Kagetsu

Sendai Girls' Kagetu (or Kagetsu) was born Yukari Ishino on June 24th, 1992 in Settsu, Osaka, Japan.
She made her pro wrestling debut against Chikayo Nagashima on August 24th, 2008.
Kagetsu wrestled under her real name until January 2010, when she switched to Kagetsu.
She has worked for Japanese wrestling promotions like JWP, WAVE, NEO and Sendai Girls.

So far Kagetsu has held the JWP Jr. Championship and the POP Championship.

Kagetsu vs Kana

Mika Nagano - MMA and Wrestling

Mika Nagano was born on December 29th, 1983 in Gifu, Gifu, Japan.
She's five foot three and weighs 114 pounds and before becoming a wrestler, Mika Nagano was a Japanese female mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter.
In MMA, she goes by Mika "Future Princess" Nagano and her win-loss record is 8-4-0.
Her last MMA fight was a win over Emi Murata via submission (armbar) at Jewels - 14th Ring on May 14th, 2011 in Tokyo, Japan.



Mika started her MMA career back in 2006 then debuted with Ice Ribbon in August of 2009.
She stayed with them a few months, then appeared to leave pro wrestling to focus on MMA in February of 2010.

But now it looks like Mika will be doing both MMA and pro wrestling after showing back up in the wrestling promotion Stardom's debut show in January of 2011.

Here is match with Mika Nagano, Fuka and Hikari Shida taking on Kazumi Shimouma, Hamuko Hoshi and Haruna Akagi from back in Mika's Ice Ribbon days.

masu-me - Japanese Women Wrestling

masu-me (or Masumi Arakawa) was born on July 9th, 1988 in Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan.
She started her wrestling training in September of 2010 (which is kinda late for Joshi) and made her in-ring debut on December 23rd, 2010 in Korakuen Hall at JWP Climax 2010 against KAZUKI.
masu-me is also a singer, which harkens back to the old days of Joshi with the "singer/wrestlers".



She has released at least one single and a photobook.
(Her single was released the same day she made her wrestling debut)
masu-me is five foot one and weighs 95 pounds.
In JWP, she has formed a tag-team with Tsukasa Fujimoto called Kyutipea.

JWP Spot with Kaori Yoneyama and masu-me



(actually there are a ton of interview videos on YouTube with her)

Sakura Emi - Emi Sakura

This is Japanese female wrestler Sakura Emi (or Emi Sakura, take your pick)
Emi was born on October 4th, 1976 in Kimitsu, Chiba, Japan.
She started out wrestling under her own name (Emi Motokawa) for wrestling promotions like the International Wrestling Association of Japan and Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling.



Emi went on to wrestle as a freelancer for promotions like Gatokunyan (GTKN) and NEO.
Notably though, she is the founder of the all women's wrestling promotion, Ice Ribbon.
This five foot two, 154 pound wrestler has held a ton of titles so far in her career including the AJW Singles Championship, the AWF Women’s Championship, the NEO Singles and NWA Women’s Pacific Championship, the NEO Tag Team Championship (once with Kyoko Kimura), the JWP Tag Team Championship, the Daily Sports Tag Team Champion (once with Kaori Yoneyama), the DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Championship (twice), the ICEx60 Singles Championship (twice) and the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship (three times, once with Kaori Yoneyama, once with Nanae Takahashi and once with Ray)

Emi Sakura Vs Kana

Akira Hokuto Wrestling Debbie Malenko

Here is a match posted on YouTube by ElfenLiedPictureSh0w between two female wrestling greats, Debbie Malenko and Akira Hokuto.
Yeah, some of you may not know who Debbie Malenko is and that's a shame.
I think she may have been one of the best women wrestlers to ever set foot in a ring, but she never got the WWF/WWE hype.
Of course I don't need to tell you who Akira Hokuto is if you have seen very much Joshi at all.

These two start out fast and in just a few moves, Debbie has Akira trapped in a Dragon Sleeper.

But Akira almost immediately reverses it and traps Debbie in the same hold.

Then Akira ups the ante a bit by adding a body scissors to the hold.

An escape and a few high speed reversals later, and Debbie and Akira are both outside the ring, with an unfortunate second caught in the cross fire.

You can see the whole match here....



And if you like this, check out ElfenLiedPictureSh0w's channel here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ElfenLiedPictureSh0w

Yumi Ohka - Japanese Wrestling

It's been quite a while since I have done anything on Japanese female wrestler Yumi Ohka.
Yumi was born on April 4th, 1979 in Koga, Ibaraki and made her pro wrestling debut on August 19th, 2001 wrestling for JDstar.
She is currently wrestling for WAVE (Pro Wrestling Wave) along with GAMI, Moeka Haruhi, Shu Shibutani, Kayo Fujimori and a masked wrestler that looks oddly familiar, Sakura Candle.



Along with Yuki Miyazaki and Toshie Uematsu, Yumi is one of the few female wrestlers to hold the Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship.
Yumi is also part of Misaki Ohata’s heel faction, Black Wave.

Yumi Ohka vs. Haruka Matsuo

Watch Yumi Ohka vs. Haruka Matsuo in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

You can check out Yumi's blog (in Japanese) here:
http://ohkayumi.blog.players.tv/

Tsubasa Kuragaki - Japanese Women Wrestling

This is female Japanese wrestler Tsubasa Kuragaki.
Although I have mentioned her before, I haven't really done anything on her.



Tsubasa was born on December 7th, 1975 in Chiba City, Kamagaya, Japan.
She's five foot three, 140 pounds and she made her pro wrestling debut either January 8th, 1995 or October 21st, 1998.
I've seen two different accounts.



She has wrestled almost exclusively for JWP (Japan Women Project), but she has also done some freelance work as well.
During her career so far, she has held the JWP Openweight Championship, the JWP Tag Team Championship (once with AKINO and twice with Kayoko Haruyama), the Daily Sports Tag Team Championship (twice with Kayoko Haruyama), the JWP Jr. Championship and the NEO Singles and NWA Women’s Pacific Championship.



Is it just me, or does it look like she uses the same tailor as Awesome Kong?

Here is Tsubasa wrestling Ran Yu-Yu for JWP on July 27th, 2008, posted on YouTube by kapengmabula (with credit to nagashimark)





Tsubasa Kuragaki - Japanese Women Wrestling, posted to http://joshipuroresu.blogspot.com/ on February 3rd, 2011

Takako Inoue Wrestling Mima Shimoda

Here is a wrestling match posted on YouTube by xkingx2009 with two of my favorite Japanese female wrestlers, Takako Inoue and Mima Shimoda.
Even though they are both awesome wrestlers, they do look a little bit like they just stepped off the set of the Power Rangers here.




Mutual dislike is not very well hidden, as they start off with a hair muss by Takako and a slap by Mima.

More slaps, chops and an Irish whip and the two lock up in the center of the ring in the classic test of strength.

That gets broken up and the two women launch into an exchange that shows just how well they are able to neutralize each others moves.

Is it considered a camel clutch if you are just sitting on your opponents back pulling her hair?

Well the ref makes Mima break the hold, but that's followed by more hair pulling, a hair-mare, and some rope choking.

I guess Takako gets tired of Mima's rule breaking, because when Mima tries to initiate another test of strength, Takako takes her hand...and promptly bites it!

But it doesn't take long for Mima to cheat her way back into control and take the match outside the ropes.
Mima even takes her out into the cheap seats and gives her a bodyslam on the concrete.

You have to love Mima though.
After leaving Takako on the floor, she goes back to the ring, climbs up on the turnbuckle and taunts her.

Takako climbs back into the ring, and Mima almost immediately leg tackles her and traps her in a Boston crab.

Not satisfied with JUST a Boston crab, she changes up to a single leg crab and pulls Takako's knee pad out of the way so she can get a better grip.

And all of that is not even half of the match!

After watching this, I am now convinced that Mima enjoys punishing her opponents more than any other wrestler out there.

If you like this match, you can see it and more like it at xkingx2009's YouTube channel here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/xkingx2009



Takako Inoue Wrestling Mima Shimoda, posted to http://joshipuroresu.blogspot.com/ on December 17th, 2010

Azumi Hyuga vs Yumi Ohka - Japanese Wrestling

Here is a video posted on YouTube by JoshInsanity of Azumi Hyuga taking on Yumi Ohka.
This is from the Japanese wrestling promotion Pro Wrestling WAVE's show, Road to Resurrection.

A little background....
Azumi Hyuga (Tomoko Kuzumi) was born on January 6th, 1975 in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
She was trained by Joshi legend Devil Masami and made her pro wrestling debut on December 4th, 1994 in Tokyo, Japan at Korakuen Hall.

One of the JDStar "athresses" Yumi Ohka (Yumiko Abe) is five foot six, 130 pounds and has been wrestling for eight years
She once held the DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Championship.

They start out in the classic collar and elbow lock up in the center of the ring, but right off the bat Yumi twists Azumi into a rear headlock, then a side head lock.

Azumi escapes, and after a few quick exchanges, she has Yumi on the mat in a headlock.

Another series of reversals (with Yumi maybe thinking about not wearing such slick pants in her next match, no way to grab traction) and the two are literally tied up in the middle of the ring.

A lot more mat work, some more exchanges and Azumi finds herself on the receiving end of Yumi's arm bar.

So here is part one of this match up...

You can see part two at JoshInsanity's YouTube channel here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/JoshInsanity

Also, you might wanna check out the Women's Wrestling Wiki that is mentioned a few times.
http://womenrassling.wikia.com/wiki/Women%27s_Wrestling_Wiki
I saw quite a bit of Joshi info there.



Azumi Hyuga vs Yumi Ohka - Japanese Wrestling, posted to http://joshipuroresu.blogspot.com/ on December 2nd, 2010

Nagisa Nozaki Wrestling Shuri

This is a match posted on YouTube by ElfenLiedPictureSh0w of Nagisa Nozaki taking on Shuri at NEO Summer Stampede on August 1st, 2010.

Nagisa started wrestling when she was 15, and has been plagued by injuries.
This was Nagisa's return match, her first since 2009 when she injured her shoulder.
She's five foot five and weighs 123 pounds.

You may know her opponent Shuri as Karate Girl (KG) from the old HUSTLE wrestling promotion.
She wrestles, but throws some MMA into her matches as well.

First up. Shuri enters the ring...


Followed by Nagisa who doesn't look near as serious...

They shake hands and everything looks okay...

Till Nagisa blindsides Shuri and lays into her with a series of vicious chops...

She goes for a quick pin...

Shuri kicks out, but soon finds herself in a sleeper...

She gets up, but Nagisa follows her, keeping the hold clamped on.
See how much Nagisa seems to be enjoying herself?

Shuri gets fed up, escapes and lays into Nagisa with a series of roundhouse kicks...

Here is the match in full, VERY high quality...

If you like this match, check out ElfenLiedPictureSh0w's YouTube page and subscribe.




Nagisa Nozaki Wrestling Shuri, posted to http://joshipuroresu.blogspot.com/ on November 4th, 2010

Eight Woman Tag Team Match - Japanese Women Wrestling

Here is a eight woman tag team match posted by kapengmabula on YouTube.
It's Japanese women wrestlers Ayumi Kurihara, Mio Shirai, Io Shirai and Makoto taking on Mima Shimoda, Kyoko Kimura, Atsuko Emoto and Tomoka Nakagawa at a NEO event.

First we have a little video background leading up to the match, then Mima, Kyoko, Atsuko and Tomoka come to the ring already armed with folding chairs and chains.

Then Ayumi, Mio, Io and Makoto come in...unarmed.

The intros start but never finish as it immediately turns into what "Good Ole JR" would call a pier six brawl.

The action comes back into the ring and normalcy is restored for a moment and it looks like the match will go on like a normal contest.
But not for long...

Pretty soon everyone is back in the ring and going at it again.

Somewhat unusually.

Mima gets upset by a slow count....

...and finally a team turns on one of it's members.

You can see this video and more like it at kapengmabula's YouTube channel here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/kapengmabula

Eight Woman Tag Team Match - Japanese Women Wrestling, posted to http://joshipuroresu.blogspot.com/ on September 26th, 2010

Itsuki Yamazaki Vs.Yukari Omori

This is a video posted on YouTube by xkingx2009 of Itsuki Yamazaki wrestling Yukari Omori at an old All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling event.

Itsuki Yamazaki made her wrestling debut in 1980, and was one half of the famous Jumping Bomb Angels.
Yukari Omori was also part of a famous tag-team, the "Dynamite Girls".

This match is pretty much pure Joshi Puroresu.
No gimmicks, no over the top promotion, just two Japanese women in swimsuits (a Speedo swimsuit in Yukari's case) going at it in the ring.

After the intro, the ref going over the rules, the opening bell and a pretty quick series of moves, they lock up in the center of the ring...


Itsuki side-steps and rolls Yukari into a leg lock...


Then she moves up and puts her knee in Yukari's back, adding more pressure to the leg lock...


Another flurry of moves and Yukari winds up trapped in Itsuki's body scissors...


Yukari manages to escape, almost gets Itsuki in a boston crab, but gets rolled over into an attempted pin...


But Yukari escapes by trapping Itsuki in a head scissors...


Which Itsuki somehow manages to turn back into a modified leg lock.



And all this is less than four minutes into the match.



If you like this match, you can see more like it at xkingx2009's YouTube channel here.
http://www.youtube.com/user/xkingx2009



Itsuki Yamazaki Vs.Yukari Omori, posted to http://joshipuroresu.blogspot.com/ on September 20th, 2010.

Kana wrestling Chihiro Okawa

Yeah I know...two Kana wrestling matches in a row?
Well this one was posted by someone I just ran across on YouTube, xkingx2009, and it's a match between Kana and Chihiro Okawa.

It starts out with both women already in the ring, sparing us the lengthy walk to the ring and intros.
Kana is her usual confident self, but I swear Chihiro looks like she just woke up.

Chihiro holds out her hand to shake before the start, and Kana replies by crescent kicking it away.
Then they lock up in a flurry of punches that leads to Kana getting a take down, and the match turning into a MMA type brawl.

Chihiro gets on top, and forgets punching and just starts slapping away at Kana.
Then she goes for an arm bar, that turns into a body scissors until Kana starts slapping away at Chihiro and escapes.

They lock up again in the middle of the ring until Kana gets behind and suplexes Chihiro into the mat.
But Chihiro comes up with more slaps and a surprisingly effective roundhouse to Kana's face that puts her down.

Kana gets up and now the match turns more into a Muay Thai battle.
Kana works her into the corner and gives her some knees, then her own kick that almost lays Chihiro out.

They go back to the center of the ring, exchange some kicks, and Kana grabs Chihiro's leg and slaps on an ankle lock, taking Chihiro down to the mat.

Chihiro manages to escape and gets on top, but she really looks like she doesn't know what shes doing there for a minute, until she clamps a triangle choke on Kana.

She comes pretty close to choking Kana out before Kana finally reaches the ropes.

Kana gets up, there's another exchange and she gets Chihiro down and applies an arm bar.

Believe it or not, that is a little over half of the first part of a two part match.

You can see part one here:

And you can see part two at xkingx2009's channel here...
http://www.youtube.com/user/xkingx2009

Kana wrestling Chihiro Okawa, posted to http://joshipuroresu.blogspot.com/ on August 8th, 2010