While the Princess Cup is just around the corner, Miu Watanabe had one more challenge to overcome before she got there. Her Daydream partner, Rika Tatsumi, wanted a shot at the title. Not only was it another one of the names that made TJPW what it is, but in their three previous meetings, Miu had never picked up the win. Could she finally overcome her good friend? Or was the White Dragon about to throttle her way to a second run with the belt? Let’s find out!
Toga, Wakana Uehara & Runa Okubo defeated HIMAWARI, Shino Suzuki & Haru Kazashiro
I’m not sure I’ve ever been so confident that we are glimpsing the future as I am with TJPW’s current rookie class. They got fourteen minutes to play with here, and while it’s still, on the whole, basic stuff, you’re seeing the seeds of rivalries that could last for years and years. There are no guarantees in wrestling. Any one of these kids could decide tomorrow that it’s not for them or pick up the injury that curtails a career, but if everything goes right (and I hope it does), TJPW have a hell of a group coming through together.
And you can already pick out the pairings that could blossom and grow over that time. Wakana and HIMAWARI are at the top of the class, and either as a team or opponents, they already feel intertwined. They’ve both displayed a lot of talent in the ring but are also charisma machines, as proven by how popular they are already. Then there’s Haru and Runa, the best friends who seem integral to each other’s development. Whenever one starts to pull ahead, the other gets a surge of motivation and comes roaring back as they desperately fight not to be left behind.
Finally, there is Shino Suzuki and Toga. In many ways, they’re the most unnatural pairing. Things seem to come naturally to Toga, while Shino has to scratch and claw for every development. Yet, put them together, and magic occurs as scrappy wee Suzuki gives everything to try and overcome her bigger, more relaxed rival. They got the final act to themselves here, and it was thrilling. Shino has learnt how to milk the tiny moveset she has, dragging every inch of excitement out of that sleeper as she tried to choke the life out of Toga. It wasn’t suddenly that she was on her fellow rookie’s level, but simply that she refused to stop, repeatedly leaping onto Toga’s back as she tried everything to put her down. It’s pure, scrappy underdog likeability as she was born to fight opponents twice her size. In turn, Toga is a great foil, able to bring her hopes shuddering to a halt with one thumping forearm. Together, they stole this match, and something tells me it won’t be the last time they do that.
Verdict: Shino vs Toga Rules!
Kira Summer defeated Chika Nanase
I feel mean saying it, but the confidence I have about the future of the wrestlers in the opener isn’t there for Kira Summer and Chika Nanase yet. Truthfully, it’s an unfair comparison. They’re still only a few months into their careers, and those first twelve months are like dog years for your development. There is every chance something clicks tomorrow, and they settle into the grove of things, but they’ve yet to do anything to get me super-excited for their future.
And their first singles match together summed up why. It was fine. From what I gather on Twitter, they’re close friends, so it meant a lot to them, and you could see the effort was there. As they bashed into each other, there was that little bit more momentum, like they were willing to take the licks to make the action better. Sadly, it still failed to spark. There was nothing wrong with the in-ring work, as they’ve both got the basics down, but it felt a bit like two rookies going through their drills in the dojo. The emotion was lacking.
As a technical exercise, it was pretty solid. I’m just not sure I know who Kira or Chika are yet. With the rookies mentioned above (or the one I’m coming on to next), I’ve got an idea of the type of wrestlers they’ll become. These two feel like blank slates, ready to be figured out. Still, they’ve got time to do it. They’ve only been doing this stuff for a few months, and quite frankly, I’ll always be in awe of anyone who can get into the ring at Korakuen and not vomit from fear, so I’m not about to be the one to give them a kicking. I have faith in the way TJPW does things, and not everyone develops at the same speed (look at how long it took Mahiro). When it does click, I’m excited to see the wrestlers Nanase and Summer become.
Verdict: Okay
Mei Suruga defeated Uta Takami
Mei Suruga has taken Uta Takami under her wing, declaring she’s her little sister. Whether Takami had a choice about that is unclear, but considering Suruga’s already healthy track record as a trainer, the youngest Up Up Girl could probably do worse for mentors. Besides, seeing them get their kawaii on, it’s believable that they might have fallen off the same apple tree. There’s a similar goblin glint in their eyes.
As much as I adore her Gatoh Move work or when she turns up somewhere like Stardom, this will always be my favourite version of Suruga. With a devilish grin on her face and a twinkle in her eye, she wandered into TJPW’s lower midcard and stole as much of the show as she could gobble up. Mei was at her wicked best here, tormenting Uta by stealing her signature shuffle before booting the ropes in disgust when the fans started chanting for the youngster. She is already an expert at teasing out a wrestler’s talents, engaging Takami in a battle of foot stomps or letting her show a little flash by leaping up to the second rope for a dropkick. More importantly, though, she knows when to cut it off. Suruga kept Uta on the exact right line of scrappy underdog here, clawing for every opening before having her legs swept from under her by the more savvy outsider.
The second I saw Uta wrestle, I wanted to see this pairing. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. With a performance from Mei that sat perfectly between playfulness and bullying, she brought the best out of the feisty youngster, and these two feel like they were made for each other. Next stop, get Takami in Ichigaya. That’s where we’ll learn what the youngster is made of. Until then, this was an utter delight, and at under ten minutes, is my sneaky pick for the match of the show.
Verdict: Sisters!
Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Yuna Manase, Moeka Haruhi & Kaya Toribami
In a funny bit, Sayuri Namba announced beforehand that Aino, Raku and Pom had requested that the match be held under summer rules (whatever that means). She then went on to explain that Manase, Haruhi and Toribami had turned down said request. It’s always worth asking!
Not that it stopped the Dream Team from bringing their antics to the table. They came armed with fans, hoops and more, so it’s probably not a shock that chaos soon followed. Any hopes the GanPro and Bird connection had of making this a straight match were dashed by the power of the nonsense squad, as they faced everything from a Bon Dance Goodnight Express to Pom providing them with tiny goldfish nets. It was nine minutes of light, fluffy entertainment, and you’ll probably already know whether you have any interest in it.
As for me, everyone who has read my reviews before will know I’m a sucker for this stuff. Aino, Raku and Pom are sent out there to have fun, and they will never let you down. That’s not to dismiss their opponents as irrelevant (they did a great job of playing along with the silliness, and the brief hoss battle we got from Manase and Aino was enjoyable), but the Dream Team are pros. They understand what they bring to the table, and whether you enjoy it or not, it’s an integral part of TJPW’s identity. There is not much to say about it, but I still had a lovely time.
Verdict: Silliness
Yuki Kamifuku defeated Kakaru Sekiguchi
Nao Kakuta’s retirement road might have accidentally taken a detour through a cursed forest. Originally, this was supposed to be her final Korakuen Hall appearance. However, when she picked up an injury, Kakeru Sekiguchi stepped in. Between the Hikari Noa situation, Kakuta missing her final trip to America, and this, she has had no luck. Then again, Sekiguchi and TJPW feel like a good fit, so maybe Nao’s final disappointment was her last gift to Tokyo Joshi as she firmly planted her in their orbit before bowing out.
The knowledge of what it was supposed to be made this an unusual match. It was good, at times showing the potential to be even more than that, but it was hard not to focus on the person standing at ringside. Kakeru and Kamiyu did what they could to get Nao involved, and she was visibly wiping away tears when Sekiguchi started pulling out her moves, but it was hard to invest in it. Even they knew that this wasn’t really about them, and while they did a decent job of distracting from that, it was never going to be enough to make up for what I wanted to see.
Still, if Nao couldn’t wrestle, this was a good second choice. Will I remember the details of the match in a month? No, probably not, but I will remember the feeling of them doing their best to show their love for their friend in that ring. It wasn’t perfect, but with the fans getting into it and Kamiyu taking a second afterwards to explain that they’re not rivals any more, just friends, there was still a lot of love to be found. At the end of the day, that’s more important than any great match could ever be.
Verdict: I’ll Miss Nao
121000000 (Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh) defeated Emi Sakura & Mizuki
It’s time for everyone to accept that Emi Sakura is the best wrestler of her generation. Sure, you’ve got people like Meiko Satomura and Nanae Takahashi, who are fantastic, but neither has performed half as often or as consistently brilliantly as Sakura has in the last ten years. I firmly believe she could do everything they do, but would either of them turn up and deliver a comedy spot like her attempted Whirling Candy? Could they so easily steal the show in a tag that includes some of TJPW’s very best through a combination of effortless charisma and talent after having recently struggled with their long-running back injury? I’m not sure they could.
Because despite the hefty line-up of talent around her, this was the Emi Sakura show. She was at the heart of everything great here, whether it was the comedy spots or her and Miyu getting tasty with their strike exchanges. Mizuki’s chemistry with both Yamashita and Itoh is outstanding, and the snippets we got of those pairings were predictably enjoyable, but it was Emi Sakura vs Miyu Yamashita that I came away wanting to see. How has that never been put together? The Yamashita vs Satomura rematch has been the long-called-for outside legend vs Ace showdown, but watching this, I want to see what Sakura and Miyu could do in a big title match. Something tells me it would be extraordinary.
And it’s not like this felt like Sakura pushing herself to impress. It is just what she does. She’s built a company on matches that run the gauntlet between impeccable vibes and brilliant wrestling. Christ, just a few minutes ago, I was praising Mei Suruga’s ability to wander in and steal the show, but where do you think she got it from? She learnt from the very best, and it’s a goddamn travesty that most people will never acknowledge it. I don’t care that a big chunk of her career has taken place in a dentist’s office on a mat. The number of wrestlers who can hold a candle to what Emi Sakura has achieved is minuscule, and that’s before we even get into her untouchable work as a trainer. Tony Khan might never give her the respect she deserves, but all of you can, so it’s time to fucking do it. She’s the best.
Verdict: I Had A Blast
Aja Kong defeated Shoko Nakajima
TJPW’s use of Aja Kong in recent years has been outstanding. Whether she’s indulging in delightful antics with Raku or bringing legitimacy to Miu Watanabe and Yuki Arai, Kong’s appearances always feel special. They know how to get the best out of her. However, this match felt a bit different. Shoko Nakajima doesn’t need the Aja Kong seal of approval. Her brilliance is established. For perhaps the first time, this felt like TJPW indulging the wish to simply pair Kong up with one of their great wrestlers to see what happens. It will shock no one who has been paying attention to learn that Nakajima took said opportunity and wrung everything she could out of it.
Predictably, people will bring up Shoko’s small slips in the opening minutes, but I’m so done with how we talk about ‘botches’ that I can’t even be bothered to get into them. They weren’t just a non-issue but added to the feeling of this match. Nakajima knew she was up against the odds, so she threw herself at Aja, trying desperately to catch her off-guard and stun her before the inevitable came crashing down. At every opportunity, Shoko went big with the huge senton onto the apron as Kong rolled into the ring, being the perfect example. She threw caution to the wind, and while it didn’t always pay off, Nakajima understood it was the only way she had a chance.
In turn, the legend sold her ass off. She not only made Shoko’s attacks look great, but when the comeback came, it was with a ruthlessness we haven’t often seen from Aja Kong in TJPW. This wasn’t the fun, smiling Kong that messes around with Raku. Shoko woke her up, and even the celebration after she’d won made it clear that Aja knew she’d been in a fight. There was no messing around or giving Nakajima a chance to recover. When the legend took control, she made this definitive, including spiking the Big Kaiju with one of the more brutal brainbusters you’ll see this year. Respect in wrestling is often shown by how much you sell for an opponent, but it can equally be portrayed by unleashing both barrels to get the job done, and that’s what Kong did here. She treated Nakajima like a foe worth beating, and with the performance she delivered, Shoko showed why.
Verdict: Shoko Is The Best
Daisy Monkey (Suzume & Arisu Endo) defeated Yuki Arai & Moka Miyamoto to retain the Princess Tag Titles
When TJPW announced this match, I was confident Daisy Monkey would walk out with their titles. It didn’t feel like it was time to make the switch, and despite their history, Miyamoto and Arai felt a bit too thrown together to be their successors. However, as we got closer, a seed of doubt slipped in. Tokyo Joshi’s investment in Arai is obvious, and there is always the chance that they will choose to add another achievement to her resume. When you throw in Moka, the only wrestler in this match not to win a title, maybe, just maybe, they would pull the trigger. It was a feeling that built throughout the action as Miyamoto and Arai confidently went about their job, culminating when they hit a combination neckbreaker and Finally, where I was convinced they had won the belts. They had me.
It was a match filled with great moments like that. You saw them in Arisu Endo blocking a Finally to Suzume with a dropkick or Arai helping her partner escape the Camel Clutch by lashing out with a boot while caught in a hold herself. I’m not going to claim all the little details were perfect here, Arai and Moka’s early work on Endo’s arm was forgotten by the end, but the vast majority of them were, which made the flaws easy to forgive. It was a match filled with inventive and exciting twists, each of which fit into the puzzle until they suddenly sprinted into one of the best closing stretches of the year so far. Daisy Monkey are such brilliant underdogs that it’s perhaps easy to forget how great they are when they go on the offensive, but Endo hoisting Arai into the air was thrilling and brought a real sense of achievement. She and Suzume had chipped away, surviving the attack from Arai and Miyamoto to set up the moment where they could finally strike back and turn the tables.
The one downside is that Moka Miyamoto does deserve that moment, and while it would be a shame to cut off Daisy Monkey for it, I hope it’s coming sooner rather than later. I’ve talked before about her almost being too reliable for her own good, and this was another example to add to the collection. Lacking an obvious challenger for the tag titles, TJPW threw her together with Arai in what looked like a filler defence, only for her to play a pivotal role in making it feel huge. If she’d won, all the worries about Daisy Monkey losing the belts would have been lost in the joy of the moment. She’s earned the chance to be more than the supporting player in someone else’s story, and I hope the people making the decisions realise that.
Verdict: Outstanding
Miu Watanabe defeated Rika Tatsumi to retain the Princess of Princess Titles
It’s been a long time since the gap between the members of Daydream was down to in-ring talent. In recent years, Miu Watanabe has closed it rapidly, but where she’s never been able to match her long-term partner is in the deviousness that Rika Tatsumi has made her trade. When they’ve met before, it’s been the devil in Tatsumi’s soul that has made the difference. She was the one who was been willing to grab her friend round the throat or take the fight to the outside, and when that happened, Watanabe struggled to keep up. In a fair world, she might win more than she loses, but when Rika gets under her skin and unleashes her dark arts, things tend to go wrong.
It was a history that played heavily into the narrative of this match. When the action moved outside the confines of the ring, Tatsumi took control. She was the one who vanished into the depths of Korakuen to return with a trolley or sent Miu tumbling down those famous stairs. However, this time, there was a turning point. When Rika leapt off the apron for a hip attack, Miu caught her in mid-flight, and while a scrambling Tatsumi grabbed hold of the ring apron to try and stop what was to come, it wasn’t enough. She found herself spinning around on the outside, in danger of flying off into the fans. That wasn’t the beginning of the end, or even close to it, but Watanabe had met Rika on her terms and bested her, growing in confidence as she did so. Not long after, she wrapped her hands around Tatsumi’s throat for the first time, and it was like a spell was broken.
After that, this felt more like a straight battle, but there was still no guarantee Watanabe would win. Rika may have drawn on the evil inside her to get ahead before, but she’s a brilliant wrestler in her own right. With skulduggery put to one side, it became a fight based around the Dragon Sleeper, Miu responding to Tatsumi’s attempts to lock it in with one of her own, including a spinning variation. Time after time, it would seem like one had it cinched in, ramping up the pressure that would surely lead to the end, only for the other to orchestrate another escape, ripping the momentum back for themselves. They knew each other too well, causing the match to be balanced on a knife edge, the feeling growing that it would only take one moment to decide who took that belt home.
In the end, those massive overhead chops that have become a defining mark of Watanabe’s title reign did the job. Having survived the Dragon Sleeper, she desperately brought one crashing down on Tatsumi’s chest, and much like against Shoko, it stunned her partner for long enough to hoist her up into the Teardrop for the three. I would listen to quibbles that it was sudden, but that seems to be the point. The champ is getting that combination over as a death move, the kind that can turn a match in a second, and I can’t see a world where that isn’t important going forward. Besides, the rest of this was so brilliant that the finish feeling a touch abrupt isn’t enough to ruin it. They once again smashed it, and anyone who complained that TJPW was never going to put their money behind Watanabe should be offering Koda their apologies because it seems they’re going all in. Who will stop her? I have no idea, but I’m excited to find out.
Verdict: They Did It Again
Overall Show
Big show TJPW, people. There is nothing like it. It wasn’t a perfect card, but so much of it hit that the shorter, inconsequential matches became a bit irrelevant. From Shino vs Toga to Miu vs Rika, there was excitement all the way through, and I am so pumped to see where this company will go in the next few years. Everything is in place for them to do some special stuff, and I can’t wait to watch it.
Watch Tokyo Joshi Pro: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/videos?labels=-tjpw.
Ramblings About Wrestling 