By Mark Worrall@hoohoowozza
Five shows will determine the winner of the Tokyo Princess cup this year, Tokyo Joshi pro’s annual tournament. The winner will then receive a title shot against the promotions champion. The following is a look at the first round matches, eight of them as this is a sixteen person knockout tournament with four matches apiece covering two shows. The first show emanating from Kitazawa Town hall on the 25/5 and the second show from Shin-Kiba 1st ring on 6/1. I have skipped the tag matches and just covered all the tournament matches from both shows.
RIKA TATSUMI def. HIMAWARI UNAGI
Tatsumi looked the favourite for this match as last year’s Semi-finalist opened this year’s tournament against Unagi, making her Princess cup debut! Tatsumi worked several body parts of Unagi throughout a match that she more or less controlled with Unagi finding little offence to begin with, and when she did it took it out of her as she looked a little tired and struggled to keep up with the more consistent Tatsumi. Unagi to her credit did rally towards the latter stages of the match, seemingly finding her groove a little. However, Tatsumi’s constant submission based offence finally grounded Unagi who finally succumbed to an off the top rope ‘hip bump’. Nice start to the tournament with Tatsumi looking pretty good!
MIU WATANABE def. NODOKA TENMA
Tenma, a semi-finalist herself a year ago, albeit in a different guise these days faced the first upset of the tournament by succumbing to another debutant as Watanabe booked herself a birth in the second round by putting Tenma away, which to her credit was a credible victory after fighting from underneath for a majority of the match! Tenma looked to finish this match earlier, and her body language spoke that as she looked the strongest throughout the match, and maybe she had misjudged the credibility of her opponent. The crowd were really behind Watanabe here and the possibility of an upset and were duly rewarded after Watanabe took everything Tenma threw at her, then somehow found her finisher, putting Tenma away with her ‘Tear Drop’ finish, a version of a spinning flapjack.
NATSUMI MAKI def. HIKARI NOA
Another debutant with Natsumi Maki up against Hikari Noa who had to progress through a qualifying round a year previous, however this tournament saw Noa fall at the first round in a terrific match that was frantic from the off as both girls showed some great athletic ability that saw no mistakes, just some hair pulling that played into the match. This was back and forth throughout and showed that some of these TJPW girls are seriously good. Natsumi had more of the control earlier into the contest, attempting to weaken Noa with a great Bow and Arrow until they exchanged drop kicks with Natsumi always looking to have the edge on her opponent. A serious of roll ups and near falls exited the crowd until Natsumi, bridging a terrific looking German suplex took the victory. A nice hug postmatch as Natsumi advances, and for me looks a considerable threat!
SHOKO NAKAJIMA def. YUKI KAMIFUKU
Too long a match for someone with Kamifuku’s limited ability, and it showed as the current Princess of Princess champion, Nakajima at times had to guide her opponent through the match as she controlled a large portion of the contest which she did slowly has it seemed Nakajima herself struggled with ideas against the much taller Kamifuku. A chase around the ring early into the match saw Kamifuku trip, however she hid from the champion enabling some offence which relied too heavily on drop kicks. A moment for Kamifuku to hit a Famouser on Nakajima who herself had indivertibly hit Kamifuku with a drop kick sending her into the ref who was knocked ringside, of course this left no referee to count an attempted pin! Nakajima locked her opponent in a Northern lights suplex that saw a near fall, and also a great crowd reaction that had them believing that Yuki may actually find an upset! Second time though and Nakajima’s determination to end this with her Northern lights finisher paid off as the champion advances.
MAKI ITO def. RAKU
Ito’s losing streak is well past her these days! Losing in the opening round in 2018, Ito, not the ace of TJPW but definitely the star, in a recent change of ring gear sang her way to the ring which apparently moved her opponent to tears, only for Raku to play possum as Ito turned her back and felt Raku’s drop kick! Raku was not really a match for Ito who brushed off Raku’s strikes, laughing at times as Raku, spurred on by the crowd attempted many roll ups to try and surprise a victory until Raku made the mistake of attacking Ito’s head, which, if you know Maki Ito is not the way to go! Not phased Ito headbutted Raku and locked her into the ‘Itoh Special’ (clover leaf) to advance to the next round.
YUNA MANASE def. YUKI AINO
Ironically it was Aino’s sister Nodoka Tenma that thwarted Manase from advancing a year prior, so in a roundabout way, victory here would give Manase a little redemption. Manase has been mixing it up in Ganbare recently (DDT sub promotion) and wants to prove she belongs in TJPW. There is no doubt that Manase is the more powerful girl in this match with Aino having to attempt her offence several times before achieving what she wanted, and her patterned Gut Wrench suplex was an example of that finally nailing the move on her third attempt that so nearly got her the win. Manase’s point to prove finished the match in her favour has she followed a running kick with ‘Suzuki Dynamic’ (face slam) to advance.
YUKA SAKAZAKI def. MINA SHIRAKAWA
Sakazaki aims to go one better this year after coming short twelve months earlier losing to the now departed Yuu in the final of this very tournament in 2018. Shirakawa wants to wrestle abroad, just like her opponent after Sakizaki’s exploits at last week’s AEW show and without giving Sakizaki time to take her jacket off, Shirakawa is straight in for the kill, drop kicking her opponent into the turnbuckle, which the crowd does not really like, but it’s a no messing approach if Shirakawa is to advance. Sakizaki has tons of charisma, and knows her way around the ring, saving an attempted surfboard botch from Shirakawa, thinking quickly and applying a headlock that actually affords Sakizaki the control, working the left leg after Shirakawa finds the rope from the headlock. Sakizaki mimicking of the ref is priceless and follows up with an inverted triangle on the ropes that shows another floorless performance as she finally falls to the original surfboard plan making Shirakawa look good as they both go back and forth as Shirakawa desperately looks for the win, which does not come as Sakizaki books a second round spot with a top rope splash.
MIZUKI def. MIYU YAMASHITA
Yamashita’s losing ways continued in what was the shock of the tournament so far as one half of the Magical Sugar rabbits, and one half of the tag champs, Mizuki found herself in the second round by upsetting the longest reigning Princess of Princess champions of the promotion’s history! Yamashita’s history in the Tokyo Princess cup may not be a rich one and that’s not about to change as Mizuki was more than a match here, even though Yamashita controlled, methodically the offence, attempting to wear Mizuki down. Mizuki countered well and, to be fair out wrestled the former champion who tried to keep the match at her pace, looking like the Ace at times but somewhat looking naked without her prized title belt. Mizuki’s resilience to win this match really gave her an advantage against the former champion she respects and numerous double stomps saw Yamashita clutching her stomach after she had delivered a German suplex into a bridge that she simply could not hold. The crowd’s reaction when Mizuki hit the ‘Cutie special’ said it all, this was an upset to a degree, however Mizuki did herself many favours in winning this match.
Second round draw is as follows:
Natsumi Maki v Maki Ito, Rika Tatsumi v Yuna Manase both matches will be on the 8/6 show from Shin-Kiba 1st ring which will also feature a tag title match between Magical Sugar Rabbits v Saki Sama/Misao.
Shoko Nakajima v Mizuki and Miu Watanabe v Yuka Sakizaki will be on the 22/6 show also from Shin-Kiba.
