Yuki Arai Makes Miu Watanabe Submit at TJPW Prelude to Grand Princess

By Noah Leatherland

TJPW were in Shin-Kiba 1st RING for the Prelude to Grand Princess, with the big event itself just a few weeks away. In the main event, Yuki Arai fired a warning shot at the Miu Watanabe ahead of their Princess of Princess Title match, making the champion submit.

At last week’s TJPW First Sparkle show, Watanabe had made Arai submit to a backbreaker submission. Here in Shin-Kiba 1st RING, the two women met again in tag team action. This time, Watanabe filled her ranks with Toga and Uta Takami, while Arai teamed with HIMAWARI and Shino Suzuki.

Fates would switch at TJPW Prelude to Grand Princess, as Watanabe found herself in Arai’s signature submission, the Scorpion Deathlock. As Watanabe reached for the ropes, Arai reached back and pinned the champion’s hand down to the mat. With her spine being bent, Watanabe finally relented and submitted, a rarity for the champion.

After struggling in other preview matches, this win was a major boon to Arai’s confidence, as she shared in her post-match comments:

Today was the first time I managed to beat Miu. Ever since I was named as the challenger, I’d been thinking all along that I would become champion, that I would win, and I’d worked my way to this point. But because I’d never actually managed to win, somewhere deep down I couldn’t fully believe in myself. I kept wondering if I was doing the right thing. So winning today, like this, has allowed me to think: I can do this. I can pull it off. There’s less than a month left, but today proved I wasn’t wrong. I want to push forward with confidence from here. I won’t let anyone think today’s win was just luck. I’ll work harder to be a different version of myself at Ryogoku, win again, secure the belt, become champion, and lead Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling forward. Thank you.

In Watanabe’s comments, despite being shaken by this result, the loss has only made her even more determined heading into TJPW Grand Princess:

I lost directly to Yuki Arai. Today, I was absolutely determined to win. Last week, I targeted her waist and won directly, so today I was going for the win again. I fought to show Arai my strength, to challenge her, to go for the win. But I lost. I realise now that the more strength I throw at Arai, the more she returns it. Throughout this period, I’ve really felt she’s an opponent who can push me to new heights. So today’s loss wasn’t what I intended, but I will never lose again. I will reach the Ryogoku Kokugikan, and beyond that, for the rest of my life, I will never lose to Yuki Arai. It’s simply a matter of me becoming much, much stronger. I will become stronger.

Yuki Arai challenges Miu Watanabe for the Princess of Princess Championship at TJPW Grand Princess on March 29th.

Here are the full results for TJPW Prelude to Grand Princess, courtesy of purolove.com:

• Kaya Toribami def. Shion Kanzaki (7:15)
• Rika Tatsumi def. Mahiro Kiryu & Ren Konatsu (7:55)
• Suzume & Arisu Endo def. Hyper Misao & Mifu Ashida (9:05)
• Yuki Kamifuku & Wakana Uehara def. Kira Summer & Chika Nanase (9:40)
• Mizuki, Raku & Pom Harajuku def. Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro (0:06)
• Mizuki, Raku & Pom Harajuku def. Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro (10:54)
• Yuki Arai, HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki def. Miu Watanabe, Toga & Uta Takami (14:07)