Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling 3/31/2024 Grand Princess '24
NOTE - They did two intergender matches here and a Max the Impaler match. I will not be watching any of those. If this wasn't TJPW's biggest show of the year, I would have just skipped this show entirely. Believe me, it's as frustrating for me as it is for you.
Haru Kazashiro, Runa Okubo & Uta Takami vs. Chika Nanase, Kira Summer & Shino Suzuki
Haru and Kira start us off. Haru hooks her leg and side headlock takeovers her. They stand off then Uta and Shino go at it. Shino side headlocks her, Uta leapfrogs her and hits a big chop. Shino chinlocks Uta and pulls back on it. Chika gets in and slams Uta. Chika elbow drops her for 2.
Kira shoulders over Uta then crabs her. Uta ropebreaks and back elbows her. Uta hits a nice dropkick. Runa forearm clubs Kira then running back elbows her. Runa back body drops her from the side then Kira slams her. Kira legdrops her for 2.
Shino back elbows her then spinning neckbreakers Runa. They trade chest forearms and Runa running chest forearms her. Haru does a nice dropkick on Shino then corner dropkicks her. Haru snapmares her then pulls on her arm. Shino gets a 2 count on her and hits a nice dropkick.
Chika shoulders Haru over then they trade chest forearms. Haru trips her then crossbodies her for 2. Uta's team hits a triple dropkick then Haru fisherman suplexes Chika to win it.
It was a decent opener. They kept it moving and everyone got a little in before the match ended. There was nothing great or anything here but most of the girls are young rookies here and not a ton was expected.
HIMAWARI & Mahiro Kiryu vs. Ami Yumoto & Nao Kakuta
This is the debut match of Ami Yumoto. She was an idol singer with AKB.
Ami and Hima start us off. Hima takes her down and they trade front facelocks and waistlocks. Hima side headlock takeovers her and they stand off. Hima rolls over her then Ami cartwheels out of an armdrag. Ami walks up the buckles and armdrags her and they stand off again.
Nao and MK go at it. Nao wristlocks her then grabs her by the hair, throwing her back. MK takes a double back elbow then blocks Ami's slam. Hima drops down, Ami goes over her and takes a boot. Ami is spun and whipped into the buckles then Hima backsplashes her.
MK meteora's her back on the ropes then slams her. MK elbow drops her for 2. MK crabs her and Ami ropebreaks. Ami hits chest forearms then back elbows her. Ami slams Hima and Nao boots MK. Nao hits a knee to the body then face kicks her over the 2nd rope. MK side slams Nao.
Hima gets in and hits shoulders on Nao. Hima rolls and puts Nao's head into the mat. Nao cradles her for 2 then ddt's her for 2. Ami throws MK out then does a triangle springboard plancha outside. Nao flatliners Hima then TKO's her. Nao then picks up the win.
It was an average match and Ami had a somewhat above average debut.We didn't see a lot of selling or personality out of her but she does have some agility and with her name and decent look, she should be fine.
Pom Harajuku & Raku vs. Andreza Giant Panda & Kaya Toribami
Raku comes out with a giant pillow and Pom runs the ramp to the ring. Panda had Haruna Neko with him and someone in a tier mask. Pom and Raku rush their opponents and boot both. Raku tries to put the Panda to sleep, singing it a lullaby. The Panda goes down and falls alseep with Pom giving it the big pillow Raku brought out.
Raku and Pom stomp Panda's head in then try to do an oyasumi goodnight pinfall. They get a 2 count then Panda rolls on both of them, crushing them. Pom runs away and Panda slaps and hits Raku. Kaya running back elbows Raku then armlocks her. Raku is tripped into the 2nd rope and kicked. Kaya stands on Raku on the ropes for 2.
Panda has trouble getting in and Raku has to be held against the ropes for a long time. Panda splashes and smothers her. Raku comes off the 2nd rope onto Panda and gets nowhere. Pom dropkicks Panda, barely moving him then 2nd rope dropkicks Panda. Pom does sumo palm thrusts and is knocked over with a shot.
Raku gets on Pom's back and slaps Panda. Panda kind of headbutts both. Kaya springboard elbow drops Raku. Rom screams and is hit by Panda then Panda headbutts Kaya on accident. Raku hits Panda with the giant pillow then Pom ties Panda to the ropes. Raku slingblades Kaya then running neckbreakers her for the win.
It was all comedy as expected here. Panda had more trouble moving around than usual and really slowed things down at times. It could have been shorter.
Raku hits Panda with the pillow after.
SKE48 did a medley of songs with Yuki Arai. I popped for 1-2-3-4 Yoroshiku.
Juria Nagano & Moka Miyamoto vs. Toga & Wakana Uehara
This is one of Juria's last matches. You know the deal with big stars like this - it's a rental, not a purchase. I never felt she was around enough to reach her full potential and it's a shame as she seemed like she had some. It's real frustrating because she had some money matches and got good treatment from TJPW.
Moka armdrags Waka, who has a new haircut. I miss Waka's old hair. Moka takes her down and they stand off. JN hits kicks on Toga then Toga shoulders her over. Waka snapmares JN. Toga running back elbows JN then Waka handspring back elbows JN. Toga slams JN for 2.
JN hits knees and kicks on Toga then upkicks her. JN then does a nice thrust kick to the chest. JN flying chest kicks her and Moka hits forearms on Toga's chest. Moka running back elbows Toda then slams her. Moka stomps Toga then JN chops Toga in the back of the neck. JN flying kicks her off the 2nd rope for 2.
Toga slams her. Waka dropkicks JN then hits forearms. Waka slams her then hits a nice snap suplex. Waka armbars her then JN hits a big chest kick on Waka. JN strike combos her and hits a reverse axe kick. JN flying chest kicks her then Waka takes a double kick from both opponents. Waka dropkicks Moka then Toga slams Moka for 2.
Moka gut punches Toga then chops her in the stomach for 2. Moka cobra twists Toga while JN fujiwara armbars Waka. Toga forearms Moka down and botches a rolling move. She tries it again and hits rolling thunder. Moka throws her backwards then cobra twists her. Toga throws her off.
Moka punches Toga in the gut and JN corkscrew kicks Toga. Moka leg lariats Waka then twister brainbusters her Toga to win it.
It wasn't bad at all with Moka and Juria doing a lot of kicks. This was clearly designed to get them over and Waka/Toga were just along for the ride here.
They run the ropes fast and Rika shotgun dropkicks her. Rika lays her on the 2nd rope and stands on her. Rika snapmares her then elbow drops her. Rika gets a 2 count on a pin attempt. Masha slides up her legs and upkicks her. Masha step up knees her and face kicks her. Masha then spinning heel kicks her for 2.
Masha hits snapmares on Rika and kicks her in the back. Masha headbutts her and hits forearms and a spinning high kick. Rika catches a kick and dragon screw legwhips her. Rika figure fours her. Rika hip attacks her on the ropes then chokes her on the apron.
They roll to the floor with Rika choking her. Rika hip attacks her off the apron then Masha high kicks her outside. Maska then does a corkscrew tope through the ropes on her. Masha hits short arm clotheslines then Rika running hip attacks/back attacks her.
Rika hits a twist of fate. Masha comes off the 2nd rope with a rolling armbar. They trade forearms and Rika enzugiri's her at 10 minutes. Rika's hip attack is caught then Masha spinning high kicks her. Masha half-package piledrivers her and wins it.
I liked this one. It was fast paced and aggressive and they actually looked like they were going at it. The two really worked well together and without some of the submission attempts that didn't go anywhere, it would have been even better.
International Princess Title Match - Yuki Arai (c) vs. Yuki Kamifuku
They avoid each other's moves early then YK rolls out and takes a break. Arai's head is banged off the apron then YK slaps her. YK is sent into the post and Arai slaps her. Arai elbow drops the leg inside. YK back elbows her and dropkicks her. YK footchokes her then leglocks her.
YK chops her then is slammed. Arai face kicks her and running face kicks her in the corner. Arai then dropkicks her and top rope dropkicks her. YK face kicks her and they trade face kicks. Arai face kick flurries her then YK drops her with one. Arai face kicks her back then is facekicked on the ropes. They then face kick each other at the same time.
YK does an octopus stretch on her then YK face kicks her off the buckles for 2. Arai full nelson slams her then YK 2nd rope superplexes her. YK leg lariats her then takes a shotgun dropkick. Arai axe kicks her and wins it.
They started off really slow here for some reason and brought down the match. They then had a good match based around various face kicks. I liked it, but I would have cut off the first few minutes and just went to straight to the kicks. I think they gave you everything you would want in an ideal situation with these two and they did a good job with this spirited match.
Princess Tag Team Title Match - Ryo Mizunami & Yuki Aino (c) vs. Daisy Monkey (Arisu Endo & Suzume)
Endo dropkicks Aino but Aino just runs through it. Aino slams both opponents then her and Ryo hit running shoulders. Aino takes a double roll-up then Ryo is double dropkciked. Aino and Ryo end up outside then Suzu plancha's both.
Endo flying forearms Aino then is shouldered over. Ryo legdrops Endo then chinlocks her. Ryo machine gun chops Endo then Aino back body drops Endo. Aino running back elbows Endo then Endo hits a neckbreaker on Aino using Aino's arm.
Suzu hits dropkicks on Aino and the 3rd one knocks her down. She then facebusters her. Ryo is double teamed in the corner and hits shoulders to get out of it. Endo knees her in the back on the ropes then does a hard double axe handle on her. Endo hits forearms then Ryo spinning forearms her. Ryo lariats her on the ropes then headbutts her in the chest. Ryo then lariats her for 2.
Endo dropkicks her then Ryo lariats her over. Aino bulldogs Endo then Suzu takes a double STO. Endo and Suzu get put in submissions at the same time. Endo double jump dropkicks Aino. Suzu top rope crossbodies Aino but is caught and slammed. Aino back body drops her for 2 then sentons her.
Suzu cutters her off a missed move then Aino shoulders her over several times. Suzu forearms Endo and takes a big forearm in return. Suzu dropkicks her then Aino reverse ddt's her. Suzu rolls up Aino for nearfalls then Aino takes a jack knife + crucifix double pin. Ryo double spears her opponents then Suzu takes a sandwich standing splash. Aino karelin's lifts Suzu and Ryo uranage's Suzu.
Suzu cradles Aino for 2. Ryo takes a dropkick then a release northern lights suplex. Aino takes a slam on her chest + bulldog off the buckles combo then Suzu cutters Aino for the win.
It was okay and it went longer then it should have here at 15:57. Suzu/Endo didn't really have the big offense for the big, dramatic match they wanted here. Aino had a good performance carrying most of the workload and looked real inspired here. It was basically a midcard match in the semi-main with a little more time than usual.
Princess Of Princess Title Match - Miyu Yamashita (c) vs. Miu Watanabe
MW = Miu Watanabe
They mat wrestle. Yamashita wristlocks her then MW rolls out of it. Yamashita kicks her in the gut then headlock takeovers her. MW goes up an over, armdrags then shoulder tackles her. MW hits spears to the back and then shoulders her over. Yamashita up kicks her in the gut > legsweeps her then screw kicks her.
Yamashita back kicks her. Yamashita kicks and pump kicks her while she hangs over the top rope. Yamashita does an elevated attitude adjustment on the apron to MW. Yamashita hits a PK off the apron.
Yamashita hits kicks to the back then side throws her. Yamashita lays on her with a cobra clutch. Yamashita hits a big knee to the gut then MW pendulum backbreakers her. MW slams her and they trade shots. Yamashita knees and kicks her in the gut then lariats her. MW does a wheelbarrow giant swing.
MW then giant swings her. They fight up top and MW does a dangerous 2nd rope flapjack. Yamashita running knees her then release germans her. Yamashita triangle kicks her off the ropes. MW flapjacks her and Yamashita no sells it. MW hits sledgehammer shots then.
Yamashita drops her with a high kick then delay german suplexes her. MW powerslams her then Yamashita spinning high kicks her for 2. Yamashita buzz saw kicks her and takes a slegdehammer shot + chest slap. MW flapjacks her and wins it.
Much like the last match, it was a mid-card wrestler being asked to step up and prove herself in the main. Miu tried here and she's a real likeable face, so that can always be relied on. But in-ring, she is just not a main event talent yet. Miu really doesn't have the offense for a big match like this and it showed with her having to use chops for big moments in this one. Maybe giving her the ball like they did here is the solution, but something is obviously going to have to be done going forward. It was an okay match but it really could have been a midcard match and nobody would have thought twice.
Overall thoughts: Once again, I apologize for not covering 3 matches here. I just don't support intergender wrestling. The main and semi-main both had midcard talents getting their chance to shine and while they did okay, they didn't tear the house down. I don't know if they are ever going to be able to either. The opener was okay. Ami Yumoto had an okay debut. The tag match with the panda had issues with the panda not being able to move. Juria and Moka's match was mostly one sided but was fine. Rika and Masha had a good one. Arai and Kamifuku stepped up big and had a good one. Maybe it wasn't a classic, but TJPW did try here and nothing of what I saw was awful. I'd give it a B rating.
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