By: Jeff Brown

Photos: Chris Lee

ChocoPro was at Shinjuku Face for a big show with two titles on the line and scores trying to be settled. It’s always a treat when they leave their beloved home in Ichigaya, and they packed the venue for an evening of fun and great pro wrestling.

At ChocoPro 415 on Christmas day, Baliyan and Shin went to a draw and decided they would meet again. SAKI had been posting regularly on social media, taunting Mei by eating apples and was positioned as the mean rival that wants to end Mei’s joyous title reign.

A special shout out to Dogu who is more than just a dedicated fan, a true custodian of this company and will walk beside you to inform you of its rich history. Here are some thoughts and impressions of the big show.

Hagane Shinnou, Kaho Hiromi & Mochi Miyagi vs. Erii Kanae, Hiyori Yawata & Nonoka Seto

The show kicks off with some of the younger talent and hopefuls in action to show off how they’ve grown at the year’s end. Shinnou and Mochi are regulars on ChocoPro cards and were the veterans there to guide and keep things running smoothly. Kaho is so young but already very much at home in this company and extremely comfortable in front of a crowd. Erii, Hiyori, and Nonoka are known as the Doukies trio who are representing the future with wild energy and determination. Shinnou is a very gifted athlete and former champion here and was a great test for the up and comers. He landed a moonsault on Hiyori in a short but purposeful opener.

Shin Suzuki vs. Baliyan Akki

A rivalry that was brought to boil at Christmas when these two went to a time-limit draw. Bailyan is a top-level wrestler but everyone has someone that gets the best of them and that is Shin. Shin often has Akki’s number and that has created friction that became quite violent and serious in this bout. A lot of hard kicks from these two pros that work magic together in the ring. Akki blasts Shin with the crescent moon to get the win but this feud feels far from over. This was around 10 minutes and just like their previous bout making for easily digestible chapters in this ongoing saga.

Emi Sakura & Kaori Yoneyama vs. Miya Yotsuba & Mizuki

Miya has made great strides this year and she got to team up with TJPW’s Mizuki who was making another visit to a place she has strong ties with. The duo are named Lucky Rabbit and they were against RESET which is Emi and Kaori. The match was an opportunity for Miya to shine against three vets who could wrestle one another in their sleep. Miya has some of her best performances trying to take down the queen Emi and tonight she was no different. Emi is so good at being the road block for these younger roster members, and tonight she caught Miya in La Magistral cradle for the win.

Chon Shiryu, Makoto & MAO vs. Chris Brookes, Masahiro Takanashi & Sayaka

A bit of showcase or war between outside promotions in New Beijing Pro Wrestling and Baka Gaijin. NBPW has some familiar faces in bizarro or alternate roles, Chon is the leader of this parody group and he takes on Chris Brookes and his Baka Gaijin that are very much real but defy belief at times. Mao was In Bound, a wandering tourist, Makato was Shinki. This felt like a Baka Gaijin style match with innovative sequences that were both very funny and cool. Sayaka had a darker look and brought the heavy strikes that she has become synonymous with. It was a wild match as expected with everyone involved. Chon hit a double foot stomp on Takanashi to win.

Chie Koishikawa & Sayaka Obihiro  vs. Minoru Fujita & Rina Yamashita vs. Antonio Honda & Tokiko Kirihara – Asia Dream Tag Team Title Three Way Match

Popcorn Carnival winning the tag titles was such a feel good moment and this night they had two teams gunning for them. Fujita and Rina are the Tag Deam Destroyers and Honda and Tokiko are the bombastic Black Comaneci, either team alone would be a tough road but together made Popcorn Carnival even more sympathetic to the crowd. A lot of good stuff in this, such as Chie being a great underdog but the main thing was the showdown between Obihiro and Honda. It got deadly serious  with hard slaps and strikes, the tone shift was abrupt and that made it even more impactful. Honda repeatedly striking Obi and not being the goofball everyone knows and loves was borderline uncomfortable, but also why it was so great. Obi is one of the smoothest and most underrated wrestlers, she is often a highlight of these shows and really deserves way more praise. The whole exchange is a must see. After things broke down Obi and Honda traded pin attempts with Honda finally shutting her down, getting the win and capturing the tag titles. 

Mei Suruga  vs. SAKI – Super Asia Title Match

SAKI, from the moment she walked out, was not the happy Color’s leader but a villain with a chip on her shoulder. While she has strong ties to Gatoh Move, she carried herself like an outsider in enemy territory. Mei is without a doubt one of the best wrestlers in the modern scene, the charisma, the skills, the ability to create drama or make you laugh, she is just aces in all categories. Her winning the title at Korakuen Hall was like from the pages of a storybook and now each challenger looks to put an end to the feel good tale.

SAKI is a wonderful match for Mei and made for a great David-and- Goliath dynamic. She used her power advantage to bully Mei in and around the ring. It was up to Mei to use her speed and dodge the onslaught Saki was putting forth. Mei was desperately searching for the win with rollups and finally grabbed a bridging pin for the three- count.

Mei survived and that’s what made it a wonderful match; she was a dominant world beater. Finding a way against the insurmountable odds not only fits Mei but ChocoPro as well. 

After a big year that saw ChocoPro 400, an important  Korakuen Hall show that crowned Mei as the Super Asia champion, and the official rebranding of all shows to ChocoPro. The undercard is getting better and more of the roster are trainees of Mei. She is taking on a lot of responsibilities in and out the ring and 2025 is set to be a big year as new obstacles await.

This fun loving company has a lot to offer fans and will continue to be an inspiration be it in a ring or on the mat.