TJPW returned to Korakuen Hall to decide the winner of the 2024 Max Heart Tournament. On one side of the ring, we had the former champions, Daydream, who, in winning, would have been setting Miu Watanabe up to wrestle twice at Sumo Hall. Attempting to stop that from happening was Daisy Monkey, the young pretenders, who were desperate to break through. Last year, this final produced one of my matches of the year. Would it do so again? Let’s find out.
Before the show, we got the announcement that Uta will be debuting on the 3rd of March. Between her love of ice cream, fangirling for Miu and Up Up Girl performances, she already has me rooting for her, but I’m looking forward to seeing how she gets on in the ring. She won’t be doing it alone, though! Kira is debuting on the same day. I don’t know as much about her, but judging by her accent, she’s Australian, although she introduced herself in English and Japanese. Unless I’m forgetting someone obvious, she will be the first foreigner to come through the TJPW system, so it will be interesting to see how she gets on. Finally, Misao came out to announce Hype 2. If that’s half as good as the first one (another show that produced one of my matches of the year), it will be something special.
Haru Kazashiro defeated Shino Suzuki
I was a bit worried when I saw this match on the card. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, I strongly believe in Shino’s potential as an underdog babyface, and I think the best way to build that potential is to have her lose for as long as possible. TJPW don’t often make the mistake of rushing someone into their first win, but pairing her up with wee Haru suggested that could be about to happen. Thankfully, I was wrong.
Not that the value in this match came from who had their hand raised at the hand. Shino and Haru don’t quite have the flash of some of their contemporaries, but this proved they have a grasp of where they excel. Yes, they kept things simple, building around their limited movesets, but they dragged a lot out of that framework, crafting a surprise limb match as Kazashiro attacked Suzuki’s arm. They didn’t throw it out there and forget it, either. Shino remembered to sell it throughout as Haru built to her armbar before using it as a weak point to help her escape Suzuki’s first attempt at the sleeper. Although she did later one-up that escape, rolling onto her front and wiggling out backwards through Shino’s legs.
And there were flaws here, an insistence on exchanging forearms being one of them (an issue that’s hardly unique to them), but for the most part, these two rookies played to their strengths, sticking to what they’re good at and making it work for them. They don’t have Wakana’s athletic ability or HIMAWARI’s power, but they are sneakily solid wrestlers, as even the opening grappling didn’t fall back on tired ideas. While they know they can’t deliver a firework show, they can put together a logical, well-worked match that came down to a battle of clutch pins in which Haru, despite her young age, had the upper hand. It was the best showing of their careers so far, and that they did it together is something they should both be very proud of. They earned the big, tearful hug they shared afterwards.
Verdict: Very Impressive
Yuki Kamifuku, Nao Kakuta & Mahiro Kiryu defeated Raku, Ram Kaicho & Pom Harajuku
Poor Mahiro. Not only did she have Ram punching her in the face when she dared put Raku in a headlock, but she later got booed when she interrupted Raku’s attempt to gift her husband some Valentine’s Day chocolate. Considering said box of chocolate was also bashed over Kiryu’s head not long after, it wasn’t the easiest of days for TJPW’s serial apologiser.
And, as everyone will have predicted, this was a match that leaned into the silly. We not only got the continuing adventures of Raku, Ram and Pom, including Ram getting a bit jealous at some of Raku and Pom’s double team moves, but we also got the joy of Kaicho wrestling Kamiyu. Look, if you can put a tall person and a short person together, you’re duty-bound to do so, and the fact it’s taken TJPW this long is a crime.
There was a sprinkle of solid wrestling in there, especially when Nao was involved, but that wasn’t what this was about. Ram, Raku and Pom don’t need a match. If you give them ten minutes to go out and mess around, I’ll leave with a smile, so if their opponents can add a few good moments to that, I’m in heaven. In something that leans this heavily on the vibes, Ram stuffing her face with chocolates afterwards is as important as any move could be.
Verdict: I’ll Never Not Love A Ram, Raku And Pom Match
Kaya Toribami defeated Moka Miyamoto
The majority of this match felt like it ran true to form. Moka and Kaya are somewhat natural opponents, with Miyamoto’s more grounded style working nicely with Toribami’s slightly erratic high-flying. It’s also, historically, seen Moka pick up the win, as the bird has struggled to get victories over those higher up the pecking order than her. For the bulk of the match, I was comfortable in my assumption that would continue to be the case as it all appeared to go to type. Then, Kaya clambered to the second rope and leapt off with a twisting moonsault thing that looked cool and, rightfully, earned herself the three.
Having one cool move isn’t enough to kickstart a career, but it also doesn’t hurt. Toribami has been quietly improving over the last year or so, but never in a way that particularly stood out. The erraticism I poked fun at above has lessened, and she can be relied upon to put on a decent undercard showing. However, with the influx of exciting rookies, she’s somewhat vanished into the shadows, struggling to stand out amongst all that personality. Doing something cool is a good way to change that. It felt like a reminder of how exciting Kaya’s performances were when she first arrived.
As I said, I don’t necessarily think this is the start of something big for Kaya, as the match was still alright rather than anything special, but it could be a spark. A spark which, if worked with and built on, could help her find the niche that she’s struggled to carve for herself in the TJPW midcard. I don’t love to whittle a match down to something as simple as one move, but it was what stood out here, and I hope my optimism about it representing a step forward for Kaya doesn’t prove to be an overreaction.
Verdict: Hopefully It’s The Start Of Something
Kyoraku Kyomei (Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao) defeated Wakana Uehara & HIMAWARI
It’s a small switch, but my view of Wakana has shifted from seeing her as a tryhard golden girl to a tryhard geek, and it has helped me warm up to her. The Wakana that entered TJPW was, to be harsh, kinda boring. I know I’m in the minority with that, but she felt too shiny and perfect, with none of the rough edges I like from my rookies. She still feels like that, but now I feel like I’ve got her pegged as a massive dork. Yes, she seems destined for whatever remains of Stardom thanks to her desire to be world-famous, but she goes about it in such an endearing, overly-enthusiastic way that I can’t help but warm to her. Even her selling of Kyoraku Kyomei’s work on her arm played into that, as she insisted on doing a cartwheel before dramatically collapsing in the middle of the ring. It’s over the top and silly, but that’s Wakana, and I don’t want her any other way.
She and HIMAWARI were somewhat unfortunate to get Misao and Shoko in serious mode. They may have stumbled against Daydream in the Max Heart, but this felt like the version of Kyoraku Kyomei we see in that tournament, as they zoned in on the rookies, attacking both of their arms and keeping up those rolling tags. It was efficient, well-worked tag-team wrestling and another reminder that they’re perhaps the best pairing in the company. I love the silliness, but there is a ruthlessness to them when they decide to take someone apart that I also have a lot of time for.
Those things came together to produce a good match. HIMAWARI and Wakana are effortlessly charismatic, so watching Shoko and Misao put them through the wringer – testing how they responded to the limb work – was fun. It felt like a challenge being thrown down, and while neither of them is the finished article (despite Wakana’s desperate attempts to be so), I thought they dealt with it well. They’re a likeable pairing, and even with the tag tournament over and done with, I hope this isn’t the last we see of them as a team.
Verdict: Wakana Has Fully Won Me Over
Mizuki defeated Zara Zakher
Zara Zakher is not only a new name to me, but she doesn’t even appear to have a Cagematch profile. While I’m not sure how she found herself on TJPW’s radar, fair play to her for getting herself in that spot. She earned herself a meeting with the rabbit at Korakuen.
Even more impressive is that she dealt with it well. I won’t pretend this was perfect, but considering the circumstances, Zakher looked right at home. Some exceptional wrestlers would struggle to keep up with Mizuki, but she matched her throughout, showing an intriguing combination of explosiveness and power. There was a moment early on where she hit a running back elbow with some real heft behind it, and it felt like the point when she relaxed into the action. There was still a tendency to overact, pulling big, shocked faces throughout, but it was nothing major, and on the whole, she looked impressive.
Towards the end, she got to throw some fireworks around and, again, delivered, as everything was dished out with some impact. As debuts go, it was everything you’d want. She came in as an unknown, kept up with one of the best wrestlers in the company and even found a way to put her stamp on the match. TJPW doesn’t have many wrestlers who can deliver that kind of power, and while I don’t know how long she’ll be in Japan, I hope this doesn’t turn out to be a one-and-done.
Verdict: Welcome To TJPW!
Yukiniki (Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino) defeated Miyu Yamashita & Toga
I have a lot of time for Aino and believe that Toga has potential, but the focus of this match was always going to be Aniki vs Miyu. It was the first time they’d been in the ring together, and – judging by the reaction of the Korakuen crowd when they opened the action – I wasn’t alone in being excited by the prospect. As you’d imagine, that opening was there to tease us, but we did eventually get to see them duke it out, both working hard to break through the other’s defence and get a clean hit away. It was just a snippet, but it was a snippet that hinted at a lot of potential, so if TJPW can put that together, they should.
Elsewhere, regardless of where my focus was, Aino and Toga proved to be a handy pairing. Toga still needs a strong hand at the tiller to get the best out of here, but Yuki provided that, keeping her on track and giving her the opportunities to get her stuff in. Aniki, meanwhile, made sure to give the rookie a bit of a rub, enthusiastically bumping for that big elbow. Toga still has a lot of work to do before she’ll feel at home in this exalted company, but she wasn’t swallowed up, which is a decent day’s work for her.
In the end, the tag champs combined to take Miyu out, dumping her with a series of suplexes. That left Toga alone with Aino, and while she fought valiantly, Yuki eventually had enough, dragging her to the mat and tapping her out in a dominant finish. It meant that while this match wasn’t a classic, it did everything it was aiming to do. Toga got some time in the ring with the veteran names, Miyu and Aniki teased us with something good, and the tag champs got a convincing win. Job done.
Verdict: A Solid Job
Yuki Arai defeated Juria Nagano to retain the International Princess Title
There was a point in its lineage where the International Princess title was struggling. Early reigns were derailed by injury and pandemics, leaving it lacking an identity. Then, in what, at the time, was a bit of a shock, Kamiyu won it and set about fixing that reputation. She built her reign around tight, ten-minute matches that played to the strengths of both her and her opponents. Watching Juria Nagano get her first and last title shot, I was reminded an awful lot of that period.
Nagano and Arai rooted this match in two simple ideas. Nagano can kick, and Arai wants to stop her from doing so. In the past, people have got around Juria’s kicking by out-wrestling her, dragging her to the mat and forcing her into unfamiliar territory. Unfortunately for the champ, the opening of this match proved that it wouldn’t work for her. One flaw in her accelerated career is that she is hardly a technical wizard, and Nagano, for perhaps the first time, could keep up when they went to the ground. So much so, in fact, that she had the freedom to pull the action back up, unleashing her first big kick in the process. So, instead, Arai focused on taking those legs out of action, working them over to set up for the Sharpshooter.
It turned this into a battle of who could do the most damage first. Arai chipped away at the legs, but every time Nagano got loose, she could unleash a series of kicks and fists, hammering away at the champ. It was far from a perfect exchange (Juria forgot to sell the leg whenever she stood up, only really doing so when the Sharpshooter was on), but it worked for the action. Nagano has always felt dangerous when she’s swinging for the fences, and while logically, she was never winning this match, it’s easy to forget that when she’s kicking someone in the head.
I’m hardly the first to point it out, but a lot of wrestling is about hiding the flaws. This match didn’t succeed in sweeping all of the issues with Nagano and Arai’s wrestling under the carpet, but considering neither is a veteran, they made sure a fair few of them were unnoticeable. It was an example of everything I think this title should be, and while I loved Tatsumi’s reign, I’m excited to have it return to this. Arai set the marker down for what is to come, and while Juria is sadly building towards the end, she delivered perhaps the best performance of her career as she did so.
Verdict: They Hid Most Of The Flaws Brilliantly
Talking of Kamiyu, she came out to challenge Arai after the match, so we’ll see how the idol does against the OG. That could be fantastic.
Daisy Monkey (Suzume & Arisu Endo) defeated Daydream (Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe) to win the Max Heart Tournament
In a post-MagiRabbi world, Daydream have taken on the role of TJPW’s near unbeatable tag-team. Rika and Miu, like all the best teams, complete each other. Tatsumi brings a devious evil to proceedings that Watanabe could never conceive of, while Miu’s strength is there for all to see. On paper, they’re unstoppable. Thankfully, like many good things in life, wrestling exists on more than just paper.
Not that this was an easy task for Daisy Monkey. After their initial attempt to swarm Daydream was cut off before it could get going, they had to readjust, switching the plan to play the long game. For large swathes of the final, Rika and Miu were firmly in control, cranking up the pressure on their younger opponents. However, Daisy Monkey’s brilliance comes from their ability to back each other up. Whenever one looked in danger, the other appeared, slipping in to cause enough of a distraction to allow their partner to recover. The perfect example is this clip that friend-of-the-site Flupke put on Twitter, in which Arisu springs into action to give Suzume the time to catch her breath and pull out a game-saving Ring-a-Bell. The best tag-team wrestling comes when it feels like two people make each other better, and Arisu and Suzume kept each other in this match long after either could have survived on their own.
And the longer it went, the more cracks appeared in Daydream’s defence. Arisu has slowly but surely been adding a power element to her game, finding a way to combine it with her speed, and deep in the action, she was able to do to Watanabe what Miu has done to so many others. When she hoisted her up into an Argentinian Backbreaker position and spun her out into a TKO, it felt like a turning of the tide. Daisy Monkey were no longer clinging onto the match, burrowing for scraps, but dishing out blows of their own, finding a way to level the playing field by stunning Miu, taking that pure power out of that game for long enough that they could fall back on a plan that has worked before – Suzume using her speed to slip around Rika and catch her off-guard. She looked dead on her feet, but when she avoided that Diamond Ass, she knew she had one kill shot left, the Ring-A-Bell proving enough to sneak out with an improbable victory.
How can you not love this shit? It was a match in which two plucky underdogs figured out how to overcome a dominant team, concluding with that beautiful moment where they grabbed each other tight, tears running down their faces as they realised they’d done it. What could be better than that? The real world has shown us that individuals can drag a team to success, but the good stuff, the stuff that feels right, is when you get a group who come together and click into place, crafting something stronger than the sum of its parts. That’s what makes Daisy Monkey great, and this match used that to create magic. Up next, the tag champs, which will be another hell of a mountain to climb. I’m not about to bet on the result, but I will bet on it being another brilliant match.
Verdict: Outstanding
Overall Show
That was a damn good Korakuen. The main event was the gem in the crown, but do not skip that opener, and there isn’t much on this card that I wouldn’t recommend. TJPW’s next big show is Grand Princess, and we now know all three title matches. That’s a strong slate to build a show on, and while we don’t know what else will be added, I’m already very excited.
Watch Tokyo Joshi Pro: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/videos?labels=-tjpw.
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