TJPW The 3rd “Futari wa Princess” Max Heart Tournament (29/1/23) Review
It's Time To Find Out Who Is In The Final
Front Matter
Each image used in this newsletter is linked to the Twitter account responsible for it: simply click through to bring up the original post. If you are a photographer whose image I have used here, and you do not grant me permission to reproduce your work, please let me know (Twitter: @FlupkeDiFlupke) and I will remove it. Thanks!
写真家さん、ここにイメージが写すことが許可しなければ聞いて下さって私は大至急除きます (ツイターの @flupkediflupke です)。ありがとうございます！
Subscribe for free to receive every Marshmallow Bomb post direct to your inbox, or donate $5 a month to access the full archive. A portion of every subscription supports Amazon Frontlines, an organisation dedicated to working with Indigenous peoples to defend their way of life, the Amazon rainforest, and our climate future.
As the Max Heart entered the semi-final stage, the winner was still far from obvious. It seemed unlikely that the underdogs, Karate Pals, would be triumphant, especially as they were up against 121000000, but every other team was in with a good chance. Who would make it through to the final? Let’s find out.
Mahiro Kiryu defeated HIMAWARI
HIMAWARI has potential wee tank energy. I don’t think she hits hard enough to have the title bestowed upon her quite yet, but she’s sneakily powerful and, crucially, wee. She’s also consistently impressive, putting in another strong performance against Mahiro.
And for her sixth match in TJPW, HIMAWARI cut back a bit on the antics. They weren’t non-existent, as Mahiro couldn’t resist tugging on the hair (before quickly apologising), but this was probably the most down-the-line match of the rookie’s career so far, and she still looked good. The hair-based shenanigans and HIMAWARI’s infectious personality are great, but they’re also something to hide behind, a distraction from the wrestling. However, even with that reduced to a minimum, she still managed to put together a decent wee match, pulling off a couple of cool moments and hinting at the potential to be a more straightforward wrestler.
Not that I want HIMAWARI to go that way, as there is no reason she can’t continue to twirl her hair in ‘serious’ matches. As it was, though, this showed off another side to her, and while it wasn’t as instantly charming as the first one we saw, it was still enjoyable.
Verdict: HIMAWARI Continues To Look Good
Mizuki defeated Wakana Uehara
TJPW did an admirable job of introducing HIMAWARI to the more terrifying members of their roster, so I guess it’s now Wakana’s turn, as she got to wrestle Mizuki. Hopefully, they warned her that the demonic bunny tends to play with her food.
Before we get onto Wakana’s reaction to being put through the wringer, though, I want to point out that Mizuki is an outstanding wrestler. Most people probably don’t need to be told that, but there was a moment in this match which reminded me of how incredible she is. It was nothing complex, in fact, it built around a simple submission, but as Wakana got closer to the ropes and freedom, Mizuki adjusted, rolling her over and switching holds to bring that journey to a halt and force her to begin again. Then, when Wakana did manage to get her hand on the rope, Mizuki went straight to standing on it, grinding it into the cable and making sure the rookie didn’t get a second of peace. Sure, it’s the basics, but it’s the basics executed brilliantly.
As for Wakana, she dealt with the onslaught admirably. It was a battling rookie performance, which included some impressive touches of her own, particularly an extended sleeper spot where she refused to be shaken off. You got the impression that she knew what she was up against and understood that the smallest opportunity to sneak out with a win had to be grasped. Of course, she didn’t manage it, but another strong showing proves she’s still moving in the right direction, and she’s now got one of the scarier introductions out of the way. If you can survive the bunny, you can survive anyone. Well, apart from maybe Rika.
Verdict: The Rookies Keep Doing Good
Raku defeated Yuki Aino and Haruna Neko in a three-way
It was time for some fluffy midcard fun, including Raku and Neko trying to cute Aino into choosing sides. Unfortunately, she was struck down by indecision, taking so long that they decided to gang up on her instead. It’s tough when your god and a cat ask you to pick between them.
Aino getting caught between a holy and a feline place aside, this was fairly standard stuff. These matches are the wrestling equivalent of the kind of film you watch on a Sunday afternoon with a hot drink, a few biscuits and a blanket, typically starring Jim Broadbent. It’s unlikely to change your worldview, but it will leave you feeling snuggly and content. Plus, if you fall asleep for a couple of minutes in the middle, it probably doesn’t matter.
Verdict: Jim Broadbent Wasn’t There, But Raku Was
Daisy Monkey (Suzume & Arisu Endo) & Yuki Arai defeated Free WiFi (Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta) & Kaya Toribami
The chaos that is Free WiFi grabbed a chunk of the spotlight for themselves in this one as they veered between ripping out Arisu’s hair and slapping each other enthusiastically around the head. There wasn’t anything malicious about the blows; that’s just how they prefer to communicate. They also held up their end of the bargain in the ring, Noa dragging Arai into a gritty exchange that had both of them looking good.
And if the last match represented TJPW’s light and fluffy side, this turned the attention back to wrestling. It’s the two halves of the TJPW experience, and with this bout being packed with talented youngsters and the previous one featuring a literal god, I think it’s safe to say both are looking strong. Free WiFi and Daisy Monkey will have been disappointed with their brief Max Heart tournaments, but they got plenty of space to impress here, Daisy Monkey running rings around Kaya on their way to victory.
It will also be interesting to see what is next for Arai coming out of the Max Heart. You’d expect Reiwa AA Cannon to move to the back burner for a bit, but that run was a big spot for her, and I’m excited to see what she’s learnt from it. There were no hints towards the future here, but she did look good, and the last few months have seen her take a few big steps forward in her development. Meanwhile, in the here and now, this was a fun match.
Verdict: The Serious Wrestling Side Of The Midcard Also Impress
121000000 (Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh) defeated Karate Pals (Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano) in the Max Heart Semi-Final
Karate Pals’ run to the semi-finals hasn’t been dominant. Instead, it’s relied on them wrestling on the counter-attack, sacrificing control of the match and falling back on their ability to hit hard when they get an opening. They’re not quite Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, happy to absorb punishment, but they have found a way to make that work for them. Until this match, anyway.
Because the problem they found here was that they were facing people who hit just as hard as them. 121000000 set the tone early, Miyu firing off a few sharp kicks to Juria, making it clear she is not the only one who can play that game. Karate Pals had moments, a Juria armbar or a Moka flurry of offence, but the running theme was that 121000000 was a mountain they were not ready to climb. The other teams they wrestled weren’t able to capitalise on having the bulk of the offence, but Miyu and Itoh could, and when that became apparent, all hopes of the upset faded.
To return to the football comparison, this was a non-league team who somehow found themselves in the FA Cup 5th round against Manchester City. Everyone came in buzzing about the prospect of an upset, but within seconds of the game kicking off, it became clear that it wasn’t going to happen. Still, they did themselves proud and probably made enough money to fix the ground up! Okay, the comparison falls apart there, but the point still stands. It was a step too far for the younger team, and while their tournament was impressive, they went home having taken a bit of a kicking.
Verdict: Karate Pals Hit A Brick Wall
Kyoraku Kyomei (Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao) defeated Daydream (Rika Tatsumi & Miu Watanabe) in the Max Heart Semi-Final
Kyoraku Kyomei’s shot at the final nearly crumbled in the opening minutes of this match. When Shoko ran up the turnbuckle to backflip over Miu, something we’ve seen her do a million times before, she came down hard, and her knee went nope. For a second, Watanabe stood back, pausing, but that was all she was willing to give. An opportunity had opened up, and with Rika’s penchant for ripping apart knees, Daydream were more than happy to take it.
It made this match an interesting companion piece to the other semi-final. In that one, 121000000 took control and maintained it, Karate Pals’ occasional flurries never managing to break through. Here, Daydream similarly seemed to have everything go their way. Even when Shoko managed to tag out, they simply continued their tactic on Misao, showing that they didn’t need an existing injury to destroy a knee. It was all going to plan, but where Moka and Juria didn’t have the firepower to fight back, Misao and Shoko did. When they got their opportunities, they took them, Shoko battling through the pain (which she sold brilliantly) to get her team back into it.
It made for a thrilling semi-final, where both teams looked fantastic as they entered a final act where either result would have felt right. In the end, though, Misao and Shoko pulled through, that huge Nakajima senton proving enough for the three, even as she clutched her knee in agony. Kyoraku Kyomei and 121000000 will battle for the right to be thrown around by Wasteland War Party, and regardless of who wins, that sounds like a lovely old time.
Verdict: Brilliant
Overall Show
The main event is the must-see part of this show, but I thought the undercard was fun and enjoyed how they put Karate Pals vs 121000000 together. It also feels like we have a final for the Max Heart that could go either way, as both teams would be worthy winners and provide a natural challenge to Max and Heidi. Personally, I want to see Shoko and Misao try to nonsense them to do death, but 121000000 challenging also opens up some exciting possibilities. Either way, I’m already looking forward to it.
Watch Tokyo Joshi Pro: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/videos?labels=-tjpw.