Seven different Joshi promotions ran events in the last week, time for the the weekly Joshi Recap and Results!

Actwres girl’Z

Event: AgZ Color’s
Date: April 15th, 2019
Location: Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: Unknown
Where to Watch: Not televised, likely DVD release

• Natsu Sumire defeats Ayumi Hayashi (8:43)
• Sakuran Bonita (Cherry) defeats Yuko Sakurai (6:48)
• Kaori Yoneyama and Miku Aono defeat Ayano Irie and Misa Matsui (10:25)
• Rina Yamashita defeats Mari (11:40)
• SAKI and Yuna Mizumori defeat Mii and Riho (14:40)

Gatoh Move

Event: Gatoh Move “Command Bolshoi Special”
Date: April 18th, 2019
Location: Ichigaya Chocolate Hiroba in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 70
Where to Watch: Not televised, possible DVD release

• Yuna Mizumori defeats An Chamu (7:00)
• Masahiro Takanashi defeats Baliyan Akki and Mitsuru Konno (6:37)
• Command Bolshoi and Riho defeat Emi Sakura and Mei Suruga (13:06)

Event: Gatoh Move Japan Tour #421
Date: April 21st, 2019
Location: Ichigaya Chocolate Hiroba in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 79
Where to Watch: Not televised, possible DVD release

• Chon Shiryu DRAWS Yuna Mizumori (10:00)
• Baliyan Akki and SAKI defeat Emi Sakura and Sawasdee Kamen (9:10)
• Mitsuru Konno and Riho defeat Hikaru Shida and Mei Suruga (13:19)

Ice Ribbon

Event: Ice Ribbon “New Ice Ribbon #955”
Date: April 20th, 2019
Location: Ice Ribbon Dojo in Saitama, Japan
Announced Attendance: 90
Where to Watch: Not televised, likely DVD release

• Matsuya Uno and Mochi Miyagi defeat Risa Sera and Suzu Suzuki (12:09)
• Akane Fujita defeats Asahi (5:56)
• Giulia DRAWS Tsukushi (10:00)
• Hamuko Hoshi, Miyako Matsumoto, and Tsukasa Fujimoto defeat Chabela, Ibuki Hoshi, and Maya Yukihi (17:39)

Marvelous

Event: Marvelous in Osaka
Date: April 21st, 2019
Location: Azalea Taisho Hall in Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance: Unknown
Where to Watch: Streamed on freshlive.tv

• Maria defeats Momoka Hanazono (5:30)
• Leo Isaka and MIKAMI defeat Pandita and Takahiro Katori (13:00)
• DASH Chisako and Hyan defeat Hiroe Nagahama and Mei Hoshizuki (12:46)
• Tomoko Watanabe and Yuu Yamagata defeat May Lee and Mikoto Shindo (15:10)
• Rin Kadokura, Takumi Iroha, and Sakura Hirota defeat Chikayo Nagashima, KAORU, and Megumi Yabushita (18:31)

PURE-J

Event: PURE-J Bolshoi Retirement ~ Thank You!!
Date: April 21st, 2019
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 1,530
Where to Watch: Not televised, likely DVD release

• Battle Royal: Bolshoi Kid Wins. Other participants included Arisa Nakajima, Chihiro Hashimoto, Eiger, Emi Sakura, Giulia, Jaguar Yokota, Kyoko Inoue, Makoto, Moemoe Bolshoi (Moeka Haruhi), Saori Anou, Shinobu Kandori, Western Pioneer Bolshoi (Tsubasa Kuragaki), Yumiko Hotta, and Yumi Ohka (14:17)
• Manami Katsu, Mari Manji, and Yako Fujigasaki defeat AKARI, KAZUKI, and Rydeen Hagane (13:13)
• PURE-J Openweight Championship: Hanako Nakamori defeats Leon (c) (15:32) – TITLE CHANGE
• Command Bolshoi Gauntlet Match vs. Hanako Nakamori, Kaori Yoneyama, and Mayumi Ozaki
  • Command Bolshoi DRAWS Hanako Nakamori (5:00)
  • Command Bolshoi DRAWS Kaori Yoneyama (5:00)
  • Command Bolshoi DRAWS Mayumi Ozaki (5:00)

Sendai Girls’

Event: Sendai Girls’
Date: April 16th, 2019
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 998
Where to Watch: Airing on Samurai TV! on 4/27/19

• Mei Suruga and Ryo Mizunami defeat KAORU and Mikoto Shindo (12:10)
• Alex Lee and Bolshoi Kid defeat Eiger and Sakura Hirota (12:05)
• Sendai Girls’ Jr. Championship: Millie McKenzie (c) defeats Manami (5:50)
• Mika Iwata defeats Yuu (8:34)
• Sareee defeats Meiko Satomura (15:30)
• DASH Chisako and Hiroyo Matsumoto defeat Hikaru Shida and Killer Kelly (18:32)
• Sendai Girls’ World Championship: Chihiro Hashimoto (c) defeats Jordynne Grace (13:41)

Event: Sendai Girls’
Date: April 17th, 2019
Location: Diamond Hall in Nagayo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 220
Where to Watch: No announced release

• Yuu defeats Manami (4:12)
• Hikaru Shida and KAORU defeat Alex Lee and Sakura Hirota (10:30)
• Sendai Girls Junior Championship: Command Bolshoi defeats Millie McKenzie (c) (10:09) – TITLE CHANGE
• Jordynne Grace, Mei Suruga, and Sareee defeat Chihiro Hashimoto, Killer Kelly, and Mikoto Shindo (12:11)
• DASH Chisako and Hiroyo Matsumoto defeat Meiko Satomura and Mika Iwata (14:26)

Stardom

Event: Stardom Glory Stars Day 3 (Afternoon)
Date: April 21st, 2019
Location: Osaka World Pavilion in Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance: 212
Where to Watch: Event will be uploaded to Stardom World

• Tam Nakano defeats Leo Onozaki (4:59)
• Hazuki DRAWS Starlight Kid (7:31)
• Andras Miyagi defeats Rebel Kel (7:52)
• AZM, Bea Priestley, and Momo Watanabe defeat Arisa Hoshiki, Saki Kashima, and Saya Iida (11:37)
• Hana Kimura, Jungle Kyona, and Konami defeat Kagetsu, Natsuko Tora, and Natsu Sumire (14:56)

Event: Stardom Glory Stars Day 3 (Evening)
Date: April 21st, 2019
Location: Osaka World Pavilion in Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance: 208
Where to Watch: Event will be uploaded to Stardom World

• Bea Priestley and Leo Onozaki defeat Saya Iida and Starlight Kid (9:08)
• Saki Kashima defeats Natsu Sumire (6:26)
• Hazuki and Natsuko Tora defeat Arisa Hoshiki and Tam Nakano (10:37)
• Andras Miyagi and Kagetsu defeat Hana Kimura and Rebel Kel (10:26)
• Jungle Kyona and Konami defeat AZM and Momo Watanabe (14:21)

Special thanks to Cagematch, Wrestlingdata, DramaticDDT, Stardom, PURE-J, Ice Ribbon, OZ Academy, SEAdLINNNG, Gatoh Move, and Diana for assistance gathering information.

The post Weekly Joshi Recap and Results for April 23rd, 2019 appeared first on Joshi City.

A big week in Joshi Wrestling, lets jump right into the weekly Joshi Recap!

Stardom

Event: Stardom “Glory Stars Day 1”
Date: April 13th, 2019
Location: Radiant Hall in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Announced Attendance: 230
Where to Watch: Event will be uploaded to Stardom World

• Hanan, Rina, and Hana defeat Kaori Yoneyama, Leo Onozaki, and Saya Iida (4:48)
• Saki Kashima defeats Starlight Kid (7:19)
• Three Way Match: Bea Priestley defeats Hana Kimura and Rebel Kel (8:05)
• Mayu Iwatani and Tam Nakano defeats Jungle Kyona and Natsuko Tora (11:44)
• Two out of Three Match: Momo Watanabe, Konami, and AZM defeat Kagetsu, Hazuki, and Natsu Sumire (18:06)
  • Kagetsu defeats Momo Watanabe (10:38)
  • AZM defeats Natsu Sumire (2:15)
  • Momo Watanabe defeats Kagetsu (5:13)

The main event had a unique stipulation – with Queen’s Quest putting up their masks and Oedo Tai putting up their pre-match dancing. Whichever team lost would no longer be allowed to do their pre-match ritual. With Queen’s Quest winning, Oedo Tai will no longer dance before matches for all events going forward.

Event: Stardom “Glory Stars Day 2”
Date:  April 14th, 2019
Location: Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 401
Where to Watch: Event will be uploaded to Stardom World

• Rina defeats Hina (4:43)
• Three Way Match: Tam Nakano defeats Hanan and Rebel Kel (5:52)
• Hazuki, Andras Miyagi, and Natsu Sumire defeats Natsuko Tora, Leo Onozaki, and Saya Iida (10:28)
• Arisa Hoshiki, Saki Kashima, and Starlight Kid defeats Bea Priestley, Konami, and AZM (12:25)
• 5 Way Draft Nomination Order Determination Match with Hana Kimura, Jungle Kyona, Kagetsu, Mayu Iwatani, and Momo Watanabe
  • Mayu wins first pick by throwing Kagetsu over the top rope
  • Momo wins second pick by throwing Kagetsu over the top rope
  • Kagetsu wins third pick by throwing Hana over the top rope
  • Hana wins fourth pick by throwing Jungle Kyona over the top rope
  • Kyona loses and her faction is forced to disband

For the second year, Stardom had a draft for their factions. For the main event, the five faction leaders took part to determine the picking order for the draft. The big catch this year is that whichever wrestler was left at the end, their group would have to disband as only four factions would continue in Stardom. Jungle Kyona was the last wrestler remaining, forcing her faction Jungle Assault Nation to disband, with Jungle Kyona becoming a draftable wrestler. Here are the results from the draft that took place after the main event:

Ice Ribbon

Event: Ice Ribbon “New Ice Ribbon #954 in SKIP City”
Date: April 14th, 2019
Location: SKIP City Multipurpose Hall in Saitama, Japan
Announced Attendance: 225
Where to Watch: Airs on Nico Nico on 4/22/19

• Suzu Suzuki and Tsukushi defeat Asahi and Ibuki Hoshi (8:02)
• Tae Honma defeats Matsuya Uno (9:43)
• Tequila Saya defeats Satsuki Totoro (6:19)
• Kyuri, Maika Ozaki, and Tsukasa Fujimoto defeat Akane Fujita, Hiragi Kurumi, and Mochi Miyagi (15:13)
• Rina Yamashita defeats Giulia (15:03)
• International Ribbon Tag Team Championship: Maya Yukihi and Risa Sera (c) defeat Makoto and Miyako Matsumoto (15:20)

PURE-J

Event: PURE-J Bolshoi Final Series
Date: April 10th, 2019
Location: Asakusa Hanayashiki in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 90
Where to Watch: Not televised, likely DVD release

• Rydeen Hagane defeats Himeka Arita (12:04)
• KAZUKI defeats Momo Tani (8:59)
• Manami Katsu defeats Yako Fujigasaki (12:59)
• Command Bolshoi defeats Mari Manji (5:45)
• Rematch: Command Bolshoi defeats Mari Manji (4:50)
• Rematch: Command Bolshoi defeats Mari Manji (0:59)
• Leon and Moeka Haruhi defeat Hanako Nakamori and Makoto (17:38)

Event: PURE-J Bolshoi Final Series
Date: April 14th, 2019
Location: Itabashi Green Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 117
Where to Watch: Not televised, likely DVD release

• SAKI defeats Mari Manji (10:15)
• KAZUKI defeats Yako Fujigasaki (10:17)
• Command Bolshoi defeats AKARI (9:36)
• Kaori Yoneyama and Leon defeat Mei Suruga and Riho (12:29)
• Chikayo Nagashima and Hanako Nakamori defeat Manami Katsu and Rydeen Hagane (17:49)

Tokyo Joshi Pro

Event: Tokyo Joshi Pro “Spring Tour ’19 ~ Ready Set, Go!”
Date: April 13th, 2019
Location: Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 250
Where to Watch: DDT Universe

• Rika Tatsumi and Haruna Neko defeated Pom Harajuku and Mahiro Kiryu (8:57)
• Reika Saiki defeated YUMI (7:20)
• Natsumi Maki and Hikari Noa defeated Yuki Kamifuku and Mina Shirakawa (7:41)
• Yuka Sakazaki and Mizuki defeated Yuna Manase and Himawari Unagi (12:02)
• Sakisama and Misao defeated Miu Watanabe and Raku (14:09)
• Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, and Marika Kobashi defeated Maki Itoh, Nodoka Tenma, and Yuki Aino (14:46)

SEAdLINNNG

Event: SEAdLINNNG Shin-Kiba 11th NIGHT
Date: April 12th, 2019
Location: Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 238
Where to Watch: No announced release

• Kaori Yoneyama defeats Sae (6:02)
• Mei Hoshizuki and Mei Suruga defeat ASUKA and Maria (7:51)
• Hiroyo Matsumoto, Makoto and Yoshiko defeat Himeka Arita, Miyuki Takase, and Saori Anou (13:45)
• Amazon and Takumi Iroha vs. Nanae Takahashi and Ryo Mizunami – Time Limit Draw (20:00)
• Arisa Nakajima defeats Command Bolshoi (19:50)

OZ Academy

Event: OZ Academy “It Is The Dawn Of The Era”
Date: April 14th, 2019
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 883
Where to Watch: Airs on GAORA TV on 4/30/19

• Maya Yukihi and Yumi Ohka defeat Aoki Itsuki and Yoshiko (12:41)
• Tsubasa Kuragaki defeats Cherry (8:19)
• Aja Kong and Gabai Ji-chan defeat Command Bolshoi and Kyusei Hirota Command Bolshoi (Sakura Hirota) (9:51)
• Sonoko Kato defeats Ryo Mizunami (14:51)
• OZ Academy Tag Team Championship: Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kaori Yoneyama (c) defeat AKINO and Kakeru Sekiguchi (18:56)
• OZ Academy Openweight Championship: Mayumi Ozaki defeats Hikaru Shida (c) (19:03) – TITLE CHANGE

With it being announced that Hikaru Shida signed with AEW, Mayumi Ozaki wasted no time in getting the belt back to the promotion as she defeats Shida to reclaim the title.

Sendai Girls’

Event: Sendai Girls’
Date: April 13th, 2019
Location: Osaka World Pavilion in Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance: 195
Where to Watch: No announced release

• Mika Iwata defeats Mikoto Shindo (6:00)
• Three Way Match: Manami defeats KAORU and Sakura Hirota (7:27)
• DASH Chisako and Hiroyo Matsumoto defeat Alex Lee and Hikaru Shida (9:36)
• Meiko Satomura defeats Millie McKenzie (11:54)
• Jordynne Grace and Sareee defeat Chihiro Hashimoto and Killer Kelly (12:49)

Gatoh Move

Event: Gatoh Move Japan Tour #420
Date: April 13th, 2019
Location: Ichigaya Chocolate Hiroba in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 56
Where to Watch: No announced release

• Tetsuya Izuchi defeats IMABAYASHI (6:19)
• Baliyan Akki and SAKI defeat Mei Suruga and TAMURA (9:50)
• Riho and Yuna Mizumori defeat Mitsuru Konno and Sawasdee Kamen (12:38)

Diana

Event: Diana
Date: April 14th, 2019
Location: Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
Announced Attendance: 70
Where to Watch: No announced release

• Jaguar Yokota defeats Haruka Umesaki (11:15)
• Ayako Sato and Kyoko Inoue vs. Kaoru Ito and Sareee – Time Limit Draw (20:00)

Yumiko Hotta Produce

Event: Yumiko Hotta Produce Runaway Rally ~ Spring Wind
Date: April 14th, 2019
Location: Itabashi Green Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 230
Where to Watch: No announced release

• Leon defeats Kakeru Sekiguchi (7:04)
• Pretty Ota defeats Mr. Buddhaman (0:46)
• Pretty Ota defeats Mr. Buddhaman (2:40)
• Pretty Ota defeats Mr. Buddhaman (1:11)
• Arisa Nakajima and Manami Katsu defeat Mari and SAKI (21:56)
• Nanae Takahashi defeats Miyuki Takase (12:22)
• Saori Anou and Yumiko Hotta defeat Himeka Arita and Yoshiko (12:27)

Special thanks to Cagematch, Wrestlingdata, DramaticDDT, Stardom, PURE-J, Ice Ribbon, OZ Academy, SEAdLINNNG, Gatoh Move, and Diana for assistance gathering information.

The post Weekly Joshi Recap and Results for April 15th, 2019 appeared first on Joshi City.

At long last, the WAVE Network is here! Pro Wrestling WAVE is a Joshi promotion run by GAMI, and even though they frequently have events not many of them “make tape” so we can watch them. Not anymore! WAVE launched a Network last year that allows fans from around the world to watch their shows for a small fee. As the site is only in Japanese, I wanted to help those that needed some assistance on how to sign up.

First, the details for those that are just ready to go:

• Website: http://pro-w-wave.com/wave_network
• Cost: 800 Yen per Month
• Payment Accepted: Only Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard, and American Express)
• Video Player: Built-in Flash Player

How to Sign Up for The WAVE Network

I am going to take this slowly step by step, so skip ahead if I am going too slow. Also, if the pictures are too small, click on them to see them in full size.

First, go to http://pro-w-wave.com/wave_network!

Believe it or not, there is nowhere on the home page to sign up for an account. I guess they forgot to put a link to it. But to go straight to the sign-up page, click this:  https://ct.uliza.jp/zabun/pc/entry.aspx?clientid=1714&msid=1174 (and go to the next step). If you don’t want to click that link, the ‘sign up’ link will appear if you click on any of the events listed on the home page. Once you select an event, the signup page will be shown, it is the right button at the top of the page:

This will being you to the sign-up page. It looks like this:

Google translate can help here, but in order it is asking for Email, Password, Confirm Password, Nickname, Date of Birth, Gender, and Region. Note that the last three are optional, only the Email, Password, Confirm Password, and Nickname are required. There is also a test video on this page so you can confirm that the player will work in your browser.

This is the bottom half of the sign-up page, tick the box and click the only button.

This is the last sign-up page. Just click the button on the right and you are all signed up! Next you will patiently wait for a confirmation email:

This is a required step, you can’t log in until you confirm your email. Click the link I have arrowed above to confirm. After clicking the link you will be directed to this page:

Just type in the password to the account you just created and hit the only button. Once you confirm, you will get a second email from WAVE but nothing in that email needs to be addressed so you can safely archive it and move on.  Now it is time to pay!

This page is important as it has the cost (800 Yen) and when you will be billed. Please note you will be billed the 1st of every month, regardless of when you signed up. So if you sign up on the 20th and pay 800 yen, you will be billed again on the 1st of the next month. So its better to sign up towards the beginning of the month. Currently the only payment option is credit card so you have to tick that option, then click the button to the right. This leads you to the payment screen.

Enter in your credit card number (auto-fill will not work in Chrome). As my MS Paint skills show, your credit card number goes in the long box, then for the Expiration Date it is Year/Month. Kids please get your parent’s permission before using their credit card. Once you have put in your information, click the button on the right (the right button is always Confirm). Now you are signed up! I didn’t screen shot it but the next screen just confirms your payment was accepted (or not accepted, that is between you and your credit card). But if you were successful, you will get this email:

Now you are ready to watch some WAVE!

Before we go on, just as an FYI, the button I have circled above is the one that goes to your profile page, it will appear on any video page. This is where you can cancel, change your credit card information, etc. The other button just logs you out.

And finally, this is what the sign-in looks like to view videos, it will automatically appear the first time you go to view a video so you don’t have to go to a separate login page. Just put in your email and password and click the only button. Once you have made an account, confirmed it and paid you are finally ready to watch some WAVE.

Once you select the event/year you want to watch from the home page, the matches page shows the wrestler’s pictures so you don’t have to worry about being able to read Japanese. Each event will have the matches split individually, you can just click on the match you want to watch:

That is all there is to it! If you have any sign-up questions, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter. If you have issues with your credit card or the videos aren’t playing, or questions about what the videos can play on, those types of issues I probably won’t be able to assist with. The videos use Flash, so make sure your Flash is updated and if your credit card won’t work, call your bank and see if they can allow international purchases. Enjoy!

The post The WAVE Network: Information and How To Sign Up appeared first on Joshi City.

Current Champions:

• World of Stardom Championship – Io Shirai (488 days)
• Wonder of Stardom Championship – Kairi Hojo (344 days)
• SWA World Championship – Toni Storm (274 days)
• High Speed Championship – Kris Wolf (60 days)
• Goddesses of Stardom Championship – Hiroyo Matsumoto and Jungle Kyona (50 days)
• Artist of Stardom Championship – HZK, Io Shirai, and AZM (9 days)

Recent Results:

Kairi Hojo Homecoming on April 22nd, 2017
Shimin Hall in Hikari, Yamaguchi, Japan
415 fans

• 3 Way Match: Kris Wolf defeated Hetzza and (L) Natsuko Tora via pinfall (5:15)
• (W) Kagetsu and La Rosa Negra defeated Kaori Yoneyama and (L) Hiromi Mimura with a Brainbuster (9:48)
• (W) Jessicka Havok and Tessa Blanchard defeated Hiroyo Matsumoto and (L) Jungle Kyouna with a Tombstone Piledriver (10:25)
• Toni Storm, (W) Mayu Iwatani, and Konami defeated Io Shirai, HZK, and (L) AZM with a Frogsplash (14:41)
• Wonder of Stardom Championship: Kairi Hojo (c) defeated Hana Kimura with the Diving Elbow Drop (20:44)

Shining Stars on April 23rd, 2017
Symbol Tower 1st Floor Exhibition Hall in Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan

• 3 Way Match: Kris Wolf defeated (L) AZM and Kaori Yoneyama via pinfall (5:53)
• Kagetsu defeated Natsuko Tora with the Ebisu Drop (9:28)
• Io Shirai and (W) HZK defeated Kairi Hojo and (L) Hiromi Mimura with the Bombs Away (14:00)
• SWA World Women’s Championship: Toni Storm (c) defeated La Rosa Negra with the Drill-A-Hole Piledriver (10:55)
• (W) Mayu Iwatani, Jungle Kyouna, and Konami defeated Jessicka Havok, Tessa Blanchard, and (L) Hetzza with a Frog Splash (12:15)

Upcoming Events:

April 30th, 2017 – 

• Dark Match: AZM vs. Natsuko Tora vs. Kaori Yoneyama vs. Hanan vs. Ruaka
• Cinderella Tournament Round 1: Toni Storm vs. Rebel
• Cinderella Tournament Round 1: Tessa Blanchard vs. Kris Wolf
• Cinderella Tournament Round 1: Kairi Hojo vs. Hiromi Mimura
• Cinderella Tournament Round 1: Jungle Kyona vs. HZK
• Cinderella Tournament Round 1: Mayu Iwatani vs. Hetzza
• Cinderella Tournament Round 1: Kagetsu vs. Konami
• Cinderella Tournament Round 1: La Rosa Negra vs. Jessicka Havok
• Cinderella Tournament Round 1: Hana Kimura vs. Io Shirai
• Cinderella Tournament Round 2: Winner of Storm/Rebel vs. Winner of Blanchard/Wolf
• Cinderella Tournament Round 2: Winner of Hojo/Mimura vs. Winner of Kyona/HZK
• Cinderella Tournament Round 2: Winner of Iwatani/Hetzza vs. Winner of Kagetsu/Konami
• Cinderella Tournament Round 2: Winner of La Rosa Negra/Havok vs. Winner of Kimura/Shirai
• Cinderella Tournament Semi Finals:
• Cinderella Tournament Semi Finals:
• Cinderella Tournament Finals:

May 1st, 2017 – 

• Io Shirai, Dr. Wagner Jr., and El Hijo de Dr. Wagner vs. Mayu Iwatani, Black Tiger, and Heat
• Kairi Hojo vs. Toni Storm
• Hiroyo Matsumoto, Jungle Kyona, and Natsuko Tora vs. Jessicka Havok, Tessa Blanchard, and Rebel
• HZK and AZM vs. Hana Kimura and La Rosa Negra vs. Hiromi Mimura and Hetzza
• Konami vs. Hanan

May 6th, 2017 – 

• Artist of Stardom Championship: (c) HZK, AZM, and Io Shirai vs. Konami, Hiromi Mimura, and Kairi Hojo
• Toni Storm and Mayu Iwatani vs. Hana Kimura and La Rosa Negra
• Jungle Kyona and Natsuko Tora vs. Jessicka Havok and Tessa Blanchard
• Hiroyo Matsumoto and Rebel vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Hetzza

The post This Week in Stardom: April 24th, 2017 Edition appeared first on Joshi City.

Current Champions:

• World of Stardom Championship – Io Shirai (482 days)
• Wonder of Stardom Championship – Kairi Hojo (338 days)
• SWA World Championship – Toni Storm (268 days)
• High Speed Championship – Kris Wolf (54 days)
• Goddesses of Stardom Championship – Hiroyo Matsumoto and Jungle Kyona (44 days)
• Artist of Stardom Championship – HZK, Io Shirai, and AZM (2 days)

Recent Results:

Grow Up Stars on April 15th, 2017
Yokohama, Japan
285 fans

• 3 Way Match: Arisu Nanase defeats (L) Hanan and Ruaka with the Blockbuster (7:04)
• Kaori Yoneyama defeats Kris Wolf with a German Suplex Hold (6:40)
• Artist of Stardom Tournament: Io Shirai, (W) HZK, and AZM defeat Hiroyo Matsumoto, Jungle Kyona, and (L) Natsuko Tora with the Bombs Away (12:04)
• Artist of Stardom Tournament: Kagetsu, (W) Hana Kimura, and La Rosa Negra defeat (L) Kairi Hojo, Hiromi Mimura, and Konami with the Big Boot (12:28)
• (W) Jessicka Havok and Tessa Blanchard defeat Mayu Iwatani and (L) Hetzza with the Tombstone Piledriver (8:17)
• Artist of Stardom Tournament Finals: (W) Io Shirai, HZK, and AZM defeat Kagetsu, Hana Kimura, and (L) La Rosa Negra with the Moonsault Press (14:58)
  • Queen’s Quest win the tournament to claim the vacant Artist of Stardom Championship

Grow Up Stars on April 16th, 2017
Osaka, Japan
305 fans

• La Rosa Negra defeats AZM with the High Angle Facebuster (4:45)
• Hiroyo Matsumoto and (W) Jungle Kyona defeat Konami and (L) Natsuko Tora with the Hammer Throw Powerbomb (10:03)
• High Speed Championship 3 Way:  (c) Kris Wolf defeats Kaori Yoneyama and (L) Hetzza via pinfall (5:35)
• Kagetsu and (W) Hana Kimura defeat Mayu Iwatani and (L) Arisu Nanase with a Brainbuster (13:02)
• 3 Way Tag Match: (W) Io Shirai & HZK defeat Kairi Hojo & (L) Hiromi Mimura and Jessicka Havok & Tessa Blanchard with the Moonsault Press (14:15)

Upcoming Events:

April 22nd, 2017 – 

• Wonder of Stardom Championship: (c) Kairi Hojo vs. Hana Kimura
• Io Shirai, HZK, and AZM vs. Toni Storm, Mayu Iwatani, and Konami
• Hiroyo Matsumoto and Jungle Kyona vs. Jessicka Havok and Tessa Blanchard
• Kaori Yoneyama and Hiromi Mimura vs. La Rosa Negra and Kagetsu
• Natsuko Tora vs. Kris Wolf vs. Hetzza

April 23rd, 2017 – 

• SWA World Championship: (c) Toni Storm vs. La Rosa Negra
• Mayu Iwatani, Jungle Kyona, and Konami vs. Jessicka Havok, Tessa Blanchard, and Hetzza
• Io Shirai and HZK vs. Kairi Hojo and Hiromi Mimura
• Natsuko Tora vs. Kagetsu
• Kaori Yoneyama vs. Kris Wolf vs. AZM

The post This Week in Stardom: April 17th, 2017 Edition appeared first on Joshi City.

While this is not a wrestling newz site that focuses on rumors, judging by the number of visits the site got yesterday (highest in its history) I am assuming that people want whatever details are available about the news from Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer referencing Kairi and Io Shirai going to WWE. Most of this article will just be my personal opinion, but first, here is what Meltzer said:

Both Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo have gotten offers to start in WWE in 2017 in the last week or two. Both told Stardom management about it this week. Shirai said she was going, and said that she was called by Shoichi Funaki. Hojo was contacted by Shinsuke Nakamura and Simon Inoki. Hojo at first didn’t make a final decision and there is some question if she can pass the physical because she’s had two major concussions in the last two years. In July, when WWE ran at Sumo Hall, Hojo was introduced to Nakamura through Simon Inoki, who knew her because they had worked together when Hojo did an IGF tour. Nakamura pushed to Hojo that she’d do great in WWE. Hojo most recently told the Stardom office that she’s interested in going to WWE. Stardom officials believe Shirai is gone for sure, but they are working to keep Hojo and Hojo then said she’s not sure what she’s going to do.

Dave Meltzer knows what he is talking about, so we are going to assume that everything said above is true. Before people get too excited or depressed, its important to keep in mind that nothing has been signed yet, physicals haven’t been passed, and things change in the wrestling world rather quickly.

That being said, I think we can assume Io Shirai will be going to WWE sometime early to mid 2017. If she wants to go, and WWE wants her, then she is going. Io Shirai always has come across as the type of wrestler that wants the biggest stage (not an uncommon trait among wrestlers), and she has done all there is to do in Stardom. She doesn’t have any injury issues that WWE would be concerned with, and her style will connect easily with American crowds.

Kairi Hojo is a much more interesting case, I don’t think her chances of leaving right now are better than 40%, based just on what we know. Kairi Hojo has been in Io’s shadow since she started, and following Io would just keep her there as Io will likely do better in WWE as she is a better wrestler. If Kairi stayed in Stardom, she could finally be the Ace, and I assume make more money than she currently is making. There is also the concussion issue, it is not an automatic disqualifer as many current WWE wrestlers have had concussions, but if Meltzer mentioned it then it is certainly something to keep in mind. So I am envisioning a situation where Stardom offers Kairi more both in-ring and financially, and she sticks around. Maybe not forever, but at least in the short term so that the promotion doesn’t lose its two biggest stars at once.

If only Io Shirai leaves, I don’t see that really changing anything Stardom does. Losing an Ace is never fun, but it happens in wrestling on a regular basis (usually due to injury or retirement), and promotions need to be able to adapt to losing one wrestler. They have enough popular wrestlers that the gap can be filled, they would likely lose some fans but if the new wrestlers stepped up they should be fine. It shouldn’t lead to the same drop in attendance that Stardom had after Yuzuki Aikawa’s retirement. Mayu and Kairi will take over as fan favorites with Yoko Bito as their foil, while Jungle Kyouna and Momo Watanabe would continue to be built up to be the main challengers for Oedo Tai.

If both Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo leave, that’s an entirely different situation. Stardom has proven completely unable and unwilling to change the worst aspect of the promotion – continually bringing in less skilled and inexperienced gaijin just because they are willing to lose and work cheaper. To quote their PR rep that runs their English Twitter account:

The post The State of Joshi: Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo Leaving Stardom? appeared first on Joshi City.

One of my greatest fears in life is that Joshi City will just turn into a review website, which was not the original intention when I first created it almost a year ago (see all those categories on the right on the main page?). With how quickly Stardom uploads events now, however, the bulk of the posts have been reviews as since Stardom is the most popular Joshi promotion I did not want to skip any of their events. I still intend to review their shows, however I also am going to try to do other updates as well so that the site doesn’t turn into Stardom City.

With that in mind, welcome to the first edition of The State of Joshi! This will be a special collector’s item in a few years like the first Wrestling Observer, so be sure to print it out and have it professionally graded. I do not want to just do a results report as I find those tedious to type up, but just give an update on what has been going on around the scene. I do not know if this will be a weekly, monthly, or random type of column but I hope to keep people up to date on all the bigger stories going on in Joshi Wrestling while sprinkling in my opinion on Joshi as well.

Stardom – Championships Held Hostage by Threedom

Joshi promotion Stardom currently has a very unique situation with their title scene, with three wrestlers holding all eight titles in the promotion:

Io Shirai – World of Stardom Championship, Goddesses of Stardom Championship, Artist of Stardom Championship
Mayu Iwatani – High Speed Championship, Goddesses of Stardom Championship, Artist of Stardom Championship
Kairi Hojo – Wonder of Stardom Championship, Artist of Stardom Championship

The promotion as a whole only has nine active contracted wrestlers according to their website, but even with a small roster all the belts are held by the Three Daughters of Stardom (aka Threedom). In most promotions, this would be a very bad thing, as if a promotion is this top heavy it leaves them vulnerable if something happens to one of the top stars. There is literally no upper midcard in Stardom, as in the last year Threedom has elevated themselves so high that no other wrestler is close to their level. So far in 2016, no contracted wrestler in Stardom has pinned any member of Threedom, with their small handful of losses coming against Freelancers.

Short term this is an issue, a gap this noticeable is never a good thing as it leads to the matches being less compelling and if there was a major injury then no other wrestler is poised to step up. Some of it is not Stardom’s fault, as last year they lost three wrestlers that would have been upper midcarders or challengers of Threedom: Act Yasukawa, Yoshiko, and Koguma. The new rookies that debuted aren’t up to speed yet and Stardom doesn’t usually have Freelancers hold their major titles unless it is for a specific storyline. It takes time to build up wrestlers so it is a waiting game while they get there.

Long term they should be ok as long as none of the Threedom wrestlers get hurt. Oedo Tai should have a title (or two) by the fall, as they are building Kagetsu well. If Kagetsu loses her title challenges this summer, she will be knocked right back to the midcard like everyone else and the cycle will continue. Yoko Bito is in the same boat, if she comes back and is able to pick up where she left off, she could challenge Threedom by the end of the year, or she could become just another midcarder as well. I am holding off judgement until the end of the year as things can change so fast in wrestling, but at the moment Stardom has the largest gap between the top and everyone else in wrestling and sometime within the next few months it is an issue that needs to be addressed to shake things up a bit in the promotion.

Catch The WAVE – The Biggest Tournament of the Year (that we can’t watch)

Unbeknownst to many wrestling fans, Pro Wrestling WAVE is currently in the middle of one of the largest tournaments of the year as 32 wrestlers are participating to take the crown. Unfortunately, none of these matches have ‘made tape’ yet so we haven’t gotten to watch any of it. WAVE’s show on V*PARADISE will eventually catch up but it tends to be at least a month behind, and matches on the show are clipped. We heard rumors of WAVE starting their own online subscription which may have helped, but as of May 22nd there has not been any additional news.

The tournament is using what they referred to as “World Cup” rules, which are pretty simple. The 32 wrestlers are split into eight Blocks of 4. Within each Block, each wrestler has a singles match against the other three wrestlers in their Block. After all the matches are done, the two top wrestlers in each Block move on to the Knockout Round. That begins the 16 wrestler single elimination tournament until only one wrestler is left. Pro Wrestling WAVE added wrestlers from a variety of promotions, including SEAdLINNNG, Daijo Pro, Sendai Girls’, Ice Ribbon, JWP, REINA, and even Ryukyu Dragon. The winner of the tournament gets a shot at the single’s championship and 1 Million Yen. So far most of the Blocks have had two of the three matches while others are just about done, here are the current standings:

The wrestlers I put a * have locked up a spot in the Knockout Round. LEON is injured and has forfeited the rest of her points. The tournament goes through June 5th so we still have a ways to go, but I hope the standings at least shows the quality of wrestlers that WAVE assembled and hopefully some of these matches (or maybe all of them on DVD) will be released soon.

Makoto – Ace of a Forgotten Promotion

While I try to discuss as many different promotions, there is one I don’t talk about very often – REINA. REINA got a bit more love in 2015 as it was one of the promotions that Kana wrestled in quite a bit and Syuri was the ace. Unfortunately, Kana has left and Syuri is now a Freelancer, leaving the promotion without the wrestlers that many fans identified with. Add in that REINA rarely makes tape, and it is easy to forget that they even exist.

Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, not every promotion can get maximum coverage as there are simply too many promotions, but it does leave Makoto in the dark. Makoto won the REINA World Women’s Championship on March 25th against Tsukasa Fujimoto, and has taken over the role of Ace of the promotion. Makoto’s next big match is against Miyako Matsumoto on May 24th at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring, which likely won’t be taped. She is in the Catch the WAVE tournament I mentioned above, which hopefully will keep her in the spotlight and maybe bring some fans back with her to REINA. Makoto is a nine year veteran but is only 26 years old and has many years in front of her to compete at a high level, so we can hope more of her matches become available as the year progresses.

Big Matches In the Pipeline

One of the good things about Joshi is they like to tell us way in advance what we should be looking forward to. Here is what we currently have announced:

May 24th – Makoto vs. Miyako Matsumoto (REINA)
June 5th – Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo vs. Meiko Satomura and Mika Iwata (Stardom)
June 16th – Thunder Rock vs. Kagetsu and Kyoko Kimura (Stardom)
June 16th – Yoko Bito vs. TBD (Stardom)
June 19th – Aja Kong vs. Hana Kimura (Oz Academy)
June 22nd – Riho vs. Kaori Yoneyama (Gatoh Move)
July 18th – Sonoko Kato vs. Mayumi Ozaki (Oz Academy)
July 31st – Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Aja Kong (Matsumoto Produce Show)

That is it for this week, next time I will give some news and thoughts on SEAdLINNNG, Marvelous, and probably whatever Stardom is up to. Until then, if you have any suggestions or feedback feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @PuroCentral.

The post The State of Joshi: Threedom, Catch the WAVE, and Makoto! appeared first on Joshi City.

Known for her high kicks and toughness, even though she was seen as the potential future ace of the company, nothing was handed to her. While she generally had little issues against other young wrestlers such as Mayu Iwatani and Eri, she struggled to get wins over the stars of the promotion like Taiyo and Nanae Takahashi. In the fall of 2011, Stardom had a tournament to crown the first ever tag champions, called the Goddesses of Stardom Championship. Yoko Bito teamed with Yuzuki Aikawa, who was also Bito’s main competition to become the ace. Together, they won the tournament as they defeated Natsuki*Taiyo and Yoshiko in the final, and they were crowned the first champions. But Bito still had a ways to go, as on the very next show she lost in the Rookie of the Year tournament to another young wrestler named Arisa Hoshiki (Yoshiko went on to win the tournament).

In 2012, Yoko continued her rise in Stardom. Yoko and Aikawa successfully defended their tag titles in March and May, and Yoko had a big singles win against fellow young wrestler Act Yasukawa on May 3rd in the co-main event. On August 5th, Bito had the biggest match of her career, as she faced off against her tag partner Aikawa to challenge for the Wonder of Stardom Championship at Korakuen Hall. Bito would lose the match, but more tragically, it would be the last wrestling match of her career.

After missing events during the fall, Yuko Bito announced on November 3rd, 2012 that she was retiring from wrestling due to neck and back injuries. There were no noticeable moments during the Aikawa match where an injury occurred (you can watch the match below), and it was never pinpointed when or how the injury happened. Regardless, Stardom was suddenly losing one of its brightest young stars, a wrestler with the skill in the ring to dominate and the looks to also take part in Stardom’s photobooks and other publications. Stardom fans thought they would never see Bito come down the ring again, and nothing publicly was heard from her in the wrestling world for many years.

That is until April 29th. Unbeknownst to fans, Bito had been in discussions with Fuka about coming back to Stardom and it was decided that Bito would return to professional wrestling. The currently plan is for Bito to train in May and early June, and re-debut on June 16th at Korakuen Hall. No one knows for certain what Bito’s role will be in Stardom going forward, as it will depend on if she can return to old form and has no further issues with injuries, however it is very exciting to see her return as she was one of the best young Stardom wrestlers in 2011 and 2012. Bito is only 29 years old, so she still has plenty of time to leave her mark in professional wrestling once again. Below I have three Yoko Bito matches, including her final match against Aikawa.

The post Yoko Bito – The Ace Candidate Returns to Stardom appeared first on Joshi City.

It is time for Stardom’s Cinderella Tournament! This is the second year Stardom has run the tournament, with the winner of the tournament being granted one wish (and gets to wear a pretty Cinderella dress). Last year’s winner, Mayu Iwatani, used her wish to challenge Kairi Hojo for the World of Stardom Championship, so the assumption is that the winner will challenge for one of Stardom’s titles. The Cinderella Tournament is a one-night tournament and this year has 16 participants. Every match in the tournament is a singles match with the following stipulations:

• Tournament is Single Elimination
• All matches up to the final have a 10 Minute Time Limit (Finals have a 30 Minute Time Limit)
• If the Time Limit expires, the match is a Draw and both wrestlers are Disqualified
• If both wrestlers are eliminated by Draw, their opponent in the next round gets a Bye
• Wrestlers can win by pinfall, submission, or throwing their opponent over the top rope

Aside from the dark match, the entire event on April 29th will be the tournament, so there will be a maximum of 15 matches (there will likely be less, since at least a match or two will end in a draw which will eliminate both wrestlers). Here are all the matches in order:

• Opening Tag Match: Azumi and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Eimi Nishina and Starlight Kid (winner of this match will be inserted into the tournament)

First Round

• Jungle Kyouna vs. Saori Anou
• Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Kagetsu
• Diosa Atenea vs. Io Shirai
• Kyoko Kimura vs. TBD (winner from opening tag match)
• Hiromi Mimura vs. Mayu Iwatani
• Alpha Female vs. Queen Maya
• Kairi Hojo vs. Momo Watanabe
• Alex Lee vs. Santana Garrett

Quarterfinals

• Kyouna/Anou vs. Matsumoto/Kagetsu
• Atenea/Shirai vs. Kimura/TBD
• Alpha/Maya vs. Iwatani/Mimura
• Garrett/Lee vs. Hojo/Watanabe

Semi-Finals

• Kyouna/Anou/Matsumoto/Kagetsu vs.  Atenea/Shirai/Kimura/TBD
• Alpha/Maya/Iwatani/Mimura vs. Garrett/Lee/Hojo/Watanabe

Finals

Tournament Predictions

Now that we got all the facts out of the way, who is going to win the tournament? Remember, with the time limit and ‘over the top’ elimination, there can be many upsets without the stars of the promotion taking a pin. There are a few different directions that Stardom can go, but here are my odds of each wrestler winning:

Jungle Kyouna (50:1) – Of all the rookies, Kyouna has the best chance of winning. She is the strongest of the three so she will be harder to toss over the top rope, and she is the toughest so she will not be easy to pin. Still, she faces an uphill battle only six months after debuting.

Saori Anou (250:1) – Anou is affiliated with Actress girl’Z, however she has been a constant in Stardom since last fall. She has never had a pinfall of any substance in Stardom, and since she is affiliated with a different promotion she is ranked on the same level as the Stardom rookies even though she has been wrestling longer than they have. Anou isn’t ready for a singles title shot at this stage of her career.

Hiroyo Matsumoto (4:1) – I have Matsumoto as my favorite to win the tournament. She is a highly respected veteran and can beat any wrestler in this tournament under normal settings, let alone with over-the-top-rope rules. She would be a fresh wrestler for the singles title scene in Stardom as she has not challenged for a singles title since 2012. She still has the obstacle of being a Freelancer, but Stardom has put titles on Freelancers in the past so it would not be unheard of for the promotion.

Kagetsu (40:1) – Kagetsu is who I will be rooting for, I don’t think she is going to win but I think it would be a nice surprise. A few things working against her – she is relatively new to the promotion, she doesn’t have any big pinfalls in Stardom, and she is in the heel group. But it would freshen things up and she is a great wrestler, I would have her odds higher but her first round match is an extremely tough one.

Alpha Female (100:1) – I love Alpha Female but this is not her tournament to win, I see her losing via Draw (maybe even in the first round). First, she already had a title shot this year, and Stardom will likely use this tournament to find a new challenger. Secondly, can you see Alpha Female wearing that gaudy dress? I sure as hell can’t.

Queen Maya (50:1) – Even though she hasn’t been in the promotion since last summer, I think she has a better chance than Alpha Female in the battle of monster gaijins even though I don’t see a heel winning. She would be a fresh match-up against one of the champions, and she seems to be more open to wearing a dress than Alpha Female. Still a low probability but it wouldn’t shock me if she made it far or even won.

Hiromi Mimura (200:1) – Mimura is the oldest of the rookies but is definitely ranked below Kyouna, plus she is really small so she can be easily disposed over the top rope. Not going to be her this year.

Mayu Iwatani (8:1) – Of the Threedom, I think she has the best chance to win. I don’t think her winning last year will hurt her, as she as grown a lot in the last year and if she challenged Io Shirai it would open up a few different storylines. Plus she could build herself up into “Ms. Cinderella” if they continue to do this tournament every year.

Alex Lee (325:1) – Unaffiliated wrestler that mostly stays towards the beginning of the cards wrestling against children. Not going to win this tournament.

Santana Garrett (6:1) – I know that Garrett is never around but hear me out. They have to keep her strong since she is the last wrestler to pin Io Shirai in a singles match, plus she does hold a title. If she won the tournament, she could challenge Io Shirai for another championship, and since she has already pinned her in the past it would be a fresh but believable title match. Either way I don’t see Garrett being pinned, if she does lose it will be by Draw or over-the-top-rope elimination.

Kairi Hojo (12:1) – Since Hojo already challenged Shirai this year, the only way I can see her winning if she challenges Garrett instead of Shirai for the Wonder of Stardom. Which wouldn’t be unheard of. But I think of the Threedom team she has the least likely chance of winning, even though the chance is always there as she fits the Cinderella profile and is a fan favorite.

Momo Watanabe (20:1) – I can see this happening on some level, even though I don’t think it is likely. She is only 16 but has had battles against the top wrestlers and held her own. She would work well (like Hojo) with the Cinderella theme and would be a solid defense on one of the smaller shows. Definitely the most likely winner between all the rookies/young wrestlers, remember that Koguma reached the finals last year, it likely will not be two top wrestlers battling at the end of the tournament.

Diosa Atenea (350:1) – She has so much going against her (new wrestler to the promotion, no big wins, part of heel stable) that I can’t see any chance of her winning this. I don’t see her getting past Io Shirai.

Io Shirai (10:1) – Shirai is the ace of the promotion and thus is able to win anything at any time, but winning here wouldn’t make a lot of sense as she is already at the top. The only justifiable reason is if she uses the ‘wish’ to challenge Garrett, but she could do that without the tournament win. These types of tournaments are set up to make it easy to eliminate a top star without them losing face, which is what I expect to happen here.

Kyoko Kimura (15:1) – Of the members of Oedo Tai, Kimura has the best odds of winning. Like Matsumoto, she is a very respected veteran that has been wrestling in the promotion for a long time. She hasn’t had a singles title show since 2013, and since she is retiring this year it would be a nice way for her to go out on top. I still wouldn’t call it likely, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened.

TBD (750:1) – This spot opened up due to Lizzy Styles having a family emergency, and it will be determined by the winner in the opening tag match. I assume the winner will be Yoneyama, but either way, a wrestler being inserted into the tournament this late is not going to win it.

If you have any other questions about the tournament, I can be found on Twitter!

The post Stardom Cinderella Tournament 2016 Preview appeared first on Joshi City.

The post Stardom Launches Youtube Subscription Channel appeared first on Joshi City.