Today is the anniversary of Hana Kimura’s passing, and her family and friends celebrated her life with the fifth installment of her Memorial Show series with HANABI (Fireworks) at Korakuen Hall. The show was broadcast internationally on Triller. Commentary was presented by Shota (Play-by-Play). Fumi Saito (Analyst; occasional English explanation) & Mio Momono (Guest: currently out of action; previous Memorial Show participant; Marvelous).
Much like previous years, the show is split into several parts: opening remarks, the fun-loving undercard, the “serious” wrestling, and the closing ceremony featuring a final Hana call with paper streamers. On a show like this, it’s hard to select recommended matches because the show should be viewed holistically as it celebrates all the different facets of wrestling that Hana loved, spanning from serious to comedic. If you want to smile and laugh through the tears, definitely watch the first five matches. If you’re in the ‘I want actual wrestling at my wrestling shows’ camp, the final three matches, starting with the three-way lucha rules tag match and the double main events, will be your bread and butter.
Of course, the closing of the show will give you that nice throat punch in your feelings, so have that crying towel at the ready.
HANABI (Fireworks)
Connections (Tsunagu) YUNA vs. Tae Honma defeated YUNA (6:55) – via Submission
Last year, Sendai’s Girls’ YUNA wrestled against Rina, and much like Rina, YUNA looked up to and aspired to be like Hana. This year, she opened the show against Tae Honma, a very popular independent wrestler, who wrestled against Hana in tag matches in 2017 (ActWresGirlZ) and 2018 (PURE-J). This was a nice showcase to show YUNA’s growth in her relatively short career, and Tae Honma is always a pleasure to watch.
“Hana’s Field Day” (Hana no Undokai) Battle Royal – Death Yama-san wins (17:00) – via eliminating Shuji Ishikawa over the top rope
Each fall, Japanese schools from elementary through high school celebrate Sports Day with a school-wide field day. This match mixed your standard Over the Top Battle Royal with Field Day Mini-Games sprinkled in throughout the match. The participants were divided into the white and red Teams (the standard colors in elementary school, reversible sports hats). Super Delfin led Ram Kaicho, Fuminori Abe, Death Yama-san, and Civilian Munenori Sawa as Lingerie Muto dressed in Kyoko Kimura’s old gear on the white team against Yuki Miyazaki, leading Banana Senge, Tsutomu Ohsugi, Yuko Miyamoto, and Cherry on the red team.
Although the participant field was considerably smaller compared to previous years, the inclusion of the field day games like a chicken fight, tug-o-war (with audience participation), a relay race up and down the stairs of Korakuen Hall, and kusudama wari (a ball filled with confetti, streamers and often a celebratory message like a pinata) added a fun twist. Two “Big Bomb Guests” were announced throughout the match, with Unagi Sayaka bringing forth the supplies for tug-of-war and Shuji Ishikawa in a three-size-too-small hat hoisting Cherry onto his shoulders for added height with the confetti ball.
Death Yama-San won by pulling a Three Stooges-esque sequence of a double eye-poke and kick to Ishukawa’s groin, before gently chucking him off the apron. Much like every year, the battle royal was light-hearted, comedic, and for those who have experienced a field day, rather nostalgic, just the way Hana would have liked.
Not Standing on Ceremony Intergender Match (Bureiko): Aja Kong defeated Seigo Tachibana… thrice in less than five minutes
In previous years, both Tachibana and Kong have been featured in the Battle Royal and other matches on the memorial show cards. Tachibana tends to lean into the comedy of his ‘Big Bro’ character (who tends to lose a lot), but tonight he wore his pride as Hana’s wrestling classmate, losing in short order to Kong twice, but requested rematches.
“With this poor performance, I can’t show my face to Hana as her class match, please let me try again.” – Seigo Tachibana
Aja not only fielded his requests, but also conferred with Hana’s portrait at ringside to make sure Hana would want to watch Kong beat up her training partner over and over. Kong repeatedly defeated Tachibana with a back fist, followed by a pin, and on the third time, she made sure to add her signature metal can headshot spot as well.
After the match, Kong asked Hana, “Hey, Hana, did you enjoy our match? Well, she’s smiling, so we’ll go with yes. There aren’t too many who would take my backfist and lose, but come back asking for seconds and thirds. While it may be crazy, you know, that’s what makes you stand out as Hana’s classmate. Hey, Stupid, yes, you , I am talking to you (Tachibana), next time, I’ll make sure Hana also gets her fill of backfists in a match.”
Gorgeous 3-Way Match Tough Love: Jaguar Yokota defeated Shin Hana Kimura (Sakura Hirota) & Mensore Oyaji (8:23) – via pin on Mensore
Note: Ai no Muchi literally translates to “Whip of Love.”
Celebrating forty-nine years of wrestling, Jaguar Yokota got tasked with whipping Sakura Hirota and Mensore Oyaji into shape! Much like most of the matches on the card, this was a purely fun time, with Hirota resuming her annual homemade Hana Kimura cosplay and Mensore Oyaji bringing the breezy nature of Okinawa, and both of them bringing out Yokota’s playful side. If you’re ever curious to see how cute a 63-year-old Jaguar could be in stomping her foot like a petulant child ready to take her toys and go home, this is your match.
There is minimal wrestling, and Referee Keigo Yonshino even gets in on the comedy, but that’s part of the fun, seeing even the most elevated and serious wrestlers let loose and laugh.
Special 3-Way Tag Scorching Heat (Shakunetsu): Mika Iwata & Miyuki Takase (Red Energy) vs. Sareee & Natsupoi vs. Hiroyo Masumoto & DASH Chisako (Reiwa Ultema Powers) – 15-Minute Time Limit Draw
It was announced that this match would be contested in lucha libre no tag rules with a 15-minute time limit, and given the high level of competition and skill amongst these well established tag teams, I knew the minute it was announced, this match would go the full time and kick off – the “real wrestling” portion of the card in high gear.
The connections between Hana and the majority of wrestlers in the ring were from her pre-STARDOM era of wrestling, especially in Wrestle-1 and Sendai Girls, with a handful of pre-Bushiroad era Stardom matches as well. Outside of Natsupoi, who is still central to STARDOM, the bulk of the talent are either SenJo regulars or prominent freelancers who not only have history with Hana, but her mother, Kyoko, as well. The only sadness that could be expressed in watching this hard-hitting, fast-paced match is simply seeing the abundance of talent and wondering what could have been had Hana been able to wrestle them all today. Each of them has aspects that complement Hana’s, from speed to power to technical ability.
Much like previous years, this is simply a pro-wrestling love letter with all the wrestlers pouring their hearts out and “wrestling Hana’s portion” of the match as well. Time runs out with Sareee unable to put Matsumoto away, butshe does a chest stomp with a little extra emphasis on it after the bell.
Double Main Event 1: Dream Tag “Wind, Waves & Wrestling (Kaze to Nami to Wrestling)”: Konami (STARDOM) & Minoru Suzuki defeated Chihiro Hashimoto & Shotaro Ashino (18:40). Suzuki flash pinned Ashino
Wanting to avenge her loss against Minoru Suzuki and Hiroyo Matsumoto at KENOH’s All The Bastards Assemble Special Show, Chihiro Hashimoto joined forces with Shotaro. With little time to prepare, two of the best suplexes in all of wrestling joined forces to challenge Konami and Mr “Kaze ni Nare,” himself, Minoru Suzuki. The King of Pro-Wrestling bestowed his tag partner with her own signature Suzuki towel of her own as they entered together.
Much like their intergender tag match at the KENOH show, Suzuki’s only request was “I want the strongest opponents possible,” so following up a tag with Manabu Soya with Shotaro Ashino, she is finding arguably some of the highest quality opponents to satisfy Suzuki’s demands. Conversely, his stipulation for tagging with Konami (outside of their shared interest in MMA) was shotgunning a beer backstage at KENOH’s show after making her request to tag together. While I was aware of how Hashimoto, Ashino, and Konami’s relation to Hana, I was floored to learn that Minoru Suzuki tagged with Aja Kong and Meiko Satomura to defeat Hana Kimura, ISAO & Kyoko Kimura at Kyoko’s Retirement Show, Last Afro, in 2017.
Much like Hashimoto and Ashino’s styles complement one another, Suzuki might have found a new tag partner in Konami, especially with her submission-heavy offense. This combination of wrestlers makes me excited to see them wrestle again in the future, but with Konami being full-time with STARDOM, the Hana Kimura Memorial Show might be the only venue we can enjoy such delicious violence. With less than two minutes left, Suzuki got a sneaky seated Gotch-style pin. Ashino got an exceptionally rare hat-tip from The King himself, insinuating they’ve got unfinished business.
Double Main Event 2: Fighting Spirit (Tamashi) VENY defeated Rina (17:48) – via pinfall after a moonsault
If the “double main event” stipulation needed to be evoked, I am glad that this match was the one that ended the wrestling portion of the show. Except for a 6-woman tag in 2023, VENY has closed each of the Memorial shows with special singles matches featuring some of the key wrestlers from Hana’s career: Kagetsu (win; 2021; now Yu Ishino; retired), Syuri (loss; 2022), and Utami Hayashishita (loss; 2024). As Hana’s former indie tag partner (as FloÜrish) and best friend, she still carries on Hana’s memory in her performance.
Rina, who was the youngest to join Tokyo Cyber Squad and inherited much from Hana (including her finisher Hydrangea and TCS ring gear) at 12, has now graduated high school, alongside her twin sister, Hina, and is now eighteen. Since the dissolution of TCS, her being lost in a bet to OedoTai and the group’s rebrand into H.A.T.E., Rina managed a 512-day reign with the Future of STARDOM Championship. She defeated Ami Sohrei and went on to defend it successfully twelve times (including one over her twin sister) before losing it to Miyu Amasaki. Due to the double booking of STARDOM’s Yamanashi show in 2021, Rina was unable to participate at Mata, Ne, but she consistently participated in subsequent years with a singles match against Shin Hana Kimura (Sakura Hirota; 2024), the 6-woman tag alongside Death Yama-San & Konami against VENY, Natsupoi & Syuri (2023), and Sendai Girls YUNA (2024).
While VENY simply wore an event tee over her gear, Rina rocked up in a special ring jacket trimmed in pastel pink, blue, and lavender (three of the most popular Hydrangea colors), a vivid black and fuchsia bob reminiscent of Hana’s pale cropped hair, and Hana’s TCS Cyberpunk Katana. In place of a friendly handshake, they just spit in each other’s faces before starting to brawl in the ring. Rina’s H.A.T.E. cohort, Konami, decided to also “assist at ringside”. For those newer to STARDOM, they were both in TCS with Hana before its dissolution. It wouldn’t be a proper fight around Korakuen Hall without a greeting to the West (and East) stand sign(s). In an interesting twist of events, both VENY and Rina embraced their heel personas to serve as a reminder that Hana, too, was savage at times.
At the heart of this match was their love for Hana, but VENY in particular really helped everyone show how much Rina has grown and flourished as a wrestler in recent years. The closing sequence had lots of near falls, but in the end, VENY edged out Rina with two spinning heel kicks, followed by a picture-perfect moonsault.
“Let’s run this back again sometime.” – VENY to Rina
“It’s frustrating to lose, but I feel like I was able to show Hana-san how much I’ve grown. However, losing just doesn’t sit well or suit me, so you can expect revenge coming your way! I sincerely hope Hana-san was able to watch this match happily. I’ll do everything I can in Hana’s stead.” – Rina, in response
Closing Ceremony & Hana Kimura Call
Rina ushered in the closing ceremony, asking Kyoko and all the participants to the ring. Kyoko asked Rina to lead the crowd in the final Hana call and the throwing of the paper streamers.
The closing video started with a montage of Hana and highlights from matches, including the STARDOM Draft where Tokyo Cyber Squad was born, starting with Jungle Kyona, Konami, Ruaka, and last, a recently graduated from the Kids’ Fighter Class, Rina, who was picked last and quickly became Hana’s project. After flashes of Momo Watanabe, Bea Priestley, and Giulia, it focuses on Rina going from her teary comments about carrying on Hana’s legacy to her current incarnation as H.A.T.E.’s Pink Devil. It closes with the original members of TCS doing their “Yes, Sir” Salute.
Like each year, the video transitions the participants, each saying the show theme, Hanabi (Fireworks), just like previous years. The two surprise video inclusions were Jungle Kyona, who recently returned to wrestling after her second round of knee surgeries and who took up the mantle of leader of TCS after Hana’s passing and Giulia, who got injured shortly before last year’s show and then got spirited away to WWE later in the summer. The video montage closed with Kyoko and the little cat she entrusted to her mother, Kimura Lawson Karaage-Kun (yes, the cat is named after a convenience store fried chicken).
Recommended Matches
Jenny Rose & Oedo Tai (Hazuki & Kagetsu) defeat Hana Kimura, Stella Grey & Sumie Sakai (7:46) – G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden (4/6/2019)
Much like New Japan at the time, Stardom had occasionally sent talent to Ring of Honor. This was as her star was rapidly rising as the leader of Tokyo Cyber Squad, and she would win Stardom’s 5STAR Grand Prix a couple of months later.
5STAR Grand Prix 2019 Finals: Hana Kimura vs. Konami (STARDOM WORLD)
With wins over Hazuki, Momo Watanabe, Avary, Natsu Sumire, and Tam Nakano and losses against Mayu Iwatani and AZM, Kimura advanced to an all-Tokyo Cyber Squad Final with Konami. Her notable wins and losses, paired with the tournament win, easily secured her place in the spotlight for the second half of 2019 and made her a forerunner for the next generation of stars in STARDOM.
Giulia vs. Hana Kimura – Time Limit Draw (15:00) Stardom Year-End Climax (12/24/2019)
Bushiroad had formally acquired Stardom several months prior, and amidst the transition, Giulia made waves by departing Ice Ribbon and arriving in Stardom. With both women being of mixed heritage, Hana being half-Indonesian and Giulia being half-Italian, as well as being two of Stardom’s hottest acquisitions, their rivalry quickly drew a lot of eyes both domestically and internationally to Stardom.
STARDOM’s Tokyo Dome Debut Dark Match: Arisa Hoshiki & Mayu Iwatani vs.Giulia & Hana Kimura (1/5/2020) Wrestle Kingdom 14
This was STARDOM’s first big showing on NJPW Programming after being acquired by Bushiroad. It has never been broadcast on NJPW or STARDOM World. My hope is that one day this match is released on both platforms to honor Hana’s contributions, as well as those of Iwatani, Giulia, and Hoshiki, all of whom have now left STARDOM as well. The gear she wore at the Tokyo Dome was the unfortunate plot point during her participation in Terrace House, and became the domino effect leading to the cyberbullying and eventual loss of her life.
Bonus Recommendation: Giulia vs. Mayu Iwatani – Time Limit Draw (5/23/2021) Yamanashi
Each year, I recommend this match because it was the closest we’ve gotten to Giulia vs. Mayu participating in-ring in this series.
Previous Hana Kimura Coverage at POST
If you want a comprehensive journey of Hana Kimura and her legacy here at POST, please enjoy these programs and lovely show reports for your watch-along needs!
- RASD: Hana Kimura Passes Away (5/22/2020) by John Pollock & Wai Ting
- Hana Kimura passes away at age 22 (5/23/2020) by John Pollock
- Best Match Ever: Hana Kimura (5/22/2021) Davie Portman, Braden Herrington & WH Park
- POST PURORESU: BONUS! (5/23/2021) WH Park & Dylan Fox
- POST Daily News (5/24/2022) Wai Ting & Kate from MTL
Hana Kimura Memorial Show Reports
- Mata, Ne (5/23/2021) by John Pollock
- BAGUS! (5/23/2022)
- PINX! (5/23/2023)
- Terima Kasih (5/23/2024)
Just remember that everyone is different, and everyone is good! Yes, Sir! Mata, ne! (See you soon!)
