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.
Saya Kamitani vs. Yuko Sakurai, Pro Wrestling WAVE-Kabukicho Weekender ’24 (June 7)
We all knew the Catch the WAVE tournament would feel different/bigger/more electric with Saya Kamitani involved, and this is a prime example of that.
It’s fun seeing Tall Saya rocking it in a promotion outside of STARDOM. Her star presence buzzes in Shinjuku FACE. The crowd is hot from the start and they inject lots of energy into the action.
And Yuko matches her step for step with athleticism and bravado here. She provides some empthatic moments including when she fires off a kick that sends Kamitani hurtling into the nether.
The excitement builds as the match goes on, as the near-falls get closer and closer to putting one of them away. It all adds up to a tourney match that screams importance and intensity.
You don’t have to hunt this down, either. It’s up on STARDOM World for your perusal.
Recommended by: Ryan
Hikaru Shida vs. Moka Miyamoto, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling-Prism ‘24 (June 9)
Moka is someone TJPW has been building for a few years, and her confidence in the ring has jumped significantly in the last year. Shida is a worldwide superstar at this point and can elevate an opponent just by standing across the ring during introductions.
Shida took the majority of the match, but Moka definitely got some counters and some of her signature moves in. This match was all killer and no filler, coming in just under 10 minutes, but considering where each is at in their careers, it makes sense.
The closing sequence saw Shida blast Moka with a punch that had hospital written all over it. That is followed up with an easy three-count via the most unnecessary Falcon Arrow in history. Moka feels like she is where Arisu Endo or Miu Watanabe were in 2022 and should be in the conversation for the International Princess Championship this year.
Recommended by: Jeff Brown
Victoria Yuzuki vs. Sareee, MARIGOLD-Grand Opening Wars (June 11)
Two great wrestlers thrive within a familiar framework. Sareee is the ruthless veteran testing and who pushes the explosive rookie. Alpha lion versus young lion.
It’s got the right amount of urgency and violence. The story is clear and compelling. And you get some absolutely nasty dropkicks from Sareee.
Sareee is on such a historic tear that a match like this might get overlooked despite being a certified banger. The Sun Goddess, though, is so damn good right now that every one of her bouts needs to be on fans’ watchlists.
Recommended by: Ryan
ACT, Mari, MARU & The Great Asako (Actwres Killer’Z) vs. Kanamic, Marino Saihara, Naru & Sakura Mizushima, Actwres girl’Z – Step 44 (June 14)
AWG kicked off the new era with Step 44; the factions dissolved, and everyone is either a member of Actwres Killer’Z or Heroes. The line was drawn when Maru led a walkout at the end of Step 43, leaving a small group of babyfaces to close out the show. They uploaded a video showing a post-apocalyptic world (including Fist of the North Star animation) with Shin-Kiba blown out as the new heel faction rode motorcycles.
As Marino has always had a superhero element to her persona, she was fittingly the main focus of this match and the show in general. Mari had new gear and a wicked attitude as she bludgeoned her old tag partner, Naru. Kanamic and Mizushima are two great talents, with Mizushima getting closer to the future ace status she’s shown glimpses of since 2022. Maru has the walking brawl with weapons down, and along with ACT, they are veterans that are very selfless when the time is right. Great Asako was a chaotic element to the match and, really, to the roster in general. Even though her offense is ineffectual comedy, she has made great improvements this year.
Maru taps out Marino with a brutal Stretch Muffler variant, playing into the real-life knee injury that Marino suffered last spring. This is an important chapter for the company as it enters a new era. The Killer’Z is a meta-storyline based on the upheaval of the seven departures to Marigold. Since 2015, AWG has had quite a few rebrandings and direction changes (roughly every 15–24 months). Being the first show, it would appear this is building to something big at Korakuen Hall in August.
Recommended by: Jeff Brown
Nagisa Shiotsuki & Natsuki vs. Haruka Ishikawa & Kyoka Iwai, Actwres girl’Z – Step 44 (June 14)
Nagisa and Natsuki have teamed for quite a while and are known as Midsummer Sea Breeze. The duo ran out, slapping hands just like WWF’s Strike Force, but with tropical shirts in lieu of shiny jackets. Until recently, Ishikawa mostly appeared at Korakuen shows. Her new heel persona is already a highlight, and it feels like something she should have been doing all along. Kyoka has had a lot of stops and starts but is one step away from being a main eventer.
Natsuki is an underrated workhorse for the company, taking several moves right on her head and neck. The rebranding of AWG in February 2022 saw Nagisa in the main event; however, a collapsed lung in the spring of 2023 put her momentum on hold. This team seems to be her path back to the top, as they are always a highlight on the show.
After weathering a beatdown, Natsuki lands a flapjack before catching Kyoka with a jackknife pin. They survived the match, but the heel duo is a threat, and this could become a rivalry in 2024. While the tag titles are in flux, Midsummer Sea Breeze should be on the short list for the belts or begin a chase for them.
Recommended by: Jeff Brown
Yuna Manase vs. Nao Kakuta,Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling – City Circuit ‘24 (June 15)
Nao Kakuta’s retirement tour is coming to a close, and she is having a special run of matches in the process. Yuna and Kakuta go back to AgZ in 2015, with Yuna helping train the rookie for the new group of Actress Girl’Z. Their last singles match was an AgZ showcase for Wrestle-1 in February 2016. Kakuta had only 4 matches at that point, so it was pretty one-sided with an emphasis on her cat-themed comedy that she was leaning on at the time. Maika Ozaki and Tae Honma also joined in to help Kakuta or irritate Yuna early on. A month later, Ozaki and Yuna would cease being full-time AgZ members, and Tae would suffer a knee injury that kept her out for a year, with Kakuta staying until joining TJPW in the autumn of 2020.
In 2024, Kakuta and Yuna are quite different from their 2016 counterparts and much more evenly matched. It started out slow with some fun shenanigans, perhaps a callback to their previous bout. Yuna is more of a power fighter these days, while Kakuta is a very aggressive all-rounder who revels in kicking her opponents in the face. After about 10 minutes, Yuna lands her signature lariat to pin Kakuta for the three-count.
Since 2016, the world has undergone significant transformation, and although AgZ’s initial season concluded within a year, it paved the way for numerous careers and influenced the evolution of modern joshi. It may be down to logistics, but this match was worthy of being featured on the Prism show at Korakuen Hall (though teaming with SAKI was great). Regardless, the post-match was emotional as two old friends had their paths cross one last time and took a well-deserved look back to another era.
Recommended by: Jeff Brown
Maika vs. Xena, STARDOM – THE CONVERSION (June 22)
When a wrestler steps into the biggest match of their career and delivers, you don’t forget it. But when they overdeliver, it pushes them to another level moving forward. Xena did that in her World of Stardom Championship challenge at STARDOM THE CONVERSION.
If you believed in Xena as I did, you still might have not known what to expect. But as she stepped into the ring that night, she showed the world what she was capable of. It all started with her brutal Lucha-style chops that left Maika’s chest bloody as can be.
They exchanged power moves back and forth, with Xena leaving the champion looking for answers time and time again. It was going to be Maika’s match to win in the end, but it’s a credit to both the challenger and champion for what they accomplished in this match.
Maika’s Utami Hayashishita defense may remain the best, but this match against Xena was her most impressive yet. A must-watch from this show.
Recommended by: Scott
MIRAI vs. Miku Aono, Marigold – Shinkiba (June 23)
The task of facing each other three times in one month is a tall one. But for MIRAI and Miku Aono, it was a challenge that they accepted with confidence.
I’m taking a look back at match No. 2 between the duo, which captured everything you want in such a meaningful match and was elevated with a hot crowd in Shinkiba. Aono’s usage of her kicks in this match is what elevated it, as she used them to break down the Lariat throwing MIRAI by attacking her legs. So much so that you’d see the nastiest of bruises on MIRAI’s leg by the time they collided for a third time the weekend after.
But as she cut down MIRAI, “The Child of the Soul” continued to fight back. These two are so different but also the same. They use the power of strikes to tackle each other — before it was time to lariat each other’s heads off for the final five minutes. As they both neared victory, the time once again ran out but this time — all you could do was give them a standing ovation.
As they prepare to collide one final time at Sumo Hall this weekend, I tell you all to watch this series. 60 minutes combined of top-tier pro wrestling.
Recommended by: Scott
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