Photo c/o TJPW
By: Jeff Brown
TJPW was at Korakuen Hall, with two titles being defended as Miu Watanabe was against Shoko Nakajima and Daisy Monkey fought against HIMAWARI and Wakana. The undercard looked to the future as rookies of the new era, Runa Okubo and Haru Kazashiro, were being tested in singles competition against Maki Itoh and Yuna Manase.
The show began with the UP UP Girls performing “Road to the Next Stage”
The opener had a simple premise: Shino has struggled in comparison to the other rookies and has yet to get a singles win. Toga, with her size and height advantage, has had a fair number of victories. A true underdog, Shino had the crowd with every comeback as she was fighting tooth and nail to get that elusive 3-count. Toga played her part as the giant obstacle wonderfully and represented the type of run Shino was desperate to have. Her winless streak ended when she grabbed an O’Conner roll, picking up the feel-good win that she treated as a big moment.
A basic match that was really about the rookies getting ring time in as they gain experience. Toribami had recently been over in the USA replacing the injured Hyper Misao for a match in Daikaiju. Chika, Kira, and Uta are recent debuts so they are limited to a few moves each as they learn from the veterans on each show. Toribami gets an arm submission for the win.
Yuna is a great mentor and has taken numerous wrestlers under her wing over the years. Having a relationship with Ganbare is extremely beneficial, as it gives the roster a chance to learn from someone who has seen it all. This was almost a trial match for Runa, who brought the intensity and hard forearms she is known for. Yuna made her fight with all her heart, and it ended with Yuna hitting a lariat.
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👑東京女子プロレス 東京・後楽園ホール
「YES！ WONDERLAND '24」○第四試合 15分一本勝負
伊藤麻希 vs 風城ハル🔽1週間無料トライアル実施中！Get a free trial for 1 week.https://t.co/RwPrmzdfzJ#tjpw pic.twitter.com/ycO25KU5d2
— TJPW 東京女子プロレス (@tjpw2013) May 6, 2024
The young Haru was a big fan of wrestling and looked up to Itoh before joining TJPW. Itoh was masterful here and just brutalized the rookie for the majority of the match. However, the fighting spirit Haru showed had the crowd behind her and was red hot. This was a big match and felt like the start of a career-defining feud for Haru. Itoh puts Haru in the Cloverleaf to get the tap out. After the match, Itoh gave Haru words of encouragement in a rare sign of respect. Even though it’s short and completely one-sided, it’s a must-watch.
The classic unpredictable lunacy that is a trademark of this brand. It started with all four asleep and built up to Raku and Rika going back and forth with a pillow. As things progressed, all four got somewhat serious, and it began to resemble an orthodox wrestling match. Aino put Pom in a grounded Full Nelson for the win.
Kakuta is wrapping up her career on July 25th so she has a shrinking number of appearances left. Arai is the International Princess Champion and teamed up with her previous challenger Kamiyu. Mizuki and Kakuta have a fun chemistry as the reluctant tag partners and it’s shame they don’t have the opportunity to have a long run together. Arai gets the pin on Kakuta after hitting the Finally kick.
Both teams were extremely popular with the Korakuen crowd, and this had a big fight feel during introductions. Endo has the confidence and movement of a top star; she really understands how to control a crowd with her wrestling and reactions, like a maestro conducting an orchestra. Suzume is the perfect tag partner, as the duo always feels vulnerable but is still credible. Suzume has a great high-speed style that complements Endo’s all-around approach. She did a dive to the floor, which was picture perfect, and that was one of the few holes in her game. Wakana and HIMAWARI have been two bright spots in this new era for the company. Both have an innate charisma and connection with the fans and have a bit of a power fighter approach. The match was high drama with a lot of near falls, which is a signature of Daisy Monkey. Towards the end, there was a 2.9 count that had the hushed atmosphere of a title change. All four did a tremendous job making the crowd bite on each counter, roll up, and submission attempt. The finish came when Endo hit her Hercules Cutter to retain their titles. A highly recommended match.
🔴📺 #wrestleUNIVERSE で独占生配信中！https://t.co/9qgzqTTrDz
👑東京女子プロレス 東京・後楽園ホール
「YES！ WONDERLAND '24」○メインイベント プリンセス・オブ・プリンセス選手権試合 30分一本勝負
＜王者＞渡辺未詩 vs 中島翔子＜挑戦者＞
※第14代王者は初防衛戦。… pic.twitter.com/s5RW2v5Kj0— TJPW 東京女子プロレス (@tjpw2013) May 6, 2024
TJPW usually delivers big time for Korakuen Hall main events, and these two continued that tradition. Shoko is often in a player-coach role and, at times lately, has been playing the hits. It’s not that she is phoning it in per se, but her place on the card has called for a mentor who is helping the younger roster along. That was all out the window, as the big match Kaiju was ready to throw every move and counter she had for the new champ. The pacing was a lot more deliberate and slower than the semi-main tag, but never boring, and it felt like they had plenty of time to build up an epic. Shoko taking Miu to the floor and catching her with a senton off the top onto the apron is the type of spot not often seen in TJPW. Miu works really well with Shoko and really showcases her strength with the smaller opponent, pulling her off the top rope into the angriest giant swing variant.
The Korakuen crowd was hot all show and really added an extra level of enjoyment to the entire card. Even with Hyper Misao and Miyu Yamashita not present, this felt like a big outing. The younger talent is finding their way, gaining more moves, and gaining their footing. It takes time for the wrestlers who are learning on the job in front of a worldwide audience, but progress is being made across the board.
TJPW had their biggest show in history with Grand Princess ’24, as well as another visit to America for WrestleMania week, continuing to roll on with that momentum. The pieces are now in place, with the young, fresh champions holding their own and carving out a new path.
Date:
May 7, 2024
Category:
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