What’s Going On Everywhere Else?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stone Out, Kelly In, Charismania x Mania x Mania, Super Japan Mixed Tag

TOKYO JOSHI PRO “WRESTLE PRINCESS VI”, 20/09/2025
Tokyo Ota Ward Gymnasium

1. Suzume & Ren Konatsu Vs Mei Suruga & Uta Takami
2. Iron Man Heavymetalweight Title – Staggered Entry Battle Royal: Pokotan (c) Vs Raku Vs Mahiro Kiryu Vs Shino Suzuki Vs Mifu Ashida Vs Kira Summer Vs Chika Nanase Vs Ram Kaichow
3. Aja Kong Vs HIMAWARI
4. Rika Tatsumi Vs Pom Harajuku
5. Hiroyo Matsumoto & Yuki Arai Vs Haru Kazashiro & Toga
6. Miyu Yamashita & Kaya Toribami Vs Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino
7. International Princess Title Match: Arisu Endo Vs Priscilla Kelly
8. Princess Tag Team Titles: Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao (c) Vs Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara
9. Princess Of Princess Title: Mizuki (c) Vs Miu Watanabe

A knee injury has prevented Jada Stone from travelling to Japan so she is no longer able to appear at “WRESTLE PRINCESS VI”. A new opponent is needed for Arisu Endo so she will now face Priscilla Kelly in the match with the vacant International Princess Title on the line. Pom Harajuku has been taken out of the Battle Royal to become Rika Tatsumi’s new opponent. That match will also have special rules applied which will be announced as soon as they are determined.

I don’t know if I can get a preview of the show completed before Saturday. I’ve been feeling under the weather lately which stopped me from writing one. One might be posted on Friday night but don’t take that as a promise.

DDT “CHARISMANIAxMANIAxMANIA”, 02/10/2025
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Special 6-Man Tag Match: Minoru Fujita, Hiroshi Yamato & MJ Paul Vs Yuko Miyamoto, Masashi Takeda & Choun-Shiryu
2. Daisuke Sasaki Memorial Cup Gauntlet Tag Match: Yasutaka Oosera & Ilusion Vs Kazuki Hirata & Soma Takao Vs Chris Brookes & Takashi Masada, Keisuke Ishii & Shigehiro Irie Vs Toru Owashi & Naomi Yoshimura Vs Danshoku Dieno & Sumicaras Vs Brahman Shu & Brahman Kei
3. TOGO FAMILY Vs DDT ~ 5 Vs 5: Dick Togo, Yasu Urano, KUBITO, Diego & Naohiro Katsumi Vs Kazusada Higuchi, Yuki Ueno, HARASHIMA, Akito & To-y
4. Hardcore Match: Jun Kasai Vs Hideki Okatani
5. Daisuke Sasaki 20th Anniversary Match: Daisuke Sasaki & El Desperado Vs Shuji Ishikawa & Antonio Honda

The full card for “CHARISMANIAxMANIAxMANIA” has been revealed although the match order outside of the main event has not been decided yet. Naohiro Katsumi and To-y both get added to the Togo Family Vs DDT Match, a Gauntlet Tag match dedicated to the still alive Daisuke Sasaki will fill up most of the show. Yasutaka Oosera from Michinoku Pro is teaming up with Ilusion which makes me wonder what the connection is there. We also have the return of Sumicaras in there too.

BASARA “BASARA 289 ~UTAGE AKA – HIEN~”, 02/10/2025
Shin-Kiba 1st RING

1. 3 Way Match: SAGAT Vs Banana Senga Vs Ryuma Sekimo
2. IRON FIST Tag Tournament – Round 1A: Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi & Tsutomu Oosugi Vs Ryota Nakatsu & Daichi Kazato
3. IRON FIST Tag Tournament – Round 1B: Daiki Shimomura & Lil’ Kraken Vs Takato Nakano & Masato Kamino
4. IRON FIST Tag Tournament – Round 1C: Takeru Inoue & Tomoki Hatano Vs Kyu Mogami & Naka Shuma
5. IRON FIST Tag Tournament – Round 1D: Isami Kodaka & Takumi Tsukamoto Vs Ryuichi Sekine & FUMA

In non-tournament action SAGAT and Banana Senga welcome the Big Japan rookie Ryuma Sekimo to BASARA.

SUPER JAPAN “COME AGAIN 2025”, 14/10/2025
Shinjuku FACE

0. Exhibition Match: Sanshiro Takagi Vs Munenori Sawa
1. Special Tag Match: Suwama & Yuki Kamifuku Vs Kuroshio TOKYO Japan & Momoka Hanazono
2. Special Single Match: Yuji Nagata Vs Shinya Aoki

So what unusual match making is Super Japan coming up with this time? How about pairing Suwama and Yuki Kamifuku together because they are both from Fujiwara City? Cool, now what if they go against Kuroshio TOKYO Japan & Momoka Hanazono the two wrestlers who get up to nutty things whenever they are left to their own devices? Kamifuku and Kuroshio have wrestled each other before (and Kamifuku has a win over Kuroshio) but Suwama and Hanazono taking each other on sounds like something new.