By: Jeff Brown

Photos by Masahiro Kubota

On the evening of December 27, Ganbare Pro Wrestling held its final show of 2024. Usually this publication is joshi-centric, but Ganbare is like ChocoPro and has a mix of men and women on their cards, so all the matches will be covered here. This show featured two title matches, an anniversary match, and Dick Togo. The show’s title roughly translates to “Someday it will be a Shining Day 2024,” and everyone seemed determined to do just that. GanPro had a packed house for this card, and here are some impressions of what went down. 

Shota Kawakami & Tyson Maeguchi vs. Yuki Kanzaki & Daisuke 

Opening tag, and it had a good fast pace with some stiff kicks and chops. A fair amount of comedy was mixed in, making it a fun way to kick off the card. Yuki, with a nice Fisherman buster, wraps up the first match.

Moeka Haruhi, Chon Shiryu & Harukaze vs. Banny Oikawa, Psycho & Yuuri

A mixed tag outing, and everyone was familiar with each other, so things went smoothly with nice counter sequences. Harukaze was hit with a series of sentons from all three opponents in a cool spot. Yuuri landed a swanton on Harukaze for the win. This got Yuuri a victory, which made a lot of sense a little later in the show.

Ken Ohka & Munetatsu Nakamura vs. Isami Kodaka & Minoru Fujita 

A special tag match to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Munetatsu Nakamura’s debut.

Ken Ohka is very much the heart of Ganbare, and his entrance alone is worth the price of admission. He is recovering from an arm injury and did more with one arm than many people do with two. Fujita is another veteran that knows when and when not to do big spots. A big brainbuster from Isami brought the anniversary celebration to an end.

A Flag Bearer’s Tale: Interview with Yuna Manase

Yuna Manase vs. MICHIKO – Kitsune World Championship Match

In many ways Yuna, is also the heart of Ganbare, or perhaps the spirit. She can do comedy, multi-person tags, wild brawls, and the big dramatic stories that she has perfected. MICHIKO just dominated her for a lot of the match, with the action spilling out on the floor multiple times. Yuna did answer back with a powerbomb onto the apron, but her comeback was short-lived. MICHIKO hit a tombstone piledriver for the win and the Kitsune title. The crowd was a bit shocked, and Yuna proceeded to shine as the wounded former champion. Yuuri stepped in and went face to face with MICHIKO as an exhausted Yuna was positioned perfectly on the ground with the two looming over her. It cannot be said enough how much Yuna gets how to frame a scene; much like in theater, she knows exactly where to be and when to draw attention to herself. An absolute master, and she lost nothing in this defeat.

Tatsuhito Takawa, Takuya Wada, & Shigehiro Irie vs. Hartley Jackson, Kouki Iwasaki, & Reka

After intermission, the gears shifted to six-man action, and this was almost a palate cleanser match to get the crowd settled in for the second half of the show. Hartley is a very good foreign monster and works well in every setting you place him in. All around the building, with every surface being utilized. Shigehiro is a natural showman and was an absolute highlight whose comedy was a nice juxtaposition to the battling around Face. Wada gets a backdrop pin as the carnage ends.

Shuichiro Katsumura vs. Dick Togo 

Dick Togo wrestled like no one else that night; it was a turning back to the clock match. It featured a long headlock spot that was right out of a ’70s Madison Square Garden show. While it was a simple start, it worked wonderfully as the crowd was willing on Katsumura to break free. Togo did a lot of cheating but not that much stalling; the action was constant. Katsumura felt like he was being tested and showed a nice level of frustration as he tried to figure a way to best the cagey veteran. Really good character work that drew a lot of genuine emotion from the crowd. It heated up near the end with a series of pin attempts that ended with Togo grabbing a jackknife hold for the victory.

Keisuke Ishii vs. Yumehito Imanari – Spirit of Ganbare World Openweight Championship

The main event, and Ishii and Imanari tore the house down; this match was wall-to-wall action. It was nearly 20 minutes of big moves and beating each other from pillar to post. A common theme with Ganbare is that each show has a variety of matches to offer; this is their take on top-level wrestling, and Imanari showed so much charisma while Ishii played the fighting champ to perfection. A highly recommended match and good introduction for new fans. Imanari landed a wicked lariat to get the pin and win the Spirit of Ganbare title. He ran into the crowd to celebrate, and he basked in the glow of a great fight. 

Ganbare has an uplifting atmosphere, and the roster’s hard work earned each fan in those seats. The card is a varied affair, and the crew is versatile enough to play into different styles or tones that fit their spot. The entrance music is also a vital part of the experience with high-energy rock to keep the audience amped up. Each wrestler is larger than life but vulnerable; they can be beaten, they have failed, but they come back stronger. There is an integrity with those relatable moments; their struggle is where the connection is made. Ganbare wrestling is not being afraid to fail and embracing the loss.

Yuna Manase is at her best when she has an obstacle to overcome; she said in the post-match interview she wasn’t done with the Kitsune title and didn’t want Yuuri to fight her battle. It’s an intriguing storyline that involves GLEAT as well as KITSUNE. For a final hurrah of 2024, the show was a success; hopefully 2025 sees more eyeballs checking out this unique company that has incredible heart and fortitude.