Aside from the main event, every match on this card had a wrestler who debuted for TJPW after the 1st of January 2023. Tokyo Joshi gets credit for producing wrestlers, but just how many they’ve brought through in the last few years sometimes goes under the radar. With three new rookies joining the fold, it’s an exciting time to watch these smaller events, as you’re getting to watch these kids develop from show to show, putting it all together and figuring out the wrestlers they want to be. Plus, there’s the small matter of a date with Sumo Hall on the horizon, which I’m sure they have at least one eye on.
Kaya Toribami defeated Kira Summer
Kira’s third match followed the first two by being a fairly basic affair that highlighted her power when she got on an opportunity to go on the offensive. While she’s still working with a rudimentary moveset, she had a couple of moments with which to show off the size advantage she has over most of the roster. Perhaps more importantly, Summer seems comfortable in the ring. You can see most rookies’ brains ticking away, trying to remember what they’re supposed to be doing, but I never got that impression from her. That was particularly true in the early mat work, which, while nothing complicated, had at least a touch of competitiveness rather than feeling like a rehearsed routine.
That’s not to say this was a perfect performance. There was more than one dodgy moment, particularly when Summer ducked under a Kaya elbow only to do a bizarre forward roll bump that didn’t seem connected to anything they were doing. She also had a couple of positional issues, as she had to awkwardly readjust to be in the right place to take a Toribami move. None of it is worth worrying about, as it’s all things you’d expect from someone having their third match, but she’s not showing super rookie tendencies yet.
Still, it was a solid wee opener, and I think Kaya did a solid job leading Kira through it. One of the joys of new rookies is seeing how the previous gang interact with them, and while Toribami is now a couple of generations back, it’s still fun to watch her get to control a match. I don’t necessarily think she’s a natural, but she has improved since her first opportunity to do so, and she ensured things never veered too far off the rails.
Verdict: Okay
Rika Tatsumi defeated Mahiro Kiryu and Uta Takumi in a three-way
At various points in this match, Rika had Mahiro or Uta stood in the corner, watching patiently as she dished out a beating, presumably under the impression that they had been recruited to Team Tatsumi. I have sympathy for Takami. She’s young and innocent (although the enthusiasm with which she joined in on stomping on Kiryu might raise queries about that second part), willing to trust that Aunty Rika has her best interests at heart. But how is Mahiro still falling for this stuff? She should have seen enough evidence of Tatsumi’s evil.
Those stomps were one of the many things that confirmed my initial suspicions that Uta is taking to this quickly. I previously compared her to a puppy who doesn’t realise that picking a fight with the bigger dogs isn’t a great idea, and this match backed that up. She’s got a feisty nature that’s supported by the somewhat naive confidence of her age as she throws herself at her much bigger opponents. The fact she’s so tiny only adds to her appeal. It makes that enthusiasm feel even larger, and when she snuck in to steal a pin away from Mahiro, you couldn’t help rooting for it to work. What would be heelish from someone else becomes cheeky in her hands.
And much like the opener, this was an impressive example of how to work with kids. Uta was deployed smartly throughout, never being asked to carry the action but being called upon to add sprinkles of personality when necessary. If you were watching this blind, you would figure out she was new, but I doubt you’d guess this was her third match, as they kept her away from anything that might cause her to stumble. It helped make this whole thing a delight and the first match from our new batch of rookies I can see myself returning to.
Verdict: Aunty Rika Will See You Through
Wakana Uehara & Toga defeated Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo
Runa’s back! Having passed her exams, it took her no time to start exchanging blows with Toga. Those two might be young in their careers, but whenever they get in the ring together, they prove they understand the assignment – big, thudding forearms for all. It’s simple, but it works.
Haru, the slightly more complex teen, also had a strong performance here. She’s already developing a habit of sneaking in little bits and pieces that I like, be it refusing to let go of an armbar when Toga lifted her off the mat, allowing her to force her way back into it, or sneaking around someone to trip them up by pulling their foot out from under them. You don’t have to be a wrestling geek to get good at this stuff, but I get the impression that Haru’s fandom has given her a bag of tricks she wants to try. Thankfully, so far, they’re all good ones.
It was the kid’s performances that anchored this one for me. Wakana and Toga did everything asked of them, plus a bit more, but I have a real soft spot for Haru and Runa. They’ve developed a lovely friendship that I enjoy watching play out on screen. It means that even when they’re across from the likes of the charismatic Wakana, they grab my attention, as I revel in seeing them develop together. That ensured that a relatively straightforward match like this one had a little extra sparkle of magic.
Verdict: Simple, But Fun
Maki Itoh & Shino Suzuki defeated Moka Miyamoto & Chika Nanase
You can add Shino to the long list of people who I believe would be a better regular partner for Itoh than Miyu Yamashita (the person at the top of said list is, and always will be, Raku). Her innocent enthusiasm pairs up nicely with the more cynical edge Maki has developed as her career goes on. I enjoyed seeing the rookie try to figure out the moods of her not-particularly welcoming partner as she was sent scurrying around the ring, following orders, only to have a middle finger flashed in her face afterwards. Maki has spoken about seeing a bit of her younger self in Shino (on the great Next Generation mini-documentaries TJPW put on YouTube), so I would like to see her take Suzuki under her wing the same way she once did Raku.
As for the newest rookie, Chika Takase might be the most competent of our three newbies. All her work is solid, as while she doesn’t do anything spectacular, everything she does looks pretty good (at least for someone having their third match). The problem is that she seems so focused on ensuring she doesn’t make a mistake that she goes a tad stone-faced. In a company full of huge personalities, that could make it hard to stand out. Fortunately, from what I’ve seen of her outside the ring, I don’t think it’s because that personality isn’t there. She comes across well during her entrances or after the matches, so I suspect as she relaxes into proceedings, the ability to project herself will follow along.
All that said, this was a fairly non-descript tag match. There were fun moments, mainly through that Shino and Itoh partnership, and Moka’s work was solid, but I’m already struggling to remember the details. It was fine, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s probably one you can skip.
Verdict: Fine
Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Suzume, Arisu Endo & HIMAWARI
I’ve covered this with reference to Mio Momono before, but transitioning between comedy and serious wrestling isn’t as easy as people might think. If you start a match light and silly, then suddenly pivot to, let’s say, building a tag title match at Sumo Hall, there is a decent chance you will create something incoherent. It raises the question of why these people who, minutes before, were messing around doing a little dance or pretending to have a nap are suddenly all stern-eyed and competitive. Thankfully, it’s a skill that the Dream Team of Pom, Raku and Aino have made their stock-in-trade.
And paying attention to that transition in this match, I realised that a big part of it came from Aino. Yes, she joined in with Pom and Raku’s antics, but she was always on the outskirts, contributing but never leading. Her two besties are goofballs, and she loves it, but she knows that there are bigger things at stake for her. So, when the time came, she was the one who led the switch, transitioning to getting into it with Suzume and Endo and pushing up the tempo in the process. When Raku and Pom realised where their friend was going, they fell in line, ready to provide support in a way that only they could. It’s not revolutionary or genius, but it’s a nice touch. By letting Aino have one foot in each camp, they can pivot the match around here, setting her loose to drag the action from one idea to the next.
It also gave us an insight into how that title match might go down, as Aino was able to muscle her through Daisy Monkey. In an interview with Tokyo Sport, Aniki spoke about how Yukiniki have relied on their individual talents in matches, as they don’t have the experience of the other teams in TJPW. We got a taste of that here, as Aino’s power, with a bit of a helping hand from the rest of the Dream Team, was too much for the Sumo Hall challengers to deal with. It’s a classic idea, but it’s a good one, and it sets up the question of whether Daisy Monkey can figure out how to overcome that (and Aniki) before the big one rolls around.
That’s all I want from these buildup matches. Plant the seeds for what is to come, and if you can add a bit of Raku and Pom silliness on top, I’ll be doubly happy.
Verdict: Good Pivoting
Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima & Mizuki defeated Miu Watanabe, Nao Kakuta & Yuki Kamifuku
Nao is leaving us! I can never resent a wrestler choosing to step away. In its way, it’s wonderful when someone talented realises they’ve done what they wanted to do and it’s time to try something else, especially when they’re leaving with their health, but that doesn’t make it any less sad. Kakuta is one of those wrestlers who makes everything she’s involved in, from openers against rookies to all-star main events, at least 10% better, and while she’s never been the guy, there’s an argument to be made that she’s one of the smartest signings TJPW ever pulled off. I’ll miss her a lot.
Away from goodbyes, we were building to our Sumo Hall main event, and this match felt like a bit of a reality check for Miu Watanabe. For all I, and many others, love the Ace, I think it’s safe to say the groundswell of support is, right now, behind Miu. However, she was taught a very timely lesson in this match. If you let your guard drop, even for a second, Yamashita will kick you in the head. The first time those two got in the ring together, Watanabe made that mistake and was punished. One of those high kicks connecting was all it took to put her on the back foot for a significant chunk of time, and that was with partners to back her up. That same mistake at Sumo Hall could spell the end of those title dreams.
Outside of that tantalising hint of what’s to come, this was as good as you’d imagine. Throw a combo like Shoko and Nao together, and you’re going to get some strong main-event action. Someone like Nakajima excels at imbuing these matches with a touch of urgency, picking up the pace and throwing some magic in there. Plus, it ended with the badass image of Miyu booting Nao’s head into the last row and standing triumphant over Miu, arms held wide as she made it clear what her future holds. If you’re coming for that belt, you better bring it, kid.
Verdict: The Ace Isn’t Going Anywhere
Overall Show
From a pure wrestling perspective, this show only really picked up towards the end. However, with the new rookies settling in and a fun three-way on the undercard, I still think it’s worth your time. If nothing else, we got a hint that Uta might be susceptible to the influence of Rika Tatsumi, and that’s got to be intriguing/terrifying.
Watch Tokyo Joshi Pro: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/videos?labels=-tjpw.
Ramblings About Wrestling 
Leave a comment