After several trips abroad and a huge show in Ryōgoku Kokugikan, TJPW returned to the more comfortable sights of Korakeun Hall. As is now often the case, I was at this one live, so I apologise if this is a more general review. I ain’t taking notes while the show is going on, especially as it was the first of two that day. Still, hopefully I’ll stumble onto something you find interesting regardless!
Ren Konatsu defeated Shion Kanzaki
Ren and Shion both already feel like they belong. Don’t get me wrong, they’re rookies. On the whole, they still wrestle like people figuring this stuff out, but they don’t hold themselves like that. Some newbies take a while to relax. They spend months, even years, looking tiny and alone in the middle of an ever-growing ring. It’s understandable. They’re entering a whole new world, and when it comes to joshi wrestlers, they’ve often barely had time to get used to the normal one. However, Shion and Ren don’t have that issue. They wandered in, found a corner and made themselves at home.
As for the match, it was the definition of a solid wee opener. Kanzaki is still pulling from the rookie playbook, but she’s floppy and determined in all the right ways. While she’s not quite at Shino Suzuki’s level of emotional commitment, there is definitely a touch of that desperate grit to her. When she locks on a sleeper, she commits to it. Ren, on the other hand, has had the opposite problem. She tends to smile her way through matches, looking like she’s having a lovely old time. Funnily enough, this was the rare situation where that works. If there is a moment when she’s going to relax and have some fun, it’s up against her one junior in the company. I could still use her showing a little bit of concern, however.
None of that is really an issue, though. This feels like one of those pairings we could see a lot over the next few years, and I have zero issues with that. The kids have a long way to go, but there is a lot of potential there, and I’m excited to watch them grow up together.
Verdict: The Future Is Bright
Wakana Uehara, YuuRI & Kira Summer defeated Bumping gRitters (HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki) & Chika Nanase
Up next was your standard fill-out-the-card multi-woman tag, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. There were enough fun wrestlers involved to make it worth a watch.
It’s always hard for me to get past HIMAWARI and Shino. They possess distinct styles of charisma that complement each other perfectly. You’ve got the likeable, bumbling Suzuki, who still gives off the vibe of being a touch worried it’s all about to go horribly wrong. Then you’ve got the bubbly, bright HIMAWARI. She’s got all the confidence Shino lacks, while being perhaps somewhat deficient in self-awareness. It’s what makes them a perfect team, and I can’t imagine not wanting to root for them. Now that the titles are back in steady hands, I really hope we get to see them work their way back into contention.
Elsewhere, I still want Kira to get meaner. She’s slowly been leaning into her power more, but just a streak of nastiness would go a long way. I’m not expecting her to become Bull Nakano. That’s not the TJPW vibe. I just want her to throw her weight around a little bit. Put a little bit of pep behind those slams and take advantage of being able to launch someone like Nanase across the ring. I know they’re close friends, but that just means she’s more likely to forgive you!
Finally, it’s always nice to see YuuRI. After the guest overload of Grand Princess, a lot of whom were cultural figures I had no reference for, it was reassuring to have a few well-picked (well, outside of one pairing), recognisable faces on this card. YuuRI could obviously do more than this, but sometimes you just want a slightly fresh face to add a bit of spice to an undercard tag. In that sense, it was a job well done, as this was match that ticked all the boxes without ever crossing over into anything more than that.
Verdict: Solid
Mizuki, Mei Suruga & Uta Takami defeated Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku
I would have gone to this show regardless, but this match was the prompt to pick up my ticket. Uta under the watchful eyes of her two devilish older wrestling sisters? Yes, please. The Love Triangle across the ring from them? Even better! No wrestling promotion should ever book things to cater to my whims – that would be a disaster. However, this was the rare example of things coming together perfectly in that regard. Everyone was happy!
And obviously, this leaned towards the nonsense. There were serious moments throughout, usually when Aino tagged in, but everyone was primarily in the building to mess around. Yet, I was still surprised at how effortlessly Mei and Raku clicked. I was expecting Suruga to get into it with Pom, and I was a touch disappointed we didn’t get more of that, but her instant chemistry with Raku made up for it. There was something about Mei buzzing around, doing her usual menacing, while Raku threw brain chops after her that was endlessly watchable. As Emi Sakura noted on Twitter, it felt like there was more to be explored here. We got a taster, but Mei getting petulant at Raku striking a pose could be the start of something fun.
Elsewhere, Uta clearly adored being on a team with Mizuki and Mei. They are the perfect people for the squeaky wee koala to learn from, even if she might be picking up some bad habits. We also got more of Mizuki’s long-running quest to steal Pom’s shoes, leading to a nice little pay-off when Harajuku revealed she’d brought spares. It was the kind of perfect, middle-of-the-card, light-hearted wrestling that TJPW excels at. I know it’s not for everyone, but if you’ve ever come across this site before, you’ll know it is definitely for me.
Verdict: A Whole Lot Of Fun
Aja Kong & Yuki Kamifuku defeated Mahiro Kiryu & Kakeru Sekiguchi
I think Kakeru and Mahiro look like each other to the perfect extent for this gag about them being identical to work. There are enough similarities for it to make sense, but they’re not so close that it doesn’t stop being funny. Although Kamiyu not being able to recognise Mahiro does play perfectly into the dynamic of their tag-team. There’s a chance that’s not a bit.
There’s also something wonderful about putting Kamiyu and Aja together. What do they talk about? I can’t imagine they have much in common. Actually, I’m probably doing Kamiyu a disservice there. Judging by the wide range of wrestlers she’s friends with, from Veny to Yuki Iino to Sonoko Kato, she’s clearly got no issues bonding with people. There’s every chance she and Aja are best pals. It doesn’t make the image of the two of them entering together, the tall beauty and the beaten-up wrestling veteran, any less eye-catching, though. You’d definitely notice them if they walked past you on the street.
As for the match, it was fine. This wasn’t one that required Aja to do much apart from slap people around a bit (she didn’t give a shit who was Mahiro and who was Kakeru), but she’s never going to suck at that. Mahiro and Kakeru’s antics were fun, Kamiyu got a win that would prove useful later in the night, and I think everyone came away fairly happy. When I look back on this show, it’s not going to be the thing I remember, but I had a perfectly pleasant time while it was on.
Verdict: Decent
Ryo ‘Aniki’ Mizunami defeated Toga
I’m delighted that Aniki has returned to Sendai Girls, but I hope that doesn’t end her relationship with TJPW. It’s been a real boon for them to be able to call on the veteran. She’s perfect in matches like this one, where she can provide a brick wall for a younger wrestler to barrel into.
And Toga was ready for her second tilt at smashing it down. It was nearly three years ago that they last wrestled, and I think there is an argument that she has stalled a touch in her development. However, while that might be true, I have begun to look at her differently. Truthfully, I think I’ve been thinking about her all wrong. In the last few weeks, I’ve had a similar switch in perception as I once did with Shinno Hagane. Where Toga once seemed a touch aloof, it’s now transformed into an awkward charm. They’re both cool, but don’t appear particularly comfortable with that fact. Wrestling came quite easily to Toga. She was solid to good from day one. However, and this is obviously my own perception rather than any real fact, I suspect the person who was least comfortable with that was Toga. What she’s needed was someone to wake her up and bring her out of herself.
Which is why Aniki was the perfect opponent. You can’t be timid when Aniki is around. From the second her music hits, with Korakuen chanting her name in time, you are dragged into her world. If you don’t then stand your ground, she will, at the very least, leave you with a glowing handprint on your chest. Toga had to meet Mizunami blow for blow, taking those machine gun chops and throwing herself into the fray when she got the slightest opening, and as she did, Korakuen came alive. Aniki is one of their wrestlers, someone who they always wake up for. Yet, here, as Toga fought back, they began to root for her, adding their momentum to her blows.
It was such a clear surge of support behind the youngster that I kind of wish she’d been booked to win. Aniki doesn’t lose often, and she is a current Senjo champion, so I’m sure there is some politics there, but if her TJPW days are going to be limited, I’d have loved to see Toga get that boost. I’m not someone who thinks you need to win to be made. Losing to Aniki is not hurting Toga’s career. However, the momentum in this match was so clearly behind her that the shock three could have led to one of the bigger reactions of the year. It would have been huge!
Still, this was a really good hoss battle that reminded me of how much Toga still has to give. She’s still only a few years into her career, but if she can continue figuring out how to harness that awkward, handsome charm, alongside those killer elbows, I have no doubt any chat of stagnation won’t hang around long.
Verdict: ‘Mon Toga!
Kyoraku Kyomei (Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao) defeated K!SS Kick Slash (Miyu Yamashita & Sakura Hattori)
Kyoraku Kyomei get their thanks for putting over The IInspiration in America.
I’m glad the Hattori and Miyu partnership seems to be continuing past the gimmick switch. They’ve got something as a pairing, and while they’re still clearly trying to adjust to the changes in Hattori’s presentation, I suspect their chemistry is good enough to get past these early, slightly awkward stages. Unfortunately, that did mean this match didn’t quite live up to its potential. It was fine, but we know these teams can do more than fine.
And I’m struggling to put my finger on exactly what held it back. Misao and Shoko spent the first half trying to avoid Miyu, and I think that sounds better on paper than it ended up being. Everything just felt a touch off. It’s not like they were tripping over each other, but just a couple of days later, I’m struggling to remember anything particularly memorable about the whole affair. It was mostly just there. Maybe it is them getting used to Hattori wrestling in this slightly new style, but I came away with a bit of a sense of ‘is that it?’.
Still, as I said, it wasn’t a total disaster. It was a perfectly fine match. Unfortunately, when you’re as good as this lot, that tends to disappoint more than it would from lesser wrestlers.
Verdict: I Don’t Have Much To Say About It
Suzume defeated Haru Kazashiro to retain the International Princess Title
My favourite moment in this match came towards the end. Haru had been attacking Suzume’s arm, setting her up for those armbars she’s made such a key part of her game. The champ was struggling. It had already given out when she tried to catapult herself over the top rope, and when Haru returned to it once more, trying to find a way back into the armbar, Suzume’s reaction was one of panic. She didn’t have some grand counter or cleverly worked out ploy. Instead, she did what I would do. Lash out, kicking and squirming away.
It’s the kind of moment that makes a wrestling match for me. So much of this stuff is too smooth. It’s too well thought out, too athletic. Complaining that wrestlers are too good at what they do is a weird position to take, but in some ways, they are. I don’t need everything to be perfect. Sometimes I want to see someone panic because their arm is hurting, and they don’t want it to hurt any more. It also spoke to how great a job Suzume did at selling in this match. TJPW has been introducing more and more limb work in the last couple of years, and the roster has slowly been figuring out how to deal with it. This was the perfect example of how far they’ve come. I never forgot that Suzume’s arm was in pain, as even when simply moving around the ring, she made sure to hold it gingerly, keeping it as safe as she could. It was always an issue.
Haru also deserves credit for being the one to make it so. I know I say this every time, and I’m sure I will eventually stop, but she has come so far. She’s eighteen! Just a few years ago, she was this timid wee kid, and now she’s out there, working a limb and convincing Korakuen Hall that she has a chance at winning the title. Towards the end of this match, it was Suzume who was getting more and more desperate, flying into moves in the hope that it would be enough to end things. Haru had made this match about her, and as silly as it sounds, that makes me swell with pride. Again, I’m repeating myself, but so much of the joy of this is watching a wrestler grow, and that’s rarely been as clear as it is with Kazashiro.
It all helped to continue Suzume’s case for being one of the best wrestlers in the world this year. She’s not just stepped up, but leapt, going from being in that group behind the elite to right alongside them. What’s impressive about it is the wide variety of wrestlers she’s come up against while doing so. From Haru to Miu via Mirai and Sakura Hattori. She’s transforming into the ultimate all-rounder, and fair play to her. However, it’s also important to make it clear this wasn’t just Suzume’s match. Haru was with her every step of the way, and while she didn’t win the title this time, I’ve never been more sure that her day with it will come.
Verdict: They’re Both Great
Daydream (Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe) defeated The IInspiration (Cassie Lee & Jessie McKay) to win the Princess Tag Titles
I think there is a world where I quite liked The IInspiration’s TJPW work. It’s one where they don’t come in at the top of the card, but are slotted into the nonsense spot. In a rarity for wrestlers who have been through the WWE system, they haven’t had their sense of humour warped to the whims of an old man who will hopefully die soon. They’re good at leaning into their own ridiculousness. They’re just not very good at wrestling. Nothing they do in the ring has any weight behind it at all.
And if Daydream can’t drag something out of you, who can? Miu and Rika tried. Tatsumi flew around the place, putting that diamond arse into it all, while Miu was her usual powerful self. Sadly, the hill was just a little bit too steep. It wasn’t a disaster of a match, Miu and Rika are too good for that, but I never cared. Actually, that’s not true. I breathed a sigh of relief when the title change happened. I don’t think I could have taken TJPW feeding both Kyoraku Kyomei and Daydream to this pairing. Does that count as caring, though? I can’t imagine it’s what they were aiming for.
I don’t think I was alone, either. The IInspiration may be the next foreign team to talk about those respectful Japanese crowds because they got very little from Korakuen. Even the horny pop had calmed down a bit post-Grand Princess, although the poses were still the most over part of the act. People seemed, on the whole, somewhat unbothered, and I can’t say I blame them. But hey, at least they got the result right this time! And with Mizuki and Uta coming out to challenge, the quality of tag team wrestling in TJPW is about to skyrocket.
Verdict: At Least It’s Over
Yuki Arai defeated Arisu Endo to retain the Princess of Princess Title
Unfortunately, this match hit on a lot of my worries about a Yuki Arai title run. She’s improved. Arguably quite a lot. There were moments here where that meanness she showed against Miu rose to the surface. I loved the visual of her standing tall as she dragged Arai back to the centre of the ring to prevent a rope break and she’s increasingly leaning into those big boots. In those moments, she feels like a champion. Like someone you could rely on to fill Korakuen every month.
The problem is that she can’t fill a main event yet. Against Miu, that wasn’t a problem. Watanabe was the one tasked with controlling that match. That doesn’t work against Endo. Here, it was Arai who was asked to lead the action, and for every great moment, she did a lot of meandering. TJPW is generally quite good at getting match lengths right, but I think if you’d cut four or five minutes off this, it would have made a big difference. Arai just isn’t ready to be the lead in these longer, main event-style matches.
However, Endo is ready to be the main support. Where Arai stumbled, I thought Arisu was fantastic. She was sympathetic in her selling and exciting in her comeback, the match coming to life when she fired up. She’s such a thrilling combination of speed and power, able to pluck you off your feet, but also to hit the ropes and buzz around you like her tag partner. Watching her, you understand why they stuck to that framework, even if it wasn’t playing into Arai’s strengths. To take that away from Arisu would have been an even bigger mistake.
And I’m not going to claim she should have won, although I do kind of feel that way. Endo is ready. She’s been ready for a while. Daisy Monkey, as a pairing, have joined Miu in that new wave of TJPW wrestlers who are in position to anchor this company for years to come. Arai doesn’t feel like she’s there yet. I don’t think she sucks or that she’ll never make it, but her name has allowed her to skip the queue (and the support for her in Korakuen was undeniable), and the issue with that is apparent in matches like this one. If it had been Miu standing across from Arisu, working to that same structure, I think we would have another match of the year contender on our hands. As it was, we had a really good Endo performance and a good match. That’s not a disaster, but I do wish we’d been given a touch more.
Verdict: Endo Is Going To Be Champ One Day
Overall Show
I’m putting that down as a mid-tier TJPW Korakuen. It was still good, and there were a lot of matches I enjoyed, but the main and semi-main both fell short of where I wanted them to be. Still, Haru vs Suzume was outstanding, and we got what is hopefully the start of the Suruga and Raku connection. I am not someone who is going to start complaining about that.
Watch Tokyo Joshi Pro: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/videos?labels=-tjpw.
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