Current Joshi Talk

[donsem43]

Imagine paying $300 for ringside tickets to that Stardom show Mania weekend...

[donsem43]

Tam Nakano has told Tokyo Sports that she is staying in Stardom.

[sek69]

Interesting exchange on the WO Radio show tonight. Garrett read a question from the mailbag about Stardom folks not being happy about TK's tweet seemingly celebrating Rossy getting fired and how it might affect their relationship with their business partners, and Dave's reply was basically New Japan wasn't mad about it (with a laugh).

[donsem43]

Well on the February 4th show, right before Rossy got fired, it was announced that there would be a IWGP title defense between Mayu Iwatani and Mina Shirakawa on the February 23rd show. The first on a New Japan show in Japan since last April. Then it was announced that Starlight Kid and Ruaka would be on the Fantastica Mania show on the 17th. The first time Stardom wrestlers have had a match against CMLL wrestlers in Japan. So either Rossy was blocking Stardom wrestlers from working New Japan shows or their office didn't want to deal with him.

[sek69]

I get the impression Rossy couldn't come to grips with not being 100% in charge after Bushiroad took over. It seems that they just reached the end of their rope with him.

[donsem43]

Pretty interesting episode of the Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast with Jim Valley and Fumi Saito. The points that I took away from it:

• Rossy's new promotion will be self-funded. No corporate investor, no WWE. Everything is setup on the legal/government end. Title belts already designed and ordered. Wants to try to run big buildings and set up a dojo for the wrestlers to train.
• Cited Rossy's main reason for leaving as corporate interference. Gave the Halloween show and shows full of gimmick matches (I assume the Showcase shows) as things he hated. Would also have finishes of matches switched on him. Apparently, Bushiroad suits order around the Stardom wrestlers in ways that they don't or wouldn't even try with New Japan wrestlers.
• Has been approached by about a dozen wrestlers about leaving Stardom. At the start, Rossy will only have six "main event" wrestlers because their contracts will be up by that time. Although it's assumed that the rest will leave when each of their contracts run out at a later date.
• Fumi went out of his way to say that this is not a Noah-like situation because it has only been the dozen or so wrestlers that have expressed interest in leaving, expects the rest to stay put. Given the size of Stardoms that would still give them about 20 wrestler, give or take.
• This was a bit confusing but I think out of the wrestlers that are waiting out their contracts there are two "jr. heavyweight" if they were men type wrestlers (I assume he ment High Speed.) "One cute one and one with a hood." Also two "golden rookies."
• New promotion will have five "American" wrestlers at the start. Rossy wants more foreigners.
• Mayu Iwatani isn't taking the situation very well but she's under contract. With Bushiroad having just made a movie about her life, they're unlike to let her go early.
• Giulia gave her notice in November. She wants to move to the U.S. and join WWE but has not signed yet. She must have no understanding of how to use leverage in a contract situation.
• They mention Tam Nakano staying with the belief that this will allow her to firm up her main event spot with Stardom.

[donsem43]

So, Tokyo Sports is reporting that five members of the Stardom roster will be leaving at the end of March. Following the previously reported Giulia are Utami Hayashishita, MIRAI, Mai Sakurai and rookie Yuzuki. All are expected to join Rossy Ogawa's new group, with Giulia eventually moving on to WWE.

Earlier this week, Stardom announced that they had signed Saori Anou to a one year "exclusive" contract, although she will still be able to take some outside bookings.

Edit: Stardom has officially confirmed the departures.

[El-P]

Utami is obviously the biggest loss (apart from Giulia, but how long is she even gonna stay with Rossy before going to WWE ?). The fact there's no mass exodus is quite interesting though. Who knows in one year where Rossy's new promotion will be, and if by then some Stardom people will leave, but thus far, it doesn't look that bad for them.

[El-P]

Basically AEW & Stardom & TNA in one match. 

Plus, a Stardom 6 women match at the ROH show the next day.

Things are way in motion now that Rossy is gone it seems.

[Blehschmidt]

If this means a shot at getting Saya Kamitani working matches on TV over here, then I am all for this.

[donsem43]

Not quite TV but still:

 

If you want the definitive "Rossy is gone, Stardom is under NEW management!" match booking:

[El-P]

6 minutes ago, donsem43 said:

If you want the definitive "Rossy is gone, Stardom is under NEW management!" match booking:

Damn. So I guess Rossy and Aja still have heat dating back to the ARSION days (Aja wasn't at the ARSION reunion show). 

The Mania week-end shows are still my favorite part of the wrestling year. Janai Kai vs Tam Nakano ! 

[Blehschmidt]

That 6 woman and the Athena/Shida match might be enough to get me to vuy that RoH show.

Kamitani is my favorite worker in Stardom, and Maika isn't far behind.

[donsem43]

Unemployed 30 year old layabout crashes Noah show.

[donsem43]

On 3/26/2024 at 7:43 AM, El-P said:

The fact there's no mass exodus is quite interesting though. Who knows in one year where Rossy's new promotion will be, and if by then some Stardom people will leave, but thus far, it doesn't look that bad for them.

Over the last week or so, there have been Japanese fans tweeting publicity shots of the Stardom roster to Starlight Kid asking her why she's not in them. There is a poster for All-Star Grand Queendom that doesn't feature either SLK, Koguma or Ami Sohrei. So, were any of them on their way out only to be talked into staying in the last few weeks. It's weird that advertising for one of the companies biggest shows of the year doesn't have arguably the most marketable wrestler in SLK or the woman who just got a push to the Cinderella final in Sohrei. It's possible that either of contracts are expiring at a later date but at the moment this comes off as a weird coincidence. 

[El-P]

5 hours ago, donsem43 said:

 It's possible that either of contracts are expiring at a later date but at the moment this comes off as a weird coincidence. 

It sure is a different story if they lose SLK too. It can't be good for the scene though, either way you look at it. Rossy's new promotion can't get as strong as Stardom, which has been established as the second promotion in the country after ten years, and Giulia helping them is all good and all, but the fact it's only temporary ensures you can't put too much focus on her either. BTW, her popping up in NOAH of all places seems random as hell. Kinda cool though. 

[El-P]

On 3/29/2024 at 9:45 PM, donsem43 said:

If you want the definitive "Rossy is gone, Stardom is under NEW management!" match booking

I guess Aja Kong appearing at All Star Queendom is yet another effect of Rossy being gone. She's facing Tam Nakano too. Which is kinda Danielson vs Blue Panther honestly. Super cool, but they are not on the same timeline.

[donsem43]

Quick and dirty about Rossy Ogawa's new promotion Marigold. It's Stardom before it was sold to Bushiroad but with a yellorangey aesthetic. As more time passes, the more it looks like Rossy just pulled a Bert Prentice. Also, six wrestlers from Actwres girl'Z, which still exists somehow, have jumped along with Fuka, who was helping run the company. So now Marigold reunites the original management team of Stardom (Rossy, Fuka and Nanae Takahashi) because that ended so well last time. Don't ever let anyone tell you the joshi wrestling isn't as carny as any other part of pro wrestling.

Rossy was asked about more talent joining, he replied that there might be a couple more joining but that's it so don't wait around expecting another wave of Stardom defections in the near future.

First show is on May 20th with the main event being a tag match Giulia and a mystery partner vs. Sareee and a mystery partner.

[El-P]

Late 90's flashback anyone ?

Giulia helping jumpstart the promotion is cool and all, but when she's gone in six months (wild guess, no idea), it's not like you can have her be that huge star people will invest into. So after that fact basically, it's Utami and a supporting cast(Mirai was really pushed in Stardom lately, but I don't see her at that level, not yet anyway). Oh, yeah, so I guess that means Nanae Takahashi inject herself on top. Wonderful... Yeah, doesn't exactly comes off very exciting, this one.

[El-P]

Although I really love the quality of the talents and the work, there is a lot that could, and should be said, about the japanese women pro-wrestling business.

The fact it may end up being basically a feeder system for WWE, which Rossy directly alluded to, is another issue entirely. 

 

 

[donsem43]

On 4/16/2024 at 3:31 AM, El-P said:

Late 90's flashback anyone ?

This has been happening on the regular happening since the mid-90's, since GAEA and Jd' started up. Look at how many companies sprung up when both AJW and GAEA shut down. I just roll my eyes when I see other people proclaiming something like "This is a new era in joshi wrestling!"

On 4/16/2024 at 6:25 AM, El-P said:

Although I really love the quality of the talents and the work, there is a lot that could, and should be said, about the japanese women pro-wrestling business.

 

Karen Peterson of Post Wrestling did a good job explaining the mentality behind this on the Pollock & Thurston podcast. She also did a thread on her twitter feed linking the articles she used as reference material.

I would also highly recommend watching the documentary "Tokyo Idols" if you have trouble wrapping your head around how in Japan it's accepted to market young women, even in their early teens, to middle-aged men or older.

 

[El-P]

6 hours ago, donsem43 said:

I just roll my eyes when I see other people proclaiming something like "This is a new era in joshi wrestling!"

Damn. So many "new eras" these days.  

But yeah. Same old same old process. Especially with Rossy. It's like, the third promotion he's starting or something.

6 hours ago, donsem43 said:

Karen Peterson of Post Wrestling did a good job explaining the mentality behind this on the Pollock & Thurston podcast. She also did a thread on her twitter feed linking the articles she used as reference material.

I would also highly recommend watching the documentary "Tokyo Idols" if you have trouble wrapping your head around how in Japan it's accepted to market young women, even in their early teens, to middle-aged men or olde

Thanks for the links. Podcast was definitely interesting. I actually saw that documentary, I remember it well ! Some parts were REALLY sad and REALLY creepy too.

[fxnj]

Well, that escalated quickly.

 

[corwo]

Arisa Nakajima announced at today's SEAdLINNNG show that she's retiring in August. Her final opponent will be Hiroyo Matsumoto. It's great that she's going out on her own terms, but I'd be lying if I said this didn't sting a little. Nakajima's one of the best wrestlers of the 2010s/2020s and someone who made every card she was on better. https://twitter.com/elduderino112/status/1781908871000543567

[donsem43]

Sad but not surprising given that she suffered two major injuries in a little more than a year. Her announcement feels similar to Azumi Hyuga in that either one of them could have kept going but at this moment in their life it just felt like it was time.

On the Omega/Rossy stuff, it's probably going to blow over because the people who are most upset are ones that weren't going to follow, much less pay to watch, Marigold anyway.

Out of all of the promotions entering a "New Era", TJPW at least feels like it's legitimately entering one: