WingedEagle Posted March 8, 2021 Report Share Posted March 8, 2021 Dream Cinderella was indeed a great show. I've seen folks call it a potential show of the year, and while I can't support that kind of talk, it was a really fun show with only the tag title match dragging at all. AZM/Natsupoi was a hot, brisk opener and if AZM ends up anything less than one of the best in the world in a few year I'll be disappointed. Momo/Nanae was great while it lasted but as noted above an unfortunate result, although a necessary one given the finish to Mayu/Yoshiko. That was my second favorite match of the night behind the main event, and that's coming from someone who thinks both Giulia and Tam were overrated last year. The title match between Hayashishita and Kamitani was also great and just shy of the **** level. Would love another outing from them. Well worth checking out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jushin muta liger Posted April 12, 2021 Report Share Posted April 12, 2021 Loved the Stardom Budokan show and is still my Show of Year as Wrestle Kingdom disappointed and WrestleMania was fun but didn't deliver like the Stardom Budokan show did. The recent Yokohama Budokan show on 4/4 was a fine show. Nothing really blow away to me, but I've seen people gush over Natsupoi vs Tam and Bea vs Utami. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted April 12, 2021 Report Share Posted April 12, 2021 Yeah the 4/4 show was pretty good overall, it didn't have the any horrible like the 3/3 show did (goddamn that battle royale sucked). The main event ran too long for me. Bea/Utami was the MOTN for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donsem43 Posted May 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2021 More people need to check out Actwres girl'Z. It has turned into a pretty good little promotion that has a surprisingly deep roster by joshi standards. Both Miyuki Takase and Tae Honma are both top tier workers in joshi right now. Hikari Shimizu is a hidden gem of a worker in an era where that shouldn't exist because I didn't read anything about her until I started watching full cards where she stood out immediately. The rest of the roster is either very solid all around workers or rough ones who still show some upside potential. While she's far from the most spectacular worker, SAKI does a good job playing the vet. If you want to give them a shot, I recommend the 2/11 and 4/4 shows. The main to the 2/11 show is the finals of the tournament to crown their first tag champs and also might be my joshi MOTY at this point. The top 3 matches on the 4/4 show are all hovering around great but I thought the whole show was more enjoyable than the Stardom Yokohama show the same day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WingedEagle Posted May 1, 2021 Report Share Posted May 1, 2021 6 hours ago, donsem43 said: More people need to check out Actwres girl'Z. It has turned into a pretty good little promotion that has a surprisingly deep roster by joshi standards. Both Miyuki Takase and Tae Honma are both top tier workers in joshi right now. Hikari Shimizu is a hidden gem of a worker in an era where that shouldn't exist because I didn't read anything about her until I started watching full cards where she stood out immediately. The rest of the roster is either very solid all around workers or rough ones who still show some upside potential. While she's far from the most spectacular worker, SAKI does a good job playing the vet. If you want to give them a shot, I recommend the 2/11 and 4/4 shows. The main to the 2/11 show is the finals of the tournament to crown their first tag champs and also might be my joshi MOTY at this point. The top 3 matches on the 4/4 show are all hovering around great but I thought the whole show was more enjoyable than the Stardom Yokohama show the same day. Thanks, will definitely check it out. I've heard of the promotion but never gone out of my way to watch one of their shows. Good to have some names/matches to start with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donsem43 Posted May 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2021 Takase's title matches with Kakeru Sekiguchi on 10/18 and Andras Miyagi on 11/1 of last year are well worth the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donsem43 Posted June 5, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2021 Way hyped up for the GAEAism show happening on 6/13! It has been built entirely around an interpromotional angle between Sendai Girls and Marvelous and has a very 90's feel to it as you feel like there is actual hate between the two groups. The line up doesn't have anything that jumps out as a potential MOTY but the booking has been so good in the build up that you want to watch the show just to see where everything goes, which is something that is becoming exceedingly rare in modern wrestling. I really encourage everybody to go check out the highlight videos on Sendai Girls' and Marvelous' YouTube channels to catchup on the build to the show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadaveri Posted June 5, 2021 Report Share Posted June 5, 2021 Chigusa for Booker Of The Year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donsem43 Posted June 15, 2021 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2021 Utami vs. Syuri from the Stardom Cinderella show is the modern Devil vs. Chigusa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadaveri Posted July 9, 2021 Report Share Posted July 9, 2021 I started writing a post explaining what all the different current Joshi promotions were like in the GWE Discord but then realised it would be way too long... So I'm posting it here. Feel free to correct me anyone if I get anything wrong (probably will). 1. Stardom Size - Tier 1/Biggest Company. In 2019 became the only Joshi company to have a weekly TV show on a mainstream channel since AJW in 2002. Founded in 2011 by Nanae Takahashi, Rossy Ogawa and Fuka. Presents itself as a spiritual successor to AJW Owned by Bushiroad (the same company that owns NJPW) since 2019. Rossy Ogawa is still the booker. In Ring Style = Modern workrate style but with generally shorter matches and a bit more comedy. A lot of angles. Blood/gimmick matches very rare. Big Names = Mayu Iwatani, Utami Hayashishita, Giulia, Syuri, Tam Nakano. 2. TJPW Size - Tier 2. Founded in 2012 as DDT's sister Joshi promotion (TJPW wrestlers often appear in DDT also) Owned by CyberFight, who also own DDT and NOAH In Ring Style = Soft-hitting and a lot of comedy. Idol/anime influenced. Big Names = Miyu Yamashita (Ace), Maki Itoh, Yuka Sakazaki, Rika Tatsumi, Sakisama 3. Oz Academy Size - Tier 2 Founded in 2005 as a real promotion by Mayumi Ozaki, but is a continuation of Ozaki Produce shows going back to 1998. Owned by Mayumi Ozaki In Ring Style = Closest to GAEA except older wrestlers as it's mainly a nostalgia promotion now. Blood and hardcore stuff is common Big Names = Mayumi Ozaki, Saori Anou (their most pushed "young" wrestler), AKINO, Sonoko Kato 4. Sendai Girls Size - Tier 2 Founded in 2006 by Meiko Satomura. Owned afaia by Meiko Satomura, but she just left for NXT UK so unclear what the situation is now In Ring Style = Serious workrate style. Very little storylines, just good matches... except right now they're in an interpromotional feud with Marvelous. Big Names = Chihiro Hashimoto (Ace), DASH Chisako, Mika Iwata. Those three and some rookies are the entire roster. 5. Ice Ribbon Size - Tier 2 Founded in 2006 by Emi Sakura. Owned by some shadowy businessman after Sakura left in 2012. Tsukasa Fujimoto is the booker In Ring Style = Somewhere in between Stardom and TJPW. Modern workrate main events but a lot more soft/comedy stuff on undercards. But also they do the cccasional death match. Big Names = Tsukasa Fujimoto (Ace), Maya Yukihi, Suzu Suzuki, Tsukushi 6. SEAdLINNNG Size - Tier 3 Founded in 2015 by Nanae Takahashi after her and Yoshiko left Stardom Owned by Nanae Takahashi In Ring Style = Serious workrate style but more hard-hitting. Big Names = Nanae Takahashi, Arisa Nakajima, Yoshiko 7. Marvelous Size - Tier 3 Founded in 2014 by Chigusa Nagayo when she returned to wrestling Owned by Chigusa Nagayo, possibly Takumi Iroha as well (hard to know what's kayfabe) In Ring Style = Very young roster, it's a promotion focused around developing rookies. Very fast-paced matches with 100+ rollup variations in each match and some slower veteran matches. Has a lot of angles and is currently in an interpromotional feud with Sendai Girls. They also have a working relationship with Stardom so occasionally their wrestlers appear on those shows. Big Names - Takumi Iroha (Ace), Mio Momono (getting a big push at the moment...), Rin Kadokura, Mei Hoshizuki. 8. Pro Wrestling Wave Size - Tier 3 Founded in 2008 by Mikiko Futagami (GAMI). Owned by GAMI In Ring Style = WAVE is more of a Joshi 'super indie' like PWG than it's own promotion at this point. You'll see wrestlers from lots of different Joshi promotions having fun matches without angles. Big Names - Nagiza Nozaki, GAMI, Sakura Hirota (is signed with WAVE I believe, albeit she appears all over the place) 9. Gatoh Move/ChocoPro Size - Tier 3 (albeit punches above its weight with online presence) Founded in 2012 by Emi Sakura after she left Ice Ribbon Owned by Emi Sakura In Ring Style = Very soft-hitting. Lots of silliness, comedy and very storyline driven matches and feuds. All the wrestlers are trained by Emi Sakura, which generally means they aren't great athletes but she helps them work around it. Most matches happen on a mat not a ring. Currently just a YouTube show. Big Names - Emi Sakura, Mei Suruga, Lulu Pencil 10. Actwres girl'Z Size - Tier 3 Founded in 2015, don't know who by (I guess some production company) In Ring Style = Mostly serious workrate style without much storylines. This promotion has a sideshow called Actring girl'z which is totally different, softer and made to look like you're watching a theatre show. Big Names - Miyuki Takase, Tae Honma, SAKI 11. Diana Size - Tier 4 Founded in 2011 by Kyoko Inoue after NEO closed Owned by Kyoko Inoue In Ring Style - Nostalgia promotion. You'll get the odd match but the main appeal of this promotion is people seeing their favourite wrestlers by years back still wrestle. The main event of every other show is a tag match between Kyoko Inoue & X vs. Jaguar Yokota & X. Big Names - Kyoko Inoue, Jaguar Yokota 12. Pure-J Size - Tier 4 Founded in 2017 as the successor to JWP Owned by Command Bolshoi In Ring Style = More technical/matbased stuff than typical. Big Names = Hanako Nakamori, Leon 13. YMZ Size - Tier 4 Founded in 2013 by Kaori Yoneyama (who is currently Fukigen Death in Stardom) Owned by Kaori Yoneyama In Ring Style = Doesn't really have one as it's a tiny promotion that's more an outlet for Kaori to book strange stuff and wrestle main events. Big Names - Kaori Yoneyama. I'm not sure they even have a roster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkdoc Posted July 9, 2021 Report Share Posted July 9, 2021 TJPW got me to watch women's wrestling regularly again. Most of this forum would hate it but it hits a sweet spot for me - i think in part because of how i'd been following vtubers and there are cultural similarities there. After being in that world for a while, wrestling in a maid outfit doesn't seem ridiculous at all! If nothing else, yall need to check out Sakisama. From my limited sampling she'd be my pick for Most Improved in the Observer awards this year - she's got TREMENDOUS facials/body language and stepped up her in-ring work more recently (basically by laying her shit in more). Her gimmick is also one of my favorites at the moment: an aristocrat from "France by way of Kyoto". That gimmick also has the added bonus of providing a logical explanation for a maid wrestling, as that's her personal maid and they're tag-team champs. i could go on forever but for now i'll just say one more bit: HYPER MISAO is the best possible version of '99 Blue Blazer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blehschmidt Posted July 9, 2021 Report Share Posted July 9, 2021 1 hour ago, funkdoc said: TJPW got me to watch women's wrestling regularly again. Most of this forum would hate it but it hits a sweet spot for me - i think in part because of how i'd been following vtubers and there are cultural similarities there. After being in that world for a while, wrestling in a maid outfit doesn't seem ridiculous at all! If nothing else, yall need to check out Sakisama. From my limited sampling she'd be my pick for Most Improved in the Observer awards this year - she's got TREMENDOUS facials/body language and stepped up her in-ring work more recently (basically by laying her shit in more). Her gimmick is also one of my favorites at the moment: an aristocrat from "France by way of Kyoto". That gimmick also has the added bonus of providing a logical explanation for a maid wrestling, as that's her personal maid and they're tag-team champs. i could go on forever but for now i'll just say one more bit: HYPER MISAO is the best possible version of '99 Blue Blazer I saw Miyu Yamashita in Chikara several years ago and thought she was absolutely fantastic. I'd like to get into TJPW. What's the best way to do that not living in Tokyo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadaveri Posted July 9, 2021 Report Share Posted July 9, 2021 39 minutes ago, Blehschmidt said: I saw Miyu Yamashita in Chikara several years ago and thought she was absolutely fantastic. I'd like to get into TJPW. What's the best way to do that not living in Tokyo! The streaming service Wrestle Universe has TJPW on it. They've started having English commentary for the bigger shows this past year. They also have a one-match show with English commentary called 'That's J-PW' on there, which is now at 24 episodes. It's 900 Yen ($8.17) a month and also comes with DDT and NOAH. https://www.ddtpro.com/universe They also have a YouTube channel which occasionally uploads matches. Here is Miyu Yamashita vs. Rika Tatsumi on 5/4/21. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funkdoc Posted July 9, 2021 Report Share Posted July 9, 2021 For me it was private Discord watch parties that got me started with all this. We really enjoy Maki Itoh and figure, hey let's start watching her home promotion! Also Miyu rules, clearly their best from a purely in-ring standpoint i'd say. Others have made this point but it's interesting how she comes off sorta like Bret Hart in the New Generation (albeit a not shitty version of the New Gen) - a real person in a cartoon world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingears Posted July 10, 2021 Report Share Posted July 10, 2021 Also she wears pink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donsem43 Posted August 7, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2021 If anyone is interested, I started a list for the best matches in joshi for 2021. I'm pretty much caught up to the Stardom 5*GP and have started watching the TJPW Princess Cup so it kind of up to date. Here's my top 10 for quick reference: Utami Hayashishita vs. Syuri - Stardom - June 12 Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Mio Momono - Sendai Girls - July 11 Chihiro Hashimoto, DASH Chisako & Mika Iwata vs. Mio Momono, Rin Kadokura & Mei Hoshizuki - GAEA - June 13 Bea Priestly & Konami vs. Hemika & Maika - Stardom - February 14 Tae Honma & Maika Ozaki vs. Kakeru Sekiguchi & Miku Aono - Actwres girl'Z - February 11 Tam Nakano vs. Starlight Kid - Stardom - July 21 Tae Honma & Maika Ozaki vs. Hikari Shimizu & Mari - Actwres girl'Z - April 4 Miyu Yamashita vs. Maki Itoh - TJPW - January 4 Tae Honma & Maika Ozaki vs. Momo Tani & Makoto - Actwres girl'Z - April 13 DASH Chisako & Mika Iwata vs. Rin Kadokura & Mio Momono - Sendai Girls - February 23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kas Posted September 25, 2021 Report Share Posted September 25, 2021 The STARDOM 5* GP is over and it was an overall very good tournament with 3 matches I'd call bonafide MOTYC (Momo/Mayu, Takumi/Syuri, and the final). Spoiler Was pulling for Momo but I'm still happy with Syuri winning. Syuri putting on those two matches in the very same night is the best one-night performance I can think of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadaveri Posted September 27, 2021 Report Share Posted September 27, 2021 My recs for the tournament: 07/31/21 - Giulia vs. Starlight Kid ***1/2 07/31/21 - Maika vs. Utami Hayashishita ****1/4 07/31/21 - Mayu Iwatani vs. Momo Watanabe ****1/4 08/01/21 - Saki Kashima vs. Starlight Kid ***1/2 08/01/21 - Saya Kamitani vs. Utami Hayashishita ***3/4 08/01/21 - Maika vs. Syuri ***3/4 08/01/21 - Momo Watanabe vs. Natsumi Maki ***1/2 08/01/21 - Giulia vs. Mayu Iwatani **** 08/07/21 - AZM vs. Syuri ****1/4 08/08/21 - Saya Kamitani vs. Tam Nakano ***3/4 08/13/21 - Konami vs. Saya Kamitani ***1/2 08/13/21 - Giulia vs. Koguma ***3/4 08/28/21 - Maika vs. Unagi Sayaka ***3/4 08/28/21 - Himeka vs. Mayu Iwatani ***3/4 09/06/21 - Himeka vs. Natsumi Maki ***1/2 09/06/21 - Koguma vs. Starlight Kid ***1/2 09/06/21 - Takumi Iroha vs. Tam Nakano ***3/4 09/11/21 - AZM vs. Utami Hayashishita ***1/2 09/11/21 - Himeka vs. Momo Watanabe **** 09/12/21 - Koguma vs. Momo Watanabe ***1/2 09/12/21 - AZM vs. Tam Nakano ***3/4 09/16/21 - Natsumi Maki vs. Saki Kashima ***1/2 09/16/21 - Mina Shirakawa vs. Momo Watanabe ***1/2 09/16/21 - AZM vs. Saya Kamitani ***1/2 09/16/21 - Takumi Iroha vs. Unagi Sayaka ***3/4 09/16/21 - Koguma vs. Mayu Iwatani ***3/4 09/18/21 - Mayu Iwatani vs. Mina Shirakawa ***1/2 09/18/21 - AZM vs. Takumi Iroha **** 09/18/21 - Himeka vs. Starlight Kid ***3/4 09/20/21 - Takumi Iroha vs. Utami Hayashishita ****1/4 09/25/21 - Himeka vs. Koguma ***3/4 09/25/21 - Mayu Iwatani vs. Starlight Kid ****1/4 09/25/21 - Syuri vs. Takumi Iroha ****1/2 09/25/21 - Tam Nakano vs. Utami Hayashishita **** 09/25/21 - Final ****1/2 Wrestler Of The Tournament - Tie between Syuri and Mayu. Syuri for having the best matches, Mayu for getting the best out of a much weaker block. Most Improved - AZM. She wrestles very logically for being 4'11 with endless stamina. Doesn't try to overpower opponents, just exhaust them with a thousand pinning variations and eventually one will work! See AZM vs. Takumi Iroha 9/18/21 Best Sprint - Mayu Iwatani vs. Starlight Kid 9/25/21. 6 minutes and felt like an epic! Most Overachieving Match - Maika vs. Unagi Sayaka 8/28/21 Loudest Smack In The History Of Pro-Wrestling - See Syuri vs. Takumi Iroha 9/25/21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted December 14, 2021 Report Share Posted December 14, 2021 Well, this year will definitely the year of Stardom in term of awareness, thanks to the well deserved bype from Syuri vs Hayashishita. Been watching the big shows since that time, and it's easily one of the easiest promotion to watch in this format. What struck me is the average level of the work, everybody is really good (there are no dull-ass matches like you see on NJPW undercards, and sometime higher). Hayashishita ia a legit top 5 worker of the year, Syuri and Tam Nakano are terrific too. Shirakawa should be a star eventually for many reasons beyond the obvious one, seems crazy to me she has only worked for 3 years now (while starting so late to boot). Great depths in talent with Maika, Iwatani, Kamitani, Starlight Kid, AZM and a few whose names I don't recall too (still getting familiar with everybody). They are having the last big show of the year on 12/29 and the biggest joshi show in decades probably, and Hayashishita vs Syuri on paper is MOTYC level (Nakano vs Kamitani should be excellent too). If Kairi Hojo goes back it could be quite a 2022 too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted December 18, 2021 Report Share Posted December 18, 2021 Well, THAT turn was surprising to say the least. Mayu Iwatani apparently has watched Kurt Angle matches and tried to outdo him in term of scariest/most impressive moonsault ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donsem43 Posted December 19, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2021 Updated my recommended list for this year. Pretty much caught up other than today's Stardom show and the last big Ice Ribbon show. Not a lot of change at the top of the list but it's up to 49 matches total, which is really good considering the limitations from the pandemic. 1. Utami Hayashishita vs. Syuri - Stardom - June 12 2. Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Mio Momono - Sendai Girls - July 11 3. Utami Hayashishita vs. Maika - Stardom - July 31 4. Chihiro Hashimoto, DASH Chisako & Mika Iwata vs. Mio Momono, Rin Kadokura & Mei Hoshizuki - GAEA - June 13 5. Mio Momono & Rin Kadokura vs. Mika Iwata & Manami - Sendai Girls - September 20 6. Sakura Hirota vs. Miyuki Takase vs. Mio Momono - WAVE - June 29 7. Mio Momono & Rin Kadokura vs. Chihiro Hashimoto & Mika Iwata - Marvelous - May 19 8. Bea Priestly & Konami vs. Hemika & Maika - Stardom - February 14 9. Tae Honma & Maika Ozaki vs. Kakeru Sekiguchi & Miku Aono - Actwres girl'Z - February 11 10. Tam Nakano vs. Starlight Kid - Stardom - July 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donsem43 Posted December 19, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2021 Of course I post that then go watch the 11/28 Ice Ribbon show and the Tsukushi Haruka vs. Suzu Suzuki main event ends up being absolutely amazing. Definitely must watch stuff, even if you've been very down on Ice Ribbon lately like I have. Edit: Link to the match here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted January 1, 2022 Report Share Posted January 1, 2022 The Ryogoku show capped off the year in great fashion. SO easy to watch, good matches up and down the card and two great matches to end the year, Nakano vs Kamitani and of course the amazing final between Utami & Syuri, which was an easy MOTYC yet again. These two have written one hell of a chapter for joshi puroresu and wrestling in general. Can't wait to see what's next for the company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El-P Posted February 18, 2022 Report Share Posted February 18, 2022 KAIRI back to Stardom. A much more exciting and promising news in term of actual content than Cody back in the E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmare007 Posted February 18, 2022 Report Share Posted February 18, 2022 Is it fair to say that Stardom has been the most successful Japanese promotion during the pandemic? It kind of feels like it but I don't follow Joshi beyond results/gates so I'm very on the outside looking in. Kairi coming back should be a nice boost for them too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.