Two rivals have been busy wounding each other under a dim spotlight.  

If you aren’t watching the opening matches of some of Sendai Girls’ smaller cards, you are missing out on the continued collisions between YUNA and Yura Suzuki.  This may not yet be a marquee feud, but its early chapters suggest greatness to come. In the meantime, Sendai Girls fans are being treated to taut action and straight-ahead storytelling that shouldn’t be passed over. 

Like many great foes, there are striking differences between the two wrestlers. 

YUNA is a feisty underdog while Suzuki is an unflinching bulldozer.  They are both around 5’1” but Suzuki feels bigger as she has more muscular legs and powerful shoulders. YUNA debuted just last August. Suzuki, meanwhile, is a three-year vet despite being only 17 years old.  

Their styles and strengths are noticeably different, as well.  

The powerhouse Suzuki is a stone-faced, straight-ahead fighter. She feels like a character pulled from a video game. On the other hand, YUNA is a scrapper who relies on flash pins.   

And while YUNA compels through her facial expressions and demonstrative passion, Suzuki makes you take notice by way of brute force. YUNA is all heart; Suzuki is all sledgehammer. 

There’s a major disparity in their kayfabe success, too.  

As of this writing, YUNA has only won two matches in her career. Suzuki earned two wins this July alone. She’s battled to the finals of the Sendai Girls Jaja Uma Tournament and won multiple Catch the Wave tourney matches. 

YUNA has had to settle for moral victories instead. 

This contrast between them, combined with their chemistry, have made for some reliably entertaining matches.  

Take first their meeting on December 8 from that aforementioned Jaja Uma event of last year.  

Suzuki withstands everything YUNA throws at her. She puffs her chest out and welcomes forearm shots. She strikes back with kicks that thunder on YUNA’s collarbone. Then the assault continues, the pony-tailed pugilist merciless with strikes and joint destruction. 

It’s a captivating display of a predator at work.  

YUNA is frantic and desperate and fun as hell to watch. Passion be damned, she still finds herself trapped in YUNA’s grip, forced to give up while in a chokehold.  

It feels at this point in the rivalry like a wildcat trying to take down a Bengal tiger. 

YUNA and Yura met again on February 11^th at Shinjuku FACE.  

The action kicked off fast with YUNA on the offensive, battering away at her opponent’s sternum. But she didn’t hold the advantage long. Suzuki counter-punched her and soon held her long-haired foe in her grip like a schoolyard bully would some poor kid behind the bleachers. 

YUNA offers a barrage of dropkicks in response. She’s met with a brick wall of a woman, though. Suzuki absorbs every blow and keeps plowing forward. 

A nasty ankle hold is too much for YUNA who can’t hold on long. 

Just a day later in Nagaoka, they bang heads again. 

 YUNA is not deterred by her past failures. She’s fierce and focused, and for once, able to go toe-to-toe with Suzuki on the mat. Well, briefly. 

Suzuki’s power is hard to contend with. YUNA is soon reeling from knees to the gut and kicks to any stretch of flesh within reach.  

There are some exciting moments when a desperate YUNA goes for flash pins, but it’s Suzuki that takes the victory by yanking back on YUNA with an armbar and forcing her foe into submission.  

To this point, they have told a similar story: a hopeful YUNA finding that she is outmatched in strength and ferocity. The underdog has her moments, but ultimately, she can’t sustain anything long enough to keep Suzuki down.   

At a Sendai Girls event in Korakuen Hall in April, the enemies find themselves in the same ring again. Theirs is the opening match to a card that includes the likes of ZONES, Sareee and VENY. 

In only four and a half minutes, YUNA and Yura put on a show. 

They exchange wristlocks early, and everything is crisp. As usual, there’s an urgency and intensity to it all. This means something for both of them. 

Suzuki clamps tight onto her opponent. She is a crab that has closed its pincer on its food. 

They trade blows, but Suzuki overpowers her rival in the end. Once again.  

YUNA goes for rollups and scores some several two-counts. If she’s going to win it might have to be by surprise. History has shown them that YUNA is no match straight up for the strength of Suzuki.  

Mid-battle, YUNA screams, her eyes widen, fighting spirit is ablaze in her. This is going to be her ticket to stardom eventually, but it’s not the path to a W on this day. Suzuki again has her trapped in her vice grip and forces YUNA to tap out. 

The sequels end much like the original film. 

In their June 9 match, YUNA lasts longer than in previous outings. She avoids defeat for seven and a half minutes this time. 

The match, like its predecessors, sees Suzuki in control for much of it. 

She twists YUNA’s leg with menace in her heart. She shakes off all the dropkicks YUNA fires at her and drums her boot against the purple-clad wrestler’s frame. 

It’s another clash of the methodical hunter against the frenzied warrior. And it ends with a familiar scene: Suzuki torturing YUNA with a hold until she calls it quits. 

While the result is the same as usual, things don’t feel as one-sided. YUNA seems to be toughening amid these wars. Iron is sharpening iron.  

And the crowd clearly cares about YUNA’s journey, loudly rooting for her during her brief rallies. 

On July 15, YUNA and Yura opened the show on Sendai Girls’ biggest card of the year. Before fans saw Jordynn Grace clash with Chihiro Hashimoto or Saori Anou dethrone Sendai Girls world champ Mika Iwata, they bore witness to another chapter in this in-progress story. 

YUNA clearly wants to change the narrative of said story. She’s aggressive from moment one. With forearms swinging, she takes the attack to Suzuki. 

YUNA fires off dropkicks in batches. Eventually, she’s able to take Yura down. 

This is the most we’ve seen YUNA able to fight back against the cold, controlled Suzuki. She’s her most compelling here too, playing the underdog role increasingly well.  

But it is not yet her time. Her momentum screeches. Suzuki nails a head kick that does YUNA in. 

The more that Suzuki piles on the wins, the bigger, more emotional YUNA’s eventual victory will be.  

The relentless beast rules the land for now. That ornery pest forever caught in its jaws isn’t ever going to stop trying to change that. YUNA’s going to give all of herself in pursuit of besting her adversary.  

There isn’t some wild variety of moves in these matches. The carpenters are using their same trusty tools each time. It’s still plenty effective, though. 

They lean into the simplicity of the action. They display concentrated hostility. It’s straight-forward wrestling that works. 

The bouts often don’t last long, most hovering around the five-minute mark, so there’s not much fat on the steaks they offer. 

And it doesn’t take a talent scout to see the immense potential in both women. Neither is a finished product by any means, but there is clear star power emerging on both sides of this rivalry.  

Suzuki is damn good at the cold-hearted killer role. YUNA is going to be a big-time babyface.  

We are witnessing a rivalry that may prove to be a storied one in years ahead, a true showcase of rising stars. Or least we should be.  

YUNA and Suzuki continue to make it worth our while to catch the openers from this underrated promotion as they play out a story of dominance and heart. 

The column’s title quotes the poem To My Rival by Ephelia.