Suzume and Rika Tatsumi Reach Final Round of TJPW Tokyo Princess Cup

By: Noah Leatherland

The semi-finals of the TJPW Tokyo Princess Cup took place in the Osaka 176BOX, with a final four narrowed down to a final two. Set for August 23rd, the final round will be contested between Suzume and Rika Tatsumi.

First up, Tatsumi collided with Toga in the semi-main event of the show in Osaka. In a battle between senior and junior, the fall was decided by Tatsumi connecting with a Missile Hip.

Speaking in her post-match comments, Toga reflected on the loss against ‘The White Dragon’ Rika Tatsumi, and where she is on her journey as a professional wrestler:

I made it to the semi-finals, but… I lost. I’d beaten Yuki [Aino] and told her, ‘Blue flames are powerful, you know,’ but I couldn’t beat the dragon’s flames after all. I really wanted to defeat the Dragon, and it’s incredibly frustrating that I didn’t manage it, but it’s shown me exactly where my current level stands—and that I’m still not quite on a par with my seniors… especially as my victories this time were all come-from-behind wins. Today’s match really made me realise that there are still areas where I haven’t quite caught up in terms of ability, but I’m still growing, so I intend to keep improving and I’m determined to surpass them one day.

Then, in the main event, the International Princess Champion, Suzume, came up against HIMAWARI. Suzume took one step closer to becoming a double champion, pinning HIMAWARI off her signature Ring a Bell cutter.

Speaking afterwards, HIMAWARI was determined to turn this setback into fuel for future success:

It’s so frustrating… I didn’t manage to win this year either. Since I’d made it this far in only my second tournament, I really wanted to aim for the title. And the fact that I was drawn against Suzume-san at this stage felt like fate, which is exactly why I was so determined to beat her—so it’s incredibly frustrating. But I won’t give up just yet. I’ll turn both last year’s tears and this year’s tears into fuel for my growth. HIMAWARI isn’t just for summer—it’s for winter too—and next year, to bloom into an even bigger, bigger flower, I’m going to store up these tears. So please, let’s not give up together, and please keep cheering me on.

As such, the finals are set, with Princess Tag Team Champion, Rika Tatsumi facing off with International Princess Champion, Suzume. The bout is set for August 23rd in Korakuen Hall.

In their post-match comments, the finalists looked ahead to their upcoming climactic clash.

Tatsumi:

Well, I think I might have finally seen a side of Toga I’ve never seen before. I’ve always felt she was underutilising her potential. She’s got such a great build and incredible physical strength, plus that mysterious charm that has everyone around her smitten—she’s got all the right qualities. But I’ve always felt she was just a step short of something. I really wanted to experience that, so today I went all out myself. But the fact remains that I’m still a cut above her. Next time we face each other, I’d like her to show me a different side of Toga. That’s how I managed to reach the final for the first time. And my opponent there is Suzume. Gosh, I fought Suzume in the quarter-finals a while back, and I lost then. Not only that, but when we faced each other in the tag tournament final, I lost to her head-to-head as well. She’s my arch-nemesis. So I really didn’t want to face her. But I can clearly see just how in top form Suzume is right now, so if I’m going to face her anyway, I’m going to crush her completely and win my first tournament in my eleventh year! Everyone, watch this space.

Suzume:

I’ve made it through the semi-finals! This is the first time I’ve got this far, and the first time I’ve reached the final. It took me four years to get back here after first making it into the top four, and I did feel that if I missed out this year, another chance might be a long time coming. I’ve truly managed to make my way through this gruelling, tough tournament. And my opponent in the final is Rika. Hmm… she’s the one person in the tournament I’ve both desperately wanted to face and desperately wanted to avoid. However, I do believe it’s fate that we’re meeting here, and I see this as the ultimate test for me, so I intend to keep charging ahead at Korakuen Hall, aiming for the top spot.

(Quotes translated via DeepL)

Here are the full results for TJPW Tokyo Princess Cup Semi-Finals, courtesy of purolove.com:

• Chika Nanase def. Momo Sato (5:34)
• Mizuki def. Shion Kanzaki (7:38)
• Miu Watanabe, Raku, Shino Suzuki & Uta Takami def. Shoko Nakajima, Wakana Uehara, Haru Kazashiro & Ren Konatsu (11:23)
• Miyu Yamashita def. Pom Harajuku (7:09)
• Yuki Arai, Yuki Kamifuku & Yuki Aino def. Hyper Misao, Arisu Endo & Sakura Hattori (10:19)
• Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Rika Tatsumi def. Toga (14:23)
• Tokyo Princess Cup – Semi Final: Suzume def. HIMAWARI (12:35)