock Bottom (9:25).
2. Suzume defeated Juria Nagano with the Ring A Bell (6:05).
3. It’s Summer Vacation! Eat Shaved Ice And Enter 8-Woman Tag Match: Yuki Aino, Raku, Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko defeated Hyper Misao, Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Kaya Toribami when Harajuku pinned Toribami with the Pom de Justice (9:58).
4. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel defeated Mizuki & Mahiro Kiryu when Sakisama pinned Kiryu with the Academy Award (13:53).
5. Shoko Nakajima & Miu Watanabe defeated Moka Miyamoto & Arisu Endo when Nakajima pinned Miyamoto with the Northern Lights Suplex (13:21).
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Miyu Yamashita defeated Yuki Arai with the Skull Kick (13:18).
7. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Yuki Kamifuku defeated Rika Tatsumi with the Diving Famouser (12:39).
See what you can do when you put your mind to it? Yuki Kamifuku has spent this year’s Tokyo Princess Cup proving her doubters wrong and it’s taken her all the way to winning a Korakuen Hall main event for the first time! And she did it by beating Rika Tatsumi too, being the first person to pin her since January. Tatsumi tried to use submission holds but Kamifuku’s tall body allowed her to break out of the White Dragon Sleeper. Kamifuku then ran in to hit a Guillotine Drop and then climbed the second rope for a Diving Famouser to score the three count. Although Tatsumi lost, she still felt like she made a lot of progress in the tournament this year. She said she will use that experience for her future International Princess Title defences.
Joining Kamifuku in the final is Miyu Yamashita. Ten years into the tournament’s existence Yamashita has entered every single one and this is the first time she has reached the final. Yuki Arai gave her a tough challenge to make it here. It was one of the few times Yamashita took just as many kicks to the face than her opponent. Big Boots were a key part of Arai’s battle plan until Yamashita blocked the Finally, threw up a feint and hit her target with the Skull Kick to win. Still, Arai is proud over how far she made it this year. She noticed she has gone one round further than the year before in every Princess Cup she has entered so next year she is aiming to go even higher.
So tomorrow’s final has come down to Yamashita Vs Kamifuku. Yamashita admitted she didn’t expect Kamifuku would make it this far but she is looking forward to fighting her with everything on the line tomorrow. Kamifuku said she will prepare for the final the same way she does for any other match. She is going to paint her nails, get her hair treated and use her beauty to win! Backstage Kamifuku said she loves her fans and is grateful for their support. She wants everyone to follow her whether they like or hate her. Yamashita said she is well aware of her bad fortunes in this tournament over the years. But then she thinks about everybody she has fought and beaten as well as remembering Yuka Sakazaki finally winning the Princess Cup for the first time last year. Those thoughts are what pushed her not to fall apart here like she would have in years past.
The four wrestlers who were eliminated in the Quarter Finals were paired off for a tag team match. The result was Shoko Nakajima & Miu Watanabe taking on Moka Miyamoto & Arisu Endo. Watanabe ended up throwing Endo into Miyamoto and then Body Slammed the both of them at the same time. Nakajima then pinned Miyamoto with the Northern Lights Suplex. She was happy to win today because she is feeling all of the younger wrestlers starting to catch up on her. As Summer comes to an end, Watanabe said she will do her best in the Autumn.
The latest appearance of NEO Biishiki-gun featured Sakisama acting less disgusted towards her opponents than usual. That shouldn’t be surprising when you think about it because she always held a slightly higher opinion of Mizuki than she did for others. Her somewhat friendlier treatment towards her this time left Mei Saint-Michel feeling jealous. She got one over on Mizuki by dropping the metal serving tray over her head before Sakisama pinned Mahiro Kiryu. Then after the match Sakisama handed Mizuki her rose. Once everyone left ringside it was announced that NEO Biishiki-gun (including Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent) will return at “WRESTLE PRINCESS IV” on 9th October.
Both teams in the 8-Woman Tag match agreed to a special rule where everyone first had to eat a serving of shaved ice before they could enter the bout. There were different glasses of shaved ice placed on tables outside the ring so everybody drew chopsticks and had to eat the glass matching the colour they picked. Yuki Aino got to eat the smallest glass and entered the match almost immediately. She had to wait for Hyper Misao to finish her glass before the actual wrestling could begin. Nao Kakuta, Hikari Noa and Haruna Neko all followed to fill both teams up. Pom Harajuku had to eat the largest glass and that kept her out longer than everyone else. When she finally finished, she jumped in with the hot tag only to stop herself because she was suffering from brain freeze. But thanks to some teamwork with Raku, she was able to recover and pin Kaya Toribami for the win.
In a singles match Suzume got to take on Juria Nagano. Suzume dodged the Brazilian Kick, dropped Nagano with a Facebuster and pinned her with the Ring A Bell.
The 2023 class of rookies were all together in the opening 6-Woman Tag Match. The match gave the two teenagers Haru Kazashiro and Runa Okubo more time to develop their classmate rivalry. Wakana Uehara found herself fighting with HIMAWARI in the match a lot. But it was Toga who got all of the attention at the end by getting her first direct win in her young career! She broke out of Shino Suzuki’s Sleeper Hold and pinned her with a Rock Bottom. Both of them debuted on the same day so that particular result means a lot for them.
There will be two shows taking place in Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX on 15th October. The afternoon show will be “GO GIRL 4” and is for a women only audience. The evening event will be a regular show.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 29/07/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 437 Fans
1. Juria Nagano & Kaya Toribami defeated Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI when Nagano pinned HIMAWARI with the Whirlwind Kick (7:47).
2. Hyper Misao, Nao Kakuta & Yuki Aino defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko when Misao pinned Kiryu with La Magistral Cradle (0:42).
2a. Rematch: Hyper Misao, Nao Kakuta & Yuki Aino defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko when Kakuta submitted Harajuku with the Kamitaka (6:02).
3. Hikari Noa, Raku, Suzume & Shino Suzuki defeated Mizuki, Toga, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo when Noa pinned Toga with the Blizzard Suplex (12:31).
4. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Yuki Arai defeated Arisu Endo with the Finally (13:01).
5. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Yuki Kamifuku defeated Miu Watanabe with the Famouser (12:22).
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Miyu Yamashita defeated Moka Miyamoto with the Skull Kick (12:55).
7. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Rika Tatsumi defeated Shoko Nakajima with the White Dragon Sleeper (19:10).
The final four has been decided. Not only is this year’s Tokyo Princess Cup going to give us a first time winner but we are also going to get two first time finalists out of who is left in the race. Rika Tatsumi continues her strong year of performances with a big victory over Shoko Nakajima in the main event. The Princess Cup has always been good to Nakajima but she has now been eliminated in the Quarter Final stage for the second year in a row. Tatsumi is full of praise for her though, saying she is very happy to fight somebody as amazing as Nakajima today. Nakajima shook her hand and gave her support towards Tatsumi winning the entire tournament. What’s motivating Tatsumi is an unnamed opponent she hasn’t fought yet and she wants to fight that person with a championship on the line. Hmmm. Is she talking about the International Princess Title or something else?
Dare I say it but is this finally the year? Miyu Yamashita is through to the semi-finals, cutting off any hope Moka Miyamoto had of developing a Cinderella run through the tournament. Miyamoto threw everything she had including the Zero-sen Kick to the back of the head as well as a big Neckbreaker. But Yamashita avoided the Korokan, threw her opponent over with the Attitude Adjustment and pinned her with the Skull Kick. Yamashita backstage said Miyamoto still has a long way to go until she can beat her but she still looks forward to fighting her again. Yamashita has her sights set on finally winning the Princess Cup with her ultimate goal being to challenge Mizuki for the Princess Of Princess Title. She already beat her clean in Round 1 but it seems like Yamashita is not satisfied with using that as a reason to deserve a title shot. Miyamoto said today reminded her of how big a wall Yamashita is for her to climb over. She wants to do her best so she will surpass her someday.
Miu Watanabe’s dramatic summer last year will not be repeated. Instead 2023 is for Yuki Kamifuku to prove her doubters wrong! She hates competing in tournaments but what annoys her even more is when people say she doesn’t try hard enough. Giving Watanabe a Superplex and cutting off the Tear Drop by hitting the Famouser twice for victory should get that message through loud and clear. Also using Mahiro Kiryu as a human shield outside the ring early in the match helped a bit. Watanabe said she trained hard as always but she already learned years ago that training isn’t enough to win wrestling matches. She wonders if her mistake is she thought too hard about wanting to win this year. Even though Kamifuku hates tournaments she knows there are fans and people close to her cheering her on. She also wants to inspire new women and girls to join Tokyo Joshi Pro so she can have more friends to drink with.
The first Quarter Final of the day was a battle between two wrestlers both born in 1998. Arisu Endo’s use of the Camel Clutch ultimately failed when Yuki Arai reached the ropes. She kept trying to find an opening to hit the Finally but Endo kept her guard up. Arai switched plans and used the Rookie Award to break through Endo’s defence, opening her up for the Finally and a three count. Arai said she was happy to fight Endo for the first time because they are good friends outside of wrestling and they both represent the same generation. She thinks getting to fight her is a good test to see how far both have come. Endo is open to the friendly competition because she now has a new target to overtake. Despite losing today she is pleased with the improvement from last year’s tournament run.
The Semi Final draw took place hours after the show had finished. The four remaining wrestlers all randomly chose an envelope in front of them and then pulled out the cards inside. Whoever pulled the same colours would face each other in the next round. The result we got is Miyu Yamashita Vs Yuki Arai and Rika Tatsumi Vs Yuki Kamifuku! Yamashita said it will be her first singles match against Arai since December 2021. Arai told her she isn’t afraid. What’s funny is both Tatsumi and Kamifuku are relieved they don’t have to fight Yamashita next! They are both rooting for Arai to knock her out of the tournament.
At least the rest of The Up Up Girls had fun today. Hikari Noa, Raku & Shino Suzuki all did their thing with Suzume in tow to beat Mizuki and the trio of rookies Toga, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo. The match came down to Noa against Toga. The big Elbow Strikes from Toga weren’t enough to win. Noa showed her toughness against those strikes and hit back with a Thrust Kick. The Blizzard Suplex then finished Toga off.
Match #2 began with Hyper Misao pointing out that everybody on the opposing team has nothing in common with each other. Mahiro Kiryu tried to make up for it by saying she can bring herself together with Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko no matter how strange they are. Harajuku & Neko took exception to her phrasing and stomped her! That led to the trio falling apart with bad teamwork and Misao pinned Kiryu in quick fashion. Kiryu apologised to her partners and asked for a rematch. Everyone agreed and this time things went a little bit better for them. But Misao’s teamwork with Nao Kakuta & Yuki Aino was still too strong for them. Kakuta used a new Front Neck Lock finisher called the Kamitaka to submit Harajuku.
Due to Juria Nagano being injured for most of the year, today is her first win since January. She spent most of her match fighting against HIMAWARI while Kaya Toribami dealt with Wakana Uehara. Nagano’s strike offence overwhelmed HIMAWARI until she finished her off with the Whirlwind Kick.
Two new trainees introduced themselves to the fans at the start of the show. Chika is 19 years old and from Osaka. Kirra is 26 years old and from Australia. She spoke to the audience in Japanese.
It was announced that the 18th September show in Nagoya will be the last time Reiwa AA Cannon is teaming together before Saki Akai retires from pro wrestling. Their opponents are to be announced.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 22/07/2023 Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall 289 Fans
1. Yuki Aino defeated Toga with the Full Nelson Of Love And Fire (5:53).
2. Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Suzume & Runa Okubo when Harajuku pinned Okubo with the Pom de Justice (8:52).
3. 3 Way Match: Mizuki defeated Haruna Neko and Shino Suzuki when Mizuki submitted Suzuki with the Face Lock (6:53).
4. Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami defeated Nao Kakuta & Haru Kazashiro when Misao pinned Kazashiro with the I Am A Hero (10:16).
5. Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara defeated Rika Tatsumu, Miu Watanabe, Moka Miyamoto & HIMAWARI when Nakajima pinned HIMAWARI with the Northern Lights Suplex (13:44).
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: Arisu Endo defeated Mahiro Kiryu with the Camel Clutch (9:56).
7. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: Yuki Arai defeated Hikari Noa with the Finally (11:43).
The last two matches in the first round of the Tokyo Princess Cup took place today. Yuki Arai got her revenge from last year’s tournament by eliminating Hikari Noa in the main event! She blocked Noa’s Blizzard Suplex and returned fire by giving her the Full Nelson Buster. Noa had some life left to keep moving but Arai caught her with the Finally to win the match. Arai said she is now in her 3rd year of wrestling and she decided she is not going to lose anymore! Now that she avenged last year’s defeat to Noa, she wants to aim even higher to meet everyone’s expectations of her.
Joining Arai in the Quarter Finals is Arisu Endo who finally won a Princess Cup match in her third attempt. She took on Mahiro Kiryu, an opponent also so determined to win today that she didn’t apologise after doing her Double Knee Drop! Endo focused on using the Camel Clutch to win. Kiryu got out of the first one thanks to a rope break but she ended up getting slammed into the centre of the ring and Endo put her in the hold again to make her submit. Endo can’t wait to face Arai in the next round because she remembers losing to her once before in a tag match. She thinks it is time to repay that debt.
The rest of the Quarter Finalists got some ring time against each other in Match #5. Miyu Yamashita was able to pair off with Moka Miyamoto while Yuki Kamifuku showed Miu Watanabe it won’t be easy beating her on 29th July. Meanwhile Shoko Nakajima and Rika Tatsumi were left in a stalemate too, although Nakajima went on to win the match for her team.
Something the roster has learned about Haru Kazashiro during her short wrestling career so far is she likes superheroes. So when Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami put together something called the Hero Research Society, they invited her to join and offered her a hero mask. Before she could accept, Nao Kakuta told her to focus on the match instead and grabbed the mask for herself. Still, the hero team encouraged Kazashiro to pose while wrestling. It all turned out to be a sham so Misao could attack her opponent while her guard was down. Later after the show Misao tweeted that Kazashiro passed the test anyway and is welcome to join the group as a scholarship student. Kakuta however was not accepted to join.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 17/07/2023 Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall 202 Fans
1. Suzume defeated Haru Kazashiro with the Mikazuki Meteor Shower (6:14).
2. Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Hyper Misao & Shino Suzuki when Raku pinned Suzuki with the Doctor Yellow (9:30).
3. Mizuki, Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko defeated Arisu Endo, HIMAWARI & Runa Okubo when Mizuki submitted Okubo with the Face Lock (11:04).
4. Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Wakana Uehara & Toga defeated Rika Tatsumi, Hikari Noa, Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami when Yamashita pinned Toribami with the Attitude Adjustment (13:29).
5. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: Yuki Kamifuku defeated Nao Kakuta with the Famouser (9:56).
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: Miu Watanabe defeated Yuki Aino with the Tear Drop (15:10).
Round 1 of the Tokyo Princess Cup continued with last year’s finalist Miu Watanabe advancing past Yuki Aino in the main event. She countered the UBV into the Tear Drop to win the match, bringing the third straight show in a busy weekend to an end. Watanabe said seeing everyone in Tokyo Joshi Pro gathering together to make new memories this summer makes her happy. It makes her want to beat the best in TJPW and win the Princess Cup! Unfortunately for Aino this loss is the latest in a string of big defeats. She blamed it on failing to make a decision during the most critical moment of the match. It pains her that she never lives up to the expectations of everyone who supports her. However her flame has not burned out and she can do her best again to become stronger.
Watanabe is going to face Yuki Kamifuku in the Quarter Final after Kamifuku defeated Nao Kakuta in a fierce fight. The result is revenge for Kakuta pinning Kamifuku at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23” earlier this month. Kamifuku said she didn’t want to get beaten up by Kakuta again so she decided to fight back. Now she’s worried about how she looks after the match just in case she bumps into Sho Hirano on the street tonight. For her next round match against Watanabe, Kamifuku said she will not be training or going to the dojo. Instead she’s going to the club where she hopes to meet her future husband Hirano. She prays he will come to see the match and cheer her on, making her win with the power of love! Meanwhile Kakuta said she has no regrets because she did everything she could. She recently found out TJPW described her as the “Uncrowned Queen” in their show program. It’s not a nickname she hates but it did take her aback. She’s going to continue being stubborn and persistent so she can finally accomplish something as a pro wrestler.