Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling is set to celebrate the 4th pro wrestling anniversary of Mei Suruga. On May 26, “Mei-chan” will have officially been in the wrestling business for 4 years, and to say that it’s been an odyssey for her would be an understatement. From her humble days training under Emi Sakura to now wrestling for companies ranging from Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling to World Wonder Ring Stardom to even All Elite Wrestling, Suruga’s progression can’t be denied. Live from Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan, Gatoh Move crew will celebrate this major milestone. Here’s what to expect as Gatoh Move presents Apple and Crew.
Gatoh Move Presents Apple and Crew – Full Card
Sayaka Obihiro and Shin Suzuki vs. Black/White Comaneci (Tokiko Kirihara and Antonio Honda) vs. Dragon Ninja (Sayuri and Chon Shiryu) vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Sawasdee Kamen
In one of the preliminary matches of Gatoh Move’s Apple and Crew, four tag teams will do battle. The two regular tag teams are Black/White Comaneci and Dragon Ninja, so one would assume that they would be the favorites to win. This is especially true for Dragon Ninja, as Sayuri and Chon Shiryu wrestled at Gatoh Move’s first live event since 2020 in a loss. However, one shouldn’t discredit Kaori Yoneyama, a Joshi veteran in her own right, who will be teaming with the Gatoh Move mascot of sorts, Sawasdee Kamen. Throw in the wildcard team of “The Blue Heart” Sayaka Obihiro and recent ChocoPro regular Shin Suzuki and it goes without saying there’s no clear-cut winning team here.
TropiKawaild (Yuna Mizumori and SAKI) and Baliyan Akki vs. Sayaka, Makoto, and Hagane Shinnou
Next up, as Gatoh Move presents Apple and Crew, Super Asia Champion Baliyan Akki teams with One of a Kind Tag League winners TropiKawild to take on the trio of Sayaka, Makoto, and Hagane Shinnou. Japanese pro wrestling fans, particularly those that are fond of Joshi competition, will undoubtedly be familiar with Makoto; she is currently one-half of the SEAdLINNNG Beyond the Sea Tag Team Champions alongside Las Fresa de Egoistas faction mate ASUKA. She has also been prominent across the Japanese wrestling scene as of late. PURE-J and Ice Ribbon are just a few of the promotions she’s worked recently. Given that each team has one titleholder, this is another instance where picking a winning team seems tricky. Regardless, this will be a match to keep an eye on.
Chie Koishikawa vs. Haruka Umesaki
In only one of two singles matches scheduled for Apple and Crew, “Too Much Energy” Chie Koishikawa goes toe to toe with World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana standout Haruka Umesaki. “Chiezo” has come out on the losing end of most of her recent matches. Nonetheless, her spirit has been nothing short of unyielding. In fact, it’s this very spirit that has made her a fan favorite on ChocoPro and in Gatoh Move as a whole. However, to pick up a victory at Shinjuku FACE may prove trying as she takes on Umesaki. As stated earlier, she is a prominent Diana competitor. In fact, she currently holds the company’s tag team titles, alongside Miyuki Takase, and PURE-J’s Princess of Pro Wrestling Championship. Thus, Umesaki would seem like the favorite heading into this show. Even so, one shouldn’t discredit Koishikawa’s heart and determination.
Asia Dream Tag Team Championship: Calamari Drunken Kings (Masahiro Takanashi and Chris Brookes) (c) vs. Suicide Boyz (MIKAMI and Thanomsak Toba)
The Asia Dream Tag Team Championship will be on the line, too. Calamari Drunken Kings defend the purple belts against an unfamiliar team in MIKAMI and Thanomsak Toba, collectively known as Suicide Boyz. In addition to being the Asia Dream tag team titleholders, CDK are also the holders of DDT Pro-Wrestling’s KO-D Tag Team Championship; this makes them double champions heading into Apple and Crew. One shouldn’t blame Masahiro Takanashi and Chris Brookes for being confident heading into their second Asia Dream tag team title defense. With that said, MIKAMI and Toba make for a formidable duo. Suicide Boyz are former 2x KO-D Tag Team Champions. More recently, they are two-fifths of the current KO-D Ten-Man Tag Team Champions alongside GENTARO, Poison Sawada JULIE, and Takashi Sasaki. DDT fans familiar with Suicide Boyz will attest to their aggressive, technical in-ring approach. Could this help them capture Gatoh Move’s purple belts?
Mei Suruga vs. Suzume
In the main event, celebrating 4 years in professional wrestling, Mei Suruga takes on TJPW’s own “Vivid Honey Mustard,” Suzume. Keep in mind that this is far from their first in-ring encounter, as they’ve shared the squared circle in TJPW throughout various tag team bouts. However, at Gatoh Move’s Apple and Crew, they wrestle their first one-on-one contest against each other. Heading into this show, “Mei-chan” seems to have the edge, not only in regard to experience but accolades as well. Consider the fact that she is a former Princess Tag Team Champion in TJPW and Asia Dream Tag Team Champion in Gatoh Move. This isn’t to take away from Suzume’s potential; despite only wrestling for less than 3 years at this point, she’s shown promise against TJPW regulars including Miu Watanabe, Rika Tatsumi, and Magical Sugar Rabbits. Can Suzume pick up a main event victory at the expense of Suruga? Viewers will find out as Gatoh Move presents Apple and Crew.
Apple and Crew will take place on May 26 live from Shinjuku FACE. It will then be made available to watch for free on the Gatoh Move YouTube channel. To support the company, you can sign up for their Patreon, which features multiple tiers, 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.
