TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 6TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT” Results

January 17, 2026

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 6TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 17/01/2026
Yokohama Radiant Hall
273 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Yuki Aino, Haru Kazashiro & Mahiro Kiryu defeated Suzume, Arisu Endo & Shion Kanzaki when Aino pinned Kanzaki with the Venus DDT (11:30).
2. Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara & Toga defeated Miu Watanabe, Rika Tatsumi & Sara Phoenix when Kamifuku pinned Phoenix with the Famouser (11:04).
3. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1: Mizuki & Uta Takami defeated Kira Summer & Chika Nanase when Takami submitted Nanase with the Koala Clutch (9:42).
4. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1: Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku defeated Raku & Ren Konatsu when Max pinned Konatsu with a Short-Range Lariat (6:37).
5. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1: Yuki Arai & Mifu Ashida defeated HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki when Ashida pinned Suzuki with the German Suplex (11:06).
6. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1: Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami defeated Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao when Toribami pinned Misao with a Crushed La Magistral Cradle (14:33).

The 6th annual Max Heart Tournament kicked off with a bang. Last year’s winners Kyoraku Kyomei knew they were given a tough challenge when they were drawn against K!SS// (Kick Slash) in the 1st Round and promised to fight fair. That was obviously a lie and Hyper Misao blinded her opponents with the Hero Spray. Miyu Yamashita launched a counter attack but Shoko Nakajima cut her off with a big Diving Senton onto the ring apron to keep her away. That left Misao to fight it out with Kaya Toribami and it all went wrong for the hero when Toribami blocked La Magistral Cradle and pinned Misao down for the three count, eliminating Kyoraku Kyomei in the opening round! After the match K!SS// they have a lot more potential to show and they will finish off the rest of the opposition with their kicks. Toribami is also feeling incredibly happy because today is the first time she won a tournament match and not get immediately knocked out of the running. They will now face Daisy Monkey in Round 2. Kyoraku Kyomei are disappointed with the loss and think they may have become too careless. They promise to pull themselves together in order to chase after the Princess Tag Team Titles again. Nakajima also spoke about wanting to challenge K!SS// for the IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Titles.

It’s been a good week for Mifu Ashida. She got to meet Kenta Kobashi at the Tokyo Sports Awards ceremony and he gave her his endorsement online through his Twitter account. Even Shino Suzuki couldn’t help but tell the audience about the 500 follower increase Ashida got from it while doing her tour guide spot during the match today. Ashida then went on to get the win for her team by pinning Suzuki with the German Suplex after Yuki Arai threw HIMAWARI aside with the Full Nelson Buster. The Kyoto Tag (they made a Kyoto Tower pose but are happy to just be called Kyoto Tag for now) will advance to meet Ober Eats in Round 2. Their fighting spirit is already burning for the match. If they are able to win that, they promise to give everyone a huge announcement afterwards. One that will require a press conference. Bumping gRitters are frustrated over the loss especially since they were able to beat Ashida before. They learned they still have a long way to go to get stronger.

It is business as usual for Pompaler. At the start of their match Pom Harajuku was happy to be with Max The Impaler again and Max was happy to throw Pom at the opposition again. Raku & Ren Konatsu didn’t have much of a chance here. Max ended up pinning Konatsu with a Short-Range Lariat and then took her sheep toy away as a prize. They’re going to fight Daydream next in Round 2. Harajuku thinks they can make it to the final again this year and this time win the tournament. Konatsu said the match was scary and felt like a nightmare. She and Raku will need to sleep more to get sweet dreams again and gather together bigger sheep.

You just know the combination of Mizuki & Uta Takami is going to be a handful for any team in having to fight them this year. Kira Summer & Chika Nanase put up a good effort but couldn’t match their misfit energy. Instead Mizuki was able to knock Summer away with a Missile Dropkick while Takami pulled down Nanase with the Koala Clutch to make her submit. Mizuki told Takami that tag teams make her feel special even if they are only being paired together for this year’s tournament because they didn’t have other partners available. She wants them to aim high and believes they can do so if they work hard together rather then if Takami just follows Mizuki’s lead. Takami promised to do her best to stand alongside Mizuki. That will be put to the test when they face Shunrai Rekka!! Prism Greed, a team with a similar kind of dynamic in Round 2. Meanwhile Nanase was upset because she is always losing matches when it matters. Summer had to console her and Nanase promised she will stop looking down on herself. She wants to stop losing and win the next time she is in this tournament.


K!SS// (Kick Slash), Mune’s Neck Injury Changes GanPro’s Plans, Kazato Vs Yoshida Could Be Ruined By Politics

January 16, 2026

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 6TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 17/01/2026
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Miu Watanabe, Rika Tatsumi & Sara Phoenix Vs Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara & Toga
2. Yuki Aino, Haru Kazashiro & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Suzume, Arisu Endo & Shion Kanzaki
3. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1D: HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki Vs Yuki Arai & Mifu Ashida
4. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1C: Raku & Ren Konatsu Vs Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku
5. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1B: Kira Summer & Chika Nanase Vs Mizuki & Uta Takami
6. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1A: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao Vs Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami

Heading into the opening rounds tomorrow, Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami have revealed the name of their tag team. Despite having different fighting styles they are both passionate about kicking opponents so they have decided to call themselves K!SS// (Kick Slash)!

DDT “SATURDAY CHINATOWN”, 17/01/2026
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Danshoku Dieno, Antonio Honda & Akito Vs Kazuki Hirata, Takeshi Masada & Rukiya
2. Special 8-Man Tag Match: Sanshiro Takagi, Jun Akiyama, Shinya Aoki & Tomomitsu Matsunaga Vs Naomi Yoshimura, Ryoma Tsukamoto, Kazuma Sumi & Hinata Kasai
3. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – A Block: Daichi Sato (2) Vs Ilusion (0)
4. D GENERATIONS CUP 2026 – A Block: To-y (2) Vs Yuki Ishida (2)
5. Special 6-Man Tag Match: MAO, KANON (w/ KIMIHIRO) & Junta Miyawaki Vs Yuki Iino, Yukio Naya & Yuya Koroku
6. DAMNATION T.A Vs FANTÔMES DRAMATIC!: Daisuke Sasaki & Hideki Okatani Vs Chris Brookes & HARASHIMA

While Yuki Ueno is out injured, the build up for his double title defence now rests on the shoulders of Chris Brookes and Daisuke Sasaki. There will be a contract signing ceremony for the title match taking place before the show starts so Ueno will be at the venue.

GANBARE☆PRO “NEW YEAR’S BLUES 2026”, 31/01/2026
Tokyo Takashimadaira Kumin Center

1. Yumehito Imanari & Keisuke Ishii Vs Shuichiro Katsumura & Yuya Susumu
2. Spirit Of Ganbare World Openweight Title: Masaaki Mochizuki (c) Vs Shinichiro Tominaga

Some real bad luck has come Munetatsu Nakamura’s way. He suffered a neck injury this week and was told by his doctor not to wrestle for the rest of the month. He won’t know if he can return to action in February until he gets a clearer diagnosis. Nakamura was meant to be the next challenger for the Spirit Of Ganbare World Title at the end of January but that now cannot go ahead. Shinichiro Tominaga stepped forward to face Masaaki Mochizuki for the title instead.

That led to another change on the show, one that needed to be made anyway because of someone else. Tominaga was meant to be in a 6-Man Tag but he is now moved up to the main event. Another person who was meant to be part of the 6-Man Tag is Takuya Wada but he had to cancel his current bookings with Ganbare☆Pro because of family reasons. The 6-Man Tag has now been changed into a regular tag match with the remaining wrestlers involved.

BASARA “BASARA 298 ~10TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW~”, 31/01/2026
Shinjuku FACE

1. Daichi Kazato Vs Ayato Yoshida
2. GRACE PROJECT Offer Match: Tomoya Hirata, Captain Grace & Violento Jack Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi, Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
3. Ryuichi Sekine, Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino Vs Ryota Nakatsu, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida
4. Isami Kodaka & Takeru Inoue Vs Minoru Fujita & Yasu Urano
5. Iron Fist Tag Team Titles: Takumi Tsukamoto & Daiki Shimomura (c) Vs SAGAT & Lil’ Kraken
6. Union MAX Title: Shuji Ishikawa (c) Vs FUMA

The mystery opponent for Daichi Kazato is going to be Ayato Yoshida. The two have often been linked up for Yoshida’s appearances in BASARA lately. If the match somehow gets cancelled before then, Kazato fears they won’t get another chance to reorganise it because of the snap elections in Japan’s House Of Representatives that are suddenly due to take place soon. He might be a little crazy but he thinks things are going to get even crazier over there.


What’s Going On Everywhere Else?

January 14, 2026

One good thing about Maki Itoh joining Stardom is I no longer have to write about GCW so much at the start of every month.

BASARA “BASARA 297 ~UTAGE~”, 16/01/2026
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. Takeru Inoue Vs Ryuma Sekimo
2. Daichi Kazato Vs Ayumu Honda
3. Ryota Nakatsu & Takato Nakano Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Tsutomu Oosugi
4. FUMA & Masato Kamino Vs Shuji Ishikawa & Yasu Urano
5. Takumi Tsukamoto, Daiki Shimomura & Banana Senga Vs SAGAT, Lil’ Kraken & Minoru Fujita

The first BASARA show of the year has a few preview matches for their upcoming title bouts. Also Ryuma Sekimo from Big Japan will be taking part in the opener against BASARA’s rookie Takeru Inoue.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 6TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 17/01/2026
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. Miu Watanabe, Rika Tatsumi & Sara Phoenix Vs Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara & Toga
2. Yuki Aino, Haru Kazashiro & Mahiro Kiryu Vs Suzume, Arisu Endo & Shion Kanzaki
3. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1D: HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki Vs Yuki Arai & Mifu Ashida
4. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1C: Raku & Ren Konatsu Vs Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku
5. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1B: Kira Summer & Chika Nanase Vs Mizuki & Uta Takami
6. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1A: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao Vs Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami

The Max Heart Tournament kicks off later this week. Also during this period, Sara Phoenix from Chile will be touring with Tokyo Joshi Pro up until the end of February.

BASARA “BASARA 298 ~10TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW~”, 31/01/2026
Shinjuku FACE

1. Daichi Kazato Vs X
2. GRACE PROJECT Offer Match: Tomoya Hirata, Captain Grace & Violento Jack Vs Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi, Tsutomu Oosugi & Banana Senga
3. Ryuichi Sekine, Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino Vs Ryota Nakatsu, Naomi Yoshimura & Yuki Ishida
4. Isami Kodaka & Takeru Inoue Vs Minoru Fujita & Yasu Urano
5. Iron Fist Tag Team Titles: Takumi Tsukamoto & Daiki Shimomura (c) Vs SAGAT & Lil’ Kraken
6. Union MAX Title: Shuji Ishikawa (c) Vs FUMA

The Union MAX Title is throwing itself back to its origins now that Shuji Ishikawa is the new champion. His first challenger is FUMA who has held the title both in Union Pro and in BASARA. Ishikawa joked they should bring back an old Union gimmick and have this be a 1,000 Roses Death Match for old time’s sake. He’s taking things a bit more seriously after FUMA said he hunts down boars that are heavier than Ishikawa.

When it comes to dominant factions in BASARA, the Super Family has not been one of them. But they’ve become tenacious enough to earn SAGAT & Lil’ Kraken a shot at the Iron Fist Tag Team Titles. The new champs Takumi Tsukamoto & Daiki Shimomura don’t want to lose the belts to anybody and they especially don’t want to lose to the Super Family!

As he promised a while back, Isami Kodaka returns from his absence in time for BASARA’s anniversary.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 6TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 14/02/2026
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Mahiro Kiryu (c) Vs Aja Kong
2. International Princess Title: MIRAI (c) Vs Toga
3. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Final: X & X Vs X & X

The prodigal daughter of TJPW MIRAI has come back to win the International Princess Title that was beyond her grasp in the past. Now she’s looking to the future where she sees an opponent with a similar smash heavy style as hers waiting to challenge her. Toga wants to show everyone she can get the job done without needing help from Yuna Manase or anyone else so she was the first one to ask MIRAI for a title shot.

The Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title just can’t get away from Mahiro Kiryu. Every time she loses the belt, fate makes sure she finds a way to win it back. She now has a pinfall over Aja Kong because of this but that means Kong now wants to fight Kiryu one on one! She knows she can easily take the belt from her whenever she wants but she has enough pride to do it in the ring with a proper wrestling match. The bout will still go ahead if Kiryu loses the title to someone else beforehand.

The two title matches booked for this show are why Toga and Kiryu are not competing in this year’s Max Heart Tournament.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’26”, 29/03/2026
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. Special Tag Match: Yuka Sakazaki & KONOSUKE TAKESHITA Vs X & X
2. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Yuki Arai

Second time’s the charm for Yuki Arai. She avenged her squash to Miyu Yamashita in the recent 6-Woman Elimination match and will now get to face Miu Watanabe for the Princess Of Princess Title. She couldn’t win the belt at Ota Ward Gymnasium last year but can she do it in Sumo Hall this year?

There are so many ways the Special Tag Match can go. It will be Konosuke Takeshita’s first time wrestling in TJPW (he was meant to be part of their US debut in 2020 but that show was cancelled due to covid) and he will be teaming up with his wife Yuka Sakazaki to make it a bigger deal. Their opponents have not been announced yet. The recent news of Shingo Takagi & Natsupoi led to some jokes about them being the other team in a battle of the happy couples. I think enough time has passed that the issue Sakazaki had with Natsupoi leaving TJPW years ago is now water under the bridge. The opponents are likely another mixed pair tag team though, one that doesn’t have to be romantically attached to each other.

The current list of guests who will wrestle on the show are Sareee, Lei Ying Lee, Aja Kong, Andreza Giant Panda and Minimo-chan with Mari Yaguchi accompanying it. Also Max The Impaler will be at the show.


The 6th “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament

January 12, 2026

The sixth annual Max Heart Tournament is continuing the 12 team single elimination format from last year. Four established teams have a buy into the 2nd Round while the other eight entries need to fight through the opening day to advance. Toga is not taking part in the tournament because she will be focusing on her upcoming International Princess Title shot. Kyoraku Kyomei are continuing their streak of being the only team to enter every Max Heart Tournament. They are among three teams aiming to become the first two-time winners. The other possible candidates are Daydream and Daisy Monkey. There is also a chance for Miyu Yamashita to be the first two-time winner but with two different partners.

– Ober Eats (Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara)
– Daydream (Miu Watanabe & Rika Tatsumi)
– Daisy Monkey (Suzume & Arisu Endo)
– Shunrai Rekka!! Prism Greed (Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro)
– Kyoraku Kyomei (Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao)
– Bumping gRitters (HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki)
– Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami
– Kyoto Tag (Yuki Arai & Mifu Ashida)
– Pompaler (Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku)
– Mizuki & Uta Takami
– Raku & Ren Konatsu
– Kira Summer & Chika Nanase

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 6TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 17/01/2026
Yokohama Radiant Hall

1. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1A: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao Vs Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami
2. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1B: Kira Summer & Chika Nanase Vs Mizuki & Uta Takami
3. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1C: Raku & Ren Konatsu Vs Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku
4. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 1D: HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki Vs Yuki Arai & Mifu Ashida

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 6TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 25/01/2026
Tokyo Ryogoku KFC Hall

1. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 2A: Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Winners Of Match 1A
2. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 2B: Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro Vs Winners Of Match 1B
3. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 2C: Miu Watanabe & Rika Tatsumi Vs Winners Of Match 1C
4. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Round 2D: Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara Vs Winners Of Match 1D

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 6TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 31/01/2026
Shinjuku FACE

1. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Semi-Final: Winners Of Match 2A Vs Winners Of Match 2B
2. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Semi-Final: Winners Of Match 2C Vs Winners Of Match 2D

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TOKYO JOSHI PRO “THE 6TH “FUTARI WA PRINCESS” MAX HEART TOURNAMENT”, 14/02/2026
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament – Final: X & X Vs X & X


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW NEW-YEAR PARTY 2026” Results

January 10, 2026

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW NEW-YEAR PARTY 2026”, 10/01/2026
Shinjuku FACE
361 Fans – No Vacancy

1. Haru Kazashiro defeated Shion Kanzaki with the Izayoi (5:24).
2. 3 Way Match: Raku defeated Kaya Toribami and Chika Nanase when Raku pinned Nanase with the Hurricane Turn (6:11).
3. Pom Harajuku, HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki defeated Hyper Misao, Mahiro Kiryu & Kira Summer when HIMAWARI pinned Summer with the Sunflower Tempest (7:54).
4. Yuki Kamifuku, Wakana Uehara, Toga & Mifu Ashida defeated Suzume, Arisu Endo, Uta Takami & Ren Konatsu when Toga submitted Konatsu with a Face Lock (10:27).
5. Miu Watanabe & J-Rod Vs Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino ended in a Time Limit Draw (20:00).
6. Princess Of Princess Title Next Challenger Decision 6 Way Elimination Match: Yuki Arai defeated Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi and Max The Impaler (24:17).
6a. Shoko Nakajima eliminated Max The Impaler with the Diving Senton (6:17).
6b. Shoko Nakajima eliminated Mizuki with a Jackknife Pin (10:55).
6c. Rika Tatsumi eliminated Shoko Nakajima with the Reverse Twist Of Fate (12:25).
6d. Miyu Yamashita eliminated Rika Tatsumi with the Crash Rabbit Heat (19:30).
6e. Yuki Arai eliminated Miyu Yamashita with the Scorpion Death Lock (24:17).

A 6-Woman Elimination Match was put together by Tokyo Joshi Pro to determine the No. 1 Contender for the Princess Of Princess Title at “GRAND PRINCESS ’26” later this year. This was not done as a typical Battle Royal were over the top rope eliminations were involved. Instead everyone had to pin or submit their opponents to knock them out of the match. Max The Impaler was the big target for everyone else and it took so much teamwork from all of them together to eventually take Max out of the running. Shoko Nakajima got the pinfall with the Diving Senton and then went on to eliminate Mizuki with a Jackknife Pin thanks to an assisted Hip Attack from Rika Tatsumi. Then Tatsumi got rid of Nakajima by using the Dragon Sleeper and switching it into a Reverse Twist Of Fate for the pinfall. Tatsumi was then next to go when Miyu Yamashita used the Avalanche Attitude Adjustment then finished her off with a Buzzsaw Kick followed by the Crash Rabbit Heat. That left Yamashita with Yuki Arai as the final two wrestlers. Arai surprisingly blocked the Skull Kick and knocked Yamashita back with a Big Boot. She then applied the Scorpion Death Lock and increased the pressure far enough to make Yamashita give up!

That means Arai will now challenge Miu Watanabe for the Princess Title at Sumo Hall on 29th March. With today’s result over Yamashita, Arai feels like she now has no other choice but to reach the top of TJPW. She called Watanabe down to the ring so she could challenge her face to face. Watanabe told Arai she earned the right to challenge her by winning an amazing match. She wants the two of them to fill up Sumo Hall to capacity and for Arai to tell everyone how much she loves TJPW along the way. Arai said she is now in a special position where she gets to perform in a big main event. She will put her heart and soul into it and cherish every day in order to become the strongest she can be.

In the meantime, Watanabe might need to watch out for other challengers showing up especially ones she previously defended the belt against. Yuki Aino took her to the limit in a tag match that went to a 20 minute draw. While J-Rod and Ryo Mizunami cancelled each other out with their power, Aino (sporting a new haircut) countered the Tear Drop into the Venus DDT for a nearfall. She was then seconds away from giving Watanabe the UBV when the bell rang to end the match in a tie.

Toga has decided to give a new name to her Rock Bottom Finisher. It is now called the Absolute Zero. So in typical fashion the first match she wins since renaming the move was won with a Face Lock instead.

In Match #3 Hyper Misao complained to Mahiro Kiryu over how she beat up the Hypami Dramatic Dream to win back the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title at Korakuen Hall last weekend. When Kiryu started arguing back, Misao sprayed her in the face and everyone in the match tried to pin her to win the belt.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’26” Results

January 4, 2026

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’26”, 04/01/2026
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,564 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Shion Kanzaki Debut Match: Uta Takami & Chika Nanase defeated Ren Konatsu & Shion Kanzaki when Takami submitted Kanzaki with the Koala Clutch (9:02).
2. Yuna Manase & Toga defeated HIMAWARI & Kira Summer when Toga pinned Summer with the Rock Bottom (9:27).
3. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 4 Way Match: Aja Kong defeated Mahiro Kiryu (c), Rika Tatsumi and Shino Suzuki when Kong pinned Suzuki with the Back Drop (9:59).
*Mahiro Kiryu fails in V? Aja Kong becomes the 1,797th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Mahiro Kiryu defeated Aja Kong by Pinfall with an Assisted Choke from Rika Tatsumi (11:58 am).
*Mahiro Kiryu becomes the 1,798th champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Hypami Dramatic Dream defeated Mahiro Kiryu (c) by Pinfall (12:14 pm).
*Hypami Dramatic Dream becomes the 1,799th champion.
4. Happy New Year! TJPW Uma Princess Cup Match: Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao ended in a Draw when neither of their chosen Uma-wrestlers finished 1st (13:52).
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Mahiro Kiryu (c) defeated Hypami Dramatic Dream by Pinfall (12:24 pm).
*Mahiro Kiryu becomes the 1,800th champion.
5. Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami defeated J-Rod & Mifu Ashida when Toribami pinned Ashida with the Sento Choryu (10:39).
6. Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Yuki Arai defeated Max The Impaler, Raku & Pom Harajuku when Arai pinned Harajuku with a Modified Brainbuster (10:30).
7. International Princess Title: MIRAI defeated Arisu Endo (c) with the Lariat (12:51).
*Arisu Endo fails in V3. MIRAI becomes the 16th International Princess Champion!
8. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara (c) defeated Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro when Uehara submitted Kazashiro with the Banana Pillow (14:17).
*V3 for Ober Eats.
9. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) defeated Suzume with the Spinning Tear Drop (22:28).
*V4 for Miu Watanabe.

One year ago Miu Watanabe couldn’t beat the allegations that she is a monster rather than a princess. Fast forward one year later and there is no denying that she is the Princess Of Princess Champion to beat! The 11th annual Korakuen Hall show on 4th January served as Tokyo Joshi Pro’s entry into 2026 and delivered a main event that will be remembered as one of the promotion’s greatest matches to ever happen. Suzume used ever ounce of strength she had to try and avoid being swung around by Watanabe. In doing so she tied up the champion with the Hachinosu Eight Knot submission hold. She also relied on doing high risk Flying Facecrushers both in and out of the ring. When things looked most bleak for her, she pulled out the Ring A Bell as the big counter to Watanabe’s Tear Drop but that couldn’t get her the win. She jumped to the ropes to do the Spring Ring A Bell but Watanabe struck her out of the air with a Batting Hammer and followed it up with the Laserbeam. After that all she needed to do was land the Spinning Tear Drop to remain the champion.

Watanabe said the leadup period to this match with Suzume felt so long but she had so much fun along the way. She wants to defend the title against Suzume again some day and knows it will happen. But her next goal is to have a successful title defence in front of a packed Sumo Hall on 29th March. Once she can do that she is sure she can find even happier dreams to make come true. TJPW’s slogan for 2026 is “KAWAII×DREAM×STRONG ~Pro Wrestling That Makes You Look Forward To Tomorrow~” and Watanabe’s goal is to expand the promotion’s circle of happiness. In her backstage comments Watanabe noticed just as much cheers coming from the overseas fans in attednance than the Japanese fans. She said both are good and it’s nice to think that TJPW is reaching out to the whole world. She will be travelling a lot this year and wants to spread TJPW worldwide along with the Princess Title. While Suzume couldn’t win today, she comes out of the match loving pro wrestling even more. Today only showed that she doesn’t understand yet the weight of being the Princess Champion. It only makes her want it more so she isn’t going to give up.

The emergence of Shunrai Rekka!! Prism Greed as the newest challengers for the Princess Tag Team Titles proved to be a tough nut for Ober Eats to crack. Yuki Kamifuku resorted to bringing Yuki Aino out of the ring to fight in the front row while Wakana Uehara dealt with Haru Kazashiro between the ropes. Ober Eats took control from there until Aino made a comeback with Kazashiro following her lead. Kazashiro jumped off of Aino’s back to land a Low Cross Body onto Kamifuku but Uehara was there to stop Aino from doing the UBV. Kamifuku gave both of Prism Greed a Double Famouser and Uehara put Kazashiro in the Banana Pillow, increasing the pressure until the challenger gave up. Uehara admitted to having sleepless nights from losing the preview matches leading into today. If she had lost the Princess Tag Titles she would be spending the rest of this year feeling depressed. Kamifuku was in a better mood going into the match because she spend the New Year period with her parents and the 1.8L bottle of sake she gave her father as a gift only lasted 12 hours. It taught her the lesson to stop being so uptight during title matches. Prism Greed learned that losing this match means they can only move up from here. Kazashiro now thinks the wins she got heading into the title match are meaningless if you can’t win the big one at the end but she also thinks she has gotten closer with Aino. She’ll be by her side until Aino decides to retire or graduate.

The surprising return of MIRAI to TJPW resulted in an even further shocking turn of events when she beat Arisu Endo to become the new International Princess Champion! Now a part of Michinoku Pro, MIRAI was accompanied to the ring by ken45° and Manjimaru but the two men had no intentions of disrupting the match. MIRAI went on to avoid the Ju no Okite and rope break her way out of the Camel Clutch. Endo found herself in danger when she took the Miramare Shock (Death Valley Bomb) and before she realized it, MIRAI knocked her down with the Lariat and got the three count to win the championship! The result makes MIRAI the first person to win titles in Stardom, Marigold and TJPW (and JTO if you want to go deeper).

MIRAI has now won the title she failed to get during her days as a TJPW roster member. After thanking Endo for the match she announced her intentions to defend the belt, causing Toga to enter the ring and ask for a title shot. Toga wasn’t around back when MIRAI was with TJPW but watching this match made Toga want to wrestle her. MIRAI said she heard of Toga for having strong elbow strikes and looking like a cool wrestler so she wants fight her too. She accepted her challenge. Backstage MIRAI spoke about the warm reception from TJPW fans for her return. She always wanted to be one of a kind and TJPW is the promotion that best suits that kind of mindset. Toga said she was going to make a challenge no matter who won today because she wants to show she can be strong by herself but she is happy to go elbow versus elbow with MIRAI. It is also meant to be an international championship, Toga wants to spread her wings and fly out into the world.

The show also featured the return of Yuka Sakazaki as she reunited The Magical Sugar Rabbits with Mizuki while Yuki Arai joined in on the fun. Sakazaki was puzzled to see Raku taking a nap in the ring when the match began until Raku woke up and shouted “First sunrise!” while wearing a sun-shaped hat. Max The Impaler wasn’t in the same sleepy mood and decided to throw Raku’s pillow into the crowd. They then picked up Pom Harajuku to throw at the other team but they all dodged it and Harajuku landed hard on the mat. MagiRabi threw what they could at Max to slow them down while Arai got to pin Harajuku with a Modified Brainbuster to start her year off with a win. Arai said her goal for 2026 is to become champion, Mizuki’s goal is to take TJPW into the galaxy and Sakazaki’s goal is to become a NASA executive.

Mifu Ashida’s cheerleading is infectious enough to get J-Rod involved. When Ashida decided to bring in her pompoms for a cheer, she handed one over to her partner and J-Rod eventually decided to join in while they beat down their opponents. Miyu Yamashita was able to break down J-Rod with her kicks while Kaya Toribami targeted Ashida. Things took a wrong turn for Toribami when Ashida used her own flexibility to get out of the Bird Cage and then German Suplex her opponent. However Toribami got to hit her with a knee to the back of the head before landing the Sento Choryu to get the victory. Yamashita & Toribami still hold the IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Titles and they want to defend them even more this year. J-Rod said she will team with Ashida again but next time they will get rid of the smiling faces and take things more seriously. Ashida didn’t really listen because she’s just happy with the idea of getting to team up with J-Rod again.

The 12:10 race meeting near Wins Korakuen was about to begin. The annual Ittenyon match between Shoko Nakajima and Hyper Misao took on a horse racing theme this year because 2026 is the Year Of The Horse. Also Umamusume is bigger than ever and despite the corporate connections this is the only way TJPW could capitalize on it. The first ever Uma Princess Cup race took place between three uma-wrestlers: Haru Utata, Gold Konatsu Ship and Silence Shion. It was up to Kyoraku Kyomei to bet on the right horsegirl to win a three lap race around Korakuen Hall. They were also permitted to do anything they wanted to interfere in the race so their chosen horsegirl would win. Nakajima picked Utata while Misao put it all on Shion, leaving Konatsu as the odd one out. As the race progressed Misao attacked Utata on the first lap until Nakajima came to the rescue. On the second lap Nakajima tried to attack Shion up in the aisleway but Shion instead slammed her onto a pile of Kaiju toys laid out on the floor. Misao rode out on the Hyper Mobile aiming to run over Utata but she hit Mahiro Kiryu instead. A big pile up resulted in the bike being laid on top of Kiryu. Daisuke Kiso counted to three and declared the Hypami Dramatic Dream as the new Iron Man Heavymetalweight Champion! Meanwhile the race entered its final lap where Nakajima & Utata kept getting into fights with Misao & Shion. They also taped Konatsu & Kiryu together to slow them down but that pair slowly made progress on the track while everyone else was fighting each other. Misao ended up using the ring apron to wrap up Nakajima & Utata but some carelessness resulted in her & Shion getting trapped inside it too. While all of this was happening, Konatsu & Kiryu slowly made it across the finish line inside the ring to win the race, meaning neither Nakajima or Misao won the match. Shortly after the chaos ended, Kiryu pinned the Hypami Dramatic Dream at ringside to win back the Iron Man Title.

The Iron Man Title had a busy day because the match before the horsegirl race was a 4 Way with the belt up for grabs. Rika Tatsumi was on the verge of submitting Kiryu with the White Dragon Sleeper when Aja Kong knocked her out with a steel can. That left Shino Suzuki as the only one left to try and stop Kong. She narrowly avoided getting squashed with a Hip Drop to roll Kong over for a nearfall. Kong then stopped her in her tracks with a Slap and pinned her with the Back Drop to win the Iron Man Title.

After the match Kiryu told Kong her dream was to protect the championship until the day she was put in a coffin but now it will never happen. Then Tatsumi tried to School Boy Kong but it didn’t work. Kiryu then tried doing the same move and Tatsumi helped make it work by reaching out to strangle Kong by the neck. A three count was made and Tatsumi celebrated with the belt until it was announced that since Kiryu was directly on top of Kong for the pin, Kiryu was the new champion instead! Kong chased her backstage wanting to win it back but decided it would be better if she can beat Kiryu in a singles match for it. She told Kiryu to put her life on the line to defend the title until then.

Toga’s opening into getting an IP Title match was set up earlier in the show when she scored the pin for Hot Shot. With Yuna Manase there to take down HIMAWARI with a Lariat, nothing could stop Toga from hitting Kira Summer with the Elbow Smash and then follow it up with the Rock Bottom for the victory. Manase praised Toga for showing incredible spirit but Toga told her she hopes not to rely on her so much for 2026. That is why she wanted to beat Summer by herself in the finishing stretch. Manase agreed with her, saying that the point of Hot Shot is to help Toga shine like a Hollywood star. She’ll support Toga as she turns from being ice cold into the hottest blue flame. HIMAWARI & Summer still get along despite losing because both of their birthdays are on 18th December. They also enjoyed wrestling in front of a packed venue with a great atmosphere today.

The opening match was the debut of TJPW’s newest rookie Shion Kanzaki. She started off the bout against Uta Takami using moves like Elbow Strikes and a Headlock. Takami eventually locked in the Koala Clutch and Chika Nanase was there to stop Ren Konatsu from breaking it up. Kanzaki tried fighting back with Dropkicks but Takami applied another Koala Clutch, this time getting the rookie to submit. Kanzaki said she was nervous before the match but Konatsu was able to motivate her and she ended up enjoying the match. She has loved pro wrestling since she was a kid because it got her through so many situations in life so she wants to become a pro wrestler that can support someone else the same way. The wrestlers she looks up to are Shoko Nakajima and Miu Watanabe.

An unlikely debut is planned for “GRAND PRINCESS ’26” this March. The mascot Minimo-chan is going to have its first ever pro wrestling match! Minimo-chan is the mascot for the 2000s idol group Minimoni and it promised to do its best to do a Lariat. Minimo-chan will be accompanied for its match by one of Minimoni’s members Mari Yaguchi. She recently worked with TJPW for its show in Malaysia and she thought it was an incredibly cool experience. She finds it hard to imagine what Minimo-chan will look like in a TJPW ring but she will be there to cheer it on.

The annual Ittenyon tradition will continue next year as TJPW will again be in Korakuen Hall on 4th January, 2027. Rise Shirai and Fumirin announced it to everyone at the start of the show. I noticed though that unlike last year they did not announce a Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao match in advance. I hope that’s not foreshadowing something for down the line…


Uma Princess Cup, Iron Man Title 4 Way, Kanzaki’s Debut Match Decided

January 3, 2026

Quick note while I’m enjoying my holiday. It will likely be next weekend when I start writing up the show reports I’m behind on. That will be once I’m home from Japan and fully settled back into my regular day to day life.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TOKYO JOSHI PRO ’26”, 04/01/2026
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Shion Kanzaki Debut Match: Uta Takami & Chika Nanase Vs Ren Konatsu & Shion Kanzaki
2. Yuna Manase & Toga Vs HIMAWARI & Kira Summer
3. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – 4 Way Match: Mahiro Kiryu (c) Vs Aja Kong Vs Rika Tatsumi Vs Shino Suzuki
4. New Year! TJPW Uma Princess Cup Match: Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao
5. Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami Vs J-Rod & Mifu Ashida
6. Yuka Sakazaki, Mizuki & Yuki Arai Vs Max The Impaler, Raku & Pom Harajuku
7. International Princess Title: Arisu Endo (c) Vs MIRAI
8. Princess Tag Team Titles: Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara (c) Vs Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro
9. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Suzume

The rules for the annual Shoko Nakajima Vs Hyper Misao match has been announced. Since 2026 is the year of the horse (and anime horse girls got a huge boost in renewed popularity recently with the global launch of Umamusume), this match will be the first ever Uma Princess Cup race! When the match begins, three uma-wrestlers will be racing each other around ringside for three laps. Nakajima and Misao can win the match if they can correctly choose the winner. They are also permitted to interfere in the race so their chosen horse girl will win by any means necessary. The names of the three uma-wrestlers are Haru Utata, Gold Konatsu Ship and Silence Shion.

There is now a 4 Way Match taking place where Mahiro Kiryu will have to defend the Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title (if she is still champion by then) against Aja Kong, Rika Tatsumi and Shino Suzuki.

Some other wrestlers have been moved around so Shion Kanzaki can get her debut match. Uta Takami, Chika Nanase and Ren Konatsu will all be part of it now.


DDT Around The World – December 2025

January 1, 2026

Happy new year! I’m currently in Japan while this is being posted and there’s barely anything to talk about this month, so the article is all nice and easy to write up this time! Konosuke Takeshita’s adventures in the Continental Classic will be posted as a separate article. Yuka Sakazaki’s sole match in December actually happened last month and I didn’t notice (I bet many of you didn’t notice either). Tokyo Joshi Pro had a successful debut in Thailand which again has already been written about and details have emerged about their return to Texas next year. There is an update for Tokio in Mexico as he risked his identity in a mask match for the very first time and lost it all. With a new year coming up in we have Miyu Yamashita’s visit to England next March for what is going to be an eventful week for EVE, a unusual part of the wrestling scene coming to Japan with Chris Brookes along for the ride.

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Videos

Konosuke Takeshita In AEW Playlist


Eat, laugh, and shop! Miu, Raku, Kamifuku, Kira and Ashida take a leisurely food tour of Kuala Lumpur on their day off.

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Results


ROH “ROH ON HONORCLUB”, 26/11/2025 (Aired 04/12/2025)
Fishers Event Center, Fishers, Indiana, USA

1. ROH Women’s Pure Title Tournament – Semi Final: Billie Starkz defeated Yuka Sakazaki with a Rope Assisted School Boy (10:43).

I’m confused because it turns out this match was actually already recorded last month but I couldn’t find any reference of it on the show spoilers online back then. That’s on me for not doing a good enough job looking for them and I’m not going back to rewrite last month’s article. Anyway, Sakazaki was knocked out of the ROH Women’s Pure Title Tournament by Billie Starkz in a match that was more of a grindfest compared to what we would be used to seeing from both women. It had a real flat finish too with the two striking back and forth until Sakazaki bounced off the ropes and fell into a School Boy where Starkz used the ropes for leverage for the three count. All of Sakazaki’s allowed rope breaks were used up by that point so it was all fair for Starkz to give herself the extra leverage and win off of it. Starkz would go on to lose the final against Deonna Purrazzo at the PPV.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN BANGKOK”, 13/12/2025
The Circus Studio, G Village, Bangkok, Thailand
327 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Yuki Kamifuku defeated Uta Takami with the Famouser (7:57).
2. Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Yuki Arai & Shino Suzuki when Suzume pinned Suzuki with the Ring A Bell (11:08).
3. MLW Women’s World Featherweight Title: Shoko Nakajima (c) defeated Alexis Lee with the Diving Senton (9:05).
*V6 for Shoko Nakajima.
4. IWA Japan SETUP World Tag Team Titles: Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami (c) defeated Raku & Pom Harajuku when Yamashita pinned Raku with the Skull Kick (14:27).
*V1 for Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami.
5. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) defeated Matcha with the Spinning Tear Drop (17:47).
*V3 for Miu Watanabe.

A report of the show can be found here.


ARENA PEPE CISNEROS “VOLUMEN 1 – 13 ANIVERSARIO LUCTUOSO DE PEPE CISNEROS”, 28/12/2025
Arena Pepe Cisneros, Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico

1. Máscara Vs Máscara: Ratzinger defeated Tokio with a Crushed Rolling Cradle (?:??).

Our suspicions have been confirmed. The Japanese luchador Tokio who had suddenly appeared in Mexico earlier this year has been unmasked and revealed to be Keigo Nakamura! He wagered his mask against the one belonging to a luchador named Ratzinger just days before the year came to an end. A duel of back and forth cradles led to the finish with Ratzinger blocking a Rolling Prawn Hold and pressing himself down on top of Tokyo to pin him for the three count. Tokio allowed Ratzinger to remove the mask off his head and show his face to the crowd. Is this the end of his days in Mexico or will he continue to wrestle there unmasked for a while longer?

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Upcoming Appearances


EVE “WOMEN BEHAVING BADLY #IWD2026”, 06/03/2026
Big Penny Social, London, England

1. Miyu Yamashita Vs X

It seemed the folks over at EVE made a little slip up on their website at the start of the month by prematurely announcing that Yamashita will be going there in March. Or was it a slip up after all? Well, yes it was but the bigger news was yet to come.


EVE “WRESTLE QUEENDOM VIII”, 08/03/2026
Indigo At The O2, London, England

1. Jamie Hayter Vs Miyu Yamashita

Yamashita’s above appearance was booked for EVE’s regular monthly show in London and that just so happens to take place two days before EVE holds “WRESTLE QUEENDOM VIII”, one of their most ambitious events ever. It didn’t take long for her to have plans made for the big show itself because Jamie Hayter from AEW has challenged her to a match!


PPW “HARDCORE FRIDAY THE 13TH”, 13/03/2026
TOKYO SQUARE In Itabashi

1. Chris Brookes Vs Gabriel Queen

A Polish hardcore wrestling promotion named PpW Ewenement Wrestling is going to hold a show in Japan for the very first time with some help from Big Japan next March. One of their stars Gabriel Queen threw out a challenge for the show and is getting a match against Chris Brookes!


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW TEXAS STAMPEDE”, 17/03/2026 – 22/03/2026
Austin/Dallas/Houston, Texas, USA

TJPW returns to Texas next March with a bang! They will host a tour across the state containing four shows within a 6 day period. Two days will be spent in Austin for the South By Southwest festival, one day will be in Dallas and another day will be in Houston. That’s the only information we have for now, more will be revealed soon.


TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW YEAR-END PARTY 2025” Results

December 31, 2025

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW YEAR-END PARTY 2025”, 27/12/2025
Shinjuku FACE
429 Fans – Super No Vacancy

1. Yuki Aino defeated Chika Nanase with the Full Nelson Of Love And Flame (8:06).
2. Suzume defeated Uta Takami with the Ring A Bell (8:37).
3. Haru Kazashiro defeated Wakana Uehara with the Fisherman Suplex (7:38).
4. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Rika Tatsumi & Toga defeated Kakeru Sekiguchi & Mahiro Kiryu (c) when Tatsumi submitted Kiryu with the White Dragon Sleeper (10:55).
*Rika Tatsumi becomes the 1,791st champion.
5. I Hope Next Year Will Be Filled With Many Happy And Fun Events! Princess Rumble 2025: Mizuki defeated Mifu Ashida with the Cutie Special (35:20).
Order Of Elimination: HIMAWARI, Kaya Toribami, Kuishinbo Kamen, Hyper Misao, Ram Kaichow, Miyu Yamashita, Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Kamifuku, Kira Summer, Pom Harajuku, Shino Suzuki, Yuki Arai, Max The Impaler, Miu Watanabe, Arisu Endo, Raku, Mifu Ashida.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Old Maid: Kakeru Sekiguchi defeated Rika Tatsumi (c) and Mahiro Kiryu (2:20).
*Kakeru Sekiguchi becomes the 1,792nd champion.
-. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title: Mahiro Kiryu defeated Kakeru Sekiguchi (c) with a Banana Peel Pin (13:10 pm).
*Mahiro Kiryu becomes the 1,793rd champion.

The final Tokyo Joshi Pro show of 2025 brought along the return of the Princess Rumble for its second edition. Last year’s winner Miu Watanabe couldn’t achieve the repeat thanks to Mizuki, Arisu Endo and Mifu Ashida all piling on top of her for the pinfall elimination. Ashida also used her pompoms to lure Max The Impaler into their elimination. Ram Kaichow, Ryo Mizunami and Kuishinbo Kamen all took part as the guest entrants but the finish came down to Mizuki pinning Ashida with the Cutie Special to win the whole thing. After the match Mizuki thanked the fans for supporting TJPW all year long because 2026 will be here in the blink of an eye. She invited the roster out to the ring and they all promised to give everyone wrestling that will make them look forward to tomorrow. Miyu Yamashita then led everyone in a ippon-jime clap to close out the show.

The last preview for the Princess Tag Team Titles match ended in favour of the challengers. Haru Kazashiro defeated Wakana Uehara, narrowly avoiding the Banana Pillow to instead pin her opponent with the Fisherman Suplex. Kazashiro brought up their last singles match against each other which was during last November’s Next Generation Tournament ’24. She’s now won two warm up matches in a row and wants to put all of this momentum into the tag titles match on 4th January. Uehara took the loss in her stride. Being a champion has made her stronger so she won’t be crying after losing matches anymore. The 4th January show is the first match of the year for everyone in TJPW so she really wants Ober Eats to successfully defend the belts against Shunrai Rekka!! Prism Greed next week.

The year ended with some Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title shenanigans going on throughout the show as well. Rika Tatsumi submitted the champion Mahiro Kiryu in a tag match to win the belt, then kicked away her tag partner Toga in an act of paranoia. Kiryu and Kakeru Sekiguchi later went looking for Tatsumi, chasing her into a locker room where HIMAWARI was alone eating a banana. They kicked her out and threw away the banana peel while Tatsumi suggested they play a card game of Old Maid to determine who should be champion. Sekiguchi won the game to become the new champ only to slip on the nearby banana peel while walking away and knock herself out. Kiryu quickly pinned her to become the Iron Man Champion again.

Four more teams were announced to take part in next Spring’s Max Heart Tournament. They are Kyoraku Kyomei, Bumping gRitters, Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami and Yuki Arai & Mifu Ashida.


I’m Off To Tokyo For 2 Weeks

December 26, 2025

Almost ten years after my last visit to Japan, I’m a day away from flying back out there. Spending the new year in Tokyo and attending Wrestle Kingdom at the Tokyo Dome has been something I’ve wanted to do for over a decade but real life obligations prevented me from ever going through with it. Luckily for me, this time around everything has fallen into place for me to actually do it and the timing of it means I’m going to the biggest Wrestle Kingdom to happen in years. Not only that but the itinerary I’ve put together for this trip has become the mother of all wrestling holidays. Stardom at Sumo Hall? I’m going to that. NOAH in Budokan Hall? I’ll be there. DDT and Tokyo Joshi Pro having their year opening events in Korakuen Hall? You bet I wouldn’t miss that for the world! Add in shows at Shinjuku FACE, Shin-Kiba 1st RING, TOKYO SQUARE In Itabashi and even Ichigaya Chocolate Hall it all ends up with me pretty much speed running all of the famous and infamous Tokyo wrestling venues within a fortnight.

As for what will get posted on this blog while I am gone? I honestly don’t know at the moment. I’m bringing my laptop with me and will at least post the match results when I can but show reports, up to date news and other stuff will likely be put on the wayside until I return home and get some rest. I did a small one for the DDT show I went to in Saitama back in 2016 (which you can read here). Same goes for any end of trip report where I talk about what the experience is like. Worrying about that sort of stuff would only get in the way while I’m trying to enjoy my holiday. What I’ll likely do is tweet about all the shows I’m going to so you might get not non-DDT and non-TJPW related stuff from me on your feeds for the next two weeks.

What I have done in preparation for this trip is take part in a podcast about it. I was invited onto Wrestling Omakase for a massive roundtable covering as many of the shows happening around Wrestle Kingdom and the New Year’s period as we could. My lion’s share of the recording is in Part 1 for the men’s companies where I talk about DDT, NJPW, NOAH and BASARA. Then I pop up for half an hour in Part 2 as part of the TJPW section. Links to the episodes can be found below:

Wrestling Omakase #276: Wrestle Kingdom Week 2025-26 Preview Part 1 (NJPW, NOAH, AJPW, DDT, BASARA, Ganbare, BJW & GLEAT)

https://redcircle.com/shows/89701c36-312e-4ab1-b159-fd2aa057df63/ep/d35cf887-9d99-4964-b903-7e07330830a9

Wrestling Omakase #277: Wrestle Kingdom Week 2025-26 Preview Part 2 (STARDOM, Marigold, TJPW, AWG, OZ, ICE, Marvelous, SEAd, ChocoPro, Diana, Pure-J, WAVE)

https://redcircle.com/shows/89701c36-312e-4ab1-b159-fd2aa057df63/ep/a92a7a90-8a36-4c20-ae58-3f923d11628e