TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW PRISM ’24”, 09/06/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 707 Fans
1. Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Runa Okubo & Haru Kazashiro when Suzume pinned Kazashiro with the Ring A Bell (8:34).
2. Chika Nanase defeated Uta Takami with the Inari Dorii (5:12).
3. Nao Kakuta & SAKI defeated Raku & Pom Harajuku when Kakuta pinned Harajuku with the Shiden Kai (8:59).
4. Aja Kong, Yuki Kamifuku & Kira Summer defeated Maki Itoh, Mahiro Kiryu & Kaya Toribami when Kamifuku pinned Toribami with the Famouser (11:46).
5. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida defeated Moka Miyamoto with the Falcon Arrow (9:40).
6. Shoko Nakajima, Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino defeated Wakana Uehara, HIMAWARI, Toga & Shino Suzuki when Tatsumi pinned Uehara with the Twist Of Fate (14:51).
7. International Princess Title: Yuki Arai (c) defeated LA Taylor with the Finally (10:09). *V3 for Yuki Arai.
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) defeated Vert Vixen with the Tear Drop (17:17). *V2 for Miu Watanabe.
Vert Vixen came back to Tokyo Joshi Pro in order to be Miu Watanabe’s second challenger of the Princess Of Princess Title. In the leadup to the match Watanabe unveiled a new submission hold she calls the Reverse Paradox in order to keep her opponent guessing. Maybe it was a mistake to reveal the move too early because Vixen had it scouted today, avoiding the move and being able to rope break out of it once Watanabe got to apply it correctly. Watanabe had to rely on her usual move set which turned out to be the right decision in the end. Her barrage of Laserbeam throws and Double Hammer strikes weakened Vixen enough for the Tear Drop to finish her off.
The two bowed and shook each other’s hands after the match. When Vixen left the ring, Rika Tatsumi entered it to challenger her Daydream partner for the Princess Title! Tatsumi always thought that the match would happen some day but only thinking about it would never make it happen. So she is asking Watanabe directly and didn’t even wait for her to answer. It is happening at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’24” in Korakuen Hall on 20th July! Watanabe said she always wanted to defend the title against Tatsumi and she definitely won’t lose to her. She still remembers when Tatsumi won the International Princess Title from her last year. She closed out the show by asking the fans “Do you like Tokyo Joshi Pro?” The fans responded with “We love it!”
Speaking of the International Princess Title, Yuki Arai scored her latest defence of the belt by beating English wrestler LA Taylor. The newcomer to TJPW used her size advantage by doing a Fall Away Slam, Lariats and a Michinoku Driver. Her size also made it difficult for Arai to use the Full Nelson and Sharpshooter but she was eventually able to lock in the hold. She also used a Backslide Pin nearfall to hit Taylor with a short range Rookie Award. Taylor was dazed by the move so Arai hit the Finally next to win the match. Arai said she has held the IP Title for half a year now and while she wants to continue defending it, she is not satisfied with only holding one title. She wants to find out if she can win back the Princess Tag Team Titles again with somebody other than Saki Akai! She would be happy to find a new tag partner who can help her improve. Backstage Taylor said it was a dream come true to have the paper ribbons thrown for her during the match introductions.
Tatsumi led a senpai team to victory against the Class Of 2023 in an 8-Woman Tag Match. Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI used their High Speed Combined Brainbuster on Tatsumi and Uehara followed up with the BANANA PILLOW submission hold. Tatsumi escaped and hit her with a Hip Attack while Yuki Aino got rid of Shino Suzuki with the Side Suplex. After that Shoko Nakajima & Mizuki hit dives onto everyone out of the ring and Tatsumi pinned Uehara with the Twist Of Fate. Toga said everyone in her team grows after every fight but their senpais are always growing at a rapid rate too so the gap never closes. She hopes they can catch up to them some day while also becoming a wall for the juniors below them.
Moka Miyamoto was given a big match against AEW wrestler Hikaru Shida. She dodged some of Shida’s attacks to hit her with the Zero Sen Kick and also use the Rashomon. Shida reached the ropes and rallied back, hitting Miyamoto with a big Elbow Smash and using the Falcon Arrow to get the three count. Shida said backstage it’s been two years since she was last in TJPW and back then she thought if Miyamoto showed a little more enthusiasm she could become a really good wrestler. She didn’t expect her to grow so much since then and is glad to discover how much of a threat she has turned into. Also next time she gets invited back to TJPW, Shida wants to show everyone a different side of her. Although Miyamoto lost the match she is happy to show her growth and wants to challenge for a championship in the future.
It was an intimidating sight when Aja Kong’s team all showed up in matching face paint. Meanwhile Maki Itoh’s team all entered the ring with matching twintail hairstyles (apparently Itoh forced them to do it). When Mahiro Kiryu got the upper hand against Kira Summer, Kiryu used her Apology Knee Drop to apologise for beating the Aja Kongs of the world so easily. The real Kong didn’t forgive her. Kong also hit Itoh with a steel can but Itoh’s iron head withstood the blow and she Headbutted Kong in return. Kong almost hit Yuki Kamifuku with the can by accident but pulled back at the last moment. Kaya Toribami tried to take advantage of the crossfire but Kamifuku took care of her and won the match with the Famouser. Backstage Itoh, Kiryu & Toribami all complained that they couldn’t tell which opponent was the real Aja Kong.
SAKI was confused to see Raku & Pom Harajuku lie down to sleep in front of her before their match began. She decided to join in but fell for RakuPom’s trap even though Nao Kakuta tried to stop her. Later SAKI used an Atomic Drop on Harajuku and then gave Raku an Atomic Drop. That set Kakuta up to pin Harajuku with the Shiden Kai. Kakuta said she was happy to team up with SAKI in Japan after their plan to do it at the TJPW USA show had to be cancelled. Harajuku complained the Atomic Drop hurts so bad she can’t sit down and feels like she’s been split in two!
In a match where both wrestlers were fighting for their first win, Chika Nanase defeated Uta Takami. She used a Modified Full Nelson called the Inari Dorii to win by submission. It was a move she used once before in an incomplete form but today she debuted the finished version. Nanase is happy to win but wants to aim higher. Takami thought she was going to shine brightly and win today but admits she became a complete mess instead. Losing has only fired her up even more though and she will cherish every day to work hard so she can win next time.
The show began with a non-title match where Daisy Monkey took on Runa Okubo & Haru Kazashiro. The result was no surprise with Arisu Endo taking out Okubo with a Diving Mt. Tsuruga and Suzume pinning Kazashiro with the Ring A Bell. They enjoyed being in the opening match again because it’s like being the first batter in a baseball game. They feel like they are in top form now and are confident they can defend the Princess Tag Titles against anyone.
It was announced that “WRESTLE PRINCESS V” will be held at Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall on 22nd September.
Nakajima will be getting a match at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’24” that she has always wanted. She will have a singles bout against Aja Kong! Nakajima has experienced beatings from Kong before in places like Sumo Hall as well as beneath the cherry blossom trees of Shinjo Village. She believes this match will be meaningless if she cannot use this opportunity to beat Kong! Meanwhile Kong said she will be training alone in the mountains to prepare for the match. If she doesn’t she won’t be able to compete against Nakajima.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND ’24”, 06/05/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 756 Fans
1. Shino Suzuki defeated Toga with a Backward Rolling Cradle (8:21).
2. Moka Miyamoto, Kaya Toribami & Uta Takami defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer when Toribami submitted Nanase with the Bird Cage (9:43).
3. Yuna Manase defeated Runa Okubo with the Suzuki Dynamic (5:45).
4. Maki Itoh defeated Haru Kazashiro with the Itoh Punish (9:42).
5. Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino defeated Raku & Pom Harajuku when Aino submitted Harajuku with the Full Nelson Of Love And Flame (12:02).
6. Yuki Arai & Yuki Kamifuku defeated Mizuki & Nao Kakuta when Arai pinned Kakuta with the Finally (10:38).
7. Princess Tag Team Titles: Suzume & Arisu Endo (c) defeated Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI when Endo pinned HIMAWARI with the Ju no Okite (15:01). *V1 for Daisy Monkey.
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) defeated Shoko Nakajima with the Tear Drop (21:11). *V1 for Miu Watanabe.
If this really is the start of a new era in Tokyo Joshi Pro then the new champions have shown what they can do when you give them the ball. Miu Watanabe’s first defence of the Princess Of Princess Title was against two-time former champion Shoko Nakajima. The two started off the match with lock-ups leading into Monkey Flips. Nakajima took control with a 619 and then targeted Watanabe’s neck with submission holds and Neckbreakers. She also countered the Giant Swing into the Unmanned Local Train Hold. Watanabe was in trouble when Nakajima landed the Diving Senton on the apron followed by the Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall. Watanabe stopped her from doing another Diving Senton and quickly put her into the Giant Swing. Nakajima fought back with another Northern Lights Suplex but the Locomotion version was blocked and turned into a Power Slam. The Tear Drop was countered into a Hurricanrana for a two count which turned out to be Nakajima’s last chance to win. Watanabe hit her with a Double Sledgehammer, the Laserbeam and then the Tear Drop for the three count.
Watanabe told the fans how happy she was to fight Nakajima for the title and win because she has now grown as a champion. TJPW is in a new era but that means each and every member of the roster is part of the new era. She wants to defend the title against everyone and do her best to make TJPW grow. She loves wrestling so much and hopes to bring in more fans who love it just as much. Backstage Nakajima said she was disappointed to lose and has no choice but to try again. She put her heart into this match so didn’t hold back from the beginning. Watanabe has not decided on who she wants her next challenger to be. She mentioned Mizuki and Rika Tatsumi because they are former champions but is just as interested in facing somebody she cannot even imagine so it will help her grow even more. If that person ever shows up then Watanabe will welcome her challenge.
Daisy Monkey are now seeing what it’s like on the other side of the fence. It was not that long ago they were the young tag team looking to beat the Princess Tag Team Champions. Now they are the champions defending against the young tag teams! Wakana Uehara put Arisu Endo in her version of the Tringle Lancer called the BANANA PILLOW but Endo escaped it. Instead Daisy Monkey’s level of teamwork was too high for the challengers to overcome. Suzume & Endo dropped HIMAWARI with a Double Team Facebuster. Endo then pinned HIMAWARI with the Ju no Okite. Endo said backstage the challengers were a tougher fight than she expected. Suzume now understands the position they are in as champions. Everyone is going to be chasing after them! TJPW will be returning to Endo’s hometown in September. She absolutely wants to defend the tag titles on that show.
Yuki Arai got to show everyone the spot she has established for herself on the 3rd anniversary of her debut match. She wore a new costume covered in stars and teamed with Yuki Kamifuku to beat Mizuki & Nao Kakuta. Arai even scored the pinfall by hitting Kakuta with the Rookie Award followed by the Finally. Backstage Kamifuku joked that each star on Arai’s costume represents the people she wants to crush in the ring. She then pointed to a star on Arai’s dress and asked if that one is for Miyu Yamashita? Arai denied it and explained when Sanshiro Takagi scouted her for TJPW, he said he was going to make her a star. Sadly for Kakuta she is starting to feel her time is running out. She would like to team with Mizuki at least three more times before her graduation. Mizuki promised the next time they team up they will win.
The mind games on display during the start of Match #5 were something to behold. Raku & Pom Harajuku offered the customary pre-match handshake when Tatsumi & Yuki Aino both collapsed and fell asleep. Rather than attack them, Raku & Harajuku decided to lie down next to them and fell asleep too. Tatsumi & Aino noticed that and tried to pin them but RakuPom kept rolling away until they were outside the ring. They then sprung their own surprise after they were Irish Whipped into each other and swung back around to attack the other two. Raku armed herself with a pillow and attacked Tatsumi with it. Harajuku went to finish Aino off with the Pom de Justice. She missed the move though and Aino put her in the Full Nelson Of Love And Flame to make her give up. Aino enjoyed getting to wrestle Raku & Harajuku who she often teams with. Tatsumi called them a great Love Triangle. She’d like to join in to make it a 4 Way but reckons she is better off being a lone wolf. Aino admits she hangs out with Tatsumi more than the other two anyway but Tatsumi told her to keep that a secret.
Maki Itoh defeated Haru Kazashiro and had some words for her afterward. Just as she expected, Kazashiro is a loser but just by working hard today she will have encouraged some of these fans to do their best at work or in school tomorrow. Itoh thinks there is already someone out there who looks up to Kazashiro the same way Kazashiro looks up to her but if she really wants to become a hero then she should make it her goal to destroy Itoh! Later backstage Itoh said she is really looking forward to their next match together just based on the look in Kazashiro’s eyes during her speech. Kazashiro said she was so scared about today’s match she thought about running away. Itoh was even stronger that she expected but if she gets to fight her again she wants to beat her.
There was another big test given to one of the young rookies when Runa Okubo fought Yuna Manase. Okubo tried to match power with power but eventually lost to the Suzuki Dynamic. Manase was impressed with her and would like to have more matches together because of their similar wrestling style. She also called herself a relative of TJPW and noticed there are more new kids being added to the family. Just for her sake don’t ever call them grandkids. Okubo doesn’t want to use her age as an excuse for losing and trained hard for this match. She has regrets but is ready to keep training after Manase told her they should fight again.
Last month Kaya Toribami helped save America from a kappa invasion and today she continued that momentum by winning another wrestling match! The trios match was also the first time Chika Nanase, Kira Summer and Uta Takami all got to wrestle in Korakuen Hall. Both Mahiro Kiryu and Moka Miyamoto talked about how nervous they must have been before the match.
The opening match marked a big milestone for Shino Suzuki. By beating Toga she has earned her first ever singles win! The result came when Suzuki countered the Rock Bottom into a Backwards Rolling Cradle off of the ropes for the flash pin. She believes she won thanks to the support of everyone around her. With this under her belt she feels she can now catch up to the rest of her class. Toga had already beaten Suzuki twice before so she admits her overconfidence got the better of her. She is looking forward to her next match though and is now determined not to lose.
This past weekend Kamifuku went to wrestle for Vietnam Pro Wrestling and became the company’s first ever women’s champion. She still holds the Queen Of Asia Title so she is now a double crown champion of Southeast Asia! She plans to defend both titles in a singles match on 18th May and her opponent will be the TJPW debut of Alexis Lee! Kamifuku defeated Lee in Vietnam to win the VPW Women’s Title. She also beat Lee in Singapore last November to win the Queen Of Asia Title.
There was a group of special guests for The Up Up Girls mini concert held at the start of the show. The pro wrestling version of the unit were joined by another section of the idol group called Up Up Girls (2). They were there to announce TJPW and The Up Up Girls will be holding an outdoor collaborative show at Ueno Park on 7th July.
Let’s not even pretend where the inspiration for this idea came from. The brand new Marigold joshi promotion is using a jersey number system for their roster (not a new idea from Rossy Ogawa, he used a similar gimmick for Arsion). All of a sudden Tokyo Joshi Pro has come up with new merchandise that is also based on jersey numbers. Fancy that! Almost everyone in TJPW were asked to pick a number for themselves. People noticed Yuki Arai and none of The Up Up Girls were included. I guess that might be them being careful not to step into another idol group’s gimmick. Some of the numbers have deep meanings behind them, others are based on basic trivia about the women and some are just wordplay on their names.
Credit goes to @dweebyllo, @cmvenus_, @deesforta and @nampei1983 on Twitter for all taking the time to gather the names, numbers and explanations. I’m writing this post using all of the info they collected along with what the wrestlers tweeted out themselves.
1. Miyu Yamashita – She is the ace.
3. HIMAWARI – 3 means Sun, as in Sunflower.
04. Mahiro Kiryu – She is a FC Schalke 04 fan.
08. Suzume – 08 means Bee (8 = Hachi).
15. Rika Tatsumi – She changed her ring name to Rika Tatsumi in 2015.
25. Yuki Aino – Her birthday is 25th October.
39. Chika Nanase – Her birthday is 9th March.
46. Pom Harajuku – 46 means Pom (4 = Po, 6 = Mu).
70. Nao Kakuta – 70 means Nao (7 = Na, 0 = O).
82. Kira Summer – She hasn’t revealed her reason yet.
83. Yuki Kamifuku (Kamiyu) – Her inseam length is 83cm.
98. Arisu Endo – She was born in 1998.
110. Maki Itoh – 110 means Itoh (1 = I, 10 = To).
147. Shoko Nakajima – Her height is 147cm.
222. Haruna Neko – Nyan, Nyan, Nyan (2 = Nyan).
227. Toga – Her birthday is 27th February.
316. Mizuki – Her birthday is 16th March.
318. Moka Miyamoto – Her birthday is 18th March.
328. Haru Kazashiro – Her birthday is 28th March.
513. Wakana Uehara – Her birthday is 13th May.
615. Runa Okubo – Her birthday is 15th June.
708. Sayuri Namba – 708 means Namba (7 = Na, 0 = M, 8 = Ba).
810. Kaya Toribami – 810 means Bird (8 = Bir, 10 = Do).
1201. TJPW – The date of TJPW’s launch event was 1st December.
8183. Hyper Misao – 8183 means Hypami (8 = Ha, 1 = I, 8 = Pa, 3 = Mi).
Edit: In August TJPW released more jerseys for all of the idols who were left out of the first batch.
7. Shino Suzuki – She was born in July.
19. Miu Watanabe – Her birthday is 19th October.
42. Yuki Arai – 42 is Arai’s number from her junior high school exam.
329. Uta Takami – Her birthday is 29th March.
700. Raku – References the N700 Series Shinkansen train.
Even with WrestleMania Week out of the way there is so much to talk about what happened in April. It’s probably going to be a month Yuka Sakazaki will want to forget. She finally returned to TV screens only to possibly find her way back to the injury list. It only happened two weeks ago so there’s been no update to her condition. All she has tweeted since the match happened is a zombie emoji. She was being set up for a match with Serena Deeb in AEW but that seems to have gone to the wayside because Deeb is already moving ahead in the AEW Women’s Title picture. Just have to wait and see if it was just a knock to the knee or something worse.
In more uplifting news, Konosuke Takeshita is showing interest in taking the IWGP World Heavyweight Title from Jon Moxley. This is going to be facinating watching a DDT affiliated wrestler in an AEW storyline built around New Japan’s top championship. Does he have any realistic chance of becoming champion? Not unless Moxley gets legit knocked out during the match again. New Japan have clearly set their own story over Moxley’s IWGP Title reign. Their roster led by “The Reiwa Musketeers” are all showing frustration over their company playing second fiddle to AEW. Whether it is Moxley not taking part in the Japan tours or handing title matches out to undeserving challengers in America, the story New Japan is telling does not have Takeshita fitting in anywhere as an important player and I do not expect AEW to make booking decisions that will interfere with it. Still though, Takeshita versus Moxley has been good before and the addition of the IWGP Title is a novelty that got me more interested in the rematch.
Wrapping up the month is the Tokyo Joshi Pro portion of appearances. Maki Itoh finished up her latest American tour and got to defend the GCW Extreme Title. Not sure when she is due back in GCW other than we certainly won’t be waiting long to find out. Miyu Yamashita returned to a bunch of familiar promotions from last year’s excursion. The big one was a visit to TNA where she main evented their TV taping. Most important of all, Kaya Toribami stepped in for an injured Hyper Misao to help save the world from a kappa invasion. That’s a good bird.
Oh and there was also the crazy happenings that went on when Kazusada Higuchi and Mecha Mummy went to West Coast Pro. Let’s get to that.
AEW “RAMPAGE”, 20/04/2024 Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Illinois, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Emi Sakura
PRESTIGE/PRIDESTYLE “PRIDE & PRESTIGE”, 26/04/2024 Meet Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Trish Adora
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Results
WEST COAST PRO “CHRIS HERO’S PRO WRES MIXTAPE”, 14/04/2024 Don Quixote Event Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Chris Hero Vs Kazusada Higuchi ended in a No Contest (12:23).
2. Tornado Tag Team Match: Chris Hero & Bryan Keith defeated Kazusada Higuchi & Mecha Mummy when Keith pinned Mummy with the Emerald Tiger Driver (13:45).
This was not how I thought things were going to go between Higuchi and Chris Hero. I mean the first ten minutes, sure. They hit each other hard and Higuchi no sold hitting the ring post head first. That was all well and good. He even used his own head to block one of Hero’s Elbow Strikes. Unfortunately as they kept fighting in the corner the referee stepped in one too many times and got knocked out with a Lariat. Higuchi kept attacking Hero until Bryan Keith made his entrance and started squaring off with him. Hero & Keith joined forces so Higuchi now found himself needing help. Suddenly Mecha Mummy appeared!
There were plans for a Keith Vs Mummy match to happen on the show but now the fans got a Tornado Tag match between the four fighters instead! Mummy gave Keith an Atomic Drop onto the Mecha Fist but Keith returned fire by giving Mummy a Drop Toe Hold, destroying the fist on impact. Keith then challenged Mummy to a duel but it ended with them giving each other and the referee Low Blows. The ref also got impaled with the Mecha Drill by accident. Hero then fought Mummy all the way up to the balcony where Higuchi followed. Mummy fired the repaired Mecha Fist at Keith from the balcony and raced down to pin him for a nearfall. Hero returned with bottles of water but Higuchi stopped him from pouring it over Mummy. Keith however took a big drink of the bottle and spat it all over Mummy to make it go haywire. He then gave it the Emerald Tiger Driver to win a crazy match.
PRESTIGE “ROSELAND 8”, 14/04/2024 Roseland Theater, Portland, Oregon, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Kylie Rae with the Skull Kick (15:30).
Yamashita’s good run in Prestige continued when she beat Kylie Rae in a hard fought match. Hitting the Return Crash seemed to fire up Yamashita in particular. With that boost she broke out of Rae’s Crippler Crossface and kicked out of a Super Kick at one. She then rolled Rae into a Buzzsaw Kick for a nearfall before putting her down for the count with the Skull Kick.
ROH “ROH ON HONOR CLUB”, 17/04/2024 (Aired 25/04/2024) Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Leila Grey with the Magical Girl Splash (4:44).
Oh yikes this was bad. There was an awkwardly timed replay segment too right before the finish which only makes me wonder what was cut out because what was left in is the kind of stuff those anti-AEW Twitter accounts would salivate over if people gave a shit about ROH. There was an Elbow Strike exchange that looked like both didn’t want to sell and then Sakazaki tried to do a rope-assisted German Suplex that did not work at all. She was able to beat Leila Grey with the Magical Merry-Go-Round followed by the Magical Girl Splash but that match was one to forget. Or at least it would be if she hadn’t gotten injured in her next match during the month.
UPRISING “UPRISING: WOMEN ATHLETES 2”, 19/04/2024 Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA
1. Maki Itoh defeated Black Swan with the I.S.D. (9:22).
2. Hyan defeated Miyu Yamashita with the Glam Slam (11:27).
It looks like Hyan is one of the few opponents who seems to have Yamashita’s number whenever Yamashita goes over to America. This was their second singles match and there is a tag match to come later this summer. Hyan has beaten Yamashita both times now but it’s been no easy feat. This time Hyan was overwhelmed by Yamashita’s kicks but found ways to avoid the Attitude Adjustment. The last counter led to Hyan giving Yamashita the Glam Slam to win the match.
Itoh was given an opponent who is just as much of a dramatic attention seeker as she is in the form of Black Swan. They spent part of the match fighting outside where Swan threw Itoh into the barricade and then Itoh Body Slammed Swan onto the floor. After going back and forth in the ring, Itoh dropped Swan with a DDT and then got the win by hitting the I.S.D. off the top rope.
DREAMWAVE “ANNIVERSARY IX”, 20/04/2024 Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA
1. Megan Bayne defeated Miyu Yamashita with a Tombstone Piledriver (9:52).
The next night Uprising’s main promotion DREAMWAVE put together the surprise matchup of Yamashita against Megan Bayne. She is one of the stronger booked wrestlers on the independents right now and her momentum continued here with a clean win over Yamashita. The result seemed to have put Yamashita in a bad mood afterward because she refused to shake Bayne’s hand after the match and left the ring with a sour look on her face.
AEW “COLLISION”, 20/04/2024 Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Illinois, USA
1. Bunkhouse Brawl: Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli defeated Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita when Danielson submitted Fletcher with the Chain Assisted LaBell Lock (16:03).
Add the Bunkhouse Brawl to the list of violent matches Takeshita is finding himself in over at AEW. He was all dressed up for the occasion too as one should be for a stipulation like this. Chairs and chains were used by everyone and things got even more chaotic with interference from Powerhouse Hobbs and Moxley. The presence of Hobbs tipped things in favour for The Don Callis Family even when Moxley came down to get rid of him. Things then went south when Bryan Danielson countered Takeshita’s top rope Power Bomb with a Hurricanrana onto a chair set up in the middle of the ring. Claudio Castagnoli then covered his arm with the chain and hit Takeshita with a Charging European Uppercut. Danielson won the match by hitting Kyle Fletcher with the Busaiku Knee followed by putting him in the LaBell Lock for the submission.
AEW “RAMPAGE”, 20/04/2024 Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, Illinois, USA
1. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Emi Sakura with a Sliding German Suplex (9:31).
And here’s where Sakazaki’s return hit a big bump on the road. During her match with Emi Sakura, Sakazaki tried to do a cartwheel from the top rope onto the ring apron to avoid an attack. She missed landing on the apron and crashed onto the floor outside, hurting her knee in the process. Sakura bought some time with some improvised heel work ringside while Sakazaki tried to walk it off. They were able to continue the match but Sakazaki was still clearly shaken up and using the Sliding German Suplex for the finish was definitely not the original plan. Credit to her for gutting through it and still being able to do most of her moves but she couldn’t hide the upset look on her face after the match.
GCW “HOW HIGH”, 20/04/2024 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. GCW Extreme Title: Maki Itoh (c) defeated Sandra Moone with the I.S.D. (8:55). *V1 for Maki Itoh.
GCW is keeping us on our toes when it comes to Itoh defending the GCW Extreme Title. It wasn’t until the show took place when they announced her match with Sandra Moone would have the title on the line. No worries! Itoh beat Moone in her first defence and they left the ring together shoulder to shoulder.
TNA “IMPACT!”, 21/04/2024 (Aired 02/05/2024) Palms Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Knockouts World Title: Jordynne Grace (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita with the Juggernaught Driver (?:??). *V7 for Jordynne Grace.
Last year Yamashita got to wrestle in Impact for the first time. Now it’s a year later and Impact has gone back to being called TNA. No matter what name it’s under now, she was back to fight Jordynne Grace. The stakes were then made higher when TNA decided to make the match for the Knockouts World Title. Yamashita tried something a little bit new in the match when she hit the Skull Kick to the back of Grace’s head buzzsaw style but Grace recovered and used the Grace Driver to retain her title.
PRESTIGE/PRIDESTYLE “PRIDE & PRESTIGE”, 26/04/2024 Meet Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Trish Adora with the Skull Kick (10:33).
Yamashita’s next Prestige match was at an event co-promoted with PrideStyle Inclusive Pro in Las Vegas. She defeated Trish Adora in a match I haven’t seen the VOD of yet.
DAIKAIJU PRO “VOL. 2 – KAPPAS COUNTERATTACK”, 27/04/2024 White Eagle, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
1. Kaya Toribami defeated Ultramantis Black with the Sento Choryu (?:??).
This was originally supposed to be Hyper Misao coming back to America to protect the land from UltraMantis Black and his kappa army. Unfortunately an ankle injury forced a change of plans. Depending on who you ask she either got injured during her match against Steph de Lander at the “GCW VS TJPW” show or she was the victim of an ambush attack put together by the devious UltraMantis. Either way she sent Kaya Toribami to Daikaiju Pro in her place because they still needed a hero to fight for them. During the match Mantis called upon his kappa army for help but Toribami had backup from all of the other babyfaces to even the odds. In the end good prevailed over evil and Toribami successfully hit the Sento Choryu on Mantis to get the victory.
INSPIRE A.D. “THE EVIL WE DO”, 28/04/2024 Empire Control Room, Austin, Texas, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Maya World (?:??).
The last time Yamashita was at Inspire A.D. she took a surprise upset loss to Killa Kate. That wasn’t going to happen again when she fought Maya World in her return to the promotion.
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Upcoming Appearances
GCW “RATHER YOU THAN ME”, 03/05/2024 Egypt Shrine Center, Tampa, Florida, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Joey Janela
She got a taste of GCW earlier this month with the “GCW VS TJPW” show and is coming back for a proper go this time around. Yamashita is getting thrown into the deep end for her proper GCW debut. Joey Janela is chomping at the bit to break her into pieces so he can rub it in the faces of joshi fans afterwards.
Will Yuki Kamifuku beat Alexis Lee for the VPW Women’s Title so it can go along with her Queen Of Asia Title?
MLW “AZTECA LUCHA”, 11/05/2024 Cicero Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, USA
1. MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title – 4 Way Match: Janai Kai (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita Vs Zayda Vs Delmi Exo
Well Yamashita wasn’t able to win the Knockouts Title in TNA but she has another title match to look forward to in May. She returns to MLW where Janai Kai is defending the MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title in a 4 Way Match. The other challengers are Zayda Steele and Delmi Exo but Kai’s previous title defences have mostly been against joshi wrestlers and TJPW wrestlers in particular. She’s beaten Yamashita before outside of MLW. Can she do it again when her MLW Title is on the line and she needs to have eyes on the back of her head?
DPW “LIMIT BREAK”, 19/05/2024 Durham Convention Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita & Lady Frost Vs Hyan & Vert Vixen
It’s back to Deadlock Pro! Yamashita’s first time in the ring with Lady Frost is as a team together and they are both familiar with their opponents. Hyan is now a regular presence in Yamashita’s US tours and Yamashita teamed with Vert Vixen the last time she was in DPW.
LLL “HIGH STRANGENESS – NIGHT ONE”, 24/05/2024 The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA
1. Abadon Vs Miyu Yamashita
This isn’t the first time Yamashita will be fighting a zombie. She used to do that all the time when Maho Kurone was still wrestling. Abadon though is a bit more intense when it comes to that sort of stuff.
LLL “HIGH STRANGENESS – NIGHT TWO”, 25/05/2024 The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
What else is Lucha Libre & Laughs going to throw at Yamashita?
SETUP “CLASH OF THE TITANS”, 25/05/2024 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. SETUP All Asia Women’s Title: Matcha (c) Vs Monomoth Vs Mizuki
How possible is is that Mizuki wins the SETUP All Asia Women’s Title and then brings it along for her Queen Of Asia Title shot that is due anytime soon? Add the VPW Women’s Title then we end up with an Asian Triple Crown of women’s championships.
GCW “TOURNAMENT OF SURVIVAL 9”, 01/06/2024 The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA
1. Tournament Of Survival 9: Shunma Katsumata Vs X
One of the big death match tournaments of the year is held by GCW over in America. The 9th annual Tournament Of Survival will have Shunma Katsumata as one of the Japanese entrants along with Big Japan wrestlers Hideyoshi Kamitani and Yuki Ishikawa.
REPUBLIC OF LUCHA “ROL7: HIT THE LIGHTS”, 01/06/2024 The Temple, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs X
The first two seasons of Lucha Underground was a magical time. Season three was good too but the show suffered from taking a massive break mid-season but that’s a conversation for somewhere else. The warehouse that was used to house The Temple for the show tapings is going to host a wrestling show for the first time in seven years. I don’t expect it to look anything like it did in the old days because a lot of that setup was just a TV set but Takeshita getting to wrestle there is pretty neat nonetheless.
This is still for now the last date on Yamashita’s schedule before she goes back to Japan.
IWA JAPAN “HARDCORE FOREVER”, 27/07/2024 The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
1. IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs X & X
This year is the 30th anniversary of IWA Japan’s launch. What a weird existence this promotion has had. To celebrate there will be a memorial show held by SETUP taking place in Thailand using the IWA branding. CDK will be there to defend the SETUP Tag Team Titles since those belts are also affiliated with IWA Japan. Will Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi have to defend the belts against a pair of kaiju or will they be fighting more normal looking opponents?
DDT “DDT X ZEEKSTAR TOKYO SPECIAL PERFORMANCE ~ DDZT”, 26/04/2024 Tokyo Sumida Ward General Gymnasium
0. Dark Match – 3 Way Match: Yuni Vs Ilusion V Kazuma Sumi
1. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) Vs Keigo Nakamura
2. Kazusada Higuchi & Yuya Koroku Vs Yukio Naya & Rukiya
3. KO-D 10-Man Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi, Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Mecha Mummy (c) Vs Toru Owashi, Hiroshi Yamato, Tomomitsu Matsunaga, Soma Takao & Shinichiro Kawamatsu
4. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Sayaka Unagi (c) Vs Sanshiro Takagi
5. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo & Yuki Iino Vs Shunma Katsumata & To-y
6. Special Single Match: HARASHIMA Vs Kazuki Hirata
7. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Jun Akiyama, Danshoku Dieno & Makoto Oishi (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki, KANON & MJ Paul
8. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuki Ueno (c) Vs Akito
Last week Sanshiro Takagi hatched a plan to get the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title off of Sayaka Unagi. He no longer trusts Unagi to protect the belt after she lost it to an unknown person in America last month and risked it disappearing from DDT forever. Takagi’s plan was to attack Unagi with a pack of Grilled Unagi in her dressing room before a press conference. Takagi choked Unagi with the unagi and she tapped out. The referee was about to hand Takagi the belt when he instead told him to give it to the Grilled Unagi! Sayaka Unagi got revenge during the press conference when she opened the pack of unagi, filled it in a bowl with rice and began to eat it. After taking a few bites, the referee checked on the unagi for any movement and ruled it had been knocked out which means Sayaka Unagi is the champion again! She then promised to defeat Takagi on behalf of all kinds of Unagi.
Keigo Nakamura asked MAO to put the DDT Universal Title on the line in their match. MAO likes the idea because the story of a wrestler winning the title in his comeback match from injury hasn’t happened before with the Universal Championship. He wants to do unprecedented things in his title reign and that matches what he is looking for. Nakamura developed a desire to win that particular championship while he was rehabbing from his injury.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 27/04/2024 Tokyo Kitazawa Town Hall
1. 3 Way Match: Rika Tatsumi Vs Nao Kakuta vs Chika Nanase
2. Mahiro Kiryu Vs Kira Summer
3. Maki Itoh & Uta Takami Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Toga
4. Mizuki & Shino Suzuki Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
5. Suzume, Arisu Endo & Haru Kazashiro Vs Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI & Runa Okubo
6. Miu Watanabe & Moka Miyamoto Vs Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino
This week Maki Itoh returns from America while Kaya Toribami will be travelling over to America.
BASARA “BASARA 246 ~UTAGE~”, 30/04/2024 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. SAGAT & Gouma Ryu Vs Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
2. Ryuichi Sekine & Masato Kamino Vs Yasu Urano & Yuki Ishikawa
3. Ryota Nakatsu & Fuminori Abe Vs Takumi Tsukamoto & Judomaster
4. Isami Kodaka, Takato Nakano & Gaia Hox Vs FUMA, KUBITO & Daichi Kazato
5. Union MAX Title: Minoru Fujita (c) Vs Lil’ Kraken
Gaia Hox makes his BASARA debut.
The next challengers for the IRON FIST Tag Team Titles are Takumi Tsukamoto & Judomaster. They don’t have a date for the match yet so first Ryota Nakatsu will meet them in a prelim match with Fuminori Abe as his partner.
DDT “KING OF DDT ~20TH ANNIVERSARY~ 1ST ROUND”, 05/05/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match: Yuni, Keigo Nakamura & Yuya Koroku Vs Ilusion, Kazuma Sumi & Rukiya
0. Dark Match: Shunma Katsumata, Akito & Kazuki Hirata Vs Jun Akiyama, Makoto Oishi & Tomomitsu Matsunaga
1. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1A: MAO Vs Poison Sawada JULIE
2. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1B: KANON Vs To-y
3. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1C: Yuki Ueno Vs Sanshiro Takagi
4. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1D: Yuki Iino Vs Daisuke Sasaki
5. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1E: Kazusada Higuchi Vs Yukio Naya
6. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1F: HARASHIMA Vs Shuji Ishikawa
7. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1G: Tetsuya Endo Vs Danshoku Dieno
8. King Of DDT 20th Anniversary – Round 1H: Chris Brookes Vs Takeshi Masada
The King Of DDT 1st Round takes up the entire main card lineup so the other matches have to take place on the pre-show.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND ’24”, 06/05/2024 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Toga Vs Shino Suzuki
2. Mahiro Kiryu, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer Vs Moka Miyamoto, Kaya Toribami & Uta Takami
3. Yuna Manase Vs Runa Okubo
4. Maki Itoh Vs Haru Kazashiro
5. Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
6. Yuki Arai & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Mizuki & Nao Kakuta
7. Princess Tag Team Titles: Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
This is the full card for this year’s Tokyo Joshi Pro Golden Week show. Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino are teaming up using the name Burning Dragon. Also coming in is Yuna Manase for her first appearance on a TJPW solo show since October 2022. Runa Okubo is her opponent for her return.
DDT “EARLY SUMMER BEER GARDEN PRO WRESTLING – DAY 2”, 17/05/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage
1. Danshoku Dieno Birthday Eve Commemorative Match: Danshoku Dieno Vs X
2. DDT Extreme Title: Shunma Katsumata (c) Vs Antonio Honda
There have been so many ways Antonio Honda has left his mark in DDT over the years. Shunma Katsumata believes Honda left his biggest mark with his DDT Extreme Title reigns. So much so that Katsumata now sees it as his mission to make his current reign surpass all of Honda’s. He nominated Honda as his next challenger and will come up with a match stipulation that will fit the Beer Garden vibe.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “NAO KAKUTA GRADUATION COMMEMORATION ~KIMITACHIHA ISSHOUNO TAKARAMONO~”, 25/07/2024 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Nao Kakuta Graduation Match: Nao Kakuta Vs X
The end of July sees Nao Kakuta having her final match and graduating from TJPW.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “HYPER MISAO PRODUCE ~ HYPE! 2”, 19/04/2024 Tokyo Kitazawa Town Hall 227 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. Aja Kong defeated Raku with the Back Drop (7:44).
Last May Hyper Misao produced her first show called “HYPE!” and it got such a good reception she put together a second one almost a year later. And just like last year Misao was not going to be the hero of today’s story. Instead the show began inside a packed train entering Suidobashi Station. Raku was among the passengers squeezing through the crowd when she suddenly tripped to the ground. When she got back up, a hooded stranger handed her a bag thinking it belonged to her. The stranger disappeared before Raku could correct her and hand the bag back.
Suddenly a voice coming from inside the bag called out to Raku. Inside was a stuffed rabbit toy who was really a Battle Fairy named Shokopple who is searching for a masked idol named Re:. Shokopple believed Raku was Re: using an alter ego to hide in public. Raku didn’t understand so Shokopple explained that Re: is a magical idol who is powered by Entertainment Energy. She is meant to be at a sold out solo concert at the Tokyo Dome today. However 3 days ago Re: suddenly tweeted that she was quitting with immediate effect. The shocking news drove the city into chaos which caused Shokopple to go in search of Re:, which brought her to Raku. Sirens then went off and a commanding voice gave orders for Re: to go solve an incident happening in Shibuya. Shokopple gave Raku no choice but to follow the order.
A gang of Ganguro Gals have been going around Shibuya kidnapping innocent people like Sayuri Namba and transforming them into even more Ganguro Gals! The three Gals named Miupipi, Mokachamu and the newly transformed Bassa danced to “Night Of Fire” and revealed their plan to turn all of humanity into Ganguro Gals! Raku arrived to stop them but was mistaken for someone who was next to join the group. The Gals all surrounded her and Raku was in trouble. Shokopple told Raku there is a mask in her bag that will transform her into a magical hero. Raku grabbed the mask, put it on and transformed into Re:! During the transformation Shokopple also powered up into human form. Together they defeated the Gals in a fight. Afterwards Re: transformed back to Raku and the Gals regained their normal personalities. All were horrified that they had turned Ganguro but Miu seemed to recognise Raku. Before they could talk, the siren went off again and Shokopple dragged Raku off to the next mission.
Deep in the heart of Tokyo there is a host club called $hoot $hin. Shokopple could sense there was something evil about the place but all they could find were the three handsome hosts Kiryuin, Tosuke and Haruki serving female customers in a charming manner. They performed the song “Shuchishin” which made Shokopple notice Entertainment Energy filling the room. Raku was then handed a bill for 32.1 million yen! That was when they realized the host club was just a front for a gambling gang! Raku transformed into Re: for the next fight scene. The hosts tried to use Love Story powers but Re: resisted them and left them in a beaten pile. The hosts were snapped out of their senses and Kiryuin seemed to recognise Raku. But the siren went off again and Raku was gone just as quickly.
Along the way there was a breaking news story on TV. Ace reporter Azusa Takigawa was near the Tokyo Dome where the planned Re: concert was being hijacked by the heavy metal band Kokuchumu! The band members Kuroharu, Yukinojo & Bird took over the show to perform “Boukyoku no Sora”. Raku arrived when they had finished but when she put on the mask, she didn’t transform into Re:. While they tried to figure out what was wrong, Kokuchumu attacked them. The lead singer Kuroharu then grabbed the mask and revealed to Shokopple that she was Re: all along, not Raku! Re: only wanted to be an artist and she remembered how much fun music is when she met the other members of the band. They then attacked Shokopple but Raku stopped them. She tried to reason with Re: but she wouldn’t change her mind. They would have to fight.
All three of Kokuchumu then attacked Raku. When things looked their worst and Raku looked to be done for, all of the people she saved earlier in the show appeared on stage dancing to the ring. They all grouped around Raku reminding her that she is an idol. Memories of Raku’s entire wrestling career flashed through her mind as the voices all called out for her to wake up. Raku, now in her wrestling costume, fought off Kokuchumu until it came down to herself against Re:. She told her there was no reason to fight and told the story of how she became an idol. She then sang her song “Marshmellow Cacao Station” ending it by introducing herself as Raku from The Up Up Girls!
Raku told Re: she was forgetting the most important thing as an idol. It is to entertain the fans in front of you. Re: saw the error of her ways and settle her problems with Shokopple. It was now time for Raku to return home but nobody knew how until Shokopple figure it out. Raku is in the middle of her own dream and the only way to wake up is to go through a gruelling ordeal. Suddenly Aja Kong’s music played!
That’s right, Raku’s end to her story was to have a match against Aja Kong! Raku shook her hand and confirmed she wanted to do the match. She threw Chops after Chops but Kong wouldn’t budge. Raku then sang her a lullaby which did send Kong briefly to sleep but only for a two count. Kong then went on the attack, knocking her down and doing her own version of the Oyasumi Express! Raku escaped and used the Smile Train for another near fall. She then armed herself with a pillow to go against Kong’s Steel Can. Raku was able to disarm Kong and hit her over the head. She could have done it more but chose to fight on without any weapons. Kong easily overpowered her though and won by giving her the Back Drop.
Kong was apologetic after the match but she had to go hard against Raku to make it matter. She praised her for her performance throughout the show and didn’t expect her to sing a song at the end so that was a nice bonus for Kong. She was happy to wrestle Raku one on one for the first time on a show like this. Next time she wants them to team up. She suggested they can go look for the producer and crush her together!
The other cast members all gave their support for Raku too. Rika Tatsumi thanked her for all the hard work and said the match grabbed at her heart. Shoko Nakajima talked about how little time everyone had to prepare for the changes in the show after Misao got injured. But Raku was always the first to learn her lines and put in the most effort when she was given the lead role of the story. Raku told the audience that when Misao gave her the role, she also told her she was going to have a match. Raku immediately thought of Kong but was too nervous to do it. Misao convinced her to take it because it was a big opportunity for her.
Misao then explained that she got injured before the script was even finished. She even revealed HIMAWARI came in on a day’s notice to play the puppeteer for Shokopple in its rabbit form. Misao then told the fans she will need to get surgery on her injured ankle. She will be out for longer than she expected but she will come back! She also wants to produce more “HYPE!” shows so it can be a place where everyone can see that everybody in Tokyo Joshi Pro has talent. She ended the show by telling everyone “I get Hype! We get Hype!!”
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’24”, 31/03/2024 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan 2,349 Fans
1. Haru Kazashiro, Runa Okubo & Uta Takami defeated Shino Suzuki, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer when Kazashiro pinned Nanase with a Fisherman Suplex (7:43).
2. Nao Kakuta & Ami Yumoto defeated Mahiro Kiryu & HIMAWARI when Kakuta pinned HIMAWARI with the Shiden Kai (8:52).
3. Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Andreza Giant Panda & Kaya Toribami (w/ Haruna Neko) when Raku pinned Toribami with the Doctor Yellow (8:38).
4. Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano defeated Wakana Uehara & Toga when Miyamoto pinned Toga with the Korokan (11:11).
5. Masha Slamovich defeated Rika Tatsumi with the White Knight Driver (10:35).
6. Aja Kong & Max The Impaler defeated Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao when Kong pinned Misao with the Diving Back Elbow Drop (12:39).
7. Special Single Match: Minoru Suzuki defeated Maki Itoh by Referee Stoppage with the Sleeper Hold (18:01).
8. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki defeated Emi Sakura & Chris Brookes when Mizuki pinned Sakura with the Aquamarine (15:43).
9. International Princess Title: Yuki Arai (c) defeated Yuki Kamifuku with the Finally (11:28). *V2 for Yuki Arai.
10. Princess Tag Team Titles: Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino (c) when Suzume pinned Aino with the Ring A Bell (15:57). *Yukiniki fails in V1. Daisy Monkey become the 16th Princess Tag Team Champions!
11. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe defeated Miyu Yamashita (c) with the Tear Drop (20:07). *Miyu Yamashita fails in V4. Miu Watanabe becomes the 14th Princess Of Princess Champion!
Has the dawn of a new era finally begun up for Tokyo Joshi Pro? The big story coming out of “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” is the young generation of wrestlers surpassing the veterans in each of the three title matches. None was more newsworthy than the main event where Miu Watanabe defeated Miyu Yamashita for the second time in her career to become the new Princess Of Princess Champion! It was as loud of a declaration as she could make in a Sumo Hall main event, kicking out of the pin after taking the Skull Kick (first time that ever happened in TJPW) and pinning Yamashita clean with the Tear Drop. This title win also makes Watanabe the second ever Grand Slam champion in TJPW!
Watanabe was overcome with emotion after the match. She thanked everyone for their support and talked about how much she loves TJPW. The company is entering its 11th year of existence and from now on everyone in TJPW are going to have plenty of big dreams that she wants to see come true. She will do her best to make those dreams come true and hopes everyone will love TJPW forever! The show ended with the entire roster gathered together on the entrance stage and bowing to the audience in thanks for their support. All of the new champions then remained for a group photo together.
Backstage Watanabe told reporters she’s been with TJPW for 6 or 7 years and came into the company not knowing anything about pro wrestling. It was the kindness and love she found within TJPW that made her fall in love with the promotion. It is an important place for her which makes today’s championship win even more meaningful. She looks forward to being here for another 10, 20 and even 30 years so she can expand her dreams! In regards to Yamashita, Watanabe believes she has now caught up with her but it only takes a second for Yamashita to sprint back ahead with incredible speed. It will be the same for the rest of Yamashita’s generation so Watanabe wants to be a champion who can take them all on. Yamashita admitted it was frustrating to lose but she is happy to see Watanabe become the champion. It gives her another reason to keep getting stronger. If Yamashita is currently at her limit then she will now focus on exceeding it.
The other title change of the day was in the semi-main event. Daisy Monkey have now won the Princess Tag Team Titles that’s been out of their reach for so long! Yukiniki put up a good fight and had the plan to isolate Suzume late in the match. Yuki Aino gave her a Side Suplex and Ryo Mizunami followed with the Uranage for a nearfall. Suzume blocked the UBV attempt long enough for Arisu Endo to come back in and even the odds. Together Daisy Monkey used a double team Facebuster on Aino and Suzume finished her off with the Ring A Bell for the title switch.
Daisy Monkey were so happy to win they didn’t even know what to do with the title belts or the streamers that were thrown for them. Suzume said she knew there were always people who supported her and with Endo by her side they were able to fight at their most passionate and win. Endo cried because what makes Suzume happy makes her happy too. So many of the senpais that they admire have held the tag titles and now Daisy Monkey’s name is deservedly added to that lineage. Suzume said their team was missing a pink colour and Yukiniki gave it to them today. So from now on they want to defend the belts against a variety of challengers who will offer them something new. They will absorb all the different colours from them to become more colorful than the rainbow! Aino is upset to lose but feels she has moved to the next level thanks to Mizunami. She is ready to take on new challenges and fight for more championships. Mizunami explained wrestling is a dream-filled profession and seeing Aino become so motivated after losing makes her think she is ready to take her own next step too.
The International Princess Title match ended up having a big connection to Saki Akai thanks to both participants. Yuki Arai used to team with Akai as Reiwa AA Cannon until Akai retired from wrestling. Yuki Kamifuku wrestled the match wearing the costume top Akai gave to her the last time they were in the ring together. She also wanted to steal the spotlight knowing that a lot of SKE48 fans were in the audience today. However Arai went kick for kick against her, dodged the Famouser and beat Kamifuku with the Finally. Arai remembers the last time she wrestled in Sumo Hall two years ago she challenged for the IP Title and lost. Today she successfully defended the same title in the same venue, giving herself even more confidence. It makes her excited to see what she can do in another two years time. Kamifuku admitted her opinions on SKE48 changed today. She wanted to outshine them but when she watched their mini-concert during the show she realised they were too cute and she knew all of their songs. Now Arai is somebody she wants to go out for drinks with someday! Until that happens Kamifuku is considering going on another trip somewhere in Asia to brush up on her beauty tips.
The Magical Sugar Rabbits came back ready to fly all over Sumo Hall against the unusual team of TeaDK. That pair went off to an awkward start when Emi Sakura had to order Chris Brookes into helping her with double team moves that just didn’t work well because of their size difference. MagiRabi took advantage with big dive moves including a double dive that came off one of the aisleway entrances! Yuka Sakazaki also showed her strength by giving Brookes the Magical Merry-Go-Round as well as the Tea Time. TeaDK had more moments of bad teamwork but still overpowered Mizuki with their attacks. Mizuki wiped out Brookes with the Whirling Candy before facing off with Sakura once again. They had a back and forth exchange that ended with Mizuki pinning Sakura with the Aquamarine!
Backstage Sakazaki said the match hurt a lot but still felt so right. It was her first match since graduating from TJPW and she admitted her future turned out differently than what she imagined. She is feeling refreshed and excited because she hasn’t done anything in the last four months. It is still her plan to go to America this year but right now her schedule is undecided. Mizuki was happy to beat Sakura the way she did but admits it doesn’t feel like she won at all. Sakura is always ahead of her and Mizuki fears she can never catch up. Elsewhere TeaDK were at odds over why they lost. Sakura blamed Brookes while he tried to tell her she is not royalty. She wouldn’t listen and Brookes was left thinking he is better off going back to CDK.
Maki Itoh knew she was in for an impossible fight against Minoru Suzuki but she still gave it her best shot. She tried to get on his good side by acting cute and polite but they just made Suzuki ask what’s so cute about her? Suzuki grabbed Itoh by the hair, making her cry. He complained to Yukinori Matsui but took it too far and made him cry too. In Itoh’s case it was just a trap to get the jump on Suzuki. That didn’t work out because Suzuki hit her with a chair outside the ring. Itoh kept trying to fight back both in the fight as well as the war of words. She countered the Gotch-Style Piledriver into a Cradle for a few nearfalls until Suzuki caught her in the Sleeper Hold. Itoh fainted from the move and the match had to be stopped. When Itoh regained consciousness she refused to shake his hand, opting to give him the middle finger instead. Suzuki grabbed Itoh by the middle finger and dragged her backstage all the way to the interview desk. Itoh stuck up her other middle finger and Suzuki grabbed that too. He held on until Itoh apologised. Suzuki patted her on the head and left, promising he will be back. Itoh told the reporters it was fun to wrestle Suzuki. Next time she would like to team with him again.
With the new and improved Hypami Dramatic Dream combat bike fully completed, Kyoraku Kyomei were ready to take on the incoming rampage of Aja Kong & Max The Impaler. They had other tricks up their sleeve like Hyper Misao blinding Kong with a her spray so Kong would miss the Diving Elbow Drop. The match didn’t take long to move out of the ring. Misao tried to run over Kong with the Hypami DD but she dodged out of the way. However Shoko Nakajima caught Kong and kept her in place long enough for Misao to turn the bike around and crash it into her! Back in the ring Max came to Kong’s rescue and soon the two monsters were armed with steel cans. After beating up Kyoraku Kyomei with the cans, Kong & Max decided to give them Piledrivers together. Kong then copied Misao’s “I Am A Hero” catchphrase and hit the Diving Elbow Drop for the three count. Kong called it a forgone conclusion. The Princess Tag Team Champions should consider themselves lucky that Kong & Max aren’t the next challengers. As soon as Kong said that she began to wonder out loud what would happen if they did become the champions…
The reigning JCW Champion came to Sumo Hall and put down one of TJPW’s main stars. Masha Slamovich survived being strangled by Rika Tatsumi and also caught her Hip Attack. Tatsumi was left stunned with a Spin Kick to the head and was done for when Slamovich gave her the White Knight Driver. Slamovich said winning a match in Sumo Hall felt special and she is ready to fight more TJPW wrestlers in Philadelphia next week. Tatsumi hopes she will come back so they can have a rematch. If she doesn’t then Tatsumi will just go searching after her.
The new ring costumes worn by Wakana Uehara & Toga were not enough for them to beat Shinken Kusho. Instead it was the teamwork of Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano that made the difference. Nagano took care of Uehara allowing Miyamoto to beat Toga with the Korokan. With only a short time remaining until Nagano’s graduation, Shinken Kusho were happy to win in the same building where Nagano debuted and started teaming with Miyamoto two years ago.
It turns out that Raku’s lullaby is super effective against giant pandas. She was able to send Andreza Giant Panda to dreamland, thanks to some help from Pom Harajuku placing a pillow beneath his head. Andreza woke up when they tried to pin him with the Oyasumi Express. When Andreza became too powerful to fight directly, RakuPom turned their attention to Kaya Toribami. Andreza ended up Headbutting Toribami by accident, giving Raku the opening to give her the Doctor Yellow and win. Andreza took the result in his stride though and was happy he got along with both Toribami and Haruna Neko. He wants to make even more animal friends so they can all be part of an Animal Paradise. He also warned TJPW that some of the stuff that happened to him in the ring today counts as animal abuse and he will be calling the animal welfare centre later.
It was a successful debut match for Ami Yumoto. She started off the match against HIMAWARI and held her own. Things got difficult when HIMAWARI tagged in Mahiro Kiryu but Nao Kakuta was there to save the day. Yumoto did a dive onto Kiryu out of the ring while Kakuta beat HIMAWARI with the Shiden Kai. Yumoto wished she could have done more in training to be better prepared. She hopes this match will be a good opportunity to set up another one in the future. She said she has always been a tomboy since she was a kid and would like to do more high flying moves next time. Kakuta would like to team with her again but her advice to Yumoto is to prioritise her health and career.
The JK Trio of Haru Kazashiro, Runa Okubo & Uta Takami won in the opening contest. Does this make them the youngest pro wrestling team to ever win a match in Sumo Hall? The match went back and forth until the teenagers hit a Triple Dropkick to Shino Suzuki, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer. Kazashiro then used a Fisherman Suplex to pin Nanase.
Five members of SKE48 including Yuki Arai held a mini-concert after the third match. For one member Marika Tani it turned out to be her final live performance because today is her graduation from the idol unit. One thing she noticed is at SKE48 concerts the fans chant “Yuki-chan” for Yuki Arai but at wrestling shows the fans chant “Arai” for her instead.
Did April Fool’s come a day early? There was an announcement at the beginning of the show of a collaboration between TJPW and mecha franchise Armored Trooper Votoms. As part of the collaboration famed mecha designer Kunio Okawara created illustrations of existing Votoms robots with colour schemes and accessories related to TJPW wrestlers. The first revealed designs are Berserga Pink Striker based on Miyu Yamashita and Cat Shoulder based on Haruna Neko.
It was announced that “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’24” will be held at Korakuen Hall on 20th July. Normally that show would be held somewhere like Ota Ward Gymnasium. However that building won’t be available for a while because it is being renovated for the rest of the year.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’24”, 31/03/2024 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Shino Suzuki, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer Vs Haru Kazashiro, Runa Okubo & Uta Takami
2. Nao Kakuta & Ami Yumoto Vs Mahiro Kiryu & HIMAWARI
3. Andreza Giant Panda & Kaya Toribami (w/ Haruna Neko) Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
4. Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano Vs Wakana Uehara & Toga
5. Rika Tatsumi Vs Masha Slamovich
6. Aja Kong & Max The Impaler Vs Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao
7. Special Single Match: Minoru Suzuki Vs Maki Itoh
8. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Emi Sakura & Chris Brookes
9. International Princess Title: Yuki Arai (c) Vs Yuki Kamifuku
10. Princess Tag Team Titles: Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino (c) Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo
11. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Miu Watanabe
The third annual “GRAND PRINCESS” supershow is taking place this Sunday. It is where Tokyo Joshi Pro will return to Sumo Hall after last year’s attempt at running Ariake Coliseum. The promotion’s three championships are all represented in the late side of the card but you will find some of the matches making the most headlines are right there underneath them. We have new faces that weren’t here a year ago, a few women who will soon be saying goodbye to wrestling, somebody who already said goodbye not that long ago but came back anyway and a few guests coming over to check things out as well. The three title matches will also end up answering a question that always follows TJPW’s biggest shows. Are they finally going to push the next generation? Let’s look through the matches one by one and see what’s on offer.
1. Shino Suzuki, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer Vs Haru Kazashiro, Runa Okubo & Uta Takami
It is up to the six lowest wrestlers on the tier list to open up the show. Three of the wrestlers only have a year of experience each. The other three have only debuted in the last month and only have around five matches under their belt! Shino Suzuki was the first of the six to make her debut and has been making strides in the ring lately. “She Know” might know how to lead her rookie partners Chika Nanase & Kira Summer to victory. Nanase has a pretty strong Shoulder Block she uses as her first move to build matches around. Summer was already no stranger to wrestling before she joined TJPW because her siblings back in Australia are wrestlers too. Facing them are the three youngest wrestlers on the roster. Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo debuted together at last year’s “GRAND PRINCESS” show. As the year progressed Kazashiro ended up getting more matches because Okubo needed to improve her school work. Kazashiro only just recently won her first singles match too by beating Suzuki. The newcomer on their side is Uta Takami, the newest member of The Up Up Girls. The best way I’ve seen her described so far is she has “bratty little sister energy”. So if you’re the kind of fan who gets drawn in by Mei Suruga’s personality then Takami is going to grab your attention. In terms of wondering which side has the advantage, it might actually go to the team of teenagers because they have more ring time combined than the adults!
2. Nao Kakuta & Ami Yumoto Vs Mahiro Kiryu & HIMAWARI
A match that was about a new beginning for someone when it was announced and has since added the story of the end approaching for someone else. Let’s start with the new beginning. Ami Yumoto is a former idol who was a member of the famous AKB48 troupe. She was part of group from 2013 until her graduation last year. You may have seen her before in that viral clip of the most highly produced Rock Paper Scissors tournament anyone outside of Japan has ever seen. In that time Yumoto participated in the Tofu Pro Wrestling series under the gimmick name Komanechi Yumoto so she has some familiarity with wrestling already. Since leaving AKB48 Yumoto became a stage actress and worked on a play with Nao Kakuta. The two of them became friends and Kakuta encouraged Yumoto to come see TJPW for herself. The reason is when Kakuta discovered TJPW she fell in love with the place and she thinks Yumoto will do the same. The two will be teaming together for the idol’s debut match. It may be a one off but if Kakuta’s plan is correct, Yumoto might end up sticking around afterwards.
That brings us to the point I made about the end approaching. Two weeks after Yumoto’s debut was announced, Kakuta dropped the news she will be graduating from TJPW and retiring from pro wrestling in July. It sounds like she’s ready to move on from being a performer in general because she said her next career step is going to be something that will not put her in front of an audience again. It’s a shame to see her leaving soon because I was hopeful there would be a chance for her to move up a spot this year. The success she finally earned last year got wiped out due to matters outside of her power. However given how roster advancement goes in this company that same success was probably the most she was going to get and she realised that herself. No shame in calling it a career when you’ve done everything you can do and know there is nothing else possible within your means.
Those stories above mean the match will be all about those two and not their opponents. Mahiro Kiryu got her day in the sun last year when she unexpectedly became the main character of the highly praised “HYPE!” show. HIMAWARI has fitted into the TJPW undercard so perfectly you’d think she was part of the company for years already. Either of them could very likely pick up the win just by targeting Yumoto but it is also a believable result if Kakuta just clears house and wins in her final Sumo Hall appearance instead without Yumoto having to do much for the finish.
3. Andreza Giant Panda & Kaya Toribami (w/ Haruna Neko) Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
If last year’s match was “Andreza Minus-One” then you can call this year’s match “Andreza x Kaya”. Last year Andreza Giant Panda teamed with Haruna Neko but it’s a little different this time around. The catgirl has been out of action with an injury for a long while now. She will still be at the panda’s side but won’t be able to wrestle in the match itself. That’s not a problem because you can just swap out the cat for a bird. Kaya Toribami will be Andreza’s partner here in what could be the second ever recorded interaction between a panda and a cassowary (TikTok beat them to the punch because of course TikTok would).
TJPW’s resident kaiju and superhero are busy dealing with a more demanding challenge later in the show so who gets the responsibility of containing Andreza within Ryogoku this time? It’s RakuPom that has to deal with it now. Raku makes sense the more I think of it because trains have been used to take down giant monsters before and the power of sleep can turn Andreza into a Snorlax. Pom Harajuku’s chances will depend on what happens when you kick a large inflatable thing over and over. Maybe she can kick Andreza at the right angle and cause it to burst from the shins. If none of that works Raku & Harajuku can always use the power of friendship to prevail. Or just focus on beating Toribami, that would be a lot easier.
4. Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano Vs Wakana Uehara & Toga
Another match where one of the participants will be wrestling in Sumo Hall for the final time. Juria Nagano has her finger in a lot of pies and sadly it’s reached the point where she no longer has the focus and energy to continue her pro wrestling career. This match is happening two weeks before her final bout and graduation from TJPW takes place. She said she wants to keep fighting as hard as she can until she burns out. That hard work paid off when she finally won her first singles match in February. She won’t have any championships or tournament wins under her name when she graduates but to her it was still all worth it. Teaming with Nagano is Moka Miyamoto, one of the current gen wrestlers who’s been climbing up the card and finding more opportunities along the way. As long as she keeps going the way she’s going now, I can see her getting eventually rewarded with some success in the future. It’s sad to see Shinken Kusho become such a short lived tag team because two karate girls working together like that was fun to watch.
Their opponents are two wrestlers who debuted TJPW almost a year after Nagano did and I’d say just about count as the next generation after her. Wakana Uehara has become noticeably more popular over 2023. She won the Next Generation Tournament to become the top prospect in her class, her social media numbers are going up and she has that one fan that constantly shouts “WAKANAAAAAA!” during her matches. Everything’s going up for the girl with the big appetite. Toga is getting more comfortable with herself in the ring and starting to show she has more to offer than just throwing a big Elbow Strike. Her finisher is one of the weirdest ways I’ve ever seen anyone do the Rock Bottom but it still looks like it hurts when she drives her opponent onto the mat.
5. Rika Tatsumi Vs Masha Slamovich
The antics of a certain “White Dragon” has been gradually getting more unhinged as time goes by. It’s one thing for Rika Tatsumi to always choke people during a wrestling match but when she’s scary enough to make Demonio Uno or Demonio Dos nervous then it’s probably time to put her in check. If only there was somebody out there with the pain tolerance to handle Tatsumi at her worst as well as being powerful enough to challenge Tatsumi at her best. Oh! Good to see you again Masha Slamovich, boy does TJPW have an opponent for you! Earlier this year Slamovich had a great performance in the main event of the annual 4th January show in Korakuen Hall. Meanwhile she is racking up Tatsumi has spent most of 2024 wrestling in the tag team division as part of Daydream. This is a good matchup for both women and I can see the result setting up a No. 1 Contender for either of the singles championships in the aftermath.
6. Aja Kong & Max The Impaler Vs Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao
Damn it, I should have saved the Godzilla x Kong joke for this match. Kyoraku Kyomei did such a great job handling a giant kaiju at last year’s “GRAND PRINCESS”. So much so they are now being counted on to fight the two meanest monsters TJPW can find! In a throwback to the days of Stan Hansen & Bruiser Brody teaming up as the Miracle Power Combination, TJPW have decided to put Aja Kong & Max The Impaler together on the same side. The previous times the two of them have been in the ring were as opponents. The wrestlers they teamed with were more concerned about protecting the venue from getting ripped apart than they were with winning the match. What hope does Sumo Hall have now that Kong & Max are going to team together? That’s when you call on the services of Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao to save the day.
Kyoraku Kyomei are well aware of the younger wrestlers in TJPW doing their best to catch up with the veteran generation. That kind of threat was what kept them motivated until this match was announced. Nakajima is looking forward to it because it is her chance to prove the Big Kaiju is also the strongest kaiju. Misao is not as enthusiastic. She only just recently built the second generation Hypami Dramatic Dream bike thanks to a successful crowd funding campaign. The original was destroyed by Aja Kong so there is no way Misao will let her or Max lay even a finger on the new one. Misao also warns the new bike has a secret weapon that was specially built in to deal with those two monsters. Maybe even three if Nakajima accidentally gets in the way.
7. Special Single Match: Minoru Suzuki Vs Maki Itoh
The cutest in the world is going to fight the meanest king of pro wrestling! A recurring story for a long time now is Maki Itoh becoming more and more disconnected from the rest of TJPW. She wrestles in America for GCW more often and whenever she does come back to Japan her matches in TJPW are in the middle of the card and she feels aimless despite still winning matches. Her wrestling career is still going great, it’s just that more and more of her highlights are happening away from TJPW. The big one that happened recently was Itoh winning the GCW Extreme Title. She’ll have the title belt with her coming down to the ring on the night but her match will have nothing to do with it. It is about something even more important.
In February Itoh went to the Piledriver clothing shop in Harajuku in search of its Minoru Suzuki. When she found him she pitched an idea for the two of them to team up at Sumo Hall. They have teamed up once before in DDT and Itoh thinks the cutest wrestler in the world teaming with the meanest person on the planet would draw fans to the show. Suzuki flipped the idea on its head and told Itoh it would be even more buzzworthy if the two of them fought each other in a singles match! Itoh was left speechless by the suggestion but pulled up the courage not just to accept the match but promise she will end Suzuki’s career too! Suzuki saw the funny side of the threat and isn’t intimidated. Itoh’s wrestling career is only the size of Suzuki’s little finger in comparison to his own legendary career.
In the leadup to the match Itoh had time to think over it. She wanted to send a message to Suzuki that she has no fear so she choked out Shino Suzuki with a Sleeper Hold backstage during a show. Then she went to Twitter and posted a long message about her wrestling life from the start up until now. She is now the best she has ever been but misses the desperation her younger self had back when she started out. She needs to feel true despair again and can only find it by fighting someone who can bring it out of her. The match against Suzuki is going to be exactly that. She knows he is going to beat her to a pulp but she cannot wait to feel that desperate energy again in order to take herself to the next level. For Suzuki this will just be another match. For Itoh it is going to be the only match in the world that matters.
8. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Emi Sakura & Chris Brookes
Okay tell me if I got this correct. Yuka Sakazaki graduated from TJPW in December, said her 2024 plans were to relocate to America and continue her wrestling career there. The graduation happened and since then Sakazaki hasn’t wrestled anywhere, might have stayed in Japan the entire time and her first match back in almost five months is going to be in… Tokyo Joshi Pro. I’m just as confused about this as you might be. Was she prevented from re-entering America to protect all the mascots at Disney World or something? In reality it’s either just a visa situation that is delaying her plans or she isn’t travelling overseas unless she has something ready to do.
Sakazaki coming back to TJPW is good news for Mizuki. Nobody is happier to be in the ring with her again than the other half of The Magical Sugar Rabbits. When Sakazaki’s return was first announced, Mizuki was nervous there would not be a reunion because the match wasn’t revealed at the time. Imagine the relief she must have felt when she found out followed by the surprise over who they are fighting against. MagiRabi are taking on a queen they both had battles with in the past along with a very tall new opponent for them.
Here’s the funny thing. Emi Sakura and Chris Brookes will both be wrestling in TJPW for the first time ever yet their appearances are not as random as they sound. Sakura was a mentor figure for Mizuki in the early parts of her career and they’ve been in plenty of matches together. She also fought Sakazaki a bunch in AEW on their Youtube shows. Brookes meanwhile is often at the announce desk doing English commentary for TJPW’s most important shows of the year. They are a suitable pairing to take on The Magical Sugar Rabbits. All they need now is a name. You can count on Sakura to come up with one because she is calling the team TeaDK!
9. International Princess Title: Yuki Arai (c) Vs Yuki Kamifuku
The eventual takeover by the idol is moving along at a slow pace as planned. Yuki Arai won her second championship in January when she defeated the seemingly unbeatable Max The Impaler for the International Princess Title. It is only a matter of time before she moves on to chase after the biggest prize but we’ll cross that bridge whenever we get to it. Let’s stick to the present where Arai is the IP Champ and already has one successful title defence in her reign. A glamourous girl like her needs a glamourous opponent for such a big show. Luckily there is someone right here who fits the description.
Yuki Kamifuku has shown a lot more determination to win recently. Last year in the Tokyo Princess Cup she became fed up with her own excuses about never taking tournaments seriously because the younger wrestlers were using it against her whenever she lost. She proved all of them wrong by reaching the final round. While she did not win the tournament, her run of success getting there was the spark needed to figure out what she wanted to do next. She began searching for ways she could make TJPW more exciting. One of them was wrestling around Southeast Asia and winning the Queen Of Asia Title. Next on her list is challenging Arai for the IP Title because it is a match that can attract fans from their hometowns (Nagoya for Arai and Fujisawa for Kamifuku). She also thinks two beautiful women fighting over a championship sounds like an exciting way to draw in a crowd.
10. Princess Tag Team Titles: Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino (c) Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo
There have been many great super subs in sport throughout the years. Ole Gunnar Solskjear for Manchester United, Manu Ginobili for the San Antonio Spurs, Tadashi Yamaguchi for Karasuno High School and perhaps the most greatest of them all… Ryo Mizunami for Tokyo Joshi Pro! Whenever TJPW was in need of a last minute replacement, Aniki was there to step up for them. That kind of reliability was rewarded with a Princess Tag Team Titles run with Yuki Aino as her partner. It’s been a successful pairing that is taking them all the way to an important championship match at Sumo Hall.
The championship win was also a big boost for Aino. Tag Team wrestling has always been where her better performances come from but she keeps trying to break out into singles wrestling. This new team she formed with Mizunami was built upon their individual strengths rather than their teamwork so in a way it is kind of giving Aino the best of both worlds. The vacant titles went to Yukiniki when they won a 3 Way Match at the expense of Daisy Monkey. And wouldn’t you know it, Daisy Monkey are back looking to take those titles as revenge!
That 3 Way Match in January put Daisy Monkey in a disadvantage from the get-go. The original match was Suzume & Arisu Endo challenging the champions Free WiFi. That plan was thrown out the window because of Hikari Noa suddenly going on hiatus, causing WiFi to be stripped of the belts. While that match ended up being a big setback for Daisy Monkey, they were ready to start climbing from the bottom once again. In February they fought tooth and nail to win the annual Max Heart Tournament and become recognised as TJPW’s strongest tag team. They immediately called their shot and challenged Yukiniki for the titles. It is the one thing Suzume & Endo want more than anything else because becoming the champions will put them on the same level as all of the tag teams from TJPW’s history that they admire.
11. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Miu Watanabe
Memories of the 2022 Tokyo Princess Cup remain fresh in my mind. That was the year Miu Watanabe scored the upset semi-final win against Miyu Yamashita that planted the seeds to this weekend’s main event. The story today is similar to what it was back then. Watanabe believes she is ready to beat the veteran generation and surpass them to become the best wrestler in TJPW. The person who stands in her way though is the ace who has been on top of the company since day one. It’s Yamashita. It is always Yamashita. Watanabe got a reminder of that when she was pinned with the Skull Kick for the finish of the 10th Anniversary main event last December.
Yamashita’s 4th Princess Of Princess Title reign has so far been built around defences against foreign wrestlers. Regina, Delmi Exo (happened in MLW) and Masha Slamovich have all failed to dethrone her. She is also going on another tour of America this year that will last from April to June. If Yamashita wins at Sumo Hall she intends to bring the belt with her for more title defences overseas. It’s a situation all too familiar for TJPW fans. Yamashita has done it all on top and has become an even bigger fish in the small pond.
Watanabe’s talents make her the natural choice for a brand new champion yet TJPW always relies on the original generation to carry the top belt. The Princess Title lineage has been running through the same cycle of Yamashita, Sakazaki, Nakajima, Tatsumi and Mizuki since 2018. While it might be prestigious to book a championship lineage around an exclusive club, TJPW is long past the point of giving the ball to somebody new so they can run with it. The concern is they might miss the window and wait too long to crown the next ace. Do we really need another wrestling company that delays their coronation of a new star for a year again?
Tetsuya Koda’s management philosophy follows that of the idol industry. Over there the senior generation of idols graduate and open up new spots for the junior idols to take their place. That is how the business evolves. TJPW’s roster progression feels similar but moves at a much more glacial pace, perhaps surprisingly so. Not to jynx anything but it always amazes me the amount of wrestlers TJPW produced in its history that have stuck around for the long haul. Does it take losing main eventers like Sakazaki for the younger wrestlers to finally move up the ladder? Does that mean there is a permanent bottleneck on top for as long as Yamashita remains in TJPW competing at the level she always does? If she ever does leave would TJPW just resort to relying on the remaining former Princess Champions to carry the title scene again? Those are the questions on my mind if Yamashita beats Watanabe this Sunday. If Watanabe wins and becomes the champion instead then buckle up because TJPW will be stepping into fresh territory for the first time in a long time.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO/GANBARE☆JOSHI “SHUFFLE DATE 2024”, 22/03/2024 Tokyo Ueno Park Outdoor Stage 137 Fans
1. Mahiro Kiryu & Haru Kazashiro defeated Toga & Chika Nanase when Kiryu pinned Nanase with the Spinebuster (9:21).
2. Rika Tatsumi, Runa Okubo & Uta Takami defeated Moka Miyamoto, Wakana Uehara & Kira Summer when Tatsumi pinned Summer with the Twist Of Fate (12:43).
3. HARUKAZE & Kaya Toribami defeated Raku & Shino Suzuki when HARUKAZE pinned Suzuki with the Kaze no Spear (10:10).
4. Yuki Kamifuku & YuuRI defeated HIMAWARI & Riara when Kamifuku pinned Riara with the Famouser (10:45).
5. Yuna Manase & Nao Kakuta defeated Shoko Nakajima & Yoshiko Hasegawa when Manase pinned Hasegawa with the Suzuki Dynamic (13:33).
It was a nice Friday evening when Tokyo Joshi Pro and Ganbare☆Joshi decided to go on a date to Ueno Park together. Three of the matches were tag bouts mixing together wrestlers from the two promotions. The main event was the last chance Nao Kakuta and Yoshiko Hasegawa had to be in the ring against each other. The last time they fought each other Hasegawa turned down Kakuta’s handshake. Since Kakuta is retiring soon she offered her a handshake again and this time Hasegawa accepted it. Kakuta was also happy to team with Yuna Manase again and purposely wore purple to match with her. Shoko Nakajima has heard that fans think she and Hasegawa look similar so she was happy to team up and see for herself. Hasegawa said even though she is leaving CyberFight soon, she is looking forward to wrestling with Nakajima again someday in the future. She wants to become good enough that TJPW will want to book her more often.
Riara got to team with HIMAWARI because the two of them debuted in the same year. Riara made her hair into twintails for the first time in her life to match with her tag partner. She isn’t reaching Yuki Kamifuku’s standards just yet though. Kamifuku heard Riara is a charismatic hostess but thought she acted more like a girl at the snack bar. However she understands Riara will continue to evolve from here. She will also support YuuRI as long as she doesn’t arrive late like she did today. If Kamifuku ever sees YuuRI tweet about being late again, she’s going to block her.
The show concept gave TJPW the rare chance to have two masked wrestlers team up with each other. HARUKAZE was happy not only to team with Kaya Toribami but also wrestle two idols. After discovering first hand that Raku & Shino Suzuki are also strong as well as cute she is now a fan of The Up Up Girls. That’s good news for Suzuki. She thought HARUKAZE would not become a fan based on how hard she hit her with the Spear.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 10/03/2024 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall 206 Fans – No Vacancy
1. Toga defeated Chika Nanase with the Rock Bottom (4:18).
2. Yuki Aino defeated Kira Summer with the Full Nelson Of Love And Flame (5:15).
3. Mizuki defeated Uta Takami with the Face Lock (6:00).
4. Mahiro Kiryu & HIMAWARI defeated Nao Kakuta & Haru Kazashiro when HIMAWARI submitted Kazashiro with the Half Crab Hold (11:07).
5. Irregular Tag Match: Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Raku, Pom Harajuku & Shino Suzuki when Watanabe pinned Suzuki with the Tear Drop (14:57).
6. Yuki Kamifuku defeated Wakana Uehara with the Famouser (9:05).
7. Shoko Nakajima, Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Miyu Yamashita, Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami when Suzume pinned Toribami with the Ring A Bell (17:09).
Daisy Monkey are feeling good after teaming with Shoko Nakajima to win today’s main event. Nakajima hit Miyu Yamashita with a Topé Suicida, Arisu Endo took out Moka Miyamoto with the Tsuruga Castle and Suzume pinned Kaya Toribami with the Ring A Bell. Nakajima joked that Daisy Monkey acts like a pair of cute juniors but she knows how strong they have both become. It’s enough to make her feel jealous of them. However she now has to put her focus on beating Aja Kong & Max The Impaler in Sumo Hall at the end of the month.
At the last minute Hyper Misao pulled out of the show because of lower back pain problems. Her removal turned Match #5 into a 3 Vs 2 Handicap Match with Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & Shino Suzuki taking on Raku & Pom Harajuku. But before it began Harajuku complained about the other team having an unfair advantage because they had a much higher amount of ability combined compared to herself and Raku. Tatsumi agreed and literally threw Suzuki over to their side of the ring so the match turned into Daydream against Raku, Harajuku & Suzuki. It briefly became a 3 Vs 1 fight when they fought out of the ring and Tatsumi was locked outside of the room. Tatsumi found a way to break back into the room by moving two of the sliding walls apart. She then took care of Raku & Harajuku so Watanabe could beat Suzuki by herself.
The three new rookies were all given a singles match challenge for the early half of the show. Uta Takami, Kira Summer and Chika Nanase all lost but the matches were put together to help get them prepared for the “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” opening bout.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 