Tokyo Joshi Professional-Wrestling
Summer season Solar Princess 2023
July 8, 2023
Ota Ward Common Gymnasium
Tokyo, Japan

Watch: Wrestle Universe 

Daisy Monkey (Arisu Endo & Suzume) def. Juria Nagano & Moka Miyamoto

Daisy Monkey are so good collectively as a crew. They felt a bit thrown collectively at first, however they’re actually coming collectively proper now. May they be the subsequent Crush Gals and lead Joshi wrestling right into a mainstream growth interval?

Moka and Juria are fairly a cool crew too, and I can’t assist however be a mark for wrestlers with karate-themed movesets. Nonetheless, it’s Daisy Monkey’s time to shine proper now, and in a means, having them right here within the opener appears like a gross misuse of their abilities. Hopefully, each will get deep runs within the Princess Cup this yr. I’m particularly eager to see simply how a lot Alice has grown as a wrestler as she appears to get higher with each match.

Haruna Neko, HIMAWARI, Mahiro Kiryu & Shino Suzuki def. Haru Kazashiro, Kaya Toribami, Runa Okubo & Toga

Nothing particular right here, however this was an excellent showcase for HIMAWARI, who not solely picked up the pin, however with the attainable exception of Mahiro, felt like essentially the most well-rounded wrestler within the bunch.

Nao Kakuta & Ryo Mizunami def. ASUKA & Yuki Kamifuku

The issue with having ASUKA and Ryo Mizunami on opposing groups on this match is that once they begin combating they kinda present up the remainder of the wrestlers. Ryo’s been a visitor star in TJPW a number of instances now, however whereas Aja has paired with Raku, Ram Kaicho with Raku (hey, Raku depart some for the remainder of them), and Max with Pom, we haven’t actually had an excellent angle with Ryo. She simply kinda exhibits up, wrestles, and leaves, which by no means actually leaves me that excited for her matches.

ASUKA and Kamiyu simply really feel so proper as a crew. Who else is doing half-assed dance routines with shirtless males as a part of their entrance. Why aren’t they the tag champs proper now? Who even are the tag champs proper now? Why did we’ve got one of many largest exhibits of the yr that includes 5 (5) tag matches and never one in all them for the vacant tag matches? Why is the corporate so incompetent in the case of reserving on the fly?

DEFY Girls’s Title Match
Vert Vixen (c) def. Hikari Noa

Like Hikari’s profession in TJPW, this was completely effective however lacked any actual aptitude or something that made it stand out. Ok however in the end forgettable. Vert Vixen’s gamer gimmick the place she shouts out catchphrases like “recover from right here” (Mortal Kombat) is enjoyable, however I can see it getting previous when you ever watch her matches quite a lot of instances.

Kyoraku Kyomei (Hyper Misao & Shoko Nakajima) def. Aja Kong & Raku and Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku 

Whether or not you want this match relies upon completely on what you concentrate on one in all professional wrestling’s best dwelling legends Aja Kong swinging a pillow case round. This can be a bit of foolish for a few of you critical sorts on the market, however the actual TJPW freakazoids will find it irresistible.

Nyla Rose def. Miu Watanabe

I’m all for DDT and TJPW getting publicity by respiratory the identical sanctified air as these holy AEW wrestlers, however it’s getting ridiculous now. This yr we’ve had Eddie Kingston turning as much as DDT’s American present so he can spend one in all his seemingly infinite needs to be a puro wrestler and within the course of take the eye away from DDT wrestlers. We’ve had POP champ Mizuki get a match on AEW darkish solely to job in 5 minutes to Emi Sakura. Hey, I like Emi Sakura, however AEW doesn’t deal with her like a giant deal, so what does it say about the way in which they deal with the TJPW champ? We additionally had Shunma, Mao, and Ueno seem on Darkish too in a match the place the commentators obtained their names combined up.

Right here’s the most recent affront to this “partnership.” Take one rising star who’s successful over audiences on each side of the Pacific and job her out to a boring wrestler who barely ever makes TV in AEW. Nicely executed. Except Nyla Rose is coming again to place over Miu Watanabe, which appears most unlikely, then what was the purpose of this match? Horrible

EVE Title Spirit Of Eve Guidelines Match
Miyu Yamashita (c) defeats Sawyer Wreck

Talking of EVE, how cool is it for them that Yamashita carried their belt into the TOKYO DOME this yr? I hope they’ve a framed image of that someplace. That’s superior.

Sawyer Wreck is enjoyable. I like her perspective and her match with Mizuki this yr was an actual David the Ragdoll vs Goliath affair. Like Vert/Hikari, this match was effective however in the end nothing particular.

NEO Biishiki-gun (Mei Saint-Michel & Sakisama) defeat Wakana Uehara & Yuki Arai

The proper antidote to the mediocrity of the remainder of the undercard! A match that showcased the whole lot that TJPW does finest: Robust characters with motivations making strikes imply one thing. In different phrases, an old-school TJPW match.

One factor I questioned is why Arai wasn’t teaming together with her former tag companion Saki Akai from DDT to tackle NBG. Nevertheless, Wakana was a worthy substitute, and it’s abundantly clear why she’s getting these alternatives, as a result of for a rookie she rocks. Mei was in her factor right here because the puckish servant for Sakisama, getting in the way in which and using her signature silver serving tray as a weapon. Why hasn’t TJPW signed her? What’s she doing that’s extra vital proper now? Get it collectively Koda.

The extreme huge boot exchanges between Yuki Arai and Sakisama and the ending, with Sakisama taunting the genius lady as she pinned Wakana, appeared to go away the door open for a future singles match. Sakisama vs Arai is by far essentially the most attention-grabbing factor TJPW are doing proper now by way of tales and will actually generate a buzz. With rumors swirling about Sakisama going again to France completely quickly, might it even be a principal occasion singles that will wash the style out of that terrible Sakisama vs. Yamashita principal a number of years again?

Worldwide Princess Title Match
Rika Tatsumi (c) def. Yuki Aino 

I can report that Yuki Aino has lastly obtained a clue. Possibly I’m simply carrying these shiny new gear goggles, however I don’t assume I’ve ever seen her extra fired up than she was on this match, which was definitely her best-ever singles bout.

And this was a lovely-paced match that constructed as much as a strong crescendo. Why did we ever have a state of affairs the place Rika was not acknowledged as one of many high staff within the promotion? She’s completely flying proper now by way of delivering huge singles matches. It’s clear now greater than ever that Rika vs Mizuki is THE match that TJPW must ship for Wrestleprincess. I don’t care that they each have titles. Let’s unify the belts or one thing trigger that is getting ridiculous that the 2 finest staff within the promotion have by no means gone one on one.

Princess Of Princess Title Match
Mizuki (c) def. Maki Ito 

After I first watched this, I assumed it was simply okay, however I went again and watched it once more, and it is a actually excellent match, the kind of principal occasion epic that TJPW pulls out the bag a number of instances a yr and the Ota Health club setting actually elevates by way of stature. It’s simply one thing that felt off for me concerning the build-up to this that affected my preliminary enjoyment. Mizuki and Itoh have a tangled historical past in TJPW as each tag companions and rivals and are definitely the 2 most profitable singles wrestlers of the second wave that got here after the originals. On paper, it is a nice setup for a principal occasion, however with Itoh spending extra time within the US, and thus resorting at instances to constructing this match by shoddily made youtube promos,  there was little of that giddy thrill you get when a fan favourite challenges for a high title they’ve by no means received earlier than.

It’s a far cry from Wrestle Princess II, the place EVERYONE believed that Itoh was going to win the POP for the primary time. There was simply one thing lacking right here, regardless of Itoh’s smirks and Mizuki’s grimacing, it by no means felt just like the title was in jeopardy. A perfunctory match that was nonetheless nice? Maybe. Hopefully, this isn’t the final time we see these two, as a result of they’ve nice chemistry and this match was no totally different, it was simply the incorrect time. I’m being means too laborious on this. Go and see it. The ending stretch is incredible.

Last Ideas

General, this was middling. It’s a LONG card so until you’re a completionist, in all probability one to choose and select from, however the high three matches are worthy of your time.

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