Well that didn’t take long. On social media today Mayu Iwatani anounced that after leaving Stardom earlier this week she has signed with Marigold, former boss Rossy Ogawa’s current promotion. She had been with Stardom for all of her 14 year career until this past weekend.
Tag: pro wrestling
Injury Report: Masa Takanashi Update
DDT has finally provided an update on Masa Takanashi after he suffered what appeared to be a serious injury in his last match against Chris Brookes-he remains hospitalized but is now out of intensive care and is starting rehab. DDT posted this statement from Takanashi, translated into English:
“I’m sorry to have made you all worry due to my situation.
I have now been moved to the general ward and I just started on rehabilitation. Right now I am at the stage where I am just moving the tips of my toes, but I hope that I will be able to meet you all again one day as I continue to work on my recovery.
As someone of this industry, I take all critical comments and encouragements as I face up to my current situation.
And to Chris and the fans everywhere, I hope you can all carry on with your lives without worry.”
DDT and Chocolate Pro Wrestling, a small independent promotion started by longtime women’s wrestler Emi Sakura (who also competes in All Elite Wrestling) are preparing new merchandise and online stores which presumably will serve as fundraisers for his medical treatment. Further details on this TBA.
More as it becomes available.
Stardom 4/29/25 Results
After a massive roster shakeup following Sunday’s biggest event of the year that has seen Thekla fired, Tam Nakano forced to retire (at the very least she is done with Stardom) and Mayu Iwatani leave the promotion, Stardom tried to move on today with their first Golden Week Tour event .
Today’s event was held at Fukuyama Big Rose in Hiroshima and can be watched on demand on Stardom World. Broadcast plans were TBA as of Sunday but today wound up being a live broadcast.
The announced paid attendance was 557.
Match 1: Waka Taukiyama beat Akira Kurogame.
Match 2: Syuri & Ranna Yagami beat Saya Iida & Momo Kohgo. Syuri beat Kohgo with Ground Suzaku.
Match 3: Hazuki & Koguma beat Lady C & Tomoka Inaba. Hazuki pinned C after Bear Love.
Match 4: Saya Kamitani, Natsuko Tora, Ruaka & Azusa Inaba beat Natsupoi, Yuna Mizumori, Sayaka Kurara & Yuria Hime. Inaba pinned Kurara after Bubber Killer 2.
Match 5: Starlight Kid, AZM & Miyu Amasaki beat Maika, HANAKO & Rian. Amasaki pinned Rian after Tensei.
Main Event: Konami & Rina beat Saori Anou & Aya Sakura. Konami pinned Sakura after Triangle Lancer.
The next event is Thursday at Takamatsu Symbol Tower in Kagawa. Brodcast plans TBA.
New Japan 4/29/25 Results (Updated)
New Japan ran another special standalone event today, called “Wrestling Hizen Country”, like WRESTLING REDZONE it seems to replace the traditional Wrestling Satsuma No Kuni event normally held around this time of year.
Today’s event was held at Saga Arena in Saga and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.
The announced paid attendance was 1604.
Match 1: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Masatora Yasuda by submission.
Match 2: Hartley Jackson (Independent/Freelancer), Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. beat Katsuya Murashima, Boltin Oleg & Yoru Yano. Oiwa pinned Murashima after The Grip.
Matxh 3: TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, Tomohiro Ishii, Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura beat BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & Tetsuya Naito. Uemura pinned BUSHI with a kannuki suplex hold.
Match 4: Taiji Ishimori, Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, Gabriel Kidd & David Finlay vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Sho, Ren Narita, SANADA & EVIL went to a no contest. Out of control. Afterwards, Finlay demanded a Dog Pound Cage Match where the losing side (War Dogs or House Of Torture) must leave Bullet Club. That match will happen on 5/3 at Day 1 of WRESTLING DONTAKU.
Match 5: Jacob Austin Young, Francesco Akira & Callum Newman beat Ryusuke Taguchi, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto. Newman pinned Taguchi after Firebolt.
Match 6: El Phantasmo beat NJPW WORLD TV Champion Great-O-Khan to win the title. Phantasmo becomes the 9th NJPW WORLD TV Champion. That didn’t take long. Next up: If Phantasmo gets his way, Konosuke Takeshita.
Match 7: Master Wato & Yoh beat IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Feam Champions Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles to win the titles. Wato & Yoh become the 78th IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Wato pinned Fujita after Falcon Blow. Reminder that TMDK also stands for The Mighty Don’t Kosei.
Main Event: IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado beat Templario to retain the title. V5 for Desperado. In post-match comments Desperado put the soon-departing BUSHI & Naito over saying if they keep wrestling elsewhere he’ll keep watching them.
The next event is tomorrow at Grand Messe Kumamoto in Kumamoto for the first of the last 2 dates of the Road To WRESTLING DONTAKU Tour. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 2:30 AM PT/5:30 AM ET. The final event Thursday is non-televised.
UPDATE: As is always the case with these title matches, as of 7 PM PT/10 PM ET you also can now watch the NJPW WORLD TV Championship match FOR FREE on YouTube.
UPDATE: It’s now official. Phantasmo-Takeshita for the NJPW WORLD TV Championship has been added to Day 1 of WRESTLING DONTAKU 2025 on 5/3.
Special Event-Meiko Satomura THE FINAL LIVE Results (4/29/25)
Before going on extended hiatus for a trip to Japan, the spotlight will be on Sendai Girls as they hold a special event today in Tokyo for the retirement of Meiko Satomura, one of the most respected Japanese women’s wrestlers of all-time with a list of accolades to match and the co-founder of Sendai Girls along with fellow wrestler Jinsei Shinzaki. After a remarkable 30-year career that also took her to WWE earlier this decade, primarily in the short-lived NXT UK sub-brand as both a wrestler and coach, she wraps up her farewell tour today in her home promotion with a small but all-star lineup of legends and her own promotion’s talent. Among those appearing are OZ Academy owner/founder Mayumi Ozaki, All-Japan Women icon and fellow legend Jaguar Yokota, and opposite Satomura in her finale is the Hall Of Famer and perhaps greatest Japanese women’s wrestler ever, the incomparable Aja Kong, who will team with Chihiro Hashimoto to face Satomura & Manami in her retirement match.
Today’s event will be held at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo and can be watched LIVE on WRESTLE UNIVERSE in Japanese. There are only 5 matches scheduled and none have longer than a 30 minute time limit so even assuming that last match runs long which it should, and hopefully with a retirement ceremony for Satomura to follow, the event probably won’t run more than about 2 hours. Maybe 2 1/2 hours tops if it’s a long ceremony which it should be.
Today’s lineup:
Senka Akatsuki & Yura Suzuki vs. Yurika Oka & YUNA
Jaguar Yokota & Mayumi Ozaki vs. Sakura Hirota & TBA
9 woman (at least) battle royal. Participants: Sonoko Kato, Chikayo Nagashima, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Ryo Mizunami, Yuu, Miyuki Takase, ZONES, Soi, TBA
Veny, Lena Kross & Nina Samuels vs. Dash Chisako, Mika Iwata & Sareee
Meiko Satomura Retirement Match: Chihiro Hashimoto & Aka Kong vs. Meiko Satomura & Manami
Refresh this page occasionally for the latest results.
Updates below will begin at 7:30 PM PT/10:30 PM ET. The live stream is scheduled to begin 15 minutes before the event.
7:15 PM PT UPDATE: The live stream has begun. It appears there will also be English commentary available in addition to Japanese.
7:25 PM PT UPDATE: Live updates begin now.
We are LIVE from Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Your hosts are someone I don’t recognize, Sayoko Mita and special guest Chigusa Nagayo..
The paid attendance should be announced after the event. Between fans already in their seats and crowds around flower stands in the hall, it could be a legit sellout or at least close to it. Not the current full capacity setup based on where commentary is, so I’ll predict a crowd of around 1300.
The matches should begin in a few minutes. Only 5 matches today. They re-do the introductions at start time because this is also a live Samurai! TV broadcast in Japan.
The matches begin at 7:38 PM PT/10:38 PM ET. And it’s a proper event today because we have STREAMERS!!!
Match 1: Senka Akatsuki & Yura Suzuki vs. Yurika Oka & YUNA. 10 minute time limit
Result: Yurika Oka & YUNA beat Senka Akatsuki & Yura Suzuki. Oka pinned Akatsuki after a diving body press.
Match 2: Jaguar Yokota & Mayumi Ozaki vs. Sakura Hirota & TBA. 15 minute time limit. Hirota is dressed up and face painted to look like Satomura. Except for the hair perhaps…TBA is Jinsei Shinzaki.
Result: Jaguar Yokota & Mayumi Ozaki beat Sakura Hirota & Jinsei Shinzaki. Ozaki pinned Hirota after a jumping high kick. Mostly a comedy match because of Hirota, who for the last decade or so has been mainly a comedy wrestler.
Match 3: 9 woman battle royal. No rime limit. All but one of the TBAs start in the ring together. The first TBA not announced in advance is Takumi Iroha. The second TBA is Nanae Takahashi. A surprise 10th entrant after the match begins is Takako Inoue. Right behind is a surprise 11th entrant-Kyoko Inoue. Then a surprise 12th entrant-Shinobu Kandori. Then a 13th entrant-Minoru Suzuki!?!
Order of elimination: Nagashima, Kandori, Kato, Iroha, Yuu, Kyoko & Takako Inoue, Takahashi, Takase, Matsumoto, Suzuki.
Result: Ryo Mizunami won.
Intermission.
The matches resume at 8:46 PM PY/11:46 PM ET after a 10 minute break.
Match 4: Veny, Lena Kross & Nina Samuels vs. Dash Chisako, Mika Iwata & Sareee. 20 minute time limit
Result: Dash Chisako, Mika Iwata & Sareee beat Veny, Lena Kross & Nina Samuels. Chisako pinned Kross after a frog splash. Chisako with microphone post-match. Apparently during the promo she spotted her real-life sister, former wrestler Sendai Sachiko, in the crowd.
Main Event: Meiko Satomura Retirement Match: Chihiro Hashimoto & Aka Kong vs. Meiko Satomura & Manami. 30 minute time limit. After Satomura comes out for the match…GRAND SWORD!!! Kenta Kobashi comes out! He begins the proceedings with the first celebratory flower bouquet presentation to Satomura.
Result: Meiko Satomura & Manami beat Chihiro Hashimoto & Aja Kong. Satomura pinned Kong after Scorpion Rising (running jumping axe kick). Afterwards, Kong with microphone. Promo interrupted by several of the girls coming out ready to fight. Which led to…
Impromptu Match: Meiko Satomura & Aja Kong vs. Seika Akatsuki, Chihiro Hashimoto, Takumi Iroha, Mika Iwata & Yura Suzuki. 5 minute time limit
Result: Time Limit Draw
Retirement Ceremony for Satomura follows the main event. Manami comes to the ring first for a few ceremonial forearm shots to the chest then with microphone to address Satomura. Hashimoto next with microphone. Kong follows. After this, a recorded video from Kairi Sane (Kairi Hojo) played followed by a recorded video from current WWE Women’s Champion Iyo Sky (Io Shirai) then a recorded video from current WWE wrestler Asuka (Kana) followed by one from New Japan Pro Wrestling President Hiroshi Tanahashi. After that, current WWE wrestler Shinsuke Nakamura. Last was someone I didn’t recognize but if I had to guess, maybe it was Satomura’s mother. (Correction-it was former women’s wrestler Devil Masami) Next up was the customary procession of wrestlers & othes to present flowers and gifts. A noteworthy gift was from Chigusa Nagayo-a framed painting of her and Satomura titled “Bloodline Of Red”. After the final guest in the procession, Jinsei Shinzaki, Satomura with microphone for her final comments. Following this, the ring announcer highlighted some of the notable accolades of Satomura’s career. Finally, the final rite of passage into retirement-the ceremonial 10 bell salute. Then the concluding final introduction from the ring announcer…the Women’s Pro Wrestling Yokozuna Grand Champion…SATOMURA MEIKO!
30 years and many accolades around the world, her own promotion and more…all of which and more made her one of the most respected Japanese women’s wrestlers ever. A final ceremony and well-deserved send-off and hopefully she will continue to pass on what she has learned to the younger generations. It’s been too long since we’ve been able to have a proper retirement ceremony like this, in large part because of the pandemic, but this event was both a lot of fun and a worthy farewell to another lifer. I join in sending congratulations and best withes to Meiko Satomura on a Hall Of Fame worthy career and now wherever her life will take her.
End Show.
All-Japan 4/28/25 Results
All-Japan continued the Champions Carnival today in Kagawa.
Today’s event was held at Takamatsu Symbol Tower in Kagawa and will be available on demand on AJPW.TV at 6 PM PT/9 PM ET. There was no live broadcast.
The announced paid attendance was 330.
Match 1: Rei Saito, MUSASHI, Ryo Inoue & Naruki Doi (Independent/Freelancer) beat Rising Hayato, Atsuki Aoyagi, Dan Tamura & Taishin Nagao. Saito pinned Nagao after a chokeslam.
Champions Carnival Block A:
Match 2: Hideki Suzuki beat Takashi Yoshida.
Match 3: Shotaro Ashino beat Davey Boy Smith Jr. by submission.
Match 4: Jun Saito beat Xyon.
Match 5: Kento Miyahara, Ryuki Honda & Ren Ayabe beat Hokuto Omori, Kumaarashi & Madoka Kikuta. Ayabe pinned Omori after Des Roulette.
Champions Carnival Block B:
Match 6: Yuma Anzai beat MIke D. Vecchio.
Main Event: Yuma Aoyagi beat Aigle Blanc.
Standings-wise, Smith still leads Block A with 10 points but has only one match left while 3 of the 4 tied for 2nd with 8 points have 2 matches left. Kengo Mashimo only has one left in that group. The only one under 8 points not yet mathematically eliminated from contention is Kumaarashi at 6 points because he has 2 matches left-Ashino is also on 6 points but only has one match left and loses all tiebreakers to the 8 point group so he is out. Xyon is also out as is the pointless Yoshida. In Block B, Anzai & Kikuta are tied for the lead with 8 points but Kikuta has the advantage with 3 matches left against Anzai having only 2. Aoyagi, Honda & Vehhio are all on 6 points and still in it but Honda has 3 matches left and the others have just 2. Nobody is mathematically out of it yet, and despite being on only 4 points Omori still has 3 matches left so he has a way in as does Rei Saito who is in last at 2 points but with 4 matches to go. The top 2 in each block advance to the Semifinals.
The next event is tomorrow (tonight US time) at Okayama Convention Center in Okayama. There will be no live broadcast. On demand tomorrow night.
All-Japan 4/27/25 Results
All-Japan continued the Champions Carnival today in Osaka.
Today’s event was held at Osaka Prefectural Gym 2 in Osaka and can be watched on demand on AJPW.TV.
The announced paid attendance was 950.
Match 1: MUSASHI & Atsuki Aoyagi beat Dan Tamura & Ryo Inoue. Aoyagi pinned Inoue after a moonsault press.
Match 2: Yuma Anzai, Ryuki Honda & Ren Ayabe beat Yuma Aoyagi, Re Saito & Naruki Doi (Independent/Freelancer). Anzai pinned Doi after Gimlet.
Champions Carnival:
Block B:
Match 3: Hokuto Omori beat Mike D. Vecchio.
Match 4: Madoka Kikuta beat Aigle Blanc.
Block A:
Match 5: Kumaarashi beat Hideki Suzuki.
Match 6: Shotaro Ashino beat Takashi Yoshida by submission.
Match 7: Kento Miyahara beat Xyon.
Main Event: Davey Boy Smith Jr. beat Jun Saito.
The next event is tomorrow at Takamatsu Symbol Tower in Kagawa. There will be no live broadcast. On demand later that day.
Pro Wrestling NOAH 4/27/25 Results
Pro Wrestling NOAH continued the SUNNY VOYAGE 2025 Tour today in Sendai.
Today’s event was held at Sendai Pit in Sendai and can be watched on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE.
The announced paid attendance was 359.
Match 1: Eita & Knull beat Daiki Odashima & Bryce Hansen. Knull pinned Hansen after a chokeslam.
Match 2: Hajime Ohara beat Black Menso-re.
Match 3: Mohammed Yone & Atsushi Kotoge beat Masa Kitamiya & Shuhei Taniguch. Kotoge pinned Taniguchi after Trance Rave.
Match 4: Takashi Sugiura & Kenoh beat Daga & Owadasan. Kenoh pinned Owadasan after SKS.
Match 5; OZAWA, Tetsuya Endo & Tadasuke beat Manabu Soya, HAYATA & YO-HEY. Tadasuke pinned Soya with a small package.
Match 6: Jack Morris beat Ulka Sasaki.
Main EventL Kaito Kiyomiya, Galeno, Alejandro & Kai Fujimura beat Naomichi Marufuji, Saxon Huxley, AMAKUSA & Junta Miyawaki. Kiyomiya pinned Miyawaki after a diving elbow drop.
The next event is MEMORIAL VOYAGE 2025 in KOKUGIKAN Saturday at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. Live streaming on WRESTLE UNIVERSE in English only will begin Friday at 11 PM PT/2 AM ET. This will be a live and exclusive ABEMA broadcast in Japan. I will just miss out on being able to try and attend in person because I arrive in Tokyo that day, but around the time the event is finishing up (arriving around 7 PM Japan time, the event is a 3 PM start, plus I will be en route to Shinagawa which is who knows how far from Ryogoku).
New Japan 4/27/25 Results
New Japan continued the Road To WRESTLING DONTAKU Tour today in Yamaguchi.
Today’s event was held at KDDI Ishin Hall in Yamaguchi and can be watched on demand on New Japan World.
The announced paid attendance was 1129
Match 1: Masatora Yasuda & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Daiki Nagai & Katsuya Murashima. Taguchi beat Nagai with Oh My & Gar Ankle.
Match 2: Francesco Akira & Great-O-Khan beat Jado & El Phantasmo. Akira pinned Jado after Fireball.
Match 3: TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, Tomohiro Ishii, Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura beat BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji & Tetsuya Naito. Taichi pinned BUSHI after Holy Emperor’s Cross Mausoleum.
Match 4: Taiji Ishimori, Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney & Gabriel Kidd beat Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Sho, Ren Narita & SANADA in 63 seconds by DQ. Kanemaru DQ’d. EVIL & Yujiro Takahashi interference. Which led to…
Match 5: Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Sho, Ren Narita, SANADA, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL beat Taiji Ishimori, Clark Connors, Dilla Moloney, Gabriel Kidd, David Finlay & Gedo. Takahashi pinned Gedo. This was to have been Finlay & Gedo vs. Takahashi & EVIL but changed to a 12-man match after the prior match result.
Match 6: Master Wato, Yoh, Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano & Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Hartley Jackson (Independent/Freelancer), Ryohei Oiwa & Zack Sabre Jr. Oleg pinned Jackson after Kamikaze.
Main Event: El Desperado, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat Jacob Austin Youn, Templario & Callum Newman. YOSHI-HASHI pinned Young after Shoto.
The next event is “Wrestling Hizen Country” Tuesday at Saga Arena in Saga. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1 AM PT/4 AM ET.
Stardom 4/27/25 Results (Updated x2)
STARDOM GRAND QUEENDOM 2025, the promotion’s biggest event of the year, is now in the books.
Today’s event was held at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama and can be watched on demand as a PPV on Stardom World in Japanese and English until 5/4 for 4400 Japanese yen (around $30 US). You can also watch the first 2 matches FOR FREE on YouTube.
The announced paid attendance was 7503. That’s probably around 60% full based on the setup-the venue’s normal full capacity is 17,000 but about 1/3 was blocked off under the setup so a legit sellout would have been in the 11,000-12,000 range.
There were last-minute changes to the card due to Konami being pulled off the event. The always-vague poor health. There’s really been an issue across Japanese promotions the last couple months. Kinda worrisome for me as I will be in Japan for the first time in a week.
Pre-show match: HANAKO won a 15 woman battle royal, last eliminating Miyu Amasaki. As a result, HANAKO will get a chance at a management title in Stardom.
Match 1: Future Of Stardom Champion Hina beat Ranna Yagami to retain the title. V2 for Hina.
Match 2: Sayaka Kurara beat Thekla. As a result, Thekla must join Cosmic Angels. Had Thekla won, she would have gotten a match with President Taro Okada. Lucky Okada.
Match 3: Yumiko Hotta (Independent/Freelancer) beat Rina by submission.
Match 4: Meiko Satomura, Mika Iwata & YUNA (Sendai Girls) beat Natsupoi, Saori Anou & Aya Sakura. Satomura pinned Sakura after Satomura Special.
Match 5: In a No DQ match, Suzu Suzuki beat Mei Seira.
Match 6: Sendai Girls World Champion Chihiro Hashimoto beat Maika to retain the title. V1 for Hashimoto.
Match 7: Goddesses Of Stardom Champions Hanan & Saya Iida beat Hazuki & Koguma to retain the titles. Hanan pinned Hazuki with a backdrop hold. V3 for the champs.
Match 8: Syuri beat IWGP Women’s Champion Mayu Iwatani to win the title. Syuri becomes the 4th IWGP Women’s Champion. This is UPSET ALERT!!! just because it ends what will probably be the most dominant reign even though it was only the third as Iwatani held the title for 2 years with 9 successful defenses. Who really might be upset now, pun intended, is Sareee. Possibly next for a title shot, it was made clear in the Japanese media recently she wanted to challenge Iwatani for the belt after this. Not happening.
Match 9: Wonder Of Stardom Champion Starlight Kid beat AZM to retain the title.V3 for Kid. As a result, Kid is now the “official” leader of Neo Genesis.
Main Event: In a Loser Complete Retirement Match, World Of Stardom Champion Saya Kamitani beat Tam Nakano to retain the title. V2 for Kamitani. As a result, Nakano must retire. The best possible outcome after this last year which made me just about give up on Stardom because of how Nakano was treated during and after the 2024 5STAR GP after coming back from injury. This is redemption. Tam Road is over, dead and buried. LONG LIVE THE PHENEX QUEEN! If you also believe what some media outlets said, Nakano’s retirement may not be permanent-there were hints that longtime wrestler Shinobu Kandori, also the owner and promoter of the (very small) LLPW-X promotion, was interested in signing Nakano if this happened. Stay tuned…until then, a new era in Stardom begins now. Embrace The H.A.T.E.
The next event is Tuesday at Fukuyama Big Rose in Hiroshima. Broadcast plans TBA.
UPDATE: Thekla will not be joining Cosmic Angels. Her contract has been terminated due to not paying a fine from her December suspension and staff assaults yesterday.
Next up for Kamitani: Kurara. That match will happen on 5/11 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
UPDATE 2: It gets even worse for Stardom…now Mayu Iwatani has left the promotion effective today (4/28). She had spent her entire career with the promotion but now that she no longer has the IWGP Women’s Championship she is moving on.