Current Joshi Talk

[Scarletlikesounds]

On 4/26/2026 at 6:14 AM, El-P said:

But even in Marigold, which I don't follow at all anymore (watched a few show the first year), I hear that he is developing some really good talent. But Marigold apparently really feels like budget Stardom. And the supposed WWE partnership really was nothing apart from Iyo coming twice and Giulia staying a while (and getting no one over) before going to WWE (we know how well that is going).

Marigold's been tryna fake it till they make it in terms of becoming a major promotion since day 1 off of basically just rookies and like 4 veterans, and its had remarkable success for that and it has a ton of great talent, but they're all still in development and at the end of the day they draw like a big indie not a major promotion. If they just accepted theyre an indie they'd probably get less flack from joshi fans. 

[donsem43]

On 4/27/2026 at 10:31 PM, donsem43 said:

You can also build the inevitable Tokyo Dome show around Kamitani winning the belt back.

Syuri vs. Asuka for the IWGP title as the semi-main.

[El-P]

6 hours ago, donsem43 said:

Syuri vs. Asuka for the IWGP title as the semi-main.

Tell me you know something that we don't. 😎

Still catching up. Syuri vs Megan Bayne was so good. And it shows how much Bayne is better when she isn't just doing the big monster deal. Well, she is doing the big monster deal, but likewise Vader, she's actually great at bumping big and selling too. Which is why she shines so much in this kinda setting, and really has been doing more of this in AEW too. Syuri, oh well, she's comfortably still one of the very top women worker in the world. has been for a while and doesn't seem like she's slowing down anytime soon. Hopefully she gets to work some AEW shows around Forbidden Door like she was supposed last year, before she had surgery.

[donsem43]

According to Fightful, Asuka signed a multi-year deal last fall. Oh well...

Asuka vs. Chihiro Hashimoto would have been pretty cool too.

[El-P]

Not that multi-year deal means anything in WWE, really... I didn't realize she was 44 though. 

[Scarletlikesounds]

Still 50/50, nothing's given me the indication she's doing anything other than retiring to Japan but as long as there's no retirement match and no official retirement announcement its safe to assume she'll wrestle again at some point, question is when.

[Scarletlikesounds]

Anyways, I wanna see Asuka & VENY vs. Spark Rush

[donsem43]

Stardom has uploaded one of the best top to bottom cards in company history to YouTube. The 3 title matches + Hazuki/SLK are worth the time to watch.

 

[Monch Wrestling]

37 minutes ago, donsem43 said:

Stardom has uploaded one of the best top to bottom cards in company history to YouTube. The 3 title matches + Hazuki/SLK are worth the time to watch.

 

The Timeless Toni matches with Mayu, AZM and Miyu Yamashita really make me want to see her face more Joshis.

Sadly it won't be anytime soon, I'm especially bummed out that this year's Forbidden Door should have more Stardom implication than usual and it's the first one she will miss.

[donsem43]

On 4/25/2026 at 11:37 PM, donsem43 said:

She's still working Marigold shows until May 23.

And she shows up in Stardom on May 26, confronting Kamitani. 

I guess it not much of a surprise. When she announced she was leaving Marigold she said she wanted to face different opponents, and Stardom is much more liberal about letting talent work outside the company now. Hazuki is basically a freelancer that happens to have a Stardom contract. She's also a Stardom trainee, unlike MARAI, so the roster is more likely to welcome her back.