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Preview: Gatoh Move ChocoPro #41 (8/17/20) Emi Sakura 25th Anniversary

ChocoPro 41 Emi Sakura 25h Anniversary

The upcoming forty-first episode of ChocoPro is a special one, to say the least; this night will mark twenty-five years since Emi Sakura began her professional wrestling odyssey. From All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling to Ice Ribbon to her current home of Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling, Sakura has wrestled the best and won numerous accolades along the way. When looking back at her career, not to mention the host of wrestlers she has trained, it wouldn’t be a stretch to call her one of the most important stars in joshi puroresu.

More than anything else, this show will be a celebration. Not only will it celebrate the career of Emi Sakura, but ChocoPro, Gatoh Move, and even professional wrestling as a whole. For those that are tuning into ChocoPro for the first time, you have chosen an ideal time to do so. The crew at Ichigaya Chocolate Square will undoubtedly pull out all the stops to make Sakura’s 25th-anniversary event one to remember.

It’s also worth noting that Aoi Kizuki will serve as this show’s special guest referee. Having retired from in-ring action in 2018, Kizuki was one of the students of Emi Sakura and saw success in promotions including REINA and Ice Ribbon.

Tokiko Kirihara vs. Lulu Pencil

On paper, Tokiko Kirihara and Lulu Pencil couldn’t be any more different. The “Super Rookie” Kirihara is no-nonsense, short-tempered, and fights hard with stiff strikes and grueling submissions. The leader of the Pencil Army is kooky, earnest, and relies on unique offense to get the drop on her opponents. What they share, however, is a record without one singles victory. Furthermore, they started in Gatoh Move around the same; come August 28th, they will have reached their one-year anniversaries. Who will come away victorious: Kirihara or Lulu Pencil? As they approach the next year of their respective careers, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Mei Suruga vs. Yuu (ChocoPro Debut)

This was one of the three matches announced on the previous episode of ChocoPro. For those that aren’t familiar, Yuu is a powerhouse wrestler that has worked for promotions across Japan. One of the promotions where she is most prevalent is Pro Wrestling WAVE. She also won the DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship twice. This match will mark Yuu’s debut in both ChocoPro and Gatoh Move itself. She will have a considerable challenge ahead, however, in the form of Mei Suruga. The upbeat “Apple Girl” of Gatoh Move has been itching for a singles victory for weeks. Can she overcome Yuu’s dominant fighting style to accomplish her goal?

Baliyan Akki vs. Hagane Shinnou (ChocoPro Debut)

During recent ChocoPro shows, Baliyan Akki has largely been active behind the camera. This was to give him time to heal his shoulder. Now that he appears to be back to one-hundred percent, he will compete on this anniversary show against a wrestler longtime Gatoh Move fans may remember. Boasting over eighteen years of experience, Hagane Shinnou has made regular appearances for Gatoh Move in the past. However, this will be his first time on ChocoPro, as he prepares to take on the self-proclaimed “ace” of the show in Akki. Can Shinnou, who is the current reigning Independent Junior Heavyweight Champion, make his debut for this YouTube extravaganza a success? Will this match instead be another feather in the cap of the confident Akki?

Mitsuru Konno and Makoto vs. Hanako Nakamori and Ryo Mizunami

The card for Emi Sakura’s 25th anniversary continues to get better and better. In tag team action, we will see one of Gatoh Move’s regulars and three returning stars that have all appeared on ChocoPro in the past. Konno will team with Makoto, who appeared on the show in question earlier this month. She faced Mei Suruga in a competitive match, picking up the victory. On this show, she finds herself on the side of Konno, who boasts flexibility and submission prowess alike.

Originally, Konno and Makoto were to face Ryo Mizunami and Riho. However, due to COVID-19 – this wouldn’t be the other match impacted – Riho has been written off the show. In Riho’s place will be the recently announced Hanako Nakamori, who faced Sakura in the previous episode of ChocoPro in a 20-minute draw. Mizunami recently appeared on episode thirty-nine of ChocoPro. SEAdLINNNG fans may know Mizunami as one of the members of the musical group MAX VOLTAGE. This will be one tag team encounter not to miss.

Tropikawild (Yuna Mizumori and SAKI) vs. Antonio Honda and Minoru Fujita vs. Chris Brookes and Shota

One of the recently announced matches for Emi Sakura’s 25th-anniversary show will be one of the biggest in ChocoPro history. Two episodes ago, SAKI made her ChocoPro debut, facing Mei Suruga in an exciting match that resulted in a draw. Post-match, Sakura declared that SAKI would participate on this show. Furthermore, she would be in a major tag team match, joining forces with “The Pineapple Girl” Yuna Mizumori. Yes, Tropikawild would reunite.

To secure a victory, Tropikawild will have to contend with not one but two formidable teams. One team will be Antonio Honda and Minoru Fujita, both of whom have made ChocoPro appearances in the past. In fact, Honda was a special guest on the thirty-seventh episode, defeating Mitsuru Konno. Meanwhile, Fujita may be best remembered in ChocoPro for his Last Man Standing Match against Mizumori, which took place on episode eleven this past May.

The last team that was announced was Chris Brookes and Shota. Not unlike Honda and Fujita, Brookes made multiple appearances for Gatoh Move and ChocoPro alike. This past June, he faced Konno in a match that many fans praised. He will also enter this triple threat tag team match as the current two-time DDT Universal Champion. His partner, Shota, last appeared for Gatoh Move this past January, when he faced Cherry in a match that ended in a double disqualification. As a former DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Champion in his own right, he will be looking to pick up a win alongside Brookes in this loaded match-up.

Sayaka Obihiro vs. Emi Sakura (ChocoPro Main Event)

Originally, it was announced that Emi Sakura would face long-time rival and tag team partner Kaori Yoneyama at this event. However, due to complications regarding COVID-19, Yoneyama was unable to make the show. However, the owner of Gatoh Move wasn’t without an ace up her sleeve. In place on Yoneyama, Sakura would call upon another name from her past that Gatoh Move and ChocoPro fans will be familiar with: Sayaka Obihiro.

To say that Obihiro was integral to the growth of Gatoh Move would be an understatement. In fact, it wouldn’t be inaccurate to call her Sakura’s right-hand woman, helping her establish the company in not only Japan but, in its early years, Thailand. Obihiro is an accomplished professional wrestler in her own right. Since her debut in 2010, Obihiro has won titles in Ice Ribbon, REINA, and Gatoh Move. Furthermore, this will be her first ChocoPro match since May, having last competed in a three-way match against Sakura and Antonio Honda.

It’s important to note that this won’t be the first singles match between Obihiro and Sakura. They competed against one another over the years, with Sakura often getting the upperhand. However, with Obihiro being a more seasoned wrestler, she will pose a greater challenge to her former trainer in this main event. Can she defeat Sakura in her anniversary show? Will the individual said show is named after add another win to her record? This will be one impromptu main event to keep an eye on.

ChocoPro #41, the Emi Sakura 25th-anniversary event, will air on August 17th at 8 PM JST (7 AM EST and 12 PM CET.)

It will air live on the Gatoh Move YouTube channel for free before being available for on-demand viewing afterward. To support the company, you can sign up for their Patreon, which features multiple tiers, or their own on-demand streaming service 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 via the Gatoh Move Experience.

Robbie Sutter

Robbie Sutter

As a fan for over 20 years, I strongly believe there's no sport better than professional wrestling. Whether it's writing about the sport I love or meeting those that have impacted it in a major way, I always enjoy myself. Outside of wrestling, I'm into writing, gaming, and tokusatsu.

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