Another month, another batch of ramblings about matches and shows I primarily saw live. Of the 11 events covered here, there is only one I didn’t attend in person, and that’s because I woke up feeling like shit, so I stayed in bed that morning. I hope you’re not all bored of me talking about how much I love going to Ichigaya Chocolate Square because it ain’t stopping any time soon.
Baliyan Akki vs Kaho Hiromi, ChocoPro #520 (3/5/26), ChocoPro
I’m not going to lie, this made me a little bit annoyed that I talked about Akki’s appearance on the Miracle Apricot podcast last month. I still believe Sayaka vs Kaho was a great example of what he was talking about, but this was the man himself doing it. Oh well, you can go back and read that to get the point.
Akki nailed this role. He never went full heel, I don’t think he can get away with bullying a small girl the way perhaps a Mei Suruga can, but he leaned into the cockiness, comfortable in his sizable advantage. Or he was, right up until Kaho started scampering about the place, at which point you saw just a flash of panic. Akki was never in danger, but you could tell he was on the cusp of losing control. If you don’t believe me, watch him go full Michael Owen at the end, punching the air in celebration after pinning poor, tiny Kaho. I don’t know who Akki’s Neville Southall is, but maybe he needs to have a word.
And Kaho was also great. In the last month or so, Choco have started to let her do a little bit more. She’s still not taking huge bumps, but she’s expanding her repertoire, finding new ways to bundle people up and use her size to her advantage. It’s a spot that’s been done before, but her repeatedly avoiding Akki’s attempt at a crab because she’s too short was delightful, and, most importantly, they followed it up perfectly. Kaho not only escaped being twisted up, but she also found a way to attack from that position. It’s such joyous wrestling.
That’s the word for all of this. Joy. I love watching Kaho enjoy herself on the mat, messing around with this weird group of older brothers and sisters she’s been surrounded by. Beyond the kayfabe of it all, it’s Akki protecting a wee lass who is already living her dream. How can you not love that?
Suzume vs Haru Kazashiro, Yes! Wonderland ’26 (4/5/26), TJPW
I’m aware I have something of an issue when it comes to writing about Haru, as I’m seemingly incapable of covering one of her matches without getting a bit emotional about how far she’s come. It’s hard! Just watching her smile as she entered for this match made me so happy. Imagine if she’d been in this spot the year she debuted? She would have been terrified.
However, I think it’s important to highlight that Haru isn’t good because of where she started. She’s just good. A lot of the more casual chat around this match has focused on Suzume, and I get why. It was another brilliant performance in what’s turning into a standout year for her. She’s the one who got to do the flashy selling of the arm and pull off the comeback. It made it an easy showing to praise.
What makes all that work, though, is the effort that Haru puts in. Right from the start of the match, she is focused on that arm. It’s not quite every bit of offence, but it’s the majority. Plus, as Akki noted on commentary, Haru is bigger than Suzume now. She’s not a wee kid going up against a veteran. Now she’s got the confidence and the ability to take control of the action. I loved when she stepped through the ropes to drop Suzume’s arm across them before dangling off the apron for added leverage. It was such an assured piece of wrestling. They were the actions of someone who knows exactly what they want to do.
Suzume was great in response to that. Not only did she sell the arm well, if a bit dramatically at times, but her increased desperation as the action went on felt very real. If she didn’t quite underestimate Haru, she at least didn’t predict her being this focused. She didn’t expect her to be this willing to pick a plan and stick to it. Haru didn’t get the win, but between them, they managed to convince you that she came mighty close. As I said in my original review, I left feeling like it was only a matter of time until Haru takes that step. When she does, I’m sure I’ll be here, talking about how far she’s come once again.
Sugamo Pro Wrestling (4/5/26)
Okay, slight disclaimer for this one. I went to Sugamo’s show (a comedy company where everyone cosplays as slightly more famous wrestlers) to see the debut of Suman Hansen, who happens to be a friend of mine. I thought he did great, but that’s probably a slightly biased opinion. If I get drunk with you once, and you’re not a wrong’un, I’m generally going to cheer you on. And Jeff’s a lovely lad.
However, I think it’s still fair for me to talk about this show as a whole, and I had a great time. Some of the comedic bits went over my head (there were a lot of puns based on wrestlers’ names or cultural references that my language skills couldn’t keep up with), but it’s hard not to enjoy a Naito who needed four other wrestlers to assist him in hitting a Destino. And the one at Sugamo was pretty entertaining, too! (Sorry, it was the obvious joke to make.) Long-term readers will know I’m a sucker for people who are so passionate about wrestling that they have to exist in this space, and I felt a lot of that here. They’re on the outskirts of this world, but they’re carving out a niche, and the fact that they’re doing Korakuen in September suggests that it’s one people want to see.
The proof of that, is that I was sitting next to two of Jeff’s other friends, neither of whom had been to a wrestling show before. Their Japanese was better than mine, but as far as they’re concerned, the ‘Sareee’ who opened the show against ‘Tiger Mask’ in an exhibition is Sareee. They don’t have any other reference point. Yet, they both still had a lovely time, laughing at the jokes, and enjoying when some actual wrestling broke out towards the end. That feels like the biggest thumbs up something like this can get, and I’m sure it’s not the last time I’ll be at one of their shows.
Mio Momono vs Mei Seira, 10th Anniversary Show (5/5/26), Marvelous
There are two levels to this match for me. The first is the simplest. It’s a great high speed burst of action. Mei and Mio last wrestled in 2021, but if you weren’t aware, you wouldn’t have guessed. As I mentioned in my original ramble, part of me feared Mio wouldn’t be able to keep up. I was worried that the injuries had chipped away and taken that touch of pace away from her. I can’t be the only one who noticed that while Mei still leapt nimbly to the top rope, Mio has, since this last injury, made her way up there the old-fashioned way. She’s not broken down and limping around the ring, but she has had a lot of wear and tear, so it would be understandable if Seira, who was always rapid, was too much for her. Thankfully, as far as I could see, I needn’t have worried.
This was like watching two old friends who have spent years apart spot each other across a pub and slip straight back into their old ways. They’d barely said hi before they were scampering about, each desperately searching for the twist that would let them take control. To again repeat a point I made in my earlier review, what makes it work is that it never feels too cooperative. Obviously, they’re working together, but there is always some needle to it. Little digs or moments of petty tension, backed by an understanding that both women are constantly going for the win. There isn’t time for grandstanding. If you’re going to stare down your opponent, there is a decent chance they’ll grab the opportunity to bundle you up again.
The other thing that made sure this worked for me was that this generation of Marvelous wrestlers were important to me. I caught the Marvelous bug during the pandemic, and like ChocoPro, it became something of a comfort blanket. I made my way through old shows, falling in love with everyone involved, and it still hurts my heart how it ended. I wanted to see them face off forever. What we’ve got is hardly a disaster, even if I don’t watch much Stardom, but there will always be the question of what that core roster could have done if they hadn’t been split up. How would someone like Ai have benefited from a gang nearer her experience level? Would Maria have grown even quicker with her generational rivals still by her side? We’ll never know, but I’m so glad that we can still get something like this. A tip of the hat to what could have been and a reminder that, while Mei may have gone another way, she’s still part of the Marvelous family.
I really hope it’s not the last time we’re reminded of that.
Senka Akatsuki vs YUNA, Sendai Girls (10/5/26), Sendai Girls
I don’t think you need to have seen Big Hash vs Yuna to appreciate this match, but I do think it works as a sequel to a showdown that I really liked. Back then, YUNA shoved her way into the spotlight, demanding a match with Hashimoto. When she got it, she tried everything in her power to take down the kaiju – working methodically as she went after the arm. Now, up against the young bull that is Senka Akatsuki, she took what she learnt from that, and brought it into this encounter. The difference? This time, she had a chance of winning.
The opening is the perfect encapsulation of that. Both go flying in, YUNA hitting a dropkick before Senka wipes her out. Then, YUNA, almost as if her brain has caught up to remind her of the plan, changes tack entirely. She goes to the mat, taking Senka down with her. On paper, it might not seem like the best idea. Akatsuki has built her reputation on pinning people’s shoulders to the floor, so going down there with her seems like an obvious mistake. However, as her feud with Seri Yamaoka has shown, she’s not a perfect technical wrestler. Her ability comes from being like the teenager in the school football team who hit puberty first. She’s quicker and stronger than most of her opponents, which allows her to bully her way to victory.
YUNA, though, has an advantage here. Not only did she have the dry run with Big Hash, but she’s spent her entire career training and working alongside her. No one is going to throw YUNA’s name into tedious conversations around technical wrestling on Twitter, but she can hold her own. When she gets onto that arm, she begins to take away Senka’s weapons. Later in this match, YUNA blocks here from executing a slam, before hitting one herself, and so much of that feels like a natural progression from what happens here. She puts in the work to, at least temporarily, dull the impact of what Akatsuki can do. In the process, she opened up a path to victory.
And despite having firmly believed that Senka should hold this belt for as long as she’s allowed to, smashing through everyone in her way, it made me want a YUNA win. Truthfully, she’s probably graduated from this title. She’s held it before, and doing so again won’t give her much, but it all fell into line. YUNA brought those lessons into this from a previous match, and I wanted to see that rewarded. She almost did too good a job. When Senka eventually managed to barrel through her, smashing her way to victory in the route-one she excels at, I felt a touch robbed. Not because Senka didn’t deserve it, but because on this day, I just liked YUNA that little bit more.
Still, as I always say, the result is only a tiny part of this. YUNA is having a great year. (As is Senka, but more people are talking about that.) Maybe it’s that I’ve become more attached to her because of the Senjo documentaries, but I don’t think it’s just that. She’s putting things together in the ring, figuring out how to be more than just a young wrestler, and it’s producing results. Both this and the Big Hash match are proof of that.
Mei Suruga vs Kaho Hiromi, ChocoPro #523 (10/5/26), ChocoPro
The friendship between Mei and Kaho is really beautiful. Imagine how exciting it must be for Kaho. Her hero has taken her under her wing, training her and looking out for her. Every time she stands near Suruga, she practically buzzes with excitement. Even if, in matches like this, Mei does tend to leap on the opportunity to bully her.
And I’ve talked a lot about how people work with Kaho recently, which is perhaps unfairly missing that she has gone through a spell of improvement herself. Not only is she now as tall as Mei, but she has also started to do more in the ring, unveiling a new trick at nearly every Ichigaya. She’s sneaking through legs, bridging through pins and coming up with more and more inventive ways to try and steal out with the win. Yes, she’s still hugely outmatched physically, even against someone the size of Mei, but Kaho is learning to use it to her advantage. To turn her size and flexibility into an aid rather than something that makes her an easy target of bullies.
I’m in danger of repeating myself, but I think you’d have to be particularly cold-hearted not to take something from this. Not to see the joy in Hiromi going up against her mentor. This is a match that could run and run for years. Like Riho vs Emi Sakura, they could wrestle each other hundreds of times, slowly figuring out how to turn the tide, eventually leading to the day when Kaho finally catches Mei off guard. Or, a year or two from now, Hiromi might realise that wrestling isn’t for her. That she’s still a teenager, and there are countless possible futures out there for her. Either way, these matches will always be special. They exist as a snapshot of a friendship that makes me feel a little bit better about the world, and I can’t ask for more than that.
Nyla Rose & Nightshade vs Senka Akatsuki & Sora Ayame, Marvelous (12/5/26), Marvelous
I’m going to start with a quick grump before I get into why this was great. Nightshade really needs to calm it with the spooky gesticulations. It’s always been a slightly naff part of her act, but it stands out even more next to badass Nyla Rose. She’s all wavy arms, over-the-top pronunciations and weird faces. I’m not even saying she has to ditch it entirely. If she dialled it back by about 40%, it would make a huge difference. She’s come a long way as a wrestler since I first saw her, but she’s not a great actress.
With that out of the way, she and Rose were great here. After the slightly miscast title match at Buntai, everything was now in its proper place. Rose and Nightshade will always look physically imposing next to the rookies, but more importantly, they wrestled to that advantage. There was nothing fancy about 90% of their offence. It was all big hits and big slams, moves designed to highlight just how out-powered Senka and Sora were.
And the fans’ reaction showed that it worked. Senka, having obviously convinced herself she could easily take these two on, spent the majority of the match desperately trying to fight her way out of trouble. It was only when Ayame took over, pairing her brain with Senka’s muscle, that they could take Rose and Nightshade down. The Marvelous faithful loved it. Sure, this was a home game. A small Tuesday night show after a big one is never drawing too many casuals, but the reaction was the reaction. People were delighted in Sora grabbing handfuls of flesh and caving in shins. They loved it even more when the two youngsters combined, using all those hours in the dojo to come together and find a way through.
It gave me the somewhat false hope that this match might happen again. I suspect Nightshade and Rose’s road runs parallel with the predictable route of Spark Rush, but this is where it should end – at a stop sign with the faces of Senka and Ayame on it. Let them go away, work on everything they did right here, and do it even better next time. Imagine the pop in Korakuen if these two found a way to beat two giant foreign monsters? It could be incredible. Right now, that’s more dream than reality, but at least we got a hint of what it could be like, and it was a load of fun.
Best Bros (Baliyan Akki & Mei Suruga) vs Shin Suzuki & Chie Koishikawa, ChocoPro #524 (17/5/26), ChocoPro
Yes, it’s another ramble about watching wrestling in Ichigaya Chocolate Square. No, I’m probably not going to stop doing that.
Today it’s mainly about Akki, though. I don’t think I’ve talked about Akki enough. It’s no secret that he’s had his injury issues, and that’s caused him to rework his style, but I actually think that’s been a good thing. Obviously, I would rather he was 100% fighting fit, but by shifting into something of a bruiser, Akki’s found something he is very good at. He throws out the bombs in matches like this, and I can personally attest that I’m pretty sure I could have have read his palm on Shin Suzuki’s chest long after this match was over. The lad hits hard.
And while Akki’s not the tallest guy in the world, he is a fucking unit, and that’s what brings us to the Ichigaya of it all. I’ve said it before, but it’s a minor miracle that fans aren’t wiped out every week in Chocolate Square. It’s impressive when Mei and Chie don’t go flying into the front row regularly. It’s doubly so when it’s Akki, Brookes and co. They’ve got a lot more body to control, and yet they’re masters of it. If Mei lands on the fans, everyone will probably be fine. If Akki does, it’s going to cause some damage, and yet I’ve never really felt in danger of it. The guy’s positioning is immaculate, as he always seems to be exactly where he needs to. When he went charging into Shin and Chie’s corner, booting Shin in the face, it felt like his boot passed cms from my face. I’m sure it wasn’t actually that close, but again, it speaks to someone completely in control of their surroundings. He knows how far he can go.
It’s part of why I think wrestling in Ichigaya is good for people. If you can do it there, a ring has surely got to feel easy. You barely have to worry about kicking fans in the head at all! It’s about dealing with limitations, about figuring out the space you have, and how to get the most out of that. After all his years on that mat, Akki is a master of it, and that’s worth praising.
HANUR (23/5/26), Hana Kimura Memorial Show
I still don’t know how to write about Hana Kimura. I’ve done it a few times over the years, but it’s never felt right. I’ve never quite managed to capture what I’m trying to say. It all still feels so unfair.
As does the fact that attendances have been dwindling for these shows. Korakuen was not full for this one, and that’s a damn shame. However, for those of us who were there, it still felt special. These shows have become something of a celebration. A celebration of who Hana was and what she represented. From a main event packed with her friends and rivals via Hirota’s cosplay right back to YUNA wrestling in Hana’s old gear in the opener, I think they’re still important for those who turn up. They’ve become a way to show that the love is still there.
And it does create something unique. The main event, with its hodge-podge of wrestlers from across the scene, isn’t something you’re going to see anywhere else. That’s before you even touch on the fact that it gave Jungle Kyona the platform to return, and I was so glad to see her. It might not always create the greatest matches, but I don’t think that’s what it’s about. Instead, it’s a place for everyone to come together and remember their friend. To, and maybe this is actually the important part, make sure Kiyoko Kimura isn’t alone on that day.
She was brilliant. She should still be brilliant. All these years later, I still haven’t been able to go back and watch one of her matches, and I kinda hate myself for that. I wish I could find it easier to revel in that combination of charisma, talent and decency. These shows let me do a bit of that, though. They remind you how loved she was and how missed she will always be. I hope they keep going, even if it means moving to a smaller room, because they’re important. The same way that Hana was.
Chie Koishikawa vs MIRAI, Apple Universe (24/5/26), ChocoPro
I was fascinated by this match coming in. Chie hasn’t had many opportunities like this. When ChocoPro bring in a big name for a singles match, they either wrestle Mei or, at least recently, Miya Yotsuba. That she was facing MIRAI, someone who has spent the last few years mixed up in the worlds of Stardom and Marigold, styles that do not exactly mesh with ChocoPro, made it all the more intriguing. What do these two look like together?
Thankfully, the result delighted me. The worst version of this, the one I really didn’t want to see, was MIRAI wrapping Chie up in her style of match, and disposing of her fairly easily. That’s not Chie. I’m sure there is a world where she could work that way, and she might even be good at it, but it’s not one I like. I love Chie because of her innate Chieness. Her funny noises, incredible facial expressions and love of taking off, charging around the ring with a manic delight. I don’t want to see her aim for epic.
And she didn’t. MIRAI and Chie found a middle ground. In fact, if anything, MIRAI took a step back. She spent most of this match bamboozled by Chie’s antics, desperately trying to figure out who this loud eccentric across the ring was. These two obviously didn’t have a chance to interact beforehand, but I did love the Twitter exchange when MIRAI asked for information, and Chie popped up to provide it, going so far as to include her favourite foods. There has been a sense all the way through that the outsider didn’t quite know what she was getting herself into, and that played out in the action. It took her most of their time together to get a grip on what Chie was up to.
It was a reminder that while MIRAI spent some years in my personal wrestling wilderness, she did come from that TJPW school. She’s not going to be thrown by a loud eccentric. It’s also proof (that I certainly didn’t need, but maybe others did) that Chie can fill this role. You can put her across the ring from someone outside of her world, and she will figure out how to make it work. Yes, eventually MIRAI was simply too strong and too fast, but Chie found a way to fill in the gaps, to smash her personality into what MIRAI does, and create something really good. I hope we get to see a lot of matches like this because I want to see more people being bamboozled by the genius that is Chie.
Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Yuki Ishikawa & Masakatsu Funaki vs Kazunari Murakami, Alexander Otsuka & Kazuo Takahashi, SSPW Vol. 39 ~ First Generation Tiger Mask 45th Anniversary (27/5/26), Strong Style Pro Wrestling
Look, I’m not able to claim this was some great wrestling match. The young and healthy lads involved were all in their 50s, with 77-year-old Fujiwara (who was celebrating his birthday) looking, well, 77. There was a hell of a lot of wrestling talent involved, but while your Ishikawas and Funakis can still go for their age, time comes for everyone.
Thankfully, it had Fujiwara and Murikami. I affectionately refer to the likes of Mio Momono and Mei Suruga as menaces, but Murikami takes that world and gives it an edge. They’re goblins, he’s evil. Right from the start of this match, he was aiming to make Fujiwara’s birthday hell, and god was he cool while he did it. You could drop that lad into any company in the world today, and he’d still easily be the coolest person there. He’d be one of the better workers, too. When he threw a cheapshot at Fujiwara early on, it fired the old man up, and after headbutting the turnbuckle a few times, he followed up by laying a bunch on Murakami, too. Suddenly, both men were bleeding, and Fujiwara was biting the wound. It fucking ruled.
Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t some out-of-control brawl. It didn’t spill into the crowd the way Ishikawa vs Murakami still managed to do at the KT-Dan show when they faced off a few years ago. It was a more sedate affair, slowed down by Fujiwara being unable to get around that quickly. However, it worked. It worked because seeing Fujiwara, who, I remind you, turned 77 on this day, gnaw on an opponent’s forehead, couldn’t help but fire you up. Korakuen swelled behind him, chanting his name as he tried to fight back against one of the biggest bullies around. It was classic wrestling, and even if it was delivered at a few steps off the normal pace, it still hits every beat you want it to.
Around it, we got the work you’d expect from the rest of these lads, but everyone was waiting for Fujiwara and Murikami again. With the blood still staining their heads, they had stolen the show. Even when the match was over, and the wrestlers paid their respects to the birthday boy, Murakami stood in his corner, glaring across the ring before finally relenting. When he did, for the first time, the real man broke through, and he bowed deep before hurriedly making his exit as the tears flowed. It was a beautiful ending to a match that overdelivered in every sense of the word.
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