TJPW Max Heart Tournament: First & Second Rounds Review

Rika takes things to the outside. Credit: TJPW

The Max Heart tournament has become a regular fixture in the TJPW calendar, as various tag teams compete in a knockout format for a shot at the belts. It’s become a tradition to have this in the post-Ittenyon spot, and it always feels like the perfect way to ease us into the year. With the first and second rounds happening over the same weekend, I have decided to lump them together into one review so that I don’t have to come up with multiple introductions. If anything interesting happens in the undercard, I’ll make sure to mention that, too.

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22/01/2024 2

Marvelous in Yokohama (14/1/24) Review

The first Marvelous show of the year had them making the short jaunt to Yokohama. However, it’s already been a somewhat busy year for the roster, with the big news being that Mio Momono finally struck a blow against Oz Academy, defeating AKINO to win their big belt. The feud won’t be over until the AAAW title comes home, but it’s a start, and when you win a shiny new accessory in your first match of the year, you can probably leap into the rest of it feeling pretty confident. In less happy news, Takumi Iroha missed this show due to illness, so the card had to be tweaked. Hopefully, she’ll be back on her feet sooner rather than later.

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15/01/2024 0

Tokyo Joshi Pro ’24 (4/1/24) Review

A new challenger for the champ. Credit: TJPW

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.

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05/01/2024 1

Ice Ribbon Ribbonmania (31/12/23) 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.

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02/01/2024 0

Marvelous (10/12/23) Review

Magenta’s time starts here. Credit: here

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.

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13/12/2023 0

Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for November 2023

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.

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01/12/2023 0

Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for October 2023

Mio’s unusual choice of weapons. Credit: Oz Academy

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!

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01/11/2023 0

Ramblings About’s Matches on the Month for September 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.

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01/10/2023 0

Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for August 2023

August is a slightly different month for my Ramblings About roundup. Since the 18th, I’ve been in Japan, so the second half of this list is entirely made up of matches I’ve seen in person. Seeing something live alters how you view it, and if you’re looking for in-depth analysis over more feeling-based yelling, you might want to go elsewhere. However, I’ve been having a lovely old time, and I still hope there is some value in what I have to say.

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01/09/2023 0

Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for July 2023

Kasai introduces himself to NJPW. Credit: NJPW

July has been a quiet month for me, meaning there has been plenty of time to focus on wrestling. So, this round-up of my favourite matches is a biggie, as we hit everything from New Japan bloodbaths to Asako Mia in a lucha mask. That sounds like a good time, right?

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01/08/2023 0