It was revealed yesterday that Konosuke Takeshita is travelling to America to wrestle for AEW next month. He wrestled three matches for them in Jacksonville last year and it only motivated him to come back even bigger. His goal this time is to wrestle on TV shows like Dynamite and Rampage as well as to become a champion against the high level of competition AEW has. His stay will last a lot longer with no return date planned at the moment. He claims he won’t be using a return ticket, he only has an outbound flight in his itinerary. Although he promised he will find a way to come back to DDT for big matches every now and then. He said he is grateful to both DDT and AEW for giving him this opportunity. Takeshita is promoting this as Chapter 2 of his wrestling career.
DDT “APRIL FOOL 2022 TOUR IN YOKOHAMA”, 01/04/2022 Yokohama Radiant Hall
1. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Toru Owashi, Kazuki Hirata & Yuki Ishida
2. HARASHIMA, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuya Koroku Vs Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul
3. Masahiro Takanashi & Soma Takao Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yukio Sakaguchi
4. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Hideki Okatani
5. Special Tag Match: Saki Akai & Antonio Honda Vs Maya Yukihi & Akito
6. BURNING Vs The 37KAMIINA!: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yusuke Okada Vs Yuki Ueno, Shunma Katsumata & Toui Kojima
7. Yokohama Specialty Special Tag Match: MAO & Chris Brookes Vs Asuka & Yuji Hino
A few of the matches coming out of yesterday’s Korakuen Hall show are getting preview bouts in Yokohama. There is also the announcement that an “athlete” who wants to participate in DDT will be at the show.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “STILL INCOMPLETE ’22”, 09/04/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Pom Harajuku & Moka Miyamoto Vs Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami
2. Marika Kobashi Vs Raku
3. Hyper Misao Vs Miu Watanabe
4. Miyu Yamashita Vs Juria Nagano
5. Maki Itoh & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta
6. Saki Akai & Yuki Arai Vs Rika Tatsumi & Mahiro Kiryu
7. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) Vs Yuki Aino
The new Princess Of Princess Champion doesn’t have to wait long for her first defence. Shoko Nakajima takes on Yuki Aino who is forging a new path on her own now that her sister has graduated. She is confident she can take the lead of Tokyo Joshi Pro like the previous champions have done before her.
Arisuzu aren’t shy about showing off their bond and think it is strong enough to dethrone The Magical Sugar Rabbits. The Princess Tag Team Champions are using their reign to show TJPW a whole new world filled with glitter and sparkles but they warn their challengers there is so much more to them than that.
It’s been a year and a half since Saki Akai was last in TJPW. She pops by again to team with Yuki Arai.
Can’t ask for a tougher second match for Juria Nagano. It’s Karate versus Karate when she has to take on Miyu Yamashita.
This will be Marika Kobashi’s last match in Korakuen Hall.
GANBARE☆PRO “CRY BABY 2022”, 09/04/2022 Shin-Kiba 1st RING
1. Ganpro Specialty Mixed 6-Man Tag Match: Yuna Manase, YuuRI & SAGAT Vs Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & Baliyan Akki
2. Katsumura-gun Vs ROMANCE DAWN: Shuichiro Katsumura & Tsuyoshi Okada Vs Shota & Soma Takao
3. Takaiwa Army Vs Ganpro Full-Scale Battle: Tatsuhito Takaiwa, 5th Black Tiger & Kenya Maeda Vs Yumehito Imanari, Keisuke Ishii & Kouki Iwasaki
4. Ganpro Specialty Two Major Singles Match: Shinichiro Tominaga Vs Tyson Maeguchi
5. Ganpro Specialty Two Major Singles Match: Ken Ohka Vs Mizuki Watase
A fired up Mizuki Watase wants to climb to the top of Ganbare☆Pro because he doesn’t think Ken Ohka is on that level anymore. He pinned him over the weekend so they’re going to have a singles match to settle their beef.
DDT “APRIL FOOL 22”, 10/04/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
0. Dark Match: Toui Kojima & El Unicorn Vs Yuya Koroku & Ilusion
0. Dark Match: Toru Owashi, Naomi Yoshimura & Kazuki Hirata Vs Akito, Soma Takao & Gota Ihashi
1. The 37KAMIINA Vs Eruption!: Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
2. Special Single Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs Yusuke Okada
3. DDT 25th Anniversary Special Tag Match: Saki Akai & Maya Yukihi Vs Bambi & Cherry
4. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari (c) Vs Daisuke Sasaki, Minoru Fujita & MJ Paul
5. KO-D Tag Team Titles: Chris Brookes & Masahiro Takanashi (c) Vs Yuji Hino & Yukio Naya
6. Tetsuya Endo 10th Anniversary Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yukio Sakaguchi Vs Konosuke Takeshita, HARASHIMA & Antonio Honda
DDT’s next visit to Korakuen is to celebrate Tetsuya Endo’s 10th Anniversary! A lot of people important to his career will be part of his commemorative match.
We’re going to get a look through DDT’s history of women’s wrestling with Bambi & Cherry coming back for a special match. Saki Akai & Maya Yukihi have been looking for a reason to team together and this one seems to be just right.
El Unicorn returns after missing the Sumo Hall show with covid. He and Ilusion still have their rivalry building up. It is fitting to see that mixed together with the Toui Kojima and Yuya Koroku feud.
DDT “MEGA MAX BUMP 2022 TOUR IN YOKOHAMA”, 01/05/2022 Yokohama Budokan
1. DDT Universal Title: MAO (c) Vs Asuka
2. KO-D Openweight Title: Tetsuya Endo (c) Vs Yuki Ueno
With Takeshita taking a leave of absence to go wrestling in AEW soon, Yuki Ueno is looking to pick up the torch and be the man to carry DDT into the future instead of Endo. It will be the first defence of the new KO-D Openweight Title belt too.
MAO is also showing a desire to wrestle abroad again and he wants the DDT Universal Title to help him do it. He challenged anyone with an international presence to face him in a title match. Asuka accepted the challenge, pointing out a recent tour of Italy and an upcoming tour of the UK as suitable qualifications to get the title shot.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND 2022 ~SPREAD THE WINGS OF YOUR DREAMS~”, 03/05/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
Former TJPW wrestler Reika Saiki announced she will be retiring from pro wrestling and muscle fitness this May. According to Saiki, TJPW will be hosting her retirement ceremony. There will be more to write about this when TJPW officially advertises it on their end.
GANBARE☆PRO “LOVE PHANTOM 2022”, 03/05/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Tatsuhito Takaiwa (c) Vs Yumehito Imanari
It was Yumehito Imanari who Tatsuhito Takaiwa defeated to be crowned the first Spirit Of Ganbare Champion. Enough time has passed for Imanari to take another crack at it. He is already playing mind games by claiming the hype video for the match will only feature footage of himself and there will be no clips of Takaiwa at all.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW SPRING TOUR ’22”, 26/03/2022 Tokyo Otemachi Mitsui Hall 297 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Hikari Noa defeated Kaya Toribami with the Blizzard Suplex (6:16).
2. Hyper Misao & Miu Watanabe defeated Pom Harajuku & Mahiro Kiryu when Misao pinned Harajuku with the Hypami Returns (11:05).
3. 3 Way Match: Rika Tatsumi defeated Nao Kakuta and Haruna Neko when Tatsumi submitted Neko with the Dragon Sleeper (10:07).
4. Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Raku defeated Maki Itoh, Yuki Kamifuku & Marika Kobashi when Sakazaki pinned Kobashi with the Mil Clutch α (14:01).
5. Princess Tag Team Titles Next Challenger Decision Match: Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Yuki Arai & Moka Miyamoto when Suzume pinned Arai with the Ring A Bell (12:42).
6. Nodoka Tenma Graduation Match: Shoko Nakajima & Miyu Yamashita defeated Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino when Nakajima pinned Tenma with the Diving Senton (20:27).
Today Tokyo Joshi Pro bid farewell to Nodoka Tenma. Her final pro wrestling match was obviously the final time The Bakuretsu Sisters were teaming together too. They had to take on the top two wrestlers in TJPW Shoko Nakajima & Miyu Yamashita. Tenma extinguished her big moves but the Bakuretsu Bulldog and the Back Flip could not get her the win. Instead Nakajima gave Tenma the Northern Lights Suplex and Yamashita followed it with the Skull Kick. Tenma was on the verge of being counted out but Nakajima stopped the referee so she could give Tenma a hug. She then gave her a DDT and hit the Diving Senton to pin her.
After the match Nakajima told Tenma that when they walk the same path they are teammates but when they walk different paths at the same time they are friends. Yamashita told her to keep watching TJPW while she is working on her farm and in return she will visit her to see it someday. Tenma asked everyone to take care of Yuki Aino for her but Aino said she won’t be on her own here without her. Aino gets inspiration from watching Yamashita and Nakajima lead TJPW that she now wants to be the leader too. She challenged Nakajima for the Princess Of Princess Title on 9th April!
Tenma’s graduation ceremony was slightly delayed when Hyper Misao and Pom Harajuku took Tetsuya Koda hostage. Misao said she never gave her approval for Tenma to graduate and she threatened Koda’s life if Tenma won’t change her mind. Tenma simply thanked Koda. Misao had to accept her decision but convinced her to take everyone’s signature moves one by one for the last time. Even Sayuri Namba got involved in the beating against her will. It ended with the entire roster all piling on top of Tenma for one final three count on her. The proper ceremony then took place with everyone saying their goodbyes to Tenma. She gave a speech telling stories about her time with the roster, a supporter of her class who passed away during the Covid pandemic and also her late grandfather. She ended by saying she wants to live a life with no regrets and that her time here is something she will treasure for the rest of her life.
Arisuzu are the No. 1 Contenders for the Princess Tag Team Titles. They earned the title shot by beating MokaYuki when Suzume pinned Yuki Arai. The result is revenge for their previous match from the Max Heart Tournament. Arai is disappointed but still wants to aim for the titles with Moka Miyamoto as her tag partner. Suzume called The Magical Sugar Rabbits into the ring afterward and told them she wants to see the sparkling world that they see. Arisu Endo said they have grown a lot more than they think so they want to make the belts theirs. Yuka Sakazaki agrees the team has grown but also thinks they still have a long way to go. They will have to show more or else they will never become champions. Mizuki warned that their world is more than just sparkles. When you enter it you will see what lies ahead for Tokyo Joshi Pro!
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’22”, 19/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan 1,714 Fans
1. Juria Nagano Debut Match: Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano when Suzume pinned Miyamoto with the Ring A Bell (9:43).
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Vs Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling: Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & YuuRI defeated Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami when Manase pinned Kiryu with the Lariat (12:19).
3. Falls Count Anywhere Match: Hyper Misao defeated Sanshiro Takagi with the I Am A Hero (12:00).
4. Asuka defeated Yuki Kamifuku with the Moonsault Press (9:37).
5. Yuki Aino defeated Nodoka Tenma with the UBV (9:23).
6. Sakisama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent defeated Marika Kobashi, Raku, Pom Harajuku & Ram Kaichow when Sakisama pinned Kobashi with the Academy Award (10:51).
7. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida defeated Hikari Noa with the Falcon Arrow (8:46).
8. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) defeated Yuki Arai with the Itoh Deluxe (16:14). *V2 for Maki Itoh.
9. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) defeated Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe when Sakazaki pinned Tatsumi with the Magical Girl Niwatori Yaro (17:02). *V2 for The Magical Sugar Rabbits.
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Shoko Nakajima defeated Miyu Yamashita (c) with the Diving Senton (19:04). *Miyu Yamashita fails in V5. Shoko Nakajima becomes the 10th Princess Of Princess Champion!
In its ninth year of existence, Tokyo Joshi Pro has reached the “Dream Stage” that is Sumo Hall! In the main event, Shoko Nakajima brought an end to Miyu Yamashita’s reign as Princess Of Princess Champion. She took the Skull Kick to the back of the head but was able to dodge a second one thrown from the front. Yamashita was caught in a Frankensteiner for a nearfall and was left stunned with a Double Arm DDT. That was the end for her because Nakajima then hit the Diving Senton for the three count. It is the second Princess Title reign for Nakajima, reclaiming the belt in the same venue she lost it in November 2019.
Nakajima said today was the strongest version of Yamashita she had ever seen. After years of fighting together, no matter what pressure they were under, Yamashita never showed any fear. That is why Nakajima wanted to win so badly today, to be like Yamashita. She doesn’t know for sure if she surpassed her today but she knows for sure one day she will. Either way, the two will continue fighting together for TJPW. Nakajima later said her goal is to defend the Princess Title at “CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2022” in Saitama Super Arena on 12th June. She thought last year’s title match at the show was really cool and would love to be in that position on behalf of everyone. Yamashita has mixed with happy and sad emotions over the show. Her dream to headline Sumo Hall came true but she lost. Today isn’t the happy ending for TJPW because she wants the company to grow even bigger for their supporters! She couldn’t win today but that just means she has to get stronger and restart her training. However she admits if she was to fight Nakajima for the championship again she won’t be able to beat her. The next time she wants to be in a Princess Title match will be when she is confident she will win.
It’s going to be a difficult task to take the Princess Tag Team Titles away from The Magical Sugar Rabbits. The strongest challengers in the company are Daydream and they weren’t able to beat them today. Double team moves were the plays of the day with MagiRabi hitting versions 1, 2 and 3 of Toy Story. Miu Watanabe used her individual strength to give both MagiRabi a Double Giant Swing by herself. Rika Tatsumi tried to put Yuka Sakazaki away with Hip Attacks but couldn’t get the job done. Watanabe got back in only to get wiped out by Mizuki’s Whirling Candy. Tatsumi was then dealt with MagiRabi’s signature moves until Sakazaki finished her off with the Magical Girl Niwatori Yaro. Sakazaki calls this a huge victory because of where it took place. Mizuki is cheery again because she wanted to win the Max Heart Tournament earlier this year and they just beat the winners today. Daydream were obviously upset over losing but they said they will find a new dream to make come true.
Yuki Arai’s first championship match in TJPW career ended in failure thanks to Maki Itoh. The International Princess Title bout was big enough for Kero Tanaka to be the ring announcer for. Also Itoh was joined by Naoko Hara and Mayu Kishida from the idol group Toki wo Ikiru (of which Itoh is also a member) to dance for her entrance. Itoh choked Arai with her microphone stand and showed no mercy as the match progressed. Arai kept fighting and held onto Itoh as much as she could but an Avalanche DDT followed by the Itoh Deluxe made her give up in the end. Itoh asked for Arai’s handshake afterwards and Arai reluctantly accepted. Arai said next time she will win and be the one who asks for Itoh’s handshake instead. However Itoh is sure she will continue beating Arai no matter how many times they fight. But she also believes Arai is stronger than she thinks. She has power, stamina and guts but is missing one thing to make the complete package. Arai has all of the ingredients, she just isn’t a good cook yet. Itoh will still be here for Arai to challenge her again in the future.
Hikaru Shida did the deal because nobody kicks out of the Falcon Arrow! Even though her match against Hikari Noa was not a Hardcore match, the two couldn’t help but hit each other with a kendo stick and a chair outside the ring. Noa’s back was targeted throughout and Shida’s plan paid off when her opponent struggled to throw a Super Kick and could not hold onto the Blizzard Suplex during an attempted pin due to the pain. Shida went on to win but as she walked back up the ramp, she couldn’t help but notice Aja Kong on commentary and give her a determined look. Backstage Shida said she is grateful to wrestle in Japan again. She was surprised that Noa wanted to fight a Hardcore match against her but she likes that kind of spirit. Next time they fight Shida wants it under Hardcore rules for sure!
For the first time in TJPW, the entire NEO Biishiki-gun were together in one place. Sakisama was teaming with her usual loyal servants but the rest of the household stood with them for their entrance. Ai Shimizu, KANNA, Azusa Christie, Yoshiko-sama (with her teddy bear Charlotte) and even Misao were all seen in public again for the first time in years. The grand entrance made everyone forget that minutes earlier Raku & Ram Kaichow were walking down the ramp together looking like a newly married couple. During the match itself the maids Mei Saint-Michel & Martha worked together like a well oiled team against Pom Harajuku. Later Yukio Saint Laurent tried to stab his opponents with an injection but Kaichow turned the needle on himself. She also gave Sakisama the Rainmaker. Marika Kobashi took over and tried using moves like the Front Neck Lock and Shining Wizard on Sakisama. However Martha used a mop to distract her, Saint-Michel (with Charlotte) hit a mop assisted Diving Double Knee Drop and Sakisama pinned Kobashi with the Academy Award. After the match Sakisama gave Kobashi a red rose as a parting gift. Kobashi said that in the past she ripped up the roses Sakisama gave her but this time she will bring it home with her. She can tell this one was given out of respect and maybe even love?
Even though The Bakuretsu Sisters were opponents, they made their entrance together with a live performance of “BAKURETSU POWER” by the band angela. The younger sister won out in the end with Yuki Aino pinning Nodoka Tenma with the UBV. She said she finally found out how strong Tenma is by wrestling her one on one. She was happy to win because she admires her sister the most and shouldn’t be losing to her when Tenma is leaving pro wrestling to farm in Okayama. Tenma wants Aino to continue wrestling and doesn’t think she will need a new tag partner as a substitute for herself.
The entrances of Asuka and Yuki Kamifuku was just as much a competition as the match itself. Asuka had a routine with a male dancer while Kamifuku arrived in the arena on a motorbike looking for drinks and a smoke. The two began in the ring with light teases that grew more and more aggressive until it became a full on match. Kamifuku’s reliance on the Famouser didn’t work and she was dropped with a Sit Down Power Bomb. Asuka then picked up the win with the Moonsault. Kamifuku admitted to feeling more nervous about this match than any title bout she was ever in. She believes it is up to her to become stronger than Asuka because there will be new people coming into TJPW and looking up to her. And even if she loses to Asuka in the ring, she will never lose to her in the bar! Asuka said their bond has deepened and VENYU will team together again in the future.
TJPW’s first ring announcer Minami Momochi was on hand to witness the match between Hyper Misao and Sanshiro Takagi. She wasn’t the only face from the past because former TJPW wrestlers Nonoko and MIZUHO were in attendance to present flowers to Misao. The superhero said Takagi was not the crazy wrestler he used to be so she wanted to destroy him. Nobody was more shocked than her when Takagi showed up dressed like her in bodypaint! He grabbed the microphone and introduced himself as Hyper Sanshiro, the President who protects sales and numbers in Tokyo Joshi Pro! Misao attacked him with the help of Nonoko and MIZUHO. They then fought up the ramp on bicycles, crashing into each other. Another graduated TJPW wrestler appeared when Akane Miura from the ring crew hit Takagi with a Lariat on the ramp. Takagi knew the match was getting out of control so he ordered the rules be changed to Falls Count Anywhere! After he did that, Misao was seen standing on the top of the aisle and she jumped down onto everyone below! A castle of chairs was built in the ring and Misao got back on her bicycle. She shouted this was what she always dreamed to do in Sumo Hall and crashed into the chairs after Takagi jumped out of the way. Takagi hit her with chairs and called her a phoney hero. He sprayed her with a fire extinguisher, calling it the Hero Beam. But when he attempted to do the I Am A Hero onto some plastic boxes, Misao rolled out of the way and he crashed through them. Misao then did her own I Am A Hero to pin the DDT president for the three count! Misao said that as long as Takagi is her Peter Pan, she will always aim for his head. Takagi said he’s been dressed like this since 8am, even doing the pre-show speech to the entire locker room looking like that. He told Misao that today she has become a real hero! The two hugged and Misao then gave Takagi a Stunner.
Yuna Manase returned to TJPW with a new gang of friends with her. The visiting foursome from Ganbare☆Pro defeated the home team led by Nao Kakuta. Manase took her new role as the female Ken Ohka to heart by wrestling an outfit similar to his. Mahiro Kiryu also debuted a new costume too. Kaya Toribami and HARUKAZE had a sequence against each other that could have went either way. YuuRI joined in with Manasae to deal some pain to Kakuta & Haruna Neko. But Neko got to fight back by giving Moeka Haruhi the Nekodebreaker. The match came down to Manase and Kiryu and ended when Manase pinned her with the Lariat. The TJPW team are taking the loss as a learning experience and that more work needs to be done to make the company stronger. Manase credited her team’s win on the bond formed between all four of them. They all fought using the spirit of Ganbare☆Joshi! Manase wants everyone to know that CyberFight has so much hot joshi action from not just DDT and TJPW but Ganjo too. She wants everyone to come see Ganpro at Ota Ward Gymnasium on 10th July.
The show began with the anticipated debut of the TikTok Karate Nurse Juria Nagano. She teamed with Moka Miyamoto to take on Arisuzu in a losing effort. However it was Miyamoto who took the fall instead of the newcomer. She enjoyed her first match but described how frustrated she felt when she was taken down to the mat because she has no ground game. Suzume was delighted to see how many fans showed up to watch the match and she’s also happy to have new friends. Arisu Endo joked that the match went by too fast for her to enjoy it.
During the show opening introductions, Sayuri Namba brought down KANNA and Chikage Kiba into the ring. They were the two other wrestlers who debuted in the same match with Yamashita and Nakajima in 2013 but both of their wrestling careers only lasted a few years. KANNA cried because she never expected to see TJPW to make it to this point and she thinks it will become the second launch of the company. Kiba said it was a miracle that the show went ahead without anyone having to pull out because of covid. Standing in Sumo Hall with somebody she debuted with felt like a dream come true for her. A voiceover for the show was recorded by another TJPW alumni, Azusa Takigawa.
The Up Up Girls (Pro Wrestling) performed some of their songs and announced will be holding an audition to find a new member! They are looking for girls who want to sing, dance and fight with them. Noa would like someone to do a death match with and who is also imposing enough to beat up Sanshiro Takagi. Raku said she grew up knowing nothing about pro wrestling yet it changed her life 180 degrees and she is now here standing in the middle of Sumo Hall. Watanabe said it also isn’t important if the applicants do not know anything about idols. She is looking forward to hearing from anyone interested to join.
Tokyo Joshi Pro will return to Ota Ward Gymnasium on 9th July for “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’22”.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’22”, 19/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Juria Nagano Debut Match: Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Vs Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling: Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & YuuRI
3. Sanshiro Takagi Vs Hyper Misao
4. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Asuka
5. Nodoka Tenma Vs Yuki Aino
6. Sakisama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent Vs Marika Kobashi, Raku, Pom Harajuku & Ram Kaichow
7. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida Vs Hikari Noa
8. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) Vs Yuki Arai
9. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
It took nine years for Tokyo Joshi Pro to start from a tiny little idol stage in Akihabara and make it all the way to running grand old Sumo Hall by themselves. It’s a show bigger than the “WRESTLE PRINCESS” name and is part of a stacked Ryogoku weekend with DDT celebrating its 25th Anniversary the next day. All three Princess Championships will be defended, there are some inter-promotional matches, some emotional backstories, a final call for two beloved roster members before they go away and an anticipated debut so let’s have a look at what’s in store for us.
The big debut TJPW has been building up since the start of the year is Juria Nagano. She is a woman of many talents being a former children’s world champion karate fighter, actress and nurse with 900,000 TikTok followers. Her 2nd dan black belt in Shito-ryu makes Nagano a suitable tag partner for Moka Miyamoto and her Shotokan background. Nagano was moved to tears when she first discovered the deep bonds the TJPW roster has with each other and is looking forward to forming her own. Even her opponents are excited to be in the ring for her debut match. Suzume said she wants to crush Nagano in the ring with her love and Arisu Endo believes it will be an exciting match showcasing the future of TJPW. Arisuzu are a team to watch out for and the most likely from this new generation to jump up a level together later this year.
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Vs Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling: Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & YuuRI
A former TJPW wrestler returns looking for a passionate fight. Yuna Manase was with the promotion from 2017 to 2020 until she found a new home in Ganbare☆Pro. She kept a good relationship with TJPW since then but suddenly called out the company in a fiery speech demanding an opponent who wants to fight her instead of being told to by management. Nao Kakuta answered the call, fueled by memories of working with Manase in Actwres girl’Z before either of their TJPW days. The response is also the first time Kakuta felt like a proper member of Tokyo Joshi by defending the promotion’s honour. However Manase immediately got backup with everyone from the Ganbare☆Joshi division wanting to join in the challenge and take part. The challenge became big enough to suck in more people for an inter-promotional 8-Women Tag Match.
Kakuta gathered together Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami to be on her team. Kiryu was recently in the news for alerting everyone on social media to a convincing looking email scam she almost fell for. Neko continues to live life as a catgirl scratching every person who gets in her way. Toribami hasn’t lost a step in the ring since coming back from a European vacation over the winter but is still at risk of being the team’s weak link. Manase is flanked by the rest of Ganjo, a group of women who became tight from constantly teaming with and fighting against each other. HARUKAZE is the biggest example of that, reinventing herself from one of Japan’s weakest wrestlers to a reliable combatant under the tutelage of Yuu Yamagata. The weathergirl wrestler Moeka Haruhi understands Manase is the sun that everyone else in the match will gravitate around, but she wants to be the rainbow that catches everybody’s attention. The least experienced member is YuuRI. She made a surprise jump from JTO to Ganjo at a time when other joshi were transferring to higher profile companies. For her to wrestle in Sumo Hall is a big deal because that was where she discovered pro wrestling in the first place. Ganpro’s bread and butter is having wrestlers who wear their hearts on their sleeves and giving it their all in the ring despite their limitations. Win or lose, the TJPW team can learn a valuable lesson coming out of this match.
3. Sanshiro Takagi Vs Hyper Misao
At first this match was just thrown out as an announcement promoted as an attraction match with no build attached to it. Still the match by itself makes sense on paper. Hyper Misao is always the most creative woman in TJPW when it comes to making up match structures and stipulations and Sanshiro Takagi will literally do anything in the ring to make DDT and everything surrounding it successful. But Misao was bothered by the idea of this match going ahead. Takagi as he is now isn’t the crazy wrestler she saw when she attended her first wrestling match eight years ago. He’s too much of a boring corporate president these days to inspire Misao on a match as important as this. It’s understandable. Takagi is older and his body isn’t what it used to be. He also has a lot on his plate behind the scenes along with a grudge match happening in DDT the next day. But he is still the crazy pro wrestler Misao saw eight years ago. As the poster says above, this won’t be a normal match!
As time has gone by Misao has become more publicly open about her past life before discovering pro wrestling. To go from feeling lost and empty to becoming a big driving force in TJPW is inspirational to see. Thanks to pro wrestling the “29 year old”* has become a stronger person, gotten married and continues to protect love and peace the only way she can. Meanwhile Takagi got stuck fighting with Pheromones and Michael Nakazawa. Who really has more going for them here?
*Misao became self-conscious over her real age during her last birthday and decided to break up from her year of birth.
4. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Asuka
The speed this friendship is going is really fast. Yuki Kamifuku and Asuka have been close friends outside of wrestling since 2017 but only went public with it last year when they started teaming together as VENYU. The team did well in TJPW this year, reaching the semi-finals of the “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament. But with no chance of winning accolades happening anytime soon the two drinking buddies have nobody to fight but themselves. There have been a few little swipes made in good nature between the two but for Kamifuku it is a chance to climb up to Asuka’s level on the big stage. Asuka feels honored having an important match like this take place while she is a freelancer. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t looking to have fun either. The VENYU entrance is already flashy. What will they be like when Kamifuku and Asuka are trying to out-do one another?
5. Nodoka Tenma Vs Yuki Aino
One of the women leaving pro wrestling soon is Nodoka Tenma. She has been with TJPW since 2016 starting off using a children’s TV character gimmick called Nodoka-oneesan. The time has come for her to retire after she decided to get into food production and agriculture in her hometown. She decided her retirement from pro wrestling will happen on 26th March because she does not want to miss this show. When Tenma & Yuki Aino failed to win the Max Heart Tournament final, Tenma came up with an idea for them to do at Sumo Hall. They should wrestle each other! The Bakuretsu Sisters have never had a singles match by themselves and Tenma does not want to end her wrestling career without doing one. It was an idea that has come up before but Aino always turned it down. This time the match is so important that Tenma will not take no for an answer. Aino has shown flashes of breaking out as a singles wrestler in the past. She seems to be sticking around after her older sister leaves so it is a path she will probably have to take as we head into the summer.
6. Sakisama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent Vs Marika Kobashi, Raku, Pom Harajuku & Ram Kaichow
The mighty NEO Biishiki-gun returns once more to be a thorn in everyone’s side. This time they are coming nearly at full force. Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel are already established as a nearly unbeatable tag team but we also get the reappearance of Sakisama’s first loyal maid Martha. There is also the dark and foreboding presence of Yukio Saint Laurent to deal with too. The TJPW side put together to fight them are made up of a mixture of cute and sugary personalities but something is a little bit different this time. Ram Kaichow is part of the team and I bet she is something the likes of which NEO Biishiki-gun have never dealt with before. Kaichow has no problem acting like she owns the place whenever she shows up in TJPW so how will a woman as proud as Sakisama react to that? Kaichow recently celebrated 17 years in the wrestling industry and remember most of that was spent in Triple Six. NEO Biishiki-gun is nowhere near the weirdest thing she has seen before.
But what about the rest of the team? Marika Kobashi is the other wrestler who will be leaving TJPW soon. She wants to spend her final years in university living the full college life. However she also made it sound like it will not be the end of her pro wrestling career so it may only be goodbye for now (unless she shows up somewhere else). Raku is still big into trains and now calls her fanbase her “Passengers”. While not performing with The Up Up Girls she has been teaming with Pom Harajuku. That one continues to run around causing mischief like an out of control three year old. Raku & Harajuku are getting used to teaming with each other but they are regular cannon fodder for NEO Biishiki-gun. Chances of an underdog upset here are slim.
7. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida Vs Hikari Noa
Now we’re getting into the main course. The top four matches on the card are what I’m all hyped for and it begins with the TJPW debut of Hikaru Shida. Signs of a working relationship between AEW and TJPW were made clear last year and now that it’s become a little easier to travel overseas, that means Shida gets to wrestle in her home country again. TJPW gave her the offer to wrestle in Sumo Hall and here we are. The former AEW Women’s Champion looked a little lost in the shuffle at times but a high quality feud against Serena Deeb means she is coming to Sumo Hall riding a fresh wave of interest. This is the perfect test for her opponent, someone who spent the last few years coming out of her shell by making bloodlust look cute.
As time goes by Hikari Noa pushes TJPW closer inch by inch towards a more violent style of wrestling. He dream is to become the Queen of Deathmatch wrestling and she has jumped into the deep end whenever the opportunity presents itself. Now Shida is not a deathmatch wrestler per se but she has no problem getting dragged into the hardcore style. I mean, this is a woman we recently discovered will threaten decapitation if she hates somebody enough. Like I said, a perfect test for Noa. There are high expectations though and from studying footage Shida thinks Noa has been struggling to meet those expectations. She can tell Noa enjoys wrestling and is hungry to win but does she have the mental and emotional state to succeed?
This may not be the end of Shida in TJPW too. She wasn’t aware of the promotion until she went to America and the interactions she’s had with TJPW wrestlers since then have impressed her. Maybe there will be more interactions between them in AEW or Japan. She performed on stage with Arisu Endo before and Shida hasn’t seen any of her matches other than her debut. Plus there is a certain unbeatable champion in the main event that Shida has been thinking about. But now is not the time to talk about that…
8. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) Vs Yuki Arai
If there is a result on this show that will cause a shockwave throughout TJPW is will be Yuki Arai beating Maki Itoh for the International Princess Title. Itoh became a two time IP Champion on 4th January, ending Hikari Noa’s deathmatch title dreams. With the belt back in her hands, Itoh’s goal is to reestablish the championship as a global prize to be defended overseas. She isn’t shy (when is she ever?) about going back to AEW and defending the title against former champion Thunder Rosa to finally complete a thread that’s been left hanging ever since the pandemic began. She has a trip to America coming up in May and the title could be a necessary accessory for her plans. The worst thing that could happen now is if a far more popular idol steals her glory, her thunder and her championship. How typical would that be?
Momentum is such an overused word in pro wrestling but it really does apply here for Arai. The SKE48 idol has been a big boost for TJPW’s business and the wrestling media in Japan is throwing every Best Rookie achievement they can find in her direction. And she isn’t slumming it in the ring. The hard work is on show even when the match layout every now and then is a bit obvious in highlighting her strengths while hiding her flaws. I shouldn’t knock it when it works though, especially if it gets applied to a rivalry like this.
Whether Arai wanted it to happen or not, she was destined to be Itoh’s enemy. It’s only natural when it is an idol as successful as her to rub Itoh the wrong way. Even more so when the one place Itoh can feel superior is inside the wrestling ring. Itoh tapped out Arai in her debut match and encouraged her to keep coming back fo as long as it will take for Arai to finally beat her. A full year hasn’t even been passed since then but Arai is already confident she now has what she needs to beat Itoh. It would be an unusual result but these are two unusual idols.
9. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
We now reach the point where the remaining title matches are between the two strongest opponents. The Princess Tag Team Titles are what helped form The Magical Sugar Rabbits together in the first place. Their first reign holds the current record for the most title defences. In second place is the reign held by Daydream, who are their opponents here. The Max Heart Tournament is what sets up this match. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki were shockingly eliminated in the opening round, preventing them from facing Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe in Round 2. Daydream then went on to win the entire tournament. The two teams weren’t anywhere near each other in the bracket but MagiRabi know it is their duty as champions to beat the Max Heart winners.
The challengers have a lot on their plate. Tatsumi’s crush on Mizuki is well known but winning back the Princess Tag Titles is now more important. She doesn’t care about that anymore and accepts that Mizuki will hate her for taking the belts away from MagiRabi. Mizuki isn’t worried about a problem like that because she thinks her team is not going to lose anyway. Watanabe sees the champions as a wall she hasn’t been able to climb over until now. Sakazaki’s only concern is defending the belts so MagiRabi can continue bringing fans into their happy, sparkling world!
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
Let’s finish this one strong. The two longest serving members of TJPW headline the promotion’s biggest show yet in Sumo Hall. It is the very same building where Miyu Yamashita and Shoko Nakajima had their official pro wrestling debuts on 17th August 2013. Funny thing is they were both on the same team back then and lost to two wrestlers who are since long gone from the company. In the nine years since then Miyu Yamashita has been the constant ace in TJPW, growing up with the most dominant Princess Of Princess Title reigns in the championship’s history. She has been the female face of CyberFight’s expansion, sharing centre stage with the likes of Jun Akiyama and Naomichi Marufuji. Ever since her debut in Ryogoku, Yamashita has dreamed of Tokyo Joshi holding their own show there. This won’t mean much to her if she cannot beat her biggest opponent on TJPW’s biggest show.
Shoko Nakajima has beaten her for the Princess Title once before, back in 2019. It was how Yamashita’s 10 defence title reign was finally brought to an end. In fact, Yamashita and Nakajima are currently 1-1 in Princess Title matches against each other. Yet the Big Kaiju has always felt small around her rival. No matter how many times Nakajima won matches against her, Yamashita would easily shrug them off and return to winning ways. It can get disheartening. With this match taking place in Sumo Hall, Nakajima doesn’t know if she will ever get a title shot as important as this ever again. This is the Big Kaiju’s best chance to take down an even bigger monster and finally become the superior champion. Whatever the result is, the future of Tokyo Joshi Pro will be made clear when the dust is settled.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’22”, 19/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Juria Nagano Debut Match: Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano
2. Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling Vs Ganbare☆Pro Wrestling: Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu, Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami Vs Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi, HARUKAZE & YuuRI
3. Sanshiro Takagi Vs Hyper Misao
4. Yuki Kamifuku Vs Asuka
5. Nodoka Tenma Vs Yuki Aino
6. Sakisama, Mei Saint-Michel, Martha & Yukio Saint Laurent Vs Marika Kobashi, Raku, Pom Harajuku & Ram Kaichow
7. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida Vs Hikari Noa
8. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh (c) Vs Yuki Arai
9. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
10. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
During the week Tokyo Joshi Pro held another press conference to promote “GRAND PRINCESS ’22” featuring the wrestlers involved from four of the matches on the card. For Miyu Yamashita and Shoko Nakajima they will be headlining Sumo Hall, the same venue where they both had their official debuts in a dark match back in 2013. Nakajima always thought of Yamashita as the strongest wall in TJPW and a bigger kaiju than she is. No matter how many times Nakajima won against her, Yamashita would easily overturn her setbacks and go back to the top. But if Nakajima can win the Princess Of Princess Title from her in the main event of Sumo Hall, she can finally believe she has surpassed her. It is her best chance and maybe her last chance to become a bigger kaiju than Yamashita. The champion has dreamed of TJPW reaching Sumo Hall since her debut and thinks it will all be meaningless if she cannot beat her strongest challenger. She also thinks they will show everyone the future of Tokyo Joshi and beyond.
Miu Watanabe calls The Magical Sugar Rabbits her biggest obstacles given how often she has lost to them. She feels the confidence she lacked against them finally came to her when Daydream won the Max Heart Tournament. With Rika Tatsumi by her side she believes she can now break through any wall and win. Tatsumi thinks they can be even better champions now than they were during their first reign. She understands that Mizuki will hate her if she takes away the Princess Tag Team Titles from MagiRabi but she doesn’t care about that anymore. Tatsumi is prepared to be hated by Mizuki in order to become a champion again! Mizuki told her not to worry about that because MagiRabi won’t lose. Instead they will have a match that will make all of Mizuki’s fans smile. Yuka Sakazaki realizes that her friends and the supporters have brought TJPW to Ryogoku. She wants to defend the Tag Titles so they can shine even more and bring everyone a into a happy, sparkling world!
The words Maki Itoh spoke to Yuki Arai last May after Arai’s debut is what brought her to this point. Back then Itoh challenged Arai to crush her no matter how long it will take. It hasn’t even been a year but Arai thinks the time is now right for her to do that and win the International Princess Title! However she just wants to crush Itoh while Itoh wants to crush every superstar around the world! Arai has been watching her tapes and Itoh admits her opponent has the size advantage but experience wise, Itoh is confident she can deal with whatever Arai throws at her.
When the debuting Juria Nagano began training for TJPW, she was moved to tears after discovering the deep bonds the entire roster has with each other. Everyone does their best to raise each other’s spirits. She has been training in karate since she was 5 years old and looks forward to teaming with Moka Miyamoto because they are linked by traditional karate. Miyamoto promised to do her best to help Nagano win her debut match. Suzume is happy to spend precious time with Nagano and crush her with all her love. Arisu Endo believes there is no way the match won’t be exciting and Arisuzu will win.
I’ll have a full preview of the show written up next week.
DDT “DDT FREE -JANUARY-”, 07/01/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Antonio Honda & MAO
2. Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari Vs Super Sasadango Machine, Kazuki Hirata & Shunma Katsumata
3. Saki Akai & Akito Vs Maya Yukihi & Yuki Ishida
4. Special Single Match: Chris Brookes Vs Yoshihiko
5. HARASHIMA & Yuji Hino Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
6. Special Tag Match: Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Minoru Fujita & Soma Takao
7. The 37KAMIINA Vs BURNING!: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & Toui Kojima Vs Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Yuya Koroku
Coming out of this week we’re getting more Konosuke Takeshita Vs Tetsuya Endo, more Saki Akai Vs Maya Yukihi and we get to see what Hideki Okatani in Eruption is going to look like.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI 2022 WINTER ~KOBE PERFORMANCE~”, 08/01/2022 Kobe Art Center
1. Suzume Vs Haruna Neko
2. Miu Watanabe Vs Kaya Toribami
3. 3 Way Match: Rika Tatsumi Vs Marika Kobashi Vs Arisu Endo
4. Hyper Misao, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino Vs Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta & Raku
5. 2nd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1A: Pom Harajuku & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Moka Miyamoto & Yuki Arai
6. Kobe Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Shoko Nakajima Vs Miyu Yamashita, Maki Itoh & Yuki Kamifuku
The Max Heart Tournament begins with the first opening round match.
Kaya Toribami is back in Japan after spending months travelling around Europe, mostly Budapest. Her first match back is against Miu Watanabe.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI 2022 WINTER ~OKAYAMA PERFORMANCE~”, 09/01/2022 Okayama Convention Center
1. Maki Itoh Vs Moka Miyamoto
2. Hyper Misao Vs Mahiro Kiryu
3. 3 Way Match: Yuki Kamifuku Vs Raku Vs Pom Harajuku
4. Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Yuki Arai Vs Marika Kobashi, Suzume & Arisu Endo
5. 2nd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1B: Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta Vs Haruna Neko & Kaya Toribami
6. Okayama Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Nodoka Tenma, Yuki Aino & Shoko Nakajima Vs Miyu Yamashita, Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
Yuka Arai’s profile continues to rise with a chance to team with The Magical Sugar Rabbits.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 TOUR IN OSAKA DAY 1”, 09/01/2022 Osaka 176BOX
1. Akito Vs Yuki Ishida
2. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Yuji Hino & Yuya Koroku
3. 3 Way Tag Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Antonio Honda & MAO
4. Konosuke Takeshita Vs Toui Kojima
5. HARASHIMA & Chris Brookes Vs Yuki Ueno & Shunma Katsumata
6. Osaka Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Tetsuya Endo, Jun Akiyama & Bodyguard Vs Naomi Yoshimura, Kazusada Higuchi & Hideki Okatani
Earlier this week Yukio Naya and Yusuke Okada were pulled from upcoming shows for being close contacts to Covid. Since then Okada has tested positive for Covid while Naya has tested negative. No other DDT wrestlers or staff have been identified as close contact cases. This means most of the matches in Osaka this weekends have been changed around.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 TOUR IN OSAKA DAY 2”, 10/01/2022 Osaka 176BOX
1. Shunma Katsumata Vs Yuya Koroku
2. HARASHIMA & Toru Owashi Vs Antonio Honda ^ Toui Kojima
3. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Naomi Yoshimura & Hideki Okatani
4. Tetsuya Endo & Jun Akiyama Vs Kazusada Higuchi & Yuki Ishida
5. Special Tag Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno & Yuki “Sexy” Iino Vs Bodyguard & Kazuki Hirata
6. Osaka Specialty Special 6-Man Tag Match: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Yuji Hino, Chris Brookes & Akito
Here is the new card for Osaka Day 2.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI 2022 WINTER”, 15/01/2022 Shinjuku FACE
1. Moka Miyamoto Vs Kaya Toribami
2. Nao Kakuta Vs Arisu Endo
3. 3 Way Match: Hikari Noa Vs Suzume Vs Haruna Neko
4. Miyu Yamashita, Maki Itoh, Pom Harajuku & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe, Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino
5. 2nd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1D: Marika Kobashi & Raku Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Asuka
6. 2nd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1C: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao
Welcome back Asuka! She makes her first appearance in Tokyo Joshi Pro since “WRESTLE PRINCESS II” to reunite VENYU with Yuki Kamifuku.
A few of the teams competing in the Max Heart Tournament are put together into an 8-Woman Tag Match.
BASARA “BASARA 181 ~TAKAGARI 7~”, 16/01/2022 Takashimadaira Ward Community Center
1. Ryota Nakatsu & Lil Kraken Vs Takumi Tsukamoto & Masato Kamino
2. Daichi Kazato Vs SAGAT
3. Fuminori Abe Vs Yasu Urano
4. Takato Nakano Vs Masahiro Takanashi
5. Elimination 6-Man Tag Match: Isami Kodaka, Daiki Shimomura & Minoru Fujita Vs FUMA, Yusuke Kubo & Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi
First BASARA show of 2022 is headlined with Sento Minzoku Vs Asian Kung Fu Revolution. It’s a chance for Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi to prove he deserves his Union MAX Title shot.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’22”, 19/03/2022 Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
1. Juria Nagano Debut Match: Juria Nagano Vs X
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima
In Miyu Yamashita’s mind there is only one person she should main event Sumo Hall against TJPW’s biggest show ever. She chose Shoko Nakajima. The two are the longest serving members of the TJPW roster and both made their official pro wrestling debut at the same time. It was on 17th August, 2013 at Sumo Hall. There isn’t a match-up more fitting.
The pro wrestling debut of Juria Nagano will also be on the show. Nagano was born in Shimane on 10th February, 1996. She is 159cm tall and has a 2nd black belt in Shito-ryu Karate. She also works as an action actress as well as a nurse. Sanshiro Takagi scouted her for TJPW and she is currently deep into her preparations for her debut.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’22”, 04/01/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall 695 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Mahiro Kiryu & Moka Miyamoto when Endo submitted Miyamoto with a Camel Clutch (11:39).
2. New Year Tiger Cub Rescue Match: Shoko Nakajima defeated Hyper Misao when Nakajima rescued the Tiger Cub (12:08).
3. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe defeated Yuki Kamifuku & Nao Kakuta when Watanabe pinned Kamifuku with the Tear Drop (10:19).
4. Nodoka-oneesan One Day Revival Special Match: Nodoka-oneesan, Yuki Aino & Haruna Neko defeated Marika Kobashi, Raku & Pom Harajuku when Nodoka pinned Harajuku with the Back Flip (11:04).
5. Yuka Sakazaki defeated Yuki Arai with the Magical Merry-Go-Round (12:51).
6. International Princess Title: Maki Itoh defeated Hikari Noa (c) with the Itoh Deluxe (16:09). *Hikari Noa fails in V5. Maki Itoh becomes the 7th International Princess Champion!
7. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) defeated Mizuki with the Crash Rabbit Heat (19:12). *V4 for Miyu Yamashita.
Tokyo Joshi Pro kicked off their 2022 in Korakuen Hall for their 7th annual Ittenyon show. In the main event Miyu Yamashita put the Princess Of Princess Title on the line against Mizuki. The champion went big by using an Avalanche Attitude Adjustment while Mizuki fought back with Diving Foot Stomps both in and outside the ring. The Whirling Candy was also used but Mizuki just couldn’t find the opening to win. She was able to stop the Crash Rabbit Heat from happening but Yamashita then went on the defensive and blocked the Cutie Special. Once the Skull Kick found its mark, Yamashita followed up with two Crash Rabbit Heats to win the match and remain champion.
Yamashita thanked Mizuki for the match and said she is very special for TJPW. For that reason she wants to fight her again and continue working together. Mizuki tearfully shook Yamashita’s hand and left the ring quietly with Yuka Sakazaki. Yamashita then turned her attention to “GRAND PRINCESS ’22” at Sumo Hall on 19th March. There is only one person she wants to defend the title against that day. Shoko Nakajima! She walked out and told Yamashita she’s been ready for a long time. They both had their official debut match on a DDT pre-show in Sumo Hall back in 2013 so they both grew up as wrestlers together. For them to main even the same building is a dream come true. But Nakajima will aim to go beyond the dream and become the new Princess Champion!
In a rematch from two years ago, Maki Itoh has reclaimed the International Princess Title from Hikari Noa! The match spread out of the ring a couple of times where Itoh Body Slammed Noa onto a pile of chairs and later gave her a Hangman DDT onto the floor. Noa used a rope break to escape from the Itoh Punish and hit her with the Blizzard Suplex and Super Kick. But Itoh showed her guts and stuck up the middle finger to show she wasn’t beaten yet. The two fought up to the top rope where Itoh dropped Noa with another big DDT. That was the beginning of the end and Itoh made Noa tap to the Itoh Deluxe for the title change! Now that Itoh is the IP Champion again, she wants to go back to AEW and defend it against the woman she originally lost it to… Thunder Rosa! She also wants to fight Orange Cassidy for some reason. Noa is upset over the result because she thought she was the best fit for the IP Title. She also now doesn’t have anything to protect. Once again she’s lost another partner.
The rookie of the year Yuki Arai showed off some new moves against Yuka Sakazaki including a Sharpshooter! The match was minutes away from reaching its time limit when Sakazaki caught her opponent with the Magical Merry-Go-Round to get the win. She was full of praise for Arai afterwards. “Guts, seriousness, politeness, cuteness, Yuki Arai has it all. She is a stone that will become a diamond.” While Arai appreciates the praise she gets after every match, she knows it won’t make her stronger. She wants to expand her moveset and grow even more so she won’t lose her confidence.
Nodoka Tenma took the old costume out of the closet to become Nodoka-oneesan one last time before she graduates from TJPW this March. Before the match began she reminded the audience (and Haruna Neko) to sleep well, live long and eat their vegetables before leading everyone into the Ping Pong Pang Exercise dance. Raku & Pom Harajuku were enthusiastic for it, Harajuku in particular which led to Nodoka talking to her after the match. Since Nodoka-oneesan is going away, Pom Harajuku can take her place! After all the original plan for Harajuku when she debuted was to be the new version of that gimmick but she ended up turning into something of her own creation. Harajuku turned her offer down because she’s having too much fun as a “3 year old”, leaving Nodoka to cry next to Yuki Aino backstage. Marika Kobashi cheered her up by saying she could sense Tenma’s pride as Nodoka-oneesan shine through.
The team of Yuki Kamifuku & Nao Kakuta walked down to the ring wearing Uma Musume inspired shirts and headgear. They called their tag team Uma x3 (pronounced “Uma baba”). There was no horseplay against Daydream when the bell rang though. Kamifuku hit a Double Famouser to Daydream but they recovered. Rika Tatsumi got rid of Kakuta while Miu Watanabe stood toe to toe with Kamifuku. Another Famouser was avoided this time and Watanabe pinned Kamifuku with the Tear Drop. Tatsumi described the match as a nightmare where they had to fight a horse racing tag team. She thinks the fans saw it as a good daydream though.
For the third year in a row Shoko Nakajima and Hyper Misao faced off in a wacky stipulation match where their entire identities were put on the line. This time a stuffed Tiger Cub toy was held above the ring and the first woman to climb the ladder and grab it would win. Nakajima emptied a box of Godzilla toys all over the ring while Misao emptied a box of gacha balls making every bump in the ring even more dangerous. The end came when Nakajima hit a 619, Double Arm DDT and then the Diving Senton from the ladder. She then climbed back up to grab the Tiger Cub and win. The stipulation allowed Nakajima to rename Misao for a month but she declined to do so. The Max Heart Tournament is beginning later this week and Kyoraku Kyomei are entering it together. She thinks giving Misao a new temporary gimmick would only get in the way because both of them want to win the tournament.
On this day one year ago Arisu Endo had her debut match. Today she picked up her first win! Endo and Moka Miyamoto were the focus for the final few minutes of the opener. Endo hit Miyamoto with the Tsuruma Castle Knee Drop and then a Waterwheel Drop. She finished her off with a Modified Camel Clutch to get her 2022 off to a fantastic start. Suzume was Endo’s opponent for her debut and was happy to be her tag partner for her first win. She weirdly feels proud like a parent. Mahiro Kiryu was disappointed not to win her first match of the year while Miyamoto swore revenge on Endo for losing to her this way.
The newest addition to the TJPW introduced herself at the start of the show. Juria Nagano is a former world champion karate fighter with a 2nd black belt in Shito-ryu. She is currently active as both an actress and a nurse and has also gotten viral on TikTok. Nagano announced she will have her debut pro wrestling match at Sumo Hall on 19th March. She said she would like to make full use of her skills to liven up TJPW.
Over the holidays Tokyo Joshi Pro asked the fans to vote on Twitter for the best TJPW matches of 2021. Every voter was allowed to choose three matches with points awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. 280 fans cast their vote which is nearly double the amount from last year. 115 matches had gotten votes overall but only the highest ranking matches will be featured in the upcoming “BEST OF TJPW 2021” DVD release (previous DVDs had either the Top 8 or Top 9 matches). A few matches in the Top 20 were tied with the same amount of votes.
TJPW Best Bouts 2021
1. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Mizuki Vs Maki Itoh 14/08/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
159 pts
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Maki Itoh 09/10/2021 @ Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
152 pts
3. Princess Tag Team Titles: Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki 09/10/2021 @ Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
130 pts
4. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Yuka Sakazaki 06/06/2021 @ Saitama Super Arena
98 pts
5. Princess Of Princess Title: Yuka Sakazaki (c) Vs Rika Tatsumi 04/01/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
92 pts
6. Tokyo Princess Cup – Final: Shoko Nakajima Vs Maki Itoh 15/08/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
88 pts
7. Special Tag Match: Aja Kong & Moka Miyamoto Vs Miu Watanabe & Yuki Arai 09/10/2021 @ Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium
87 pts
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Miu Watanabe 11/02/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
58 pts
9. International Princess Title: Hikari Noa (c) Vs Miu Watanabe 25/11/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
56 pts
10. Rika Tatsumi Vs Yuki Arai 25/11/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
43 pts
11. Princess Of Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Maki Itoh 17/04/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
42 pts
12. Hardcore Match: Hikari Noa Vs Nao Kakuta 10/12/2021 @ Shin-Kiba 1st RING
40 pts
13. Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Shoko Nakajima Vs Miu Watanabe 14/08/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
36 pts
14. Hardcore Match: Hikari Noa Vs Rina Yamashita 01/04/2021 @ Shin-Kiba 1st RING
35 pts
15. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Sakisama 26/06/2021 @ Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall
32 pts
15. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Maki Itoh Vs Suzume 31/07/2021 @ Shinjuku FACE
32 pts
17. Princess Of Princess Title: Rika Tatsumi (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita 04/05/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
24 pts
18. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) Vs Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh 25/11/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
22 pts
19. Tokyo Princess Cup – Round 2: Rika Tatsumi Vs Hyper Misao 25/07/2021 @ Shin-Kiba 1st RING
21 pts
20. Tokyo Princess Cup – Quarter Final: Yuki Aino Vs Miu Watanabe 31/07/2021 @ Shinjuku FACE
19 pts
20. Princess Tag Team Titles: Sakisama & Mei Saint-Michel (c) Vs Mirai Maiumi & Suzume 04/05/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
19pts
Honorable Mentions
These two matches just missed out on making the Top 20 and finished with the same amount of points.
-. Miyu Yamashita Vs Maki Itoh 04/01/2021 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall
-. Pom Harajuku Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi 10/12/2021 @ Shin-Kiba 1st RING
DDT “DRAMATIC EXPLOSION 2021”, 18/12/2021 Nagoya Congress Center Event Hall
1. Soma Takao & Kazusada Higuchi Vs Toui Kojima & Yuya Koroku
2. Special Single Match – DDT Vs Dera Beppin Pro Wrestling: Saki Akai Vs Papillon Akemi
3. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul Vs Masahiro Takanashi & Hideki Okatani
4. Hardcore Match: Shunma Katsumata Vs Hyper Misao
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Susumu Yokosuka, Toru Owashi & Kazuki Hirata Vs Chris Brookes, Antonio Honda & Akito
6. KO-D 6-Man Tag Team Titles – Current Blast Death Match: Danshoku “Dandy” Dieno, Yuki “Sexy” Iino & Yumehito “Fantastic” Imanari (c) Vs Atsushi Onita, Sanshiro Takagi & Kuro-chan
7. HARASHIMA, Naomi Yoshimura, Jun Akiyama & Yukio Naya Vs Yuji Hino, Bodyguard, Tetsuya Endo & Yusuke Okada
8. Special 6-Man Tag Match ~ DDT Vs BJW: Konosuke Takeshita, Yuki Ueno & MAO Vs Yuji Okabayashi, Yuya Aoki & Kosuke Sato
Earlier this week Konosuke Takeshita was given the Fighting Spirit Award from Tokyo Sports as part of the annual Tokyo Sports Pro Wrestling Awards. Takeshita finished on top of the category over Jake Lee, El Desperado, YAMATO and Hiroshi Tanahashi. The voting committee, which includes Kenta Kobashi and Masahiro Chono, praised Takeshita for using his excursion to AEW in America back in April to get over the slump he was in for the early part of 2021. He received the majority of votes for achieving the DDT Grand Slam of winning King Of DDT, the KO-D Openweight Title and the D-Ou Grand Prix all in the same year. It wasn’t mentioned by Tokyo Sports but don’t forget he also won the Ultimate Tag League and KO-D Tag Team Titles too. Takeshita thanked his fans for their support and said his next goal is to win the Best Bout Award with a match held in DDT. He promises his title match with former Fighting Spirit winner Yuji Okabayashi will be worthy of the award.
There are many reasons why Hyper Misao has grown to hate The 37KAMIINA. Whenever she sees young people like them having fun it brings back the trauma she went through as a shut-in student. She also wants revenge on them for humiliating her in the Tokyo Dome a few months back. If that’s not enough, she is convinced The 37KAMIINA are only faking their love of saunas for clout. Therefore every member of The 37KAMIINA is evil! She promises to use 8,183 weapons (I don’t understand how but 8183 is a play on “Hypami”) to beat Shunma Katsumata because Katsumata only has 37 (“sauna”) at his disposal. Katsumata denies the accusation of being evil and promises to get rid of the biggest liar in all of Nagoya. He wants everyone to remember that Misao is not a hero!
BASARA “BASARA 180 ~WHITE WAGTAIL~”, 26/12/2021 Tokyo Itabashi Green Hall
1. FUMA Vs Lil Kraken
2. Fuminori Abe & Yasu Urano Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
3. Isami Kodaka & Daiki Shimomura Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Yusuke Kubo
4. CCW Canadian Heavyweight Title: Takumi Tsukamoto (c) Vs Daichi Kazato
5. IRON FIST Tag Titles: Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga (c) Vs Ryota Nakatsu & SAGAT
Japanese wrestling and obscure championships from other companies is a match made in heaven. The latest example is BASARA ending up with the CCW Canadian Heavyweight Title in their little corner of the indies. Takumi Tsukamoto won the title back in July but hasn’t defended it yet. Daichi Kazato noticed that and asked for a title shot. The belt itself originally came from a company called Canadian Connection Wrestling. In 1997 the title was won by Shigeo Okumura and brought to Japan to be defended in New Tokyo Pro Wrestling (there was also a CCW Tag Team Championship used by the promotion). The final champion when New Tokyo closed down in 1998 was Bad News Allen. After that the belt disappeared for two decades until former champion Kazuhiko Matsuzaki decided to revive it in 2018. The title bounced around the indies which is how it ended up around Tsukamoto’s waist. He is recognised as the 13th champion and he promises to live up to Bad News Allen’s name.
TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’22”, 04/01/2022 Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Mahiro Kiryu & Moka Miyamoto Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo
2. Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Nao Kakuta
3. Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao
4. Yuka Sakazaki Vs Yuki Arai
5. Nodoka-oneesan One Day Revival Special Match: Nodoka-oneesan, Yuki Aino & Haruna Neko Vs Marika Kobashi, Raku & Pom Harajuku
6. International Princess Title: Hikari Noa (c) Vs Maki Itoh
7. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Mizuki
Mizuki is feeling the pressure of the big title match. This will be her fourth attempt at becoming the Princess Of Princess Champion. She’s anxious about it but understands she has no choice but to win this time, which means this may be the one for her. Even though Miyu Yamashita has been called a monster inside the ring, she thinks Mizuki is a monster too. She is a monster in rabbit’s skin! Mizuki was shocked to hear that because nobody has ever called her a monster before. A win for Yamashita will be another step towards defending the Princess Title at Sumo Hall next March. She knows she isn’t good against fast moving wrestlers like Mizuki so she is taking proper measures to overcome that weakness.
The purpose of the International Princess Title changes depending on who the champion is. Hikari Noa wants it to be defended in death matches. The latest update in her campaign was a public meeting with Bull Nakano to promote Noa’s first solo CD release “I’m Alive.” Nakano’s advice was you shouldn’t do a death match just because you want to. It’s important to bring about a situation where a death match is required. When there is a scenario where both the fans and the company wants to see Noa in a death match then it will be time to do one. Maki Itoh doesn’t want to see blood anywhere near the IP Title. She thinks the championship exists to be defended overseas. She will be proven right if the belt decides to follow her instead of Noa from now on.
Yuki Arai was another big winner at the Tokyo Sports Awards by winning the Best Newcomer category. The voters praised Arai for her sincere commitment to pro wrestling while also continuing her idol career with SKE48. She is grateful to be recognized by her pears and hopes to deliver more fun pro wrestling in the future. She has two big matches coming up soon. The first one is against Yamashita this Friday then on 4th January she takes on Yuka Sakazaki. They’ve only wrestled each other once before so Arai is really nervous. She still wants to show how much she has grown and enjoy the experience as it happens.
For the third year in a row Shoko Nakajima and Hyper Misao will face each other at the Ittenyon show. Their previous matches on this show involved wacky gimmicks and both ended with the loser changing their name for a month. Misao won it last year and ended up creating a wonderful new friend for a month called Shin Ultra Shoko. Nakajima doesn’t like the rule because when she had to change her name for a month it resulted in memory loss over that period. She doesn’t want to go through that again. She does however like doing the actual matches because it means she gets to turn her toy box upside down. She means that both literally and as a metaphor.
DDT “SWEET DREAMS! 2022 TOUR IN FUKUOKA”, 16/01/2022 Fukuoka Nishitetsu Hall
1. Shishamo Power Debut Match: Shishamo Power & X Vs Akito & Yukio Naya
A sponsorship deal between DDT and the Yamada Suisan fishing company will lead to the debut of a new masked wrestler called Shishamo Power! The president of Yamada Suisan wants to use the power of pro wrestling to get people eating fish so they can become more energetic. The deal starts with Shishamo Power debuting in January and getting another match in February. This will all build up to a show DDT and Yamada Suisan are putting together in March to promote seafood. Shishamo wants to spread shishamo fish across Japan and he will do it using moves such as the Eggs Bomber and the Flying Shishamo. He wants to make an impact in his debut match like Tiger Mask did. The idea is not supported by everyone in DDT though. Yukio Naya, whose father runs a yakitori restaurant, believes the people should eat meat to become strong instead. Akito agrees with him and the two of them offered to be Shishamo’s first opponents. It is now up to Shishamo to find another seafood loving wrestler to team up with him.
Posted by JamieOD 
Dramatic DDT 