It is sometimes easy to forget during these emotional wrestling goodbyes that the person leaving isn’t dying or even retiring in the traditional sense. Nao Kakuta is 37. She is young enough to live a whole other life – two if she fancies it. By the time actual retirement comes around, wrestling will be something she used to do. A part of her time on this planet that people she talks to in pubs don’t believe happened. Yet, even knowing all of that, the emotion is so real. Solid, dependable Nao, who makes every TJPW undercard match at least 20% better, is vanishing from the world through which we interact with her. Sure, she might pop up now and then, but the (hopefully healthy) parasocial relationship we’ve established with her is dead, and that’s always going to be a sad thing.
Continue reading “Nao Kakuta vs Mizuki, Nao Kakuta Graduation Commemorative (25/7/24), TJPW Review”TJPW Spring Live Tour (18/5/24) Review
It’s been a bit of a sad weekend to be a TJPW fan. The announcement that Hikari Noa would be graduating from both the Up Up Girls and the company wasn’t surprising, but it still hurt. Noa has been an integral part of Tokyo Joshi since I started watching, and someone I’ve always had a lot of time for, so to see her depart so unceremoniously leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. One suspects that idol politics is at play, but I have no wish to delve into those murky waters. I simply hope she’s okay and that, if she wishes, we see her pop up somewhere else.
Away from the sadness, TJPW were in Shinkiba for the latest stop of their Spring tour. Let’s see what went down.Â
Continue reading “TJPW Spring Live Tour (18/5/24) Review”TJPW Yes! Wonderland ’24 (6/5/24) Review
With all their big shows and adventures in America, it feels like a long time since we got a Tokyo Joshi trip to Korakuen Hall. I know they do grander things now, but this company in that room occupies a special place in my heart. So, let’s see what went down.Â
Continue reading “TJPW Yes! Wonderland ’24 (6/5/24) Review”TJPW Live Tour Spring (27/4/24) Review
Korakuen Hall is on the horizon, and with an intriguing card already booked, TJPW were back in Kitazawa to try and get us just that little more excited. Would they be successful? Let’s find out.Â
Continue reading “TJPW Live Tour Spring (27/4/24) Review”TJPW Live Tour Spring (16/3/24) Review
Aside from the main event, every match on this card had a wrestler who debuted for TJPW after the 1st of January 2023. Tokyo Joshi gets credit for producing wrestlers, but just how many they’ve brought through in the last few years sometimes goes under the radar. With three new rookies joining the fold, it’s an exciting time to watch these smaller events, as you’re getting to watch these kids develop from show to show, putting it all together and figuring out the wrestlers they want to be. Plus, there’s the small matter of a date with Sumo Hall on the horizon, which I’m sure they have at least one eye on.
TJPW Live Tour Spring 2024 (4/3/24) Review
You would have been forgiven for glancing at the schedule and dismissing this as a routine TJPW visit to Shinjuku, but with Sumo Hall drawing closer and a host of new rookies onboard, this show took on a bit more weight than usual. Two of those kids debuted here, the newly named Kira Summer and Uta Takami. Meanwhile, Chika Nanase was wrestling only her second match after starting her career against Moka Miyamoto on the previous show. Throw in some more build for the big one, and TJPW had a lot going on, so let’s see what went down.
Continue reading “TJPW Live Tour Spring 2024 (4/3/24) Review”TJPW Max Heart Tournament (27/1/24) Review
It’s Max Heart semi-final time, as TJPW filed into KFC Hall to find out who will be battling for a big trophy and a shot at the tag-team titles. Of the four teams left, only Daydream have held gold before, and even with Miu already booked to challenge Miyu for the shiniest belt of them all, you’ve got to look at them as the favourites. Will they make it to the final? Let’s find out!
Continue reading “TJPW Max Heart Tournament (27/1/24) Review”Tokyo Joshi Pro ’24 (4/1/24) Review
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.
Continue reading “Tokyo Joshi Pro ’24 (4/1/24) Review”Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for May 2023

May is a quieter month for my best matches roundup, not because there isn’t plenty to talk about (there is), but because it’s exam time in Scotland, and as someone whose job is to help kids prepare for them, I’ve been quite busy. Still, I had a lot to say about the things I did have time to watch, and there are at least a couple I will be returning to at the end of the year, so May more than held up its end of the bargain.
Continue reading “Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for May 2023”Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for April 2023
April and the start of May are the busiest months of the year for me, so I haven’t watched anywhere near as much wrestling this month. However, I consume a stupid amount of the stuff on average, so let’s not pretend I haven’t still spent a lot of time watching people pretending to fight. With that in mind, here are my favourite matches from April of 2023.
Continue reading “Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for April 2023”









