Sporting great flexibility, possessing wrestling acumen, and featuring a predilection for beer: these traits perfectly describe the “Leader” of Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling, Mitsuru Konno. Having started her professional wrestling career in 2016, Konno is actually one of the more experienced grapplers under the purple-and-yellow banner. Therefore, she can be relied upon to wrestle not only those with years of training but those that are just getting started. Not unlike other wrestlers throughout history, Konno transitioned into wrestling from a previous sport.
Konno’s athletic background features volleyball, which she had been playing for years before beginning her wrestling training. In a Humans of Wrestling interview, Konno revealed that one day, she had made plans with a friend who fell ill. With nothing to do, she discovered a Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling event held in Korakuen Hall. In 2016, she found herself training with the promotion, headed by Emi Sakura. It was here that she began to develop a style that complemented the aforementioned flexibility, developed in no small part due to her volleyball experience. With this training, in her mid-20s, Konno was on her way.
Debuting on October 4th, 2016, Konno faced Sakura in a losing effort in the Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo.
From there, Sakura wrestled for Gatoh Move across various locations, most prominently the intimate venue of Ichigaya Chocolate Square. This is where the lion’s share of Gatoh Move events are held. In early 2017, Konno worked heavily with Aasa Maika, also trained by Sakura. She also found herself locking horns with talents such as Riho and Hikaru Shida, both of whom would go on to work with All Elite Wrestling. In August, Konno picked up her first singles victory against Hirori.
It was also in August of 2017 that Mitsuro Konno made her debut for Pro Wrestling HEAT UP. In six-person tag team action, Konno teamed with Maika and Sakura in a losing effort against Sayaka Obihiro, Kotori, and Riho. Konno even participated in the Super Asia Championship Tournament, losing to Maika in the first round. Nonetheless, Konno remained a prominent fixture in Gatoh Move, becoming one of the promotion’s most reliable competitors in the process.
Mitsuru Konno continued to wrestle primarily for Gatoh Move throughout 2018, making appearances for other promotions along the way.
In addition to HEAT UP, Konno made her PURE-J debut in April, teaming with Sakura to face Leon and Command Bolshoi in tag team action. The same month, Konno competed in the Gatoh Move’s 6th Go-Go Green Curry Koppun Cup tournament. Alongside Sawasdee Kamen, Konno lost to Riho and Golem Thai in the first round. The following month, Konno debuted for Jd’ Star, besting Kyusei Ninja Ranmaru in two quick, consecutive bouts. In the summer, Gatoh Move held their Asia Dream Tag Team Championship League tournament. This time, Konno teamed with Riho. This makeshift tandem was bested by Tropikawild, the team of SAKI and Yuna Mizumori.
In mid-to-late 2019, Gatoh Move started to see something of a shift. Riho, who had been with the promotion since 2012, left to pursue a career as a freelance wrestler. This left Gatoh Move without their “ace.” Furthermore, their newest cast of talent, including Mei Suruga, was still in development. As one of the more recognizable faces of Gatoh Move, Konno stepped up to the plate. Many fans argued that, for a time, the beer-loving grappler of Gatoh Move became their new “ace.”
In February of 2019, Konno continued to wrestle for promotions outside of Gatoh Move.
It was during this month that she debuted for Actwres girl’Z, teaming with promotion regular Yuko Sakurai. In May, she completed in the 7th Go-Go Green Curry Koppun Cup; this marked Konno’s second year participating in said yearly tournament. Konno teamed with Hagane Shinnou, making it to the semifinals where they ultimately fell to Suruga and Antonio Honda. Later in the month, Konno debuted for Big Japan Pro-Wrestling, a Japanese promotion well-known for its deathmatches. Konno teamed with Riho to face Suruga and Sakura at a BJW charity event.
For the rest of 2019, Konno remained a consistent performer in Gatoh Move, even teaming with former Go-Go Green Curry Koppun Cup partner Kamen to vie for the Asia Dream Tag Team Championship. Starting in July, Konno wrestled in a series of exhibition matches featuring the newest crop of Gatoh Move talent. During these matches, she faced newcomers Sayuri, Tokiko Kirihara, and Lulu Pencil. Konno won her encounters with Sayuri and Lulu Pencil while her match against Kirihara went to a time-limit draw.
With the release of Gatoh Move Experience this past January, the purple-and-yellow promotion is making moves. It can be argued that this wouldn’t be possible without the contributions of Mitsuru Konno, from her tag team efforts to her work as a prominent singles competitor. In addition, she continues to elevate others; just last month, Konno teamed with Lulu Pencil in a winning tag team match, handing Gatoh Move’s freelance writer her first victory in the process. Regardless of where Konno’s path takes her next, she’s apt to crack open a cold one to celebrate.
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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 Mitsuru Konno at Gatoh Move on YouTube and via the Gatoh Move Experience.
