Hashimoto Sets Nov. 22 Korakuen Defense Against Manami

By: Thom Fain

Manami asked for the World title shot again after Saturday’s Shin-Kiba show, and the champion told her to bring that feeling to practice.

Chihiro Hashimoto will put the Sendai Girls World Championship on the line against Manami on Nov. 22 at Korakuen Hall, with the date set after Saturday’s SENJO 20th Anniversary Tour show at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring. It will be Hashimoto’s tenth defense of the reign.

Hashimoto, 34, and Ryo Mizunami had just beaten VENY and YUNA before a full house when Manami, who had already been named the next challenger, came to the ring and asked for the title shot again. YUNA had turned a Hashimoto powerbomb into a front neck lock, and Hashimoto came back with a spear and finished her with a lariat.

Manami told Hashimoto that she is the one who will beat her “in this universe,” the only one who can surpass her, and asked to challenge for the belt. Hashimoto, sounding puzzled, said it was already decided, then took the request as a show of spirit. She named Nov. 22 and told Manami to bring the same feeling to practice every day, not only to the ring.

Manami first asked for the shot on Oct. 10 at Sendai Sunplaza Hall, after Hashimoto beat Spike Nishimura for her ninth defense. Manami said she wanted to shine more and needed the singles belt to do it.

The champ made it official today in Shin-Kiba.

Hashimoto has held the title since she beat Meiko Satomura on March 19, 2025, and Nov. 22 will be day 613 of the reign. Manami has challenged for it once before, on March 27 at Sendai PIT, and lost in Hashimoto’s fourth defense. Hashimoto has said she will keep defending the belt until Nippon Budokan.

Manami, 22, debuted in 2017 and is a former Sendai Girls Junior champion; her 406-day reign from October 2019 is the longest in that title’s history. She and Mizunami held the World Tag Team titles from April 12 to June 13, when they lost them to Red Energy (Mika Iwata and Miyuki Takase). Earlier on Saturday she beat ZONES with the Fourward.

The Nov. 22 show is on a Sunday, with doors at 10:30 and a start time of 11:30.

It also holds the final of the eighth Jajauma Tournament, and Wrestle Universe streams it live with Japanese and English commentary.