In his song “I Do Everything,” Masego sings the lyrics, “Because everything’s every damn thing/I do everything.”
This might as well be Yappy’s slogan. She does a little of everything for Ice Ribbon. She’s a powerhouse they can plug into anywhere on the card. She’s a veteran presence, a translator, an ambassador, a presenter.
To simply define her as a wrestler is inadequate. It’d be more fitting to call Yappy Ice Ribbon’s Swiss Army Knife.
She can throw down in a slugfest. She can work a sillier match. She’s just as comfortable smashing her sturdy frame into a foe as she is doing goofy comedy antics.
Check out her singles bout against then-Ice x Infinity champ Totoro Satsuki from last February. The bout has both women crashing into each like two rams. Her offense is straight ahead, filled with high impact strikes and power moves.
More recently, Yappy took on young, rising star Saran at the March 2 Ice Ribbon dojo show. There’s a lot more zaniness to this one. Yappy falls victim to Saran stomping the hell out of her feet, leaving the bruiser wincing cartoonishly, and later Saran uses referee Mio Shirai as a weapon. Yappy is as at home amid all that wackiness as she is in a strike exchange.
What do the young people say now? Get you a girl who can do both.
This versatility makes Yappy a perfect fit for Ice Ribbon, a promotion that features plenty of both sides of the wrestling coin. With that shaved side of her head and gladiator-style gear, she looks like a warrior to be wary of, but she also flips on a neon smile when it’s the right time to lean into the fun.
Yappy has been a steady figure for a promotion that has been anything but steady in recent years. Wrestlers that once ruled Ice Ribbon when she debuted in 2019 are now long gone—Giulia, Rina Yamashita, Maya Yukihi, Tsukasa Fujimoto.
The landscape is unrecognizable at this point. That is except for Yappy’s presence.
Compare the 2019 RibbonMania card to that of last year’s version of the big event. The only names that repeat on both are Hamuko Hoshi, Ibuki Hoshi, and, you guessed it, Yappy.
The story of Ice Ribbon of late hasn’t been about its in-ring narratives, it’s been about personnel turnover. Amid all the changes, exits, and retirements, Yappy has been there, the solid hand. Old reliable. She’s a known commodity, something Ice Ribbon doesn’t have a whole bunch of anymore.
And now, even though she’s only been wrestling for four years, she’s suddenly one of the most experienced members of the roster.
Ice Ribbon is packed with wrestlers who are just starting out. Mifu Ashida, Yuuki Minami, Yuu Hanaya, and Asuka Fujitaki all debuted last August. It’s not as if folks like 15-year-old Saran and Kaho Matsushita have been in the game for ever, either.
That’s led to Yappy serving as in-ring mentor on the regular. For the up-and-comers, a match against her is a proving ground and a tutorial session.
Plus, when Ice Ribbon brings in a foreigner like it did with JC Storm this year, Yappy’s the one they call. The Philippines native is fluent in English, a valuable skill for communication with performers like Storm, either as opponents or as tag team partners.
Her language skills make her the go-to diplomat.
They also make Yappy valuable beyond what she does between the ropes. She is the bridge between Ice Ribbon and English-speaking fans. Yappy is a regular on Twitter, offering added contexts to matches and events in English.
She’s playful and peppy on social media, an easy way to attract new fans.
That could mean she’s delivering wrestling promos ‘American style’ or hosting an English proficiency showdown with the roster.
Ice Ribbon has put those skills to use in a YouTube show called Weekly Ribbon Unravel. It’s a weekly breakdown of recent action, a quick look back at results and a peek ahead at events to come. And it’s all in English.
For fans unsure about how to fully dive into Ice Ribbon, this is a huge asset. It makes the promotion far more accessible. It’s a resource not every joshi company has or uses.
While there are certainly fans willing to forge ahead with their fandom while not understanding a word of what’s being said onscreen, Yappy’s posts and this YouTube show is a way to reach those fans less willing to venture into Japanese-only territory.
Yappy isn’t a top-notch ring worker who will give you a Match of the Year contender. She’s not the star you build your brand around. It’s clear Ice Ribbon knows that as she’s won zero titles or tournaments.
The heavy hitter isn’t Ice Ribbon’s central figure. She is, on the other hand, the glue.
She’s here to be a cheerleader, a good teammate, a company representative, a social media maven. She fills out the card. She gives Ice Ribbon a dependable option. Plus, you get all the added benefits of her personability, as this fan from New Zealand attests to:
Ben Zobrist, who won a World Series with the Chicago Cubs, was famous for being versatile on the baseball diamond. He played everything from second base to outfield, shortstop to first. He even pitched a game in his last season.
That sure sounds a lot like Yappy. The solid, stable hand the manager can plug into any spot, the player who can play every position.
RESURA 