When looking at a wrestler’s debut, I think it’s important to focus on what is there rather than what’s lacking. Despite what some like to claim, no one turns fully formed, and as brilliant as the likes of Mio Momono and Mei Suruga proved to be in their rookie years, they’ve only improved since. I’ve previously joked that I consider it a successful first match if they can make it through without hiding under the ring, crying (too much) or dropping someone on their head, but there’s a degree of truth to it. This isn’t music, no one’s best showing is their debut, so if you can get through it without messing up and, in the process, give the world a glimpse of what makes you special, then you’ve done damn well.
All of that brings us to the latest rookie to emerge from the relatively prolific TJPW dojo. Ren Konatsu, our summer child, is a 24-year-old who was inspired to take the leap into wrestling through the one-two-punch of Yuki Arai and Suzume. The idol draws you in before the bee delivers the sting. You’d think that would make debuting against said bee a nerve-wracking experience, but what stood out to me about Konatsu was how relaxed she seemed. Of course, there is every chance that under the surface she was shitting it, but I always like to watch rookies as their opponent makes their entrance. Most of them, particularly on their debuts, stand frozen in the corner, staring out as they try to remember what to do with their arms. Konatsu, however, took a seat, finishing her stretching as she waited for Suzume. If you were watching this blind, you would have never guessed it was her first time in the ring, and that is such a gift. You can learn all the holds and all the tricks, but if you don’t have the confidence to do them, it doesn’t mean shit.
And that brings me back to what I said at the start. Konatsu stood out here because of how at home she appeared. She’s a rookie, so not everything was smooth or executed perfectly, but none of it seemed to faze her. Even when she appeared to mess up her big move (a front flip from the top where I suspect she was aiming to land on her feet but fell short), she bounced back up, not letting it get to her. Now, the perfect response would have been to sell the misfire, allowing Suzume to regain control, but there are veterans of 15 years who wouldn’t do that. So, at this point in her career, breezing through a mistake and not letting it burrow into her head is a win as far as I’m concerned. Christ, you could argue that her turning up willing to give that a go on day one is already proof that she’s got something to her. There’s a lot to learn, but having that kind of confidence can take you a long way.
You could, of course, go through this debut and pick out a hundred little faults, but that would make you a dick. It’s much more fun to go through and find the things that hint towards who this wrestler could become. Konatsu showed here that she has the confidence and the ability to go big, and while that doesn’t always lead to my favourite kind of talent, I trust in TJPW’s ability to teach her how to harness it. On top of that, she sold well for Suzume’s offence, if anything hamming it up a touch too much, and even managed to keep up with the bee in some opening grappling that didn’t just stick to the rookie handbook of how to start a match. She’ll hopefully go on to have hundreds of performances better than this one, but as first attempts go, it has to be seen as a roaring success.
Watch Tokyo Joshi Pro: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/videos?labels=-tjpw.
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