It is sometimes easy to forget during these emotional wrestling goodbyes that the person leaving isn’t dying or even retiring in the traditional sense. Nao Kakuta is 37. She is young enough to live a whole other life – two if she fancies it. By the time actual retirement comes around, wrestling will be something she used to do. A part of her time on this planet that people she talks to in pubs don’t believe happened. Yet, even knowing all of that, the emotion is so real. Solid, dependable Nao, who makes every TJPW undercard match at least 20% better, is vanishing from the world through which we interact with her. Sure, she might pop up now and then, but the (hopefully healthy) parasocial relationship we’ve established with her is dead, and that’s always going to be a sad thing.
And while I’ve yet to see anyone have a final match that felt like it was bristling with an undercurrent of hate between the retiree and the rest of the roster, it seems Kakuta was particularly beloved. The word that has come up again and again through the various tweets and messages is treasure. She might not be a TJPW original, but since she walked into the company, she’s felt like one of the foundations it was built on. I hesitated about calling her solid and dependable above because it sounds like I’m damning her with faint praise, but it is the impression you get. From the rookies to those at the top of the card, it seems Kakuta is someone everyone can rely on. She’s a friendly face who will get the best out of you in that ring by pulling your hair and booting you in the head. In the relatively short time she was there, she made TJPW her home.
That love expressed itself in her final match, the roster chasing her around Shinkiba until she agreed to stand in the corner and face everyone charging in one last time. They even got the injured Haruna Neko and Hyper Misao involved as they hopped onto the backs of Yuki Aino and Shoko Nakajima, respectively, to have their moment with the retiree. It was sweet and funny, with the only downside being the knowledge that one person who should have been front and centre has been shuffled out of the company thanks to idol politics. Still, as sad as that is, it was hard not to take joy in watching Kakuta get one more chance to play with everyone. By the end, it seemed like a combination of emotion and the back injury that saw her miss Korakuen were taking their toll, but Mizuki ushered her home, seeing her off with tears in her eyes. We’ve had great retirement matches before, but that’s never the point. The point is to say goodbye in the way that only wrestling can.
I’ve written more about Nao’s TJPW legacy in my matches of the month, so I’ll save that for there, but I think there is real value in a career like hers. Sure, she didn’t win all the belts or have the matches that burst out of the bubble, but she was great. Really great. And those who know will remember her as fondly as anyone. She was a wrestler who raised those around her up, and while that’s not always going to get you the plaudits, it’s something worth celebrating. If she’s half as good as what she goes on to do next, she’s going to have an incredible life, and while I’m sad I won’t get to watch it, I’m honoured I got to see as much as I did.
Watch Tokyo Joshi Pro: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/videos?labels=-tjpw.
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