DDT Around The World – July 2023

August 1, 2023

America had to deal with the adventures of MAO & Yoshihiko for most of July. The two of them were inseperable and causing chaos on every wrestling show they were booked for. Meanwhile Konosuke Takeshita is fitting into his heel role nicely, bringing the act over from AEW to DDT and creating consequences in both companies. Since next month is AEW’s big week of doing Wembley in London and the United Center in Chicago one after the other you would think Takeshita will get an important match somewhere on either card.

With those topics out of the way that leaves us with Maki Itoh. The experience gained from touring America is doing wonders for her career but she didn’t win the Princess Of Princess Title back in Tokyo Joshi Pro like she hoped. Her storyline in GCW is coming to a head in August and she has her sights set on many more tours in the future. It can make you wonder if she will reach a stage where she might choose to say goodbye to TJPW some day. Her interviews on the subject have been contradictory depending on who she talks to. She would love to get a full time deal from a big American company but she also likes being signed to TJPW because they let her work this kind of international schedule. It’s nothing to fret over right now but the thought has crossed my mind when it became clear her future plans do not include the Princess Title.

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Videos

Konosuke Takeshita In AEW Playlist


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 12/07/2023
SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

BCC & The Elite reveal their final members for Blood & Guts!


AEW “RAMPAGE”, 14/07/2023
SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

1. Konosuke Takeshita (w/ Don Callis) Vs Mentallo


AAA “TRIPLEMANIA XXXI: TIJUANA”, 15/07/2023
Estadio Chevron, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

Konosuke Takeshita attacks Kenny Omega


CIRCLE 6 “LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE”, 16/07/2023
1720 Warehouse, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. AJ Gray Vs MAO


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 19/07/2023
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

1. Blood & Guts: Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson & Kota Ibushi Vs Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita & PAC


Video starts at 1:01:38 for the match. Go to 01:41:04 for Itoh’s birthday celebration.
SMASH “CAN-US CLASSIC 2023”, 22/07/2023
Western Fair District, London, Ontario, Canada

1. Jody Threat Vs Maki Itoh

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Results


EVE “NMITB”, 02/07/2023
The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England

1. Eve Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) defeated Rhio with the Crash Rabbit Heat (21:21).
*V6 for Miyu Yamashita.

Miyu Yamashita was scheduled to defend the EVE Title against Emersyn Jayne but the challenger couldn’t make the show due to travel problems. Yamashita instead had to put the belt on the line against “The Unbreakable” Rhio with both wrestlers having no time to prepare for each other. Rhio’s power was brought into the fore with her getting nearfalls from a Pumphandle Bomb and Death Valley Driver onto her knee. But Yamashita escaped from a Package Piledriver attempt and caught Rhio with the Skull Kick. Rhio fell next to the ropes so she used a rope break to avoid being pinned. Yamashita then wore her down with kicks until she could pin Rhio with the Crash Rabbit Heat.


WEST COAST PRO “CRUEL SUMMER 2023”, 08/07/2023
United Irish Cultural Center, San Francisco, California, USA

1. Bryan Keith defeated MAO with the Emerald Tiger Driver (15:55).

MAO’s trip to America began at West Coast Pro where Bryan Keith was waiting for him. Keith had warned MAO not to expect any moonlight on this ocassion while MAO thought he would be fine because he is a “fucked up wrestler with an empty head.” That was proven when Yoshihiko interfered to help him! Keith survived the surprise attack and fired himself up and threw Yoshihiko out of the ring with a Razor’s Edge to even the odds. After a back and forth, Keith pinned MAO with the Emerald Tiger Driver for the win.


JCW “BIG ASS EXTREME BIRTHDAY BASH”, 09/07/2023
Ridgefield Park Knights of Columbus, Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, USA

1. MAO defeated Mike Bailey with the Avalanche Michinoku Driver (14:47).
2. Bunkhouse Stampede: Manders defeated Charles Mason by Ring Out (22:13).
Order Of Elimination: Jay Sawyer, Steve Off, Steve Scott, Grim Reefer, Brogan Finlay, Marcus Mathers, Kaia McKenna, Charlie Tiger, Eddy Herrera, Bam Sullivan, CPA, Ciclope, Miedo Extremo, Yoshihiko, Yoya, John Wayne Murdoch, Parrow and Charles Mason.

Wherever MAO went in America, Yoshihiko followed him the entire way. It led to an awkward reunion with Mike Bailey in JCW. MAO and Speedball faced off in a battle between The Moonlight Express but things went sideways when MAO accidentally knocked out the referee with a Helluva Kick. Yoshihiko grabbed itself a ref shirt and went in as the replacement! However its officiating didn’t meet Bailey’s expectations so Yoshihiko was thrown out of the ring Razor’s Edge style deep into the crowd. The distraction might have led to Bailey’s undoing because MAO went on to beat him with a top rope Michinoku Driver with the original ref making the count.

Yoshihiko would reappear in a Bunkhouse Stampede match booked later in the show. It was a complete free for all where Yoshihiko appeared for a confrontation with Charles Mason and his backup muscle Parrow. The three of them have previous bad blood in the GCW/JCW system because Mason hates being embarrassed by the doll. Parrow tried to throw Yoshihiko out but Yoshihiko grabbed onto him and applied a Sleeper Hold. Mason lost his mind and hit Yoshihiko/Parrow with chairshot after chairshot before finally throwing the doll out of the ring to eliminate it.


AEW “RAMPAGE”, 12/07/2023 (Aired 14/07/2023)
SaskTel Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

1. Konosuke Takeshita defeated Mentallo with a Diving Senton (4:07).

Don Callis went the personal route to help Takeshita prepare for Blood & Guts. The show took place in Canada so Callis got AEW to book Kenny Omega’s longtime friend and training partner Mentallo as Takeshita’s opponent. The masked wrestler put up a good effort but Takeshita was victorious in the end, using a Diving Senton to add a new high flying move to his arsenal.


IWTV “MARCUS MATHERS ALL I WANT 2”, 13/07/2023
H20 Wrestling Center, Williamstown, New Jersey, USA

1. Yoshihiko defeated Jimmy Lloyd with the Yoshihiko Destroyer (9:56).
2. MAO defeated Brandon Kirk with the Phoenix Splash through the Plastic Cases (16:14).

The bottom ring rope snapped off during the first five minutes of the opening match and couldn’t be repaired. That should tell you the kind of night waiting ahead for MAO and Yoshihiko. But that’s the kind of fucked up wrestling MAO wants so he didn’t lose a step fighting against Brandon Kirk. A lot of chairs and plastic boxes were thrown into the mix for the two to beat each other up with.

Yoshihiko was tasked with fighting Jimmy Lloyd and both were prepared to tear the place apart. Yoshihiko did a balcony dive and landed Headbutt first onto Lloyd to break him through a wooden panel. Lloyd tried using a Steiner Screwdriver, Package Piledriver and Sleeper Suplex onto chairs but couldn’t get the three count. He went desperate by taking Yoshihiko to the top rope with chairs laid out below. Yoshihiko flipped him off with a Canadian Destroyer onto the chairs and then followed up with a second Destroyer for the finish.


GCW “NOW AND FOREVER”, 14/07/2023
Melrose Ballroom, Queens, New York, USA

1. Maki Itoh defeated Billie Starkz with the Itoh Deluxe (15:16).
2. Mike Bailey defeated Yoshihiko with the Stormbreaker (23:28).
3. GCW World Title: Blake Christian (c) defeated MAO with a Step Up Curb Stomp (14:21)
*V6 for Blake Christian.

MAO had a big chance to grab some gold in his trip to GCW proper. He took on Blake Christian for the GCW World Title but things just didn’t work out for him on this night. Christian gave him a Low Blow, a Death Valley Driver and then finished him off with a Curb Stomp for a successful title defence.

There was something familiar about Bailey Vs Yoshihiko but I just can’t quite put my finger as to what it was. In a completely original match Bailey was accompanied by MAO Callis and his bodyguards. MAO was quickly ejected backstage but later returned to hand Bailey a screwdriver to attack Yoshihiko with. He then used the One-Winged Angel but Yoshihiko kicked out at one. Bailey lost his temper so he gave Yoshihiko the Tiger Driver ’91 (maybe that should be written without the apostraphe because he slammed the doll’s head into the mat around 91 times), the Hidden Blade and the Stormbreaker to win the match. It was unlike anything anyone had seen within the space of a three week period.

In a rematch from last August, Itoh defeated Billie Starkz not just in a wrestling match but in a pose-off to see who is cuter that happened midway through. After the match Itoh celebrated with Nick Gage and they then threw out a challenge to Matt Cardona & Steph De Lander. A video message from the two played over the screen in response but it turned out to be a trap! Cardona & De Lander ran into the ring through the crowd and ambushed Maki Death Kill. When they were done with the attack they accepted the challenge for a tag match.


IWS “SCARRED 4 LIFE”, 15/07/2023
L’Olympia, Montreal, Québec, Canada

1. Maki Itoh defeated Vanessa Kraven with the I.S.D. (14:49).

I don’t often talk much about match quality in these articles but you’re best to avoid watching this one. It wasn’t good.


CIRCLE 6 “BARROOM BLITZ”, 15/07/2023
Knucklehead Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. MAO Vs Bobby Beverly

I couldn’t find the result for this match on a show that had no wrestling ring. What I could find was footage of MAO giving Bobby Beverly a really nasty looking Package Piledriver onto a chair with Beverly’s head clipping off of the headrest. There was also footage of MAO singing with a band so win or lose he looked like he was having a great time.


CIRCLE 6 “LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE”, 16/07/2023
1720 Warehouse, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. AJ Gray defeated MAO with a Lariat (?:??).

Yoshihiko again interfered in one of MAO’s matches to aid him, this time against AJ Gray. While Yoshihiko did not get hurled across the room into the audience, Grey overcame the 2-on-1 disadvantage to win.


AEW “DYNAMITE”, 19/07/2023
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

1. Blood & Guts: Kenny Omega, Hangman Page, Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson & Kota Ibushi defeated Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Konosuke Takeshita & PAC when Moxley gave up (23:01).

Oh what drama that has been brewing in The Elite Vs Blackpool Combat Club feud in its final month. Takeshita travelled over to Mexico to assault Omega then helped BCC launch another attack on him back in America. That was when The Elite revealed their ace in the hole for Blood & Guts. The return of Kota Ibushi! In a match that was violent as promised, the BCC team fell apart when PAC took an accidental blow from Claudio Castagnoli. PAC has no loyalty to the group so he broke out of the cage and left. When The Elite got their second wind, Callis told Takeshita to leave the cage too! Takeshita did so and The Elite went on to beat BCC to end their feud.


SMASH “CAN-US CLASSIC 2023”, 22/07/2023
Western Fair District, London, Ontario, Canada

1. Maki Itoh defeated Jody Threat with the I.S.D. (?:??).

Itoh was having a good night in Smash to begin with when she defeated Jody Threat. Then at the end of the show she was given a surprise birthday party in the ring because everyone found out it was her birthday that day! How sweet of them.


PRESTIGE “ALL RISE”, 23/07/2023
House Of Independents, Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA

1. Trish Adora defeated Maki Itoh with the Lariat Tubman (13:43).

Itoh’s return to Prestige was for a semi-main event match against Trish Adora. Oddly enough this was the first time they’ve faced each other even though Adora has become a regular opponent for TJPW wrestlers. Itoh lost on this day by running straight into Adora’s Lariat. Itoh declined to shake her hand afterwards.


DEFY “SPIRIT WC”, 28/07/2023
Washington Hall, Seattle, Washington, USA

1. DEFY Women’s Title: Vert Vixen (c) defeated Maki Itoh with the Game Over (?:??).
*V7 for Vert Vixen.

The main event of DEFY’s women only show was where Itoh had her latest chance to win an American championship. Vert Vixen defeated her, making it three successful DEFY Women’s Title defences against TJPW talent.

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Upcoming Appearances


AEW “DYNAMITE 200”, 02/08/2023
Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida, USA

1. Chris Jericho & Konosuke Takeshita Vs Sammy Guevara & Daniel Garcia

It was only a matter of time until Chris Jericho would latch onto the new hot act and change the story into one about himself. He got the screen time with Callis while Takeshita was back in Japan wrestling for DDT. When Takeshita returns to America he will team with Jericho to take on Sammy Guevara & Daniel Garcia in the latest chapter of the Jericho Appreciation Society story. It’s going to suck if the latest direction for “ALL IN” and “ALL OUT” only pushes Takeshita into the background. Maybe there is hope for him getting an important match if  Omega is not going to face Will Ospreay for a third time or if Ibushi is not being a tease about showing up at Wembley.


WRESTLING REVOLVER “HEAT EM UP”, 03/08/2023
Calumet Center, Dayton, Ohio, USA

1. Gringo Loco Vs Konosuke Takeshita

Coming in hot right as I am finishing up this article is news that Takeshita will be at this Thursday’s Wrestling REVOLVER show as a last minute replacement for Jon Moxley. According to Moxley he gave REVOLVER his approval for them to book Takeshita. The original plan was for Moxley to take on Gringo Loco in a Lucha Street Fight. Instead Loco will face Takeshita but the Street Fight stipulation seems to be dropped.


DREAMWAVE “SUMMER SPECTACULAR NIGHT 1”, 04/08/2023
Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA

1. 6-Person Scramble: Brittnie Brooks Vs Maki Itoh Vs Zayda Steele Vs B3CCA Vs Kaia McKenna Vs Shazza McKenzie

The winner of the scramble match in DREAMWAVE earns a spot in a match on 14th October that will crown the promotion’s first Women’s Champion.


DREAMWAVE “SUMMER SPECTACULAR NIGHT 2”, 05/08/2023
Knights of Columbus, LaSalle, Illinois, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs X

Most likely the results on the first show will determine what Itoh is doing on the second. DREAMWAVE says there will be a second Scramble match on this second show where the winner also qualifies for October’s championship match. So if Itoh does not win the first time then maybe she can get a second chance if she demands it.


GCW “NO SIGNAL IN THE HILLS”, 11/08/2023
Ukrainian Cultural Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. 4 Way Match: Allie Katch Vs Steph De Lander Vs Maki Itoh Vs Masha Slamovich

The four leading women in GCW right now are all set to collide in a 4 Way Match. Itoh has her grudge with De Lander but the likes of Allie Katch and Masha Slamovich could get in her way.


KOPW “THE NEW ERA OF CHINESE PRO WRESTLING III”, 19/08/2023
Tianyue Sports City, Nanhai Foshan, Guangdong, China

1. Mizuki Vs Nao Kakuta

TJPW is sending Mizuki and Nao Kakuta over to China to hold an offer match at the latest King Of Pro Wrestling show. The Chinese promotion has booked joshi before such as Riho, Makoto, Emi Sakura and Mei Suruga.


NJPW “LEC PRESENTS ALL STAR JR FESTIVAL USA 2023”, 19/08/2023
2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. El Desperado & MAO Vs Nick Wayne & Jordan Oliver

The first “ALL STAR JR FESTIVAL” in Tokyo earlier this year was such a major success New Japan and the sponsor LEC decided to bring the concept over to America. MAO gets invited back as a result and gets to take on The East West Express again. This time however he is teaming with El Desperado, making it the first time those two will be in the same match together.


GCW “HOMECOMING – PART 1”, 19/08/2023
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Matt Cardona & Steph De Lander Vs Nick Gage & Maki Itoh

The big grudge match GCW has been building up since March finally takes place near the end of the summer. Maki Death Kill have been trading blows back and forth with Cardona & De Lander ever since. Is one match enough to settle the score?


GCW “HOMECOMING – PART 2”, 20/08/2023
The Showboat, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

1. Maki Itoh Vs B3CCA

If that is the end of the feud then what will be next for Itoh in GCW?


ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 25/08/2023
Roundhouse, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

1. Charli Evans Vs Maki Itoh

The answer of course is go to Australia! GCW is touring over there with a local group called Renegades Of Wrestling. First up Itoh takes on Charli Evans.


ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 26/08/2023
Melbourne Pavilion, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

1. ROW Women’s Title: Aysha (c) Vs Maki Itoh

The second Australian show gives Itoh a shot at the ROW Women’s Title held by Aysha. The promotion has only been around for a year so the championships don’t have much history behind them. I think Aysha is more of a regular with Deathmatch Downunder.


EVE/CHOCOPRO “CHOCOPRO X EVE SUPER SHOW”, 26/08/2023
The Dome, Tufnell Park, London, England

1. Masahiro Takanashi Vs X
2. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

Well, well, well, isn’t this a surprise? ChocoPro are heading over to London the same weekend as All In to hold shows with EVE. It makes sense for Masahiro Takanashi to be one of the guests because he is linked to Gatoh Move. But Yamashita appearing on the show is something I didn’t expect even though she is EVE’s main champion. There is also a solo ChocoPro event happening that day but this is the show where you will get to see Yamashita. Do you think AEW is interested in booking her again, for the next day? I hope so but the answer is probably no. Come on, she’ll become the only person to wrestle in the Tokyo Dome and Wembley the same year if they book her!


ROW/GCW “GCW VS RENEGADES OF WRESTLING”, 27/08/2023
Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

1. Allie Katch Vs Maki Itoh

Itoh ends the Australia tour with a match against Allie Katch. Itoh already has a singles win over her in GCW. In fact that was the match where she discovered how useful a pizza cutter is against opponents.


GCW “SAY YOU WILL”, 01/09/2023
Grand Sports Arena, Hoffman Estates, Illinois New Jersey, USA

1. Nick Gage & Maki Itoh Vs X & X

Another tag match for Maki Death Kill? This could go anywhere from fighting The East West Express to taking on Los Macizos or anywhere in between!


MLW “FURY ROAD”, 03/09/2023
2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. B3CCA Vs Maki Itoh

Now Major League Wrestling has to deal with Maki Itoh. MLW has a habit of chasing after trends but not really getting much out of them. The company also has a knack of putting out whatever news stories they want and wresting sites will report it without question. Court Bauer just has the clout to say anything and always be taken at face value I guess. The curse of that though is the attention never really pays off with anything substantial. When MLW is at its best their storylines can be really creative and different to what the other promotions are doing. But if they don’t have a plan for you you’re just there to put over people they do have plans for. Even worse is how they sometimes write people out of storylines. Itoh can kayfabe be carried out of her last show inside a body bag if they want to. Or since her opponent B3CCA has a pop singer gimmick on the show they can do a vocal injury if they want to get sinister. But that’s just me fantasy booking based on what they’ve done before.


PRESTIGE “THE RESPECT ISSUE”, 24/09/2023
Globe Theatre, Los Angeles, California, USA

1. Trish Adora Vs Shoko Nakajima

Good to see Shoko Nakajima getting international bookings again. Prestige seems to handle that sort of stuff Stateside thanks to their working relationship with TJPW. They’re trying to get her a couple other bookings while she’s over there. A match with Trish Adora is the first one on the cards for her.

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP” Results

July 29, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 29/07/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
437 Fans

1. Juria Nagano & Kaya Toribami defeated Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI when Nagano pinned HIMAWARI with the Whirlwind Kick (7:47).
2. Hyper Misao, Nao Kakuta & Yuki Aino defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko when Misao pinned Kiryu with La Magistral Cradle (0:42).
2a. Rematch: Hyper Misao, Nao Kakuta & Yuki Aino defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko when Kakuta submitted Harajuku with the Kamitaka (6:02).
3. Hikari Noa, Raku, Suzume & Shino Suzuki defeated Mizuki, Toga, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo when Noa pinned Toga with the Blizzard Suplex (12:31).
4. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Yuki Arai defeated Arisu Endo with the Finally (13:01).
5. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Yuki Kamifuku defeated Miu Watanabe with the Famouser (12:22).
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Miyu Yamashita defeated Moka Miyamoto with the Skull Kick (12:55).
7. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Rika Tatsumi defeated Shoko Nakajima with the White Dragon Sleeper (19:10).

The final four has been decided. Not only is this year’s Tokyo Princess Cup going to give us a first time winner but we are also going to get two first time finalists out of who is left in the race. Rika Tatsumi continues her strong year of performances with a big victory over Shoko Nakajima in the main event. The Princess Cup has always been good to Nakajima but she has now been eliminated in the Quarter Final stage for the second year in a row. Tatsumi is full of praise for her though, saying she is very happy to fight somebody as amazing as Nakajima today. Nakajima shook her hand and gave her support towards Tatsumi winning the entire tournament. What’s motivating Tatsumi is an unnamed opponent she hasn’t fought yet and she wants to fight that person with a championship on the line. Hmmm. Is she talking about the International Princess Title or something else?

Dare I say it but is this finally the year? Miyu Yamashita is through to the semi-finals, cutting off any hope Moka Miyamoto had of developing a Cinderella run through the tournament. Miyamoto threw everything she had including the Zero-sen Kick to the back of the head as well as a big Neckbreaker. But Yamashita avoided the Korokan, threw her opponent over with the Attitude Adjustment and pinned her with the Skull Kick. Yamashita backstage said Miyamoto still has a long way to go until she can beat her but she still looks forward to fighting her again. Yamashita has her sights set on finally winning the Princess Cup with her ultimate goal being to challenge Mizuki for the Princess Of Princess Title. She already beat her clean in Round 1 but it seems like Yamashita is not satisfied with using that as a reason to deserve a title shot. Miyamoto said today reminded her of how big a wall Yamashita is for her to climb over. She wants to do her best so she will surpass her someday.

Miu Watanabe’s dramatic summer last year will not be repeated. Instead 2023 is for Yuki Kamifuku to prove her doubters wrong! She hates competing in tournaments but what annoys her even more is when people say she doesn’t try hard enough. Giving Watanabe a Superplex and cutting off the Tear Drop by hitting the Famouser twice for victory should get that message through loud and clear. Also using Mahiro Kiryu as a human shield outside the ring early in the match helped a bit. Watanabe said she trained hard as always but she already learned years ago that training isn’t enough to win wrestling matches. She wonders if her mistake is she thought too hard about wanting to win this year. Even though Kamifuku hates tournaments she knows there are fans and people close to her cheering her on. She also wants to inspire new women and girls to join Tokyo Joshi Pro so she can have more friends to drink with.

The first Quarter Final of the day was a battle between two wrestlers both born in 1998. Arisu Endo’s use of the Camel Clutch ultimately failed when Yuki Arai reached the ropes. She kept trying to find an opening to hit the Finally but Endo kept her guard up. Arai switched plans and used the Rookie Award to break through Endo’s defence, opening her up for the Finally and a three count. Arai said she was happy to fight Endo for the first time because they are good friends outside of wrestling and they both represent the same generation. She thinks getting to fight her is a good test to see how far both have come. Endo is open to the friendly competition because she now has a new target to overtake. Despite losing today she is pleased with the improvement from last year’s tournament run.

The Semi Final draw took place hours after the show had finished. The four remaining wrestlers all randomly chose an envelope in front of them and then pulled out the cards inside. Whoever pulled the same colours would face each other in the next round. The result we got is Miyu Yamashita Vs Yuki Arai and Rika Tatsumi Vs Yuki Kamifuku! Yamashita said it will be her first singles match against Arai since December 2021. Arai told her she isn’t afraid. What’s funny is both Tatsumi and Kamifuku are relieved they don’t have to fight Yamashita next! They are both rooting for Arai to knock her out of the tournament.

At least the rest of The Up Up Girls had fun today. Hikari Noa, Raku & Shino Suzuki all did their thing with Suzume in tow to beat Mizuki and the trio of rookies Toga, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo. The match came down to Noa against Toga. The big Elbow Strikes from Toga weren’t enough to win. Noa showed her toughness against those strikes and hit back with a Thrust Kick. The Blizzard Suplex then finished Toga off.

Match #2 began with Hyper Misao pointing out that everybody on the opposing team has nothing in common with each other. Mahiro Kiryu tried to make up for it by saying she can bring herself together with Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko no matter how strange they are. Harajuku & Neko took exception to her phrasing and stomped her! That led to the trio falling apart with bad teamwork and Misao pinned Kiryu in quick fashion. Kiryu apologised to her partners and asked for a rematch. Everyone agreed and this time things went a little bit better for them. But Misao’s teamwork with Nao Kakuta & Yuki Aino was still too strong for them. Kakuta used a new Front Neck Lock finisher called the Kamitaka to submit Harajuku.

Due to Juria Nagano being injured for most of the year, today is her first win since January. She spent most of her match fighting against HIMAWARI while Kaya Toribami dealt with Wakana Uehara. Nagano’s strike offence overwhelmed HIMAWARI until she finished her off with the Whirlwind Kick.

Two new trainees introduced themselves to the fans at the start of the show. Chika is 19 years old and from Osaka. Kirra is 26 years old and from Australia. She spoke to the audience in Japanese.

It was announced that the 18th September show in Nagoya will be the last time Reiwa AA Cannon is teaming together before Saki Akai retires from pro wrestling. Their opponents are to be announced.

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW MIDSUMMER ATHLETIC AMUSEMENT PARK PRO WRESTLING” Results

July 27, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW MIDSUMMER ATHLETIC AMUSEMENT PARK PRO WRESTLING”, 27/07/2023
Kanagawa Lake Sagami Pleasure Forest
0 Fans

1. Falls Count Anywhere 6-Woman Tag Match: Rika Tatsumi, Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta defeated Pom Harajuku, Suzume & Yuki Arai when Tatsumi pinned Harajuku with the Twist Of Fate (13:14).
*Red Team 1 – 0 White Team.
2. Spider Competition: Mizuki, Miu Watanabe & Kaya Toribami (31m 40cm) defeated Yuki Aino, Moka Miyamoto & Arisu Endo (22m 90cm).
*Red Team 1 – 1 White Team.
3. Steel Maze Battle: Raku, Nao Kakuta & Hyper Misao (2) defeated Suzume, Mahiro Kiryu & Yuki Kamifuku (1).
*Red Team 2 – 1 White Team.
4. Push Sumo: Raku, Moka Miyamoto & Nao Kakuta defeated Yuka Sakazaki, Miu Watanabe & Pom Harajuku.
4a. Spearhead Battle: Nao Kakuta defeated Pom Harajuku.
4b. Lieutenant General Battle: Miu Watanabe defeated Moka Miyamoto.
4c. General Battle: Raku defeated Yuka Sakazaki.
*Red Team 3 – 1 White Team.
5. Cavalry Death Match: Yuki Arai, Mizuki, Yuki Kamifuku, Miu Watanabe, Mahiro Kiryu, Pom Harajuku, Suzume & Kaya Toribami (w/ Yuka Sakazaki) defeated Moka Miyamoto, Rika Tatsumi, Hyper Misao, Raku, Hikari Noa, Yuki Aino, Nao Kakuta & Arisu Endo when Arai grabbed Miyamoto’s Headband.
*Red Team 3 – 1,000,001 White Team.

Red Team: Rika Tatsumi, Yuki Aino, Arisu Endo, Nao Kakuta, Hikari Noa, Hyper Misao, Moka Miyamoto & Raku

White Team: Mizuki, Yuki Arai, Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu, Suzume, Kaya Toribami, Pom Harajuku & Miu Watanabe (w/ Yuka Sakazaki)

The latest TJPW PPV was set outdoors during a hot summer day at the Lake Sagami Pleasure Forest. The roster was split into two teams, a Red Team captained by Rika Tatsumi and a White Team led by Mizuki but also including Yuka Sakazaki as a helper. Five team challenges set around the park’s different environments were on the agenda with a point awarded for every win. Whichever team had the most points after the final round would get a luxorious barbecue meal for dinner in the evening as their prize.

The first game was straight up a Falls Count Anywhere 6-Woman Tag Match. The Red Team chose Tatsumi, Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta for their trio and the White Team chose Pom Harajuku, Suzume & Yuki Arai. The match began on a stage but quickly moved in several different directions. Noa kicked Harajuku down some stairs, Suzume dived off of a fence onto the other team and Arai attacked Tatsumi with a pole. The fight went back to the stage where Tatsumi hit Harajuku with the Hip Attack and then pinned her with the Twist Of Fate. Red Team scores the first point.

The second game was called Spider Competition and took place over at the spider web playground railings. The teams were tasked with having to climb across the spider web one by one in a race for three minutes. If anyone fell or touched the ground then they would have to start again at the starting position. Participants on the other team were allowed to try and obstruct the climbers from the other side. After three minutes whichever team had the higher combined distance were declared the winners. Yuki Aino only scored 3.90 metres because Sakazaki kept spraying her with a super soaker. Sakazaki also found a grasshopper to throw at the Red Team to great effect. Moka Miyamoto scored 9.60 metres and Arisu Endo scored 9.40 metres to make Red Team’s total 22m 90cm. For the White Team Kaya Toribami scored 6.90 metres, Mizuki scored 10.80 metres and Miu Watanabe scored 13.70 metres for the a total of 31m 40cm. White Team scores their first point.

The third game was a Steel Maze Battle in the massive Sky Cage. Each participant had to enter the cage from one side while being chased by their opponent. If they reach the exit before getting caught they score a point and the team with the most points at the end wins. Raku avoided getting tagged by Harajuku, Suzume was caught by Noa right before she reached the exit, Kakuta escaped from Arai, Mahiro Kiryu made it past Endo, Hyper Misao was tackled by Sakazaki and Yuki Kamifuku was captured by Tatsumi. The end result was Red Team beating White Team 2-1. Which just so happened to make the game score 2-1 for the Reds too.

The fourth game increased the danger because it was time to play Push Sumo up on an island stage hanging 22 meters above ground! The contestants also had to walk across a suspension bridge to reach the island, which scared a lot of them. It took some time and a lot of encouragement from the others to finally get each participant to the destination. Kakuta beat Harajuku and Watanabe beat Miyamoto to send the game tied 1-1. The deciding battle was between Raku and Sakazaki. Their game went to a stalemate so the referee decided both had to continue playing on one foot each to raise the stakes. Sakazaki lost her balance and accidentally stepped her foot down first, making Raku the winner. Red Team now has a 3-1 lead with one game left to go.

Before the fifth and final game began White Team complained that they no longer had any chance of winning the barbecue prize. So they asked for the final game to be worth 1,000,000 points! Everyone agreed because the grand finale was the Cavalry Death Match on the SASUKE Kids Adventure pond! Both teams chose a general to carry on their shoulders. Red Team picked Miyamoto and White Team picked Arai. Everybody wore headbands in their team colours and the goal was to pull the headbands off your opponents to eliminate them. If the the general lost their headband then the game ends and that team loses. The focus was supposed to be on the generals but it turned into a free for all. Sakazaki got too excited and decided to throw Endo into the pond. Arai grabbed Miyamoto’s headband to win the game for White Team but at this point everybody was trying to throw each other into the water.

The challenge had finally ended and White Team were declared the winners by almost a million points! They got to celebrate with a big fancy barbecue that included wagyu beef, lobster, turban shells and scallops. Red Team had to make do with the consolation prize meal consisting of bean sprouts, crab cakes, sausage and canned mackerel. Despite the wide difference in quality, everyone shared their food and the day ended with a lot of new summer memories made.

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP” Results

July 22, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 22/07/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
289 Fans

1. Yuki Aino defeated Toga with the Full Nelson Of Love And Fire (5:53).
2. Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Suzume & Runa Okubo when Harajuku pinned Okubo with the Pom de Justice (8:52).
3. 3 Way Match: Mizuki defeated Haruna Neko and Shino Suzuki when Mizuki submitted Suzuki with the Face Lock (6:53).
4. Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami defeated Nao Kakuta & Haru Kazashiro when Misao pinned Kazashiro with the I Am A Hero (10:16).
5. Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara defeated Rika Tatsumu, Miu Watanabe, Moka Miyamoto & HIMAWARI when Nakajima pinned HIMAWARI with the Northern Lights Suplex (13:44).
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: Arisu Endo defeated Mahiro Kiryu with the Camel Clutch (9:56).
7. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: Yuki Arai defeated Hikari Noa with the Finally (11:43).

The last two matches in the first round of the Tokyo Princess Cup took place today. Yuki Arai got her revenge from last year’s tournament by eliminating Hikari Noa in the main event! She blocked Noa’s Blizzard Suplex and returned fire by giving her the Full Nelson Buster. Noa had some life left to keep moving but Arai caught her with the Finally to win the match. Arai said she is now in her 3rd year of wrestling and she decided she is not going to lose anymore! Now that she avenged last year’s defeat to Noa, she wants to aim even higher to meet everyone’s expectations of her.

Joining Arai in the Quarter Finals is Arisu Endo who finally won a Princess Cup match in her third attempt. She took on Mahiro Kiryu, an opponent also so determined to win today that she didn’t apologise after doing her Double Knee Drop! Endo focused on using the Camel Clutch to win. Kiryu got out of the first one thanks to a rope break but she ended up getting slammed into the centre of the ring and Endo put her in the hold again to make her submit. Endo can’t wait to face Arai in the next round because she remembers losing to her once before in a tag match. She thinks it is time to repay that debt.

The rest of the Quarter Finalists got some ring time against each other in Match #5. Miyu Yamashita was able to pair off with Moka Miyamoto while Yuki Kamifuku showed Miu Watanabe it won’t be easy beating her on 29th July. Meanwhile Shoko Nakajima and Rika Tatsumi were left in a stalemate too, although Nakajima went on to win the match for her team.

Something the roster has learned about Haru Kazashiro during her short wrestling career so far is she likes superheroes. So when Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami put together something called the Hero Research Society, they invited her to join and offered her a hero mask. Before she could accept, Nao Kakuta told her to focus on the match instead and grabbed the mask for herself. Still, the hero team encouraged Kazashiro to pose while wrestling. It all turned out to be a sham so Misao could attack her opponent while her guard was down. Later after the show Misao tweeted that Kazashiro passed the test anyway and is welcome to join the group as a scholarship student. Kakuta however was not accepted to join.

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP” Results

July 17, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 17/07/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
202 Fans

1. Suzume defeated Haru Kazashiro with the Mikazuki Meteor Shower (6:14).
2. Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Hyper Misao & Shino Suzuki when Raku pinned Suzuki with the Doctor Yellow (9:30).
3. Mizuki, Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko defeated Arisu Endo, HIMAWARI & Runa Okubo when Mizuki submitted Okubo with the Face Lock (11:04).
4. Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Wakana Uehara & Toga defeated Rika Tatsumi, Hikari Noa, Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami when Yamashita pinned Toribami with the Attitude Adjustment (13:29).
5. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: Yuki Kamifuku defeated Nao Kakuta with the Famouser (9:56).
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1: Miu Watanabe defeated Yuki Aino with the Tear Drop (15:10).

Round 1 of the Tokyo Princess Cup continued with last year’s finalist Miu Watanabe advancing past Yuki Aino in the main event. She countered the UBV into the Tear Drop to win the match, bringing the third straight show in a busy weekend to an end. Watanabe said seeing everyone in Tokyo Joshi Pro gathering together to make new memories this summer makes her happy. It makes her want to beat the best in TJPW and win the Princess Cup! Unfortunately for Aino this loss is the latest in a string of big defeats. She blamed it on failing to make a decision during the most critical moment of the match. It pains her that she never lives up to the expectations of everyone who supports her. However her flame has not burned out and she can do her best again to become stronger.

Watanabe is going to face Yuki Kamifuku in the Quarter Final after Kamifuku defeated Nao Kakuta in a fierce fight. The result is revenge for Kakuta pinning Kamifuku at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23” earlier this month. Kamifuku said she didn’t want to get beaten up by Kakuta again so she decided to fight back. Now she’s worried about how she looks after the match just in case she bumps into Sho Hirano on the street tonight. For her next round match against Watanabe, Kamifuku said she will not be training or going to the dojo. Instead she’s going to the club where she hopes to meet her future husband Hirano. She prays he will come to see the match and cheer her on, making her win with the power of love! Meanwhile Kakuta said she has no regrets because she did everything she could. She recently found out TJPW described her as the “Uncrowned Queen” in their show program. It’s not a nickname she hates but it did take her aback. She’s going to continue being stubborn and persistent so she can finally accomplish something as a pro wrestler.

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Princess Cup Day 3, YuuRI’s Ice Ribbon Gambit

July 16, 2023

Four shows to write about tomorrow. First BASARA, then Tokyo Joshi Pro, then DDT and then Ganbare☆Pro. I’m going to need a cold can of Coke by the time I’m done.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 17/07/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. Suzume Vs Haru Kazashiro
2. Hyper Misao & Shino Suzuki Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
3. Mizuki, Mahiro Kiryu & Haruna Neko Vs Arisu Endo, HIMAWARI & Runa Okubo
4. Rika Tatsumi, Hikari Noa, Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami Vs Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Wakana Uehara & Toga
5. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1E: Yuki Kamifuku Vs Nao Kakuta
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1F: Yuki Aino Vs Miu Watanabe

The Tokyo Princess Cup turns its attentions to Yuki Kamifuku Vs Nao Kakuta and Yuki Aino Vs Miu Watanabe for Day 3.

GANBARE☆PRO “FRENCH CONNECTION 2023”, 17/07/2023
Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center

1. Tyson Maeguchi Vs Yuki Kanzaki
2. Yumehito Imanari & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Hartley Jackson & HARUKAZE
3. YuuRI Vs Riara
4. Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Shingo
5. Ken Ohka & Shota Vs Kuma Arashi & Koji Doi
6. Keisuke Ishii, Mizuki Watase & Munetatsu Nakamura Vs Shuichiro Katsumura, Soma Takao & HIROYA

YuuRI will be wrestling at an Ice Ribbon show in the afternoon. She is aiming to win the ICEx∞ Title from Totoro Satsuki and then show up at GanPro with the belt!

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 29/07/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Miyu Yamashita Vs Moka Miyamoto
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Rika Tatsumi Vs Shoko Nakajima
3. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Winner Of Match 1E Vs Winner Of Match 1F
4. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Winner Of Match 1G Vs Winner Of Match 1H

Rika Tatsumi and Shoko Nakajima both make it to the Quarter Finals where they will meet.

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Tokyo Princess Cup 2023 Brackets

July 10, 2023

The first round draw for this year’s Tokyo Princess Cup took place today at the Kanda Myojin Shrine in Tokyo. 14 of the 16 participants were in attendance with Yuki Arai and Raku both missing due to having other priorities. Arai’s spot in the bracket was already decided in advance because 22nd July is the only date she is available to wrestle on that week.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 15/07/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1A: Miyu Yamashita Vs Mizuki
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1B: Hyper Misao Vs Moka Miyamoto

The big match of Round 1 is right at the start of the bracket! It’s been well establish that the Princess Cup has been Miyu Yamashita’s Achilles’ heel for her entire career. She has entered every tournament and never won any of them, even during her most dominant periods in Tokyo Joshi Pro. For two of those years Yamashita was eliminated by Mizuki so this drawing sounds like bad luck for her. However Yamashita thinks if she can knock out the current Princess Of Princess Champion in the 1st Round then the odds are good she will finally win this damn tournament for once! Mizuki already has a person in mind she wants to nominate as her next challenger for the Princess Title. That will only be revealed if she wins the Princess Cup because otherwise she will most likely defend against the tournament winner instead. She’ll have to exterminate every monster standing in her way to do it, starting with Yamashita.

Moka Miyamoto hasn’t left a strong impression on Hyper Misao so far based on the few singles matches they’ve had against each other. For that reason Misao does not want to drop her guard and get eliminated in the 1st Round. She also hopes Mizuki will beat Yamashita because she would rather face her in Round 2 instead of the monster Yamashita! Miyamoto told Misao she has gotten stronger since their last match. She will do her best not to fall for any of Misao’s tricks.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 16/07/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1C: Raku Vs Rika Tatsumi
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1D: Suzume Vs Shoko Nakajima

It’s been a good summer for Rika Tatsumi so far. The International Princess Champion is using this tournament to kick off the second half of the season. She knows Raku will be a tough opponent but nobody is going to stop her from reaching her goal. Tatsumi wants to win the Princess Cup so she will achieve TJPW’s ultimate grand slam!

The bee meets the kaiju in Round 1. Suzume wants to grow as big as Shoko Nakajima is this summer so she needs to be ready to sting any opponent put in front of her. Nakajima is celebrating 10 years as a pro wrestler this summer and she is cherishing the time. She’s aware of how much of a threat Suzume has become so she cannot afford to lose against her junior! She wants fans to keep an eye out for her while she goes on a rampage through the bracket.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 17/07/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1E: Yuki Kamifuku Vs Nao Kakuta
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1F: Yuki Aino Vs Miu Watanabe

Every year when Yuki Kamifuku enters the Princess Cup she talks about how much she hates competing in tournaments and never wants to take part in them. This year however there are a lot of wrestlers from Generation Z taking part so she decided to stop complaining and start taking it seriously. Otherwise she will get annoyed from hearing the younger wrestlers use that excuse against her. Nao Kakuta just pinned Kamifuku at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23” over the weekend. Her summer has just begun and she wants to make it the hottest summer of her life!

Yuki Aino thinks the block she landed in is fate. She was eliminated by Kakuta in the first round last year and was eliminated by Miu Watanabe the year before. She also has a mutual connection with Kamifuku. She will have to get past this group in order to achieve her goal of reaching at least the semi-finals. Watanabe has faced Aino a lot of times and if she advances would like to meet Kakuta in Round 2 because it would be their first singles match against each other. Watanabe is also last year’s runner up and she pointed out she has reached one round further than the previous year for the last 4 years. She’s been in the final 8, then the final 4 and then the final 2. Does the pattern end with her winning the entire thing?

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 22/07/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1G: Arisu Endo Vs Mahiro Kiryu
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 1H: Hikari Noa Vs Yuki Arai

With two Princess Cup appearances already under her belt, Arisu Endo has yet to make it past the opening round. Her first time in the tournament was losing to Mahiro Kiryu too. In fact, Endo has never won a Round 1 match in any tournament she’s entered. The only time she made it to a 2nd Round was by default due to uneven entry numbers. So she definitely wants to win against Kiryu. She has decent odds because Kiryu’s form in the Princess Cup isn’t that good either. The only tournament match she ever won was against… Arisu Endo. Their match happens in the final show of a three day series of events so she aims to raise her spirits at the first two shows in preparation while keeping an eye on what Endo will do.

Ever since Hikari Noa made her debut she’s experienced some bittersweet memories during the summertime. Losing her match at Ota Ward Gymnasium over the weekend is just the latest one for her. She wants to enjoy the rest of the summer and shine brighter to make up for it. Noa’s match against Yuki Arai is a rematch from last year’s 2nd Round. Noa won that only to fall to the eventual tournament winner Yuka Sakazaki in the next round.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 29/07/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2: Winner Of Match 1A Vs Winner Of Match 1B
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2: Winner Of Match 1C Vs Winner Of Match 1D
3. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2: Winner Of Match 1E Vs Winner Of Match 1F
4. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2: Winner Of Match 1G Vs Winner Of Match 1H

The opening round is in Ryogoku KFC Hall across four shows. Then the remaining rounds move over to Korakuen Hall.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 12/08/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: X Vs X
2. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: X Vs X

The bracket gets interrupted when it reaches the final four. The semi-final match ups will be decided with a lottery.

NEO Biishiki-gun have decided to attend this this show. They will have a tag team match with opponents to be determined at a later date.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO PRINCESS CUP”, 13/08/2023
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Final: X Vs X

Just like last year, Maki Itoh won’t be at the Princess Cup final because she has a booking in another country the same day.

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23” Results

July 8, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23”, 08/07/2023
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
1,222 Fans

1. Juria Nagano Comeback Match: Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano when Endo submitted Nagano with the Camel Clutch (11:43).
2. Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko, HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki defeated Kaya Toribami, Toga, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo when HIMAWARI submitted Kazashiro with a Half Crab Hold (11:07).
3. Ryo Mizunami & Nao Kakuta defeated Yuki Kamifuku & Asuka when Kakuta pinned Kamifuku with the Shiden Kai (10:11).
4. DEFY Women’s Title: Vert Vixen (c) defeated Hikari Noa with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster (9:42).
*V6 for Vert Vixen.
5. 3 Way Tag Match: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao defeated Aja Kong & Raku and Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku when Nakajima pinned Harajuku with the Diving Senton (9:32).
6. Nyla Rose defeated Miu Watanabe with the Beast Bomb (8:01).
7. EVE Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) defeated Sawyer Wreck with the Skull Kick (11:51).
*V7 for Miyu Yamashita.
8. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel defeated Yuki Arai & Wakana Uehara when Sakisama pinned Uehara with the Academy Award (12:24).
9. International Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) defeated Yuki Arai with the Missile Hip (15:11).
*V4 for Rika Tatsumi.
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) defeated Maki Itoh with the Cutie Special (24:29).
*V3 for Mizuki.

The history between Mizuki and Maki Itoh that begun under the original Itoh Respect Army seven years ago reached its dramatic peak in Ota Ward Gymnasium today. Mizuki successfully defended the Princess Of Princess Title in the main event, stopping Itoh from winning the title in her fourth attempt. The champion had the injured Yuka Sakazaki in her corner while Itoh came out singing “Brooklyn The Hole” in English. Itoh’s focus was to use variations of the DDT both inside and out of the ring. Mizuki did her own big moves outside the ring including the Cutie Special and a Flying Cross Body. Submission holds couldn’t finish the job either with both the Itoh Deluxe and Crossface Lock proving fruitless. Mizuki dealt a big blow by landing the Diving Double Stomp onto Itoh’s back. Itoh clung onto Mizuki and was able to deliver one last Headbutt in resistance but Mizuki fired back with a Spinning Back Elbow and pinned her with the Cutie Special.

After the match Mizuki said she never believed Itoh when she said she wanted to forget their history together and that the Itoh Mizuki knew is dead. They walked the same path together and Mizuki always looked up to Itoh as her rival. Itoh however said Mizuki doesn’t understand how Itoh feels. She doesn’t like to talk about the past because when they were together, Itoh saw Mizuki become stronger and win championships with someone else. It made Itoh jealous and she looks back on their time together a a black piece of history. It is only right now in the middle of Ota Ward that Itoh now believes she is on the same level as Mizuki. For that reason Mizuki now has her respect and she wants to continue fighting with her. The two shook hands and gave each other a hug. Itoh left the ring so Mizuki could close out the show.

The burning momentum of Yuki Aino wasn’t enough to take the International Princess Title from Rika Tatsumi. She showed a lot of power by using the Side Suplex outside the ring as well as one over the ropes from the ring apron! Tatsumi tried to smother her out with the Dragon Sleeper but Aino powered out of it with a slam. Tatsumi found a way to put her into another Dragon Sleeper but Aino reached the ropes. Aino withstood a Hip Attack and caught Tatsumi in the middle of a second one but Tatsumi wriggled her way into hitting the Twist Of Fate. She then got the win by hitting the Missile Hip. Tatsumi gave her opponent credit for shining as brightly as she did. She hopes the fans will look forward to more matches between them in the future. Aino said the result proves she is not ready to hold a title belt yet. But she had fun in the match because she was able to burn every last bit of energy she has.

NEO Biishiki-gun were back to give their opponents a hard time. That was shown when Mei Saint-Michel danced in the ring to distract the referee while Sakisama attacked Wakana Uehara on the outside. Saint-Michel later dropped her metal tray over Uehara’s head to break up a Sleeper Hold. Yuki Arai pulled out a surprise by using Saki Akai’s finisher the Rookie Award on Sakisama. NEO Biishiki-gun regained their composure and Sakisama hit the similar looking Academy Award to pin Uehara and win the match. Sakisama did not like hearing reporters compare the two moves during her post-match interview because she is one of a kind. In Arai’s interview, she explained that Akai taught her the move but she never got the chance to use it when they teamed together. She felt today was as good a time as any to start using the move because she thinks Sakisama bares a resemblance to Akai. She intends to keep using it more often.

Perhaps Miyu Yamashita didn’t realize just what she was getting into when she decided to put her EVE Title on the line against Sawyer Wreck. The Spirit Of EVE ruleset used for the title match allowed the fight to be taken outside the ring because there are no countouts. The rules also permitted the wrestlers to use weapons under certain circumstances, which Wreck gladly took advantage of. She attacked Yamashita with chairs and slammed her through a pile of them with a Death Valley Driver over by the stage entrance. Back in the ring Yamashita did her best to deflect the chair with kicks. Wreck was able to defend herself from one Skull Kick but a second one reached its target and gave Yamashita her seventh successful EVE Title defence.

The originally planned match for Nyla Rose didn’t take place because of Sakazaki’s injury. So when Rose found out her new opponent was Miu Watanabe she steadily gained weight to make it more difficult for Watanabe to lift her! As soon as the AEW wrestler arrived in Japan she loaded up on pork cutlet curry and sashimi at the nearest Cocoichi curry house. The plan just about worked. Watanabe was able to give her the Giant Swing but only for one rotation. She also wasn’t strong enough to deliver the Tear Drop. Rose took advantage and landed the Beast Bomb to win. Watanabe did leave a positive impression on Rose though. Rose said that even though Watanabe lost, she definitely has something that could open the door into a new world for her.

No Tag Rules were a last minute addition to the 3 Way Tag match. The time for Aja Kong and Max The Impaler to meet again was just about to begin when Hyper Misao got on the microphone to big up Kyoraku Kyomei’s chances of winning. Both Kong and Max ignored her so she sprayed both of them in the face. Kyoraku Kyomei then stole Kong’s steel can as well as Raku’s pillow but Kong attacked them to reclaim the items. Kong even hit Shoko Nakajima with the pillow while Raku hit Pom Harajuku with the can! Kong and Max were on an even level whenever they got the chance to fight each other. They briefly joined forces against Kyoraku Kyomei only to turn on each other. Misao brought out the Hyper Mobile to crash into everyone outside the ring while Nakajima pinned Harajuku with the Diving Senton to win. Kong took her anger out after the match by attacking the Hyper Mobile, damaging it to the point where it is now unusable! Kyoraku Kyomei are thinking about crowdfunding a new one or at least convince CyberFight to get a bicycle sponsorship. Kong & Raku said they’d rather crowdfund a new steel can and pillow for themselves.

It was a clean sweep of successful title defences throughout the whole show. Vert Vixen was the first one on the board by defending the DEFY Women’s Title against Hikari Noa. The challenger used the Running Neckbreaker Drop that’s been winning matches for her recently but it didn’t get her the result this time. The Last Supper cradle didn’t work either. Instead Vixen pinned Noa with a Vertical Drop Brainbuster. She said the match was like a war but she was able to fight and defend her championship. Noa said she was very happy to be chosen by Vixen for a title match. They’ve teamed together during Vixen’s previous visit to Japan and Noa always wanted to have a title match with somebody she considers to be a tag team partner.

Flashy entrances were provided by both teams in Match #3. VENYU were accompanied by two dancers leading them down to the ring while Nao Kakuta looked dressed to party with Ryo Mizunami. The match started with a bang when Asuka Moonsaulted onto everyone outside the ring. Yuki Kamifuku then put on Mizunami’s entrance gear to taunt her but was reduced to apologising once Mizunami got her hands on her. VENYU gave Kakuta the Magic Killer but Kakuta kicked out at two. She then dodged a Double Big Boot leading VENYU to collide with each other and then get wiped out with a Double Spear from Mizunami. Kakuta then scored the win by pinning Kamifuku with the Shiden Kai.

Five of the eight wrestlers in the 8-Woman Tag Match all only just debuted this year. The match was also Haruna Neko’s return match from a knee injury. Her scratching the wrestlers from the other team led to Mahiro Kiryu apologising to everyone for it. Shino Suzuki and Haru Kazashiro started off before Kiryu and Kaya Toribami took over. Toga cut off HIMAWARI’s momentum with what is fast becoming her signature Elbow Strike. Runa Okubo joined in with her classmate for a Double Dropkick. But HIMAWARI turned the tables and locked Kazashiro in a Half Crab hold for the submission victory.

Juria Nagano was back in action after being gone for six months with a broken finger. The decision was made to have Nagano team with Moka Miyamoto because they were opponents on last year’s show. Nagano went back to using her Karate offence while relying on Miyamoto to make up for the holes in her game. Suzume used her speedy mobility to run circles around her opponents, keeping them in position for Arisu Endo to hit a Missile Dropkick on Miyamoto. Endo then put Nagano in the Camel Clutch, submitting her to give Daisy Monkey the win. Nagano said she’s been trying to build up her stamina to get ready for the match. Her goal is to win a match by herself again as soon as possible.

The Up Up Girls (Pro Wrestling) performed their new song “Rxck it Now” at the beginning of the show. Their new 5th member Uta was also introduced to the audience. her thing on the microphone is to review a different ice cream every show. Today’s recommendation is chocolate coffee flavour.

At the beginning of the show Sayuri Namba found out that voice actress Rica Matsumoto was doing special guest commentary today. Namba was so excited to find out the voice of Ash/Satoshi from Pokémon was here that she wore the character’s signature cap during the show opening announcements.

Aja Kong Vs Super Sasadango Machine was announced for the Niigata show on 5th August.

A team series challenge was recorded at an outdoor amusement park recently. It will air on PPV through Wrestle Universe on 27th July.

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Posted by JamieOD

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23” Results

June 24, 2023

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23”, 24/06/2023
Kobe Art Center
316 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Kaya Toribami defeated Haru Kazashiro with the Bird Cage (5:43).
2. Nao Kakuta defeated Toga with the Homare (5:36).
3. 3 Way Match: Yuki Kamifuku defeated Hikari Noa and Shino Suzuki when Kamifuku pinned Suzuki with the Famouser (5:42).
4. Yuki Arai defeated HIMAWARI with the Sasori Katame (8:18).
5. Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao defeated Raku & Pom Harajuku when Nakajima pinned Harajuku with the Northern Lights Suplex (11:32).
6. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Yuki Aino & Mahiro Kiryu when Tatsumi pinned Kiryu after the Daydream Eternity (12:27).
7. Miyu Yamashita, Maki Itoh & Moka Miyamoto defeated Mizuki, Suzume & Arisu Endo when Itoh submitted Endo with the Itoh Deluxe (14:39).

The return of Maki Itoh from her American tour means her program with Mizuki finally gets back on track. Today’s show was in Mizuki’s hometown of Kobe and she rallied the fans to be behind her instead of Itoh and Miyu Yamashita. As Itoh would go on to tell everybody after the match, the booing pissed her off and flicked the switch inside her. She fired up and submitted Arisu Endo to win for her team.

Backstage Yamashita told reporters her three month stay in America has made her more open minded because she discovered how much anything goes in American wrestling. Itoh said she got tougher in America because she was able to wrestle around 10 matches in the space of a month. Moka Miyamoto told the two of them she felt lonely while they were gone but she also got tremendously stronger too. Mizuki is now left figuring out what is missing from her game that prevented her from winning today’s match.

Match #5 was a preview of the 3 Way Tag Match happening at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23”. Future opponents Raku and Pom Harajuku had to team up against Kyoraku Kyomei. Next month Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao will face both of them again but this time Raku will be with Aja Kong and Harajuku will have Max The Impaler with her!

Yuki Arai got to have a singles match against a lesser experienced opponent for the first time when she took on HIMAWARI. She doesn’t know if she looked like a veteran out in the ring but she was able to win with a Scorpion Deathlock.

The next “TJPW INSPIRATION” will be held on 17th August. The first match announced for the show is Mizuki Vs Aiger.

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Half The Ring Is Missing! Kakuta Injured, Yamashita’s Return Leaves Me Wondering

June 16, 2023

DDT “WHAT ARE YOU DOING 2023 TOUR IN HAKODATE”, 16/06/2023
Hakodate City General Wholesale Center Distribution Hall

1. Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno Vs Akito & Kazuma Sumi
2. SILVER QUEEN Infomercial Match: Sanshiro Takagi & Kazuki Hirata Vs MAO & Yoshihiko
3. HARASHIMA & Hideki Okatani Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yuya Koroku
4. Hakodate Specialty Special Single Match: Yuki Ishida Vs Akinori Ariji
5. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Toy Kojima & Rukiya
6. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Yuji Hino, Makoto Oitshi & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada

I don’t normally write up news updates while shows are going on but today is an unusual exception. One of DDT’s ring trucks did not arrive in time for the show so as of writing the ring is bare, missing all of its canvas mats, corner pads and ring aprons. They decided to go on with the show wrestling on the exposed wood panels but DDT has gotten in contact with a nearby wrestling promotion to rent out the remaining equipment they need. The match order was changed so now the comedy stuff will go on first (Pheromones will humiliate you but they’re not going to head drop you onto the canvas) and as soon as the rented equipment arrives the show will go to intermission and get the ring fully ready.

GANBARE☆JOSHI “GANJO MILON’S SECRET CASTLE ’23”, 17/06/2023
Tokyo GEN Sports Palace

1. Riara Vs Ancham
2. Gatoh Move Offer Match: Makoto Vs Tokiko Kirihara
3. Miyako Matsumoto & Alex Lee Vs Marika Kobashi & Echika Miyabi
4. GanJo Vs JUST TAP OUT! Special Tag Match: YuuRI & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Sumika Yanagawa & Misa Kagura

Tomorrow’s Ganbare☆Joshi show is headlined with an inter-promotional bout against JTO.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23”, 18/06/2023
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. Moka Miyamoto Vs Runa Okubo
2. Hikari Noa & Haru Kazashiro Vs Mahiro Kiryu & Shino Suzuki
3. Miu Watanabe Vs Toga
4. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Wakana Uehara
5. Hyper Misao & Yoshiko Hasegawa Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
6. 3 Way Match: Shoko Nakajima Vs Arisu Endo Vs Kaya Toribami
7. Rika Tatsumi & Suzume Vs Yuki Aino & HIMAWARI

Nao Kakuta has a back injury and will not be wrestling this weekend. Her tag match will now be a 3 Way Match between Shoko Nakajima, Arisu Endo and Kaya Toribami. As you will see below she is on the schedule to wrestle next week so hopefully it is just a minor injury.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR IN SPRING ’23”, 25/06/2023
Fukuoka Nishitetsu Hall

1. Suzume Vs Shino Suzuki
2. Moka Miyamoto Vs Toga
3. Mizuki Vs Mahiro Kiryu
4. 3 Way Match: Hyper Misao Vs Arisu Endo Vs HIMAWARI
5. Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta Vs Yuki Arai & Haru Kazashiro
6. Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku
7. Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima Vs Maki Itoh & Yuki Kamifuku

I’m going to spend a long time wondering about that Tokyo Joshi Pro update back from the end of March. They said at the time that Miyu Yamashita’s return from excursion could have been delayed if a big opportunity came her way. TJPW was right to put that out given how much they rely on ticket sales and cannot risk even slightly damaging their customer base’s trust over any kind of false advertising. It’s why you so often see Japanese promotions giving updates and offering apologies over even the most inconsequential setbacks that changes the show lineups while in other countries you can get out of luck and be stuck with “Card Subject To Change” as the only excuse. So there had to have been something discussed between Yamashita and another party over a big booking somewhere. That her return falls on the same weekend as AEW and New Japan holding the second Forbidden Door PPV sent a lot of people’s imaginations into a frenzy, myself included. Was it all a coincidence? Did TJPW put the original message out there just in case Yamashita got an offer from anybody, not just AEW, to extend her stay in America just that little bit longer? Or was there a deal somewhere that fell apart? I think it’s the former but that’s because it will drive me up the wall if it turns out to be the latter.

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