Yoshiko Tamura wrestling Kana in Japan

Last entry we featured a video by HybridDolphinELPS to give nagashimark and DoubleMiz a break, but nagashimark has posted an amazing video of Yoshiko Tamura wrestling Kana at a NEO event on May 31, 2009.
It's so good you have to go check it out.
The first part of this match (yes it's two part) runs a little over eight minutes and again when is the last time you saw a WWE Diva or TNA Knockout match go over five minutes etc, etc, etc.

This match has some high spots, but it has a lot of mixed martial arts style ground fighting that you don't see a lot of in the major wrestling promotions here.

Yoshiko Tamura made her pro wrestling debut on September 15 1994, so this lady has fifteen years of wrestling experience under her belt.
Kana (who evidently is very popular among Joshi fans) is a newcomer compared to Yoshiko, making her wrestling debut in June of 2004.

And in case you don't know who they are, Yoshiko is in blue and Kana is dressed kinda like Reiko Hinomoto from Rumble Roses.
She even has the X-Box logo across her butt.

They start out fast and Kana scores with a few flying hip shots.

She then gets Yoshiko in the corner and gives her a Stacy Keibler style single foot choke.

Yoshiko counters, gets Kana in the corner and gives her, her won version of a single leg choke.

Yoshiko uses her weight advantage to really pour the pressure on.

She gets Kana in the middle of the ring and applies an abdominal stretch.

Note here that besides punishing Kana's abs, Yoshiko also digs her thumb into the pressure point under Kana's ear.

She then hauls back, adding a chinlock for added pain.

Kana gets a take down and goes for a leg lock.

But the wily veteran escapes and gets on top, applying a headlock and using her weight to wear her smaller opponent down.

Yoshiko applies another submission hold on her less experienced foe.

But Kana escapes again and goes for an arm lock.

In the middle of the ring, Kana clamps on a sleeper hold....

...then tries to turn it into a Dragon Sleeper.

And this is just part one!
Of course to see all the Joshi goodness here you'll have to actually watch the video on nagashimark's channel here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxOEHp_D6n8

And as always, if you like what you see (and I think you will) subscribe to nagashimark's channel and just for fun say "Sabre" sent you...LOL

Japanese Female Wrestling: Misaki Ohata vs Pinky Mayuka

Looking through all the great Japanese womens wrestling videos on YouTube I thought, "Why let nagashimark and DoubleMiz have all the fun?".
Here is a video posted by HybridDolphinELPS of a match between Misaki Ohata and Pinky Mayuka.
In the video, Pinky is challenging for Misaki's JWP Junior/Pop titles at JWP Pureslam on July 19th, 2009.
Here are some vidcaps from the match......

First up, Pinky Mayuka (in Pink of course) and Misaki square off.

Pinky gets Mayuka up against the ropes and delivers some serious forearm shots.

Pinky traps Misaki in an intricate submission hold. Can anybody tell me what it's called?

Pinky continues to pour on the pressure, taking Misaki to her knee.

After escaping the hold, Misaki clamps on an MMA style leglock.

Misaki goes for a cover, but will Pinky kick out?

Takashi Matsunaga, All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling

Takashi Matsunaga who founded All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling back in 1968 along with his brothers, passed away last Saturday.

Takashi was 73 years old.

Before founding "Zenjo", he had been the promoter, business manager and trainer for All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling Federation.

Takashi Matsunaga was one of the most important figures in women's pro wrestling, helping to elevate Joshi Puroresu in Japan.

JDStar

Yumi Ohka

In the early 1990's there was a boom in joshi puroresu.
Several promotions started then and among them was a wrestling promotion created by the legendary Jaguar Yokota called JDStar.
She started the promotion in 1996, and in the beginning, because of her star power, she was the main attraction.
But by 1998, she felt the promotion was going nowhere and she decided to leave and become a freelancer.
When Jaguar left, the promotion was bought by Kiyu Uji, and he tried to build the comapny up.
But even with popular performers such as Lioness Asuka, Aja Kong, and Chigusa Nagayo, it still wasnt taking off.

Fuka

In 2001, Hidenobu Ichimaru bought the company from Kiyu Uji, and revamped it with a new gimmick to push the wrestlers.
The new gimmick was "Athress" or athlete-actress. Similar to the WWE renaming their women wrestlers as "Divas".
His method of drawing in models and training them to become wrestlers drew fire from fans and established wrestlers alike.
Again, similar to the WWE Diva situation.
Several of the established female wrestlers thought that the "Athresses" shouldn't be in the same ring as them.
JDStar struggled and finally went under in the summer of 2007.

Shibutani

Although a lot of the wrestlers were basically "throw aways" several stars did emerge including The Bloody, Fang Suzuki, Sumie Sakai, Emi Tojyo, Yumi Ohka, Kei Akiyama, Asami Kawasaki, Fuka and Shu Shibutani.

All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling

Bull Nakano started with AJW at the age of 15

Established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers, All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling was a joshi puroresu (women's professional wrestling) promotion.
The promotion held it's first event on June 4, 1968.
Also in 1968, they got a deal with Fuji TV. This was the first time joshi puroresu had been aired on TV in Japan.
AJW was the successor to the All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling Association, which had been formed in August 1955.
The AJW held several regular annual events like the Japan Grand Prix, Tag League the Best, Wrestlemarinpiad and Wrestling Queendom.
On November 29, 1998, The AJW Hall of Fame had its first inducted class enshrined at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan.

Most of the major female stars of Japanese wrestling worked for AJW at one time or another including:

Lioness Asuka (joined in 1980)
Akira Hokuto (she quit High School and joined the AJW dojo, making her wrestling debut shortly before her 18th birthday)
Aja Kong (trained by AJW, and graduated as part of their class of 1986)
Devil Masami (member of the All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame,inducted in 1998)
Dump Matsumoto (one of AJW's biggest stars in the 1980s)
Monster Ripper (debuted in AJW in 1979)
Chigusa Nagayo (one half of the Crush Gals with Lioness Asuka)
Bull Nakano (started training with AJW at the age of 15)
Jackie Sato (joined AJW in 1975)
Jaguar Yokota (defeated WWWA Champion Jackie Sato at the age of 19)

The AJW wrestling promotion closed it's doors in April 2005 after a 37 year run.

The AJW Championship, Part 4

Saki Maemura, the last AJW Champion

Rumi Kazama beat Miho Wakizawa on May 26, 2001 in Tokyo for the title, then immediately vacated the belt. (?)
Then on July 27, 2001, Kayo Noumi defeated Miho Wakizawa to become the new AJW Champion.
Kayoko Haruyama defeated Kayo on September 26, 2001, and Kayo turned around on January 4, 2002 and beat her to take the title back.
Then the Championship was vacated.
Again.
This time so that Kayo could enter the October 20, 2002 tournament for the All Pacific Championship.
So on October 8, 2002, Miyuki Fujii defeated Mika Nishio to become the new champion.
Kaori Yoneyama beat Miyuki for the title on November 29, 2002 in Tokyo and Mika came back and beat Kaori for the title before...yes...vacating it again when she left AJW.
Then Sasori (Miyuki Fujii) defeated Saki Maemura for the title on June 19, 2003.
Hikaru won the title on February 15, 2003 and Saki Maemura beat her for the belt on January 3, 2004.
Saki was the last AJW Champion.
After 37 years, the promotion closed it's doors in April 2005.
During the title's run, no one held the belt more than twice.
The only ones to accomplish that were Lioness Asuka, Kaoru Ito, Tomoko Watanabe, Momoe Nakanishi and Kayo Noumi.

NAO - Female Japanese Wrestlers

NAO is a Japanese female pro wrestler.
Her name means `Obedient`, not New Age Outlaws and it's usually spelled in all caps.
She was born on January 12, 1989 in Tokyo, Japan.
NAO wrestles for Mariko Yoshida's wrestling promotion IBUKI.

For more info go here:
http://s-ovation.com/wrestling/english.html