The Joshi wrestling scene (Japanese Women’s Wrestling) is a deep scene full of insanely talented performers and every month there are dozens of fantastic matches from promotions from Stardom to Pure-J and everywhere in between. This month was a bit light on uploads as Sendai Girls was on a break SEAdLINNNG went the entire month without a new upload, although a show from July did make it’s way online.
Important Note (Due to some matches not airing as of the time of writing some presumably great matches can’t be ranked)
10. Konami vs Utami Hayashishita
A clash of styles between the more MMA influenced Konami and the Judo influenced Utami. A back and forth affair that allowed both to shine at what they’re best at.
9. Rina Yamashita vs Tsukushi
These two can wrestle forever if they want. Tsukushi is in her element being a violent little spitfire and Rina is more than happy to lariat her head off in return. A fun back and forth that didn’t overstay it’s welcome
Link To Watch (Ice Ribbon NicoNico Channel)
8. Jungle Kyona, Ruaka & Riho vs STARS (Starlight Kid, Saki Kashima & Saya Iida)
A high octane trios match that Stardom does so well. A fun math with some good exchanges involving Riho interacting with some of the STARS members.
7. Rina Yamashita vs Maya Yukihi
If ever there was a match that personified the millenial phrase “Big Dick Energy” then this is it. Both Yamashita and Yukihi were ok with getting hit or kicked so long as they could get in their receipts. Just over ten minutes of pure violence.
Link To Watch (Ice Ribbon’s NicoNico Channel)
6. Mei Suruga vs Kaori Yoneyama
If you ever want a match that captures Gatoh Move then this is the one. Coming in at under two minutes this one is fun from start to finish
5. Konami vs Kagetsu
A student of Meiko Satomura meeting a student of Kana (Asuka). They delivered exactly the kind of match one would expect too with an emphasis on realistic grappling and submissions mixed with a desire to KO their opponent with kicks.
Link To Watch (Stardom YouTube)
4. Hiragi Kurumi & Rina Yamashita vs Tsukushi & Risa Sera
This was a fantastic case of two very different teams colliding in a very fun tag team match. Kurumi and Yamashita are hard hitters that try to use sheer brute force and some agility to take down their opponents. Tsukushi and Sera are more agile but are no slouches at striking either. What we got was a symphony of violence as all four went to war with Tsukushi in particular impressing
Link To Watch (Puroresu Dream) Match Starts at roughly 36:10
3. Sonoko Kato vs Aoki Itsuki
This match had a veteran step in there with a sophomore and they just teed off. A great hard-hitting match here that came out of left field to deliver one of the best matches of the month.
Link To Watch (Puroresu Dream) Match Starts At Roughly 1:15:00
2. Arisa Hoshiki vs Utami Hayashishita
This one had Hoshiki relying on her strikes while Hayashishita used more of a suplex based approach. The end result was a very fun match between two of Stardom’s best workers
1. Lulu Pencil vs Yuna Mizumori
Essays should, and probably will be, written about Lulu Pencil. The debutant has already managed to gain a big fan support through her exhibition matches from Gatoh Move’s youtube. And it’s those exhibition matches that make this match so good. We’ve seen Lulu be a terrible wrestler (in character) who taps out of submissions instantly and gets pinned three times in the space of ten seconds but that’s all part of the charm. Lulu has a human feel to her that nobody can really match and that made this match all the better. Knowing that she would lose the first time Yuna managed to hit a big move made you root for her, even more, every time she found a way to dodge the bullet. Lulu finding creative ways to stay in the match and seeing her adapt and grow while still not being perfect yet is something that makes her so easy to root for. This match laid the groundwork for Lulu to be a real underdog that everyone can root for and the day she finally gets a win there will be tears.
Link To Watch (Gatoh Move’s Youtube)
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. And check out last month’s edition for more fantastic Joshi matches
