It has been awhile since we visited Tokyo Joshi Pro, but I had to watch my favorite underground indie wrestler Yuka Sakazaki. Tokyo Joshi Pro is a brand of DDT, and as the name implies it is their Joshi brand with mostly very young wrestlers that don’t venture outside of the DDT umbrella. So they don’t get a ton of exposure, but they have a handful of quality wrestlers. This is a small event for the promotion, however it was shown on DDT’s streaming service DDTUniverse.com. Here is the full card:

• Marika Kobashi vs. Syoko Nakajima
• 3 Way Match: Azusa Takigawa vs. Maho Kurone vs. Mizuki
• Rika Tatsumi and Nonoko vs. Yuu and Yuna Manase
• Miyu Yamashita and Nodoka-oneesan vs. Yuka Sakazaki and Reika Saiki

You can click on the names above to go to the wrestler’s profile on Joshi City. A really short show with no really big matches, but Yuka and Reika teaming in the main event should be fun.

Marika Kobashi vs. Syoko Nakajima

They circle each other to start before locking up, Syoko pushes Marika to the mat and locks knuckles with her, but Marika reverses the hold. They end up at a stalemate, waistlock by Marika but Syoko drives her back into the corner. Marika leaps over Syoko and hits an elbow, chops by Marika but Syoko clubs her to the mat. Punches by Syoko and she starts working on Marika’s arm, Syoko puts Marika into the Tarantula before covering her for two. Kicks by Syoko in the corner and she goes back to the arm, but Marika gets into the ropes for the break. Marika slides away from Syoko and hits a dropkick, scoop slam by Marika and she puts Syoko in a single leg crab hold. Syoko gets to the ropes to get out of the hold, Marika goes up top but Syoko punches her in the stomach as she jumps down. Running elbow by Syoko in the corner, she goes for a Tiger Feint Kick but Marika ducks it and rolls her up for two. Marika tries a few more flash pins with no luck, neck drop by Marika and she hits a diving ax handle. Syoko comes back with a dropkick and drives Marika’s face into the mat, Northern Lights Suplex by Syoko and she gets the three count! Syoko Nakajima is the winner.

A really simply laid out and executed match, but probably necessary since Marika is only 16 and just returned to wrestling. Nothing was actively bad about it, just basic and not particularly memorable. Not unwatchable but nothing much to it.

Azusa Takigawa vs. Maho Kurone vs. Mizuki

Maho chases after Mizuki as the match starts, trying to eat her, but Mizuki hides behind Azusa. Maho only wants Mizuki and pays Azusa no mind, Mizuki and Azusa shakes hands before both going after Maho. They both take turns attacking Maho in the corner until Azusa quickly schoolboys Mizuki for a two count. Azusa stands on Mizuki’s hair and continues the beatdown while Maho is still MIA, she comes back just as Mizuki gets an advantage but Azusa tosses Mizuki out of the ring again. Azusa puts on her veil while standing on the second turnbuckle, but Mizuki hits her before she can jump down and throws her to the mat. Crab hold by Mizuki but Azusa gets the microphone slid to her and talks a bit while struggling to get to the ropes. Mizuki lets go, Azusa then goes out to the apron and continues cutting a promo mid-match. She finally stops talking and gets back into the ring, Maho returns too and scoop slams Azusa for a two count. Maho and Mizuki take turns trying to pin Azusa, Mizuki goes off the ropes but Maho puts her in a sleeper. She tries to bite her neck but Mizuki blocks it. Maho and Mizuki trade blows until Mizuki sneaks in a backslide for two, dropkick by Mizuki and she hits a diving footstomp on Maho from the second turnbuckle. Elbows by Mizuki but Maho grabs her and bites her neck, swinging neckbreaker by Maho but Azusa schoolboys her from behind for two. Azusa pulls down the ropes when Maho charges her, sending Maho out of the ring, before hitting Mizuki with a Codebreaker. Azusa gets on the second turnbuckle but Mizuki blocks her dive and applies a backslide for two. Cutie Special by Mizuki, and she picks up the three count! Mizuki is your winner.

This is the type of match that makes me not want to watch smaller indie shows. Maho is a fun gimmick but she isn’t a very good wrestler, making a lot of her sections look a bit awkward. Azusa is pure gimmick, and probably is more funny if I understood Japanese (which I don’t), while Mizuki is a solid wrestler but not one that can pull other wrestlers up. So mostly a clunky ‘take turns’ type three way match and not particularly entertaining.

Rika Tatsumi and Nonoko vs. Yuu and Yuna Manase

Rika and Yuna start the match, Rika gets Yuna to the mat but Yuna gets out of it and they trade wristlocks. Rika tags in Nonoko so Yuna tags Yuu, Nonoko pulls out a magazine and gives it to Yuu but Yuu throws it to the ground and stomps on Nonoko. Armbar by Yuu and she tags in Yuna, Yuna knocks Nonoko into the corner but Nonoko shoulderblocks Yuna and puts her in a stretch hold. Nonoko tags Rika, Rika starts working on Yuna’s leg before dropping her with a face crusher. Rika hits a running elbow drop but it only gets a two count cover so she tags Nonoko back in. Elbows by Nonoko to Yuna and she hits a double arm DDT into her chest, but Yuna delivers a mid kick and makes the tag to Yuu. Yuu shoulderblocks both Nonoko and Rika, double chop to the chest by Yuu and she covers Nonoko for two. Yuu works on Nonoko’s arm before chopping her to the mat, but Nonoko rams her head into her chest and delivers a Lou Thesz Press. Nonoko tags in Rika, Rika jumps at Yuu but Yuu catches her and slams Rika to the mat. Powerslam by Yuu, she throws Rika into the corner but Rika reverses her Irish whip and dropkicks Yuu in the leg. Dragon screw by Rika and she hits a couple hip attacks for two.

Rika goes for a cutter but Yuu pushes her off and hits a judo throw, giving her time to tag in Yuna. Yuna jumps down onto Rika and kicks her in the back, running boot by Yuna and she covers Rika for two. Yuna goes off the ropes but Rika catches her with a hip attack, she gets on the second turnbuckle and hits the diving hip attack for a two count cover. Backbreaker by Rika and she applies the dragon sleeper, but Yuu breaks it up. Rika tags Nonoko, they both throw Yuna into the corner and deliver running strikes. Nonoko picks up Yuna and nails the Boinmaker, she puts her magazine in her shirt before hitting a body press but Yuna kicks out of the cover. Nonoko gives Yuna the magazine to read, Yuna tries to put it on the mat so that Nonoko would trip over it, but Nonoko notices and slams on the breaks. Yuu pushes Nonoko from the apron and Nonoko slips on it anyway, but Rika breaks up Yuna’s cover. Yuu takes care of Rika, Yuna delivers the Kakato Drop (heel drop) to Nonoko and she picks up the three count! Yuu and Yuna Manase win!

The primary issue here is, again, general wrestler quality. TJP does have some really good wrestlers, but they were too spread out here. Yuna is on her third promotion in her short career probably for a reason – she’s a sub-par wrestler. Rika and Yuu are both good, but didn’t do much here to stand out. Nonoko is mostly gimmick, its a quality gimmick but she isn’t going to wow you with in-ring skills (nor is she trying to). So what you end up with is a pretty average match, it had some good sections but it was just inconsistent as Nonoko and Yuna wanted to do their comedy bits while Yuu and Rika were generally more serious. I wouldn’t say it was bad, but it was nothing anyone needs to go find to watch.

Miyu Yamashita and Nodoka-oneesan vs. Yuka Sakazaki and Reika Saiki

Nodoka and Reika start the match for their teams, they trade headlocks and headscissors but end up back on their feet. Reika puts Nodoka in a front headlock and tags in Yuka, but Nodoka gets away and tags in Miyu. Miyu and Yuka go back and forth until Yuka hits a dropkick, but Miyu gets back up and stomps Yuka to the mat. Miyu tags Nodoka, Nodoka puts Yuka in a headlock before elbowing her in the back of the head. Miyu tags back in, snapmare by Miyu and she puts Yuka in a chinlock. Yuka gets to the ropes to force the break, kick by Miyu and she tags in Nodoka. Irish whip by Nodoka to the corner and she hits an elbow, stretch hold by Nodoka but Yuka gets to the ropes. Miyu returns and dropkicks Yuka in the back, cover by Miyu but it gets two. Miyu goes for a backbreaker but Yuka gets away, knee to the stomach by Miyu but Yuka hits a running elbow. She makes the hot tag to Reika, shoulderblock by Reika and she hits an armdrag. Kicks by Reika but Miyu catches one and kicks her back, giving her time to tag Nodoka. Shoulderblock by Nodoka and she hits a crossbody for two. Big kick by Reika and she hits the PK, she picks up Nodoka and bodyslams her to the mat.

Nodoka gets back up and they trade strikes until Reika hits a dropkick, she tags in Yuka and Yuka comes in the ring with a swandive stomp for a two count. Jumping elbow by Yuka in the corner but Nodoka hits a scoop slam and tags Miyu. Kick to the chest by Miyu, she waits for Yuka to get up and delivers a strike combination. Miyu charges Yuka but Yuka avoids the knee, she gets on the second turnbuckle and hits the diving hurricanrana. Enzuigiri by Yuka and she delivers a sliding lariat for a two count. Elbows by Yuka but Miyu ducks one and hits a lariat, she lands near her corner and tags Nodoka. Yuka takes Nodoka to the mat and applies a STF, Reika runs in to cut off Miyu but Nodoka makes it to the ropes. Neckbreaker by Yuka, she goes out to the apron and hits the swandive body press, but Miyu breaks up the cover. Reika picks up Miyu and holds her, Yuka walks the ropes and hits a dropkick to Miyu. Yuka goes back to Nodoka but Nodoka hits a quick Samoan Drop for a two count. She hits a second one for another two as Reika breaks it up, Irish whip by Nodoka to the corner but Yuka reverses it and hits a roaring elbow. Reverse STO by Yuka, she goes to the apron and nails the Magical Girl Splash for the three count! Yuka Sakazaki and Reika Saiki win the match.

While a more subdued main event than I would like, it was still pretty solid. Miyu and Yuka are so much fun to watch since they have such unique offenses, and Nodoka was mostly able to keep up with just a few small issues. Reika is capable of more but she didn’t get much of a chance to shine, which is generally an issue with matches that don’t get a lot of time. I did laugh when Yuka accidentally dropkicked Reika in the face when she was holding up Nodoka, she drilled her, but that and the finish were probably the only two really memorable spots in the match. Generally enjoyable but I know they are capable of a lot more.  Mildly Recommended

The post Tokyo Joshi Pro Girl’s Fight Out #5 on 6/24/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Championships Held: None
Tournaments Won: None
Awards Won: None

Notable Matches:

• April 8th, 2017 vs. Yuu

Signature Moves:

• Christie Agape
• Codebreaker

In Action:

Coming Soon 

Back to Retired Wrestlers

The post Azusa Takigawa appeared first on Joshi City.

Even though this is a small event, I want to represent a variety of promotions on the website, plus I may possibly have a crush on Mil Clown. This is one of their ‘house show’ events (as most of their shows are, they are a small promotion), however all of their stars are here and Saki Akai has stopped by as well. Here is the full card:

• Nodoka-oneesan vs. Syoko Nakajima
• Mil Clown and Rika Tatsumi vs. Yuu and Miyu Yamashita
• Akane Miura vs. Maho Kurone
• Saki-nami and Martha vs. Azusa Takigawa and Nonoko

You can click on the wrestler’s name above to go to their profile if I have one for them on the website. Short show, let’s hop to it.

Nodoka-oneesan vs. Syoko Nakajima

Nodoka and Syoko trade holds to start, Syoko goes for shoulderblocks but Nodoka knocks her to the mat first. Syoko gets back up and kicks Nodoka, elbow by Syoko in the corner and she snapmares Nodoka to the mat. Syoko puts Nodoka in a headscissors and rams her head into the mat, she picks her back up and elbows Nodoka in the neck. Flipping neckbreaker by Syoko, and she covers Nodoka for two. More strikes by Syoko and she hits another neckbreaker, Nodoka gets away and she hits a hard shoulderblock. Running elbow by Nodoka and she scoop slams Syoko for a two count cover. Nodoka works a headlock, she lets go and goes off the ropes, but Syoko rams her head-first into the turnbuckles. Missile kick by Syoko, she picks up Nodoka and snapmares her face-first into the mat. She goes for a double arm DDT but Nodoka gets out of it with a back bodydrop, crossbody by Nodoka and she gets a two count. Nodoka picks up Syoko but Syoko gets away and drags her to the mat with a double arm grounded necklock. Nodoka gets out of it and hits a shoulderblock, she puts Syoko on her shoulders but Syoko gets away and hits a dropkick. Tiger Feint Kick by Syoko, she picks up Nodoka and hits the Northern Lights Suplex for the three count! Syoko Nakajima is the winner.

For a rookie-style opening match, they got enough time and Nodoka got in a few moves so it wasn’t too one-sided. Syoko has a lot of fun and unique offense, I enjoy watching her, it was a bit limited here of course but she was still impressive. Nodoka mostly does power-type offense and has the strength for it, she may have a future in wrestling but its too early to tell. Decent opener to the show.

Mil Clown and Rika Tatsumi vs. Yuu and Miyu Yamashita

Yuu and Rika start the match, Yuu gets Rika to the mat first before pulling Rika to her corner so she can tag in Miyu. Miyu works a headlock but Rika rolls out of it and reverses the hold, kick to the back by Rika and she tags in Mil Clown. Mil Clown flips Miyu to the mat and runs on her back for awhile, she pokes Miyu in the head before punching her into the corner. Hard shoulderblock by Mil Clown but Miyu hits an armdrag, Mil Clown returns the favor and they trade armdrags until Mil Clown hits a drop toehold. Mil Clown starts in Miyu’s leg and tags in Rika, Rika elbows Miyu and she hits an elbow drop for a two count. Mil Clown is tagged back in and she throws Miyu into the corner before bouncing her off the ropes. Mil Clown tags Rika, Rika elbows Miyu in the chest and twists her arm in the ropes. Mil Clown comes back in, Miyu tosses Mil Clown to the apron but Mil Clown goes up top and cartwheels back in the ring before hitting a dropkick. Mil Clown goes off the ropes but Miyu hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and makes the hot tag to Yuu. Shoulderblock by Yuu and she hits the Oklahoma Stampede on Mil Clown for a two count.

Chops by Yuu but Mil Clown kicks her and tags in Rika. Mil Clown stays in and helps Rika with Yuu, cover by Rika but it gets a two count. Rika goes for a hip attack but Yuu catches her and spins Rika to the mat. Yuu tags in Miyu, leg sweep by Miyu and she covers Rika for two. Knee by Miyu and she dropkicks Rika in the back. Rika elbows Miyu but Miyu knees her and hiptosses her to the mat. Anaconda Vice by Miyu, Mil Clown tries to break it up but Yuu intercepts her. Miyu switches it to a short armbar but Rika gets to the ropes for the break. Miyu goes for a kick but Rika catches it and hits a dragon screw, Rika goes for a Dragon Sleeper but Miyu gets out of it and kicks Rika in the back. Miyu throws Rika into the corner but she hits a hip attack, she goes off the ropes but Yuu runs in and hits a judo throw. Mil Clown headscissors Yuu and then hits an enzuigiri onto Miyu, Rika elbows Miyu but Miyu elbows her back and they trade shots. Kick to the chest by Miyu, she picks up Rika and nails a high kick in the corner. Another high kick by Miyu, she picks up Rika and hits the Attitude Adjustment for the three count! Miyu Yamashita and Yuu win!

This one started slow but it picked up by the end and turned out pretty enjoyable. Unlike some other matches in Tokyo Joshi Pro, really no comedy here as it was a pretty straight wrestling match. Mil Clown and Miyu are high end wrestlers/entertainers, both are a lot of fun to watch and work together well. Yuu is solid, I’m not completely sold on her but she is only a year into her career and does her power moves well. A good match with a quality home stretch, even though some of the beginning felt uninspired.  Mildly Recommended

Akane Miura vs. Maho Kurone

Akane won’t shake Maho’s hand, Maho chases after Akane but Akane knocks her down with a pair of shoulderblocks. Full nelson by Akane, she throws Maho in the corner and hits a running elbow followed by a lariat. Body press by Akane, and she covers Maho for two. Maho fights back and clubs on Akane, she puts her in a single leg crab hold but Akane makes it to the ropes. Maho throws Akane into the corner and hits a running elbow, she goes off the ropes but Akane hits a powerslam. Side slam by Akane, and she covers Maho for two. Akane elbows Maho a few times but Maho elbows her back, neckbreaker by Maho but Akane pushes her away and hits a shoulderblock. Powerslam by Akane, she nails a lariat and she covers Maho for the three count! Akane Miura wins the match.

Its hard to get excited about a match that goes under five minutes, especially when the dominating wrestler is leaving in a month anyway. Akane’s offense is fine, Maho generally doesn’t show a whole lot so I assume skill-wise she is still a bit behind many of the other wrestlers in the promotion. Nothing wrong with it, just short and not very memorable.

Saki-nami and Martha vs. Azusa Takigawa and Nonoko

Azusa and Martha start off and trade holds, Martha pushes Azusa to the mat so she tags in Nonoko. Nonoko makes Martha uncomfortable so she tags in Akai, Nonoko pulls her into her chest but Akai gets out of it. Akai pulls down Nonoko by the hair, Azusa gets on the microphone and taunts her, allowing Nonoko to attack Akai from behind. Nonoko tags in Azusa while she is still on the microphone, double elbow to Akai and Azusa covers her for two. Azusa stomps down Akai in the corner but Akai kicks her and chokes Azusa in the corner. Back elbow by Akai and she drops a knee onto Azusa for a two count. Akai tags in Martha, Martha elbows Azusa in the back of the head and stomps her. Scoop slam by Martha, Akai returns and Azusa plays the Face in Peril for several minutes (even though she isn’t a “face” I don’t think), she finally hits a Codebreaker on Akai and makes the hot tag to Nonoko. Nonoko chest bumps both Akai and Martha, double arm DDT of sorts by Nonoko and she hits a body press for two. Nonoko goes for the Boinmaker but Akai gets out of it, she goes off the ropes but Nonoko hits a Lou Thesz Press. She tags Azusa, Azusa gets on the second turnbuckle and puts on a wedding veil before hitting an ax handle for two.

She picks up Akai and kicks her but Akai catches her with a STO. She tags in Martha, Azusa rolls up Martha but it gets a two count. Face buster by Azusa but Akai breaks up the cover, Nonoko comes in too and she catapults Azusa into Akai. They try to do the same with Martha but Martha catches Azusa, Akai kicks Azusa in the chest and Martha covers her for two. Akai goes off the ropes but Azusa avoids her kick, Akai drives Azusa back into the corner and goes for an elbow, but she hits the referee by accident. Martha gets her mop but Nonoko takes it from her, lariat by Martha to Nonoko and she gets the mop again, but the recovered referee takes it from her. Martha attacks the referee and goes back to the mop, but Rika Tatsumi comes in to help. Azusa rolls up Akai, and Rika makes the count, but Akai kicks out at two. Big boot by Akai to Azusa, she picks up Azusa and Martha holds her from the apron, but Akai boots Martha in the face by accident. Superkick by Azusa to Akai, cover by Azusa and Rika makes the three count! Azusa and Nonoko win?

Well no they don’t win, as Rika is not an authorized referee. The referee recovers and returns to the ring, Akai boots Azusa in the face but Azusa hits another superkick for a two count. Azusa charges Akai but Akai grabs her and takes her to the mat. After struggling for a bit, Akai locks Azusa in a Foot Choke, and Azusa quickly submits! Saki-nami and Martha are the winners!

While storyline-wise it did a good job, this match was desperately missing someone that the in-ring skills to tie everything together. All four of these wrestlers are more style than substance so the match going over 15 minutes was a bit problematic. There were spurts of solid action, but overall there just wasn’t a lot of interesting stuff going on. From the character side of things it was fine, but the action itself for the bulk of the match was a bit lackluster.

The post Tokyo Joshi Pro “Girls Fight Out #3” on 2/18/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

I am going back a bit further than I wanted, but this will be the final January review. I just really wanted to watch this show as I adore some of the wrestlers in Joshi Tokyo Pro, and this is their biggest event of the year. It is a full seven match card, and has several special wrestler appearances including Candice LeRae and Laura James. In the main event, Yuu defends her championship against Syoko Nakajima! Here is the full card:

• Cherry vs. Nodoka-oneesan
• Hyper Misao vs. Maho Kurone vs. Rika Tatsumi
• Ai Shimizu and Laura James vs. Azusa Takigawa and Nonoko
• Itoh Maki vs. Reika Saiki
• Candice LeRae vs. Mil Clown
• Saki Akai vs. Miyu Yamashita
• TOKYO Princess Of Princess Championship: Yuu vs. Syoko Nakajima

What a show! I need to add a lot more wrestler profiles but if I have one on the site, you can click on their name above to go to it. Please note that I don’t follow Tokyo Joshi Pro on a week to week basis, so I am not fully up to speed on their storylines. I’ll do my best but there may be some nuances that I miss.

Cherry vs. Nodoka-oneesan

They trade holds on the mat to start with neither getting a clear advantage, elbows by Nodoka and she goes back and forth on the ropes until Cherry trips her. Cherry picks up Nodoka and hits a scoop slam, footstomp by Cherry and she yanks on Nodoka’s arm. Mounted elbows by Cherry and she goes for an armbreaker, but Nodoka makes it into the ropes. Cherry picks up Nodoka but Nodoka elbows her and they trade shots, scoop slam by Nodoka and she hits a crossbody for two. Cherry goes for the cross armbreaker again but gets the seated armbar instead, but Nodoka gets a toe on the ropes for a break. Cherry picks up Nodoka and hits a double wrist armsault, but it gets two. Back up, they trade elbows until Nodoka hits a Samoan Drop, she goes off the ropes but Cherry knees her in the head before going back to the round. Spring Night Love by Cherry, and Nodoka has to submit! Cherry wins the match.

Not a bad way to start off the show, although a bit one-sided. We knew that Cherry was winning of course but I wouldn’t have minded if Nodoka got a nearfall or two, she has been wrestling for a year so it wouldn’t have been too out of the realm of normal if she had a bit more offense than she got. On the plus side, Nodoka didn’t seem awkward or out of place, which is always nice to see in younger wrestlers. A lower end mentor vs. apprentice match, but not poorly worked.

Hyper Misao vs. Maho Kurone vs. Rika Tatsumi

Hyper Misao sends Maho with her knees with garlic and a cross, but she uses the garlic on Rika too which gives Maho time to recover. Minami is still in the ring but hides in the corner, just as Maho gets to her she is rescued by Rika. Misao returns as well and they double team Maho, diving hip attack by Rika and Misao goes for the cover, but Rika breaks it up. Rika goes after Misao and puts her in a kneelock, Flashing Elbow by Rika but Maho breaks up the cover. Maho pounds on Misao, Misao is knocked out of the ring as Rika returns and she puts Maho in a figure four leglock. Maho gets into the ropes, Rika picks her up but Maho puts her in a sleeper. Maho bites Rika’s neck and hits a swinging neckbreaker, but Misao breaks up the pin. Maho puts Misao in a crab hold but Minami helps her get into the ropes, Maho knocks Minami into the ring but Rika comes in also, Misao comes in and tries to hit Maho but she hits Rika by accident. Maho goes back to Minami but Minami hits a neckbreaker drop, Misao goes up top and delivers the diving crossbody, but Maho rolls through it. Rika knocks Misao out of the ring before hitting a backbreaker onto Maho, she puts Maho in a sleeper before changing it to a Dragon Sleeper. Even vampires have to breath, so Maho submits! Rika Tatsumi is the winner.

This was interesting. It was fun in a whimsical kind of way, which is what they were going for, I don’t think any of them are bad wrestlers but there was no way to tell from this match. Since Tokyo Joshi Pro is a brand of DDT there is going to be some matches that are comedy based, that is just part of the package. I would have liked to see more of what the wrestlers could do skill-wise, harmless fun but nothing more than that.

Ai Shimizu and Laura James vs. Azusa Takigawa and Nonoko

While Ryan is kissing his wife, Azusa and Nonoko attack their opponents, with Azusa staying in the ring with Shimizu. She knocks her over but Ryan isn’t paying any attention so he doesn’t count the cover. He finally does but counts really slow, giving Shimizu plenty of time to bridge out. Nonoko and Laura are tagged in, Nonoko distracts Ryan which makes Laura mad, but Nonoko shoulderblocks Laura over. Nonoko puts Laura in an abdominal stretch while distracting Ryan at the same time before tagging in Shimizu. Shimizu and Nonoko elbow Laura to the mat, but again Ryan does a slow count. Laura elbows Azusa and attacks her in the corner, giving her time to tag in Shimizu. Shimizu grabs Azusa’s arm and walks the ropes before hitting an armdrag, leg drop by Shimizu and she covers Azusa for two. Surfboard by Shimizu, she releases it after a moment and tags Laura back in. Scoop slam by Laura and she puts Azusa in a stretch hold, she goes for a Northern Lights Suplex but Azusa blocks it.

Codebreaker by Azusa, and she makes the hot tag to Nonoko. Body blocks by Nonoko, she picks up Laura and hits a body avalanche in the corner before rubbing her chest in Laura’s face. I was trying to be PG but some things just have to be stated. Cover by Nonoko, but Ryan does a slow count which gives Laura time to kick out. Nonoko goes for the Boinmaker but Laura ducks it, Nonoko goes off the ropes but Laura connects with a hip attack. Nonoko and Laura both crawl to their corners and tags in, Shimizu elbows Azusa in the corner and hits a rolling fireman’s carry for a two count. Azusa regains control and pushes Ryan, she gets her Zexy Magazine but Shimizu ducks the attempt to use it. Nonoko comes in the ring but Shimizu’s husband runs in to protect her from being hit from the magazine, Ryan jumps in front of them but Laura then jumps in front of Ryan. Azusa goes to hit all of them with the magazine but they move, so she accidentally whacks Nonoko in the head. Laura puts a lollipop into Azusa’s mouth and kicks Azusa in the face, Fishergirl Suplex by Shimizu and she picks up the three count! Ai Shimizu and Laura James are your winners.

Needless to stay, this wasn’t a particularly serious match either. It was amusing though, I will give it that. Love or hate Joey Ryan, he is very good at the character as he has all the mannerisms down pat, if the match is going to be silly it may as well go over the top and have Ryan doing his thing. Like the last match, I wish I could have seen them wrestle more as I still have no idea how good Laura James is, but for the type of match they were going for I think it was well done.  Mildly Recommended

Itoh Maki vs. Reika Saiki

Reika pushes Itoh into the ropes as the match begins but gives a clean break, they enter into a Test of Strength which Reika easily wins. Wristlock by Reika into a side headlock, but Itoh reverses it. Reika Irish whips out of it but Itoh hits a shoulderblock, running elbow by Reika in the corner and she kicks Itoh in the back and chest. Kick to the chest by Reika, she puts Itoh into the corner and kicks her repeatedly in the back. Reika picks up Itoh but Itoh puts her in a headlock, scoop slam by Itoh and she covers Reika for two. Itoh applies a crab hold but Reika crawls to the ropes to force the break, Itoh picks up Reika but Reika clubs her in the chest. Reika and Itoh trade shots, Reika wins the battle and she covers Itoh for a two count. Kicks to the chest by Reika but Itoh catches one and delivers a headbutt. Itoh goes off the ropes and dropkicks Reika, another dropkick by Itoh and she gets a count cover. Itoh goes off the ropes but Reika catches her with her own dropkick, vertical suplex by Reika and she gets a two count. Reika picks up Itoh and puts her in the Tower Bridge, and Itoh has no choice but to submit! The winner is Reika Saiki.

A match like this is the type that should be the opener, but Tokyo Joshi Pro in general is a very young promotion so sometimes rookie matches appear a bit higher up on the card. This was fine but very basic, when a scoop slam or a vertical suplex is a nearfall you know they aren’t doing anything too complicated. I think Reika has a solid base to become a good wrestler, it is just a bit too early to tell. Technically fine but nothing exciting.

Candice LeRae vs. Mil Clown

After trading holds to kick things off, Candice grabs Mil Clown by her tongue but lets go and apologizes. Wristlock by Candice but Mil Clown eventually kips out of it and springboards off the ropes before armdragging Candice. A heel kick by Mil Clown sends Candice out of the ring, Mil Clown goes to the ropes and hits a headscissors through them down to the floor. Mil Clown stomps on Candice at ringside and tries to slide Candice back in the ring, but Candice kicks her in the head. Candice sits Mil Clown down in a seat and kicks her in the chest, they return to the ring and Candice covers her for two. Mounted elbows by Candice and she yanks on Mil Clown’s arm before putting her in a choke submission, but Mil Clown gets to the ropes for the break. Back up, Mil Clown goes for a dropkick by Candice avoids it, Irish whip by Candice from the corner but Mil Clown boots her when she charges in and gets up on the turnbuckle. She cartwheels off when Candice charges in and connects with a dropkick, cover by Mil Clown but it gets a two count.

Mil Clown applies a unique stretch hold but Candice gets out of it, she rolls Candice to the mat and applies an armbar. Mil Clown picks up Candice and elbows her in the corner, she goes for an Irish whip by Candice sends her back into the same corner before hitting a running elbow. She hits another one, swinging neckbreaker by Candice but Mil Clown kicks out of the cover. Candice goes for the Balls-Plex but Mil Clown blocks it and pokes her in the eyes, she then pushes the referee into Candice, and the blinded Candice thinks it is Mil Clown. She realizes her mistake but Mil Clown catches her with a jumping kick, scoop slam by Mil Clown and she goes for the swandive moonsault but Candice rolls out of the way. Candice goes for the Balls-Plex again but Mil Clown reverses it and slams Candice to the mat. She goes for the swandive moonsault again but Candice pushes the referee into her, Candice finally hits the Balls-Plex but Mil Clown barely kicks out of the pin. Irish whip by Candice but Mil Clown hits a hammerlock slam, Candice goes for a quick pin but Mil Clown reverses it. Mil Clutch α by Mil Clown, and she picks up the three count! Mil Clown wins!

Hooray Mil Clown! It is hard to really describe Mil Clown. Her mannerisms are just fantastic, the head tilts and the way she walks, she is completely embracing the character and it comes across as both authentic and hilarious. She is a good wrestler too, at times it felt like she had to slow down a bit for Candice and Candice is no slouch either. This was mostly the Mil Clown show for me but it was a solid match, it was too short to be a classic but they used the time well. And more importantly, Mil Clown avenged her sister’s defeat so all is right with the world.  Recommended

Saki Akai vs. Miyu Yamashita

Miyu anxiously charges at Saki to start and gets her into the ropes, but Saki switches positions with her before giving a mostly clean break. Miyu goes to run off the ropes but Saki pulls her down by the hair, Miyu gets Saki down in the corner however and chokes her with her boot. Saki returns with kicks of her own, but Miyu knees her in the stomach and hits a dropkick to the back. She goes off the ropes but Martha trips her from the apron, Miyu goes out to confront Martha but Saki kicks Miyu from the apron. Saki throws Miyu into the ring post, kick to the chest by Saki and she rolls Miyu back in. Irish whip by Saki and she elbows Miyu in the chest, kneedrop by Saki and she covers Miyu for two. Saki picks up Miyu but Miyu elbows her off, STO by Saki but Miyu kicks out of the pin. PK by Saki and she puts Miyu in a submission hold, but Miyu gets to the ropes for the break.

Big boot by Saki in the corner but Miyu avoids the next one, she goes off the ropes but Saki kicks her in the stomach. Saki goes off the ropes but Miyu catches her with a lariat, leg sweep by Miyu and she hits a backbreaker for two. Sleeper by Miyu but Saki gets a foot on the bottom rope, they trade elbows and knees, kick to the head by Saki but Miyu fires back with a release German. Back fist by Saki but Miyu avoids the scissors kick and nails a heel kick of her own, picking up a two count. Miyu picks up Saki but Saki catches her kick, Miyu slides under her legs and she applies a chinlock, but Martha distracts the referee. Miyu goes to confront Martha, Saki comes over but she boots Martha in the face by accident. Jumping knee by Miyu in the corner, she hits a fireman’s carry slam but it gets a two count. Buzzsaw Kick by Miyu, she goes off the ropes but Saki avoids her charge and kicks her twice in the back of the head. High kicks by Saki, she nails the Two Step Face Kick and she gets the three count! Saki Akai is the winner.

I enjoyed this match too. Saki is more persona than in-ring ability, but she does have some solid kicks so can hold her own in most situations. Miyu was on fire here, she was really feeling it throughout the match and everything she did was on point. I liked that Martha didn’t play into the end of the match, I don’t mind some ringside shenanigans but prefer that the ending stay relatively clean, so no issues there. I would love to see Miyu against some other wrestlers as skill wise I think she is the best in Tokyo Joshi Pro, she has the fire and strikes that you want to see in a young wrestler. Miyu really brought up the match while Saki was just along for the ride, really solid even if the wrestler I wanted to win was defeated.  Recommended

(c) Yuu vs. Syoko Nakajima
TOKYO Princess of Princess Championship

Yuu gets Syoko to the mat first, she goes for Syoko’s arm but Syoko spins out of it. Yuu keeps Syoko down for several minutes but Syoko eventually gets top position. Yuu quickly regains the advantage, she puts Syoko in a grounded necklock but Syoko gets out of the hold and applies a headlock. Syoko trips Yuu and bridges back up, armdrag by Syoko and she avoids Yuu’s charge in the corner. Syoko slides out to the apron and snaps her neck over the second rope, she slides back in and puts Yuu in a figure four necklock. Syoko slides Yuu to the apron and slams her head onto the mat, Yuu gets back on the apron but Syoko kicks her as she does. Neckbreaker by Syoko, and she covers Yuu for two. Syoko goes off the ropes and hits a flipping neckbreaker, she picks up Yuu and trips her before driving Syoko into the mat head-first. Syoko applies a necklock but Yuu drives her into the corner to get out of it, Syoko goes for a headscissors but Yuu catches her and slams her to the mat. Running elbow by Yuu and she hangs Syoko in the corner, running elbow by Yuu and she covers Syoko for a two count. Sidewalk slam by Yuu, she picks up Syoko but Syoko slides away, she goes off the ropes but Yuu catches her and hits the Oklahoma Slam for two. Syoko goes off the ropes but Yuu swats away her dropkick, Yuu goes off the ropes but Syoko connects on her second try. Yuu falls out of the ring but Syoko dives out after her with a tope suicida.

Syoko slides Yuu back in and elbows her in the corner, she bulldogs Yuu into the turnbuckles before going up top and hitting a missile dropkick for two. Syoko picks up Yuu and drives her face into the mat, double arm takedown by Syoko and she keeps it locked in for a submission. Yuu gets to the ropes for the break so Syoko puts her in a tarantula, she goes up top but Yuu chops her before she could jump off and judo throws her to the mat. Syoko goes for an elbow in the corner but Yuu catches her and spins Syoko down, John Woo by Yuu and she chops Syoko in the chest. Syoko elbows her back and they trade blows, Syoko goes for a dropkick but Yuu doesn’t budge. Yuu chops Syoko in the corner and flips Syoko to the mat before goes for the cross armbreaker. Syoko blocks it and hits a hurricanrana, Northern Lights Suplex by Syoko but it gets a two count. Syoko goes for a double arm DDT but Yuu back bodydrops out of it, she picks up Syoko but Syoko spins her to the mat and holds her down for two. Dropkick by Syoko and she goes for a Tiger Feint Kick, Yuu ducks it so she hits one under the second rope instead. Double arm DDT by Syoko, she picks up Yuu but Yuu hip tosses her to the mat and applies the cross armbreaker. Syoko gets a toe on the ropes to get the break, Yuu picks up Syoko and applies a Cobra Clutch. Yuu picks up Syoko and nails a Last Ride Powerbomb, and she gets the three count! Yuu is still the champion.

I love Syoko, still not completely sold on Yuu. Now that may sound like a mean thing to say about a rookie, but she is the promotion’s champion so even one year into her career she is held to a higher standard. She seems solid, I love some of her throws, but nothing about her really pops or excites. Syoko has some fun and unique offense that helped keep the match entertaining, and she sells like a demon. It was a little longer than it needed to be, they may not have the experience yet to have 20+ min long matches, but the last five minutes or so were well done. An enjoyable match but not without its faults.  Mildly Recommended

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I know I said on Twitter that I was done reviewing 2016 events, but then I was alerted to a site online that shows Tokyo Joshi Pro events and my plans changed. Tokyo Joshi Pro is (well, was) one of the few promotions currently running that I had never seen a full show from, so I had to jump at the opportunity to review it as well. Tokyo Joshi Pro is a very small Joshi promotion that is affiliated with DDT. Their wrestlers rarely wrestle in other promotions outside of the DDT umbrella, so while I have seen some of the wrestlers on an “Offer” match on a big DDT show, I’ve never seen them in their home environment. Until now! Very exciting. Here is the card:

• Maho Kurone vs. Nonoko
• Mil Clown and Hyper Misao vs. Yuu and Nodoka-oneesan
• Azusa Takigawa vs. Rika Tatsumi
• Akane Miura vs. Syoko Nakajima vs. Miyu Yamashita

Not a long show but looks like nothing was clipped.

Maho Kurone vs. Nonoko

As a quasi-comedy match, this was fine. As mentioned, Nonoko uses her chest for almost all her moves, including her variations of the Cobra Clutch, Boma Ye, and Rainmaker. I couldn’t get a real feel if either are talented wrestlers without that style since the match was too short, but neither looked lost or confused either and the offense was hit smoothly. Decent opener.

Mil Clown and Hyper Misao vs. Yuu and Nodoka-oneesan

Mil Clown formally wrestled in Tokyo Joshi Pro as Yuka Sakazaki, she is a quality young wrestler. I wanted to love this one, because I love crazy gimmicks, but I can’t say that I did. There were a fair number of little mistakes, things that just weren’t hit as smoothly as you’d like which took me out of it a bit. No one thing was terrible, just small issues here and there. There were also some match-structure issues like with Mil Clown works on Nodoka’s leg, then Misao comes in and starts working on the arm instead. Misao doesn’t appear to be very good but Yuu and Mil Clown both looked solid. A pretty average match overall, with the high points being leveled out by the lower points.

Azusa Takigawa vs. Rika Tatsumi

I don’t mind a comedy match, or a match with comedic elements, but it has to work. Admittedly, whatever is said on the mic is going to go over my head since I don’t understand Japanese, but having multiple people trip (poorly) over a book was an odd way to go and it didn’t really work. The match wasn’t long enough to make up for that clumsiness, although I do think that Rika in particular looked good with her offense. Clearly Nonoko and Azusa have some comedic flair which isn’t surprising since Tokyo Joshi Pro is owned by DDT, but it wasn’t particularly entertaining in this match.

Akane Miura vs. Syoko Nakajima vs. Miyu Yamashita

This leaves Syoko and Miyu battling for the victory. Miyu elbows Syoko but Syoko elbows her back and they trade blows, kick to the chest by Miyu and she covers Syoko for two. Miyu picks up Syoko but Syoko gets away and hits a dropkick. Syoko goes for a double underhook but Miyu shrugs her off and nails a high kick in the corner. Miyu picks up Syoko and hits a judo toss while keeping on an Anaconda Vice, but Syoko gets into the ropes. Running lariat by Miyu, and she covers Syoko for two. Miyu goes for a high kick but Syoko ducks it, Syoko goes for a hurricanrana but Mayumi rolls through it and hits a buzzsaw kick for two. Miyu goes off the ropes but Syoko connects with the hurricanrana, Northern Lights Suplex by Syoko but Miyu gets a shoulder up. Elbows by Syoko but Mayumi connects with another high kick, she picks up Syoko but Syoko slides away and hits a double arm DDT. Syoko picks up Miyu and hits another Northern Lights Suplex Hold, this one while hooking the leg and she picks up the three count! Syoko Nakajima wins!

Maybe going in with low expectations made this match better than it was, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone played their parts perfectly, there are so many wrestlers today that have the size but don’t play ‘monster’ as good as Akane did here, while Miyu was great on her strikes while Syoko was perfect with her higher speed and suplex-based offense. For younger wrestlers they worked together so well, Triple Threat matches can feel like a cluster but this one never did. I loved Syoko ‘upgrading’ the Northern Lights Suplex to get the win, and the way both Akane and Miyu went out kept them protected. Fast paced, wide variety of offense and fun from bell to bell, I wish it was longer but about all you could ask for from a wrestling match.  Recommended

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