Tokyo Joshi Pro '23 (4/1/23) Review
The Important Ittenyon Show
Front Matter
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TJPW’s annual Ittenyon trip to Korakuen may no longer be their biggest show when viewed via the prism of how many people they have crammed into the building, but it still feels like the biggie. It serves the dual purpose of being the final piece in the previous year’s puzzle while also kicking off the new one, giving us an idea of where they’re planning to go in the months ahead. On top of that, it has a symbolic importance that no other show can match. Korakuen Hall is wrestling, and if you start the year strong within those walls, you can go into it with your head high. Anyway, enough of that nonsense, on with the review!
We kicked off the show with a series of announcements, beginning with the introduction of Toga, who is yet another new trainee preparing to debut in the future. That dojo must be very busy at the moment. There is also a fan book being released later this year and Suzume and Miu are part of a collaboration with idolm@ster. Do I know what that means? Nope, but I’m sure it’s fun. The two of them also helped announce that TJPW is heading to LA for a show on March 31st, giving them a chance to make up for the one that got cancelled during the pandemic. Finally, we’re getting a fifth Up Up Girl, as Shino (the yet-to-debut fourth one) helped them reveal that they’ll be holding auditions. Five Up Up Girls? What a world.
Yuki Aino defeated HIMAWARI
HIMAWARI didn’t take long to win me over as she approached her TJPW debut with a wide-eyed rookie enthusiasm that I find irresistible. Her relentless attempts to trip Yuki Aino up with a series of dropdowns and then her shock when Yuki figured out her plan and punished her for it was the icing on the cake, as she had fully endeared herself to me by the time that was over.
It also set up the theme for her debut as, if anything, her enthusiasm perhaps got the better of her, tiring her out and letting Aino pick her off. However, before that happened, what we saw from HIMAWARI was impressive, as she bounced around the ring and looked to be trying to use her long braid as a weapon (it didn’t go to plan). If you were being harsh, you’d say she occasionally got a bit ahead of herself and could use slowing it down a tad, but she is very inexperienced, so to do so would be nitpicking.
As for Aino, she gave a perfect professional performance, providing the rookie with the space to impress before seeing her off. A match like this will never be about the experienced wrestler, but that doesn’t make their role any less important. She was there to help HIMAWARI through it, and while we’ll all be coming away talking about the rookie, it was Aino who made that possible, so it’s always worth throwing some praise her way too.
Verdict: An Exciting Debut
Moka Miyamoto & Juria Nagano defeated Arisu Endo & Wakana Uehara
Debut number two was Wakana Uehara, who we did see wrestle Shoko as part of the Dream on the Ring series (which she won), but is now becoming a regular member of the roster. Before we get to her, though, we need to talk about Arisu and Moka debuting new gear, with Miyamoto’s looking particularly elaborate. It’s probably a step closer to her first costume as she’s returned to the billowing skirt, but it’s now been mixed with her last one. Does that make sense? Talking about clothes isn’t a strength of mine.
Anyway, back to the rookie. Uehara was impressive in that match against Shoko back in October and continued that here, looking like a solid young wrestler. She was in there with the best of TJPW’s latest generation, and with the way Arisu Endo is going, it can be hard to stand out when placed next to her, but she didn’t look overwhelmed, and that’s already impressive. With it being a tag, we probably didn’t get as much of her personality as we did HIMAWARI, but I’m sure there will be plenty of time for that.
However, you can’t talk about this match without focusing on the aforementioned Endo, who was brilliant. She’s ready to break through to that next level, as she had Drew Parker out of his seat with that awesome pop-up dropkick she does. With Moka having challenged for the International Title last year, it seems inevitable that Endo will be the next youngster to do so, and when it happens, she’ll deserve it. She stole the show in this match, proving that it’s not only those at the top of the card she’ll do that to.
Verdict: The Rookie Did Good, But Endo Stole It
Nao Kakuta, Mahiro Kiryu & Kaya Toribami defeated Raku, Pom Harajuku & Haruna Neko
Endo might have been stealing the show, but Pom and Raku were here to steal hearts, Raku armed with her trusty pillow (plus her incredible pom-pom-clad new dress) and Pom some sweet dance moves. Then, when the action started, a bit of Raku’s sorcery and magic appeared to have rubbed off on everyone’s favourite Pom as she provided the lullaby to send their opponents to sleep. It was slightly less tuneful than Raku’s efforts, and more a demand than a coaxing, but it was effective, so who are we to judge?
And having done the debuts, this was your standard TJPW undercard fun, with all the usual players involved. Of course, with it being an Ittenyon in front of a packed Korakuen, they were working that bit harder, including an impressive extended sequence between the wee cat and Nao Kakuta, a former cat who enjoys booting the current one in the head. Those two have sneaky great chemistry, and watching them go head-to-head is always a treat.
Outside of that, this was what you’d expect it to be, as it provided a nice blend of comedy and action. Of everything on the show, it’s probably the thing you need to see the least, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it.
Verdict: Good, Clean Fun
Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao fought to a draw in a New Year Rabbits On A Rope Match
It’s the most nonsensical time of the year. Yes, the annual Shoko vs Misao NonsenseBowl, this time with added bunnies hanging above the ring. There were three of them, two with envelopes containing rule changes and one that won you the match. In time-honoured tradition, the rule changes did get pulled first, leading to a small army of lumberjack bunnies (armed with hammers) and the introduction of their traditional weapons.
And the secret to this annual treat is that while it is the silliest match on the card, it is also consistently one of the most violent. Yes, the mallets the bunnies were wielding were toys, but that doesn’t make up for the bumps these two were taking. They even drove into each other, Misao on the Hyper Mobile and Shoko on her new scooter. Unsurprisingly, there was only one winner there, but Nakajima quickly realised that the scooter was a better weapon if she folded it up and whacked Misao with it instead. To be fair to her, it was effective, if somewhat cruel.
By the end, there were kaiju toys sprawled across the ring, Mahiro was at ringside throwing up an X for herself (she got hit by the bike), and chaos had reigned supreme. As they do every year, Misao and Shoko proved they deserve to have this spot permanently reserved for them, plus all the time they need to make it as wild as possible. Sure, they failed to decide on a winner because they pulled the bunny down together, but that means there is no excuse not to do it again. Yay!
Verdict: Unleash The Nonsense
Mizuki won a Princess of Princess Title Number One Contender Delayed Entry Battle Royal
As you’d expect with a battle royal, a shitload of stuff went down here. We got a snippet of Noa vs Itoh (a favourite of previous Ittenyons), Rika being evil, Mizuki somehow being eviler and Kamiyu booting folk in the face. That’s just the start of it all, too. When the ring was full of people, a lot was happening, and I couldn’t imagine watching it and having anything except a good time.
However, this match got great when it got down to Itoh vs Mizuki. We haven’t seen them in a singles match since Itoh banished the ghosts of the Itoh Respect Army in the Princess Cup Final, but that has done nothing to diminish the bite when they face off. They laid into each other, Mizuki hitting vicious double stomps and Itoh throwing forearms for all she had. It got so physical that when Mizuki finally set up for the Cuty Special, it took all her effort to get Maki over for the three, which only made it look even more devastating.
And that’s the perfect way to do a battle royal, as the chaos whittled down to a damn good showdown between two people with a hell of a lot of history. Would a straight match between them have been better? Probably, but TJPW didn’t need it to sell out this building, and that’s now in their pocket for when (and here’s my prediction for the year) Mizuki wins the big one. Plus, it still ended up ruling, so rather than worrying about what might have been, I’ll stick to enjoying it for what it was.
Verdict: That Was Great
Miu Watanabe defeated Trish Adora to retain the International Princess Title
Trish Adora is a new face to me and was making her Japanese debut, which probably explained why she looked so nervous before the match. Thankfully, when the bell rang, those nerves seemed to vanish as she provided a somewhat unique challenge to Watanabe. The International champion is typically the strongest wrestler in the room, but Adora threatened that idea, overpowering her early on. It was a turn of events that caught Miu off-guard, as she had to get used to the idea that she isn’t the only one with muscles.
Thankfully, our Miu is many things, but a quitter ain’t one of them. Having lost the early battles with Adora, she reconsidered, charged up and decided the best way to deal with it was to be stronger. When she did, the tide slowly began to turn as Miu found a way to power through and take Trish off her feet. The moves that had previously failed started to work, and Watanabe was purring, flying up through the gears, showing this newcomer how to do it and leaving her looking dangerously close to puking after a Giant Swing.
It all made for an impressive defence for Miu. I don’t think it will be her best, and I suspect if these two got a couple of warm-up tags, they could have a better match, but it was a well-put-together story that paid off nicely with the champ’s victory. As for Adora, once she got over her early nerves (and managed not to vomit up her breakfast), she had a good debut, matching one of TJPW’s heaviest hitters. I’ve no idea how long she’s sticking around in Japan, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a lot more of her, even if I’m delighted that Miu is keeping hold of that belt for a bit longer.
Verdict: Don’t Try To Out Power Miu
Wasteland War Party (Max the Impaler & Heidi Howitzer) defeated Reiwa AA Cannon (Saki Akai & Yuki Arai) to win the Princess Tag Titles
Adora was a slightly alien proposition for Miu, but Wasteland War Party looked like they came from a different planet from Reiwa AA Cannon. All it took for this match to feel special was to see these two teams in the ring together, as the visual contrast between them is so stark that it’s impossible, even as a fan of Saki and Arai, not to want to see Max and Heidi bulldoze through the champs.
If anything, the question coming into this match was how to make it feel competitive, but they did a fantastic job. Arai was obviously the outmatched rookie, unable to deal with these horrifying powerhouses, but Saki was the key to making this feel like a fight. She couldn’t hope to match them for strength, but Akai has been around the block a few times, so she used every bit of that experience to try and get the win. At times, she was baiting Wasteland War Party into crashing into each other, using their strength against them, and it was working. It felt like Akai opened a potential path to victory, giving Arai the courage to face off with Max and bravely boot them in the face.
Of course, it didn’t work. I mean, fucking look at Wasteland War Party, there was no world in which it was going to work, but I was damn impressed that they managed to make me think it might for a second. In the end, Akai and Arai didn’t have anywhere near enough firepower to take down those monsters, and when Arai was left alone, they ate her for dinner. Still, it was a brilliantly put-together match that opened up the possibility of something apart from the obvious happening. It was also probably the right decision not to pay that hope off, as Max and Heidi with those belts is an enticing prospect. Good luck to whoever gets tasked with trying to take them away because they’re in for a hell of a challenge.
Verdict: Brilliantly Put-Together
Yuka Sakazaki defeated Miyu Yamashita to retain the Princess of Princess Title
There has always been something of a question mark hanging over Yuka Sakazaki vs Miyu Yamashita. There is no doubt that they are TJPW’s big match pairing, but for whatever reason, when put together, they’ve never quite reached the peak that they’ve hit with others. That’s not to say their encounters have been bad (some of them are even great), but the bar for these two is ridiculously high, and they’ve yet to clear it. Or at least they hadn’t. Because in this match, they resorted to beating the living shit out of each other, and it ruled.
That violence started early, Yuka sending Miyu tumbling backwards over the top rope to the floor before following up with a Brainbuster, leaving Yamashita dazed. It was only a momentary advantage, though, as Miyu returned with a German on the outside, evening the score. Sakazaki and Yamashita have the same ability to go blank behind the eyes, any hint of compassion vanishing as they choose violence, but this is the first time it’s felt like they’ve entered that space together. It turned this match into a constant escalation, each blow coming in a little bit harder, each danger being that little riskier. There was no subtlety to their offence as they beat on each other until one was left standing.
And in the end, Yuka had a touch more murder in her eyes. While everyone talks about Miyu as an unbeatable killer, and rightly so, Yuka has transformed from Magical Girl to Terminator. It’s allowed Sakazaki to get to that next level, and when she starts throwing those bombs, Miyu (like everyone else in the company) has no answer. To put it simply, Sakazaki’s become hard as fuck, and while she vowed afterwards that Yamashita and her would do this again, you came out of this feeling that if Miyu is to have a chance in that match, she’s going to have to come up with something new. Otherwise, Yuka will barrel through her all over again.
It’s not just Miyu, either. As I said at the top, Ittenyon sets the tone for the year ahead, and with TJPW in the midst of a journey where the whole roster has been steadily improving, this match felt like Yuka taking another leap forward. Now, it’s up to the rest of them to catch up, and while it won’t be easy, I’m looking forward to seeing them try.
Verdict: Outstanding
In the aftermath, Mizuki came out to set up her vs Yuka at Ariake Coliseum, and the two of them were already emotional wrecks, failing to fight back the tears. MagiRabbi matches are always a lot, but they’re also brilliant, so I’m willing to put up with how much they’ll make me cry.
Overall Show
You’d be very silly to bet against TJPW putting on a great show at Korakuen on Ittenyon, but if you did, you would have lost your money. From the debuts through Raku and her pillow right up to Yuka getting murderous, this was as good a start to 2023 as you will see. With a couple of brilliant years under their belt, TJPW kicked off the new one strong, and I’m very excited to see what comes next.