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.

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27/08/2025 0

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

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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02/01/2025 0

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

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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31/12/2024 2

TJPW Princess Cup Final (25/8/24) Review

2024’s Princess Cup was guaranteed a first-time winner, as we had a battle between TJPW stalwart Yuki Aino and outsider Ryo Mizunami. I think there’s an argument that neither was an obvious choice at the start of the tournament, although perhaps Mizunami should have been. However, I wouldn’t complain about either of them getting a match with Miu Watanabe, so I’ll be happy regardless. We’re also down a few roster members, as Miyu Yamashita, Raku, HIMAWARI and Mahiro Kiryu were in the UK wrestling for EVE (a show I was at). Anyway, on with the fun.

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28/08/2024 0

Suzume vs Yuki Arai, Princess Cup (10/8/24), TJPW Review

If all else fails, drop a boot on her head. Credit: TJPW

Suzume is a great tournament wrestler. In real sports, that speaks to an ability to eke out victories, finding a way to win one-off games against teams that you might not be expecting to beat. In wrestling, I think it speaks more to someone’s versatility. Whether TJPW asks her to make a deep run, lose in the first round or land anywhere in between, you can always rely on Suzume to impress in the Princess Cup. Part of that is that she is incredibly talented, but it’s also because she finds a way to be so against a host of different people.

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13/08/2024 0

TJPW Prism ’24 (9/6/24) Review

Tokyo Joshi returned to Korakuen Hall with a show that, on paper, is one of their weaker big efforts this year. There were some intriguing combos scattered through the undercard, but with the title matches involving foreign talent I either know nothing about or have little investment in, it’s hard to get too excited about it. Still, you never know when the next Max the Impaler might turn up, and there is every chance someone will blow me away.

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10/06/2024 0

TJPW Live Tour 2024 Spring (13/4/24) Review

Goodbyes suck, but sadly, as a wrestling fan, you get used to them. Juria Nagano hasn’t been around as long as some of the people we have had to wave farewell to, but she’s still hollowed out a little niche for herself as part of the TJPW roster, so she deserves a rousing send-off. Let’s see if that’s what she got.

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16/04/2024 1

TJPW Grand Princess ’24 (21/3/24) Review

Tokyo Joshi returned to Sumo Hall for one of the most important shows of the year (it’s certainly the one I care about the most). Fittingly, they’ve gone all out. We’ve got giant pandas, Kyoraku Kyomei trying to take down kaiju, and Miu Watanabe getting her shot at the Ace! That’s just the beginning, too. It is a card that only gets better the longer you look at it, so let’s see what went down.

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02/04/2024 0

TJPW Winter (5/3/22) Review

Grand Princess is getting awfully close, and this is TJPW’s final serious stop before they get there (they ran a Wrestle Universe Members show on Sunday, but those are inherently silly). We’ve got the full card, so all that’s left is to drum up that little bit of extra excitement. To be honest, I probably don’t need it, but I’m happy to get it anyway.

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07/03/2022 0

TJPW 秋～花鳥月露～ (16/10/21) Review

Itoh definitely looking a miserable person who wants to leave. Credit: TJPW

Wrestle Princess II was a show of the year contender, as Tokyo Joshi delivered a feast of wonderful wrestling. However, that’s done now, and it’s time to find out what’s next. Will Miyu kick more of the internet’s favourites in the head? I certainly hope so.

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19/10/2021 0