This is a new feature that I’m trying out since I watch a lot of joshi wrestling and wanted to write something about it. I might change up the format going forward depending on how I feel, but for now I’ve gone with a highlight from this month, and then a more general recap of what I’ve been watching. As I was writing this the news about Kris Wolf retiring came out, but I’ll cover that in detail in next month’s article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Highlight<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This month I want to highlight ASUKA, formerly of Pro-Wrestling WAVE, but now distinguished from the WWE wrestler by her kanji (\u6731\u5d07\u82b1) and her name being capitalised in English. She also has the distinction of being the first openly transgender wrestler in Japan. She had a strong 2018, winning WAVE\u2019s top title, the Regina di WAVE Championship, in August, and continued that momentum into January. She first announced her departure from WAVE to become a freelancer, appeared in numerous promotions throughout the month, and then won the DDT Ironman Heavyweight Championship in an eight man battle royal, just days after Japan\u2019s Supreme Court upheld the controversial law that requires transgender people to be sterilised before seeking to legally change their gender (https:\/\/www.japantimes.co.jp\/news\/2019\/01\/25\/national\/crime-legal\/japan-supreme-court-rules-requiring-surgery-change-legal-gender-currently-constitutional\/#.XFnx2M9KiuU<\/a>). ASUKA was interviewed by the Japanese magazine LGBTer in 2017 (https:\/\/lgbter.jp\/asuka2\/#agenda9<\/a>), in which she talked about being an example for other members of the LGBTQ community in a similar situation to her, and her title victory coming in the wake of the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling felt even more significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Ironman Battle Royale itself was a hilarious match,\nwhich showed off ASUKA\u2019s power and skill as the only woman in the match. Based on comments at the show it seems like there\nare plans to utilise ASUKA in DDT going forward, which should be exciting, at the\nvery least to watch her defend the Ironman Title. As well as winning the Ironman Title, ASUKA\nalso competed in Seadlinnng, YMZ, Wrestle-1, and on the Gami Libre show at the start\nof January. ASUKA and Hana Kimura are currently\ncompeting as a tag team in Wrestle-1 known as Flo\u00dcrish, and they picked up\ntheir first win since naming themselves over the team of Miyuki Takase and Saki\nat the end of January. In her matches in\nSeadlinnng ASUKA racked up a couple of wins in tag team matches against Nanae\nTakahashi, which suggests that she will probably be a future opponent for Nanae\u2019s\nBeyond the Sea Championship. ASUKA is\nstill only 20, and only debuted in 2015, so the sky really is the limit for\nher, and now that she\u2019s a freelancer I would expect to see her raise her\nprofile even further during 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n