At the DDT 25th Anniversary show on March 19th, a partnership between All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and CyberFight was announced. CyberFight is the owner of DDT, and subsequently Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (TJPW). They also own the streaming service that DDT and TJPW air content on, WrestleUniverse. Which also hosts content from Pro Wrestling NOAH and Ganbare Pro Wrestling. It is unknown what NOAH’s or Ganbare’s roles will be in the deal if any. Regardless, a deal between TJPW and AEW could be incredibly beneficial to both parties. AEW is currently lacking in significant female stars, especially with a new champion in Thunder Rosa, who will need new heel challengers. The AEW Women’s roster could also heavily benefit from fresh matches and characters. Here are some fresh matches we could (or should) potentially see.
Potential AEW and TJPW Crossover Matches
TayJay vs. Magical Sugar Rabbits
The team of Yuka Sakazaki and Mizuki, AKA the Magical Sugar Rabbits, are the top tag team in TJPW currently, holding the Princess Tag Team Championships. Their match against Hakuchumu (Miu Watanabe and Rika Tatsumi) at this year’s Grand Princess was, while not perfect, very innovative. Another team from AEW that had a standout performance in the last couple of months, the team of Anna Jay and Tay Conti, could be a good match for the Joshi team. TayJay’s match against Penelope Ford and The Bunny in December was of high praise. There’s no doubt a match between these two teams could certainly deliver, perhaps even on a big stage like a pay-per-view or a special episode of Dynamite. Alternatively, TayJay could make the trip to Japan if they so desired and get some experience outside of AEW under their belt.
Thunder Rosa vs. Miyu Yamashita
A bit of an obvious one, but a battle between the two company’s respective Aces would be an easy pay-per-view championship match. There’s no doubt the two would deliver a fun, hard-hitting fight. Both are coming off of huge matches, Thunder Rosa’s against Britt Baker and Yamashita’s against Shoko Nakajima. They are both easily in the top ten best workers of their respective companies. A match between these two practically books itself, and with Double or Nothing just a few months away it would be a great match to have on the card. If not then, it’s something that should definitely be in the cards for some time down the line.
Shoko Nakajima vs Riho
This match did take place on AEW Dark in February of 2020. Now that the partnership between AEW and TJPW is formalized, this would be a great match to run back on a bigger stage. Shoko Nakajima just recently won the Princess of Princess Championship, defeating Miyu Yamashita in the process. If TJPW wanted to use the partnership with AEW for outside challengers, Riho wouldn’t be a terrible choice. She’s a great fit for the TJPW style; small, athletic, and likable. She’s also solid in the ring and can have good-to-great matches when given the right opponent, and it’s hard to say Shoko Nakajima is a bad opponent for anyone. Whether it happens in TJPW or AEW, or whether it’s for a championship or not, this match just feels like a good idea.
Hikaru Shida vs Aja Kong
Technically the build for this match has already somewhat started, but it remains to be seen when, where, or even if this match will happen. After winning her match against Hikari Noa at Grand Princess, Hikaru Shida and Aja Kong, who was a special commentator for the match, had a brief staredown. The two have had multiple matches against one another, going back as early as 2014. Including a particularly stellar bout from OZ Academy in 2018. The history is there, we know they can do great stuff together. If Aja Kong is good for it, this is a match that could happen anytime and anywhere in the world. However, this match deserves a big stage. Either a TJPW show, which is likely since that’s where the build started or an AEW pay-per-view. One of AEW’s best talents versus one of the most legendary wrestlers of all time.
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 catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS and AEW Dark: Elevation (Monday nights) and AEW: Dark (Tuesday nights) at 7 PM ET on YouTube. AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday night.
