TJPW Princess Cup (22/7/23) Review
The Princess Cup First Round Comes To A Close
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The first three days of the Princess Cup delivered some fantastic wrestling, as TJPW’s leaner sixteen-person tournament meant nearly every match felt like a biggie. Could day four, which featured the final two showdowns of the first round, continue the trend? I guess it’s time to find out.
Yuki Aino defeated Toga
Watching Yuki Aino big league Toga with her stubborn refusal to run the ropes when pushed towards them, it’s clear her confidence is up. She may not have come out of her recent run of singles matches with any tangible reward, but she put on some of the best non-tag performances of her career, and she was pumped to show this rookie who was boss. Toga might be taller than her, but Aino had the power to bully.
And bully, she did. Toga got her moments, a big slam and a few thudding forearms, but Aino always had this under control and eventually dragged the rookie to the mat to tap her out. There wasn’t anything complex about it, but Toga took her moments well enough, and it was great to see Aino enjoy herself. Let’s hope she can continue to tap into this attitude, as having Yuki in this form is a lot of fun.
Verdict: Aino’s Feeling Good
Raku & Pom Harajuku defeated Suzume & Runa Okubo
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Pom angrier than when Runa interrupted her attempt to lead everyone in a series of radio callisthenics. For whatever reason, this also involved her putting placards around their necks that looked like giant loyalty cards. Thankfully, I wasn’t alone in my confusion, as poor Runa looked like she had no idea what she was supposed to be doing, staring around at these ‘old’ folk and their weird ways with a general air of bemusement.
Her bafflement was part of another performance from Runa that suggested things are starting to click. Okubo’s looking a lot less tentative in the ring, as I think having three matches in three days last weekend may have been exactly what she needed. She’s still a young rookie, and she’s not suddenly morphed into the second coming of Chigusa Nagayo, but she’s figuring things out, hitting a couple of big slams and gradually getting more expressive. I was worried Haru would sprint away from her, but she’s keeping up.
Elsewhere, Suzume and Raku had some solid interactions, and Pom was delightfully Pomish, making this an enjoyable wee tag.
Verdict: Runa Is Doing Good
Mizuki defeated Haruna Neko and Shino Suzuki in a three-way
Shino Suzuki risked earning the wee cat’s wrath when she snuck in and took Neko’s customary position cuddled up next to Namba during the entrances. To make matters worse, Mizuki quickly persuaded Suzuki to pair up with her against Haruna, unflinchingly putting her to work on her semi-evil deeds. I hope they know cats hold grudges.
It’s all part of what makes Suzuki a delightful addition to these silly three-way matches. It’s not an attempt to antagonise Neko. She’s just so wonderfully naive that even when Mizuki kicked her in the gut and slammed her on the wee cat, she still leapt up to try and continue their allegiance. Shino is too pure of heart to see past Mizuki’s smiling outer shell to the devil within, which is the perfect setup for fun.
And with that enjoyable streak running through the action, this was the definition of a pleasant time. It was short and sweet, with everyone putting in, if not a hard shift, then an entertaining one, and I came out the other end feeling pretty good about life. Will I, or anyone else, ever watch it again? Probably not, but not everything has to live forever.
Verdict: A Lovely Time
Hyper Misao & Kaya Toribami defeated Nao Kakuta & Haru Kazeshiro
Misao is on a recruitment drive and has her eyes on young Haru, leading to her and Kaya getting into something of a pose-off. I love that Kazeshiro is an unashamed nerd, relishing the chance to pull a fancy pose before heading backstage to tweet about which Up Up Girl she’ll get a cheki from next. She’s clearly having the time of her life, and while Hyper Misao’s attempts to recruit her inevitably ended in betrayal (it is Misao), I think that was a trade she was willing to make.
Outside of Haru’s charming antics, I was impressed by the pairing of Nao and Kaya. They’ve wrestled a bunch in the past, including a few singles matches, but something clicked in this one, as Kakuta’s hard-hitting blended nicely with Toribami’s acrobatics. It’s not something where I think they needed to be rushed into a singles match, but it is the kind of chemistry that should be cultivated in tags, potentially leading to a great Princess Cup First Round showdown somewhere down the line.
With Haru also doing a good job with the in-ring stuff, at which she’s been on a steady uphill trajectory, this was another impressive outing. It’s probably worth watching just for the pose-off.
Verdict: Don’t Miss The Poses
Miyu Yamashita, Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara defeated Rika Tatsumi, Miu Watanabe, Moka Miyamoto & HIMAWARI
All three of the second-round matches decided so far were represented in this one, as we’re building to Miyu vs Moka, Miu vs Kamiyu and Rika vs Shoko.
And they did an impressive job of hinting at what those matches will be like without giving too much away. We saw Miyu controlling Moka, kicking her about, but we also saw Miyamoto slip a few clever counters in, hinting at ways she could upset the Ace. Kamiyu, meanwhile, played it brilliantly sneaky, tagging out the first time she and Miu were in the ring together, then later casually walking by and booting her hand away from a rope break, winding her up in the process. Finally, there were Shoko and Rika, the most established pairing of the lot and the one that feels like a potential humdinger. That also meant they had to do the least, but they still threw something big in there, Shoko taking Rika off the top with an Avalanche Hurricanrana.
Of course, with that much talent hanging around, every other pairing was damn good, too, while Wakana and HIMAWARI held up their end of the bargain around some talented company. It did everything you’d want a match like this to do, with some good wrestling thrown on top, so you’ll hear no complaints from me.
Verdict: Good Build-Up Work
Arisu Endo defeated Mahiro Kiryu in the Princess Cup First Round
There was a somewhat unusual dynamic in this match. Mahiro Kiryu has a few years of experience over Arisu Endo, which should, in theory, have made her the favourite. However, I don’t think anyone can deny that Endo’s ascent has been brighter and faster than the perennial apologiser’s. It’s only really been in the last year that Mahiro has started to figure out who she is, while Arisu has been steadily establishing herself as someone with a bright future since day one.
And yet, Mahiro came out and made this her match. She wrestled with a focus we rarely see from her, foregoing apologies as she wrested control of the action. I don’t think anyone will name it the most exciting control period they’ve ever seen, it was mainly basic stuff, but it all made sense, and it felt like a senior wrestler trying to hold a youngster down. The problem is that Arisu has become comfortable fighting from underneath and continually found a new way to twist into that Camel Clutch. Kiryu was doing a lot right, but, to put it bluntly, it wasn’t enough. Endo has sprinted past her.
It’s a story that I like a lot. TJPW are often accused of being conservative with their booking, and they are, but this was an example of a young wrestler being ready to overcome a senior, and they didn’t appear to think twice about it. I have a lot of affection for Mahiro, but she’s never going to be a main eventer, and while this isn’t a massive elevation of Endo, it still means something, even if the match wasn’t a classic. What it was, was well executed and led to a well-earned victory, so I think it goes down as a success.
Verdict: Sold, Well Done Stuff
Yuki Arai defeated Hikari Noa in the Princess Cup First Round
Hikari is in a weird place. Since losing the International Title, it’s felt like TJPW has been unsure what to do with her, as her push has somewhat stalled. She still tends to be given showcase matches, be it against Hikaru Shida or Vert Vixen, but she’s there to lose, and when a tournament like this comes around, it’s no real surprise to see her crash out in the first round. However, despite all that, she remains one of the most popular wrestlers in the company, matched only by the likes of Mizuki and her opponent in this match (who had something of a headstart when it came to that).
Hikari helped her opponent to look good. Arai is great for her experience level, but when you see her in these main event positions, you are reminded of how inexperienced she is. When it comes time for the big moments, she’s right there, hitting those big boots and dropping Finally on people’s heads. However, she still needs someone to help with the in-between stuff, and that’s where Hikari came in. It was a lot like a levelled-up version of Mahiro vs Arisu, with the more experienced Noa controlling the bulk of the action to leave Arai free to do what she needed to do when it was her turn.
It’s something that adds an element of frustration to the Hikari situation. While there’s a fair argument to be made that her in-ring development has also stalled a bit, she is a good wrestler, capable of aiding someone through a match. At times, she’s a bit sloppy, the odd kick flying well wide of the mark, but that almost adds to her scrappy charm, which is in contrast to the idol elegance of someone like Arai. Even when things aren’t quite working for her, I love watching Hikari wrestle, and this match is an example of why. She’s chaotic in a way that very few people on the TJPW roster are.
Still, pushing Yuki Arai is never a bad idea, and I enjoyed her performance too. As is always worth noting when talking about her career, she could decide to hang up her boots at any moment, so milking that cash cow while they’ve got it makes a lot of sense. Sadly, the nature of wrestling is that sometimes the person who makes the match work isn’t the one who is rewarded, and that was, at least to an extent, the case here. Still, that’s not Arai’s fault, and with a winnable match against Endo in the next round, don’t bet against her being made to look good by a few more people yet.
Verdict: Let’s Hope Hikari’s Moment Will Come
Overall Show
The last two matches of the Princess Cup First Round weren’t up with the best of the tournament so far, but there was still plenty to enjoy about them. They were certainly strong enough to make sure this competes for the best opening round they’ve ever done, and while I’d have to go back and check to decide for sure, I wouldn’t feel too silly suggesting it was the best full stop.
Watch Tokyo Joshi Pro: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/videos?labels=-tjpw.