Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura Will Fight in a Hair vs. Hair Match

The heated rivalry between Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura will welcome a new chapter at New Beginning in Sapporo, with a “Hair vs. Hair” match.

By: R. Faliani

Since the beginning of their rivalry in Wrestle Kingdom 18, Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura have been fighting against each other amid a turning point for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Now, to define who is the better man, Tsuji searched deep down in his wrestling roots in Mexico and found the perfect match to end this affair: A hair vs. hair match at New Beginning in Sapporo, on February 24th.

【新日本】辻陽太が上村優也に雪辱で団体戦はＬＩＪに凱歌　２４日札幌で敗者髪切り戦が実現へ｜東スポWEB https://t.co/p2E9XEHnRl

— 岡本佑介@東京スポーツ新聞社 (@okamotospo) February 5, 2024

The rules are simple, and we have seen this type of match done in Puroresu before. Taking from Lucha Libre culture, the hair vs. hair match, commonly known as Cabellera vs. Cabellera has a simple premise: The loser must cut his hair. This match has a lot at stake because it’s not just a match where you lose something, it’s a match where you lose a part of your persona. If you’re known for having long and shiny hair, the idea of losing it can change a lot in your demeanor and how you present in the ring.

As Shota Umino and Ren Narita are having their battles, so are Tsuji and Uemura, and the four have been rocking Korakuen Hall’s crowds with incomparable action and drive. This match between both wrestlers could be the perfect first step into reaching another level of success in New Japan. But of course, one must stop and think about the possibilities that this affair presents.

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How would the wrestler maintain his game in the right place if he loses a key part of it? Would Tsuji bring out the same aura as he does now? Would Uemura be able to keep the crowds in awe of his skills?

Only one wrestler will keep his hair, but it’s on both to keep their aura in place.

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