Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for October 2025

After a quieter September, I’ve gone all out for October. We’ve got a host of exciting matches to talk about here, including two dives into uncharted territory and a somewhat accidental Meiko Satomura month as I continue my journey through the GAEAISM YouTube channel. It was getting so unruly that there were a couple of things I didn’t have time to write about. If you ever see me in the street, feel free to ask, and I’ll bore you about them.

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01/11/2025 0

Rina Yamashita vs Mei Suruga, Game Changer (5/9/25), ChocoPro

I don’t want to slag off Rina Yamashita. She’s a fantastic wrestler who has been part of some amazing stuff. However, in recent times, she’s been stuck in what I think of as the Hiroyo Matsumoto vortex. She’s old-reliable. A freelancer who pops up in countless promotions and can be trusted to fill a spot anywhere on the card. That’s no bad thing. In fact, it’s a talent in its own right. However, it’s easy to see why someone in that role would slip into a rut. There’s nothing to get your teeth into. You arrive, do your thing, and go home. The matches are rarely bad. They’re just not what you remember.

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16/09/2025 1

Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for March 2025

I thought I hadn’t watched that much wrestling this month, but the length of this list would suggest otherwise. Maybe I was only tuning into the good stuff? It also nips to a few of my less-visited locales, as we stop off in America, Mexico and Germany alongside all the usual Japanese nonsense. Does that sound like a good time? I certainly hope so.

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01/04/2025 0

Gatoh Move – To The Future

Gatoh Move probably shouldn’t have survived the last five years. When COVID shut down wrestling in Japan as we knew it, things looked bleak for even the big promotions, never mind the tiny one that inhabits an old dentist’s in Ichigaya. Emi Sakura has admitted that she thought it was the end, and honestly, with the world seemingly burning down, would anyone have blamed her for giving up? Thankfully, she’s made of tougher stuff. Instead of curling up in a ball, she took a wild swing, calling on an old friend in Minoru Suzuki and putting on a show intended entirely for YouTube. On that day, ChocoPro was born, and while we didn’t know it yet, Gatoh Move was saved.

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09/09/2024 0

SEAdLINNNG New Leaf 2024! (21/4/24) Review

Hanako might not have been delighted to see them return. Credit: Here

Arisa Nakajima is back! Let’s revel in that fact before we worry about the announcement made at the end of this show. Nakajima returned at Korakuen Hall in an all-star showdown that also included the start of a temporary return for Tsukasa Fujimoto. That sounds like a good time, doesn’t it? Let’s find out if it was.

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24/04/2024 0

Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for February 2024

Celebrate the end of another month with Ram. Credit: Ram

I’m pleasantly surprised to report that the diversity of content in my matches of the month has at least made it to February. This roundup has more lucha, a touch of FREEDOMS and even some AEW. Sure, it’s a bit front-heavy, as I’ve been busy enough the last two weeks to put wrestling watching on the back burner, but there should still be more than enough here to satisfy you. However, if you do have a match you think I should have seen, throw it in the comments. I’m always happy to get recommendations.

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01/03/2024 1

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

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

Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for January 2023

A painful start to the year. Credit: TJPW

Maybe it’s just me, but January always feels like a fresh start for my wrestling viewing. My backlog from the previous year goes out of the window, under the assumption that if I haven’t watched it yet, I never will, and it’s a chance to jump back into promotions that I might have fallen away with it. When you throw in Ittenyon and all the excitement around that, it’s usually a good month, something this list makes clear.

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01/02/2023 0

Ice Ribbon Ribbonmania (31/12/22) Review

I may have written up all my end-of-year lists and put a cap on 2022, but the year isn’t over until we talk about Ribbonmania, Ice Ribbon’s annual year-closing show. It might have only been a six-match card, but with two title matches and Yuuki Mashiro’s goodbye (which doubles as Suzu Suzuki’s return), there were plenty of things to get us talking.

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02/01/2023 0