This is RESURA ROUNDUP, our monthly installment of match recommendations. Every month, our writers will bring you a fresh batch of bangers, slugfests, epics, and more from the world of joshi.

We’ll often shine a light on the big bouts, but there will also be plenty of focus on the under-the-radar hits. Expect a diverse selection that hits a wide range of joshi promotions. 

Let’s get into it.

Magenta (Riko Kawahata & Maria) vs. Sonoko Kato & Ryo Mizunami, Marvelous 8th Anniversary (May 3)

The main event of the Marvelous Anniversary show was a great veteran vs. young wrestler match with Maria and Riko Kawahata making their first defense of the AAAW tag team titles.

Kato and Mizunami are one of the more underrated tag teams in joshi as they have been on a great run in OZ Academy and Marvelous. They put on a dominant performance as they demonstrated their power and stiffness. Magenta did great working from underneath and eventually overcame the dominant challengers after some great final minutes.

A good match that succeeded in its goal of putting Magenta on the map as THE tag team in Marvelous.

Recommended by: Peps

CRAZY STAR (Suzu Suzuki & Mei Seira) vs. FWC (Hazuki & Koguma), STARDOM Fukuoka (May 5)

One of the best matches in all of pro wrestling this year. As simple as that.

Tag team wrestling can be the best of the best in the sport when two teams click. And as we saw in Fukuoka, that’s exactly what CRAZY STAR and FWC did.

With FWC fighting in their hometown trying to become three-time Goddesses of Stardom Champions, CRAZY STAR had to fight off more than they could handle in this match. There are few wrestlers in the world as good as Hazuki, and this was her match. The combination of her and Mei Seira has now delivered two of the best matches in joshi this year—with this being a step above.

Not only will this go down as one of the best matches of the year, but it’s in the conversation for one of the best tag matches in STARDOM history.

Tremendous. Go watch it.

Recommended by: Scott

Toga vs. Shino Suzuki, TJPW-Yes! Wonderland (May 6)

These TJPW sophomores sure as hell weren’t going to let the opening spot on a big show go to waste. Both Toga and Suzuki came through to craft an intense and emotional bout that clocks it at well under 10 minutes.

No moment is wasted. Even the usually hollow armbar exchange we get to start matches has some real bite here.

Suzuki has never looked better. She’s been a solid part of the roster so far, but this was her most captivating performance by far. Her facial expressions truly tell the story of the hurt she’s suffering, of the guts she has to muster against her bigger, bullish opponent.

Plus, I loved the finish. It’s unexpected, both timing wise and who ends up on top.

If you’re sitting down to pop on this show because of Miu Watanabe vs. Shoko Nakajima (smart move), do yourself a favor and throw on this match as a tasty appetizer.

Recommended by: Ryan

Saori Anou vs. Ami Sohrei, STARDOM Flashing Champions (May 18)

It isn’t easy to step up in the biggest match of your career, especially when all the eyes are on you, but Ami Sohrei did that in the main event of Flashing Champions against Saori Anou with the Wonder of Stardom Championship on the line.

They had a typical Stardom epic match. A slow build-up with a dramatic finishing stretch that got the quiet crowd the loudest on the entire show. While having the strength and power advantage, Ami felt like an underdog in the match, which led to incredible near falls towards the end of the match that made everyone believe that she could pull off the upset. 

A break-out party for God’s Big Chosen Girl as she not only was great in the build-up as the big disruptor in the Anou-Natsupoi story but also stepped up her game in this match. In a tough spot, Anou brought out the best of an unproven challenger in a great White Belt match.

Recommended by: Peps

Kyuuri vs. Misa Kagura, Ice Ribbon #1347 (May 18)

What a wild surprise from Ice Ribbon’s Championship League tourney.

Things get frantic and odd right away with Kyuuri using a confetti popper as a weapon. In a blink, the two wrestlers are battling outside, and the fight includes a steel railing and a cloth rag. Kagura uses the entrance arch to climb up on her foe. None of it is played for pure laughs but more as two desperate, creative women shamelessly trying anything and everything to grab key tournament points.

Dramatic selling, two rising stars, a fat pile of near falls. This hidden gem has lots to like.

Recommended by: Ryan

Nanae Takahashi vs. Victoria Yuzuki, MARIGOLD Field Forever (May 20)

MARIGOLD’s emphatic debut started off with a compelling piece of classic pro wrestling.

Yuzuki, the super rookie plucked from STARDOM, is out to prove herself against an accomplished, respected vet. Young gun versus old dog. The familiar formula works superbly here. 

Nanae is a bully manhandling her younger opponent. She fires off some slaps that look like they could dislocate a jaw. Yuzuki hangs in tough—howling, fighting, forever pushing forward. The crux of the match then becomes Yuzuki’s heart. She’s a convincing warrior who is compelling in the underdog role. More of this please. 

Yes, the main event is a legit MOTYC, but don’t go skipping this standout match.

Recommended by: Ryan

Utami Hayashishita & Giulia vs. Sareee & Bozilla, Marigold Fields Forever (May 20)

I don’t think you could ask for a better inaugural main event than the match that Marigold held at Marigold Fields Forever.

There was a lot of uncertainty going into this match. The main question was—who is Bozilla? Well, we learned in just minutes that Bozilla is someone special. Add in the three superstars of Utami Hayashishita, Giulia, and Sareee to make some magic in Korakuen Hall that night.

Oh, Marigold also had the best joshi crowd since before the pandemic— and this match had the absolute best of it. For 28 minutes and six seconds, these four stole the show and put Marigold on the map once and for all. You couldn’t ask for anything more than what these four did.

Sareee and Giulia were magic, with the “Sun God” getting the win and instantly turning the promotion on its head.

It’s Joshi Summer and nothing has more excitement than this promotion—with this match being the reason why.

Recommended by: Scott

Sareee, Mio Momono & Fukigen Death vs Chihiro Hashimoto, Mika Iwata & Miyuki Takase vs Syuri, Konami & Saori Anou, Hana Kimura Memorial Produce Terima Kasih (May 23)

This is basically the equivalent of the NBA All Star Game, with one key difference—the people involved actually gave a damn. Nine of the best joshi going today, coming together in one match in a fun and fast-paced affair, all in the name of honoring the late great Hana Kimura.

There’s a lot of fun little interactions and spots as you’d expect from a match like this, and they manage to squeeze an awful lot into a match that only goes for a fraction longer than ten minutes. From Mio Momono bouncing all over the place, Big Hash and Sareee reigniting their  rivalry for a brief moment, to Mika Iwata making a rare appearance away from Sendai Girls and even laying the seeds of wanting to do more, there’s plenty to tantalize the taste buds here.

Recommended by: Trent