The Max Heart final is always an unusual Korakuen. Positioned before Grand Princess, the gears tend to be turning for bigger matches elsewhere, so we end up with a lot of filler or build-up stuff. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean the show has struggled in the past. Let’s see how they did this year.
Ren Konatsu defeated Shion Kanzaki
I can’t think of a way to say this that doesn’t make me sound like a dick, but Ren Konatsu needs to smile less. She always looks like she’s having a lovely time in the ring! That’s fine, I want wrestlers to enjoy themselves, but in a match that was her best chance yet to get that elusive first win, I needed to feel a touch of desperation from her. As I’ve said a million times, the way to make me care is to act as if you do, and grinning from ear to ear doesn’t exactly sell the struggle. As friend-of-the-site Seb recently got into over on Unmanned Local Train, a wrestler’s face can make all the difference.
It’s also an example of me nitpicking, as I actually thought this was a big match for Ren. She’s been doing decently since arriving on the scene, but there was a bit of a disconnect in her wrestling. The perfect example of that was her fancy front flip. It was undoubtedly impressive, but there never seemed to be much point to it. She did it because she could. In this match, she debuted her new finisher, the Aries Comet, a move that similarly shows off her athletic ability, but actually has a purpose. Giving a rookie to work with, it felt like Konatsu was able to string things together a bit more, giving her offence a weight it had lacked.
As for said rookie, Kanzaki may have been the one to remain winless, but I have no worries about her. I suspect I was made more aware of Ren’s face because Shion is the exact opposite. She reacts to everything, all the emotions on display as she pulls herself through matches. Her offence is still limited, but there are so many little touches that I love. The way she scuttled backwards to keep Ren away from the ropes while holding her in a sleeper before selling her exhaustion at having had to keep the move on when her opponent eventually escaped. All the raw ingredients are there, and I can’t wait to see how they come together.
Which is true for both of these rookies. I feel like I’ve been harsh on Konatsu, but she was more than worthy of this first win, and this match did feel like a levelling-up moment for her. Just because there are things I think she can improve on, doesn’t mean that what’s there isn’t interesting. While I don’t think this was one of TJPW’s great first victories (Raku’s is still my favourite), it was a solid effort from all involved.
Verdict: Ren Levels Up
Miyu Yamashita, Kaya Toribami, HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki defeated Hyper Misao, Kakeru Sekiguchi, Kira Summer & Chika Nanase
My opinion on Miyu Yamashita has shifted in the last few months. At the height of 121000000, when she was vanishing over to America regularly, I felt it was time for the Ace to step away. She’d done everything she needed to do, and it was clear her heart was elsewhere. As she bumblingly rejected the Valentine’s Day chocolates offered up by her opponents in this match, I couldn’t imagine her anywhere else. Dropping her down the card, teaming her up with Toribami, it’s all reinvigorated my affection for Yamashita. I’m enjoying watching her wrestle again.
And when she does pop up in a match like this, I think it motivates everyone else. There is a lighter, fluffier version of this tag (that I probably still enjoyed), but the presence of the Ace meant everyone had their working boots on. Miyu was obviously throwing out kicks, but you also had Kira wiping out poor Shino with a big lariat and a fun final battle between Nanase and HIMAWARI. It made me want a Bumping gRitters vs Chika and Summer match-up that gets a bit of time. There was another in their interactions here to make me think they could do good things together.
Of course, it was second on the card, so there was always a ceiling to it, but it made more of an impact than I expected. Misao and Yamashita ran back a bit of their clashes from the 121000000 vs Kyoraku Kyomei feud, but it was the kids who really stood out, as they all appeared motivated to impress. It’s yet another example of how this new version of Miyu is proving to be a very good thing.
Verdict: Exceeded Expectations
Ryo Mizunami, Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro defeated Max The Impaler, Raku & Pom Harajuku
Before the show, Haru did an illustration showing how everyone involved in this match had a connection to Yuki Aino. Max then promptly proved that point by trying to swap Raku for ‘Her Yuki’. It meant Raku spent the opening part of this match sulking on the apron, only coming to life when she got to enjoy watching Max hurl Pom over the top rope.
However, while everyone undoubtedly had those connections with Aino, it was Max who the match revolved around. Coming in, I wanted to see Aniki pair up with them, but, as enjoyable as that was, it was Haru who really stole that show. The first hint came when she stormed straight up to Max early on, only to be thrown out of the ring, but it set the tempo. Kazashiro had decided to approach the Impaler differently from most, foregoing fear for plucky underdog energy. She threw herself at the challenge, trying desperately to hammer her way through them. Did it work? No, but it was a perfect Haru performance. Gutsy and sympathetic, even if it did, more often than not, see her get flattened.
It was the highlight of that match, but not the only thing worth seeing. I think I’ve been so focused on praising Uta for taking up the mantle as the floppiest member of the roster that I’ve neglected the old master. Pom started this match determined to face off with Aniki, which was obviously a bad idea, and ended up flopping and flailing for all she was worth. Plus, those Max and Aniki portions were exciting. Mizunami typically takes it easy in TJPW, but that wasn’t an option here, and someone has got to be looking to book that match. It feels like a no-brainer.
That all made for another tag that somewhat over-delivered. I expected this to be entertaining, but between Pom’s flopping and Haru’s defiance, I got a touch more than that. Kazashiro, in particular, felt like someone ready to be thrown to the wolves some time soon, and I hope that’s something TJPW take notice of.
Verdict: On Yersel’, Haru!
Aja Kong defeated Mahiro Kiryu to win the Ironman Heavy Metal title
Mahiro is hilarious. Her entrance for this match, where she proudly marches down to the ring, holding the Ironman title (that she won back before this show by strangling a ring announcer and pinning a stopwatch) like it’s the most important thing in the world, had me howling. She has mastered her own pomposity, and when you put that up against Aja Kong, it’s obviously going to be entertaining. Look at Aja’s face as Mahiro does her apology spot and tell me that’s not funny.
Truthfully, there is not a whole lot to say about this match apart from that. It was the story of Mahiro finding herself in over her head, desperately trying to hold onto that belt, but realising that the challenge in front of her was too big. Was it great in-ring action? No, but as a little narrative beat (they didn’t exactly take up much time), I had a blast with it. At this point, I simply like watching Kiryu do stuff. There is no one else like her, and when you put her up against a demonic brick wall, that’s going to keep my attention.
And Kong is more adept at this stuff than she has ever been given credit for. If nothing else, she’s spent enough years hanging around people like Hirota and Yoneyama to know how to play the straight woman. That’s all this match asked of her, and while it’s not about to top even my end of the year list, it made me laugh, and that’s all that matters.
Verdict: I Laughed
Daisy Monkey (Suzume & Arisu Endo) defeated Shoko Nakajiima & Sara Phoenix
I don’t want to sound too mean, but Sara Phoenix’s TJPW tour has been somewhat underwhelming. A luchador coming in felt like a cool chance to expose the roster to something a little bit different, but it hasn’t really come to fruition. I wouldn’t say she’s been bad. It’s just that if this is a one-and-done, I suspect I won’t be able to remember her name in a year.
And this was very much a fill a spot on the card match. It gave Suzume a win before she laid stepped up as a challenger later on the show, but there was no real weight behind any of it. However, if you’re going to fill a spot, asking Shoko to riff around with Arisu and the bee isn’t the worst thing in the world. It made me realise that we’re still due a great match from Nakajima and the members of Daisy Monkey. She had a good one with Suzume a few years ago in the Princess Cup, but both she and Arisu have come so far as singles wrestlers that I want to see them given the time and space to show what they can do with the best pure wrestler in the company. The small interactions we got here, as throwaway as they may have been, certainly hinted at something great.
Still, that’s for another day, and this tag mainly just happened. It’s never going to be bad with those names involved, and it probably was one of Phoenix’s better performances, but it’s not something you need to go out of your way to see.
Verdict: Decent Enough
Daydream (Miu Watanabe & Rika Tatsumi) defeated Yuki Arai & Mifu Ashida
I haven’t had a chance to ramble about it, but I am unconvinced by Arai as the challenger for Grand Princess. Obviously, we know why she’s there, but can that translate into an interesting match? The former idol is at a tough point in her career. Having shifted into wrestling full-time, she can no longer rely on being impressive for a part-timer who draws in a crowd. She’s now there every week, and the thrill of that quickly begins to fade when you’re seeing her fall back on the same tricks regularly. I’m not suggesting Arai can’t go on to be a great full-time wrestler, but she’s still got a way to go.
This match did take some steps towards allaying my fears, though. The big spot has already been shared around plenty, as Arai hit the Full Nelson Buster off the apron (which looked like it had hurt Miu initially, but thankfully she wrestled the next day, so hopefully it just winded her) to up the stakes significantly. That did give me some hope, as I think the best match for these two would be a short, fast, bombfest. However, it was actually Watanabe’s previous cutting off of Arai that intrigued me. That move felt justified because Miu had given her so little, blocking her attempts to hit it beforehand and even stubbornly refusing to be locked in the Sharpshooter. It felt like the champ flexing their powers. Miu was showing Arai that she would have to fight for everything, and, so far, she has answered that challenge.
Elsewhere, Mifu Ashida delivered yet another impressive performance. In some ways, she’s stepped into the Moka Miyamoto role. They’re very different people, as Ashida is loud and flashy while Moka is quiet and reserved, but like Miyamoto, Mifu can be relied on to fill any spot. She’s charismatic, a strong worker and able to adjust to where she is on the card. Both her and Rika were very much supporting players here, but they’re great supporting players, so that’s no bad thing. A lunatic who thinks they’re an idol trying to strangle a cheerleader is a pretty great subplot.
Anyway, I’m still not fully convinced of Arai’s ability to work to the level of this title match, but with over a month to go, this was a step in the right direction. Let’s hope she can keep taking them.
Verdict: A Good Sign, Hopefully
MIRAI defeated Toga to retain the International Princess Title
Toga looked nervous before this match. I’m not blaming her. It was the biggest one of her career so far, and she was coming up against someone she was not that familiar with. However, as MIRAI made her entrance, you could see her struggling to control her emotions. Thankfully, when they got started, that did seem to fade away.
Less thankfully, I don’t think MIRAI did her any favours here. This match went down a very logical route, as the more technical veteran went after the wicked right arm of Toga. Everyone knows that her biggest weapon is those strikes, and that 90% of her offence comes through that arm, so it made perfect sense for MIRAI to attack it. The problem is that 90% of her offence comes through that arm. You’re asking Toga, who hasn’t exactly done many limb matches, to try and sell an attack on the most important one she has. It’s a situation that wrestlers with ten times her experience have struggled with.
And I actually think she did an alright job. It wasn’t perfect, but she never forgot about the injury, always returning to it after big hits or shaking it out. I never really bought into the idea that it was massively hindering her, but I also didn’t forget that it was hurting, and that’s a start. However, I think this match would have worked a lot better if it had just been these two laying into each other. When we got there, with Toga hitting a big Fallaway Slam out of the corner and MIRAI eventually taking her head off with a lariat, the action picked up. They can hit hard, so I wish they’d done it a bit more.
Despite all that, I think this was an impressive first big match for Toga. She was in a tough spot. If this had been with Endo or Suzume, wrestlers she knows very well, she would have been in a much more comfortable place. Instead, she had to adapt to a new face, who was laying down a big challenge for her, and the fact that she didn’t sink is to her credit. I suspect these two have something even better in them (and if we return to this in a year or two, they would show it), but for a first effort, it gets the thumbs up from me.
Verdict: Toga Walks Out With Her Head Held High
In the aftermath, MIRAI called out Suzume, as we’re going to the match everyone wanted for Grand Princess. I’m excited about that one.
Ober Eats (Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara) defeated Mizuki & Uta Takami to win the Max Heart Tournament
Much like Shion’s expressive face highlighted Ren’s smiling, pairing Ober Eats up with Mizuki and Uta really drew attention to why I haven’t clicked with them. The underdogs here were a thrown-together team. One that, typically, if history is anything to go by, at best goes to the second round of the Max Heart before falling to some of the regulars. However, TJPW threw a bit of a curveball at us and ran with it, letting Mizuki and Uta make their way through the tournament and right to the final.
And I loved it. Mizuki and Uta make sense. Maybe it’s that shared Sakura DNA, or maybe it’s just that they’re very similar people, but I adore watching them in the ring together. That combo of Mizuki’s devilish ways and Uta’s endearing, floppy enthusiasm is so good. It makes me smile every time Takami trusts that, this time, Mizuki will agree to be whipped into the corner, only for the rabbit to turn it around once more. In other words, it’s everything I’m missing from Ober Eats. I obviously have no idea how close Wakana and Kamiyu are when they’re not wrestling, but in the ring, it’s not there. I don’t buy into them as a pairing. They’ve got that 121000000 syndrome, and the more they try to convince me otherwise, the more I feel it.
Unfortunately, I also came into this match aware of the result, so I didn’t even get to enjoy believing that my new favourite team could do it. I’m typically not that bothered about spoilers, but here it definitely took some of the wind out of my sails, as I knew the gusts were blowing in the wrong direction. However, that’s not to say it was a disaster. There was stuff I enjoyed (and not just Mizuki and Uta’s antics). Kamiyu’s boots were out in force, and her opponents were the perfect people to flop around for them. She also hit a beautiful brainbuster out of the corner on Mizuki, which might be the best one I’ve ever seen her do. Elsewhere, I always appreciate a good struggle over the Koala Clutch, and Wakana filled that role admirably, selling having that wee menace hanging off her well.
It never really came to life for me, though. Ober Eats have, so far, had something of a ceiling, and it’s around this level. Good matches that never get my blood pumping. This victory makes it clear they’re going to get more chances, though, and they’re calling for a big challenge at Grand Princess. My first thought was a MagiRabbi reunion, but it wouldn’t make much sense after having Mizuki reach the final (and when Yuka has returned, they’ve avoided putting her in big spots), so TJPW have a chance to surprise me. I’d love nothing more that for Ober Eats to do the same, but this match wasn’t where they did it.
Verdict: Underwhelming, But I Love Mizuki And Uta
Overall Show
As predicted, this was a weaker Korakuen. There was still plenty I liked here, from the rookie opener to Rika trying to smother Ashida with a pom-pom, but there wasn’t anything that really grabbed my attention. The main event was fine, and Toga had a good showing in the semi-main, but it’s nothing I’ll ever come back to. I’ll never regret watching a TJPW Korakuen, that’s not in my DNA, but I suspect if there is one you can miss this year, it’s this one.
Watch Tokyo Joshi Pro: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/videos?labels=-tjpw.
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