OZ Academy 263 - Six Woman Tag Team Match

OZ Academy 263 (Country of OZ 2012) has been posted online at YouTube and it's great.
My favorite match on it is a match that sounds like any Joshi fan's dream.
Mio Shirai, Yumi Ohka and Mayumi Ozaki taking on Tomoka Nakagawa, Tsubasa Kuragaki and Manami Toyota.

The sad thing is that this wasn't the main event match so they really didn't go all out.
Just looking at the line up though, you would expect this to be the main event anywhere.

Mio Shirai vs Moeka Haruhi - Asian Women's Wrestling

Here is a shot of Japanese female wrestler Mio Shirai punishing the arm of Moeka Haruhi in the ropes.
Mio has been wrestling now for seven years and has worked for Japanese wrestling promotions like Ice Ribbon, Oz Academy, Pro Wrestling Wave and Union Pro.
Moeka has actually been wrestling longer than Mio, making her debut in 2005.

Here is Moeka in action against Hiren

Sachie Abe - Japanese Female Wrestling

Japanese wrestler Sachie Abe was born on September 18th, 1974 in Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan.
She is five feet tall and weighs 117 pounds.
Sachie works for the Japanese Women Pro-Wrestling Project wrestling promotion in Japan and has been a co-holder of their tag-team titles three times.

Sachie Abe vs Leon

Mio Shirai vs Kana - Japanese Female Wrestling

My old rule on this blog is, "When in doubt...post Kana."
So here she is.
And of course there is nothing wrong with throwing in a Shirai sister.
So here is Mio Shirai and Kana.

Old video of Mio Shirai taking on Kana

Mima Shimoda vs Makoto - Japanese Women Wrestling

Here's a nice shot of legendary female Japanese wrestler Mima Shimoda punishing Makoto in the ropes.
Mima is 43 years old and has been wrestling since 1987.
She actually made her pro wrestling debut two years before Makoto was even born!

Ayumi Kurihara, Mio Shirai, Io Shirai and Makoto vs Mima Shimoda, Kyoko Kimura, Atsuko Emoto and Tomoka 

 

Manami Toyota With The Muta Lock

Here is a picture of female Japanese wrestling legend Manami Toyota with a Muta-Lock on.....someone....
Help me out people...who is she submitting here?

Yuzuki Aikawa - Japanese Wrestlers

Here are a couple of pictures of retired Japanese female wrestler Yuzuki Aikawa.
This model turned wrestler was pretty much considered a joke when she started, but she proved the fans wrong.

During her career in World Wonder Ring Stardom she held the Goddesses of Stardom Championship (with Yoko Bito), the Wonder of Stardom Championship and she won several Best Match of the Year awards, MVP awards and Outstanding Performance awards.
She retired on April 29th and her last match was against Yoshiko, which she lost.

Yuzuki taking on Ayumi Kurihara

Io Shirai - Japanese Women Wrestling

Haven't done anything on female Japanese wrestler Io Shirai in a while....so here you go.
The younger sister of another Japanese female wrestler Mio Shirai, Io is doing quite well for herself these days.

On April 29th, 2013, Io won the World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion's World of Stardom Championship belt and has been defending it ever since.
Right now she is up to five title defenses putting her right behind Nanae Takahashi, who had seven.

Io Shirai vs Kellie Skater

Manami Katsu – Japanese Women Wrestling

19 year old Japanese female wrestler Manami Katsu
Manami was born on October 23rd, 1994 in Tokyo, Japan.
She is five foot three and weighs 148 pounds.
Though she is only 19, she has already worked for wrestling promotions like JWP, Ice Ribbon, Oz Academy, Reina X World and World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana.

Commando Bolshoi vs Manami Katsu

Kana is Bad

You know how much I love Japanese wrestler Kana?
Well here is something that further cemented that love.

You know who Yoshihiro Tajiri is right?
Well he's just TAJIRI in SMASH now (and obviously loves all caps).
Anyway, before Tajiri became a pretty much running gag in the WWE, he was a pretty bad man in ECW.

Here is Tajiri at the SMASH 21 Press Conference on August 30, 2011.
As he's talking, look who comes in with a samurai sword and clears house.



Yep, Kana.
I think her glare alone would be enough to clear out a room, but add the sword to it...



And if that's not enough Kana for you, check out this "Greatest Hits" vid posted by tripletails on YouTube...

Joshi Puroresu in the USA

You know a lot of us have always had to rely on YouTube and other internet sources to see joshi puroresu.
But thanks to Shimmer Women Athletes, ROH and Chikara, we are actually getting to see female Japanese wrestlers here in the US in action.

If you can make it to the Berwyn Eagles Club in Berwyn, Illinois (just outside Chicago), on Saturday and Sunday, March 26th and 27th, 2011 you'll get to see Ayako Hamada, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Misaki Ohata, Ayumi Kurihara and Tomoka Nakagawa
More info here: http://shimmerwrestling.blogspot.com/

If you can get to Ring of Honor's "Honor Takes Center Stage" on April 2nd, 2011 at the Center Stage Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, you will get to see Hiroyo Matsumoto, Ayumi Kurihara and Tomoka Nakagawa there as well.
More info here: http://www.rohwrestling.com/news/atlanta-ga-april-2nd/

And on April 15,16 and 17th, if you can get to The Asylum Arena in South Philadelphia, Pennslyvania, you'll get to see joshi legend Manami Toyota team up with Mike Quakenbush and Jigsaw at Chikara's King of Trios 2011 tournament.
More info here: http://www.chikarapro.com/events.php

I havent said anything about the tragedy in Japan here, but I have been praying for the people there.
I am also glad to hear that just about all the wrestlers I have spoken with in the past are okay.
The hard times arent over in Japan yet people.
If you can help out, here's the Red Cross website:
https://american.redcross.org/
And if you cant afford it (I know times are tough), there's no price tag on prayers, positive energy and well wishes.

Japanese Female Wrestling - Ladies of Hustle part 4

Blanca X
Except for her looking like a female version of Speed Racer's brother, Racer X and holding an electric toothbrush (?) I dont know anything about Blanca X.
Other than even with the mask on, she looks kinda familiar.

Aoki Hiroko
Again I got nothing.
Is this possibly Japanese bikini model Yuko Aoki?

Chizuru
The last Hustle worker I know nothing about.
It looks kinda like she stole Candice Michelle's old fairy wand.
Or maybe Candice stole hers?

KAZUKI, Keito and Pinky Mayuka

KAZUKI (Kazuko Fujiwara) is a Japanese female wrestler.
She was born in Okayama Japan on December 25th, 1975.
KAZUKI made her pro wrestling debut on May 26th, 1997 wrestling Masami Iizuka.
Her signature wrestling move is the K-Crusher (Hard Neckbreaker) .
She has wrestled for Yoshimoto Pro Jd' and JWP.
KAZUKI is five foot one and weighs 148 pounds.

Keito (Keiko Aono),was born on April 8th, 1973 in Kadoma, Osaka, Japan.
She made her pro wrestling debut on February 10th, 1975 against Leo Kitamura.
Her signature wrestling move is a modified Shubain (Side Brainbuster Driver).
She has wrestled for LLPW and JWP.
Keito is five foot four, 154 pounds and now uses the name Keiko Aono.


Pinky Mayuka (Mayuka Niizeki) was born on January 16th, 1992 in Ota Ward, Tokyo, Japan.
She made her pro wrestling debut against Arisa Nakajima on December 9th, 2007.
Pinky has wrestled for JWP since she started.
She retired in December of 2009 because of asthma and other health issues.

Manami Toyota - Part 2

However, the feud between Manami and Toshiyo Yamada was not yet over.
It reached it's climax on August 15th, 1992 at Korakuen Hall in a Hair vs. Hair match. The bout was a very dramatic one, but what made the event was what occurred after the match. Manami, even though she had won the match, did not want Toshiyo to get her head shaved, and had to be forcefully restrained by four preliminary girls, who eventually forced her back to the mat. In respect of the match conditions Toshiyo wanted her head shaved and went ahead with the stipulation.

Soon after this match the two women once again teamed up to win their first World Women's Wrestling Association (WWWA) World Tag Team Championship in March 1992, defeating "Jungle Jack" (Aja Kong and Bison Kimura) in Tokyo. At AJW’s Dreamrush shown on November 26th, Manami and Toshiyo defended their WWWA Tag Team wrestling titles against Dynamite Kansai and Mayumi Ozaki in a legendary two out of three falls match, which is considered one of the best wrestling matches ever.

In April of 1992 Manami furthered her singles career by defeating Kyoko Inoue on April 25th in Yokohama for the IWA World Women's Championship. Toyota defended that title eight times over the course of the next three years, before losing it to Reggie Bennett in Niigata Prefecture, Japan on May 15th, 1995.

At Dreamslam II, on April 11th, 1993 Manami and Toshiyo fought a rematch against JWP Project's Kansai and Ozaki in yet another highly-rated two out of three falls encounter. This time, however, Manami and Toshiyo were on the losing side, and Kansai and Ozaki got their revenge. The feud concluded at AJW’s St. Battle Final event, on December 6th, 1993, when Manami and Toshiyo regained their tag titles.

On August 24th, 1994 Manami once again squared off against Kyoko Inoue, and defeated her to unify the IWA and All Pacific Singles Championships. Manami’s run with the two titles was not to last very long, because on October 9th, 1994, Inoue gained a measure of revenge against Manami, when Kyoko and her partner Takako Inoue (no relation) won the WWWA Tag Team Championship from Manami and Toshiyo. Manami then vacated her All Pacific Championship, prior to her first WWWA Heavyweight Championship match against the monstrous Aja Kong at AJW’s Queendom III show, on March 26th, 1995. The match saw Manami reach the summit of AJW when she won and became the 39th WWWA Champion.

On May 7th, Manami defended her crown against arch-rival Kyoko Inoue at the Korakuen Hall, where the two fought to a 60 minute time limit draw. Despite piledrivers on the floor, German suplexes off the top rope, and multiple finishers, neither combatant was able to secure outright victory. Nonetheless, Manami retained, and the match was voted Match of the Year for 1995 in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

The following month, Manami lost the WWWA Championship to former champion Aja Kong, on June 27.

Manami Toyota vs Kyoko Inoue (May 7, 1995)