Rin Rin stands as the youngest member of Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling. It’s not uncommon for women’s wrestlers in Japan to enter the profession early in life, either through another profession or moving straight into the sport. At just 14 years of age, she began her professional wrestling training. Since then, she has become a standout in the lighthearted Japanese promotion. Here, we discuss the young fighter of Gatoh Move with potential that has yet to be realized.
In 2019, Rin Rin began her professional wrestling with Darejo Project, the training facility associated with Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling. It was here that she learned under Mei Suruga and promotion founder Emi Sakura. July saw the youngster make her unofficial Gatoh Move debut through a series of exhibition matches. These are designed to introduce fans to newcomers. In these exhibition matches, she worked with the likes of Sakura, Suruga, and Yuna Mizumori.
August of 2019 saw Rin Rin make her official debut, facing Sakura in a losing effort.
Though Rin Rin lost many of her matches, she picked up a few victories, specifically in tag team contests. Her first victory came in an elimination match in November. Here, she teamed with fellow newcomers Tokiko Kirihara and Chie Koishikawa and company veteran Mitsuru Konno to defeat newcomers Sayaka, Sayuri, and Lulu Pencil and company veteran Sayaka Obihiro.
In her first year of wrestling, Rin Rin established rivalries and formed partnerships. In terms of rivalries, few stood out like Mizumori. Not only did they use their dancing backgrounds in an attempt to one-up each other, but the pigtailed fighter had to use her speed and finesse to combat Yunamon’s superior strength. Gatoh Move’s young star also teamed with CDK, the team of Masahiro Takanashi and Chris Brookes. One six-person tag team match of theirs saw her involved in a notable spot. Older fans may immediately know of this and newer fans may be taken aback once they see it for the first time.
By the end of 2019, Gatoh Move’s youngest star made her official debut for wrestling promotions Actwres girl’Z and Pro Wrestling HEAT UP. Though she lost her matches in these promotions, these experiences would prove invaluable to her development. In December, she competed for gold for the first time. She teamed with TAMURA, the owner of HEAT UP. Together, they faced Mizumori and SAKI, collectively known as Tropikawild, in a losing effort for the Asia Dream Tag Team Championship.
Rin Rin wrestled a few matches in Gatoh Move in January of 2020 before taking a short break.
At 15 years old, she temporarily stepped away to focus on exams. Following her junior high school graduation, she returned to wrestling in February. Gatoh Move welcomed her back with open arms, even performing a ceremony for the new graduate. In her return match, she teamed with Suruga and Kirihara in a losing effort against Sakura, Takanashi, and Brookes.
At such an early stage in her life, one must wonder what the future holds for Rin Rin. According to many fans, she has what it takes to become the next big star to come out of Gatoh Move. Though she may be younger than her fellow wrestlers, she boasts a level of charisma that can’t be taught. Furthermore, she seems to be soaking up more wrestling knowledge, especially on a technical level. Don’t be surprised to see her make more headway in the joshi puroresu scene and professional wrestling as a whole.
Recommended Matches:
Rin Rin vs. Emi Sakura (August 28, 2019)
In her official debut, Rin Rin had a tall task in front of her in the form of Emi Sakura. In addition to being the founder of Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling, Sakura has years of experience under her belt. Needless to say, the youngster had her work cut out for her in this Shin Kiba 1st Ring match. The fast-paced underdog wasn’t short on confidence, even this early in her career, and was able to put on a competitive performance against her mentor. There were moments of brilliance on the part of the plucky upstart that indicated a strong career moving forward.
Yuna Mizumori, Mei Suruga, & Antonio Honda vs. Rin Rin, Chris Brookes, and Masahiro Takanashi (November 24, 2019)
In our “Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling – 10 Matches to Start With” column, this was the first bout listed. Essentially, everything stated in that article applies here. This is not only one of the essential Gatoh Move matches to watch, but it’s perhaps the one that will take fans aback the most. The focal star of this piece was the highlight of the match, for better or worse, and she exhibited toughness. Whether you’re new to the promotion, have watched a few matches but still want more, or simply want to see more of Gatoh Move’s pigtailed fighter, this is a good one to check out. It may also help viewers realize just how confined the intimate Ichigaya Chocolate Square is.
Rin Rin vs. Mei Suruga (October 14, 2019)
Just because Rin Rin enjoys playing to the crowd doesn’t mean she fails to keep her eye on the prize. This is especially evident in this match of October of last year, when she faced one of Gatoh Move’s most popular stars, Mei Suruga. These diminutive joshis wrestled a highly competitive match, which included plenty of technical grappling between the two parties. This isn’t to say that there weren’t laughs to be had, as “Mei-chan” found it difficult to strike a pose with her younger opponent’s constant interference. Check this match out to see a more serious side of the youngster, though not entirely at the cost of her irrefutable personality.
Check out past Joshi Watches and discover more stars from Japan!
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can watch Rin Rin at Gatoh Move on YouTube and via the Gatoh Move Experience.
