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Preview: Gatoh Move ChocoPro #85 – Best Bros/TropiCalamari (1/29/21)

ChocoPro 85

For the first time, in 2021, ChocoPro will take place from Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo, Japan. Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling has held events from this venue in the past, but it’s clear that whenever they shift gears from Ichigaya Chocolate Square, it’s for a special reason. On this upcoming episode, in addition to two big matches, viewers will witness the retirement ceremony of Gatoh Move stalwart Mitsuru Konno. Here’s a detailed rundown on what to expect heading into this episode.

Mitsuru Konno Retirement Ceremony

This past December, Mitsuru Konno announced her retirement from in-ring competition. Due to an ankle injury, she opted against having a final match. However, she will continue to be involved in Gatoh Move in different capacities, including live streams and meet-and-greet sessions. On this upcoming episode of ChocoPro, Gatoh Move’s “Beer Badass” will have a special ceremony held in her honor.

Mitsuru Konno, who played volleyball earlier in her life, entered the unorthodox world of professional wrestling in 2016. Training under Emi Sakura, Konno made her official debut in October of that year, serving as one of the most consistent performers in Gatoh Move. As the company shifted gears following the COVID-19 pandemic, Konno made several ChocoPro appearances as well. This ceremony to come will celebrate the work she’s done in wrestling and the future she will carve for herself.

Lulu Pencil, Tokiko Kirihara, and Chie Koishikawa vs. Ryuichi Sekine, Hagane Shinnou, and Antonio Honda

Having made their debuts in 2019, Lulu Pencil, Tokiko Kirihara and Chie Koishikawa are among the most recent rookie class of Gatoh Move. Since then, they’ve gone on to carve their own unique styles, garnering the adulation of fans in Japan and abroad along the way. On this special episode of ChocoPro, these three will have to join forces to take on the unorthodox yet formidable trio of Ryuichi Sekine, Hagane Shinnou, and Antonio Honda. In addition to their respective work across Japan, Sekine, Shinnou, and Honda have made multiple ChocoPro appearances each. This match marks the second-ever six-man tag team match in ChocoPro history, so expect this to be a chaotic encounter.

Emi Sakura and Sayaka Obihiro vs. Sayuri and Sawasdee Kamen (ChocoPro Debut)

As one of the two matches recently announced on episode eighty-four, two Gatoh Move pillars will take on ChocoPro’s “Kunoichi” and a returning star. To say that Emi Sakura and Sayaka Obihiro are seasoned would be an understatement; in ChocoPro, they are considered among the most formidable opponents. Though Obihiro lost to Yuna Mizumori on the last episode, she aims to get back to her winning ways. This won’t be an effortless endeavor, however; alongside Sakura, she will have to contend with the unique duo of Sayuri and a star making his ChocoPro debut, Sawasdee Kamen.

Sayuri will be wrestling her first match since ChocoPro episode seventy, back in November, where she lost to Mei Suruga. As the self-proclaimed “Kunoichi,” she is a ninjutsu enthusiast, often using illusionary tactics to get the better of her opponents. On this episode, she will team with Sawasdee Kamen, who is making his ChocoPro debut. This masked star has gone by numerous aliases throughout his career. His last Gatoh Move appearance took place in March of 2020, when he teamed with Mitsuru Konno and Rin Rin to win a six-man tag team match. Can he make his first ChocoPro bout a success, too?

Best Bros (Mei Suruga and Baliyan Akki) vs. TropiCalamari (Yuna Mizumori and Chris Brookes)

On this episode of ChocoPro, taking place from Shin-Kiba 1st Ring, major tag team action will take place. This episode will see the reformation of TropiCalamari, comprised of Gatoh Move’s “Pineapple Girl” Yuna Mizumori and former two-time DDT Universal Champion Chris Brookes. The last time they teamed was back on episode sixty-three of ChocoPro; it was here they bested Pencil Army in a spirited I Quit Match. Mizumori and Brookes would also DDT this past October. On this upcoming show, they will take on a formidable challenge in the form of Best Bros.

The team of Best Bros, Mei Suruga and Baliyan Akki, are the reigning Asia Dream Tag Team Champions. Having won the belts from RESET at the cusp of the New Year, Best Bros have gone on to win each match they’ve had as a team since. From Gatoh Move regulars such as Pencil Army to guest stars including Hagane Shinnou and Chon Shiryu, Suruga and Akki have been tough to keep down. However, on this show, they will go up against two of the most formidable wrestlers Gatoh Move has seen yet. Expect this to be a competitive encounter.

Masahiro Takanashi vs. Chon Shiryu (ChocoPro Exhibition Match)

On episode eighty-two of ChocoPro, Masahiro Takanashi announced his upcoming exhibition match. Originally, the former two-time DDT Extreme Champion was set for his return show, which had to be canceled due to COVID-19. In light of this news, this upcoming episode of ChocoPro will feature said exhibition match, though it won’t be a “return” in the official sense. For this upcoming exhibition, Takanashi will take on a man that he has crossed paths with numerous times in his professional career: the “Dragon” of ChocoPro, Chon Shiryu.

The last time that Takanashi and Shiryu faced off, in singles competition, was a Gatoh Move event in December of 2019. From there, both men either worked in tag team competition or took separate paths. Shiryu has made multiple ChocoPro appearances, most recently on episode eighty-one, where he teamed with Chie Koishikawa in a losing effort against Best Bros. While Takanashi will undoubtedly put forth his best effort, it’s important to note that he hasn’t wrestled since March of last year. Expect this to be a match where Takanashi fights with something to prove.

ChocoPro #85 will air on January 29th at 6:30 PM EST (4:30 AM EST)

It will air live on the Gatoh Move YouTube channel for free before being available for on-demand viewing afterward. To support the company, you can sign up for their Patreon, which features multiple tiers, or their own on-demand streaming service linked below. Listed below are the confirmed dates for upcoming episodes of ChocoPro season five.

  • #86 – January 30 (10 PM JST)
  • #87 – February 3 (8 PM JST)
  • #88 – February 6 (10 AM JST)
  • #89 – February 17 (10 AM JST)
  • #90 – February 12 (8 PM JST)
  • #91 – February 14 (10 AM JST)

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 Gatoh Move on YouTube and support ChocoPro in various ways, including Patreon.

Looking to talk wrestling, pro football, or any number of sports? Head on over to the LWOS Boards to engage in conversation with fellow fans!

Robbie Sutter

Robbie Sutter

As a fan for over 20 years, I strongly believe there's no sport better than professional wrestling. Whether it's writing about the sport I love or meeting those that have impacted it in a major way, I always enjoy myself. Outside of wrestling, I'm into writing, gaming, and tokusatsu.

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