Command Bolshoi’s promotion Pure-J today held her retirement show at Korakuen Hall in front of 1,530 fans. Bolshoi’s career spanned almost 30 years as she wrestled for almost every major promotion in the world having thousands of matches and making use of her diminutive size.
It's an incredibly important day as the legendary Command Bolshoi – a major influence of EVE, retires after an incredible 30 year career.
We thank Command Bolshoi for her services to pro wrestling, her influence to EVE and wish her all the best with her well earned retirement. pic.twitter.com/NwgQRQzyIB
— EVE – Riot Grrrls of Wrestling (@ProWrestlingEVE) April 21, 2019
Bolshoi was a technically sound wrestler who has dedicated the later years of her career to promoting with Pure-J and putting on very crisp, technical matches. In her heyday though she was an unbelievable aerial wrestler who used her diminutive size to pull off spots that other wrestlers could only dream of. Her mask and attire helped her have many personas including the comedic Bolshoi Kid as she was able to keep the mystique behind the mask for years.
Bolshoi was trained in part by deathmatch legend Atsushi Onita who was a Junior Heavyweight in All Japan Pro Wrestling and it’s from here that Bolshoi gained her skills. When she debuted she was a regular for Japanese Women Pro-Wrestling Project (JWP) and made some appearances for All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling (AJW) where she regularly got to wrestle veterans like Devil Masami, Mima Shimoda, and Cutie Suzuki in singles matches which helped her develop very quickly. She was a regular for JWP until the early 00’s by which point she was a seasoned competitor
It was in the early 00’s when she would make her way to huge companies like New Japan Pro Wrestling in a Joshi showcase, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and she also wrestled for lucha giants CMLL and AAA. She would then return to JWP and began wrestling for some newer joshi promotions like Oz Academy, Sendai Girls and Pro Wrestling WAVE.
After long periods where she didn’t win many championships, she would successfully capture tag team gold in 2009 alongside Megumi Yabushita as they won the JWP and Daily Sports tag team championships, this would be a trend in her later career as she formed many successful tag teams with other veterans like Arisa Nakajima and Kyoko Kimura. In 2012 she would represent JWP at CHIKARA King Of Trios alongside Kaori Yoneyama and Tsubasa Kurakagi as most of her big spots would continue coming in tag team scenarios.
In a fitting fashion Bolshoi would be the last ever holder of the JWP tag team championships alongside Leon as the promotion closed its doors in 2017. JWP closing its doors would lead her to set up Pure-J and spending the last period of her career wrestling mostly for her own promotion away from the international eye who had no way of watching the promotion.
Her farewell tour in 2019 has seen her win the Pure-J Openweight Championship, Sendai Girls Junior Championship and make appearances for Pro Wrestling: EVE as she has made her way to most of japan’s Joshi promotions who have said goodbye to the veteran.
Command Bolshoi ends her career after 27 years, with thousands of matches under her belt, she has wrestled for almost every promotion in Japan from the previously mentioned NJPW and AJPW to Ice Ribbon, SEAdLINNNG, Wrestle-1, Big Japan Pro Wrestling, Gatoh Move, OSAKA Women’s Pro Wrestling, JWP, Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (FMW), AJW and many more. In this time she has held JWP tag team championships six times for a combined 1263 days, two time JWP Openweight Championship for 231 days, Daily Sports tag team championships four times for a combined 1189 days and held various singles titles towards the tail end of her career. Bolshoi always entertained and innovated which has led to her being respected and representing Joshi in some major promotions
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