Rambles about the wonderful world of wrestling.
I make the same joke every year that it’s time for the most important show to happen on Ittenyon, so why would I stop now? Sure, Tanahashi has sold out the Dome, but is that as important as Pom and Raku teaming with Max the Impaler? I think not.
Continue reading “Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling ’26 (4/1/26) Review”
For a long time, I didn’t have an obvious choice for my match of the year. There was loads of stuff I’d loved, but nothing that instantly cemented itself at the top of the pack. On top of that, I didn’t make a trip to Japan, and the only shows I saw live were AEW and EVE, neither of which I care about enough to place in that strata, even with the elusive in-the-room magic. However, when I sat down to start rewatching my favourites, I quickly realised that the answer had been staring me in the face the whole time. There was a match I loved above the rest, and it was the one that, in a lovely rarity, took place between my two wrestlers of the year.
Continue reading “Ramblings About’s Match of the Year 2025: Shoko Nakajima vs Uta Takami, Additional Attack (18/10/25), TJPW”
It feels like we went a while without any TJPW Korakuens, and now we’ve had two fairly close together. I won’t lie, the card for this one didn’t excite me as much as the last, but it wouldn’t be the first time Teej exceeded my expectations. Let’s have a ramble about what went down.
Continue reading “TJPW All Rise ’25 (9/11/25) Review”
TJPW returned to Korakuen with an intriguing line-up. The top of the card is dominated by first title defences, where we know the belts aren’t going to shift, but there’s still some excitement to be found in people getting an opportunity in those positions. Further down, you’ve got the joy of the Mahiro Ironman title reign continuing, and even more thrillingly, a trio of interesting showdowns between young wrestlers and veterans. It all had the potential to be great, so let’s see what went down.
Continue reading “TJPW Additional Attack (18/10/25) Review”
A bit late, as I was down in London seeing friends, drinking beer and being subjected to MJF matches, but it’s time for my rambles about the Princess Cup Final! It’s the show that gives us our first indication of what direction we’re heading in as we start to swing towards the end of the year. Is Arisu Endo getting bumped to the top of the card? Or are we going back to Miu vs Mizuki? As it all took place several days ago, you probably already know the answer, but let’s keep the suspense alive for my own amusement.
Continue reading “TJPW Princess Cup Final (23/8/25) Review”
The times they are a-changing in TJPW. I can’t quite pinpoint when it started, but there has been a noticeable shift towards working a limb. My completely baseless assumption is that with Yuka Sakazaki gone and Miyu Yamashita spending more time working overseas, it’s a consequence of the growing influence of Shoko Nakajima (and perhaps, to a lesser extent, Rika Tatsumi), which could never be a bad thing. It’s been particularly evident in 2025’s Princess Cup. Both semi-finals saw at least one body part being treated most unkindly, and I don’t think that would have been the case a year ago, never mind even further back. It’s a noticeable shift in the house style that seems to be carving itself into the company’s roots.
Continue reading “Shoko Nakajima vs Miu Watanabe, Princess Cup (17/8/25), TJPW”
It feels like forever since we’ve had a big Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling show. Sure, there have been trips to America, farewells to beloved ring announcers and Yoppy’s retirement in that time, but we haven’t had a bells and whistles Tokyo Joshi event since March, which might as well be last year. Thankfully, they have come back with a bang. The now former idol has the championship shot, the two best tag teams in the company are facing off and a giant panda has turned up to wreck havoc in the undercard. It had the potential to be special – let’s find out if it was.
Continue reading “TJPW Summer Sun Princess (21/7/25) Review”
I was going to do a full review of this show, but having done my initial watch with friends, and therefore not exactly spent time taking notes, that would require watching it all again, and I can’t put up with that much of the fucking atrocious commentary and ring announcing. That shit is always excruciating in America (and Britain, to be fair), but it’s even worse when it’s about something you like.
Continue reading “Mizuki vs Miyu Yamashita, TJPW Live in Las Vegas (18/4/25)”
Whether it was intentional or not, the theme of this year’s Grand Princess was love. Pom vs Raku, Endo vs Suzume and Rika vs Mizuki were all matches defined by the love between the wrestlers involved. Did that lead to greatness? Or did it sizzle out on a Sunday afternoon in Ota Ward? Let’s find out.
Continue reading “TJPW Grand Princess (16/3/25) Review”
The Max Heart comes to an end, as TJPW managed to find the one team I might not complain about beating Kyoraku Kyomei. It should be Shoko and Misao’s time, but there is no world in which I would get grumpy about a Pompaler win. That Koda is a sneaky bugger. Anyway, you probably already know the result because it was several days ago, so let’s get on with the rambles.
Continue reading “TJPW Max Heart Tournament Final (8/2/25), TJPW Review”
Ramblings About Wrestling 