Tokyo Sports, one of the leading sports newspapers in Japan who has broken news of Kairi Sane and Io Shirai both heading to the WWE in the past, reported today that Meiko Satomura is heading to the WWE to compete in this summer’s Mae Young Classic II. The 38-year old Joshi Legend is one of the most respected wrestlers in the world and a true pioneer of joshi puroresu in Japan and inspiration worldwide. While Satomura has not commented personally herself on the news, it should be noted that Sendai Girls (the promotion founded and run by Satomura) shared the report from Tokyo Sports on their official Twitter account and Satomura retweeted it.
本日の東スポに里村明衣子の記事が掲載されています。
※記事に関する本人からの正式な回答はございません。#仙女#ProWrestling pic.twitter.com/u1qAka2FUf
— センダイガ－ルズプロレスリング-SENDAI GIRLS PROWRESTLING- (@senjo2006) June 14, 2018
Meiko Satomura has been a Joshi staple since the mid-90s, trained by legendary Joshi Chigusa Nagayo (of the famed Crush Gals and All Japan Women’s Wrestling). She began in Nagayo’s GAEA promotion in 1995 and spent the next decade as a GAEA regular, as well as performing with Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling Project (JWP) and OZ Academy. She also did special attraction matches with NJPW and Big Japan, and in 1996 took part in WCW’s short lived women’s division in the US (when she was only 17 years old).
In 2006, she founded Sendai Girls (after GAEA folded in 2005), which has become one of Japan’s top Joshi promotions, as well as training many future stars. She’s continued to work elsewhere as well, including Stardom. In 2012, she made her CHIKARA debut in that year’s King of Trios, leading her Team Sendai (alongside DASH Chisako & Sendai Sachiko) to the Semi Finals. She returned for the 2016 King of Trios, and this time (with Cassandra Miyagi replacing Sachiko) the Sendai Girls won the tournament. The same squad made the finals again for last year’s King of Trios, but lost out to British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate). In total, her career in Japan has earned her World championship titles with Stardom, Sendai Girls and GAEA (where she was a 2x Champion).
She made her UK debut last year with Pro Wrestling: EVE in February, and has since made the UK a regular stop throughout the year, as well as this year. In March of this year, she debuted with England’s Fight Club PRO, defeating the FCP Champion Chris Brookes for the title, which she still holds after 76 days.
