TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT ’24” Results

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW CITY CIRCUIT ’24”, 23/06/2024
Shizuoka Act City Hamamatsu
237 Fans

1. Mahiro Kiryu defeated Chika Nanase with the Hotei Raoyui (6:19).
2. Shoko Nakajima & Kira Summer defeated Haru Kazashiro & Uta Takami when Nakajima submitted Takami with a Butterfly Lock (8:11).
3. Mizuki defeated Runa Okubo with the Face Lock (8:46).
4. Nao Kakuta defeated Shino Suzuki with the Shiden Kai (9:26).
5. Maki Itoh & Yuki Kamifuku defeated Raku & Pom Harajuku when Itoh submitted Harajuku with the Itoh Deluxe (10:05).
6. Miyu Yamashita, Moka Miyamoto & Toga defeated Suzume, Arisu Endo & Kaya Toribami when Miyamoto submitted Endo with the Rashomon (13:27).
7. Miu Watanabe & Wakana Uehara defeated Rika Tatsumi & HIMAWARI when Watanabe pinned HIMAWARI with the Tear Drop (13:01).

Two regular tag teams were mixed together in the main event. Daydream were having a prelim match against each other that also had Wakana Uehara and HIMAWARI involved. Rika Tatsumi & HIMAWARI worked together to get Uehara out of the way but Miu Watanabe came in to clean house. She got rid of Tatsumi with a Power Slam and then pinned HIMAWARI with the Tear Drop. Watanabe said the match made her more excited for “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’24” on 20th July. However she does not have a good read on Tatsumi yet. Tatsumi admits that Watanabe has become a real threat in the ring and today she felt the pain that she least wants to experience.

In a little bit of an upset Moka Miyamoto made Arisu Endo give up to the Rashomon in a 6-Woman Tag Match! The result came from Miyamoto countering out of Endo’s Ju no Okite finisher. Miyamoto reminded everyone afterward that she wants to fight for a championship soon. She laid out those plans after her match with Hikaru Shida earlier this month. Well based on today’s result Miyamoto now wants to challenge Daisy Monkey for the Princess Tag Team Titles. She will go look for a tag partner who can fight with the same passion she has. Both Suzume & Endo see her as an opponent they have to beat so they will accept her challenge.

Pom Harajuku brought along unagi pies as souvenirs for almost everyone in her match including the referee. She did not have any left for Yuki Kamifuku and Maki Itoh wouldn’t share any of hers. That caused Kamifuku to get upset and spend most of the match crying outside the ring while Itoh had to fight RakuPom by herself. Raku put Itoh into a Sleeper Hold, forcing a desperate Itoh to tell Kamifuku she can take her souvenir just so she will get back into the match and help her win.

Shizuoka’s own Shino Suzuki was given a special match against Nao Kakuta as part of Kakuta’s retirement road. Suzuki came close to winning with a Sleeper Hold but Kakuta was able to get a rope break and then win with the Shiden Kai. She was surprised to discover first hand just how much potential Suzuki has. It reminds her of herself when she was a rookie. Kakuta will be watching Suzuki from a distance soon and hopes she will rapidly grow in an environment as wonderful as Tokyo Joshi Pro.

Yuki Aino was pulled from the show because she was feeling unwell. That changed the card a little bit resulting in Mizuki Vs Runa Okubo and Mahiro Kiryu Vs Chika Nanase both happening.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW PRISM ’24” Results

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW PRISM ’24”, 09/06/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
707 Fans

1. Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Runa Okubo & Haru Kazashiro when Suzume pinned Kazashiro with the Ring A Bell (8:34).
2. Chika Nanase defeated Uta Takami with the Inari Dorii (5:12).
3. Nao Kakuta & SAKI defeated Raku & Pom Harajuku when Kakuta pinned Harajuku with the Shiden Kai (8:59).
4. Aja Kong, Yuki Kamifuku & Kira Summer defeated Maki Itoh, Mahiro Kiryu & Kaya Toribami when Kamifuku pinned Toribami with the Famouser (11:46).
5. Special Single Match: Hikaru Shida defeated Moka Miyamoto with the Falcon Arrow (9:40).
6. Shoko Nakajima, Mizuki, Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino defeated Wakana Uehara, HIMAWARI, Toga & Shino Suzuki when Tatsumi pinned Uehara with the Twist Of Fate (14:51).
7. International Princess Title: Yuki Arai (c) defeated LA Taylor with the Finally (10:09).
*V3 for Yuki Arai.
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) defeated Vert Vixen with the Tear Drop (17:17).
*V2 for Miu Watanabe.

Vert Vixen came back to Tokyo Joshi Pro in order to be Miu Watanabe’s second challenger of the Princess Of Princess Title. In the leadup to the match Watanabe unveiled a new submission hold she calls the Reverse Paradox in order to keep her opponent guessing. Maybe it was a mistake to reveal the move too early because Vixen had it scouted today, avoiding the move and being able to rope break out of it once Watanabe got to apply it correctly. Watanabe had to rely on her usual move set which turned out to be the right decision in the end. Her barrage of Laserbeam throws and Double Hammer strikes weakened Vixen enough for the Tear Drop to finish her off.

The two bowed and shook each other’s hands after the match. When Vixen left the ring, Rika Tatsumi entered it to challenger her Daydream partner for the Princess Title! Tatsumi always thought that the match would happen some day but only thinking about it would never make it happen. So she is asking Watanabe directly and didn’t even wait for her to answer. It is happening at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’24” in Korakuen Hall on 20th July! Watanabe said she always wanted to defend the title against Tatsumi and she definitely won’t lose to her. She still remembers when Tatsumi won the International Princess Title from her last year. She closed out the show by asking the fans “Do you like Tokyo Joshi Pro?” The fans responded with “We love it!”

Speaking of the International Princess Title, Yuki Arai scored her latest defence of the belt by beating English wrestler LA Taylor. The newcomer to TJPW used her size advantage by doing a Fall Away Slam, Lariats and a Michinoku Driver. Her size also made it difficult for Arai to use the Full Nelson and Sharpshooter but she was eventually able to lock in the hold. She also used a Backslide Pin nearfall to hit Taylor with a short range Rookie Award. Taylor was dazed by the move so Arai hit the Finally next to win the match. Arai said she has held the IP Title for half a year now and while she wants to continue defending it, she is not satisfied with only holding one title. She wants to find out if she can win back the Princess Tag Team Titles again with somebody other than Saki Akai! She would be happy to find a new tag partner who can help her improve. Backstage Taylor said it was a dream come true to have the paper ribbons thrown for her during the match introductions.

Tatsumi led a senpai team to victory against the Class Of 2023 in an 8-Woman Tag Match. Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI used their High Speed Combined Brainbuster on Tatsumi and Uehara followed up with the BANANA PILLOW submission hold. Tatsumi escaped and hit her with a Hip Attack while Yuki Aino got rid of Shino Suzuki with the Side Suplex. After that Shoko Nakajima & Mizuki hit dives onto everyone out of the ring and Tatsumi pinned Uehara with the Twist Of Fate. Toga said everyone in her team grows after every fight but their senpais are always growing at a rapid rate too so the gap never closes. She hopes they can catch up to them some day while also becoming a wall for the juniors below them.

Moka Miyamoto was given a big match against AEW wrestler Hikaru Shida. She dodged some of Shida’s attacks to hit her with the Zero Sen Kick and also use the Rashomon. Shida reached the ropes and rallied back, hitting Miyamoto with a big Elbow Smash and using the Falcon Arrow to get the three count. Shida said backstage it’s been two years since she was last in TJPW and back then she thought if Miyamoto showed a little more enthusiasm she could become a really good wrestler. She didn’t expect her to grow so much since then and is glad to discover how much of a threat she has turned into. Also next time she gets invited back to TJPW, Shida wants to show everyone a different side of her. Although Miyamoto lost the match she is happy to show her growth and wants to challenge for a championship in the future.

It was an intimidating sight when Aja Kong’s team all showed up in matching face paint. Meanwhile Maki Itoh’s team all entered the ring with matching twintail hairstyles (apparently Itoh forced them to do it). When Mahiro Kiryu got the upper hand against Kira Summer, Kiryu used her Apology Knee Drop to apologise for beating the Aja Kongs of the world so easily. The real Kong didn’t forgive her. Kong also hit Itoh with a steel can but Itoh’s iron head withstood the blow and she Headbutted Kong in return. Kong almost hit Yuki Kamifuku with the can by accident but pulled back at the last moment. Kaya Toribami tried to take advantage of the crossfire but Kamifuku took care of her and won the match with the Famouser. Backstage Itoh, Kiryu & Toribami all complained that they couldn’t tell which opponent was the real Aja Kong.

SAKI was confused to see Raku & Pom Harajuku lie down to sleep in front of her before their match began. She decided to join in but fell for RakuPom’s trap even though Nao Kakuta tried to stop her. Later SAKI used an Atomic Drop on Harajuku and then gave Raku an Atomic Drop. That set Kakuta up to pin Harajuku with the Shiden Kai. Kakuta said she was happy to team up with SAKI in Japan after their plan to do it at the TJPW USA show had to be cancelled. Harajuku complained the Atomic Drop hurts so bad she can’t sit down and feels like she’s been split in two!

In a match where both wrestlers were fighting for their first win, Chika Nanase defeated Uta Takami. She used a Modified Full Nelson called the Inari Dorii to win by submission. It was a move she used once before in an incomplete form but today she debuted the finished version. Nanase is happy to win but wants to aim higher. Takami thought she was going to shine brightly and win today but admits she became a complete mess instead. Losing has only fired her up even more though and she will cherish every day to work hard so she can win next time.

The show began with a non-title match where Daisy Monkey took on Runa Okubo & Haru Kazashiro. The result was no surprise with Arisu Endo taking out Okubo with a Diving Mt. Tsuruga and Suzume pinning Kazashiro with the Ring A Bell. They enjoyed being in the opening match again because it’s like being the first batter in a baseball game. They feel like they are in top form now and are confident they can defend the Princess Tag Titles against anyone.

It was announced that “WRESTLE PRINCESS V” will be held at Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall on 22nd September.

Nakajima will be getting a match at “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’24” that she has always wanted. She will have a singles bout against Aja Kong! Nakajima has experienced beatings from Kong before in places like Sumo Hall as well as beneath the cherry blossom trees of Shinjo Village. She believes this match will be meaningless if she cannot use this opportunity to beat Kong! Meanwhile Kong said she will be training alone in the mountains to prepare for the match. If she doesn’t she won’t be able to compete against Nakajima.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING” Results

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 11/05/2024
Osaka Azalea Taisho Hall
242 Fans – No Vacancy

1. Mahiro Kiryu defeated Chika Nanase with a Crab Hold (7:17).
2. 3 Way Match: Raku defeated Yuki Kamifuku and Uta Takami when Raku pinned Takami with the Hurricane Turn (6:19).
3. Rika Tatsumi defeated Shino Suzuki with the Dragon Sleeper (9:39).
4. Yuki Aino defeated Pom Harajuku with the Full Nelson Of Love And Flame (10:26).
5. Shoko Nakajima, Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI defeated Maki Itoh, Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo when Nakajima pinned Kazashiro with the Northern Lights Suplex (13:50).
6. Miu Watanabe, Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Mizuki, Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami when Watanabe pinned Toribami with the Tear Drop (15:38).

The tale of the new champions continues to move on at a good pace. Miu Watanabe and Daisy Monkey teamed up together for the main event and won it. Miu Watanabe told the fans how happy she is for herself and Daisy Monkey to show what they are like as champions to the people of Osaka. Arisu Endo said she wants to bring her Princess Tag Team Title belt to all 47 prefectures of Japan. Suzume pointed out the last time Tokyo Joshi Pro was in Osaka the three of them teamed together as challengers preparing for their title matches against the champions. Today they got to team up again this time all as champions.

Extra dates for Vert Vixen’s next tour of TJPW were revealed. It was already announced she is coming in on 9th June to challenge Watanabe for the Princess Of Princess Title. She will also be wrestling in Kobe on 15th June and Fukuoka on 16th June.

One of this year’s Tokyo Princess Cup shows is taking place in Osaka for the first time. The Quarter Finals of the tournament will be held in Osaka Edion Arena No. 2 on 10th August.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND ’24” Results

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND ’24”, 06/05/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
756 Fans

1. Shino Suzuki defeated Toga with a Backward Rolling Cradle (8:21).
2. Moka Miyamoto, Kaya Toribami & Uta Takami defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer when Toribami submitted Nanase with the Bird Cage (9:43).
3. Yuna Manase defeated Runa Okubo with the Suzuki Dynamic (5:45).
4. Maki Itoh defeated Haru Kazashiro with the Itoh Punish (9:42).
5. Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino defeated Raku & Pom Harajuku when Aino submitted Harajuku with the Full Nelson Of Love And Flame (12:02).
6. Yuki Arai & Yuki Kamifuku defeated Mizuki & Nao Kakuta when Arai pinned Kakuta with the Finally (10:38).
7. Princess Tag Team Titles: Suzume & Arisu Endo (c) defeated Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI when Endo pinned HIMAWARI with the Ju no Okite (15:01).
*V1 for Daisy Monkey.
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) defeated Shoko Nakajima with the Tear Drop (21:11).
*V1 for Miu Watanabe.

If this really is the start of a new era in Tokyo Joshi Pro then the new champions have shown what they can do when you give them the ball. Miu Watanabe’s first defence of the Princess Of Princess Title was against two-time former champion Shoko Nakajima. The two started off the match with lock-ups leading into Monkey Flips. Nakajima took control with a 619 and then targeted Watanabe’s neck with submission holds and Neckbreakers. She also countered the Giant Swing into the Unmanned Local Train Hold. Watanabe was in trouble when Nakajima landed the Diving Senton on the apron followed by the Northern Lights Suplex for a nearfall. Watanabe stopped her from doing another Diving Senton and quickly put her into the Giant Swing. Nakajima fought back with another Northern Lights Suplex but the Locomotion version was blocked and turned into a Power Slam. The Tear Drop was countered into a Hurricanrana for a two count which turned out to be Nakajima’s last chance to win. Watanabe hit her with a Double Sledgehammer, the Laserbeam and then the Tear Drop for the three count.

Watanabe told the fans how happy she was to fight Nakajima for the title and win because she has now grown as a champion. TJPW is in a new era but that means each and every member of the roster is part of the new era. She wants to defend the title against everyone and do her best to make TJPW grow. She loves wrestling so much and hopes to bring in more fans who love it just as much. Backstage Nakajima said she was disappointed to lose and has no choice but to try again. She put her heart into this match so didn’t hold back from the beginning. Watanabe has not decided on who she wants her next challenger to be. She mentioned Mizuki and Rika Tatsumi because they are former champions but is just as interested in facing somebody she cannot even imagine so it will help her grow even more. If that person ever shows up then Watanabe will welcome her challenge.

Daisy Monkey are now seeing what it’s like on the other side of the fence. It was not that long ago they were the young tag team looking to beat the Princess Tag Team Champions. Now they are the champions defending against the young tag teams! Wakana Uehara put Arisu Endo in her version of the Tringle Lancer called the BANANA PILLOW but Endo escaped it. Instead Daisy Monkey’s level of teamwork was too high for the challengers to overcome. Suzume & Endo dropped HIMAWARI with a Double Team Facebuster. Endo then pinned HIMAWARI with the Ju no Okite. Endo said backstage the challengers were a tougher fight than she expected. Suzume now understands the position they are in as champions. Everyone is going to be chasing after them! TJPW will be returning to Endo’s hometown in September. She absolutely wants to defend the tag titles on that show.

Yuki Arai got to show everyone the spot she has established for herself on the 3rd anniversary of her debut match. She wore a new costume covered in stars and teamed with Yuki Kamifuku to beat Mizuki & Nao Kakuta. Arai even scored the pinfall by hitting Kakuta with the Rookie Award followed by the Finally. Backstage Kamifuku joked that each star on Arai’s costume represents the people she wants to crush in the ring. She then pointed to a star on Arai’s dress and asked if that one is for Miyu Yamashita? Arai denied it and explained when Sanshiro Takagi scouted her for TJPW, he said he was going to make her a star. Sadly for Kakuta she is starting to feel her time is running out. She would like to team with Mizuki at least three more times before her graduation. Mizuki promised the next time they team up they will win.

The mind games on display during the start of Match #5 were something to behold. Raku & Pom Harajuku offered the customary pre-match handshake when Tatsumi & Yuki Aino both collapsed and fell asleep. Rather than attack them, Raku & Harajuku decided to lie down next to them and fell asleep too. Tatsumi & Aino noticed that and tried to pin them but RakuPom kept rolling away until they were outside the ring. They then sprung their own surprise after they were Irish Whipped into each other and swung back around to attack the other two. Raku armed herself with a pillow and attacked Tatsumi with it. Harajuku went to finish Aino off with the Pom de Justice. She missed the move though and Aino put her in the Full Nelson Of Love And Flame to make her give up. Aino enjoyed getting to wrestle Raku & Harajuku who she often teams with. Tatsumi called them a great Love Triangle. She’d like to join in to make it a 4 Way but reckons she is better off being a lone wolf. Aino admits she hangs out with Tatsumi more than the other two anyway but Tatsumi told her to keep that a secret.

Maki Itoh defeated Haru Kazashiro and had some words for her afterward. Just as she expected, Kazashiro is a loser but just by working hard today she will have encouraged some of these fans to do their best at work or in school tomorrow. Itoh thinks there is already someone out there who looks up to Kazashiro the same way Kazashiro looks up to her but if she really wants to become a hero then she should make it her goal to destroy Itoh! Later backstage Itoh said she is really looking forward to their next match together just based on the look in Kazashiro’s eyes during her speech. Kazashiro said she was so scared about today’s match she thought about running away. Itoh was even stronger that she expected but if she gets to fight her again she wants to beat her.

There was another big test given to one of the young rookies when Runa Okubo fought Yuna Manase. Okubo tried to match power with power but eventually lost to the Suzuki Dynamic. Manase was impressed with her and would like to have more matches together because of their similar wrestling style. She also called herself a relative of TJPW and noticed there are more new kids being added to the family. Just for her sake don’t ever call them grandkids. Okubo doesn’t want to use her age as an excuse for losing and trained hard for this match. She has regrets but is ready to keep training after Manase told her they should fight again.

Last month Kaya Toribami helped save America from a kappa invasion and today she continued that momentum by winning another wrestling match! The trios match was also the first time Chika Nanase, Kira Summer and Uta Takami all got to wrestle in Korakuen Hall. Both Mahiro Kiryu and Moka Miyamoto talked about how nervous they must have been before the match.

The opening match marked a big milestone for Shino Suzuki. By beating Toga she has earned her first ever singles win! The result came when Suzuki countered the Rock Bottom into a Backwards Rolling Cradle off of the ropes for the flash pin. She believes she won thanks to the support of everyone around her. With this under her belt she feels she can now catch up to the rest of her class. Toga had already beaten Suzuki twice before so she admits her overconfidence got the better of her. She is looking forward to her next match though and is now determined not to lose.

This past weekend Kamifuku went to wrestle for Vietnam Pro Wrestling and became the company’s first ever women’s champion. She still holds the Queen Of Asia Title so she is now a double crown champion of Southeast Asia! She plans to defend both titles in a singles match on 18th May and her opponent will be the TJPW debut of Alexis Lee! Kamifuku defeated Lee in Vietnam to win the VPW Women’s Title. She also beat Lee in Singapore last November to win the Queen Of Asia Title.

There was a group of special guests for The Up Up Girls mini concert held at the start of the show. The pro wrestling version of the unit were joined by another section of the idol group called Up Up Girls (2). They were there to announce TJPW and The Up Up Girls will be holding an outdoor collaborative show at Ueno Park on 7th July.

TJPW’s Golden Week Title Matches

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “YES! WONDERLAND ’24”, 06/05/2024
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Toga Vs Shino Suzuki
2. Mahiro Kiryu, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer Vs Moka Miyamoto, Kaya Toribami & Uta Takami
3. Yuna Manase Vs Runa Okubo
4. Maki Itoh Vs Haru Kazashiro
5. Rika Tatsumi & Yuki Aino Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
6. Yuki Arai & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Mizuki & Nao Kakuta
7. Princess Tag Team Titles: Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI
8. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe (c) Vs Shoko Nakajima

Last week a contract signing ceremony was held at Abema Towers in Shibuya for the two title matches. Shoko Nakajima said the Sumo Hall show brought along big changes in Tokyo Joshi Pro for both the wrestlers and the fans. She herself had a big change of heart after Kyoraku Kyomei fought Aja Kong & Max The Impaler. She was amazed by everything about Kong from her aura capturing the audience’s attention to the experience of fighting her. It took almost a decade for TJPW to run a show by themselves in Sumo Hall so for the next ten years Nakajima’s dream is to become as great as Aja Kong. In order to become as great and strong as Kong, Nakajima will need to win more championships. As much as she thinks Miu Watanabe is amazing, she wants to win the Princess Of Princess Title from her so she can become even more amazing too.

Watanabe wanted Nakajima to be one of her challengers when she won the belt but she doesn’t want to be naïve about it. Nakajima pinning her in a recent tag match only reminds her how big of a target she has become. Watanabe thinks so highly about Nakajima that she is ranked alongside Oda Nobunaga when asked which historical figures she respects. She remembers when Nakajima won the Princess Title in 2019, the promo video before the match had Nakajima say “hard work is no match for a genius.” Those words shocked Watanabe at the time and have stuck with her ever since. She wants to grow as champion so there is no better first challenger for her than Nakajima. The talk about a new generation taking over TJPW annoys Nakajima. She doesn’t treat wrestling Watanabe as any different from fighting Miyu Yamashita or Yuka Sakazaki. In fact, Nakajima thought the person she spent the most time with in the dojo was Sakazaki but now she realizes it’s with Watanabe!

Daisy Monkey are finding themselves in a role reversal. The first time Suzume & Arisu Endo challenged for the Princess Tag Team Titles together they were the plucky rookie tag team. Now they are the champions who are about to take on another plucky rookie tag team! Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI debuted in TJPW on the same daya and traded their first wins against each other so they understand each other the best. They even established the Combined High Speed Brainbuster as their tag team move that can win them matches. Uehara is known to have a big appetite so she is going to gobble up Daisy Monkey to win the Tag Titles!

Suzume recounted the many frustrating experiences Daisy Monkey had to go through in order to finally win the Tag Titles at Sumo Hall. She wants to defend the belts with Endo forever. They cannot lose them in their first defence when there are so many strong tag teams out there to fight. She hopes she will become a champion that will encourage fans to work harder and build up the courage to take the next step towards improving themselves. Or that children will see her wrestle and grow up wanting to become a wrestler too. Endo wants to bring her title belt back to her hometown so she can take a picture of herself with it next to the bronze statue of Byakkotai. After that she wants to take the belt around all 47 prefectures in Japan and show it off at all of the famous places they find. She won’t let Uehara & HIMAWARI even take a bite from them!

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING” Results

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE TOUR 2024 SPRING”, 13/04/2024
Tokyo Kitazawa Town Hall
294 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Moka Miyamoto, Juria Nagano & Kaya Toribami defeated Yuki Aino, Pom Harajuku & Shino Suzuki when Nagano pinned Suzuki with the Senpukyaku (12:13).
2. Yuki Kamifuku defeated Uta Takami with a Dropkick (5:20).
3. Rika Tatsumi, Raku & Chika Nanase defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Toga & Kira Summer when Tatsumi submitted Summer with the Dragon Sleeper (10:37).
4. Mizuki & Nao Kakuta defeated Runa Okubo & Haru Kazashiro when Mizuki pinned Kazashiro with the Cutie Special (10:14).
5. Shoko Nakajima, Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI defeated Miu Watanabe, Suzume & Arisu Endo when Nakajima pinned Watanabe with an Inside Cradle (16:42).
6. Juria Nagano Graduation Match: Moka Miyamoto defeated Juria Nagano with the Korokan (10:58).

It is time for Juria Nagano to say goodbye to pro wrestling and Tokyo Joshi Pro. For her final show as a wrestler she took part in both the opening match as well as the main event. In her first match of the day Nagano scored the pinfall ensuring she would at least get to add one more victory before ending her run in TJPW. She teamed with Moka Miyamoto in that match but in the main event Shinken Kusho were now by themselves as each other’s opponent. Miyamoto blocked Nagano’s Senpukyaku finisher and used the Korokan to win and close out her tag partner’s wrestling career.

Miyamoto told the fans she and Nagano share Karate as the same backbone for their fighting style. They have been paired together ever since Nagano’s debut so she has always been a big part of Miyamoto’s pro wrestling life. She doesn’t want to see her retire but wishes her the best in the future. Nagano thanked everyone for supporting her and talked about how everyone in TJPW warmly welcomed her even though she could never commit to being here full time. She was only in TJPW for two years but those two years are irreplaceable for her. She will continue to support all of the women here and hopes the fans will continue to support TJPW too.

The new champions coming out of “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” are now getting their first challengers. The semi-main event 6-Woman Tag match ended with Shoko Nakajima pinning Miu Watanabe with an Inside Cradle. That finish came when Nakajima tried to use the Locomotion Northern Lights Suplex and Watanabe blocked the second part of the move. So Nakajima switched to using an Inside Cradle to get the pin out of nowhere. After the match she challenged Watanabe for the Princess Of Princess Title at Korakuen Hall on 6th May.

That wasn’t the only challenge made coming out of the match. Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI told Daisy Monkey they want to fight them for the Princess Tag Team Titles at the same show! The two of them seemed to have formed a bond ever since they fought each other in the final of the Next Generation Tournament. Them fighting Daisy Monkey together fired up their desire to win the tag titles and by being on today’s winning team, they think they should qualify for a shot. Suzume & Arisu Endo accepted the challenge and told them they will become part of their important first title defence.

An injured Hyper Misao was in attendance to announce who will be involved with “HYPE! 2” on 19th April. The wrestlers involved will be Miu Watanabe, Shoko Nakajima, Rika Tatsumi, Yuki Aino, Raku, Mahiro Kiryu, Moka Miyamoto, Kaya Toribami, Toga and Haru Kazashiro. Also confirmed for the show is Sayuri Namba as the ring announcer.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN PHILLY” Results

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN PHILLY”, 05/04/2024
Penn’s Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
750 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Yuki Aino & Zara Zakher when Suzume pinned Zakher with the Twinkle Twinkle (11:01).
2. Billie Starkz defeated Hyper Misao with the Swanton Bomb (5:57).
3. Yuki Kamifuku & Viva Van defeated Raku & Trish Adora when Kamifuku pinned Raku with the Famouser (8:53).
4. Mizuki & Vert Vixen defeated Aja Kong & Pom Harajuku when Mizuki pinned Harajuku with the Cutie Special (10:31).
5. Shoko Nakajima defeated Rhio with the Senton Bomb (13:24).
6. Special Tag Match: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh defeated Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe when Yamashita pinned Tatsumi with the Skull Kick (19:04).

Third time’s the charm for 121000000. It took until the third Tokyo Joshi Pro show held in the USA for the team to win a main event tag match in America. That they beat Daydream only a couple of days after Miyu Yamashita lost the Princess Of Princess Title to Miu Watanabe shows that the former champion wasn’t letting that get to her. Maki Itoh was also fuelled up because she was among her GCW fanbase for the week in Philadelphia. Despite some trouble between 121000000’s teamwork, Itoh saved Yamashita from the Daydream Eternity. She then set up Rika Tatsumi with a DDT that flowed into Yamashita’s German Suplex, ending with Yamashita pinning Tatsumi with the Skull Kick to win.

As already mentioned, Itoh had her GCW fans in the venue so when it came time to promote tomorrow’s “GCW VS TJPW” show, she had no problem telling the crowd she is on Team GCW. Yamashita tried to combat the GCW chants by leading a TJP chant. It caused some tension to grow between Itoh and Yamashita but they hugged it out in the end. Itoh then gave her the middle finger and Yamashita raised her fist up to it in response. 121000000 have their own seperate plans going on in the immediate future but both of them are thinking about winning back the Princess Tag Team Titles if the timing works out for them. Meanwhile Tatsumi said a lot of swear words in English to complain about losing the match. Watanabe had to apologise to the viewers over it.

Shoko Nakajima was put to the test against the mighty power of Rhio. Her plan to combat against the Suplexes and slams was to keep it speedy and knock Rhio off base with Rider Kicks and 619s. She finally got Rhio down with the Double Arm DDT long enough to hit the Diving Senton for the victory. Nakajima described Rhio as a super ace from EVE who she has become good friends with. She was excited to have this match today and it made her even more ready to do her best at “GCW VS TJPW” tomorrow. Rhio said Nakajima has a small body packed with power and it took her beyond her limits.

Sadly there was no Pompaler reunion on the cards due to Max The Impaler suddenly falling ill. So instead Pom Harajuku was given Aja Kong as her new tag team partner! It led to a mixed bag of a challenge for Mizuki & Vert Vixen. They had to fight the undeniable power of Kong while also dealing with the childish antics of Harajuku. Mizuki’s solution was to steal Harajuku’s shoes from her feet and throw them out of the ring. Vixen gave Kong a Stunner and Mizuki followed up with a Diving Foot Stomp. She then hit Harajuku with her own shoe before pinning her with the Cutie Special. Kong tried to cheer Harajuku backstage by telling her she was more popular with the American fans than Mizuki. If they can get Max to team with them again then the trio will be unstoppable! Harajuku will have to be thrown like a weapon but she will accept that fate as long as she is the main character of the team.

There may be some longer legs to The Casual Vixens than first thought after they won their match today. Yuki Kamifuku & Viva Van focused on fighting Raku while Trish Adora did what she could to keep her team in the match. Van and Adora were left scrambling outside the ring giving Kamifuku clearance to beat Raku with the Famouser. No matter how the results went, both teams were happy to have been paired together. Kamifuku said she gets to be best friends with Asia’s sexiest wrestler while Raku was happy to bring Adora along on the Oyasumi Express.

There was an unexpected surprise in Billie Starkz’s corner. Athena walked out behind her during the entrances and was there to watch her minion do battle against Hyper Misao. She also saved the match for Starkz by pulling her foot on top of the rope while Misao had her pinned with the Hypami Returns. Misao dealt with Athena by blinding her with the spray can. But the distraction allowed Starkz to hit Misao with a Topé Suicida followed by the Swanton Bomb back in the ring to win the match.

The show began with the new Princess Tag Champs in action against one-half of the former champs. Daisy Monkey fought Yuki Aino again and this time Aino had Zara Zakher as her partner. It wasn’t the teamwork of Suzume & Arisu Endo that made them stand tall in the end. In fact the champions were in trouble when Aino gave Endo the Venus DDT while Zakher hit Suzume with a Jumping Knee. Suzume fought back with and used a series of Rolling Cradles called the Twinkle Twinkle that kept going and going until Zakher was pinned for the three count. Daisy Monkey admit they are still immature and would be happy if everyone around the world continues to support them.

The show began with a mini performance from The Up Up Girls who were in attendance. Watanabe & Raku sang “Upper Kick” together. Watanabe also broke one of the cameras at ringside, making it a true TJPW experience!

Guide To TJPW In Philadelphia

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “TJPW LIVE IN PHILLY”, 05/04/2024
Penn’s Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Hyper Misao Vs Billie Starkz
2. Shoko Nakajima Vs “The Unbreakable” Rhio
3. Yuki Aino & Raku Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Viva Van
4. Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Nao Kakuta & Zara Zakher
5. Mizuki & Vert Vixen Vs Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku
6. Special Tag Match: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe

Back once again on American soil, Tokyo Joshi Pro is entering this year’s Wrestlemania Week as part of The Collective series of indie shows. This time around TJPW will be involved across two days: one show will be held on their own and the next day they have an inter-promotional event with GCW. It just goes to show how much DDT’s little sister has taken the international spotlight away from them in recent years. Looking at the Mania schedule this year, you can say that about the offerings of Japanese wrestling in general with the joshi shows getting more hype than what the other puroresu companies are sending over. These two shows will be happening only a few days after TJPW holds “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” at Sumo Hall so fans around the world will get to see the promotion take their next step coming out of such an important show. Have you seen the gifs of the Skull Kicks and Giant Swings? Are you curious to know curious to know why a foul mouthed ex-idol has so many simps or why that crazy woman in white likes to choke people so much? Would you like to see a superhero crash her bicycle? Do you write for a wrestling website and mistook this for a Stardom show? Are you wondering what ever happened to Hikari Noa? Well you won’t get an answer to that last question but for everything else, this guide is for you!

Where and when are the shows taking place?

Both shows will be held at Penn’s Landing Caterers Auditorium in Philadelphia. “TJPW LIVE IN PHILLY” is taking place on Friday, 5th April at 11:00am Eastern time. “GCW VS TJPW” will happen on Saturday, 6th April at 2:30pm Eastern time.

Where can I watch it online?

Both shows will air live on Triller TV (or FITE as it used to be called) with English commentary through the TrillerTV+ subscription service. The on-demand versions of both shows will be available to watch on Wrestle Universe a few weeks after the live broadcast.

Is this a proper TJPW show?

Yes. On paper I would put it on the level of their B shows when it comes to the card layout just without the matches built around the younger wrestlers and rookies. This is not like last year when they put together a lineup fitting for a Korakuen Hall show. What we have here fits in more for an event at Shinjuku FACE or Ryogoku KFC Hall. That’s not to say the show quality will be low or uninteresting. It’s more that you are getting to see TJPW at its status quo. The guest wrestlers booked have all appeared in TJPW over the past few years, some on a regular basis so none of the names stick out like a sore thumb. I assure you this will be as close to a genuine TJPW experience you can get without going over to Japan.

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1. Hyper Misao Vs Billie Starkz

It’s a super hero against a Minion In Training! Hyper Misao often delights the fans with her endless crazy ideas to protect love and peace in TJPW. But the chaos she creates is the same kind of environment Billie Starkz feels most at home in. The hero and villain in this match may be more alike then they both realize.

Hyper Misao – When love and peace is under threat in TJPW, you can always rely on Hyper Misao to come to the rescue. Just don’t be surprised if her plan to save the world turns out not to be as heroic as she looks. Sometimes she will get on the microphone, greet the audience with “Hello big children!” and reveal her plans to save the day. Other times she arrives to the ring riding on the Hypami Dramatic Dream combat bike. She has the talent to win fair fights but prefers using underhanded tactics like blinding her opponents with cold spray or crashing the Hypami DD into them. Hey, the Madame Web movie showed that vehicular manslaughter is a heroic trait so it’s acceptable for Misao to do it too!
Moves To Watch Out For: Hypami Returns (Final Cut), I Am A Hero (Diving Cross Body), Crossface Chickenwing, Vanitas (Double Arm Facebuster), Cold Spray Attack

Billie Starkz – Since the last time we saw her in TJPW, “Space Jesus” has gone from indie darling to a Minion In Training that you can rely on. Ring Of Honor is where you will find Starkz on most days but she still finds the time to pop up in GCW plus a few other indies every now and then. In fact this match kind of serves as a warm up for her because hours after this show is finished she will be competing in a tournament final to crown the first ever ROH Women’s World TV Champion.
Moves To Watch Out For: Swanton Bomb, Sugoi Driver (Double Legged One-Winged Angel sometimes on the ring apron), Starkz Driver (Tombstone Piledriver), Star 10 (CRII)

2. Shoko Nakajima Vs “The Unbreakable” Rhio

No, that’s not a typo for those seeing the second name and thinking of somebody else. This match is Japan versus England when one of TJPW’s most decorated wrestlers Shoko Nakajima takes on “The Unbreakable” Rhio, a rising female star from the British scene. Because when a kaiju is on the loose you need to put something unbreakable in the way to keep the rampage under control.

Shoko Nakajima – Meet the Big Kaiju, all 147cm of her! Nakajima has pretty much done it all in TJPW as one of the promotion’s longest serving wrestlers. Usually quick and speedy, she also has the strength to put away opponents with the Northern Lights Suplex. The Diving Senton she uses is nothing to sneeze at either. When put in Hardcore Match situations her favourite weapon is a pile of kaiju toys that she slams her opponents onto. She’s a Swiss Army Knife that can adapt to any kind of situation wrestling can throw at her.
Moves To Watch Out For: Northern Lights Suplex, Diving Senton, Unmanned Local Train Hold (Yurikamome submission hold), 619, Rider Kick (One-Legged Dropkick)

“The Unbreakable” Rhio – A working relationship between TJPW and British women’s promotion EVE opened the doors for Rhio to tour in Japan. She impressed with her power built on her background in Karate and Taekwondo. Since then she has been all over the European scene and has won the Women’s Championship in companies such as Progress and ICW (the Scottish one, not the chains one). She hasn’t been back to Japan since that tour but whenever a TJPW wrestler travels over to England you can count on her to be a likely opponent for them.
Moves To Watch Out For: Dreaded End (Neck Screw Hold), Package Piledriver, Pumphandle Bomb

3. Yuki Aino & Raku Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Viva Van

Here is a battle between sweetness versus seduction, love versus desire and naps versus partying. Among the many friendships that have formed within the promotion, Yuki Aino & Raku is one that has captured a lot of the fanbase’s attention. There’s just something about a sleepy trainspotting pop singer that people just can’t deny. The team facing them have quickly become friends too. Yuki Kamifuku & Viva Van were meant to be put together as opponents but admired each other’s beauty so much they got immediately got along. When Van wanted to come up with a team name for this match, Kamifuku came up with The Casual Vixens. Let’s see if that sticks.

Yuki Aino – It happened so long ago that it’s hard to remember Aino originally debuted in TJPW as a ring announcer before turning pro so she could team with her sister. Tag team wrestling remains her forte and she is one of few wrestlers in TJPW to have held tag title gold with different partners. Love and the fiery power it can bring is what drives her as you can see from the names she gives her moves below. She also adores the woman she gets to team with on the show.
Moves To Watch Out For: Venus DDT (Inverted DDT), UBV/Unlimited Burning Venus (Double Arm Side Buster), Full Nelson Of Love And Fire (Full Nelson Camel Clutch), Side Suplex

Raku – The first of two members from The Up Up Girls you will see on the show. The Up Up Girls are a pop idol group that created a pro wrestling spin off unit in TJPW. The members often perform songs at the start of the show before wrestling in matches later in the card. Raku’s entire personality can be summed down to naps and trains. She knows so much railway trivia she often has a Train Of The Day to tell the audience on every show. Will SEPTA be up to her standards? Her moveset is built around sending her opponents to sleep so she can run over them with the Oyasumi Express. Somehow this entire package has made her absolutely adored to the point where she may as well be God to some people.
Moves To Watch Out For: Doctor Yellow (Jumping Neckbreaker), Hurricane Turn (Cross-Arm Backslide Pin), Oyasumi Express (running on top of the opponent over and over), Good Night Sleeper, Poppo Chop! (Brain Chop)

Yuki Kamifuku – Also known by her nickname Kamiyu, she is “The Casual Beauty” of TJPW. She knows how to get under her opponent’s skin with harsh and catty opinions. But there is another side to her where she is loyal and sympathetic to her friends. She is also proud of her modelling background because her accomplishments in the ring is proof you do not need to be a die hard pro wrestling fan to succeed in the business. Grew up in Ohio during her junior high school years so she knows the most English out of the bunch. Also really loves Zac Efron and after watching “The Iron Claw” it is now her dream to wrestle a match with him. She is currently the Queen Of Asia Champion after winning the belt in Singapore last November.
Moves To Watch Out For: Famouser (Jumping Leg Drop), Big Boot, Yahoo 83cm (Headscissors DDT), Manjigatame, Thumb To The Eye

Viva Van – One of the more recent foreign guests in TJPW is nicknamed “The Hellbent Vixen”. This Vietnamese-American wrestler has gathered together a large amount of championships in recent times but her attempt to dethrone Kamifuku as the Queen Of Asia ended in failure. However even before that match took place the two of them got along anyway because of how good looking they both are. It’s no surprise the two of them are definitely happy they get to reunite in America. Kamifuku even suggested one time they go on the lookout for a third attractive Asian wrestler to join them so they can be a trio Charlie’s Angels style. But don’t let that kind of attitude fool you, Van has been climbing up the ranks high enough to get matches in AEW and AAA as well as New Japan’s USA shows.
Moves To Watch Out For: Hellevator (Electric Chair spun into a Power Bomb), Ocean Cyclone Suplex, Code Red, Meteora, Butterfly Suplex

4. Suzume & Arisu Endo Vs Nao Kakuta & Zara Zakher

When it comes to tag teams in TJPW you can expect a lot of creative team names. Some of the names have elaborate reasons behind them, others not so much. Daisy Monkey is so called because Suzume is like a flower and Arisu Endo is like a monkey. That’s it. Simple enough. Out of all of the pairings in TJPW currently Daisy Monkey have perhaps the closest bond together. The two of them are pretty much inseparable. It’s that kind of friendship that led to them finally winning the Princess Tag Team Titles recently. Facing them is the first time pairing of Nao Kakuta & Zara Zakher. This match will likely be Kakuta’s last time wrestling in America while Zakher’s wrestling career is really only just beginning.

Suzume – As sharp as a wasp, Suzume is the Daisy half of Daisy Monkey. She begun her career as a fast learner, only spending seven months in training before making her pro debut. Just on the looks of her aesthetic alone it is of no surprise that speed is the name of her game. As part of the Daisy Monkey team she has held a desire over the last two years (if not longer) to win the Princess Tag Titles so the two of them could reach the same level as the previous champions they fought and admired.
Moves To Watch Out For: Ring A Bell (RKO), Mikazuki Meteor Shower (Diving Cross Body), Twinkle (Twisting School Boy), Flying Facecrusher

Arisu Endo – The Monkey half of Daisy Monkey, please welcome Aizuwakamatsu City’s most cheerful tourism ambassador. She’s always ready to give fans the thumbs up with a smile. Endo also has a habit of constantly dying her hair in new ways, using every colour in the world you can think of. She has so much pride in where she comes from that she named many of her moves after local destinations and traditions. Together with Suzume, Daisy Monkey have established themselves as TJPW’s top tag team of the new generation.
Moves To Watch Out For: Ju no Okite (Hercules Cutter), Camel Clutch, Mt. Bandai (2nd Rope Springboard Dropkick), Tsuruga Castle (Guillotine Knee Drop)

Nao Kakuta – Soon to retire from pro wrestling, Kakuta gets a chance to say goodbye to her American fans. She was previously a kindergarten teacher, a social welfare director and a camp instructor before becoming a stage actress and pro wrestler. Her wrestling career begun in the original class of Actwres girl’Z before she jumped over to TJPW, where she will stay until this July when she graduates from the industry. There are not a lot of heels in TJPW but Kakuta’s wrestling style is closer to that line than pretty much the rest of the regular roster.
Moves To Watch Out For: Shiden Kai (Fireman’s Carry into a Stunner), Kamitaka (Cross-Legged Front Neck Lock), Tarantula Headscissors, Kenka Kick

Zara Zakher – This past February a new young wrestler from California was given a week long tour of Japan to compete in TJPW. With only a year of experience under her belt at that point, Zakher was thrown straight into the fire with both matches being against former champions. Short in frame but deceptively strong, Zakher had an impressive showing despite coming out on the losing end in both matches. She left enough of a good impression that TJPW fans get to see her again here in Philly.
Moves To Watch Out For: Control Z (Screw Bomb), Lariat, Standing Moonsault

5. Mizuki & Vert Vixen Vs Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku

Another international tag but this one with a far wilder selection of wrestlers involved. Mizuki joins forces with Vert Vixen for the first time ever. The two were opponents in America once before now everyone gets to see how well they fare as a team. Going against them is one of the most unlikely but heartwarming friendships you will ever find. What happens when you put a wasteland warrior like Max The Impaler with the childlike innocence of Pom Harajuku? You get a buddy-buddy tag team the likes of which would leave Pixar producers seething with jealousy because they hadn’t thought of it first.

Mizuki – The Popping Sugar Rabbit did not start her wrestling career in TJPW but she has established herself as one of the company’s all time best with multiple championship reigns and big show main events to her name. Don’t trust that smiling face of hers, she is vicious when she wants to be which is often. Constantly goes viral for using the Whirling Candy as well as Diving Double Stomps that leave those who see the moves locked in a state of inspiration and amazement. She doesn’t understand what U3+4 means but she is the closest pro wrestling can get to ever creating a real life Lili from Tekken. Just watch out for the biting. She can take the rabbit stuff a bit too literally sometimes.
Moves To Watch Out For: Cutie Special (Bridging Fall Away Slam), Whirling Candy (Spinning Cross Body Block), Diving Foot Stomp, Face Lock

Vert Vixen – Going from what I see online you can spell the name as either VertVixen or Vert Vixen. At last year’s American shows she made her DDT debut and took her first steps into the CyberFight universe. From there she did a month long tour in Japan with TJPW and returned in the summertime to defend the DEFY Women’s Championship, a title she still holds to this day. Obsessed with video games, her ring gear is often inspired by something gaming related. She is nicknamed Player One because Player One always wins!
Moves To Watch Out For: Game Over (Ki Crusher), Blue Thunder Bomb, Rolling Stunner, Sharpshooter

Max The Impaler – Puroresu has a history of bringing over wild rampaging warriors from the western world to cause chaos in their rings. Who could have guess TJPW of all companies would join in the tradition? Whenever “The Non-Binary Nightmare” comes over to TJPW you can expect a path of chaos being left in their wake. And yet Max has ended up becoming really well liked by the roster. Sure the times they rip the building apart gets management a little worried about future bookings with those venues but Max has become a part of the family at this point. And there is one wrestler more than anyone else who Max has established a strong attachment with.
Moves To Watch Out For: Welcome To The Wasteland (Canadian Backbreaker Drop), Short-Range Lariat, Body Block

Pom Harajuku – Bright and colourful costumes, loud screaming and plenty of kicks aimed at shins. Pom Harajuku’s fighting style can be most compared to that of a three year old throwing a temper tantrum. In recent years she has become the centre of Max The Impaler’s attention. Originally opponents in matches that more resembled a monster chasing down their prey, Max & Pom gradually developed respect for each other leading to them joining forces as a team called Pompaler. That is what happens when Max takes a liking to cute things and discovers just how effective it is to throw those cute things at other people. Even without Max, Harajuku can be a lot to handle by herself. And that’s just from the screaming.
Moves To Watch Out For: Pom de Justice (Step-Up Guillotine Leg Drop), Laforet Harajuku (Satellite Headscissors), Shin Kick, Denden Taiko (beating the opponent’s chest like a drum)

6. Special Tag Match: Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe

Similar to last year’s show the main event pits two of TJPW’s strongest ever tag teams against each other. 121000000 (pronounced “One To Million” because together their power increases from one to a million) consists of Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh. Both of them are feature players in the company yet in the last year they seem to spend more and more time wrestling overseas. Facing them is a team that can go by two names. Their Japanese name is Hakuchumu but I prefer using the English name Daydream. Together Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe are just as accomplished as their opponents and also have the edge of being the more established tag team. The match is also happening in the aftermath of “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” that just took place in Sumo Hall. Watanabe defeated Yamashita to become the new Princess Of Princess Champion in the main event and here they are fighting each other again. The result of this match may have the consequence of setting up the next Princess Title match back in Japan.

Miyu Yamashita – The Pink Striker has been part of TJPW since they first ran events and is never far away from the Princess Title. She is such a major part of the company that her dominance has long become a big fish in a small pond scenario. The Skull Kick she uses is one of the most deadliest looking finishers around. In recent years she has taken time away from TJPW to wrestle in America and Europe just like her tag team partner. That trend continues because after this show takes place Yamashita will begin a fresh stay in America that will last from April until June.
Moves To Watch Out For: Skull Kick (Backspin High Kick to the head), Crash Rabbit Heat (Running Knee Kick), Attitude Adjustment, Return Crash (Triangle Kick off the turnbuckles)

Maki Itoh – A failed idol who won her way into the hearts of wrestling fans after she transformed into a foul mouthed psychopath with an endless appetite for fame. When she’s about to punch her opponent in the corner she always shouts “Who is the cutest in the world?” and the audience respond with “Itoh-chan!” She struggled for years to become a success in Japan only to start making it big in America wrestling for AEW and GCW. In fact, nowadays you’re more likely to see Itoh carving up opponents with a pizza cutter in GCW than you will trying to be a popstar in TJPW! She recently became the new GCW Extreme Champion. It’s only a matter of time before she takes over the whole place!
Moves To Watch Out For: Itoh Special/Deluxe/Punish (Variations of the Texas Cloverleaf), Flying Big Head (Diving Headbutt), I.S.D/Itoh Suicide DDT (Flying DDT from the top rope), The Cutest Knuckle Punch In The World

Rika Tatsumi – The White Dragon originally took her name and some of her moveset from Tatsumi Fujinami and she also developed hips as hard of diamonds thanks to some special training with Shiro Koshinaka. She is one of only two grand slam champions in TJPW, having won the Princess Title, the Princess Tag Titles and the International Princess Title. But turning into such a powerful creature eventually comes at a cost and she has gradually become a little bit crazy. When you step into the ring with Tatsumi she will find a way to strangle you. She claims it is just her way of making friends. She would also happily run her opponents over with the company tour bus if she knew how to drive it.
Moves To Watch Out For: White Dragon Sleeper, Twist Of Fate, Hip Attack, “Let’s Go!” Elbow Drop, Choking Opponents

Miu Watanabe – The second Up Up Girl appearing on the show and also the strongest. She has found the most success outside of the group by becoming the second ever grand slam champion along with headlining “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” in Sumo Hall just a few days ago. It is the first step towards an Up Up Girl’s ultimate goal of performing in the Nippon Budokan. Always full of energy, she uses big hand gestures to spell out L-O-V-E along with her theme song during her entrances. You need to see her doing the Giant Swing because she knows several ways to put opponents into the move. She’s no one hit wonder though. There are a variety of ways Watanabe gets to show off her strength in the ring. Everyone could see for years that she is TJPW’s next breakout star. It’s only just recently that the booking finally caught up to that opinion.
Moves To Watch Out For: Tear Drop (Modified Flapjack), Laserbeam (Overhand Chop to the chest), Giant Swing, Canadian Backbreaker, Swinging Backbreaker

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GCW/TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GCW VS TJPW”, 06/04/2024
Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Suzume & Pom Harajuku Vs SAKI & Nao Kakuta
2. Session Moth Martina Vs Raku
3. Dark Sheik Vs Yuki Kamifuku
4. Steph De Lander Vs Hyper Misao
5. Shazza McKenzie Vs Arisu Endo
6. Allie Katch Vs Mizuki
7. Billie Starkz & Janai Kai Vs Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe
8. Special 6-Woman Tag Match: Rina Yamashita, Masha Slamovich & Maki Itoh Vs Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino

The next afternoon TJPW goes head to head against GCW with a show dedicated almost entirely to inter-promotion matches between the two companies. I’ve written about GCW before when DDT worked with them last year so if you don’t mind I’ll repeat my opinions of them here. GCW is a promotion I like but don’t love. I’ve gotten to attend a variety of their events before, most of them during WrestleMania week. They’re really fun to attend in person and I enjoy watching live on Triller whenever I get to chance to do so. Watching the shows on-demand a day or two later though isn’t the same because the energy never carries through the screen. It’s a promotion that does not give its viewers a lot of time to let things soak in because as soon as one show ends they go right into promoting their next events. It can make following them online a bit of a blur at times.

The “GCW Vs X” shows often come off feeling like the lesser event of their doubleshot weekends and I fear the same has happened here despite the admirable effort on GCW’s end to provide an all women’s lineup. It doesn’t help that this show will be on Saturday afternoon and ends only a couple of hours before the first night of WrestleMania opens its doors. I’ve been to other wrestling shows held the same day as WrestleMania in the past and the atmosphere was always poor because the majority of the crowd spends the show keeping an eye on the exits for the entire time. I’m trying to be polite here because the undercard has the potential to be atrocious. Matches #3 up to #6 could be an absolute slog to sit through if some of those style clashes don’t work out. The card was changed a little bit because Sawyer Wreck was originally part of it. A broken hand put her out of action and caused a small reshuffle which includes SAKI getting a last minute booking so she can team with Kakuta. I don’t know what how Allie Katch Vs Mizuki will turn out. That feels like a coin flip as to whether or not the match will be good.

There is something I like about the lineup and that’s the main event. Itoh being on the GCW side makes sense given how she’s been booked in both companies over the last two years. The GCW team consisting of three of their hardest pushed wrestlers against three of TJPW’s longest serving mainstays is a really good idea. And I don’t just mean GCW’s hardest pushed women. Itoh, Rina Yamashita and Masha Slamovich have been among the hardest pushed wrestlers out of the GCW roster in general. That trio is the GCW Ultraviolent Champion, the GCW Extreme Champion and the JCW Champion all joining forces together. Miyu and Masha are great in the ring together while Nakajima and Rina had some fun interactions teaming together during Saki Akai’s retirement road last year. The wild card of the match is Yuki Aino. She might just be there to eat the pin but stranger things have happened.

The penultimate tag match looks fine. I don’t have any complaints about it. I’m a little concerned that Billie Starkz & Janai Kai might be a little tired because of their busy schedules in Philadelphia that week. They both have a bunch of matches already booked and by the time this show happens Starkz will have had a crazy No Rules match with MAO on the DDT show, a possibly crazy match with Misao in TJPW and a championship match in ROH. That kind of schedule is sure to leave some bruises. But other than that they should do good against Daydream.

Last thing to note is the GCW side ran out of women so the opener is all TJPW, even before the card change was made to include SAKI. That is unless Suzume and Pom Harajuku were on the GCW side all along. Has Suzume been the third member of Los Macizos and Pom Harajuku part of the Second Gear Crew this entire time?!?

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There’s at least one other chance to see Maki Itoh during the week. Here is another show at The Collective she will be wrestling on.

GCW “JOEY JANELA’S SPRING BREAK 8”, 05/04/2024
Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Nick Gage & Maki Itoh Vs Danhausen & Ram Kaichow

While Itoh went back to Japan to wrestle for TJPW again, Gage went and teamed with Danhausen to challenge for the GCW Tag Team Titles. They lost and Danhausen blamed the result on Gage. That caused Gage to come up with a challenge. He and Itoh will fight Danhausen and a partner of his choice at some point during The Collective. All signs pointed towards the annual Spring Break show as the destination for the match. Then Joey Janela broke the news that Danhausen chose Ram Kaichow to be his teammate! Itoh and Kaichow have never crossed paths in the ring before because Kaichow’s TJPW appearances are often contained within the Rakuverse

GCW “JJSB: CLUSTERF*CK FOREVER!”, 06/04/2024
Penns Landing Caterers Auditorium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

1. Clusterfuck Match: X Vs X

I’m including this because there are apparently going to be 88 contestants entering this year’s annual Clusterfuck Match so maybe a few TJPW entries could show up in it? Perhaps Itoh will have an Extreme Title defence on the card too.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” Results

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’24”, 31/03/2024
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
2,349 Fans

1. Haru Kazashiro, Runa Okubo & Uta Takami defeated Shino Suzuki, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer when Kazashiro pinned Nanase with a Fisherman Suplex (7:43).
2. Nao Kakuta & Ami Yumoto defeated Mahiro Kiryu & HIMAWARI when Kakuta pinned HIMAWARI with the Shiden Kai (8:52).
3. Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Andreza Giant Panda & Kaya Toribami (w/ Haruna Neko) when Raku pinned Toribami with the Doctor Yellow (8:38).
4. Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano defeated Wakana Uehara & Toga when Miyamoto pinned Toga with the Korokan (11:11).
5. Masha Slamovich defeated Rika Tatsumi with the White Knight Driver (10:35).
6. Aja Kong & Max The Impaler defeated Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao when Kong pinned Misao with the Diving Back Elbow Drop (12:39).
7. Special Single Match: Minoru Suzuki defeated Maki Itoh by Referee Stoppage with the Sleeper Hold (18:01).
8. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki defeated Emi Sakura & Chris Brookes when Mizuki pinned Sakura with the Aquamarine (15:43).
9. International Princess Title: Yuki Arai (c) defeated Yuki Kamifuku with the Finally (11:28).
*V2 for Yuki Arai.
10. Princess Tag Team Titles: Suzume & Arisu Endo defeated Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino (c) when Suzume pinned Aino with the Ring A Bell (15:57).
*Yukiniki fails in V1. Daisy Monkey become the 16th Princess Tag Team Champions!
11. Princess Of Princess Title: Miu Watanabe defeated Miyu Yamashita (c) with the Tear Drop (20:07).
*Miyu Yamashita fails in V4. Miu Watanabe becomes the 14th Princess Of Princess Champion!

Has the dawn of a new era finally begun up for Tokyo Joshi Pro? The big story coming out of “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” is the young generation of wrestlers surpassing the veterans in each of the three title matches. None was more newsworthy than the main event where Miu Watanabe defeated Miyu Yamashita for the second time in her career to become the new Princess Of Princess Champion! It was as loud of a declaration as she could make in a Sumo Hall main event, kicking out of the pin after taking the Skull Kick (first time that ever happened in TJPW) and pinning Yamashita clean with the Tear Drop. This title win also makes Watanabe the second ever Grand Slam champion in TJPW!

Watanabe was overcome with emotion after the match. She thanked everyone for their support and talked about how much she loves TJPW. The company is entering its 11th year of existence and from now on everyone in TJPW are going to have plenty of big dreams that she wants to see come true. She will do her best to make those dreams come true and hopes everyone will love TJPW forever! The show ended with the entire roster gathered together on the entrance stage and bowing to the audience in thanks for their support. All of the new champions then remained for a group photo together.

Backstage Watanabe told reporters she’s been with TJPW for 6 or 7 years and came into the company not knowing anything about pro wrestling. It was the kindness and love she found within TJPW that made her fall in love with the promotion. It is an important place for her which makes today’s championship win even more meaningful. She looks forward to being here for another 10, 20 and even 30 years so she can expand her dreams! In regards to Yamashita, Watanabe believes she has now caught up with her but it only takes a second for Yamashita to sprint back ahead with incredible speed. It will be the same for the rest of Yamashita’s generation so Watanabe wants to be a champion who can take them all on. Yamashita admitted it was frustrating to lose but she is happy to see Watanabe become the champion. It gives her another reason to keep getting stronger. If Yamashita is currently at her limit then she will now focus on exceeding it.

The other title change of the day was in the semi-main event. Daisy Monkey have now won the Princess Tag Team Titles that’s been out of their reach for so long! Yukiniki put up a good fight and had the plan to isolate Suzume late in the match. Yuki Aino gave her a Side Suplex and Ryo Mizunami followed with the Uranage for a nearfall. Suzume blocked the UBV attempt long enough for Arisu Endo to come back in and even the odds. Together Daisy Monkey used a double team Facebuster on Aino and Suzume finished her off with the Ring A Bell for the title switch.

Daisy Monkey were so happy to win they didn’t even know what to do with the title belts or the streamers that were thrown for them. Suzume said she knew there were always people who supported her and with Endo by her side they were able to fight at their most passionate and win. Endo cried because what makes Suzume happy makes her happy too. So many of the senpais that they admire have held the tag titles and now Daisy Monkey’s name is deservedly added to that lineage. Suzume said their team was missing a pink colour and Yukiniki gave it to them today. So from now on they want to defend the belts against a variety of challengers who will offer them something new. They will absorb all the different colours from them to become more colorful than the rainbow! Aino is upset to lose but feels she has moved to the next level thanks to Mizunami. She is ready to take on new challenges and fight for more championships. Mizunami explained wrestling is a dream-filled profession and seeing Aino become so motivated after losing makes her think she is ready to take her own next step too.

The International Princess Title match ended up having a big connection to Saki Akai thanks to both participants. Yuki Arai used to team with Akai as Reiwa AA Cannon until Akai retired from wrestling. Yuki Kamifuku wrestled the match wearing the costume top Akai gave to her the last time they were in the ring together. She also wanted to steal the spotlight knowing that a lot of SKE48 fans were in the audience today. However Arai went kick for kick against her, dodged the Famouser and beat Kamifuku with the Finally. Arai remembers the last time she wrestled in Sumo Hall two years ago she challenged for the IP Title and lost. Today she successfully defended the same title in the same venue, giving herself even more confidence. It makes her excited to see what she can do in another two years time. Kamifuku admitted her opinions on SKE48 changed today. She wanted to outshine them but when she watched their mini-concert during the show she realised they were too cute and she knew all of their songs. Now Arai is somebody she wants to go out for drinks with someday! Until that happens Kamifuku is considering going on another trip somewhere in Asia to brush up on her beauty tips.

The Magical Sugar Rabbits came back ready to fly all over Sumo Hall against the unusual team of TeaDK. That pair went off to an awkward start when Emi Sakura had to order Chris Brookes into helping her with double team moves that just didn’t work well because of their size difference. MagiRabi took advantage with big dive moves including a double dive that came off one of the aisleway entrances! Yuka Sakazaki also showed her strength by giving Brookes the Magical Merry-Go-Round as well as the Tea Time. TeaDK had more moments of bad teamwork but still overpowered Mizuki with their attacks. Mizuki wiped out Brookes with the Whirling Candy before facing off with Sakura once again. They had a back and forth exchange that ended with Mizuki pinning Sakura with the Aquamarine!

Backstage Sakazaki said the match hurt a lot but still felt so right. It was her first match since graduating from TJPW and she admitted her future turned out differently than what she imagined. She is feeling refreshed and excited because she hasn’t done anything in the last four months. It is still her plan to go to America this year but right now her schedule is undecided. Mizuki was happy to beat Sakura the way she did but admits it doesn’t feel like she won at all. Sakura is always ahead of her and Mizuki fears she can never catch up. Elsewhere TeaDK were at odds over why they lost. Sakura blamed Brookes while he tried to tell her she is not royalty. She wouldn’t listen and Brookes was left thinking he is better off going back to CDK.

Maki Itoh knew she was in for an impossible fight against Minoru Suzuki but she still gave it her best shot. She tried to get on his good side by acting cute and polite but they just made Suzuki ask what’s so cute about her? Suzuki grabbed Itoh by the hair, making her cry. He complained to Yukinori Matsui but took it too far and made him cry too. In Itoh’s case it was just a trap to get the jump on Suzuki. That didn’t work out because Suzuki hit her with a chair outside the ring. Itoh kept trying to fight back both in the fight as well as the war of words. She countered the Gotch-Style Piledriver into a Cradle for a few nearfalls until Suzuki caught her in the Sleeper Hold. Itoh fainted from the move and the match had to be stopped. When Itoh regained consciousness she refused to shake his hand, opting to give him the middle finger instead. Suzuki grabbed Itoh by the middle finger and dragged her backstage all the way to the interview desk. Itoh stuck up her other middle finger and Suzuki grabbed that too. He held on until Itoh apologised. Suzuki patted her on the head and left, promising he will be back. Itoh told the reporters it was fun to wrestle Suzuki. Next time she would like to team with him again.

With the new and improved Hypami Dramatic Dream combat bike fully completed, Kyoraku Kyomei were ready to take on the incoming rampage of Aja Kong & Max The Impaler. They had other tricks up their sleeve like Hyper Misao blinding Kong with a her spray so Kong would miss the Diving Elbow Drop. The match didn’t take long to move out of the ring. Misao tried to run over Kong with the Hypami DD but she dodged out of the way. However Shoko Nakajima caught Kong and kept her in place long enough for Misao to turn the bike around and crash it into her! Back in the ring Max came to Kong’s rescue and soon the two monsters were armed with steel cans. After beating up Kyoraku Kyomei with the cans, Kong & Max decided to give them Piledrivers together. Kong then copied Misao’s “I Am A Hero” catchphrase and hit the Diving Elbow Drop for the three count. Kong called it a forgone conclusion. The Princess Tag Team Champions should consider themselves lucky that Kong & Max aren’t the next challengers. As soon as Kong said that she began to wonder out loud what would happen if they did become the champions…

The reigning JCW Champion came to Sumo Hall and put down one of TJPW’s main stars. Masha Slamovich survived being strangled by Rika Tatsumi and also caught her Hip Attack. Tatsumi was left stunned with a Spin Kick to the head and was done for when Slamovich gave her the White Knight Driver. Slamovich said winning a match in Sumo Hall felt special and she is ready to fight more TJPW wrestlers in Philadelphia next week. Tatsumi hopes she will come back so they can have a rematch. If she doesn’t then Tatsumi will just go searching after her.

The new ring costumes worn by Wakana Uehara & Toga were not enough for them to beat Shinken Kusho. Instead it was the teamwork of Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano that made the difference. Nagano took care of Uehara allowing Miyamoto to beat Toga with the Korokan. With only a short time remaining until Nagano’s graduation, Shinken Kusho were happy to win in the same building where Nagano debuted and started teaming with Miyamoto two years ago.

It turns out that Raku’s lullaby is super effective against giant pandas. She was able to send Andreza Giant Panda to dreamland, thanks to some help from Pom Harajuku placing a pillow beneath his head. Andreza woke up when they tried to pin him with the Oyasumi Express. When Andreza became too powerful to fight directly, RakuPom turned their attention to Kaya Toribami. Andreza ended up Headbutting Toribami by accident, giving Raku the opening to give her the Doctor Yellow and win. Andreza took the result in his stride though and was happy he got along with both Toribami and Haruna Neko. He wants to make even more animal friends so they can all be part of an Animal Paradise. He also warned TJPW that some of the stuff that happened to him in the ring today counts as animal abuse and he will be calling the animal welfare centre later.

It was a successful debut match for Ami Yumoto. She started off the match against HIMAWARI and held her own. Things got difficult when HIMAWARI tagged in Mahiro Kiryu but Nao Kakuta was there to save the day. Yumoto did a dive onto Kiryu out of the ring while Kakuta beat HIMAWARI with the Shiden Kai. Yumoto wished she could have done more in training to be better prepared. She hopes this match will be a good opportunity to set up another one in the future. She said she has always been a tomboy since she was a kid and would like to do more high flying moves next time. Kakuta would like to team with her again but her advice to Yumoto is to prioritise her health and career.

The JK Trio of Haru Kazashiro, Runa Okubo & Uta Takami won in the opening contest. Does this make them the youngest pro wrestling team to ever win a match in Sumo Hall? The match went back and forth until the teenagers hit a Triple Dropkick to Shino Suzuki, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer. Kazashiro then used a Fisherman Suplex to pin Nanase.

Five members of SKE48 including Yuki Arai held a mini-concert after the third match. For one member Marika Tani it turned out to be her final live performance because today is her graduation from the idol unit. One thing she noticed is at SKE48 concerts the fans chant “Yuki-chan” for Yuki Arai but at wrestling shows the fans chant “Arai” for her instead.

Did April Fool’s come a day early? There was an announcement at the beginning of the show of a collaboration between TJPW and mecha franchise Armored Trooper Votoms. As part of the collaboration famed mecha designer Kunio Okawara created illustrations of existing Votoms robots with colour schemes and accessories related to TJPW wrestlers. The first revealed designs are Berserga Pink Striker based on Miyu Yamashita and Cat Shoulder based on Haruna Neko.

It was announced that “SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’24” will be held at Korakuen Hall on 20th July. Normally that show would be held somewhere like Ota Ward Gymnasium. However that building won’t be available for a while because it is being renovated for the rest of the year.

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’24” Preview

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “GRAND PRINCESS ’24”, 31/03/2024
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. Shino Suzuki, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer Vs Haru Kazashiro, Runa Okubo & Uta Takami
2. Nao Kakuta & Ami Yumoto Vs Mahiro Kiryu & HIMAWARI
3. Andreza Giant Panda & Kaya Toribami (w/ Haruna Neko) Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku
4. Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano Vs Wakana Uehara & Toga
5. Rika Tatsumi Vs Masha Slamovich
6. Aja Kong & Max The Impaler Vs Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao
7. Special Single Match: Minoru Suzuki Vs Maki Itoh
8. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Emi Sakura & Chris Brookes
9. International Princess Title: Yuki Arai (c) Vs Yuki Kamifuku
10. Princess Tag Team Titles: Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino (c) Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo
11. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Miu Watanabe

The third annual “GRAND PRINCESS” supershow is taking place this Sunday. It is where Tokyo Joshi Pro will return to Sumo Hall after last year’s attempt at running Ariake Coliseum. The promotion’s three championships are all represented in the late side of the card but you will find some of the matches making the most headlines are right there underneath them. We have new faces that weren’t here a year ago, a few women who will soon be saying goodbye to wrestling, somebody who already said goodbye not that long ago but came back anyway and a few guests coming over to check things out as well. The three title matches will also end up answering a question that always follows TJPW’s biggest shows. Are they finally going to push the next generation? Let’s look through the matches one by one and see what’s on offer.

1. Shino Suzuki, Chika Nanase & Kira Summer Vs Haru Kazashiro, Runa Okubo & Uta Takami

It is up to the six lowest wrestlers on the tier list to open up the show. Three of the wrestlers only have a year of experience each. The other three have only debuted in the last month and only have around five matches under their belt! Shino Suzuki was the first of the six to make her debut and has been making strides in the ring lately. “She Know” might know how to lead her rookie partners Chika Nanase & Kira Summer to victory. Nanase has a pretty strong Shoulder Block she uses as her first move to build matches around. Summer was already no stranger to wrestling before she joined TJPW because her siblings back in Australia are wrestlers too. Facing them are the three youngest wrestlers on the roster. Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo debuted together at last year’s “GRAND PRINCESS” show. As the year progressed Kazashiro ended up getting more matches because Okubo needed to improve her school work. Kazashiro only just recently won her first singles match too by beating Suzuki. The newcomer on their side is Uta Takami, the newest member of The Up Up Girls. The best way I’ve seen her described so far is she has “bratty little sister energy”. So if you’re the kind of fan who gets drawn in by Mei Suruga’s personality then Takami is going to grab your attention. In terms of wondering which side has the advantage, it might actually go to the team of teenagers because they have more ring time combined than the adults!

2. Nao Kakuta & Ami Yumoto Vs Mahiro Kiryu & HIMAWARI

A match that was about a new beginning for someone when it was announced and has since added the story of the end approaching for someone else. Let’s start with the new beginning. Ami Yumoto is a former idol who was a member of the famous AKB48 troupe. She was part of group from 2013 until her graduation last year. You may have seen her before in that viral clip of the most highly produced Rock Paper Scissors tournament anyone outside of Japan has ever seen. In that time Yumoto participated in the Tofu Pro Wrestling series under the gimmick name Komanechi Yumoto so she has some familiarity with wrestling already. Since leaving AKB48 Yumoto became a stage actress and worked on a play with Nao Kakuta. The two of them became friends and Kakuta encouraged Yumoto to come see TJPW for herself. The reason is when Kakuta discovered TJPW she fell in love with the place and she thinks Yumoto will do the same. The two will be teaming together for the idol’s debut match. It may be a one off but if Kakuta’s plan is correct, Yumoto might end up sticking around afterwards.

That brings us to the point I made about the end approaching. Two weeks after Yumoto’s debut was announced, Kakuta dropped the news she will be graduating from TJPW and retiring from pro wrestling in July. It sounds like she’s ready to move on from being a performer in general because she said her next career step is going to be something that will not put her in front of an audience again. It’s a shame to see her leaving soon because I was hopeful there would be a chance for her to move up a spot this year. The success she finally earned last year got wiped out due to matters outside of her power. However given how roster advancement goes in this company that same success was probably the most she was going to get and she realised that herself. No shame in calling it a career when you’ve done everything you can do and know there is nothing else possible within your means.

Those stories above mean the match will be all about those two and not their opponents. Mahiro Kiryu got her day in the sun last year when she unexpectedly became the main character of the highly praised “HYPE!” show. HIMAWARI has fitted into the TJPW undercard so perfectly you’d think she was part of the company for years already. Either of them could very likely pick up the win just by targeting Yumoto but it is also a believable result if Kakuta just clears house and wins in her final Sumo Hall appearance instead without Yumoto having to do much for the finish.

3. Andreza Giant Panda & Kaya Toribami (w/ Haruna Neko) Vs Raku & Pom Harajuku

If last year’s match was “Andreza Minus-One” then you can call this year’s match “Andreza x Kaya”. Last year Andreza Giant Panda teamed with Haruna Neko but it’s a little different this time around. The catgirl has been out of action with an injury for a long while now. She will still be at the panda’s side but won’t be able to wrestle in the match itself. That’s not a problem because you can just swap out the cat for a bird. Kaya Toribami will be Andreza’s partner here in what could be the second ever recorded interaction between a panda and a cassowary (TikTok beat them to the punch because of course TikTok would).

TJPW’s resident kaiju and superhero are busy dealing with a more demanding challenge later in the show so who gets the responsibility of containing Andreza within Ryogoku this time? It’s RakuPom that has to deal with it now. Raku makes sense the more I think of it because trains have been used to take down giant monsters before and the power of sleep can turn Andreza into a Snorlax. Pom Harajuku’s chances will depend on what happens when you kick a large inflatable thing over and over. Maybe she can kick Andreza at the right angle and cause it to burst from the shins. If none of that works Raku & Harajuku can always use the power of friendship to prevail. Or just focus on beating Toribami, that would be a lot easier.

4. Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano Vs Wakana Uehara & Toga

Another match where one of the participants will be wrestling in Sumo Hall for the final time. Juria Nagano has her finger in a lot of pies and sadly it’s reached the point where she no longer has the focus and energy to continue her pro wrestling career. This match is happening two weeks before her final bout and graduation from TJPW takes place. She said she wants to keep fighting as hard as she can until she burns out. That hard work paid off when she finally won her first singles match in February. She won’t have any championships or tournament wins under her name when she graduates but to her it was still all worth it. Teaming with Nagano is Moka Miyamoto, one of the current gen wrestlers who’s been climbing up the card and finding more opportunities along the way. As long as she keeps going the way she’s going now, I can see her getting eventually rewarded with some success in the future. It’s sad to see Shinken Kusho become such a short lived tag team because two karate girls working together like that was fun to watch.

Their opponents are two wrestlers who debuted TJPW almost a year after Nagano did and I’d say just about count as the next generation after her. Wakana Uehara has become noticeably more popular over 2023. She won the Next Generation Tournament to become the top prospect in her class, her social media numbers are going up and she has that one fan that constantly shouts “WAKANAAAAAA!” during her matches. Everything’s going up for the girl with the big appetite. Toga is getting more comfortable with herself in the ring and starting to show she has more to offer than just throwing a big Elbow Strike. Her finisher is one of the weirdest ways I’ve ever seen anyone do the Rock Bottom but it still looks like it hurts when she drives her opponent onto the mat.

5. Rika Tatsumi Vs Masha Slamovich

The antics of a certain “White Dragon” has been gradually getting more unhinged as time goes by. It’s one thing for Rika Tatsumi to always choke people during a wrestling match but when she’s scary enough to make Demonio Uno or Demonio Dos nervous then it’s probably time to put her in check. If only there was somebody out there with the pain tolerance to handle Tatsumi at her worst as well as being powerful enough to challenge Tatsumi at her best. Oh! Good to see you again Masha Slamovich, boy does TJPW have an opponent for you! Earlier this year Slamovich had a great performance in the main event of the annual 4th January show in Korakuen Hall. Meanwhile she is racking up Tatsumi has spent most of 2024 wrestling in the tag team division as part of Daydream. This is a good matchup for both women and I can see the result setting up a No. 1 Contender for either of the singles championships in the aftermath.

6. Aja Kong & Max The Impaler Vs Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao

Damn it, I should have saved the Godzilla x Kong joke for this match. Kyoraku Kyomei did such a great job handling a giant kaiju at last year’s “GRAND PRINCESS”. So much so they are now being counted on to fight the two meanest monsters TJPW can find! In a throwback to the days of Stan Hansen & Bruiser Brody teaming up as the Miracle Power Combination, TJPW have decided to put Aja Kong & Max The Impaler together on the same side. The previous times the two of them have been in the ring were as opponents. The wrestlers they teamed with were more concerned about protecting the venue from getting ripped apart than they were with winning the match. What hope does Sumo Hall have now that Kong & Max are going to team together? That’s when you call on the services of Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao to save the day.

Kyoraku Kyomei are well aware of the younger wrestlers in TJPW doing their best to catch up with the veteran generation. That kind of threat was what kept them motivated until this match was announced. Nakajima is looking forward to it because it is her chance to prove the Big Kaiju is also the strongest kaiju. Misao is not as enthusiastic. She only just recently built the second generation Hypami Dramatic Dream bike thanks to a successful crowd funding campaign. The original was destroyed by Aja Kong so there is no way Misao will let her or Max lay even a finger on the new one. Misao also warns the new bike has a secret weapon that was specially built in to deal with those two monsters. Maybe even three if Nakajima accidentally gets in the way.

7. Special Single Match: Minoru Suzuki Vs Maki Itoh

The cutest in the world is going to fight the meanest king of pro wrestling! A recurring story for a long time now is Maki Itoh becoming more and more disconnected from the rest of TJPW. She wrestles in America for GCW more often and whenever she does come back to Japan her matches in TJPW are in the middle of the card and she feels aimless despite still winning matches. Her wrestling career is still going great, it’s just that more and more of her highlights are happening away from TJPW. The big one that happened recently was Itoh winning the GCW Extreme Title. She’ll have the title belt with her coming down to the ring on the night but her match will have nothing to do with it. It is about something even more important.

In February Itoh went to the Piledriver clothing shop in Harajuku in search of its Minoru Suzuki. When she found him she pitched an idea for the two of them to team up at Sumo Hall. They have teamed up once before in DDT and Itoh thinks the cutest wrestler in the world teaming with the meanest person on the planet would draw fans to the show. Suzuki flipped the idea on its head and told Itoh it would be even more buzzworthy if the two of them fought each other in a singles match! Itoh was left speechless by the suggestion but pulled up the courage not just to accept the match but promise she will end Suzuki’s career too! Suzuki saw the funny side of the threat and isn’t intimidated. Itoh’s wrestling career is only the size of Suzuki’s little finger in comparison to his own legendary career.

In the leadup to the match Itoh had time to think over it. She wanted to send a message to Suzuki that she has no fear so she choked out Shino Suzuki with a Sleeper Hold backstage during a show. Then she went to Twitter and posted a long message about her wrestling life from the start up until now. She is now the best she has ever been but misses the desperation her younger self had back when she started out. She needs to feel true despair again and can only find it by fighting someone who can bring it out of her. The match against Suzuki is going to be exactly that. She knows he is going to beat her to a pulp but she cannot wait to feel that desperate energy again in order to take herself to the next level. For Suzuki this will just be another match. For Itoh it is going to be the only match in the world that matters.

8. Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki Vs Emi Sakura & Chris Brookes

Okay tell me if I got this correct. Yuka Sakazaki graduated from TJPW in December, said her 2024 plans were to relocate to America and continue her wrestling career there. The graduation happened and since then Sakazaki hasn’t wrestled anywhere, might have stayed in Japan the entire time and her first match back in almost five months is going to be in… Tokyo Joshi Pro. I’m just as confused about this as you might be. Was she prevented from re-entering America to protect all the mascots at Disney World or something? In reality it’s either just a visa situation that is delaying her plans or she isn’t travelling overseas unless she has something ready to do.

Sakazaki coming back to TJPW is good news for Mizuki. Nobody is happier to be in the ring with her again than the other half of The Magical Sugar Rabbits. When Sakazaki’s return was first announced, Mizuki was nervous there would not be a reunion because the match wasn’t revealed at the time. Imagine the relief she must have felt when she found out followed by the surprise over who they are fighting against. MagiRabi are taking on a queen they both had battles with in the past along with a very tall new opponent for them.

Here’s the funny thing. Emi Sakura and Chris Brookes will both be wrestling in TJPW for the first time ever yet their appearances are not as random as they sound. Sakura was a mentor figure for Mizuki in the early parts of her career and they’ve been in plenty of matches together. She also fought Sakazaki a bunch in AEW on their Youtube shows. Brookes meanwhile is often at the announce desk doing English commentary for TJPW’s most important shows of the year. They are a suitable pairing to take on The Magical Sugar Rabbits. All they need now is a name. You can count on Sakura to come up with one because she is calling the team TeaDK!

9. International Princess Title: Yuki Arai (c) Vs Yuki Kamifuku

The eventual takeover by the idol is moving along at a slow pace as planned. Yuki Arai won her second championship in January when she defeated the seemingly unbeatable Max The Impaler for the International Princess Title. It is only a matter of time before she moves on to chase after the biggest prize but we’ll cross that bridge whenever we get to it. Let’s stick to the present where Arai is the IP Champ and already has one successful title defence in her reign. A glamourous girl like her needs a glamourous opponent for such a big show. Luckily there is someone right here who fits the description.

Yuki Kamifuku has shown a lot more determination to win recently. Last year in the Tokyo Princess Cup she became fed up with her own excuses about never taking tournaments seriously because the younger wrestlers were using it against her whenever she lost. She proved all of them wrong by reaching the final round. While she did not win the tournament, her run of success getting there was the spark needed to figure out what she wanted to do next. She began searching for ways she could make TJPW more exciting. One of them was wrestling around Southeast Asia and winning the Queen Of Asia Title. Next on her list is challenging Arai for the IP Title because it is a match that can attract fans from their hometowns (Nagoya for Arai and Fujisawa for Kamifuku). She also thinks two beautiful women fighting over a championship sounds like an exciting way to draw in a crowd.

10. Princess Tag Team Titles: Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino (c) Vs Suzume & Arisu Endo

There have been many great super subs in sport throughout the years. Ole Gunnar Solskjear for Manchester United, Manu Ginobili for the San Antonio Spurs, Tadashi Yamaguchi for Karasuno High School and perhaps the most greatest of them all… Ryo Mizunami for Tokyo Joshi Pro! Whenever TJPW was in need of a last minute replacement, Aniki was there to step up for them. That kind of reliability was rewarded with a Princess Tag Team Titles run with Yuki Aino as her partner. It’s been a successful pairing that is taking them all the way to an important championship match at Sumo Hall.

The championship win was also a big boost for Aino. Tag Team wrestling has always been where her better performances come from but she keeps trying to break out into singles wrestling. This new team she formed with Mizunami was built upon their individual strengths rather than their teamwork so in a way it is kind of giving Aino the best of both worlds. The vacant titles went to Yukiniki when they won a 3 Way Match at the expense of Daisy Monkey. And wouldn’t you know it, Daisy Monkey are back looking to take those titles as revenge!

That 3 Way Match in January put Daisy Monkey in a disadvantage from the get-go. The original match was Suzume & Arisu Endo challenging the champions Free WiFi. That plan was thrown out the window because of Hikari Noa suddenly going on hiatus, causing WiFi to be stripped of the belts. While that match ended up being a big setback for Daisy Monkey, they were ready to start climbing from the bottom once again. In February they fought tooth and nail to win the annual Max Heart Tournament and become recognised as TJPW’s strongest tag team. They immediately called their shot and challenged Yukiniki for the titles. It is the one thing Suzume & Endo want more than anything else because becoming the champions will put them on the same level as all of the tag teams from TJPW’s history that they admire.

11. Princess Of Princess Title: Miyu Yamashita (c) Vs Miu Watanabe

Memories of the 2022 Tokyo Princess Cup remain fresh in my mind. That was the year Miu Watanabe scored the upset semi-final win against Miyu Yamashita that planted the seeds to this weekend’s main event. The story today is similar to what it was back then. Watanabe believes she is ready to beat the veteran generation and surpass them to become the best wrestler in TJPW. The person who stands in her way though is the ace who has been on top of the company since day one. It’s Yamashita. It is always Yamashita. Watanabe got a reminder of that when she was pinned with the Skull Kick for the finish of the 10th Anniversary main event last December.

Yamashita’s 4th Princess Of Princess Title reign has so far been built around defences against foreign wrestlers. Regina, Delmi Exo (happened in MLW) and Masha Slamovich have all failed to dethrone her. She is also going on another tour of America this year that will last from April to June. If Yamashita wins at Sumo Hall she intends to bring the belt with her for more title defences overseas. It’s a situation all too familiar for TJPW fans. Yamashita has done it all on top and has become an even bigger fish in the small pond.

Watanabe’s talents make her the natural choice for a brand new champion yet TJPW always relies on the original generation to carry the top belt. The Princess Title lineage has been running through the same cycle of Yamashita, Sakazaki, Nakajima, Tatsumi and Mizuki since 2018. While it might be prestigious to book a championship lineage around an exclusive club, TJPW is long past the point of giving the ball to somebody new so they can run with it. The concern is they might miss the window and wait too long to crown the next ace. Do we really need another wrestling company that delays their coronation of a new star for a year again?

Tetsuya Koda’s management philosophy follows that of the idol industry. Over there the senior generation of idols graduate and open up new spots for the junior idols to take their place. That is how the business evolves. TJPW’s roster progression feels similar but moves at a much more glacial pace, perhaps surprisingly so. Not to jynx anything but it always amazes me the amount of wrestlers TJPW produced in its history that have stuck around for the long haul. Does it take losing main eventers like Sakazaki for the younger wrestlers to finally move up the ladder? Does that mean there is a permanent bottleneck on top for as long as Yamashita remains in TJPW competing at the level she always does? If she ever does leave would TJPW just resort to relying on the remaining former Princess Champions to carry the title scene again? Those are the questions on my mind if Yamashita beats Watanabe this Sunday. If Watanabe wins and becomes the champion instead then buckle up because TJPW will be stepping into fresh territory for the first time in a long time.