TOKYO JOSHI PRO WRESTLING (TJPW)
Summer Sun Princess
July 9, 2022
Ota City Ward Gymnasium
TOKYO, JAPAN

Watch: Wrestle Universe

Hikaru Shida & Hikari Noa vs. Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu

Hikaru Shida will make her return to TJPW as she teams with her Grand Princess opponent, Hikari Noa, to take on the team of Yuki Kamifuku and Mahiro Kiryu.

Shida is seemingly taking Noa under her wing which could be beneficial to the former International Princess Champion. Since losing the title, Noa hasn’t seen much success with her biggest loss coming against Shida at the Grand Princess event in March. There are few better partners to have than Shida for such a match and it’ll be interesting to see how they work together. When looking across the ring, Kamifuku and Kiryu certainly feel like the underdogs. Sure, they have a chance but this feels like the Hikaru and Hikari show in this one. Prediction: Hikaru Shida & Hikari Noa

Aja Kong, Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku vs. Hyper Misao, Nao Kakuta, Kaya Toribami & Haruna Neko

The legend Aja Kong makes her return to TJPW to team with Raku, Yuki Aino, and Pom Harajuku to face the Hyper Misao led team that includes Nao Kakuta, Kaya Toribami, and Haruna Neko. There’s not too much mystery as to what to expect here — lots of comedy. When Kong appears in TJPW, she is rarely the killer she was in AJW once upon a time but the Spinning Backfist is always in the conversation to knock someone silly. Nothing about this should reach “match of the night” levels but it should be a fun one for TJPW fans. Prediction: Aja Kong, Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku

Miu Watanabe vs. Ryo Mizunami

The original match that was set between Miu Watanabe and Willow Nightingale has been canceled due to Nightingale being unable to get to Japan for the time being. TJPW noted that she will eventually be able to join them in Japan down the line, but for now Watanabe has a new opponent and it’s a big one. Ryo Mizunami, winner of the AEW Women’s World Championship Eliminator Tournament and a former Beyond The Sea Champion, will step in to take on Watanabe on the big stage. Admittedly, it’s a shame we didn’t get to see the powerhouse battle between Watanabe and Nightingale but this new match is just as exciting, if not more.

Mizunami will be making her TJPW debut and she’s going to show how incredible she is once again. Watanabe still gets a major singles match and now it’s against a major freelance name in the Joshi scene. There’s legitimate potential here to be a show-stealer, which should excite fans worldwide. Prediction: Ryo Mizunami

Moka Miyamoto vs. Juria Nagano

Titled “Karate Warfare,” this should be one of the more interesting matches on the card due to the experience involved. Moka Miyamoto has shown a different side of her since the start of the year and is no question the most improved wrestler in TJPW. She will be just shy of two years in her career when this match happens but has a substantial advantage over Juria Nagano, who only has one win to her name and is still trying to figure herself out as a professional wrestler. There’s zero doubt that Nagano has the pedigree with the background of being a black belt in karate but her only win in her handful of matches was teaming with Miyu Yamashita and Maki Itoh at CyberFight Festival. If she puts it all together, there’s potential to be special in TJPW. Nonetheless, this should be an interesting bout. Prediction: Moka Miyamoto

International Princess Championship
Maki Itoh (c) vs. Alex Windsor

Maki Itoh will defend her International Princess Championship against one of the best England has to offer in Alex Windsor. It was following Pro Wrestling EVE’s SHE-1 tournament that Windsor laid down the challenge to Itoh for Summer Sun Princess before TJPW made it official soon after. If you are an Itoh fan then this is the type of match you’ve been waiting for. The majority of her run has (unfortunately) been lackluster but this match with Windsor should be the best one yet. “The Cutest in the World” will head into the match as a favorite but Windsor has as good a chance as anybody to take the title off of Itoh.

After all, Itoh’s first reign as International Princess Champion ended at the hands of an international star as it was Thunder Rosa who defeated her back in 2020. Windsor is up to that level and even if Itoh is better than she was the first time around, the challenger could steal one in Ota Ward. If you’re looking for a potential show-stealer, this fits the bill. Prediction: Maki Itoh

Mei Suruga & Suzume vs. Riho & Arisu Endo

Everything about this match should rock. If you’re new to TJPW and are tuning in for the AEW wrestlers taking part, then this is going to open your eyes. First things first, we have Riho making her second TJPW appearance this year, and this time in a match where she should really shine. Her partner Arisu Endo is one of the best young stars in Joshi and can only benefit from working with Riho. Across the ring is Endo’s Daisy Monkey partner, Suzume, who will team with Mei Suruga. Suzume is widely considered the most underrated talent in TJPW. Any time she has had an opportunity to shine, she takes it. Teaming with Suruga after their impressive outing at Suruga’s anniversary show should lead to excellent work against Riho and Endo.

Suruga has appeared in AEW before, mostly as a manager for Emi Sakura, but she has plenty of skills in her repertoire. The most notable match for Suruga this year came in Stardom, where she challenged AZM for the High-Speed Championship. While Suruga displayed her quirkiness, she also managed to showcase her high-speed prowess in the losing effort. Another match with show-stealer potential, this should be a blast to witness. Prediction: Mei Suruga & Suzume

Thunder Rosa vs. Miyu Yamashita

The AEW Women’s World Champion against the “Ace” of TJPW at Summer Sun Princess. The championship may not be on the line for this match but it’s just as important as any other match on the card. Thunder Rosa returns to TJPW for the first time since 2020 to take on Miyu Yamashita. There’s obvious excitement for what these two stars can do in a TJPW ring as Yamashita is part of some of the best women’s matches in the world over the last year and faces Rosa, who has done nothing but make waves since signing with AEW and holds the world championship as we speak. Yamashita is the bar when it comes to TJPW. Even without a title around her waist, she still feels like the favorite against Rosa. But Rosa has been on a roll over the last year, defeating the likes of Britt Baker, Nyla Rose, and most recently Toni Storm.

No doubt the most interesting storyline heading in is the potential of Yamashita winning the match. If she were to win, it would nearly guarantee her an AEW Women’s World Championship match, possibly at All Out in Chicago over Labor Day weekend. The gut says that is the way to go with the world watching to see how Yamashita matches up with Rosa. The only time they’ve faced off before was in a trios match, where Rosa’s team walked out victorious. Excitement is in the air for this premier matchup and it should be nothing short of fantastic. Prediction: Miyu Yamashita

Princess Tag Team Championship
Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) vs. Saki Akai & Yuki Arai

Will the dominant title reign of the Magical Sugar Rabbits come to an end? Yuka Sakazaki and Mizuki are approaching 300 days as champion and their longest reign with the belts. If Miyu Yamashita is the example of dominance with the Princess of Princess Championship, then the Magical Sugar Rabbits deserve the same respect with the tag team gold. They’ll take on some brand new challengers as Saki Akai and Yuki Arai team up for Summer Sun Princess. Unlike the Magical Sugar Rabbits, Akai and Arai do not have all that much experience as a team despite their small success. They’re 2-0 with wins over the makeshift teams of Rika Tatsumi and Mahiro Kiryu as well as Miyu Yamashita and Moka Miyamoto.

To say they have the wins worthy of a title match may be pushing it but much like most of Arai’s career to this point, she has the confidence to challenge even with the limited success. At Grand Princess, it was a challenge that fell short for the International Princess Championship. Perhaps having Akai by her side could be the difference-maker in winning. Many may see the Magical Sugar Rabbits as the heavy favorites but do not doubt what Akai can do to help Arai win the first TJPW championship of her career. Prediction: Saki Akai & Yuki Arai

Princess of Princess Championship
Shoko Nakajima (c) vs. Rika Tatsumi

The main event of Summer Sun Princess will be Shoko Nakajima defending the Princess of Princess Championship against former champion, Rika Tatsumi.

Tatsumi earned this opportunity when she defeated Mizuki, Yuki Kamifuku, and Miu Watanabe in a No. 1 contender’s match at CyberFight Festival. It’s been a bumpy road back to a title shot for Tatsumi has her success has mostly been non-existent since losing the belt to Miyu Yamashita in 2021. There’s no doubt as to whether or not Tatsumi is capable of being champion again as she’s one of the best in all of TJPW, but it has been more so things not going her way. When Tatsumi captured the victory at CyberFight Festival, the idea of her becoming one of the few two-time Princess of Princess Champions felt right. Unfortunately for Tatsumi, she’s going to have to beat the focused champion on the major stage.

Nakajima has successfully defended her Princess of Princess Championship three times, beating Yuki Aino at Still Incomplete ’22, Hyper Misao at Yes! Wonderland, and Yuka Sakazaki at CyberFight Festival. Add in the fact she defeated Yamashita to win the title in the first place and it’s tough to doubt “The Big Kaiju” here. Tatsumi is going to give it all she has with the dreams of being champion once more but Nakajima is at the top of the game and will be hard to knock down from her throne. Prediction: Shoko Nakajima

Powered by RedCircle