Tokyo Joshi Pro finished their 10th Anniversary celebration by returning to where it all began-the site of their very first event-but it also marked an ending as they said farewell to original roster member Yuka Sakazaki, who had been with the promotion since Day 1. Sakazaki is leaving to continue her career outside Japan.
Today’s event was held at Kitazawa Town Hall in Tokyo and will be available on demand on WRESTLE UNIVERSE Monday. There was no live broadcast.
The announced paid attendance was 204, a super full house/very near sellout.
The event opened with a random lottery draw for the card for the annual fan lottery match event on 12/17. Those matches include Wakana Uehara vs. Aja Kong and also on 1/4/24 it will be International Princess Champion Max The Impaler defending against…Yuki Arai! I’m both excited and scared for my girl Arai, just surviving against the Non-Binary Nightmare will not be easy.
Match 1: In an I Quit Match, Yuka Sakazaki & Rika Tatsumi beat Antonio Honda (DDT) & Trans-Am⭐️Hiroshi by making Honda say “I Quit”, which was the only way to win.
Match 2: Wakana Uehara, Shino Suzuki & Runa Okubo beat HIMAWARI, Toga & Haru Kazashiro. Uehara beat Kazashiro with a sleeper hold.
Match 3: Miu Watanabe, Suzume & Arisu Endo beat Yuki Kamifuku, Mahiro Kiryu & Kaya Toribami. Watanabe pinned Toribami after Teardrop.
Match 4: Hikari Noa, Nao Kakuta, Mizuki & Moka Miyamoto beat Hyper Misao, Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku. Mizuki pinned Harajuku with Cutie Special.
Main Event: Yuka Sakazaki Farewell Match: In a No Time Limit match, Yuka Sakazaki beat Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima in a 3-way by pinning Nakajima. Which led to…
Impromptu Match: Yuka Sakazaki vs. Mizuki went to a 3 minute time limit draw.
Sakazaki farewell ceremony closed the event. In Japanese culture they call it Graduation when one leaves a group/promotion for reasons other than being fired or retiring. It had its usual weird moments such as Tatsumi ceremonially b*tch slapping Sakazaki (they’re weird customs), traditional gift and flower presentations, group hugs and photos and lots of tears flowing as Sakazaki’s 10 years in TJPW came to a close. While it’s not entirely clear where Sakazaki will go next beyond outside Japan, the common thought is she will return to All Elite Wrestling, as she has been part of their roster since Day 1 and was pushed early on, including handing Britt Baker her first AEW loss. Unfortunately the pandemic and global travel restrictions halted that push early on but once restrictions eased she was able to return for a few appearances. Such a move would also keep the door open for independent and other international appearances, including potential special returns to Japan.
The next event is COMBAT PRINCESS USA on 12/14 in Los Angeles, CA. Although the Globe Theater is listed as the venue, co-promoter Prestige Wrestling announced late yesterday it will be moved to The Vermont Hollywood. This will be a live PPV on WRESTLE UNIVERSE for 3000 yen (around $20 US) in English, and a paid monthly subscription is not required to buy the PPV. There also will be support content packs available for 1500 yen (around $10). The PPV can be purchased now until 12/20 and includes on demand replays until 1/30/24. The live broadcast begins on 12/14 at 7 PM PT/10 PM ET.
There also is another pre-taped PPV that will be available on WRESTLE UNIVERSE Sunday, this is an Aquarium Pro Wrestling event at Halkeijima Sea Paradise in Yokohama. It will premiere Sunday at 3 AM PT/6 AM ET and can be purchased until 12/19, with replays available until 2/28/24. This PPV also costs 3000 yen (around $20).
