Rambles about the wonderful world of wrestling.
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”
Should I make the joke? Let’s make the joke. It’s Ittenyon, so it’s time to enjoy the biggest show in town. Yup, TJPW made their annual trip to Korakuen Hall, and as usual, they’ve put together a hell of a card for it. Would they deliver? I certainly wouldn’t bet against them, but let’s find out.
Continue reading “Tokyo Joshi Pro ’25 (4/1/25) Review”
I know it’s how time works, but I’m still unsure how a year has passed since Miyu Yamashita defeated Mizuki for the Princess of Princess title at Wrestle Princess 4. Yet, somehow, here we are, Wrestle Princess 5. Neither Yamashita nor Mizuki were in the main event, as the shining new face of Miu Watanabe looked to defend her title from outsider and Princess Cup holder, Ryo Mizunami. Elsewhere, Tokyo Joshi’s favourite god and ghost married couple go head-to-head, Pom has got some big pals, and Daisy Monkey’s title reign faces its biggest threat yet. Sounds like a good day, right? Let’s find out if it was.
Continue reading “TJPW Wrestle Princess 5 (22/9/24) 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.
Continue reading “TJPW Princess Cup Final (25/8/24) Review”
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.
Continue reading “Rambling About’s Matches of the Month for June 2024”
If you’d asked me at the start of the year to list the things that could help Ice Ribbon get close to filling Korakuen Hall in 2024, I would have got a few hundred deep before even considering the idea of pairing up with Stardom. It’s not that I would have doubted such a strategy’s ability to work, but with Rossy Ogawa involved, the idea seemed implausible. In recent years, Stardom and Ice Ribbon have not got along, and that’s putting it mildly. I would have been more comfortable betting on myself to win the ICExInfinity title than this relationship coming to pass. Yet, here we are. Following on from Best Friends beating Eye Contact at Flashing Champions, Mayu Iwatani stepped into a proper company to take on Tsukasa Fujimoto. By now, I’m sure you all know how it ended, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still plenty to discuss.
Continue reading “Ice Ribbon After the Rain (23/6/24) Review”
After a sparsely attended Korakuen in January, Ice Ribbon returned to that famous old venue backed by what appeared to be a much healthier crowd. With the show headlined by a rare mother vs daughter battle, plus the return of the Triangle Ribbon title and a hoss pairing going after the tag belts, this had the structure of a pre-everything going wrong Ice card, which is what I want to see. Let’s see if the vibes were able to match the potential.
Continue reading “Ice Ribbon #1337 (23/3/24) Review”
With Wrestle Princess III and big shows in Osaka, it feels like a long time since we’ve had a Tokyo Joshi Korakuen. With how consistently excellent these shows are, that’s never going to be a good thing, so it was lovely to be back in that familiar room. Throw in a packed card with a couple of big matches against foreign talent and a crowd that was allowed to be in full voice, and it was hard not to be excited for this one, so let’s see what went down.
Continue reading “TJPW All Rise (27/11/22) Review”
Having battled her way to the International Title, it was time for Miu to see if she could hold onto it. Her first opponent was intriguing, as Moka Miyamoto stepped up to the top of the card, making this show’s main event a big occasion for both wrestlers. On top of that, TJPW treated Osaka to the debut of Willow Nightingale, the karate nurse teaming with the Ace and an appearance from Yuki Arai. It sure sounds like a good time, so let’s find out if it was.
Continue reading “TJPW The Mountain Top (29/10/22) Review”
Ramblings About Wrestling 