Joshi/Womens wrestling

Man In Black · Anime Mod

RE: Joshi/Womens wrestling

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

That tag match with Tamura and Misae against the Neo Maching guns (Miyazaki/mouse) is a a fantastic match up, im sure youll enjoy it. A pretty fun card ^-^.

GLOWlad · A List Star

Im due to go to Japan in October, but Ill be in Osaka not Tokyo. I know that most promotions run the ocassional show there, but are any promotions based there or run regular shows there?

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

Dont think so glowlad :(.I stayed there last time and only a couple of shows ran there but its not to often from my own experiance.Im going back in January but no idea yet ;) probably Yokohama where i can probably stalk Yuki Miyazaki again ^-^.

Man In Black · Anime Mod

The only promotion I know that is based in Osaka is Super Delfin's promotion Osaka Pro Wrestling but that isn't a Joshi fed.

In Japan - outside of major supershows like those at the Tokyo Dome - they don't usually announce their dates as far ahead as they do here in the West, with the smaller companies only announcing theirs a month or so in advance with full cards rarely released until a week beforehand.

Therefore your best bet is to check the dates much closer to when you go out there or even when you arrive. Walk-up ticket sales on the day often make up a lot of the revenue so you could get lucky on the day.

Totty should be able to find that info for you from the Joshifans forums.

-- Edited by Man In Black at 20:37, 2008-08-16

GLOWlad · A List Star

Thanks both of you. Guess it will come down to pot luck whether I get to see a show. Its surprising that such a major city doesnt have at least one Joshi fed.

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

I always make sure to check the official websites of Joshi promotions for dates and places they are shown.Though its all in japanese which is the only problem.But it is quite hard to get to see a show in Osaka.I know of Super Delfins Osaka Pro wrestling and seen a few shows of that on dvd but as mib said its not joshi and its actually not that good either.

Creepfnshow · On The Casting Couch

hey. thsi thread made me dig out my old joshi dvds and i have been enjoying the big egg wrestling universe show and the all star dream slam 2 as well as champions legend

Is there still a big scene over in jaapn? I thought it had all gone a bit downhill after the nineties?

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

Noway close to being as big as it used to be but Joshi is still doing okay,a few good promotions still remain out there,Sendai,Neo (well i love this promotion!)and Chick Fight Sun being the best ones right now in my opinion (Oz Academy is another but i just cant standy Mayumi Ozaki).None will ever be as popular as the glory days of AJW and JWP and such but its still alive and kicking.Still a shame Gaea went out of buisness a few years back,great promotion.
Theres a whole bunch of great talent to,some very good young Rookies espicially in Sendai (Tyranasaurus Okuda and the Shirai sisters being a few of my faverates) and the older guard (Yoshiko Tamura,Yuki Miyazaki,Genki Misae ect).You still get the occasional good bout out of the likes of Kyoko Inoue and Manami Toyota but they should really give it up now.The Bigg Egg Universe is an awesome show as are all the dream Slam events so im sure youll like them,try wrestle Queendom 93 or 94 (i forget which year) because thats an awesome show to.

-- Edited by Totoro101 at 12:53, 2008-08-18

Man In Black · Anime Mod

The Joshi scene isn't dead as Totty said but it really is a far cry from its heyday in the 90's. Whereas the bigger promotions could draw at Sumo Hall or Budokan or even pull a respectable number at the Tokyo Dome, today pulling 4 digit attendances is a huge deal that is rarely accomplished.

Since Puro as a whole has been on a slight downward slope since the 90's Joshi has suffered the most. Unfortunately, despite some very talented youngsters out there the new stars are getting less of a chance to shine as the old guard are using this as a way to solidify their spots and making the most of the "drawing power" which is on the wane anyway. NEO for example pushed Haruka Matsuo as their champ and top star after Yoshiko Tamura's dominance but fairly soon Kyoko Inoue was back on top.

OZ Academy is run by Mayumi Ozaki and thus she is the top star along with other longtime names Aja Kong, Dynamite Kanzai, etc. while Meiko Satamura has built her Sendai Girls promotion around herself and some of her old GAEA friends with a team of reliable rookies behind her.

Basically, Joshi is in a quandry: the women's industry is nowhere near big enough to rely on new talent to progress so they have to rely on the established names; but the established names are no longer drawing anymore and don't have the same durability as their male counterparts. Whereas it is possible that the likes of New Japan and NOAH could see a return to their previous successes in the future, Joshi is very much running on a half filled tank at the moment.

-- Edited by Man In Black at 14:19, 2008-08-18

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

Couldnt have put it any better myself Mib ;).Joshi will keep on going, cant ever see it fully disappearing but until the likes of Kyoko Inoue, Manami Toyota and such finally pack up and let the young girls proove themselves and try to become big names and draws themselves,i cant see it making any progress in the near future.

GLOWlad · A List Star

The great thing about Mariko Yoshida is that she is willing to put over the young wrestlers she is training, often losing to them even on the biggest Ibuki shows. She seems to understand how important it is to pass the baton to the next generation, and uses her influence to help the girls up the ladder.

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

Iv actually not seen Mariko lose to many matches myself but maybe i havent seen enough of Ibuki's shows :),I have plenty of them though so ill probably go and watch some when i can.Havent been watching to much Joshi or wrestling as of late apart from a few matches here and there so really need to get back into it.

GLOWlad · A List Star

Im thinking of encounters like losing to her protegee Matsumoto...she recognised that a win can over Mariko, could really give her a boost. Even when Mariko wins, she normally gives her foes a chance to mount credible offence, they arent squash matches. Sometimes when a wrestler is active on the roster while still being the booker, the temptation is to let it go to your head. Mariko didnt do that. Also, at the Ibuki show I attend, she made a point of standing by the door, shaking everyone's hand as they left, that was a friendly touch, and it was great for me to be able to do that.

About Ozaki, I had a brief encounter with her at a OZ Academy show, I admire her greatly as a wrestler but she seemed rather rude and surly. Or maybe she was still in-character.

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

Well most matches with the young girl against the veteran usually are quite competitive,so i wouldnt say its just Mariko that lets them get a good shot in winning,Meiko Satamura is another who gives her opponents a good chance but its pretty cool mariko put over Matsumoto :).Maybe ill have to try to see a Ibuki show when im back there,i havent yet met Mariko so that would be a pretty cool thing to do! For Ozaki,she doesnt seem the friendly type at all..i wouldnt have the nerve to meet her i think.The likes of Yuki Miyazaki andYoshiko Tamura (my 2 personal faves) are easily approachable and very sweet in person from my experiances, and Kyoko Inoue to,shes awesome but Ozaki..I dont know..

GLOWlad · A List Star

Im sure Meiko follow the right path too. She was one of my faves in GAEA, and even in her brief WCW appearances!

Its just wrestling history is full of self serviing people who once they gain a position of power and influence, use that power to put themseleves and their close circle over, while burying those outside that circle.

About Ozaki, on the GAEA shows on TWC, there was no one whose matches Id rather watch, they were fiery, intense, exciting, she is a legend in the ring. But when I saw her manning a stall at an OZ Academy show, she was a bit rude to me, which was sad, because I admire her talent greatly. As you know, I liked Cherry a lot before I saw her again, but she too was a bit dissappointing when I met her last time.

But as you say, most Joshi girls are friendly, and its great how close one can get to the girls at a Joshi event. I liked Mio Shirai when I met her at an Ibuki show, cool lady. Also, I spoke at length to a couple of Japanese guys at that show who were sitting next to mr, they were polite, helpful and funny. I used my crappy Japanese but I made myself understood, which was cool.

But its such an out of body experience moment, to travel halfway across the world, and meet people you really admire, its exciting, nerve wracking, and unfortunately Im sure I came across as a weird Gaijin to some of the girls, like Cherry!

-- Edited by GLOWlad at 21:19, 2008-08-18

-- Edited by GLOWlad at 21:20, 2008-08-18

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

Meiko was sure cute in her early days and in WCW,still quite the beauty now,she seems like a level headed person to so i couldnt imagine her having an attitude,she actually makes others look pretty darn good in Sendai so i really like her a lot.But i guess you get the good guys and the more selfish wrestlers in the whole of wrestling and not just Joshi.
Im sorry to hear about Ozaki and Cherry,i actually might think their attitude is down to maybe being a bit nervous around Gaijins,maybe they cant use english to well so its hard for them but Ozaki is one person i think who is a heck of worker but maybe a little up herself,or maybe you caught her on a bad day,you never know Glowlad! Myself I met a few after a show,again back to my love for Yuki Miyazaki and Yoshiko Tamura, you couldnt meet a nicer lady then Yuki and tanny mouse to,both are adoreable and super sweet, Yoshiko has an aura around her but shes really cool to, we struggled talking but luckly my gf did some translating with me ;).Its awesome to meet them but sometimes the people we admire actually might turn out to be pretty rotten :(.

GLOWlad · A List Star

I really like Yoshiko Tamura's look, very cool!

In other news, I still watch Real Catfight from time to time, I like the girl with the nun gimmick, its like something straight out of GLOW. But the soft porn aspects of the show are a turn off.

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

I accidently bought soem kind of japanese Joshi porn like that..it looked like a legit Joshi dvd but once i started watching the actual matches i found out i had bought some really awful soft porn with some actually decent female wrestlers! I really wish i knew japanese when i bought it...

GLOWlad · A List Star

Real Catfight sounds similar to the DVD you bought...its an odd mix, some matches are just a couple of topless girls writhing with each other, but other match feature fully clothed wrestlers and some authentic wrestling moves, its those I find watchable.

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

Well,unfortunatly for me,the dvd was more of the naked and sexual variety..which i didnt expect..As im not the kind of person who watches these things naturally i didnt watch all of it! Thing is though,the girls actually had some ability in the ring but its a shame they demote themselves to such degrading things like that.

Man In Black · Anime Mod

Someone will be happy at this news:

Several readers sent word the following was posted on LACasting.com:

The original female wrestling phenomenon G.L.O.W. is back and we are looking for the next crop of Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.

Seeking women 18+ looking to become pro wrestlers!

Reality show/competition which will revive the original G.L.O.W. (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling). NO WRESTLING EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. Training will be provided for those selected. Contract and prize money on the line.

Casting: Call (818) 779-0703 or email glow@bigvisionentertainment.com.

Open Casting:
Wednesday 4-8 PM
14423 Hamlin St. Van Nuys, CA 91401

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

Great,set back the womens wrestling buisness a good 20 years with that garbage.No offence but wanting girls with no wrestling experiance in a wrestling promotion is pretty rubbish,womens wrestling has evolved from that cheesy stuff of the 80s,and this promotion will only do it harm and make a mockery of hard working ladies who actually like to wrestle and not show flesh or all that.They tried a silly promotion with WOW a few years back and it was pretty good with women actually trying to wrestle so maybe this might be ok, but still....

Man In Black · Anime Mod

Some Joshi news for you:

NEO NEO DREAM 2008 ~ KYOKO INOUE 20TH ANNIVERSARY, 10/4/08 (Samurai! TV)
Kawasaki City Gymnasium

1. Aya Yuki & Hanako Kobayashi vs. Natsuki*Taiyo & Kana

2. Super Technicians 3-Way: Toshie Uematsu vs. Tomoka Nakagawa vs. Emi Sakura

3. Japan vs. Canada Woman Who Destroys: Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Vanessa The Mountain

4. Daily Sports Womens Tag Team Title: Kayoko Haruyama & Tsubasa Kuragaki (c) vs. Misae Genki & Yoshiko Tamura

5. LCO vs. Revolucion Amandola: Etsuko Mita & Mima Shimoda vs. Kyoko Kimura & Atsuko Emoto

6. NEO Tag Team Title: Tanny Mouse & Yuki Miyazaki (c) vs. Haruka Matsuo & Fuuka

7. NEO Singles & NWA Womens Pacific Title: Kyoko Inoue (c) vs. Nanae Takahashi

Totoro101 · Movie Executive Producer

Already know it mib.Looking forward to seeing this show, and amazing to think Kyokos been in the buisness a good 20 years now,fantastic athlete but about time she calls it a day as shes pretty much getting worse by the year,slow and plodding..still busts out a good match here and there but her days are numbered.Like most of the older guard..But i wont rant on about them.I like the look of the tag title match with Yuki and Tanny against Fuuka and Matsuo.Will get this from one of my dvd traders i buy from when it becomes available ^-^.just wish i could go and see the show.