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.
Nao Kakuta & Tae Honma vs. Natsupoi & Saori Anou, TJPW – Nao Kakuta Produce – CROSS (July 6)
Nao Kakuta’s CROSS produce was an absolute celebration of a wrestler’s nearly decade-long career and all the lives it has touched. Kakuta, Honma, Poi, and Anou all debuted as founding members of AgZ (later AWG) at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in 2015. It is worth noting that the special ring announcer, Aina Aiba, was also part of that roster as Yuuki Harima. This main event was akin to a band reunion, four people on separate paths, returning to their roots for one last hurrah. STARDOM sending over Poi and Anou was a testament to their influence and friendship. Comparing them to their 2015 appearance at Act Prologue, Honma and Poi were pretty close character-wise to today, while Kakuta and Anou underwent a metamorphosis over the last 9 years. Being that AWG is based on actresses performing wrestling, the character work was solid on day one with all four and is still a strength of the company today.
Considering the nature of the show, they could have played the greatest hits and taken a bow. Instead, they had an all-out war that lasted nearly 20 minutes on a hot summer evening inside Shin-kiba. The sequence of Kakuta in the corner while the locker room takes turns hitting her was made timeless when Honma runs at her teammate but stops to hug her and scream “arigato.” In a sport that blurs reality with drama, it ranks up there with one of the most genuine moments in a wrestling ring in a while. Poi was especially in big match mode, and it was really cool that Kakuta had zero ego and took the pin via the Fairial Gift. While this has focused on the closer, the entire show is actually recommended as Kakuta’s past and present pay tribute to her in a quickly paced show. Not every wrestler gets to end things on their terms, but Kakuta’s road to retirement has been a highlight of 2024.
Recommended by: Jeff Brown
Miku Aono vs. MIRAI/Miku Aono vs. Bozilla, Marigold – Marigold Summer Destiny (July 13)
Miku Aono had a two-part epic to reach her first title in Marigold; it began with another chapter in the MIRAI rivalry. One of Miku’s best attributes is that she enters a room like a main eventer; she carries herself with a quiet grace that can’t be taught. This time she paused and surveyed the crowd in Ryogoku Kokugikan, taking in the magnitude and feeling the confirmation of her decision to chase her dream. This match began at a more methodical pace, a real technical grinding war of attrition like Bret Hart in the ’90s. There was lots of deliberate limb work that made perfect sense as both were beginning to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Aono and MIRAI both want to prove they belong at the top, and both have had uphill journeys in their careers to reach the summit. Miku finally lands the Styles Clash to get a win against her nemesis, MIRAI.
This was only a brief respite, as she was thrown right into a match with Bozilla. With a size disadvantage, Miku, for the first time in her life, wasn’t able to just bludgeon and overwhelm her opponent with brute force. Her thunderous kicks, which have become a calling card, were nearly ineffective against the giant Bozilla. This template of David vs. Goliath is simple and utterly timeless. Miku had to chop down the monster and, in the end, just survived the onslaught with a roll-up. The visual of Rossy Ogawa handing Miku the trophy and United National Title seemed surreal considering where she was just a few months prior. It was completely earned and was a superstar-making performance from one of the best overall Joshi today. Miku has proven she can handle the pressure. In March 2023, a similar scene took place in Korakuen Hall when Fuka handed her the trophy as the inaugural AWG Champion and put an exclamation point on her run as the ace of AWG’s reboot era. Now she has a chance, with a new roster and an even wider audience, to restate that case.
Recommended by: Jeff Brown
Arisa Shinose vs. Kirari Wakana, Ice Ribbon – New Ice Ribbon #1358 (July 14)
A future star in this business was born as this was the debut match of Kirari Wakana, who faced Arisa Shinose, who barely has wrestled a full year and the match they put on was unbelievable for the experience level of the show.
Shinose was in more of a veteran role and she did well in this as she worked over the back of Kirari, who sold it all so well. Arisa’s strikes were stiff and were clear to hear. Wakana showed incredible fighting spirit and fought through the pain.
Wakana started her comeback with multiple close roll-up attempts, but Shinose fought back and from that moment on, the crowd erupted and went insane for the two rookies, who put on a show. Both were fantastic in their role with Shinose having an incredible performance as well that shouldn’t be undermined here next to the fantastic debut of Wakana.
This match not only had one of the best joshi debuts in recent memory but also a breakout performance of Shinose, who proved why she was chosen for this match.
Recommended by: Peps
DASH Chisako vs. Momo Watanabe, Sendai Girls – Sendai PIT Event (July 15)
Hell yeah! What a blast this was.
DASH and Watanabe made full use of all the furniture around them in a battle that included a chair duel and some daredevil highlight leaps. The match is hard-hitting and dynamic. It pulses with ferocity. It remains engaging from start to finish.
The Oedo Tai interference isn’t overbearing, either. It’s just enough to mix things up, and then it’s gone.
On a stacked show, DASH and Momo made sure people were talking about them.
Recommended by: Ryan
Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh vs. Emi Sakura & Mizuki, TJPW – Summer Sun Princess (July 20)
Emi Sakura in TJPW? Please and thank you! The cagey vet fit right into the teej mix, helping to craft a match that was a perfect mix of zany fun and straight-ahead violence.
The bout gets bonus points for starting off fast with fists flying. Yamashita and company keep up the high-energy pace throughout. Sakura’s attempt at Whirling Candy and her and Mizukui’s creative teamwork highlighted this show-stealer. Yamashita’s bruising style helped ground it, balancing out the comedy.
Plus, we got a tease of a potential Miyu vs. Emi showdown. Those wrestlers’ intensity toward each other surely deserves to be spotlighted in singles action.
Recommended by: Ryan
Daisy Monkey (Arisu Endo & Suzume) vs Moka Miyamoto & Yuki Arai, TJPW – Summer Sun Princess ’24 (July 20)
For TJPW, tag teams have always been a specialty and a calling card, and they are often the highlight of the night. Daisy Monkey is a fantastic babyface tag team that struggles for every victory. Deep into the match, when everyone is exhausted, desperation sets in for the duo, and the dramatic pin breakups or finishing move counters are top-notch.
Moka and Arai have a unique chemistry with some cool tandem moves, but both feel like their futures lie in singles competition. Arai is already quite strong, while Moka forges her position in the company with each determined performance. Both teams hit a lot of their signature moves, and they were perfect at building the tension that everyone expects from Daisy Monkey bouts.
The bright colors and energy of Daisy Monkey entrances cannot be manufactured, and the careful cultivation over the last year has paid off with all their champions. Endo consistently updates her appearance, but Suzume’s metamorphism here, complete with new gear and blonde hair, signals that this run is going to be a milestone that is being taken seriously as they help lead the new era of the company.
Recommended by: Jeff Brown
RESURA 