ChocoPro #145 was described by Baliyan Akki as the “Second Act” of the long-running Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling show. This makes sense, given that Emi Sakura and Lulu Pencil departed for America following the season 8 finale. Despite being two individuals short, one of said individuals being Gatoh Move’s founding member, the crew remaining in Ichigaya Chocolate Square will press on. ChocoPro #146 looks to be an action-packed show, featuring the return of not only a joshi wrestling veteran but Sakura’s long-time tag team partner and friend. Here’s what to know heading into the show in question.
Tokiko Kirihara and Hoshitango vs. Yuna Mizumori and Masahiro Takanashi
In one of the matches scheduled for ChocoPro #146, Tokiko Kirihara teams with a returning name in Gatoh Move against Yuna Mizumori and Masahiro Takanashi. “Yunamon” and Takanashi, the man who “Only Lives Twice,” are a solid combination on paper. Between Mizumori’s power-based offense and Takanashi’s experience, this team looks to be nothing short of formidable. On the other side of Ichigaya Chocolate Square stands Tokiko Kirihara, the “Comaneci Mistress,” and DDT Pro‘s own Hoshitango. Longtime DDT fans will be familiar with his work, as he is a former DDT Extreme Champion and 4x Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion, just to name a few accolades. Hoshitango has also made multiple Gatoh Move appearances, as mentioned earlier; he was last seen in November of 2018, picking up a victory over Baliyan Akki. Which duo will emerge victorious in this tag team affair?
AKARI and Sawasdee Kamen vs. Best Bros (Mei Suruga and Baliyan Akki)
Also in action, on ChocoPro #146, are the Asia Dream Tag Team Champions. Best Bros, the team of Mei Suruga and Baliyan Akki, last teamed on episode #144 earlier this month. They faced Masahiro Takanashi and Emi Sakura in one of the latter’s final matches before her excursion to America. The teams fought to a 30-minute draw; needless to say, Best Bros will be looking to get back to their winning ways. Their opponents will be Sawasdee Kamen, the “mascot” of Gatoh Move, and the debuting AKARI. The 27-year-old PURE-J star boasts over a decade of wrestling experience, starting in her home country of Chile before making the move to Japan. AKARI is the current Princess of Pro Wrestling in PURE-J, defeating Momo Tani this past February to win the gold. Can AKARI make her Gatoh Move debut a successful one?
Chie Koishikawa vs. Kaori Yoneyama (ChocoPro #146 Main Event)
In the main event, “Too Much Energy” Chie Koishikawa goes one-on-one with the wily veteran known as Kaori Yoneyama. This encounter is a rematch from ChocoPro #94, which took place this past March. In the main event of that show, the two fought in a contest that went nearly 12 minutes. Koishikawa put forth a spirited performance, as expected from the Gatoh Move fourth-generation star. Ultimately, it was Yoneyama that came out victorious. Several months later, the two are set to face off on ChocoPro #146. However, it’s fair to say that this match means that much more to Koishikawa.
Following the matches and janken tournament on ChocoPro #145, Koishikawa rallied her fellow fourth-generation wrestlers, sans Lulu Pencil. This showed a sense of leadership on the part of the exuberant Koishikawa; she seemed driven to lead this generation of wrestlers trained under Sakura. It should come as no surprise that Koishikawa developed such a willingness to lead, too. Over the past several months, she has proven herself as one of the premier stars in Gatoh Move, able to put on excellent performances, all the while maintaining the same upbeat persona that made her a fan-favorite among viewers. Will this newfound motivation be enough heading into this main event?
Kaori Yoneyama is among the most seasoned wrestlers to step foot into Ichigaya Chocolate Square. In addition to being a former Asia Dream Tag Team Champion alongside Sakura, she has held singles and tag team gold everywhere from Japanese Women Pro-Wrestling Project to World Wonder Ring Stardom. Though Yoneyama’s approach is comedic at times, this serves as camouflage for the experienced wrestling style she possesses. She may not always play by the rules, but based on her ChocoPro record, it’s difficult to argue with the results. Koishikawa remains a formidable opponent, despite the difference in experience levels, which should make this main event all the more entertaining.
Additional matches for ChocoPro #146 have yet to be announced.
ChocoPro #146 will air on August 21 at 10:00 AM JST (August 20 at 9:00 PM 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.
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.
