Tokyo Joshi Pro - My life; let's enjoy!! (10/19/2019)

2. Hikari Noa vs. Raku

Like the Hikari-Miu match in Ryogoku KFC, this showed the individual growth of the Up Up Girls. Raku showed a strong desire to win, with an array of new moves, including an improved sleeper hold with body scissors.

***1/2

4. magical sugar rabbits (Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki) vs. Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima

This match served as a prelude to Shoko Nakajima vs. Yuka Sakazaki, but was also a symbol of Tokyo Joshi's 2019. An epic tag match among arguably the four pillars of the promotion. Great chemistry and consistently hot action.

****1/4

5. International Princess Championship: Yuna Manase (c) vs. Maki Itoh

Ito and Yuna are such opposites that I didn't know what to expect from them, but they ended up working a very good match. Itoh is small, but she has so much charisma and confidence that her dominating Yuna during certain portions worked. The match was well laid out and had a hot finishing stretch with a shocking finish.

***3/4

6. Princess Tag Team Championship: NEO Biishiki-gun (Misao & Saki-sama) (c) vs. PINK READY (Mina Shirakawa & Yuki Kamifuku)

The pairing of Mina & Kamiyu have been having great performances since February, and their performance in this title match was appropriately the best yet. This match had a frenetic pacing, and lots of exciting double teams and momentum shifts.

****

Stardom - World Champion Wars 2019 (10/14/2019)

5. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Arisa Hoshiki (c) vs. Kagetsu

Ogawa-san called this the most anticipated match of the second half. And it did feel like there was a special energy shrouding the match, but the wrestlers were unable to harness it. This was a letdown. The pacing wasn’t there, and I’m not an execution mark, but there were notable flubs. I’m not one to complain about long matches either (I generally enjoy New Japan and NOAH’s longform epics), but this felt really long.

6. World of Stardom Championship: Bea Priestley (c) vs. Hana Kimura

This was a match filled with violence, charisma, and dramatic tension. Some strikes were brutal and there were several dangerous techniques that targeted the head or neck. Hana’s showmanship exploded as she met the dominant champion’s brutality and disrespect with her own. I didn’t know what to expect from this matchup, but these two felt like natural opponents and created something special in Korakuen Hall.

****1/4