Ramblings About’s Matches of the Months for June 2025

The biggest match of the month, Hyper Misao vs imposter syndrome. Credit: TJPW

After a couple of months where I’ve struggled to put one of these together for various reasons, I feel like I got back into the groove in June. It’s been something of a return to safe ground, as I’m touching on a lot of TJPW, ChocoPro and Marvelous, but there are a couple of other things in there, and I just needed to find my spark again. Fingers crossed you enjoy it, and if you’ve got any cool recommendations that I missed, feel free to let me know!

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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for March 2025

My hero. Credit: TJPW

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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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for February 2025

Raku is in charge of the train now. Credit: TJPW

It doesn’t matter if the month is long or short – I always get to the end of it feeling like there are at least twenty matches I haven’t got to yet. Despite that, I think February’s ramble has a nice selection of gems to get excited about. There’s all the usual stuff (Ice Ribbon, ChocoPro and TJPW), but also a bit more lucha, a touch of New Japan and a trip over to Evolution, who are becoming one of my favourite promotions outside of my typical fare to keep up with. Hopefully, there is something there that you’ll enjoy, and if you think I’m missing anything particularly exciting, drop it in the comments.

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Best Friends (Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto) vs Hiroyo Matsumoto & Hanako Nakamori, Arisa Nakajima’s Retirement (23/8/24), SEAdLINNNG

One of the best. Credit: Here

A couple of years back, I had some minor surgery that required me to be anaesthetised. As you’d imagine, I can’t remember the moment of going under, but I do have a memory of the dream I was having as I woke up. In it, I was being hunted. I can’t recall why, but I do know who was doing the hunting. Arisa Nakajima. While I don’t believe Nakajima typically spends her spare time chasing down fellow humans, I think the fact she found her way into my nightmares speaks to part of what made her such an outstanding wrestler. She felt real. She’s so real that whenever I saw her outside of the ring cracking a smile or doing everyday tasks, it caught me off guard. In my head, Arisa is a killer. Someone devoted to the style of wrestling she believes in, and the idea that she’d ever not be in that zone almost never occurred to me.

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Rambling About’s Matches of the Month for June 2024

Saran picks a scary fight. Credit: Here

June is over and done with, and like every month, it’s been busy for the old wrestling. I can’t pretend this month’s roundup is particularly eclectic, as I’m staying fairly close to my usual haunts, but there is still plenty to enjoy in there. Give it a read, and let me know if there is anything you think I need to see.

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Team 200kg (Chihiro Hashimoto & Yuu) vs Best Friends (Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto), Sendai Girls (9/6/24) Review

Four of the best. Credit: Here

Watching this match, I couldn’t shut up the nagging question in the back of my mind: ‘Why don’t I love it?’ Two of the best joshi tag teams of recent years got fifteen minutes to clash heads in Shinjuku, and I wanted it to be incredible. Instead, it was good, maybe even great. While those descriptors typically aren’t an issue, they’re not what I pictured. Is it fair to expect the extraordinary? No, but I can’t pretend I didn’t.

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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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Ramblings About’s Match of the Year 2023: Arisa Nakajima vs Sareee

What else could it be? Credit: Here

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.

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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for August 2023

Unleash the violence. Credit: Here

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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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for August 2022

August has been a hell of a month for the old wrestling. Between the Princess Cup and the 5STAR, we’ve had loads of high-profile singles matches in the two big joshi companies, plus a load of exciting stuff helping elsewhere. It means this is a long one, but fingers crossed it’s also a good one, and there will be plenty for you all to get your teeth into.

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