We're back! After a rousing success last year that saw tons of new people jump on the train of joshi, Joshiuary returns to look at the year that was and examine the state of the scene as it stands today. Last year, I used this OT space to give an overview of multiple different promotions and performers (which is still somewhat (not totally) accurate!) but this time around it'll be a bit different. I'll be focusing a bit more on reviewing the past year and picking out specific performers and highlighting who has risen and who will rise in the year to come (I did, of course, go 4 for 4 in my breakout picks last year). More focus on wrestlers, less on promotions. Unfortunately we have to start with the bad news:
In Remembrance
First of all we have to say goodbye, at least for now, to a few of the wrestlers who called it a career this year both young and old. And we'll start at the top.
Misaki Ohata: This is a fresh one, as Ohata had her final match just a few days ago, in which she won the Regina Di WAVE Championship and vacated it immediately after. For the entirety of her 12 year career, she's been a staple in WAVE and just an all around great performer. She also had multiple runs in SHIMMER, which you can now actually watch because Prazak has blessed us with the tapes. She even won the SHIMMER Tag Titles for a while there with Hiroyo Matsumoto. Her departure comes at a shaky time for WAVE as a whole, as they are undergoing a company restructure. Hopefully they can see their way through it and remain strong in the latter half of 2019.
Maho Kurone: One of the saddest losses of the year, Maho Kurone seemed well on her way to a breakout year in Tokyo Joshi Pro until her sudden retirement in the summer due to an anxiety disorder diagnosis. Her character was one of a kind and she played it to perfection, and she was making strides in her ring work that figured to continue. It's a shame we might never see what she could have been, but hey maybe she'll come back someday. We can hope.
Command Bolshoi: By far the most tenured veteran on this list, Bolshoi hasn't quite retired yet, but she has announced that her last show will be in April so I went ahead and put her on this list. She debuted all the way back in 1991 for JWP and was a mainstay until the company closed in 2017. She is a unique case in joshi in that still to this day her identity is unknown, as she's maintained her masked persona her entire career. Having spent a vast majority of her entire career in one promotion (two if you count the new Pure-J), Bolshoi is in some ways underrated and not recognized for how great she is as a talent. She can work a variety of different styles and matches up well with pretty much everyone she gets in the ring with. It was very nice to see her get a spotlight in EVE a few months ago before she rides off into the sunset, as I truly believe she is a top tier joshi in recent history that largely went unnoticed by the foreign crowd. Here's hoping she can maintain her health in her retirement (back issues are what is forcing this retirement) and that her legacy can be recognized.
Io Shirai: I did this one just for foggy
Alright, now let's get to the positives! We're gonna spotlight the talent that elevated themselves to a new level in 2018 and project to go even higher in 2019.
THE RISERS
Meiko Satomura: It's amazing that even still this far into her career Meiko can be elevating herself to new heights, but she continues to do so. 2018 was the year Meiko shined anywhere and everywhere. She's always been one of the best, but this year she finally made her world tour. Whether it was continuing to do great work in Sendai, terrorizing Maki Ito in DDT, capturing championships in Fight Club PRO, being a big show highlight for EVE, or even finally making her way to WWE and making it to the semi-finals of the Mae Young Classic, 2018 was the year where Meiko's exposure finally matched the heights of her ability. I have no doubts she can continue that momentum into 2019.
Oedo Tai (and those lost along the way): The three women at the top of Oedo Tai all had banner years in their own ways. Kagetsu broke through into a permanent spot in the main event picture and became World of Stardom champion. Hana Kimura broke away from her stablemates and crafted a new off-kilter persona paired with a newfound aggression and a notable feud with her former partner Kagetsu for the aforementioned title. Hazuki meanwhile had the breakout year I expected from her, albeit in a way I did not expect. She broke away from Queen's Quest early in the year and aligned with Oedo Tai in what turned out to be a match made in heaven. Armed with a new demeanor and look, she spent the latter half of the year establishing herself as a star on the rise with both a fun feud with Momo Watanabe for the Wonder of Stardom title and a very strong run in the 5 Star GP. With both Hazuki and Kagetsu holding titles and Hana firmly in the mix, 2019 figures to be a continuation of their collective rise.
Maki Ito: ERA's favorite idol monster, Maki Ito continues to improve at a rapid pace. Her profile continues to rise and her popularity right along with it, no more evident than when she finished third in the DDT General Election (and led voting most of the way). Her mix of the idol look with the aggressive and sharp personality really works (even if I have misgivings with the look itself). She's managed to carve out a niche all her own and stand out in a great way. The one thing I think she is missing is a truly breakout singles match, and that might be right around the corner. On one of TJPW's biggest cards of the year on January 4th, she finds herself in the main event challenging long-reigning champ Miyu Yamashita for the Princess of Princess Championship, the highest title in the company. That match could define 2019 for Maki, and it could propel her to an even higher level than she's already reached. Let's find out.
Momo Watanabe: Y'all didn't seriously think I was going to make it through this without talking about Momo, right? 2018 was the year of Momo's rocket push and I think she delivered on it at every turn. She had great matches with every manner of opponent including (but not limited to) Mayu, Kyona, Hazuki, Kagetsu, and Io, and even got good stuff out of Natsuko and Sumire at the end of the year. She delivered in the GP with multiple high-end matches and then paired well with super-rookie Utami in the tag tournament. Is she a finished product? Absolutely not. Is she wildly far down that path for someone of her age and experience level? Undoubtedly. She is 18 years old and is delivering at a main event level week in and week out. 2018 was her breakout year, but her best is yet to come. Barring catastrophe, Momo will be a name we're talking about for a long time.
ASUKA: I will readily admit that I don't follow WAVE as closely as I should, but let me tell you why ASUKA rocks. She's rapidly improving in her young career, won the Regina Di WAVE title this year and is the first openly-transgender joshi champion. Her story is great and she's incredibly easy to root for. I only get two media embeds in this post, but I'm going to use them for some excerpts from an interview she did with a Japanese website LGBTER. I encourage everyone to click through and read the whole interview. It's a fantastic piece. Here's to a great 2019 for her.
Tam Nakano: This one's for Spirit of Jazz . So I'll let him lay out the case (per his Carnies post):
Tam spent the beginning of this year faction-hopping after being evicted from Oedo Tai and building to one of the crazier matches of the year with the Exploding Bat Death Match on April 1st. Her story of finding a new stable earlier in the year was fun, and she used it well as a springboard into bigger things later in the year, including winning the Artist of Stardom titles with Mayu and Saki. Now she finds herself going into the new year with her first major singles title match lined up in January with certified star Momo Watanabe, so she is lined up for maybe an even bigger 2019.
There are tons more I could have shouted out who had great years and are poised to continue in 2019 (Hikaru Shida, Tsukasa Fujimoto, AZM, DASH, Hashimoto, and on and on) so I'm sure I left out someone's fave, so if you have more suggestions for people who had a great year or figure to break out soon, post about them here and I'll add them in! Now, onto the matches!
The Matches
I'm mainly going to handle these in just a list format because I can't embed anymore media. I'll link them where I can, and tell you where to find them if I can't. This list is by no means comprehensive and certainly does not suit all desires, but as with the previous list, if you have recommendations lay them out and I'll add them in! So onto the list. These are a selection of the joshi matches I'd say passed the threshold of greatness last year. Part of the goal here is to highlight a lot of different names. Check them out! New Year's joshi binge-watching! (h/t to Joshi City for a lot of links)
- Io Shirai vs. Momo Watanabe for the Wonder of Stardom Title: February 18th and May 23rd (both of these matches work together to tell a great story of a student overcoming the teacher)
- Reika Saiki vs. Miyu Yamashita for the TOKYO Princess of Princess Title
- Io Shirai and Tam Nakano vs. Kagetsu and Natsu Sumire in an Exploding Bat Death Match
- Io Shirai vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Meiko Satomura
- Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Risa Sera for the ICExInfinity Title
- Kagetsu vs. Mayu Iwatani for the World of Stardom Title
- Momo Watanabe vs. Mayu Iwatani for the Wonder of Stardom Title
- Aja Kong vs. Hikaru Shida
- Arisa Nakajima vs. Rina Yamashita
- Chihiro Hashimoto and Meiko Satomura vs. Io Shirai and DASH Chisako
- Arisa Nakajima and Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Yoshiko and Command Bolshoi
- Cassandra Miyagi vs. Hikaru Shida
- Kagetsu and Hazuki vs. DASH Chisako and Chihiro Hashimoto
- ASUKA vs. Takumi Iroha for the Regina Di WAVE Title (I legit cannot find a link to this match anywhere, but it's worth subscribing to the WAVE Network for)
- Momo Watanabe vs. Hazuki for the Wonder of Stardom Title
TJPW 1/4 Show
I'd be remiss to not mention the upcoming January 4th Tokyo Joshi Pro show that will stream live on DDT Universe before Wrestle Kingdom. It's one of their biggest shows of the year and features multiple matches that should be great (including Meiko Satomura vs. Reika Saiki and the aforementioned Maki Ito vs. Miyu Yamashita title match).
And that's it! What a year it was for joshi, and it's primed to continue to grow stronger in 2019 with a ton of great performers already established and those on the cusp of breaking out. I hope this OP succeeds in grabbing those of you who have a passing interest or have not engaged with the style to at least check out something new!
As always, the OP ends with the customary ridiculously long list of streaming services, including many joshi services now!
Japan
New Japan Pro Wrestling - The top Japanese promotion. On Demand streaming service with all major events streamed live, often with English commentary.
http://njpwworld.com - 999¥/month
Dragon Gate Pro-Wrestling - Usually considered the #2 promotion in Japan, Dragon Gate's matches are focused around speed and factions.
https://dragongate.live/ - 1500¥/month
DDT Pro-Wrestling - The kind of company where you will see some great top end matches and outlandish comedy on the same show. The streaming network, DDT Universe, includes content from DDT, Tokyo Joshi Pro, BASARA, and Ganbare Pro-Wrestling.
http://ddtuniverse.com/ - 900¥/month
All Japan Pro-Wrestling - Once the top company in Japan, AJPW is now a shadow of its former self. As long as it's the home of the one true ace, Kento Miyahara, it is still worth your time and attention.
https://www.ajpw.tv/ - 900¥/month
Big Japan Pro-Wrestling - If you enjoy deathmatches and beefy hosses fighting each other, then you will need to check out Big Japan. BJW Core, their VOD service, is not great, unfortunately.
http://www.bjwcore.com/ - 888¥/month
Pro-Wrestling NOAH - The current home of Naomichi Marufuji, NOAH was once famous for holding matches with wrestling legends like Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, and Jun Akiyama. Now a pale imitation of itself at its peak, NOAH is the home of hard-hitting action in front of small audiences.
World Wonder Ring Stardom - The top joshi promotion in Japan currently. On Demand streaming service with English subtitled content.
http://www.stardom-world.com/ - 750¥/month
Pro Wrestling WAVE - A secondary joshi promotion in Japan. Updates to its VOD network are sporadic. Home of ASUKA, for now.
http://zabun-japan.com/wave_network/ - 800¥/month
Marvelous That's Women's Pro Wrestling - Chigusa Nagayo's joshi promotion, Marvelous streams all of its events at decent qualities.
https://freshlive.tv/marvelous - 600¥/month
Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling - Meiko Satomura's joshi promotion, Sendai Girls is home to Satomura and Chihiro Hashimoto, two of the top joshi wrestlers working today.
https://sendaiglobal.pivotshare.com/home - $5.99/month
North America
Ring of Honor - Owned by the despicable Sinclair Broadcasting, Ring of Honor (ROH) was once the the top independent wrestling company in the US. They rely heavily on its relationship with New Japan and the Elite.
Past Events @ http://rohwrestling.com/membership - $7.99/month
Weekly TV every Thursday @ http://rohwrestling.com/membership Current PPV's $15-35/show
EVOLVE - US independent wrestling company that now serves as the testing ground for NXT wrestlers so they can wrestle wrestlers who are not (currently) signed with WWE. The WWN family of events (Evolve, FIP, ACW, and their all women promotion, SHINE) airs on their streaming service, Club WWN, or on Fite.tv.
http://wwnlive.com - $9.99 for membership in Club WWN, with a 50% discount for Club WWN members on $19.99/show. There is no discount on Fite.tv.
PWG - The top super indy in the world, PWG gathers wrestlers from around the world for its major events. PWG's bookers haven't tried to book storylines in their shows in forever, so they're booking matches for the sake of having matches these days. Shows can be exhausting, and the delay from show to release is maddening.
http://www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com/merch/ - $15/DVD $20/Blu-Ray
Old shows can be found on http://www.highspots.com/c/PWG-VOD.html for $15/show.
Impact Wrestling - The company that was Total Nonstop Action joined with Global Force Wrestling and along the way became Impact Wrestling. It's decent enough, but it will never shed the stink of TNA and GFW.
https://globalwrestlingnetwork.com/ - $7.99 for archival TNA and Impact Wrestling content
https://www.twitch.tv/impactwrestling?ttid=ec708df3c4 - free Twitch channel that streams old TNA and Impact content
Highspots Wrestling Network - A hodge-podge of independent wrestling VOD content, from AAW to Bar Wrestling to CZW to Dubai Pro Wrestling (!). Also has a back catalog of PWG and even some PROGRESS shows On Demand.
https://www.highspotswrestlingnetwork.com/ - $9.99/month
Powerbomb.tv – A growing network of live streaming and on demand independent wrestling content, Powerbomb.tv is the streaming home of Beyond Wrestling and Nova Pro Wrestling. Powerbomb.tv and Smart Mark Video announced in 2017 that Smart Mark Video content would also appear on Powerbomb.tv.
https://powerbomb.tv - $10.00/month - $100.00 for one year
Major League Wrestling - A company that was revived in 2017, MLW is trying to position itself as at least a competitor to Impact Wrestling. It has a weekly TV show that it also carries on its YouTube channel. The shows are okay.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNL6Rxxy-LtEdwH3YPbVS2g
Chikara Pro - One of the older independent wrestling companies still running, Chikara Pro fills a niche for explicitly family friendly lucha libre-inspired wrestling. Its King of Trios tournament is usually a highlight of the year.
http://chikarapro.com/chikaratopia-subscriptions - $7.99/month
Combat Zone Wrestling - JEEZUS, it's the ultraviolent wrestling company that gave us so many classic gifs over the years. "Laying the law once again, prepare for war!/CZW!"
https://www.czwstudios.com/home - $9.99/month
Game Changer Wrestling - The promotional partner that brought you Joey Janela's various shows and Matt Riddle's Bloodsport, GCW is also the promotional home of the king, the fucking god of this shit who would rather die than not do this shit, MDK, h8 club, eastern block, gang affiliated man.
Lucha Underground - A TV show about a wrestling show featuring some of the most notable lucha libre wrestlers working today. The stories are melodramatic, and the show is no longer streaming on Netflix. The promotion is probably dead.
El Rey Network, SlingTV or US iTunes - $40/26 episode season
AAA - Lucha libre promotion, many of its stars were featured in Lucha Underground. They live stream some of their events at https://go.twitch.tv/luchalibreaaa
Clips and shows posted to https://www.youtube.com/user/luchalibreaaatv
CMLL - The premiere lucha libre promotion in Mexico.
"http://www.clarosports.com/en-vivo02 I think on fridays, and streams on YouTube too for the Monday and Tuesday shows: https://www.youtube.com/user/VideosOficialesCMLL"
SHIMMER - At last, SHIMMER has joined the streaming wars with its VOD service. Shimmer is the top US women's promotion, and its back catalogue includes matches featuring the likes of Beth Phoenix, Becky Lynch, Paige, Asuka, Natalya, Mickie James, Ember Moon, Blue Pants, Nikki Cross and more. At this time, the streaming service is up to show 63; the DVDs are up to 81; the next live taping is for shows 109-112.
https://www.streamshimmer.com/ - $9.99/month
Europe
PROGRESS - The top of the bustling UK indy scene, benefiting greatly from its close relationship with the WWE. The crowds are hot, and the matches are usually pretty good.
https://demandprogress.pivotshare.com/ - $7.49/month
Revolution Pro Wrestling - Pairs the top level British talent with the top indy stars from the US, and through a partnership with New Japan, the top Japanese stars. Employs Josh Bodom.
https://rpwondemand.pivotshare.com/ - $8.49/month
Westside Xtreme Wrestling - The top European company that is often forgotten about, wXw is famous for its annual 16 Carat Gold tournament, which features some of the best wrestling in the world.
https://www.wxwnow.com/en - 999 Euro/month
Insane Championship Wrestling - A Scottish company that is focused on adult-focused wrestling content that pays homage to the WWE's Attitude Era.
https://icwondemand.pivotshare.com/ - $6.99/month
Over the Top Wrestling - An Irish wrestling company, OTT provides a balance of action and comedy in its shows. They'll sometimes put up their really great matches on YouTube for free.
https://www.ottwrestling.com/vod
Riptide Wrestling - An English wrestling company that is trying to innovate how wrestling looks on your screen.
https://riptidewrestling.pivotshare.com/ - $7.50/month
Pro Wrestling: EVE - Trying to carve out a niche in the UK as the feminist, antifa, premiere women's wrestling promotion in Europe, EVE has had some great women's wrestling since its start. If you can get over how it liberally pays homage to New Japan Pro Wrestling's events, it'll be fine.
https://eveondemand.pivotshare.com/home - $9.99/month
Others:
Japan: Pro Wrestling Zero1, Michinoku Pro Wrestling, Osaka Pro Wrestling, Wrestle-1, Ice Ribbon, Oz Academy, YMZ (https://filmuy.com/ymz)
Australia: Melbourne City Wrestling
United States: AIW, Limitless Wrestling, CWF Mid-Atlantic Wrestling
Canada: Border City Wrestling
Mexico: The Crash Lucha Libre
Europe: Fight Club Pro, ATTACK! Pro Wrestling, Preston City Wrestling, IPW:UK, SMASH
Africa: Africa Wrestling Alliance, World Wrestling Professionals
Israel: Israeli Wrestling League, Ultimate Wrestling Israel, All Wrestling Organization
For more on lucha libre, check out
Lucha TV - "They legally upload many of the lucha indies events:"
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCycDOsJg6tInGaVbZylMFmg
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