Dream Slam Weekly (Vol. 1) with Karen Peterson

In the debut edition of the POST Dream Slam Weekly, Karen Peterson guides you through all the latest Joshi news from across the world.

April 30, 2022 Karen Peterson Exclusives, NEWS, RECOMMENDED
Photo Courtesy: WWE

Welcome to POST Dream Slam Weekly!

By: Karen Peterson

I am very excited to start this weekly round-up of women’s wrestling from around the Japanese scene, as well as their appearances around the world. I am excited to start my own virtual joshi learning excursion, so I hope to build this into making the joshi scene more visible and accessible for English-speaking fans. In full transparency, I am learning about many of these promotions for the first time. I want to also highlight the women living and working abroad, too, because wrestlers like Asuka, KAIRI, and Io Shirai and all the international participants in the Mae Young Classics are a significant reason why I became more invested and interested in women’s wrestling. 

You will notice that this first edition will include some short background on each of the companies, and it is not a comprehensive list, so if I have omitted any company or particular talent, it isn’t on purpose. Also, many of the notations below on talent are in reference to their participation or relation to Stardom because that is how I am learning about many of these freelancers and other companies. I want to help provide a platform for women’s wrestling, but there is a steep learning curve involved as well as there there is limited availability of information in translation as well as details histories. However, I hope through this experience, I am able to bring what I learn to the POST community. 

Korakuen 60th Birthday Joshi Dream Festival Results

On April 15th, Korakuen Hall celebrated its sixtieth birthday with a special two-day event. It was broadcast within Japan on SkyPerfect TV/Fighting Samurai TV. KAIRI would join the show as a special guest with the commentary team. This would be her first public appearance since Stardom’s World Climax in March. With over forty participants, the show boasted a robust nine-match card, including twenty-six participants who debuted in the historic venue (designates a debut in Korakuen Hall ⊛). Those who debuted in Korakuen Hall had their debut date included on their entrance placards for the new LED boards on the balconies. 

While this event happened mid-month, I felt it was notable enough to be included in this opening report because of the history involved and if you come across the show, it is a perfect collaborative event. I do with that TJPW and more freelancers could have been included in the show as well.  No international broadcast availability or English commentary is available. Unfortunately, it seems that none of the promotions included in the event were able to include this event in their online catalogs. 

Complete Results

  • Singles Match: Maria (Marvelous) and Riko Kawahata⊛ (T-HEARTS) drew (10:00)
  • Tag Match: Asahi⊛ (Ice Ribbon), Crea⊛ (PURE-J) & Kaho Matsushita (Ice Ribbon) defeated Kanon (Sendai Girls), Madeline⊛ (DIANA) & Nanami⊛ (DIANA) (9:24)
  • 6-Woman Tag Match: Hibiscus Mii (Ryukyu Dragon), Sakura Hirota (WAVE) & Yuki Miyazaki⊛ (WAVE) defeated Kaori Yoneyama⊛ (YMZ), Tomoko Watanabe⊛ (Marvelous) & Yuuki Mashiro (Ice Ribbon) (13:03)
  • 6-Woman Tag Match: Koguma⊛ (Stardom), Manami (Sendai Girls), Chie Ozora⊛ (PURE-J) defeated Yuko Sakurai⊛ (COLORS), Riko Kaiju⊛ (SEAdLINNNG), Lady C⊛ (STARDOM) (8:52) 
  • 6-Woman Tag Match: Kyoko Inoue⊛ (DIANA), Sonoko Kato⊛ (OZ Academy) & Leon⊛ (PURE-J) defeated AKINO⊛ (OZ Academy), Ayako Sato⊛ (OZ Academy) & Rydeen Hagane (PURE-J)  (10:21)
  • Tag Match: Best Friends Tsukasa Fujimoto (Ice Ribbon) & Arisa Nakajima⊛ (SEAdLINNNG) defeated Yuriko Oka (Sendai Girls) and Ai Houzan (Marvelous) (9:34)
  • Tag Match: Cosmic Angels Mina Shirakawa & Unagi Sayaka⊛ (Stardom) and Haruka Umesaki (DIANA) and Rin Kadokura (Marvelous) Draw (15:00)
  • Tag match: Team 200 KG Chihiro Hashimoto (Sendai Girls) and Yuu⊛ (PW EVE) defeated MIRAI⊛ (Stardom) and Maika Ozaki (Freelancer) (18:51)
  • 6-Woman Tag Match: Maya Yukihi (OZ Academy), Mayumi Ozaki⊛ (OZ Academy) & Starlight Kid⊛ (Stardom) defeated Nagisa Nozaki⊛ (WAVE), SAKI (COLORS) & Takumi Iroha (Marvelous) (29:31) 

International Excursions & Adventures (April 2022)

Deadlock Pro {@DeadlockPro}

The Lady Destroyer, Hiroyo Matsumoto, dropped by Raliegh, NC for DPW Forever on April 16th to participate in the DPW Women’s World Title Championship Qualifier against Rosemary. Rosemary defeated Matsumoto to advance. The full event is available on DPW’s streaming platform. Event tag: #DPWFOREVER

Pro-Wrestling: EVE Riot Grrrls {@ProWrestlingEVE}

On Saturday, April 23rd, Emi Sakura (Gatoh Move) and Shoko Nakajima (TJPW) headed to London, England to participate in Global WOM3N Strike. This was Sakura’s first time back with EVE in eleven years. The first half of the event is available for free on EVE’s YouTube Channel. Those who subscribe will be able to EVE Champion Tier members on their EVE on Demand plan will be able to see Part 2. Event Tag: #GLOBALWOMENSTRIKE

Global WOM3N Strike Results

  • Nakajima defeats Alex Windsor (14:17) – on the second half of the show
  • Sakura defeats Charlie Morgan (13:23) – on the second half of the show

Game Changer Wrestling {@GCWrestling_ | #GCW}

I remember the buzz when Rina Yamashita was announced for GCW in November 2021. As I am putting this together, I discovered that she’s returning to the US for the Downward Spiral show in Las Vegas (May 28th) and the back-to-back Tournament of Survival VII shows in Atlantic City June 4th-5th).

Prestige Wrestling {@WrestlePrestige}

Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling’s (TJPW) Maki Itoh and Miyu Yamashita go to Portland, Oregon for Prestige Wrestling’s Roseland 3 shows on May 28th-29th. Itoh will wrestle Mia Yim and Yamashita wrestle Masha Slamovich on Saturday, and then Itoh and Yamashita will wrestle with one another on Sunday, May 29th. Streaming will be available on IWTV. Event tag: #PrestigeRoseland

Garden State Pro-Wrestling {@GardenStatePW}

This promotion will debut on Saturday, July 23rd at The Heart Ballroom (Newark, NJ) with Welcome to Eden. They just announced TJPW’s Miyu Yamashita as one of the competitors on this inaugural show. 

Introductions & Round-up (alphabetical)

Actwres Girl’Z  {@beginning_pro | #アクトレスガールズ}

Action Ring Girl’Z { @actring_ARG | #アクトリング}

At the end of 2021, AWG underwent restructuring. The company created by Act Yuka Yasukawa blended wrestling with stage performance/acting but with an in-ring setting. Over the last year, notable names to surface in Stardom include Mai Sakurai, Waka Tsukiyama, Ami Miura (now Sōrei), and Momo Kohgo. Notable freelancers include Tae Honma, Kaho Kobayashi, Miyuki Takase, and a very brief return of former Stardom mainstay, Arisa Hoshiki, before she indefinitely suspended all activities in 2021. Maya Fukuda made her debut in GLEAT on their Foundation Day show, in a LIDET UWF Rules match against Chihiro Hashimoto. 

The independent freelance troupe COLOR’s, originated in AWG, with several members electing to form a freelance unit after their group was nixed from AWG. Their brand of pro-wrestling is action fiction fantasy with themed troupes.  

DIANA {@W_W_W_DIANA |#ディアナ }

Kyoko Inoue is the wrestling legend at the helm of DIANA with fellow legend Jaguar Yokota as lead trainer. This promotion is another smaller, tight-knit one, but one with veins in the history of the women’s scene with Inoue and Yokota training individuals who could become key players in the future of women’s wrestling in Japan. 

  • On April 29th, Stardom’s Pink Kabuki (Cosmic Angels’ Mina Shirakawa & Unagi Sayaka) challenged for the WWW DIANA Tag Team Championship against Haruka Umesaki and Miyuki Takase before heading to the Cinderella Tournament Finals. This was a continuation of their rivalry with Umesaki which started at the Cinderella Rumble when Shirakawa and Umesaki were eliminated simultaneously. The teams wrestled to a time limit draw, and as a result, Shirakawa and Unagi recruited Umesaki to be “X” in the main event with them for New Blood 2.
  • Yokota was also present at the announcement for the fundraising campaign for Shinjiro Ohtani, who was injured at a ZERO1 show earlier in the month. 

Gatoh Move & ChocoPro {@GatohMove | @GatohMove_JP | #ChocoPro #gtmv}

Those who followed AEW will be familiar with some of their key players who appeared not only in the Women’s World Eliminator Tournament Japan Bracket: Emi Sakura and Mei Suruga (Stardom’s 2022 Cinderella Rumble Winner). Sugura had an outstanding High Speed Championship match against AZM.  Yuna Mizumori is scheduled to face Lady C at New Blood 2 in a singles match as well. 

Girls’ Pro-wrestling Unit COLOR’S {@GPU_COLORS | #GPU_COLORS }

GPU COLOR’S is a four-woman freelance group! The members are SAKI, Hikari Shimizu, Rina Amikura, and Yuko Sakurai. Recently, Amikura and Sakurai were announced for Stardom’s New Blood 2 (May 13, 2022) where they will clash with Saya Iida and Momo Kohgo. Kohgo, Amikura & Sakurai were all formerly in Actwres Girl’Z COLOR’s together. SAKI represented the group in the main event of the Korakuen 60th Birthday Joshi Dream Festival. The group will also participate in the inaugural NOMAD’s Freelance Summit: No Home… Yes, Ambitious! (see NOMAD’s in MAY 2022 Highlights below).  

Next Big Event: COLOR’S☆Festival (May 15, 2022) – Basement Monster (Tokyo) which will feature wrestling and live performances! Unfortunately, they do not have live streaming or VOD at this time. 

Announced Matches

  • COLOR’s Title: SAKI vs. Kakeru Sekiguchi
  • Yuko Sakurai vs. Riko Kawabata
  • More to be announced soon

COLOR’S also made waves yesterday at Stardom, when they came down to the ring after Cosmic Angels’ won the trios gauntlet match at the Cinderella Tournament Finals. Before she joined Stardom, Tam Nakano got her start in Acrwres Girl’Z, and had a match with Hikari Shimizu. 

GLEAT {@LIDET_ENT | #GLEAT #GPRO #LIDETUWF}

It’s a GLEAT Place to Start! If you aren’t watching GLEAT, you’re missing out on a very accessible window to learn about the depth of the independent women’s scene in Japan. While Michiko Miyagi and Yukari Hosokawa are the only women signed to the promotion, they have a revolving door of guest participants including Sendai Girls’ Chihiro Hashimoto, Actwres Girls’Z Maya Fukuda, and Madeline & Haruka Umesaki (DIANA), as well as a bevy of freelancers like Nanae Takahashi, Ryo Mizunami, and Momoka Hanazono. 

In addition to standard pro wrestling matches, they also employ their version of the UWFi (shoot-style) Rules set, which I personally enjoy. The rookie journey of Maya Fukuda in the UWF division and the dominance of Chihiro Hashimoto in it, are two of my favorites originating in GLEAT. If you are curious about the independent scene and where you could possibly check out representation from some of the smaller women’s promotions. Check out their YouTube page for plenty of free matches and show archives. Michiko Miyagi and Prominence’s Akane Fujita will wrestle on G-Wrestling vol. 24 on May 3rd in Osaka.

Ice Ribbon {@IceRibbon_eng |@ICERIBBON_jp}

The originator of the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex, Manami Toyota, passed her signature move to one person and one person alone… and that successor is Tsukasa Fujimoto. Those who remember Giulia’s arrival in Stardom coincided with a very chaotic departure from IR, where she got her start. However, in her absence, Ice Ribbon has grown despite some growing pains. 

  • Triple Main Event at Yokohama Budoukan! On May 4th,  Ice Ribbon will have a large event featuring Tsukushi Haruka defending the ICE Cross Infinity Championship against Asahi, Tsukasa Fujimoto’s Indefinite Hiatus Memorial Tag Match, and Tsukushi’s Retirement Memorial Tag Match in a triple main event. For the final match of the night, Tsukushi and Tsukasa will team together against Nanae Takahashi and Hamuko Hoshi. Fujimoto insists that she isn’t retiring from wrestling, but will indefinitely suspend all her in-ring activities. Fujimoto will tag with Ibuki Hoshi against SEAdLINNNG’s Arisa Nakajima and Hikaru Shida (AEW). Full match card here. 

JUST TAP OUT {@JUST_TAP_OUT |#pw_jto}

Shortly after her arrival in Stardom, Giulia would scout TAKA Michinoku’s JTO prodigy, Maika, for Donna del Mondo. At New Blood 1, two more of JTO’s talents would make their Stardom debut with Aoi and Tomoko Inaba participating in a tag match with Hanan and a returning Saya Iida. While they lost, the pair would return in the Cinderella Rumble at Stardom World Climax The Top as well as make a return for New Blood 2 (May 13th).  

  • For those ordering TakaTachi Mania 2.5 (roughly $24 for the iPPV) on NJPW World on May 6th, Aoi and Madoka will compete against Prominence’s Suzu Suzuki and Akane Fujita. The card will also feature a women’s tag match with JTO’s Yuu Yamagata & rhythm versus Sumika Yanagawa & Risa Kagura, allowing fans to experience the variety of women’s wrestling available in JTO.

Marvelous {@Info_Marvelous |@MarvelousInter |#Marvelouspro #マーベラスプロレス}

Between Takumi Iroha turning heads against Syuri in the Five Star Grand Prix 2021 and Rin Kadokura appearing in AEW’s Women’s Eliminator Tournament Japan Bracket and teaming with Mayu Iwatani in the Goddesses Tag League, Marvelous is another promotion that is rapidly gaining traction. Oh, and it is led by Japanese wrestling legend, Chigusa Nagayo. Throughout the pandemic, Marvelous is a name that has been circulating around Stardom, largely because their ace, Iroha, originated in Stardom and is their reigning AAAW Singles Champion.  Currently, they are in the midst of the 6th AAAW Tag League with their next show on May 1st. Additionally, Maria and Ai Houzan have made recent appearances at Stardom as well. 

OZ Academy {@INFO_OZAcademy|#OZアカデミー }

Established in 2006 with Mayumi Ozaki at its chairwoman, notable roster members include Aja Kong, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Kaori Yoneyama, Rina Yamashita, Yuu, Saori Anou & Maya Yukihi. OZ is another place where it seems the notable independent and freelancers congregate. Those who watched the second Mae Young Classic would remember Hiroyo Matsumoto for her match with Rachel Evers (Rachael Ellering) and Ozaki and Yukihi teamed with Starlight Kid at the Korakuen 60th. 

Prominence {@Prominence2022 | #プロミネンス #PROMINENCE}

In late 2021, five key players from Ice Ribbon- Risa Sera, Suzu Suzuki, Mochi Natsumi (formerly Miyagi), Akane Fujita & Kurumi Hiiragii- departed the company to form their own women’s deathmatch freelance quintuplet. They made waves, arriving in Stardom back in January to remind Giulia of the chaos she created when she departed IR in 2019. While they have been tangled with Giulia and Donna del Mondo in Stardom, they have worked in multiple promotions since their launch as a unit.  

The group held their inaugural death match show on April 24th at ShinKiba 1st Ring. For those with Wrestle Universe, the show is available as they’ve partnered with DDT for the show. The second installment of their independent show series, Kuen Ranbu, will take place on May 29th with a return to ShinKiba 1st Ring. Members Risa Sera and Suzu Suzuki will face one another in a match. 

PURE-J {PUREJ-PRO | #PUREJ}

Several members from PURE-J participated in the Korakuen 60th Birthday Joshi Dream Festival. Run by Command Bolshoi, PURE-J is a company with its own roster, but also one where guests from other promotions and freelancers also participate.  AKARI, a Chilean wrestler as a member of their roster, also calls PURE-J her home. I am excited to learn about another foreign talent making strides in Japan. 

SEAdLINNNG {@SLINNNG | #SEAdLINNNG }

If you watched Stardom’s All-Star Dream Cinderella (3/3/21) at Nippon Budoukan, you would recognize Yoshiko who had a very emotional match against Mayu Iwatani. You would have also seen ALL of the SEAdLINNNG crew in their logo jerseys at ringside seconding the match. Yoshiko became wildly popular on TikTok during the pandemic as she baked her way into everyone’s hearts with her pro-wrestler baking series of videos, which resulted in her releasing a cookbook! Arisa Nakajima is the current champion and she has a full plate as she helps IR’s Tsukasa Fujimoto wind down her final week of wrestling before Fujimoto begins are indefinite suspension of activities. This company is another one where many inter-promotional matches occur and many freelancers pass through. 

Sendai Girls {@SendaiGlobal|@senjo2006 |#仙女 #sendaigirlspro }

Founded by Meiko Satomura, SenJo is one of the most deeply rooted women’s wrestling promotions in the modern era of joshi wrestling. UK women’s wrestling mainstays, Charli Evans and Millie McKenzie made their way to Japan to work with Satomura and the talent in the dojo as would Sasha Banks at a later date. Now with NXT UK, Satomura left the company in the capable hands of Chihiro Hashimoto, Dash Chisako, Mika Iwata, and their tight unit. Arguably one of the pillars of the women’s wrestling scene SenJo is another hotspot for freelancers and other women’s promotions such as OZ Academy, Just Tap Out, and 2AW to work together. They give back to the local community, especially after the Great Tohoku Earthquake in 2011. 

  • Their next big show will be May 6th at ShinKiba 1st Ring and will also be crucial support for the Hana Kimura Memorial Show on May 23rd. They hosted Kyoko Kimura and the program events committee for the match card press conference earlier this month. While Satormura is still reigning supreme over the NXT UK Women’s Division, the SenJo team is making the rounds, welcoming all challengers. 

Stardom {@We_Are_Stardom | @WWR_Stardom | #STARDOM #スターダム}

Stardom Summer 2022 Big Match Schedule

Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling (TJPW) {@tjpw2013}

Yes! Wonderland 2022! On May 3rd, Reika Saiki will retire from professional wrestling, opting to see other opportunities and diversify her entertainment career in Korakuen Hall. TJPW will hold the retirement ceremony in addition as part of their action-packed card for Yes! Wonderland 2022, featuring Magical Sugar Rabbits (Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki) defend their Princess Tag Championships against Free WiFi (Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta) and  Shoko Nakajima defends the Princess of Princess Championship against Hyper Misao. Maki Itoh & Miyu Yamashita will also tag together against Moka Miyamoto & Hikaru Shida and Chris Brookes, Baliyan Akki & Hiroshi Arai will provide live English commentary for the show. The show will be streamed live on Wrestle Universe. 

TJPW Summer 2022 Big Match Schedule

WAVE {@P_W_WAVE |#wavepro}

Nagisa Nozaki, Regina Di Wave Champion, was one of the six women to main event Korakuen Hall’s 60th Birthday Joshi Festival. While her team lost, she certainly drummed up a lot of interest in the potential for PW Wave. WAVE is another promotion that during the pandemic began networking with other women’s promotions and freelancers, so there are many crossover opportunities for their roster.  

YMZ Gokigenna ProWrestling {@YMZpro | #YMZ}

Kaori Yoneyama’s fun-loving, lighthearted independent promotion. I had the pleasure of experiencing their First Sunrise Show of 2020 when I visited Japan for the first time in six years. Arguably one of the hubs for freelancer wrestlers regardless of gender with a mixture of styles, personalities, and fun games. There is a rumor that her doppelganger runs with OedoTai, as the forever formidable Fugiken Death. 

Meanwhile in North America…

Nosebody Was Ready For Asuka (WWE RAW; April 25th)

Monday night, the long-awaited return of Asuka to competition finally arrived. Interrupting Becky Lynch’s promo in only the way she could, The Empress of Tomorrow punctuated her point with a little flick of fingers to Lynch’s nose. I cannot wait to see how this unfolds. She’s been greatly missed. 

Quick Catch-ups

  • Ruby Soho, Anna Jay & Skye Blue defeat Nyla Rose, Emi Sakura & The Bunny (AEW Dark) – Short,  but sweet match. Wished it was a bit longer and on broadcast TV.
  • Tiffany Stratton defeats Sarray again. (NXT 2.0; April 19th) – Every epic magical girl journey requires a villain.   

Holy Shida & Deeb’s Impact (AEW Dynamite; April 27th)

Having just experienced a Chicago Street Fight at NJPW Windy City Riot, I was curious to see what Serena Deeb and Hikaru Shida would bring to a Philadelphia Street Fight. They had a rather solid one, and I enjoyed the creativity they both brought to the match. Shida has multiple matches in Japan during Golden Week (a series of national public holidays in Japan), so this was a great way to write her temporary exit off US television until her return. Also, the gear was quite nice. Shida’s denim patchwork kimono is going to live rent-free in my head and heart for a long time. 

Shida will compete on TJPW (5/3), Ice Ribbon (5/4), Pro-wrestling WAVE (5/5), and MAKAI ~Black Night~ (Volume 69; 5/13), so she has a packed Golden Week ahead of her!

Could Stardom Leap Through The Forbidden Door?! 

I highly recommend Justin Barasso’s interview with AEW’s Tony Khan & NJPW’s Takami Ohbari (Sports Illustrated; April 20, 2022). While it is exceptionally optimistic, no official comment from Bushiroad or Stardom Executive Producer, Rossy Ogawa has been made on the potential of Stardom’s participation in the event. It is worth noting that Stardom does have their June iPPV, Fight in the Top on June 26th in Nagoya (the same date as AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door). After the Fukuoka Goddess Festival (May 5th), their next full roster iPPV will be May 28th with Flashing Champions, following New Blood 2 (cross-promotion invitational) on May 13th.    

Independent Scene Spotlights for May 2022

Hana Kimura Memorial Show {@mm85adKcZDBeliQ | #木村花バグース}

BAGUS! As May 23rd, rapidly approaches, we are all reminded of the loss of Hana Kimura and the countless lives she touched around the world. On the second anniversary of her passing, her Kyoko Kimura will hold the second memorial show, BAGUS! The full match card has been announced, including a tornado tag team battle royal, an exhibition match featuring Jungle Kyona (Freelancer) versus a partner of her choosing, and the main event single’s match with Asuka (VENY) and Syuri (Stardom). 

The event will be held at Korakuen Hall. While there have been mentions about the possibility of an event live stream like last year on Fite TV, there are no international broadcast details or English commentary available at this time. 

Announced Match Card 

  • Singles Match: Mensore Oyaji (Okinawa PW) vs. X
  • Tag Battle Royal:
  • Mika Iwata/Chihiro Hashimoto (SenJo)
  • Seigo Tachibana/Shotaro Ashino (AJPW)
  • Dash Chisako/Hiroyo Matsumoto
  • Hanako Nakamori/Tsubasa Kuragaki
  • Banana Senga/Tsutomu Ohsugi (SOS)
  • Fuminori Abe/Munebori Sawa (BASARA)
  • Shisa Oh/HUB (Okinawa PW)
  • Cherry/Masahiro Takanashi
  • Super Delphin/Miyuki Takase
  • Yuko Miyamoto/TBD (PW666)
  • Ryo Mizunami/TBD

Battle Royal Rules

  1. Tornado Tag Team Format once all competitors have entered the ring.
  2. Pinfall, Submission, or Over the Top Rope Eliminations (OTTR)
  3. Tag Teams are eliminated once both competitors are eliminated
  4. When it gets down to the last five remaining participants, if their partners have been eliminated, they rejoin the match.
  5. Once the Final Five start, the OTTR stipulation is removed from the match.

NOMAD’s Freelance Summit {@NOMADS_fs | #NOMADS_fs}

No Home… Yes, Ambitious! May 20th will see the inaugural freelance summit produced by NOMAD’s, a group of four female freelancers Sumire Natsu, Miyuki Takase, Rina Yamashita, and Maya Yukihi. The pandemic was a challenging time for female freelancers in particular as many promotions scaled back their involvement, so they wanted to create a space where everyone could work together as equals. 

Natsu was previously in Stardom as a member of OedoTai, and GCW fans will recognize Yamashita from her visit in November last year. The staff will consist of entirely freelance wrestling professionals and will be led by Natsu, who elected not to wrestle on their first show. The ring announcer will be Michiko Nonaka and the referee will be Atsushi Ishiguro. English content is also provided by a freelance translator, Mr. Haku.

Announced Match Card 

  • Singles Match: Tae Honma vs. Momoka Hanazono
  • 6-Woman Tag: Kaori Yoneyama, Makoto & Maika Ozaki (YMZ) vs. Hikari Shimizu, Rina Amikura & Yuko Sakurai (COLOR’s)
  • Return Match: Kaho Kobayashi vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto
  • Semi-Main: SAKI & Saori Anou vs. ASUKA (VENY) & Yuu
  • Main Event: Rina Yamashita & Maya Yukihi vs. Miyuki Takase & Ryo Mizunami

There has been discussion about the potential of internet broadcast of the event and international availability, but no concrete details are available at the time. Should it become available, I’m sure they’ll inform us!

Weekly Match Selection

As I worked on this inaugural installment, some less than stellar release announcements came along, so I wanted to pick a match to watch celebrating someone who I personally enjoyed during her tenure in NXT. When I attended the Mae Young Classic in 2017, Evie (Charlie) would represent New Zealand and make her debut as Dakota Kai. I had asked some friends in Australia about her, and I was sent a video of her jumping off a balcony, and then this great documentary by Melbourne City Wrestling (2017). 

I learned that she not only cycled through Stardom, was an Artist of Stardom Champion (with Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kellie Skater as Hyper Destroyers), and challenged Mayu Iwatani for the High Speed Championship, but also dropped in at Sendai Girls & DIANA as well! It makes me wonder if she would consider a return to Japan in the future when travel becomes more amenable, should she desire to make a return. 

This video was made available on SHIMMER Women Athlete’s Official YouTube channel in June 2020 (during the height of the pandemic). 

  • Promotion: Shimmer Wrestling
  • Show: SHIMMER 62 (April 5, 2014)
  • Competitors: Evie vs. Hikaru Shida
  • Venue: Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
About Karen Peterson 108 Articles
Occasionally drops by wrestling podcasts, but remains rather elusive. Joined the Japanese wrestling fan scene in summer 2017, and continues to work on bridging the language gap between fans. Outside of wrestling, she’s a dog mom, perpetual Japanese learner, and when conditions permit, world traveler. Never skips dessert.
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