The times they are a-changing in TJPW. I can’t quite pinpoint when it started, but there has been a noticeable shift towards working a limb. My completely baseless assumption is that with Yuka Sakazaki gone and Miyu Yamashita spending more time working overseas, it’s a consequence of the growing influence of Shoko Nakajima (and perhaps, to a lesser extent, Rika Tatsumi), which could never be a bad thing. It’s been particularly evident in 2025’s Princess Cup. Both semi-finals saw at least one body part being treated most unkindly, and I don’t think that would have been the case a year ago, never mind even further back. It’s a noticeable shift in the house style that seems to be carving itself into the company’s roots.
And yet, at this point, I don’t think it’s overly harsh to say that the selling hasn’t caught up with the change. They’re getting there, with wrestlers slowly figuring out how to get the damage across while still delivering their offence, but quite often it’s being forgotten late into matches, pushed to the side as people string moves together. I get it, consistently getting across the effects of having an arm or a leg attacked is something countless wrestlers struggle with, so it’s hardly a cardinal sin. However, when you push something to the fore, it’s only natural that there is going to be more attention paid to it. The more TJPW’s focus moves in that direction, the more I’ll expect from the wrestlers involved.
Thankfully, they do have one hell of an example to follow in Shoko Nakajima. In the last few months alone, we’ve seen her sell brilliantly for limb work from the likes of Kaya Toribami and Rika Tatsumi, and this final was another chance for Shoko to strut her stuff. I’ve talked at length about her and Miu before, so it’s probably not necessary to get into the nitty-gritty of how this match flowed (Shoko’s technical ability and speed were negated by Miu’s power), but I thought it featured some great selling from both wrestlers. With Nakajima attacking the leg and Watanabe going after the back, there was a real sense of them being hindered by the work being done. It wasn’t there simply to fill time, but became something that played into the biggest moments of the match.
That was never clearer than towards the finishing stretch when they had something of a reset. With Shoko having hit her big senton on the apron only for Miu to get her knees up when she followed it up with one in the ring, both wrestlers retreated to opposite corners before rolling to the floor to collect themselves. They were hurting, perhaps even struggling, and they needed a second to have a drink of water and prepare for what they knew would be the final push. Not only was it a somewhat human moment, two people having to catch their breath in the midst of a hard fight, but it set up that conclusion perfectly. The break provided a reason for them to be able to push the pace again, taking the action back to the beginning and working towards the finish. Yet, they never completely forgot what had been done. If nothing else, it took them a few more seconds to escape a hold than it had before, as the struggle was that little bit harder deep into the action.
Truthfully, that final act did eventually go a bit too far in the other direction. When Shoko escaped a Watanabe attempt at the Teardrop, the pink idol fell backwards, dissolving into some NXT face-acting, looking like she was on the verge of tears at being thwarted. However, I’m even willing to forgive that to an extent. For all its melodrama, it did get over that Miu was hurting and desperate for it to be over. Shoko escaping and ensuring that it would continue a little bit longer was enough to nearly break her. She should tone it down at least a touch in the future, as she played it so big that it got distracting, but she had the right idea. It also, in my not at all humble opinion, should have been the kickstart to Shoko winning this damn thing, but that’s a discussion for another day.
Because even with some minor flaws, it feels increasingly like these Shoko and Miu matches are the blueprint for where TJPW is going. A switch away from the Miyu Yamashita and Yuka Sakazaki days to something a bit more considered. For all my occasional issues with Miyu in recent times, that previous style led to some of my favourite matches of all time, so I’m not dancing on its grave, and it’s hardly a 180 shift in direction, but the change excites me. The younger Tokyo Joshi generation is coming through with a slightly altered set of influences, and it’s already having an effect. When you consider how young most of them are, I have no doubt that they will eventually be able to pull themselves up to meet the likes of Shoko and Miu. If nothing else, I trust in the Big Kaiju to point them in the right direction, and while she wasn’t gifted with the Princess Cup, this was yet more proof that she is probably the best wrestler in the world right now.
Watch Tokyo Joshi Pro: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/videos?labels=-tjpw.
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