Rambles about the wonderful world of wrestling.
Tokyo Joshi now hosts several more extravagant yearly shows than their annual Ittenyon trip to Korakuen Hall, but there is still something special about this one. The combination of the date, that venue, and it being TJPW’s traditional ‘big show’ gives it a magical feel, even if they are now in that old hall nearly every month. Without fail, this is one of my shows of the year, so let’s see if TJPW can keep that run going.
Continue reading “Tokyo Joshi Pro ’24 (4/1/24) Review”
2023 was a tough one for Ice Ribbon, as several cracks expanded into fissures. It was such a disaster that I worried we might be about to see the end of a company that I, and many others, have a lot of affection for. However, slowly but surely, things have started to turn around, and with new ownership at the top, there’s the possibility that things might be moving in the right direction. We’re a long way from the heights of a few years ago, and I have my doubts if we’ll ever get back there, but the chance to create a fun and exciting product is there if they can grasp it. What better place to start than Ribbonmania, the show that serves as both their year-ender and year-starter.
Final quick note: I never stopped watching Ice Ribbon entirely (I even went to the Korakuen in August), but I have been more out of the loop than usual, so I may be missing a few slithers of context. Let me know in the comments if I say anything egregiously stupid.
Continue reading “Ice Ribbon Ribbonmania (31/12/23) Review”
My December roundup is a short one, as a combination of being home for Christmas/Hogmanay and putting a lot of effort into my match-of-the-year list has limited my current wrestling watching. It means it’s only really covering the first half of the month, but there were still some big moments to talk about and a few things to celebrate, so hopefully, you’ll find something to enjoy.
Continue reading “Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for December 2023”Following the precedent set last year when I named Mei Suruga and Pom Harajuku my wrestlers of the year, I’m back with another dive into the performers who defined 2023 for me. Honestly, if you’ve been paying attention to anything I’ve said over the last twelve months, there will be no surprises here, but it’s still fun to dive into exactly why I think these two are so special.
Continue reading “Ramblings About’s 2023 Wrestlers of the Year”
Arisa Nakajima and Sareee represent a style of wrestling that you don’t see much in the current joshi scene. Some things look similar if you squint, like Stardom’s hard-hitting epics, but they never truly tap into the world that Arisa and Sareee do. They’re too big and shiny, while the fights between these two are down in the dirt, fuelled by hostility and a willingness to try and drive one of your body parts through an opponent. There’s nothing beautiful about these matches. They’re violent and spiteful, which makes it even more bizarre that sitting in Korakuen Hall, watching this live, I couldn’t stop myself from bursting into tears.
Continue reading “Ramblings About’s Match of the Year 2023: Arisa Nakajima vs Sareee”
As 2023 draws to an end, people like me decide to spend far too long coming up with a match-of-the-year list. Honestly, even I think this one is somewhat excessive, as I have nineteen matches to cover in what I’m describing as the best of the rest. However, I didn’t want to let any of my favourites go, as I’d be happy to have any one of these as my number one. As usual, these are the matches I loved, so while you can feel free to throw some suggestions my way (in fact, please do), don’t waste any time telling me I’m wrong. I don’t care how good you think Will Ospreay vs Kenny Omega was – I’m never going to watch it. Anyway, on with the list!
Continue reading “Ramblings About’s Matches of the Year 2023: The Best of the Rest”
Marvelous’s final Korakuen of the year had two biggies at the top of the card. First, Mio Momono and Tomoko Watanabe battled to decide who would get the first shot at reclaiming the AAAW Title from the villainous Mayumi Ozaki. Then, Magenta challenged for the AAAW Tag Titles for the second time, as they hoped to wrest the belts from the seemingly unbeatable pairing of Takumi Iroha and Chikayo Nagashima. It was all exciting on paper, so let’s see how reality lived up to it.
Continue reading “Marvelous (10/12/23) Review”
As the year draws to an end, thoughts inevitably turn to matches of the year and things of that nature. However, that doesn’t mean the good wrestling stops. There are plenty of interesting things going down, and while I can’t claim to have covered it all here (it’s another month in which I’ve focused on quality over quantity), I reckon everything on this list is worth the time I took to get into it. So, read on, and perhaps find a late addition to that list.
Continue reading “Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for November 2023”
It’s another quieter month for my roundup as work started to pick up over the last few weeks, and I’ve been tired. Still, quality over quantity, and I believe the seven matches listed below are all fantastic pieces of wrestling. Read on to learn more, and, as always, if there’s anything you think I should have seen, feel free to throw it in the comments. I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually!
Continue reading “Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for October 2023”
September’s matches of the month roundup is a bit shorter than usual as I’ve been experiencing some post-Japan blues, which has made sitting down to write about wrestling feel like more effort than usual. However, there are still some treats in here, including one that might make my end-of-year lists, so hopefully, you’ll find something to enjoy.
Continue reading “Ramblings About’s Matches on the Month for September 2023”
Ramblings About Wrestling 