Author: Stuart Iversen

An Edinburgh based writer with an interest in wrestling, horror and taking the piss.

Jaguar Yokota & Honori Hana vs Yumiko Hotta & Misa Kagura, Sareee-ISM Chapter VI (23/1/25), Sareee-ISM

She might be in trouble. Credit: Here

I don’t have many strong memories of Honori Hana’s first run. That’s not to say I don’t remember her, but the SEAdLINNNG rookie who stood out back then was Rico Kaiju, with Honori often sliding into the background. For the two and a bit years she was originally wrestling (most of which took place in the pandemic and only made up around 80 matches), she seemed destined to become a solid hand. Make no mistake about it, no one who comes out of a dojo run by Nanae Takahashi, Natsuki Taiyo, Arisa Nakajima and Yoshiko is going to stink the joint out, but I don’t remember there ever being a moment when I saw something big in her.

Continue reading “Jaguar Yokota & Honori Hana vs Yumiko Hotta & Misa Kagura, Sareee-ISM Chapter VI (23/1/25), Sareee-ISM” →
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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Months for January 2025

Arai booting 2025 into life. Credit: TJPW

We’re back for Ramblings Abouts’ first matches of the month for 2025. I apologise for missing a few of these towards the end of last year, but I had some personal shit that took up a lot of my brain space, and I’m sure the two of you who read this didn’t even notice. However, I am back for 2025 and planning to watch far too much of this dumb stuff while also complaining that I didn’t get to see everything I wanted to. Multiple big hitters are missing from this list because I haven’t had a chance to watch them yet, but that doesn’t mean what I have seen loses any value. They’re all great matches, which I recommend going out of your way to see. And if you have any recommendations, stick them in the comments below!

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Yappy vs Ancham, New Ice Ribbon #1395 (18/1/25), Ice Ribbon

Still pals. Credit: Screenshot

Getting back into Ice Ribbon is one of my wrestling goals for 2025, and one of the early joys of that has been watching more Bad Butts. I would never have conceived the idea of Yappy embracing her dark side because it seems to be the antithesis of her lovely public persona, but Ancham and her have got something with this pairing. They’re managing to be cool while retaining enough of a bumbling, heelish nature that they never slip into the tired trope of bad guys who are desperate to be cheered. Plus, on an Ice roster full of plucky young underdogs, having two experienced bullies to go after them will never be a bad thing.

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Baliyan Akki vs Shin Suzuki, ChocoPro #416 Purple Chocolate (30/12/24), ChocoPro

More than just a nice guy. Credit: Screenshot

There is a chance I might have unfairly pigeonholed Shin Suzuki. I don’t want to overplay it – I never disliked him or thought his wrestling was rubbish – but he wasn’t someone I sought out. Part of it might even be that he seems like a lovely bloke, and it’s always a delight when wee Konigiri-chan turns up on ChocoPro shows, which made what he did on the mat feel like it played second fiddle to his perceived decentness. I’d tagged him as a foil for more interesting partners. However, in the last few months, something has started to change.

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PomPaler (Max the Impaler & Pom Harajuku) vs Miu Watanabe & Uta Takami, Max Heart Tournament (18/1/24), TJPW

Fly, Uta, fly! Credit: TJPW

When the draw for the first round of the Max Heart came together, one pairing stood out above all others: Max vs Uta. Max’s best moments in TJPW have come when they’ve provided them with a crash test dummy (typically, her partner in this match, Pom), and the idea of the smallest, squeakiest member of the Up Up Girls fulfilling that role was an instant win. I needed to see if Uta could fly.

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Ai Houzan vs Senka Akatsuki, Marvelous (12/1/25), Marvelous

I can’t deal with sad Ai. Credit: Screenshot

After they battled to a time-limit draw on January 4th, Marvelous announced that this rematch between Ai Houzan and Senka Akatzuki would be under AJW shoot-pin rules. If you watch any old AJW rookie match (and a few involving more experienced heads), you’ll see the wrestlers properly grappling to get each other’s shoulders down for the three, and my understanding (although I’m far from the expert on this) is that’s because they were. They’re still wrestling (Ai started this match with a dropkick attempt), but there’s a touch of real competition in there.

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Ramblings About’s Wrestlers of the Year 2024: Mei Suruga & Haru Kazashiro

They’re both great. Credit: TJPW & Here

Wrestler of the Year can be defined in a whole bunch of different ways. The worst people craft metrics based on business and how much money someone supposedly made, but it probably won’t surprise anyone to know that’s not my approach. Nope, it’s a pure vibes thing for me. When I reflect on the last twelve months, what wrestlers come to mind? Well, this year, it was relatively easy. These two people made me smile the most in 2024. So, while multiple other names could sit alongside them, they’re the ones with the dubious distinction of being named Ramblings About’s Wrestler of the Year.

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Ramblings About’s Match of the Year 2024: Miu Watanabe vs Shoko Nakajima

She’s a smiling monster. Credit: TJPW

It’s fitting that as I write this, Mizuki and Miu Watanabe are building to Ittenyon by debating whether Miu is a princess or a monster. While I’m not brave enough to say it to the champ’s face, the truth is I’d argue she graduated to monsterhood with this match. Sure, beating Miyu Yamashita to win the Princess of Princess Title was huge. It’s Miyu in a Tokyo Joshi main event. If you come out in one piece, you’re doing pretty well. However, while Miu vs Miyu was a battle of two different types of power, Shoko Nakajima represented a very different challenge. On the first defence of her new belt, Watanabe had to contend with the best pure wrestler in the company, and as Yamashita knows better than anyone, that’s a banana skin that it’s all too easy to slip on.

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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Year 2024: Best of the Rest

Spoiler. Credit: TJPW

Fuck knows how, but 2024 is drawing to an end, which means it’s time for me to wang on about my favourite things in wrestling from the last twelve months. Up first, the best of the rest. These are the matches that, on a different day, could have easily been my favourite of the year. I’ve seen a few people suggest it’s been a weaker period for wrestling, but I didn’t feel that way as I struggled to whittle this down to ten. A handful of bouts I assumed would be on here were pipped at the post and replaced by something that excited me that little bit more. So, if your favourite is missing, imagine it’s number 11.

As usual, it’s a list that reflects my tastes, which means there are some glaring holes. I intended to make this the year I dived into lucha, but I failed, so it has no representation here, not because it’s shite, but because I don’t watch enough of it. There are only so many hours in the day, and I like to spend a few of them on non-wrestling-related activities.

Anyway, on to the list!

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