Goodbyes suck, but sadly, as a wrestling fan, you get used to them. Juria Nagano hasn’t been around as long as some of the people we have had to wave farewell to, but she’s still hollowed out a little niche for herself as part of the TJPW roster, so she deserves a rousing send-off. Let’s see if that’s what she got.
Despite being on crutches, Misao made it out to plug her second produce show. Thankfully, the injury isn’t preventing it from going ahead, which is fantastic news. The first saw Misao focus on producing rather than wrestling, so while she’ll be limited in what she can do, hopefully, the crutches won’t disrupt her plans too badly.
Juria Nagano, Moka Miyamoto & Kaya Toribami defeated Yuki Aino, Pom Harajuku & Shino Suzuki
Juria and Moka were pulling double duty, as the main event would also see them do battle. Perhaps because of that, the opener was the casual part of the evening, with Juria’s opponents bickering over who got to get in the ring with her. Then again, we did see some fledgling karate skills from Pom, both during the entrance and as a distraction to save Shino from getting a kicking. When you combine her newfound talents with those brutal shin attacks, there is every chance TJPW have created a monster.
Away from the light comedy, your highlights probably came through Moka vs Aino and an enjoyable closing stretch between Shino and Juria. However, you could tell that the key figures in this match were saving themselves. It was all wrestled with a friendly air of competition rather than any great competitiveness, meaning it was more good vibes than fantastic wrestling. While you could argue that having Juria go over Shino on her final day was a bit pointless, I still believe that natural underdog Suzuki shouldn’t pin someone for at least two years, so it’s not something I have an issue with
I’ll save talking about Juria’s career for the main event, but this was a nice little match for her to have as she said goodbye. With her limited schedule, she’s never really felt like a permanent member of the roster, but reading all the messages from her peers suggests that she did make an impact. There seems to be a lot of affection for her backstage, so the more people she gets to hang out with before she goes, the better.
Verdict: A Nice Time
Yuki Kamifuku defeated Uta Takami
If you’re trying to emphasise just how tiny Uta is, putting her in the ring with Kamiyu is the ideal way to go about it. To make it doubly effective, it’s putting the tiny teen in with the best bully on the roster, a match made in heaven.
Not that this heavenly pairing was a particularly competitive one. It was about half a step above a squash, as Uta got a little bit of offence in, but there was never a sense that she had Kamiyu worried. Most of her attacks consisted of her making what I’m dubbing scrappy noises as she tried to leap onto Yuki’s back for a sleeper. There was always a sense that she was eventually going to run into trouble, and when she did, it would be over. It was a correct sense, too, as one of those big Kamiyu dropkicks was all it took.
None of which should be read as a complaint. Uta was born to be a scrappy wee thing, and at this stage in her career, getting beat up is the best thing for her. Kamiyu didn’t go all out in the bullying, but she made it clear the youngster wasn’t in her league, setting a bar that she’s got a long old climb to reach. Uta will have to grow a bit (both literally and metaphorically) before she can hope to challenge the tallest member of the roster, but until then, this was an enjoyable scrap.
Verdict: Fun Squash
Rika Tatsumi, Raku & Chika Nanase defeated Mahiro Kiryu, Toga & Kira Summer
I like that there is an unspoken agreement among the TJPW roster that if you’re teaming with Raku, your priority is to set up the Goodnight Express. Even Rika Tatsumi, a merchant of chaos, understands that a match can’t get going until Raku has had her chance to pretend to be a train and take a nap. I like to believe it’s not just a wrestling convention but a sign of the roster’s deep affection for their train-loving idol. They want her to have a good time.
Away from my Goodnight Express observations, this was perhaps Chika and Kira’s best showing yet. They’re still somewhat struggling to stand out amongst the current crops of rookies, but they are showing signs of being solid in-ring hands, the types you can rely on to go out and do everything you ask of them (even if that is consigned to the basics right now). Hopefully, as they relax into those roles and begin to get even more comfortable in the ring, their personalities will shine through. As things stand, seeing Kira dare to go toe-to-toe with Rika was a good starting point, and I am quietly confident that we’ll see them blossom over the next few months.
Outside of that, this was about what you’d expect. Mahiro got picked on, Rika was a terror (those two things were connected), and Raku was godly. It was solid, enjoyable mid-card action, the kind that lets you turn your brain off and have a nice time. Is it the easiest to write about? No, but you got to hear my Goodnight Express musings, so who are you to complain?
Verdict: Pleasant
Mizuki & Nao Kakuta defeated Haru Kazashiro & Runa Okubo
Between pitting Uta against Kamiyu and this match, TJPW weren’t making a good case for being trusted to look after your children. What did Runa and Haru do to deserve this? Do their parents know about it? I can’t imagine they’d be happy. They’re only wee!
The one advantage the teens had was that Mizuki and Nao were prone to some violent bickering. Between Kakuta tagging out by slapping Mizuki on the head and the rabbit doing everything she could to put in the least amount of effort possible, most of their openings in this match came via misfires from their veteran opponents. Truthfully, they were never going to win this thing, and you’d have to be one of life’s great optimists to believe they even had a slither of a chance, but Nao and Mizuki’s ‘friendly’ rivalry made sure they at least weren’t squashed. It allowed them to put up a good fight, Runa hammering away with those forearms and Haru sneaking into a clutch towards the end for a nice two-count.
Mostly, though, this was another match that was all about the feeling. Mizuki and Nao are a fun pairing, their almost sibling-esque squabbling always drawing some laughs. I also, as I believe I’ve said before, have a huge amount of affection for Haru and Runa after watching the mini-documentary TJPW did about them on their YouTube channel. Their friendship feels very genuine, and they seem like good kids (as someone in my 30s, I think I can say things like that now), so I’m rooting for them to succeed. Getting to mess around with Nao and Mizuki is a good way to learn the skills they’ll need to do so, and I had a pleasant time with this.
Verdict: Fun
Shoko Nakajima, HIMAWARI & Wakana Uehara defeated Miu Watanabe, Suzume & Arisu Endo
Miu as champ makes sense, right? Putting the belt on her was a seismic shift for TJPW, as she became the first person outside the established players to win the belt. However, Watanabe strapped it around her waist, and everything seemed right. Even in this match, where she ultimately took the fall, she felt like the champion. Whether she was throwing her partners at people, setting the bar for fellow wee tank HIMAWARI to try and clear or going head-to-head with Shoko in a tantalising taste of what we now know will be her first defence, she was brilliant. Watanabe hasn’t just won that belt. She’s stepped into the role like it was made for her.
She wasn’t the only new champ to impress, either. It might not have been a straight tag, but Daisy Monkey never stopped wrestling like a team. At every opportunity, they would pop into the ring together, taking off to run rings around opponents and open up opportunities to attack. It’s a small thing, but it cements them as a pairing in your mind, as even when they have alternatives, they always fall back on each other, relying on that bond to get them through. In saying that, the snippets of Shoko and Suzume that we got were a nice reminder that one day, those two will have a huge main event that blows everyone away. We got them in the early rounds of the Princess Cup last year, which was good, so why not have the rematch be this year’s final?
Finally, we established our first contenders, as Shoko used bundling up Miu as a chance to challenge for the belt. That has the potential to be incredible, and I think there is a slight chance Nakajima will put this dream to bed before it gets going. On the other hand, I do not expect HIMAWARI and Wakana to beat Daisy Monkey for the tag titles, but I am excited to see them try. Right now, I’d trust Suzume and Endo to get a good match out of anyone, and HIMAWARI and Wakana bring enough to the table that the battle between the main events as to who steals the show will be close one.
As for this match, it was great. You had a host of intriguing pairings in there, as everything from HIMAWARI vs Miu to Arisu vs Wakana had at least a wrinkle of interest to it. If you’re looking for the best match on the card, this is the one.
Verdict: We’ve Got Our Challengers
Moka Miyamoto defeated Juria Nagano
Moka Miyamoto was chosen to be Juria Nagano’s final opponent because of their history as a team, but this is one of those times where the sentimental choice was also the right one. When we look back at Juria’s career, I think the main takeaway will be unrealised potential. With her background in karate, Nagano had the base to be a fascinating wrestler, but with her packed schedule outside of the ring, she’s never had the time to put it together. While there have been flashes, mainly when teaming with Moka, but occasionally on her own, the sad reality is that to become a great wrestler, you need to wrestle. With thirty-three matches over three years, Nagano hasn’t done enough of that. So, having her farewell be against one of the safest pairs of hands on the TJPW roster was a good idea, regardless of their history together.
And there were still flaws here. Moka working over Juria’s arm was a waste of time, as she was never going to stick to selling it. Nagano also has a habit of bumping oddly, falling in directions which are close to right but just off enough to make it noticeable. It’s one of those things that she would have grown out of if she’d had twenty-to-thirty matches more, but now, she never will. However, for the most part, this was a case of Miyamoto keeping her pal on the straight and narrow. She ensured Juria’s role in this match was relatively straightforward, asking her to throw out those kicks and karate chops she does so well and leaving Moka to deal with the rest.
It was also something that clearly meant a lot to them both. When the bell rang for the end, they started crying, the emotion of it all getting a bit too much for them. By joshi standards, the aftermath was understated, but it still packed a punch. As I suggested back in the opening match, I feel like I’ve never quite had the chance to warm to Juria, but it seems clear that the roster doesn’t feel that way, and Moka, in particular, views her as a close friend. There were plenty of tears on both sides throughout the goodbyes, and Nagano struggled through her farewell speech. She’s obviously an extraordinary person, and with everything she does, wrestling will probably end up little more than a footnote in her life. Fingers crossed it’s a happy one, though.
Verdict: Moka Helps Her Friend Go Out In Style
Overall Show
That was a good show. Juria’s farewell was well handled, and while it didn’t have the impact of some of the bigger goodbyes, it’s clear there’s a lot of affection for her. Elsewhere, I’m not sure I can condone TJPW’s child abuse, but those matches were a lot of fun, and we have some exciting challengers for the titles in place for the future. That’s all good with me!
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