A press conference was held by Tokyo Joshi Pro today with both Tetsuya Koda and Yuka Sakazaki in attendance. The big new coming out of the event is Sakazaki’s announcement that she will be graduating from TJPW on 1st December at the promotion’s 10th Anniversary show in Korakuen Hall. She will continue her pro wrestling career but it will happen overseas because she is also going to relocate to America in 2024. Sakazaki said it was a difficult decision to make but wanted it to happen during a big milestone which is why she picked the 10th Anniversary as her final match in the company. Koda said Sakazaki has several overseas tours scheduled for the rest of this year starting with an expedition to USA from 13th May to 4th June. These tours are being done to help Sakazaki prepare for her move to America next year so she will have limited appearances with TJPW for the rest of 2023.
Therefore Koda announced that The Magical Sugar Rabbits will defend the Princess Tag Team Titles against Daydream on the 11th June Korakuen show. This is going to be Sakazaki’s next match in Japan due to her busy schedule. Even though Sakazaki is leaving TJPW, she is still determined to hold onto the Tag Titles with Mizuki and continue their latest championship reign. When asked what caused Sakazaki to make this decision, she said she knew the day would come when she would have to leave the company and the last 10 years have gone in a blink of an eye. TJPW is special to her but she feels she could not stay there forever for that very reason. She loves pro wrestling and wants to continue doing it as she enters the next stage in her life. But if she was to continue wrestling in Japan for other promotions it would interfere with TJPW which is why she is choosing to relocate and wrestle in America instead. She is undecided if she will ever wrestle in Japan again but if she does it will 100% not be for another joshi promotion.
Sakazaki said there are still things she wants to do in TJPW before she finishes up there. She said there is one particular story she wants to finish up but did not explain what it is. Even though there are 7 months left in 2023, her busy schedule means it is more like three and a half months for her. When she consulted with Mizuki about her decision, Mizuki’s response was she didn’t want Sakazaki to leave her. But Mizuki supports the decision and the two intend to stay as Princess Tag Champions for as long as they can so they can bring the belts to Disneyland together. Sakazaki would also like to invite an AEW wrestler over for a match at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23” in Ota Ward Gymnasium on 8th July. She thinks it would be a good opportunity for Japanese AEW fans to see one of the company’s wrestlers up close and in person.
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A day like this was always going to come eventually. Yuka Sakazaki is now the biggest name yet in TJPW’s history to leave the company after being there for almost the entirety of its lifetime. Really it’s just Miyu Yamashita and Shoko Nakajima left that are ahead of her seniority wise with Rika Tatsumi right behind her. What amazes me and keeps this story a positive one is Sakazaki’s decision to continue wrestling and to go do it in America. As TJPW approaches the 10th Anniversary of their launch event it is astounding to look back and see how it has grown. There’s a list a mile long of all the different DDT offshoots and spinoffs that only lasted a few years at best (heck DDTeeeen!! wasn’t even that long ago). When TJPW first started in 2012 I didn’t expect it to be any different. NOZOMI came and went. They replaced her with a bunch of young trainees and I thought they would only last a few years then vanish like so many wrestlers of any gender have done over the years. Instead we got Yamashita, Nakajima, Sakazaki & Tatsumi successfully holding up the fort as the company matured and the roster grew. Now TJPW has carved out a pretty nice spot for themselves in a wrestling landscape. It’s good enough to be the No. 2 women’s promotion in Japan and they’ve produced several wrestlers who are now able to make a name for themselves in America. Sakazaki will likely call AEW her home next year, Yamashita is in big demand on the US indies and Maki Itoh will have probably taken over GCW by the time she is done with them. All that’s missing now is for WWE to poach Hyper Misao so she can keep watch over the NXT parking lot.
So yeah, good news, feeling a bit emotional. I’m not looking forward to typing this all again whenever Yamashita, Nakajima and/or Tatsumi calls it a day.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND ’23”, 05/05/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 774 Fans
1. HIMAWARI defeated Shino Suzuki with a Half Crab Hold (6:28).
2. Hyper Misao, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo defeated Raku, Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko when Misao pinned Harajuku with the I Am A Hero (10:32).
3. Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara defeated Mahiro Kiryu & Toga when Kamifuku pinned Kiryu with the Famouser (9:40).
4. Ryo Mizunami, Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami defeated Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Yuki Aino when Mizunami pinned Aino with the Hot Limit (12:55).
5. Miu Watanabe defeated Arisu Endo with the Tear Drop (13:26).
6. Yuki Arai Debut 2nd Anniversary Match: Yuka Sakazaki & Shoko Nakajima defeated Yuki Arai & Maki Itoh when Sakazaki pinned Arai with the Magical Merry-Go-Round (15:29).
7. International Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) defeated Suzume with the Missile Hip (13:28). *V3 for Rika Tatsumi.
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) defeated Sawyer Wreck with the Cutie Special (11:24). *V2 for Mizuki.
A Princess Of Princess Title defence unlike any other was the big match for Tokyo Joshi Pro’s annual Golden Week show in Korakuen Hall. The champion Mizuki faced that tall challenge of Sawyer Wreck, an American wrestler fond of having death matches. The massive height difference between the two resulted in Wreck throwing Mizuki around the ring and outside it too. A Diving Cross Body from Mizuki was caught and countered into a Power Bomb. But Mizuki found opening after opening to hit Diving Double Stomps, causing a lot of damage to the challenger. A ref bump led to Wreck bringing in several chairs but Mizuki fought her off and escaped from a Choke Slam attempt. She had the strength to throw Wreck with the Cutie Special and land one more Diving Foot Stomp before using another Cutie Special for the successful title defence.
The two hugged each other after the match and Wreck left ringside to a good ovation from the fans. Mizuki said on the microphone she was nervous to fight against a big opponent but she did it to give fans the full taste of TJPW. Suddenly Maki Itoh entered the ring to challenge Mizuki for the Princess Title! Mizuki said Itoh was late because she remembers a promise the two made years ago. They promised back then that when Mizuki became the champion she would have a title match with Itoh. She’s happy it will finally get to happen so she wants it to take place in Ota Ward Gymnasium on 8th July for “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23”! Itoh didn’t say anything in response. She just gave Mizuki the middle finger and left the ring. Backstage Itoh said she will be going back to America from around 19th May. She is making the decision to stay there until the Fukuoka homecoming show on 25th June in order to train for the title match. In response to this, Mizuki wants to focus on defending the Princess Tag Team Titles until Itoh returns.
Rika Tatsumi is left looking for more challengers after her third defence of the International Princess Title. Her opponent Suzume went straight for the win from the start with Cradles and roll ups until Tatsumi took her outside the ring and used her Choking attacks. She also threw Suzume’s leg against the ring post. Suzume survived the use of Dragon Sleepers and Hip Attacks to use the Ring A Bell but she was too damaged to make the pin. Suzume then applied her own Sleeper but Tatsumi broke out of it to hit another Hip Attack. Firmly in control at this point, Tatsumi used the Twist Of Fate and then the Missile Hip to finish Suzume off. Tatsumi said afterward this win was an important one and she expects to be defending the IP Title for the rest of her life. There is one person she wants to have a title match with but she wouldn’t reveal who it is. All she said is when the time comes. the fans should not miss it. Backstage Suzume was in tears. She admires Tatsumi so much but she’s upset to let down the all the fans who wanted to see her win the championship. She won’t give up chasing after Tatsumi and hopes she will continue defending “the most beautiful belt in the world” until she gets to challenge her again.
Yuki Arai celebrated two years as a pro wrestler by asking her rival idol Maki Itoh to team together for the first time. Itoh claims she agreed to do this only because Miyu Yamashita isn’t around. Their opponents were Yuka Sakazaki & Shoko Nakajima, the two of them coming back together for a Miraclians reunion. Arai got to show how much she has progressed in the last two years but she still fell to Sakazaki’s Merry-Go-Round to take the loss. Arai said the last two years have gone by so quickly but she has high hopes for her next year. Sakazaki & Nakajima were happy to bring Miraclians back for the occasion. They originally came up with the team name because at the time they were two losers looking to create a miracle. Today they discovered they can still make miracles together.
The two members of Daydream and Daisy Monkey that weren’t in the IP Title match faced off against each other lower down the card. Arisu Endo tried her best to grab and stretch Miu Watanabe but the power difference was just too much for her to overcome. Watanabe powered out of the Camel Clutch and pinned Endo with the Tear Drop to win the match. With Tatsumi’s win later in the show it was a clean sweep for Daydream over Daisy Monkey.
Ryo Mizunami returned to TJPW for her fourth match in the company to team up with Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami to take on Free WiFi & Yuki Aino. At first Mizunami’s team were the ones in danger when Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta wiped out her partners and left it up to Aino to finish the job. But the UVB was countered into an STO followed by a Short-Range Lariat. Mizunami then pinned Aino with the Hot Limit to take victory from the jaws of defeat. The two of them kept going after the match was over so this may not be the end of Mizunami’s visits to TJPW.
The friendship between Yuki Kamifuku and Mahiro Kiryu allows them to be somewhat cheeky towards each other whenever they are on opposite sides of the ring. When Kiryu was doing her Kneeling Apology spot on Wakana Uehara, Kamifuku kicked her off. Kiryu then grabbed Kamifuku and threw her on top of Uehara so she could apologise to everyone for her previous apology getting interrupted. Toga got involved with her Elbow Strikes but she ended up getting pinned with Kamifuku’s Famouser.
Today is Children’s Day in Japan so Hyper Misao had to team with the two teenagers Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo. They both showed up wearing similar superhero masks and promised to play fair with their opponents. The other team didn’t believe them and were eventually proven right. Kazashiro & Okubo choked Pom Harajuku with their cloaks and caused her to throw a tantrum. She thought she should get to celebrate the holiday too because she is “3 years old”. Haruna Neko also got into the antics by blinding Misao with her own spray. Misao fought back by putting Harajuku in the Crossface Chickenwing until Raku & Neko broke the hold. Kazashiro & Okubo cleared both of them from the ring so Misao could beat Harajuku with the I Am A Hero.
HIMAWARI was able to beat Shino Suzuki in the opening match between two rookies both in their first year. Suzuki went for a Sleeper but was pushed back into the corner to let go of the hold. HIMAWARI then locked in a Half Crab Hold and held it back until her opponent gave up.
The card for Hyper Misao’s own show “HYPE!” on 25th May will consist of three matches. One of them is a 6 Way audition to determine who will become Hyper Misao II. Also on the show Shoko Nakajima faces Yoshihiko in a first time ever match. There was also announcements for new shows taking place later in the year outside of Tokyo. Many of them will serve as homecoming events for different members of the roster. They include Nakajima’s show in Niigata on 5th August, Arai’s show in Kyoto on 10th September, Tatsumi’s show in Nagano on 16th September and Endo’s show in Aizuwakamatsu on 21st October.
It’s full steam ahead on several different fronts for this month’s article. Konosuke Takeshita is now part of a blood feud between two of AEW’s main stables, a few familiar faces had a cup of coffee with the company during their American stay, Miyu Yamashita is all over the US indies adjusting to no longer being a big fish in a small pond, Maki Itoh’s love affair with GCW continues and Daisuke Sasaki did a tour of Mexico before returning to Japan. The rest of the summer looks to be entirely focused on Takeshita, Yamashita and Itoh’s travels. But when has that ever stopped a surprise booking or two popping up somewhere else, eh?
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Videos
LLL “MONSTER ISLAND”, 07/04/2023 The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA
1. LLL Women’s Title: Heidi Howitzer (c) Vs Maki Itoh
DEFY “THE REALEST”, 08/04/2023 Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA
1. DEFY Women’s Title: Vert Vixen (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita
IWRG “COPA HIGH POWER”, 09/04/2023 Arena Naucalpan, Naucalpan de Juarez, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
1. Mexico Vs Los Internacionales: El Hijo del Canis Lupis, Hell Boy, Aster Boy, Jhon Tito, Tonalli & Maniacop 360 Vs Hip Hop Man, Karaoui, Gianni Valetta, Shocko, Daisuke Sasaki & Kodai Nozaki
Video starts at 00:00 for the match AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 10/04/2023 UBS Arena, Elmont, New York, USA
1. Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata Vs Kip Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade (w/ Penelope Ford)
BATTLE CLUB PRO “BATTLE CLUB ICONS VOLUME 3”, 12/04/2023 Ellery Street, Brooklyn, New York, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Janai Kai
Video starts at 1:10:23 for the match OUTLAW WRESTLING “COLOSSAL TUSSLE”, 13/04/2023 Queens Brewery, Ridgewood, New York, USA
1. Daisuke Sasaki Vs Mike Bailey
NORTHEAST WRESTLING “SPRING SLAM 2023”, 15/04/2023 MJN Convention Center , Poughkeepsie, New York, USA
1. Wrestlefest Rematch: Konosuke Takeshita defeated JT Dunn with the Rollover German Suplex (17:19).
1. Raider Boy, Tormento & Fantasmin Vs Osiris, Garrobo Punk & Daisuke Sasaki
CCW “DEAD-ZONE”, 15/04/2023 Houston Volunteer Fire Department, Houston, Delaware, USA
1. CCW Title & CCW Title Match Network Title – 4 Corner Survival Match: KiLynn King (c) Vs Killer Kelly Vs Steph De Lander Vs Miyu Yamashita
Video starts at 00:0 for Match #1. Go to 16:01 for Match #2. AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 17/04/2023 UBS Arena, Elmont, New York, USA
1. Ashley D’Amboise Vs Maki Itoh
2. Emi Sakura Vs Mizuki
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 19/04/2023 Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Konosuke Takeshita comes to the aid of The Elite.
UWE “DAWN OF A NEW ERA”, 22/04/2023 Dauphin County Tech School, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
1. Dani Mo Vs Miyu Yamashita
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 26/04/2023 FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Florida, USA
1. The Butcher & The Blade (w/ Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford) Vs Kenny Omega & Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis)
REPUBLIC OF LUCHA “ROL IV”, 30/04/2023 Republic Of Lucha, South Pasadena, California, USA
1. Arez Vs Konosuke Takeshita
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Results
AEW “DARK ELEVATION”, 05/04/2023 (Aired 10/04/2023 & 17/04/2023) UBS Arena, Elmont, New York, USA
1. Kip Sabian, The Butcher & The Blade (w/ Penelope Ford) defeated Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata when Butcher pinned Katsumata after the (7:01).
2. Maki Itoh defeated Ashley D’Amboise with the Itoh Deluxe (3:11).
3. Emi Sakura defeated Mizuki with a Cradle Cutback (3:26).
With WrestleMania week done and dusted, the DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro crew were all heading back to America. But not all of them. Mizuki made her AEW debut by facing one of her mentors Emi Sakura. She got to hit the Whirling Candy but ended up losing after a back and forth of cradles led to Sakura taking the three count.
Itoh made her AEW return on the same taping by beating Ashley D’Amboise one on one. The match was built around Itoh’s attempts to hit the Kokeshi Headbutt. She kept missing the move until she ended up successfully hitting it by accident. D’Amboise Dropkicked Itoh, Itoh bounced off the ropes and landed head first onto D’Amboise’s ribs. It then took Itoh all of her might to turn her opponent over into the Itoh Deluxe but once she got it locked in, victory was hers.
Fans discovered on Takeshita’s Twitter that the other members of The 37KAMIINA on the USA trip were hanging out with him in New York. Then there was the surprise when Yuki Ueno, MAO & Shunma Katsumata all showed up in AEW later that night to wrestle on Dark Elevation. The three of them took on Kip Sabian along with The Butcher & The Blade in a losing effort but they all looked good in the process.
ROH “ROH ON HONORCLUB”, 05/04/2023 (Aired 06/04/2023) UBS Arena, Elmont, New York, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Tony Nese with the Rollover German Suplex (w/ Mark Sterling, Josh Woods & Ari Daivari) (10:25).
2. ROH Women’s World Title: Athena (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita by Referee Stoppage with a Crossface Lock (13:33). *V8 for Athena.
Yamashita returned to ROH for her second crack at Athena and the ROH Women’s Title. They previously fought over that belt in Prestige back in January. The rematch was more heated with the two fighting up towards the stage late in the match where Yamashita threw the champion over with the Attitude Adjustment. However Athena got her own back by pushing Yamashita off the ramp to the floor and following up with a dive. The damage took its toll because back in the ring Athena put on a Crossface Lock and kept it held until Yamashita lost consciousness. Athena mockingly shook her hand while she was still passed out afterwards.
A problem Takeshita has found himself in the AEW landscape is having to fight off more than just his opponent in the ring. Some of his losses have come from interference and the same almost happened against Tony Nese. There was a moment where Mark Sterling grabbed Takeshita’s foot and it eventually set up Nese hitting his Pumphandle Fire Thunder Driver for a nearfall. But Takeshita recovered and used a Chaos Theory to get the win despite the numbers game being against him.
WRESTLING REVOLVER “REVOLVER THURSDAY”, 06/04/2023 Calumet Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Allie Katch with the Skull Kick (10:13).
Yamashita bounced back a bit from her ROH loss the next day by beating Allie Katch in Wrestling REVOLVER. Katch was climbing the top rope when Yamashita stopped her with a High Kick to the rear followed by a German Suplex. Katch used a Small Package for one last chance but Yamashita kicked out and knocked her silly with the Skull Kick. Katch attacked Yamashita after the match but Jessica Havoc came to the rescue and sent Katch fleeing.
LLL “MONSTER ISLAND”, 07/04/2023 The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA
1. LLL Women’s Title: Heidi Howitzer (c) defeated Maki Itoh with the Stunner (?:??). *V1 for Heidi Howitzer.
Itoh and Heidi Howitzer were in the ring together for the first time since “GRAND PRINCESS ’23” in the main event of the latest Lucha Libre & Laughs show. Howitzer was not going to lose another title to Itoh and this time got revenge for the result back in Japan.
WEST COAST PRO “HOME OF THE KILLERS”, 07/04/2023 The State Room, South San Francisco, California, USA
1. West Coast Pro Women’s Title: Masha Slamovich (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita with the White Knight Driver (17:27). *V1 for Masha Slamovich.
There’s been a few regular opponents showing up for Yamashita and Masha Slamovich is one of them. This time Slamovich was putting her newly won West Coast Pro Women’s Title on the line. Yamashita showed a more violent side by laying in knee strikes to Slamovich’s head while holding her in the Attitude Adjustment. But Slamovich escaped the move, hit a Shining Wizard and got the win with a Package Piledriver. It’s her first time beating Yamashita.
HOODSLAM “FALLEN IDOLS”, 08/04/2023 Continental Club, Oakland, California, USA
1. Vipress defeated Maki Itoh with a School Boy (8:00).
Itoh ended up having to fight off two opponents for her appearance in Hoodslam. When she had Vipress all but beaten, Dark Sheik ran down to interfere. Itoh cut her off at the ropes with a DDT but Vipress rolled her up with a School Boy afterwards to steal the win.
DEFY “THE REALEST”, 08/04/2023 Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA
1. DEFY Women’s Title: Vert Vixen (c) defeated Miyu Yamashita with the Game Over (18:25). *V3 for Vert Vixen.
A week before Vert Vixen headed over to TJPW for her first tour of Japan, she faced off with Yamashita with the DEFY Women’s Title on the line. Vixen came out on top in a match that got a great response from the fans in attendance.
IWRG “COPA HIGH POWER”, 09/04/2023 Arena Naucalpan, Naucalpan de Juarez, Estado de Mexico, Mexico
1. Mexico Vs Los Internacionales: Hip Hop Man, Karaoui, Gianni Valetta, Shocko, Daisuke Sasaki & Kodai Nozaki defeated El Hijo del Canis Lupis, Hell Boy, Aster Boy, Jhon Tito, Tonalli & Maniacop 360 (?:??).
Daisuke Sasaki went his own direction to spend some extra time abroad. First he went to hang out with Sam Adonis and Hernandez. Apparently they all teamed together for at least one match somewhere but I couldn’t find out where. Then he travelled to Mexico to compete on several lucha libre shows. The first one I could find was a Mexico Vs The World themed Torneo de Cibernetico over in IWRG. Sasaki was not the only Japanese wrestler on his team because Kodai Nozaki was there too. Both of them ended up getting eliminated from the match (Sasaki was Power Bombed onto one of his other partners and then pinned) but their team ended up beating Mexico anyway thanks to some shenanigans at the end that didn’t involve either of them.
ROH “ROH ON HONORCLUB”, 12/04/2023 (Aired 20/04/2023) UWM Panther Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Lee Moriarty (12:42).
Takeshita took his ROH record this year to 4-0 after beating Lee Moriarty with the Zahi. He also got a slightly bloody lip out of it. Moriarty worked over Takeshita’s arm which saved him from getting pinned with the German Suplex. But Takeshita thought through to hold on and turn Moriarty into a Ripcord Forearm. From there he then hit the Zahi and that was it.
BATTLE CLUB PRO “BATTLE CLUB ICONS VOLUME 3”, 12/04/2023 Ellery Street, Brooklyn, New York, USA
1. Janai Kai defeated Miyu Yamashita with a School Boy (9:41).
Something a little different for Yamashita’s visit to Brooklyn was getting to wrestle outdoors at night. Her Battle Club Pro match against Janai Kai ended in defeat when Kai ducked the Skull Kick and used a School Boy to escape with the win.
OUTLAW WRESTLING “COLOSSAL TUSSLE”, 13/04/2023 Queens Brewery, Ridgewood, New York, USA
1. Daisuke Sasaki defeated Mike Bailey with La Mistica Crossface Lock (?:??).
Sasaki popped back over to America to fight an old foe in the form of Mike Bailey for Outlaw Wrestling. Sasaki’s dirty tactics won out in the end. He caught Speedball with a Low Blow and then applied La Mistica Crossface Lock to make him tap out.
1. Aero Boy & Dariux Vs Daisuke Sasaki & Josh Rios
Then Sasaki went right back to Mexico for more lucha bookings. I couldn’t find a result for this match anywhere but I did find this picture of the match on their Facebook page.
NORTHEAST WRESTLING “SPRING SLAM 2023”, 15/04/2023 MJN Convention Center , Poughkeepsie, New York, USA
1. Wrestlefest Rematch: Konosuke Takeshita defeated JT Dunn with the Rollover German Suplex (17:19).
JT Dunn had been wanting a rematch with Takeshita after their last bout in Northeast Wrestling. He got his wish but the result was the same as last time.
CCW “DEAD-ZONE”, 15/04/2023 Houston Volunteer Fire Department, Houston, Delaware, USA
1. CCW Title & CCW Network Title – 4 Corner Survival Match: Miyu Yamashita defeated KiLynn King (c), Killer Kelly and Steph De Lander when Yamashita pinned King with the Skull Kick (11:05). *KiLynn King fails in V9 for the CCW Title and V2 for the CCW Network Title. Miyu Yamashita becomes the 2nd CCW Champion and the 4th CCW Network Champion!
2. CCW Title & CCW Network Title: Christina Marie defeated Miyu Yamashita (c) with a Brass Knuckles Attack (1:17). *Miyu Yamashita fails in V1 for the CCW Title and V1 for the CCW Network Title. Christina Marie becomes the 3rd CCW Champion and the 5th CCW Network Champion!
After several failed attempts to win a championship so far in her tour there was a brief moment when Yamashita added two more belts to her collection, the first title wins of her excursion. She made her debut for Capital Championship Wrestling winning both the CCW Title and the CCW Network Title from KiLynn King in a 4 Corner Survival Match. Yamashita even pinned King to win the match, cutting off any possible dispute over whether the title change was deserved. However afterwards Christina Marie confronted Yamashita in the ring and explained to her she is allowed to get a title match whenever she wanted because of a Battle Royal she won a few months ago. She was getting that title match right now and when the referee did the pre-match check on Yamashita, Marie put on brass knuckles and knocked Yamashita out with a punch to the head. The ref didn’t see the foreign object and counted the pin, bringing Yamashita’s CCW Title reign to an instant end before it ever really begun.
1. Raider Boy, Tormento & Fantasmin defeated Osiris, Garrobo Punk & Daisuke Sasaki with a Triple Pin (?:??)
Sasaki also made a trip over to Lucha Memes to team with Osiris & Garrobo Punk to take on the trio known as Los Insoportables. It ended badly for Sasaki’s team. All three of his team were pinned at the same time with Sasaki being defeated with a One-Man Spanish Fly.
DPW “DPW LIVE 2”, 16/04/2023 Phil Sheridan Building, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Nicole Matthews with the Skull Kick (13:24).
The last time Yamashita fought Nicole Matthews she lost to her in Canada. The rematch in America for Deadlock Pro went differently and now they is a 1-1 record between them.
RIW “FIGHT UNTIL WE DIED”, 16/04/2023 Gimnasio Coliseo Arena, Toluca, Mexico
1. Fight For The Revolution: Daisuke Sasaki, Impulso & Belial defeated Sol, X Devil Jr. & Astro de Plata Jr. (?:??).
Sasaki’s last appearance in Mexico before going home (that I could find ) was with Revolution Indy Wrestling in Toluca. Couldn’t find out much other than his team won the match.
UWE “DAWN OF A NEW ERA”, 22/04/2023 Dauphin County Tech School, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Dani Mo with the Skull Kick (?:??).
Yamashita had said on Twitter she was really looking forward to this match with Dani Mo. The feeling was mutual and Mo tweeted afterwards how honored she was to fight her.
AEW “DYNAMITE”, 26/04/2023 FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Florida, USA
1. Kenny Omega & Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) defeated The Butcher & The Blade (w/ Kip Sabian & Penelope Ford) when Takeshita pinned Butcher with the Powerdrive Knee (8:45).
A lot of progress was made with Takeshita’s storyline with Don Callis this month. It’s now sent him straight into the centre of an increasingly violent feud between The Elite and The Blackpool Combat Club. Attacks from the BCC led to Callis finding Takeshita backstage and convincing him to come save The Elite from further harm. Takeshita did so, stopping Bryan Danielson from attacking Kenny Omega with a screwdriver. It was a tense moment between the two given the respect they previously had for each other as opponents in AEW. After the show ended and things calmed down a little, Takeshita was welcomed into The Elite by The Young Bucks. Omega however was a little flustered over the decision, stopping himself from saying there was someone else he always had in mind to bring into the unit…
The following week Takeshita teamed with Omega for the first time since his AEW debut two years ago. They beat The Butcher & The Blade and we found out that Takeshita’s Zahi finisher has been renamed the Powerdrive Knee. However another BCC ambush took place after the match. This time The Elite were able to rally themselves and put them in a position for Omega to attack Jon Moxley with a screwdriver. Danielson convinced Takeshita to stop Omega but that just led to The BCC to come back and wipe out The Elite. Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli both raised Takeshita’s arm, signalling their intentions to add him to The BCC. Takeshita refused so Wheeler Yuta gave him a Low Blow and Moxley spiked him in the head with the screwdriver. Takeshita was left busted open with Omega tending to him as the show went off the air.
PRESTIGE “ROSELAND 5”, 29/04/2023 Roseland Theater, Portland, Oregon, USA
1. Triple Threat Match: Miyu Yamashita defeated Liiza Hall and Trish Adora when Yamashita pinned Hall with the Crash Rabbit Heat (?:??).
Yamashita’s original opponent for this show Queen Aminata had to pull out of the match “due to reasons beyond anyone’s control” according to Prestige. Yamashita instead took part in a a Triple Threat against Liiza Hall and Trish Adora. The latter brought power to the match, finding ways to lift and slam both Yamashita and Hall at the same time. She got taken out of the picture though and Hall tried to finish off Yamashita with a Piledriver. Yamashita countered the move and threw Hall off her, setting up the Crash Rabbit Heat. However there was a disputed finish because Hall kicked out right as the ref counted three.
REPUBLIC OF LUCHA “ROL IV”, 30/04/2023 Republic Of Lucha, South Pasadena, California, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita defeated Kidd Bandit with the Skull Kick (?:??).
2. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Arez with the Powerdrive Knee (?:??).
Daga did not heal from his injury in time so Takeshita took on Arez instead. Arez went the flight route with some dives but that stopped when Takeshita caught him on a Topé and dropped him onto the floor with a Brainbuster. But Arez is a smart little fecker and he found unusual ways to tie up Takeshita limb by limb. However he made the mistake of getting into strike exchanges and that’s a battle he just could not win. A Wheelbarrow Suplex was used to set up the Powerdrive Knee and that was the end for him.
Kidd Bandit went to Reddit asking for advice about how to beat Yamashita. Here is some of the advice they got. Duck, don’t get kicked and use unorthodox tactics. None of that worked.
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Upcoming Appearances
EVE “LUCKY 13 – NIGHT 1”, 05/05/2023 The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England
1. EVE Title – Iron Woman Match: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Millie McKenzie
Could this be the countdown towards Yamashita losing the EVE Title?
EVE “LUCKY 13 – NIGHT 2”, 06/05/2023 The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England
1. Special Challenge Match: Billie Starkz Vs Miyu Yamashita
There is a chance that Yamashita and Billie Starkz could end up fighting each other for the EVE Title somewhere down the line if Yamashita retains against Millie McKenzie and Starkz wins a tournament that EVE is putting together. However the promotion doesn’t want to miss their chance to do this match in England while both are available.
NEW TEXAS PRO “SUPER TEXAS CONTENDERS SERIES 1”, 11/05/2023 Houston Premier Arena, Houston, Texas, USA
1. New Texas Pro Women’s Title: Hyan (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita
Remember this place from Shota’s excursion? Now Yamashita gets to experience the Houston Premier Arena for a big New Texas Pro show. She takes on Hyan with the New Texas Pro Women’s Title on the line.
MAW “VENDETTA”, 13/05/2023 2nd St. Depot, Hastings, Minnesota, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs Sierra
Nothing new to add here.
HOG “BEWARE THE FURY”, 19/05/2023 Amazura, Queens, New York, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
Add House Of Glory to the growing list of promotions Yamashita is wrestling in this summer.
AIW “GAUNTLET FOR THE GOLD 16”, 20/05/2023 Force Sports, Eastlake, Ohio, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
Still waiting to see what will happen in AIW.
GCW “THE WAY I AM”, 20/05/2023
Harpo’s Theatre, Detroit, Michigan, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs Shazza McKenzie
Itoh returns to America for a few more GCW appearances. Her first match back is against Shazza McKenzie and once that’s done she has a storyline to sink her teeth into.
GCW “I CAN’T SAVE YOU”, 21/05/2023 Valley Dale Ballroom, Columbus, Ohio, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs Steph De Lander
Itoh and Steph De Lander just keep bumping into each other whenever Itoh goes travelling. Their next meeting in GCW however ties into the Nick Gage and Matt Cardona feud. De Lander has become Cardona’s right hand woman on the indies ever since his wife Chelsea Green signed with WWE (Cardona compares it to losing his Miss Elizabeth and then gaining his own Sensational Sherri). The two tried to ruin the one night only tag match for Maki Death Kill and Cardona is still avoiding Gage’s demands for another death match. So while that problem is still bubbling on the surface, Itoh and De Lander will get to continue their little rivalry in the meantime.
GLORY PRO “GO FOR BROKE”, 21/05/2023 South Broadway Athletic Club, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
1. Tootie Lynn Vs Miyu Yamashita
Another new opponent for Yamashita. Tootie Lynn welcomes her to Glory Pro. I’m sensing some of Yamashita’s bookings in May is all thanks to the groundwork Shota laid out with his excursion last year.
GCW “LIFESTYLE”, 26/05/2023 Silver Nugget Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
Here’s a tip for those getting an Uber away from the Silver Nugget Casino after the show based on my experience there last year. Try and get over to the cinema across the road. It is so much easier for the driver to pick you up there while avoiding the rest of the crowd all calling their own rides home at the same time.
LLL “BEST WISHES WARMEST REGARDS”, 02/06/2023 The Oriental Theater, Denver, Colorado, USA
1. 3 Way Match: Masha Slamovich Vs Heidi Howitzer Vs Miyu Yamashita
After Howitzer dealt with Itoh, she is now onto even bigger challenges in Lucha Libre & Laughs. Now she has to fight both Masha Slamovich and Miyu Yamashita at the same time! It’s another chance for Yamashita to clash with Slamovich too.
BLACK LABEL PRO “FANCY WRESTLING 2”, 03/06/2023 RDS Gym, Crown Point, Indiana, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
It’s a safe bet Yamashita will get a bigger pop for her Black Label Pro debut than Sean Ross Sapp did.
ST. LOUIS ANARCHY “GIANT’S WOKE EYES OPEN”, 09/06/2023 The House of Anarchy, Alton, Illinois, USA
1. Billie Starkz Vs Miyu Yamashita
They’ll have faced each other before already but this is still a match Starkz has been demanding to happen in St. Louis Anarchy.
SPARK “IGNITE EAST”, 11/06/2023 The Heart Ballroom, Newark, New Jersey, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
SPARK “IGNITE WEST”, 16/06/2023 East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Cultural Center, West Covina, California, USA
1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X
A new women’s wrestling promotion is opening up in America called SPARK Joshi Puroresu. Obviously with a name like that their goal is to become a Japanese style wrestling promotion. Yamashita is the third name attached to the indie with Ram Kaichow and SAKI being the first two announcements. However Yamashita is being advertised for both of SPARK’s first two shows while the other two are only doing one each at the moment. I’m a little bit skeptical over how much legs an idea like this has especially when SPARK is trying to run both the east and west coast of USA.
ENJOY “???”, 17/06/2023 Mr. Smalls Theatre, Millvale, Pennsylvania, USA
1. Ray Lyn Vs Miyu Yamashita
Still looks like this will be the last match of Yamashita’s excursion.
WRESTLING REVOLVER “RING OF DESTINY”, 17/06/2023 Calumet Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA
1. Konosuke Takeshita Vs X
Takeshita makes his Wrestling REVOLVER debut. Interesting thing to note is this is the same date as the rumored debut event for AEW’s new weekly TV show Collision. With rumours of a soft roster split taking place in AEW to accompany the return of CM Punk, it will be of no surprise to find out Takeshita is in The Elite’s half of the company. God what a mess that entire thing is.
GCW “THANK ME LATER”, 17/06/2023 Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
1. Maki Itoh Vs X
Meanwhile Itoh will be on the other side of the country for GCW. Imagine if she goes back to AEW and ends up in the middle of that civil war?
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “PRECIOUS TIME”, 29/04/2023 Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX 273 Fans
-. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Round 1: Suzume, Arisu Endo & Haruna Neko defeated Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Wakana Uehara by Forfeit.
1. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Round 1: Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Maki Itoh, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo when Aino pinned Kazashiro with the Venus DDT (9:25).
2. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Round 1: Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & HIMAWARI defeated Mizuki, Yuka Sakazaki & Shino Suzuki when Tatsumi pinned Suzuki with the Twist Of Fate (10:22).
3. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Round 1: Shoko Nakajima, Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami defeated Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Toga when Misao pinned Toga with the Hypami Returns (?:??).
4. Hikari Noa defeated Wakana Uehara with the Blizzard Suplex (5:27).
5. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Semi-Final: Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & HIMAWARI when Raku pinned HIMAWARI with the Doctor Yellow (9:31).
6. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Semi-Final: Shoko Nakajima, Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami defeated Suzume, Arisu Endo & Haruna Neko when Nakajima pinned Neko with an Inverted Hurricanrana (7:32).
7. Sawyer Wreck defeated Moka Miyamoto with the Choke Slam (6:20).
8. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Final: Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Shoko Nakajima, Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami when Harajuku pinned Toribami with the Pom de Justice (15:05).
The “Love Triangle” of Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku showed off the strength of their bond by winning today’s trios tournament! Aino’s use of the Venus DDT got them past the opening round. Raku’s pillow was a key item in winning the semi-final because it was used to block Rika Tatsumi’s Hip Attack. Then came the final where the spotlight was put on Pom Harajuku. Aino got rid of Shoko Nakajima with the Venus DDT, Raku used the Doctor Yellow on Hyper Misao and it all led to Harajuku pinning Kaya Toribami with the Pom de Justice. It was the biggest win in Harajuku’s career. She promised not to cry during their victory speech but did so anyway.
Meanwhile the other team in the final called themselves Kyoraku Torimei but Misao thinks it may have been a mistake to use that name. Both Nakajima & Misao agreed it was time to disband the trio with Toribami but insist it is not Toribami’s fault. They praised her for showing guts and tenacity today but feel it is time for them to flap their wings towards their own bright futures.
The American death match wrestler Sawyer Wreck won her Tokyo Joshi Pro debut against Moka Miyamoto by throwing and slamming her around the ring. Backstage Wreck said she always dances with death and she will show her love of violence in the Lighttube Death Match against Hikari Noa on Monday. Wreck also took part in the Princess Of Princess Title contract signing with Mizuki that was held after the show. She asked if lighttubes would also be allowed in that match too? Mizuki said she will do her best because she thinks Wreck is underestimating her.
Tatsumi and Suzume also took part in the signing ceremony for their International Princess Title match. Suzume spoke about how much she admires Tatsumi. It was enough to make her become a pro wrestler without any experience in martial arts or entertainment. Tatsumi wants to defend her title 100 times. She is not taking this reign for granted so there is no room for her to make any mistakes again. She also thinks Suzume was knocking on the forbidden gate when she choked her in their last match together. Suzume does not believe she is stronger than Tatsumi but she proved in last year’s Tokyo Princess Cup she can beat her.
DDT “MAX BUMP 2023 TOUR IN OSAKA”, 29/04/2023 Osaka 176BOX
1. Hideki Okatani Vs Rukiya
2. Yuki “Not Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Makoto Oishi & Kazuma Sumi
3. Osaka Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Chris Brookes, Saki Akai & Tsutenkakka Vs Toru Owashi, Rayne Leverkusen & Kazuki Hirata
4. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki, MJ Paul & KANON Vs Naruki Doi, Yuni & Takeshi Masada
5. Special Tag Match: Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada Vs Shunma Katsumata & Kazusada Higuchi
6. Yuji Hino & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs HARASHIMA & Yuki Ishida
7. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo & Yuya Koroku Vs MAO & Yuki Ueno
The feud between Tetsuya Endo and MAO will be headlining the remaining DDT shows until Yokohama Budokan.
This will be the first time Rukiya is wrestling in front of his hometown crowd.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “PRECIOUS TIME”, 29/04/2023 Tokyo Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
-. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Round 1: Suzume, Arisu Endo & Haruna Neko defeated Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Wakana Uehara by Forfeit.
1. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Round 1A: Maki Itoh, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo Vs Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku
2. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Round 1B: Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & HIMAWARI Vs Mizuki, Yuka Sakazaki & Shino Suzuki
3. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Round 1C: Shoko Nakajima, Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Toga
4. Hikari Noa Vs Wakana Uehara
5. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Semi-Final: Winners Of Match 1A Vs Winners Of Match 1B
6. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Semi-Final: Winners Of Match 1C Vs Suzume, Arisu Endo & Haruna Neko
7. Sawyer Wreck Vs Moka Miyamoto
8. Nivea Presents Shinagawa 3-Woman Festival – Final: X, X & X Vs X, X & X
Nao Kakuta will not be on tomorrow’s show because of family circumstances. Her team are forfeiting their 1st Round match in the trios tournament for this reason. Hikari Noa and Wakana Uehana will instead face each other in a non-tournament match.
GANBARE☆PRO “RUN LOLA RUN 2023”, 29/04/2023 Osaka 176BOX
1. GanPro Specialty Mixed Tag Match: Shota & HARUKAZE Vs Soma Takao & YuuRI
2. Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Marika Kobashi
3. Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling Vs The 37KAMIINA: Keisuke Ishii & Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Yuki Ueno & MAO
4. Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Yumehito Imanari Vs Minoru Fujita & Takahiro Katori
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Mizuki Watase, Ken Ohka & Hartley Jackson Vs Shuichiro Katsumura, Shinichiro Tominaga & Tyson Maeguchi
A few days before Ganbare☆Pro make it back to Korakuen Hall, they are paying a visit to Osaka.
BASARA “BASARA 217 ~TAKAGARI 16~”, 30/04/2023 Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
1. Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Daichi Kazato
2. KUBITO Vs Masahiro Takanashi
3. Isami Kodaka & Daiki Shimomura Vs Lil’ Kraken & Leo Isaka
4. FUMA Vs X
5. Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: Takumi Tsukamoto, Yasu Urano & Fuminori Abe Vs Ryota Nakatsu, SAGAT & Akiyori Takizawa
It looks like FUMA’s opponent will not be revealed until the match takes place. He’s been getting into hunting lately and said as soon as he knows who the opponent is he will treat them like a game animal.
DDT “MAX BUMP 2023 TOUR IN HAMAMATSU”, 30/04/2023 Shizuoka Create Hamamatsu Hall
1. Yusuke Okada Vs Kazuma Sumi
2. Daisuke Sasaki & KANON Vs Hideki Okatani & Rukiya
3. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Mari Manji Vs Antonio Honda, Takeshi Masada & Rayne Leverkusen
4. Hamamatsu Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: HARASHIMA, Yukio Sakaguchi & Hiroshi Yamato Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Chris Brookes & Yuki Ishida
5. Ω Vs Pheromones!: Yuji Hino & Makoto Oishi Vs Yuki “Not Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno
6. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku Vs MAO, Shunma Katsumata & Yuki Ueno
This is the final chance for Makoto Oishi to judge if Yuki Iino has been acting sexy. Iino cannot slip up now right when the KO-D Openweight Title shot is about to be in his grasp.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW INSPIRATION”, 01/05/2022 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Mahiro Kiryu Vs Gabai Ji-chan
2. HIMAWARI Vs Toga
3. Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami
4. Fluorescent Lighttube Death Match: Sawyer Wreck Vs Hikari Noa
Both Mizuki and Hikari Noa were guests on today’s Battle☆Men news show on Samurai TV. During their interview, Noa revealed that her death match against Sawyer Wreck is going to be a Fluorescent Lighttube Death Match! Mizuki also said she would like to face Mercedes Moné someday. I don’t think that comment is leading to anything anytime soon but hey, might as well mention it.
GANBARE☆JOSHI “GANJO FIRE EMBLEM ’23”, 02/05/2023 Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
0. 5 Minute Exhibition Match: Riara Vs Moeka Haruhi
1. Gatoh Move Offer Match: Chie Koishikawa Vs Tokiko Kirihara
2. Special Single Match: Ami Manase Vs Marika Kobashi
3. Special Tag Match: Moeka Haruhi & YuuRI Vs Tomoka Inaba & HisokA
4. Special Single Match: Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Tae Honma
It only just occurred to me that this Ganbare☆Joshi show is happening by itself and not beneath a GanPro show happening later in the day.
DDT “MEGA MAX BUMP 2023 IN YOKOHAMA”, 03/05/2023 Yokohama Budokan
0. Dark Match – Pheromones Vs D GENERATIONS Army Best Of 3 Singles Matches: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari & Koju “Shining Ball” Takeda Vs Yuki Ishida, Ilusion & Rukiya
1. Toy Kojima & Kazuma Sumi Vs Yuya Koroku & Munetatsu Nakamura
2. Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul Vs Soma Takao, Yusuke Okada & Diego
3. Dance Vs Kickboxing Mixed Martial Arts Challenge: Kazuki Hirata Vs Hikaru Machida (Round Girl: Sayuri Namba)
4. Chiitan☆ Debut Match ~ Special 6-Man Tag Match: Chiitan☆, Toru Owashi & Akito Vs Chris Brookes, Masahito Takanashi & Antonio Honda
5. International Special Single Match: Saki Akai Vs Rayne Leverkusen
6. International Special Tag Match: Yuki Ueno & Yuni Vs Van Vert Jack & Takeshi Masada
7. Road To King Of DDT 2023 Special 8-Man Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi, HARASHIMA, Kotaro Suzuki & Hideki Okatani Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yukio Sakaguchi, Naruki Doi & KANON
8. DDT Extreme Title – TLC (Toys, Ladders & Chairs) Match: Jun Akiyama (c) Vs Shunma Katsumata
9. DDT Universal Title: Tetsuya Endo (c) Vs MAO
10. KO-D Openweight Title: Yuji Hino (c) Vs Yuki “Not Sexy” Iino
MAO believes he has spoken no lies in his war of words with Endo. He gets frustrated whenever he sees Endo carrying the DDT Universal Title because he thinks he is more worthy of being the champion. Endo can see some of the points MAO has made over the last few weeks but does not understand why MAO thinks he is a better fit to be Universal Champion. He thinks the only way MAO can prove his point is if he beats him for the title.
Shunma Katsumata has already received a lot of toys from DDT fans to use in the TLC Match, including a box of Beyblades from the GM Hisaya Imabayashi.
The arrival of Rayne Leverkusen in DDT has Saki Akai feeling a little confused over what her opponent’s goal is. She understands her situation of trying to make your own path while being related to a famous celebrity but other than that she does not know what legacy Leverkusen will leave behind in DDT once she goes home. Leverkusen’s response is she is very passionate about pro wrestling and quit her job to do this tour of Japan and make a name for herself. Her wrestling career isn’t even two years old yet but she already holds three different championships. She brought up that if Akai beats her then she will have to defend one of those titles against her in a rematch.
The first two matches on the main card have been changed a little bit because of Keigo Nakamura’s injury. Yuya Koroku is moving down a match to take Nakamura’s place in the opener. Koroku’s original spot is now being taken by Diego! He is already in Japan and was invited to a recent DDT show by Katsumata. It will be his first match for DDT in almost six years!
During a press conference Chiitan used a baseball bat to destroy an 18-liter can to show its intention to beat Chris Brookes. Suddenly Brookes entered the room and attacked the mascot along with Akito. Brookes put Akito through a table with a Piledriver but Chiitan fought him off with the Shining Wizard and Tornado DDT. Akito was able to get back up and keep the two apart.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND ’23”, 05/05/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. HIMAWARI Vs Shino Suzuki
2. Hyper Misao, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo Vs Raku, Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko
3. Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara Vs Mahiro Kiryu & Toga
4. Ryo Mizunami, Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami Vs Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Yuki Aino
5. Miu Watanabe Vs Arisu Endo
6. Yuki Arai Debut 2nd Anniversary Match: Yuki Arai & Maki Itoh Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Shoko Nakajima
7. International Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Suzume
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) Vs Sawyer Wreck
Fingers crossed that neither Wreck or Noa get torn too much to shreds with broken glass before the Korakuen show.
GANBARE☆PRO “LOVE PHANTOM 2023”, 05/05/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Riara Debut Match: YuuRI Vs Riara
2. Shuichiro Katsumura & Moeka Haruhi Vs Hartley Jackson & HARUKAZE
3. Ganbare☆Pro Vs Sento Minzoku: Ken Ohka, Shinichiro Tominaga & Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Isami Kodaka, Minoru Fujita & Daiki Shimomura
4. Special Tag Match: Shota & Soma Takao Vs Dan The Dad & Kody Lane
5. Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Nao Kakuta
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Tag Team Titles Tournament – Final: Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Yumehito Imanari Vs Hikaru Sato & Tyson Maeguchi
7. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Mizuki Watase (c) Vs Keisuke Ishii
Is Mizuki Watase’s new finisher going to be the difference between winning and losing against Keisuke Ishii?
DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN OSAKA”, 10/06/2023 Osaka Suminoe Maikon Hall
1. Special Tag Match: Toru Owashi & “brother” YASSHI Vs Naruki Doi & Kazuki Hirata
The Dragon Gene flows strong in this match. Naruki Doi and “brother” YASSHI both return to DDT for a tag match also involving Toru Owashi and Kazuki Hirata. The pairings are different than usual too.
DDT “DRAMATIC DREAMS! VOL. 10 ~SPARE MYSELF AND SPARE MY NAME~”, 02/07/2023 Osaka Komikyo Higashinari Civic Center
1. Magnitude Kishiwada 30th Anniversary Match ~You Guys Will Know When You See It~: Magnitude Kishiwada Vs X
2. Special Single Match WR ~Wrestling & Respect~: Yuki Ueno Vs HUB
The annual Osaka show put together by Yukinori Matsui will this time be headlined with Yuki Ueno Vs HUB. The story that ties these two together is the WR finishing move used by Ueno. It originally belonged to HUB back when he wrestled under the Super Dolphin gimmick (not Super Delphin but Delphin’s kayfabe brother). Also on the show is Magnitude Kishiwada’s 30th Anniversary match.
Also appearing on the show are Dick Togo, Shigehiro Irie, Kuishinbo Kamen, Kikutaro, No Name (Hibiscus Mii’s spooky nurse gimmick), Tsubasa, Black Buffalo, Yasu Urano and Kohei Kinoshita.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE UNIVERSE MEMBERS ONLY SHOW – PURE TOKYO JOSHI PRO WRESTLING 8”, 23/04/2023 Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall 219 Fans
1. Cooking Match ~ Spring Okonomiyaki: Yuka Sakazaki defeated Moka Miyamoto by Daisuke Kiso Decision.
2. Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro defeated Raku, Shino Suzuki & Runa Okubo when Nakajima pinned Suzuki with the Northern Lights Suplex (8:35).
3. Max The Impaler defeated Kaya Toribami with the Short-Range Lariat (2:57).
4. Vert Vixen & Hikari Noa defeated Maki Itoh & Toga when Noa pinned Toga with a Running Neckbreaker Drop (10:55).
5. Tetsuya Koda Seat King 5 Way Match: Arisu Endo defeated Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe, Hyper Misao and HIMAWARI
5a. No Touch Rope: Miu Watanabe eliminated HIMAWARI with a pin on the ropes.
5b. Illustration: Hyper Misao eliminated Miu Watanabe with a Seahorse drawing.
5c. TK Quiz: Arisu Endo eliminated Hyper Misao.
5d. Cheering: Arisu Endo eliminated Rika Tatsumi by Audience Decision (3:00). *Arisu Endo becomes the 1st Tetsuya Koda Seat King champion.
6. Costume Change Match: Mizuki, Yuki Kamifuku & Pom Harajuku defeated Suzume, Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko when Mizuki pinned Kiryu with the Diving Foot Stomp (13:21).
The wrestler costumes in the main event went as follows: Mizuki was dressed as Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Kamifuku was dressed as Mahiro Kiryu, Pom Harajuku was dressed as Yuki Kamifuku, Suzume was dressed as Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu was dressed as Haruna Neko and Haruna Neko was dressed as Raku. Kamifuku apologised during the match for acting like a more authentic Kiryu than Kiryu. After the match Mizuki admitted it’s difficult to become someone else. Suzume said she would be happy if her efforts made everyone feel like they say Kakuta wrestle today. Neko said she was nervous so she watched videos of Raku in order to become her. Kiryu said she has new respect for Neko because she isn’t able to behave as a catgirl like she does.
The show began with a Cooking Match between Yuka Sakazaki and Moka Miyamoto. The two were tasked with cooking up a Okonomiyaki but first they had to compete in mini-games with the winners getting to choose their ingredients. Miyamoto won the games of jump rope and building a card castle and another card game to receive cabbage and pork belly. Sakazaki was left with chocolate and marshmellow. However Sakazaki won the third game of cards but was convinced by the audience to pick coffee flavored jelly over seafood mix. They spent the rest of the show creating their meal to be served to Daisuke Kiso before the main event. Kiso enjoyed both dishes and unexpectedly chose Sakazaki as the winner. He liked Miyamoto’s dish because as a traditional Okonomiyaki but Sakazaki’s tasted so sweet and had the bonus of her improvising with unusual ingredients that it won him over in the end.
The 5 Way Match was held under Tetsuya Koda Seat King rules. Chairs were placed in the ring each with a stipulation attached to it. HIMAWARI sat down on the chair that said “No Touch Rope” so she had to play a game against Miu Watanabe where you had to pin your opponent against the ropes for 3 seconds to win. Watanabe overpowered HIMAWARI and held her down onto the middle rope to eliminate her from the match. Next, Watanabe sat on the chair that said “Illustration” so she had a drawing contest against Hyper Misao. Everytime somebody got a 1 Count pin they got to draw something in 30 seconds and it was up to Koda to guess what it is. Whoever got Koda to guess correctly would win. Watanabe drew a “Frilled Lizard” but Koda thought it was Kamen Rider. Misao drew a Seahorse and Koda correctly guessed it, eliminating Watanabe. The third game was a “TK Quiz” between Misao and Arisu Endo. They had to answer trivia questions about Koda after every 1 Count pin. They got questions about Koda’s birthday and what he ate for breakfast wrong but Endo correctly guessed his blood type is B so Misao was now out of the game. The final game was a Cheering Contest between Endo and Rika Tatsumi. If neither wrestler could beat each other in 3 minutes then Koda will choose the winner based on who got cheered more. When it was time to decide, Koda declared that Endo was the winner! Tatsumi got angry over the result and slapped Koda across the face, which got her more cheers than during the match.
Haru Kazashiro was welcomed into Tokyo Joshi Pro’s Tokusatsu Club by Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino. Kazashiro is taking Nodoka Tenma’s spot in the group so the other members expected her to be in the same base position for their standing stacked spot. She wasn’t strong enough to do it so Nakajima & Aino decided to carry her and charge into their opponents instead. That also didn’t work.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “CLIMB OVER ’23”, 22/04/2023 Osaka Edion Arena #2 335 Fans
1. Shoko Nakajima, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Wakana Uehara & Toga when Nakajima pinned Uehara with the Northern Lights Suplex (10:28).
2. 3 Way Match: Raku defeated Hyper Misao and HIMAWARI when Raku pinned HIMAWARI with the Hurricane Turn (10:26).
3. Vert Vixen defeated Moka Miyamoto with the Game Over (6:31).
4. Yuki Kamifuku, Yuki Aino & Yuki Arai defeated Maki Itoh, Hikari Noa & Shino Suzuki when Aino pinned Suzuki with the Venus DDT (12:04).
5. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Suzume & Arisu Endo when Tatsumi pinned Endo with the Twist Of Fate (14:10).
6. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) defeated Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku when Sakazaki pinned Harajuku with an Elbow Butt (11:38). *V1 for The Magical Sugar Rabbits.
Sadly Pom Harajuku and her runaway monster tag partner Max The Impaler were unable to win the Princess Tag Team Titles. Max used Harajuku as a projectile many times during the match, throwing her onto both Magical Sugar Rabbits at every opportunity. However they missed the Wasteland War Justice on Yuka Sakazaki, giving Mizuki the chance to Double Stomp Harajuku. Sakazaki overpowered Max with the Magical Merry-Go-Round and then got into a strike exchange with Harajuku. The fans cheered for Harajuku as she hit Elbow Strike after Elbow Strike, but Sakazaki knocked her down with one big Elbow Smash in return and that was enough to get the three count.
Max carried Harajuku away from ringside while MagiRabi celebrated their victory. Sakazaki wiped away Max’s facepaint that had smudged Mizuki’s face. She quickly cleaned it off when Mizuki asked if the facepaint represents a symbol of Max’s friendship. They both praised Harajuku for being more lively today but can’t figure out if Max is treating her like a partner or like a toy. Backstage Harajuku was so upset over losing she cried. In a rare showing of compassion, Max wiped the tears away from her face.
We all know by now that Rika Tatsumi likes to choke her opponents. Well today Suzume choked her back in an effort to prove she is a serious challenger for the International Princess Title. However Tatsumi overpowered Suzume and choked her back Neck Hanging style. Despite that setback, Suzume is still confident she can win the title from Tatsumi.
The official name for the trio of Yuki Kamifuku, Yuki Aino & Yuki Arai is now Triple YUKI! Today was their second time all teaming together and they believe their combined power is infinite. After they won their match, Kamifuku gave Aino & Arai gummy bears as a reward. The other team’s vibes were not as nice though. Maki Itoh blamed Shino Suzuki for losing. Her criticisms were to motiviate Suzuki into doing better next time but Itoh then told Hikari Noa that she won’t be teaming with Suzuki again.
HIMAWARI was wrestling in a 3 Way Match for the first time so she had a lot to prove to the self-proclaimed “God Of 3 Ways” Hyper Misao. HIMAWARI was told she has to qualities to succeed in 3 Way Matches so Misao proposed they work together against Raku. They went on to fight Raku 2-on-1 but Raku got out of there with the win anyway. She capitalised on the alliance falling apart and then pinned HIMAWARI before Misao could break it up.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “CLIMB OVER ’23”, 22/04/2023 Osaka Edion Arena #2
1. Shoko Nakajima, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami Vs Mahiro Kiryu, Wakana Uehara & Toga
2. 3 Way Match: Hyper Misao Vs Raku Vs HIMAWARI
3. Vert Vixen Vs Moka Miyamoto
4. Yuki Kamifuku, Yuki Aino & Yuki Arai Vs Maki Itoh, Hikari Noa & Shino Suzuki
5. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo
6. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku
A contract signing was held for the Princess Tag Team Titles a few days ago. The Magical Sugar Rabbits and Pom Harajuku arrived to the building on time but Max The Impaler was nowhere to be seen. The three of them signed the contract anyway and gave comments about the upcoming match. Yuka Sakazaki said if Max does not show up for the title match then Harajuku will be too weak to wrestle by herself. Mizuki thinks the match will have to go ahead as a 2-On-1 Handicap match, which she thinks is convenient for her & Sakazaki. Harajuku was certain that Max would eventually show up and she was proven right. Max burst into the room, took a bite out of the contract, threw the remains at MagiRabi and then grabbed Harajuku and carried her out of the room. Sayuri Namba picked up the remains of the contract and declared it to be an official signature from Max so the title match will go ahead.
The potential next challengers could be coming out of the Daydream Vs Daisy Monkey match.
The trio known as Yuki Yuki Yuki are back teaming together to wrestle in front of a crowd for the first time. I don’t think they figured out who the team captain is yet.
Nao Kakuta is not on the show due to a schedule conflict. Also the teenagers Haru Kazashiro and Runa Okubo were not booked in order to avoid the burden of having to wrestle in Osaka and Tokyo on back to back days.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE UNIVERSE MEMBERS ONLY SHOW – PURE TOKYO JOSHI PRO WRESTLING 8”, 23/04/2023 Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
1. Maki Itoh & Toga Vs Vert Vixen & Hikari Noa
2. Kaya Toribami Vs Max The Impaler
3. Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro Vs Raku, Shino Suzuki & Runa Okubo
4. Special Rules 5 Way Match: Rika Tatsumi Vs Miu Watanabe Vs Hyper Misao Vs Arisu Endo Vs HIMAWARI
5. Special Rules Match: Yuka Sakazaki Vs Moka Miyamoto
6. Costume Change Match: Mizuki, Yuki Kamifuku & Pom Harajuku Vs Suzume, Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko
Everybody in the main event will be wrestling in somebody else’s costume.
Max The Impaler and Vert Vixen get to be the first foreign wrestlers to participate in Tokyo Joshi Pro’s fan club shows. Unless you count all of those last minute replacement gimmicks that always show up when somebody else gets unusually sick…
BASARA “BASARA 217 ~TAKAGARI 16~”, 30/04/2023 Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
1. Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Daichi Kazato
2. KUBITO Vs Masahiro Takanashi
3. Isami Kodaka & Daiki Shimomura Vs Lil’ Kraken & Leo Isaka
4. FUMA Vs X
5. Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: Takumi Tsukamoto, Yasu Urano & Fuminori Abe Vs Ryota Nakatsu, SAGAT & Akiyori Takizawa
Banana Senga’s schedule is preventing him from appearing in BASARA again until May so Takumi Tsukamoto has to keep himself busy until then. Tsukamoto leads Yasu Urano & Fuminori Abe to take on Sparky in an Elimination Tag Match.
A mystery opponent awaits for FUMA.
Lil’ Kraken & Leo Isaka are still teaming together like they promised after they failed to win the IRON FIST Tag Titles.
GANBARE☆JOSHI “GANJO FIRE EMBLEM ’23”, 02/05/2023 Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
0. 5 Minute Exhibition Match: Riara Vs Moeka Haruhi
1. Gatoh Move Offer Match: Chie Koishikawa Vs Tokiko Kirihara
2. Special Single Match: Ami Manase Vs Marika Kobashi
3. Special Tag Match: Moeka Haruhi & YuuRI Vs Tomoka Inaba & HisokA
4. Special Single Match: Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Tae Honma
The next Ganbare☆Joshi show sees the return of Ami Manase and Marika Kobashi for a match between the two. Ami’s sister and the GanJo GM Yuna Manase will be in attendance.
Riara is taking part in another Exhibition match against Moeka Haruhi three days before her pro debut.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND ’23”, 05/05/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Yuki Arai Debut 2nd Anniversary Match: Yuki Arai & Maki Itoh Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Shoko Nakajima
2. International Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Suzume
3. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) Vs Sawyer Wreck
Suzume thought it was impossible she would ever be a pro wrestler but Rika Tatsumi inspired her to do it. Now Suzume thinks it is impossible to beat Tatsumi and become the International Princess Champion. She’s done the impossible with the former so maybe she can do it again with the latter!
Yuki Arai fought against and lost to Maki Itoh in her debut match two years ago. They will now be tag partners for Arai’s 2nd Anniversary match. Their opponents are Sakazaki & Shoko Nakajima doing a Miraclians reunion.
GANBARE☆PRO “LOVE PHANTOM 2023”, 05/05/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Riara Debut Match: YuuRI Vs Riara
2. Shuichiro Katsumura & Moeka Haruhi Vs Hartley Jackson & HARUKAZE
3. Ganbare☆Pro Vs Sento Minzoku: Ken Ohka, Shinichiro Tominaga & Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Isami Kodaka, Minoru Fujita & Daiki Shimomura
4. Special Tag Match: Shota & Soma Takao Vs Dan The Dad & Kody Lane
5. Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Nao Kakuta
6. Spirit Of Ganbare World Tag Team Titles Tournament – Final: Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Yumehito Imanari Vs Hikaru Sato & Tyson Maeguchi
7. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Mizuki Watase (c) Vs Keisuke Ishii
Nao Kakuta has been announced as Yoshiko Hasegawa’s opponent!
GANBARE☆PRO “INHERENT VICE 2023”, 06/05/2023 Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
1. GanJo Special Tag Match: YuuRI & Riara Vs Moeka Haruhi & HARUKAZE
2. Hong Kong International Policeman Vs Yoshiko Hasegawa
3. Special Single Match: Shuichiro Katsumura Vs Takuya Wada
Former Shooto and Pancrase champions are facing against each other in Ganbare☆Pro! For years now Shuichiro Katsumura has been wrestling under the GanPro banner but Takuya Wada has been a recent addition to the roster.
BASARA “BASARA 218 ~TAKAGARI 17~”, 13/05/2023 Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
1. Union MAX Title: Banana Senga (c) Vs Takumi Tsukamoto
When Senga is ready to return to BASARA he will put the Union MAX Title on the line against Tsukamoto. Senga found out he gets paid more money as a champion so he wants to earn enough money to get a hair transplant in Turkey (because it’s cheaper there than in Japan). Tsukamoto wants to be the MAX Champion again so he can try to break his tied record for the most title defences.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “STAND ALONE ’23”, 15/04/2023 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 620 Fans
1. Moka Miyamoto defeated Kaya Toribami with the Korokan (7:31).
2. Suzume, Arisu Endo & Runa Okubo defeated Yuki Aino, Haruna Neko & Haru Kazashiro when Suzume pinned Kazashiro with the Ring A Bell (10:15).
3. Maki Itoh, Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara & Toga defeated Miu Watanabe, Hikari Noa, Raku & Shino Suzuki when Itoh submitted Suzuki with the Itoh Deluxe (13:22).
4. Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao defeated Yuki Arai & HIMAWARI when Nakajima pinned HIMAWARI with the Northern Lights Suplex (9:02). (Special Referee: Shiori Aoki)
5. Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku defeated Yuka Sakazaki & Mahiro Kiryu when
Harajuku pinned Kiryu after the Wasteland War Justice (9:02).
6. International Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) defeated Vert Vixen with the Torso Choke Dragon Sleeper (10:55). *V2 for Rika Tatsumi.
7. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) defeated Nao Kakuta with the Modified Face Lock (15:45). *V1 for Mizuki.
The brand new Princess Of Princess Title run for Mizuki is off to a good start with a successful defence against Nao Kakuta. Unlike previous Princess Title matches in the past, this one featured fighting at ringside with Kakuta throwing Mizuki into the front row of chairs. Kakuta also used the Avalanche Hair Whip to thrown Mizuki back into the ring from the top rope. However Kakuta took a beating throughout the match too and was too hurt to cover Mizuki when she gave her the Shiden Kai. She went for another version of the move but Mizuki countered it and Double Stomped onto Kakuta’s shoulder when she was left sitting on the canvas empty handed. Mizuki then landed a Flying Double Stomp before taking her opponent’s arm and applying a Modified Face Lock for the submission victory.
After the match Mizuki said she was really happy that she and Kakuta got to main event a Tokyo Joshi Pro show together. She had wanted Kakuta to show new sides she has never seen before but instead the opposite happened. It’s a kind of fighting relationship she wants to continue with her. Mizuki’s next Princess Title defence is against Sawyer Wreck on 5th May but before then The Magical Sugar Rabbits have a Princess Tag Team Titles defence on 22nd April. So Mizuki’s next priority is to focus on defending the Tag Titles with Yuka Sakazaki because she only wants to concentrate on one goal at a time.
Rika Tatsumi had a brand new opponent for her second International Princess Title defence. Vert Vixen was able to withstand the attacks to her legs and fire back with powerful moves like the Stunner and Blue Thunder Bomb. She also continued using Super Kicks and Big Boots to block Tatsumi’s Hip Attack. Tatsumi switched her attack over to the Dragon Sleeper and despite some resistance at first, she was able to lock in the Body Choke and make Vixen tap out. The two bowed to each other after the match.
Tatsumi praised her challenger and told the fans she wants her title reign to bring her on an even more interesting journey. Suddenly Suzume entered the ring. She said Tatsumi is the reason she became a pro wrestler and changed her life. And it’s because of Tatsumi that it may change again because Suzume is challenging her for the title on 5th May! Tatsumi accepted, bringing up her loss to Suzume at last year’s Tokyo Princess Cup. It’s time for her to avenge the loss and get her win back. Suzume admits it is almost impossible for her to become a champion given her previous attempts to get opportunities all ended in failure. But Tatsumi inspired her to do the impossible and become a wrestler so Tatsumi can make her do the impossible again and become a champion!
The odd couple of Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku might have something going for them after all. Harajuku was understandable scared of the experience, especially when Max lifted her above their head with the intention of throwing her onto the other team. Sakazaki used the team’s lack of cohesion to run circles around them while Mahiro Kiryu focused on beating Harajuku. However Max blew away both Sakazaki & Kiryu with attacks. They then grabbed Harajuku and threw her so she landed on top of Kiryu Pom de Justice style for the surprise three count. After the match Max raised a confused Harajuku’s hand in victory and then pulled her backstage shoulder to shouler. The two are facing The Magical Sugar Rabbits for the Princess Tag Titles on 22nd April. One thing for sure is Sakazaki didn’t figured out how to beat them today.
Being a pro wrestling referee can be a tough job. Shiori Aoki found that out first hand when the SKE48 idol was tasked with officiating a tag match. One with Hyper Misao in it. Misao immediately accused Aoki of bribery because she heard she had a meal with Yuki Arai that Arai paid for a couple of days ago. Misao then ordered her to give Arai a thorough inspection for illegal objects. Aoki did so and completely missed Misao blinding HIMAWARI with a spray can. Misao cradled HIMAWARI and Aoki counted to three. However Daisuke Kiso revealed the result did not count because Aoki never called for the ring bell to start the match. The match restarted with Aoki trying to catch up with Misao’s cheating. Misao’s spray ended up in Arai’s hands. When Aoki grabbed the can and took it away, she accidentally pressed it and sprayed into Aoki’s eyes! HIMAWARI and Shoko Nakajima tried to pin each other with flash moves so for some reason Aoki did a cartwheel before counting the pin. Aoki counted to three for the Northern Lights Suplex and correctly declared Nakajima the winner. Aoki said she felt comfortable in the role and would like to come back as an even stronger referee. HIMAWARI said she will bring her own referee next time so she can win. Meanwhile Arai is trying to figure out if buying a meal for her bandmate counts as bribary then does that mean she should stop eating dinner with her? Kyoraku Kyomei thought she did a good job and she can now be their referee friend. Nakajima encouraged her to go look up footage of Shiro Abe on Youtube so she can imitate him.
An 8-Woman Tag Match put all of the active members of The Up Up Girls together. Wakana Uehara was the unlucky girl to get the full fledge Oyasumi Express attack from all four opponents. She tagged in Toga to get out there but the other rookie didn’t fare much better. Yuki Kamifuku turned things around by resisting the Giant Swing from Miu Watanabe and putting her in a Manjigatame instead. Watanabe countered that into a Front Neck Lock Giant Swing. Kamifuku got her way back into the match by giving both Hikari Noa & Raku the Famouser at the same time. However Watanabe grabbed both her & Uehara in a Double Body Slam. The match came down to Maki Itoh pressuring Shino Suzuki into fighting back against her. Itoh countered a Sleeper Hold with a Chincrusher, landed a DDT and made Suzuki submit to the Itoh Deluxe.
The two youngest rookies Haru Kazashiro and Runa Okubo started off Match #2 against each other. They soon switched out to Haruna Neko and Suzume respectively. Yuki Aino and Arisu Endo then had their exchanges back and forth. Kazashiro tried beating Suzume with a Low Cross Body but Suzume turned things around with a Top Rope Facebuster. She then hit the Ring A Bell for the win.
A missed Overhead Kick may have been what cost Kaya Toribami the match against Moka Miyamoto. It was from that point when Miyamoto took control and kept the attacks up. Toribami was able to hit the Overhead Kick on another attempt but then she missed the Rolling Senton off the second rope. Miyamoto took back the advantage and pinned Toribami with the Korokan.
Hyper Misao is producing her own one-off event called “HYPE!” in Kitazawa Town Hall on 25th May. Misao cannot guarantee that all members of the TJPW roster will be on the show but she wants to create and exciting show for everybody.
A one day trios tournament sponsored by Nivea will take place in Shinagawa on 29th April. The winning team receives a year’s worth of cream care body wash as their prize. Moka Miyamoto Vs Sawyer Wreck will also be on the show in a non-tournament bout.
The Up Up Girls will be holding a solo event in Shinjuku FACE on 10th June.
The 10th annual Tokyo Princess Cup will take place across seven shows this year. The early rounds will be at Ryogoku KFC Hall on 15th, 16th, 17th & 22nd July. The Quarter Finals are at Korakuen Hall on 29th July, the Semi Finals in Korakuen on 12th August and the Final in Korakuen on the 13th.
Yuki Arai & Maki Itoh Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Shoko Nakajima was announced for 5th May to celebrate Arai’s 2nd anniversary of her wrestling debut.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23”, 08/04/2023 Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall 223 Fans
1. Hikari Noa defeated Shinno Suzuki with a Jumping Neckbreaker Drop (6:13).
2. Arisu Endo, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Wakana Uehara & Toga when Endo submitted Uehara with the Camel Clutch (8:27).
3. Suzume defeated HIMAWARI with the Ring A Bell (5:11).
4. Yuki Kamifuku defeated Haruna Neko with the Famouser (6:29).
5. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Shoko Nakajima & Kaya Toribami when Tatsumi pinned Toribami after the Daydream Eternity (13:11).
6. Nao Kakuta & Pom Harajuku defeated Mizuki & Moka Miyamoto when Kakuta pinned Miyamoto with the Shiden Kai (13:45).
A lot of hair pulling took place between Mizuki and Nao Kakuta in the main event. Kakuta took it one step further by grabbing Mizuki’s hair when both were standing on the top turnbuckle and then she threw her to the mat with an Avalanche Snapmare. After Kakuta won the match she told the fans she feels like a mess right now but is able to win the Princess Of Princess Title no matter how messy she gets. Mizuki thinks there is nobody else in Tokyo Joshi Pro who fights like Kakuta so she will have to face that to defend her championship.
Pom Harajuku was on the winning team in the main event and is still getting over the shock of having to team with Max The Impaler soon. Harajuku said Max can become a strong ally for her so it is up to Harajuku to improve her own support power for the team to be a success. She thinks it will be just like controlling a Gundam. Harajuku later tried to steal Mizuki’s tag title belt while Mizuki was giving an interview but failed.
A lot of the undercard had to be changed around on short notice due to Raku, Hyper Misao and Yuki Aino all falling ill in the days leading up to the show.
Max The Impaler and Vert Vixen were both announced to be on the 16th April show in Shizuoka.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 