It’s easy to think that most of us wrestling fans have at some point tried to show a match we like to a non-fan, with variable results. Now imagine trying to convince them that some japanese girls are genuinely some of the best wrestlers in the world, even of all time.

The Joshi Wrestling scene is filled with lots of promotions, whether they are big or small, independent or owned by big corporations, showcasing technical clinics or comedy matches, it’s almost guaranteed there will be at least one wrestler who will captivate you. Hopefully, this list will be your guide on the wonderful world of female japanese wrestling.

1. The 5 Star Classic: Manami Toyota vs Akira Hokuto, AJW Destiny, September 2nd, 1995

Some will say Toyota is the greatest of all time, others will say Hokuto is the greatest of all time, but everyone will agree on these two being generational talents. Joshi Wrestling reached a Golden era during the 90’s, and The Flying Angel and The Dangerous Queen led the way to that thanks to matches like this catching the attention of both japanese and western fans.

Hokuto started things off while still wearing her robe, ambushing Toyota on ringside, and then again when she offered to shake hands. Manami got her spectacular offense, including her awesome (and scary-looking) missile dropkick to the outside of the ring. Akira countered this with her usual ruthless antics. The match reached its climax after one wrestler kicked out of the other’s finishing move, leading to a brawl at ringside, which resulted in both women using a table to wear down the other. The finish was a surprise, not in the winner, but the way she won.

2. The Big Fight Feel: Kairi Hojo (c) vs. Meiko Satomura, Stardom x Stardom, July 26th, 2015

In a time where Stardom was starting to establish itself as the main Joshi promotion in Japan, they took a big risk when they put the World of Stardom title on an outsider; luckily, Meiko Satomura wasn’t any outsider. Kairi Hojo was one of the most popular girls on the roster at the time with not only a charismatic and colorful gimmick, but with great in-ring skills, and after taking the legend to the extreme at their previous encounter, a 30-minute time limit draw, a month before, Satomura got her rematch for the title.

Hojo entered both matches as an underdog, which is understandable when you see how imposing Satomura is, but the champion showed why she won the title in the first place, as she fought with her heart when her body seemed to give up. At the end, when the Pirate Princess tried everything to cling to the Red Belt, Satomura hit two Death Valley Drivers to finally put away the champion. Hojo was elevated in defeat and the legend added one more world title to her legacy.

3. The Showcase: Hikaru Shida, Riho & Ryo Mizunami vs Aja Kong, Emi Sakura & Yuka Sakazaki, AEW Double or Nothing, May 25th, 2019

You must do everything in your power to make a good first impression, and at the first official show in AEW history, six Japanese women were ready for the task.

Two seemingly thrown-together teams, featuring talent from different promotions in Japan, were able to amaze a crowd of people who probably have never been exposed to Joshi wrestling. Flashy moves and characters, young talent and established names were responsible of showcasing what the scene had to offer. In the aftermath of the match, most of these women ended up signing with AEW at some point and helping other to be featured in the promotion.

4. The Storytelling Masterclass: Arisa Hoshiki (c) vs. Tam Nakano, Stardom Shining Destiny, June 16th, 2019

Yes, a simple story can turn a good match into a great match, but when you have someone as melodramatic as Tam Nakano, you will get a whole soap-opera.

The timeline of Nakano-Hoshiki saga began in late 2018, when The Shining Star returned to Stardom after a hiatus and immediately joined Mayu Iwatani in STARS, something that didn’t sit well with Tamu-chan, who joined the faction earlier that year. Nakano was witness of how Iwatani, who was supposed to be a leader and watch over everyone in the faction, and the Stardom booking in general show favoritism, especially when Hoshiki won the Cinderella tournament and the Wonder of Stardom championship in the first six months after her return, so naturally, Tam-Tam made her goal to be the one to dethrone the champion.

Only one month removed from her title win, Arisa put the title on the line against her stable mate, someone who she tried to be friends with, but ultimately failed. Kicks, knee strikes and dramatic face expressions filled this 20-minute plus match, just to end with one final kick to the challenger’s head. Arisa set the standard for her future defenses and started to gain Nakano’s respect, while still having a bullseye on her back.

5. The Frenetic Action: Maya Yukihi (c) vs Tsukasa Fujimoto, Ice Ribbon Osaka Ribbon 2019, August 3rd, 2019

2019 was an amazing year for Joshi Wrestling, mainly because it got a lot of exposure in the west, as we discussed earlier, and Ice Ribbon was a promotion that was on a roll by the end of the last decade.

Maya Yukihi had been champion for more than 200 days by this point, and Tsukasa Fujimoto was ready to regain the title after losing it at RibbonMania 2018 the previous December. Yukihi seemed pretty confident before starting the match, after all, she already had beaten Fujimoto before; however, there was a reason Tsukka was a 6-time world champion at the time. The match highlighted what Ice Ribbon does best: having non-stop action at the end of their matches, with roll-up after roll-up and near-falls after near-falls, these two fought like their lives depended on winning the ICExInfinity championship. The result might have been an unpopular one, but the match itself was one of the best of the year for the promotion.

6. The Emotional Rollercoaster: Yuka Sakazaki (c) vs Mizuki, TJPW Wrestle Princess, November 7th, 2020

The beginning of the decade was a turning point for Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, with wrestlers debuting and some leaving the company, but one key moment in this new era was the birth of the “Princess” events, with Wrestle Princess being the first one. Such a marquee event needed a big main event to make an impact, and the Magical Sugar Rabbits were the best choice to do so.

Mizuki was fresh off winning her second Princess Cup in a row, which granted her a title shot against the Princess of Princess champion, her teammate Yuka Sakazaki, who reached one year as champion by the time the match occurred.

Arguably the best team in TJPW history, MagiRabi were set to have an epic encounter for the promotion top prize. Starting things off with an excellent showcase of technical wrestling, something neither women were known for (including a wardrobe malfunction that only added a dramatic element), later escalated in high-speed action and high-flying offense, combined with some stiff shots and the debut of the viral move “Whirling Candy” by the challenger. By the end, Yuka hit the rarely-seen 450 Splash to retain her title and both girls happy-cried as they realized they looked like a mess after delivering a masterpiece

7. The Tag Team Excellence: Hakuchumu (Miu Watanabe & Rika Tatsumi) vs BAKURETSU Sisters (Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino), TJPW Positive Chain, February 11th, 2022

Any Tag Team Wrestling lover could name their favorite teams and matches. Few will name a female tag team or match. And even fewer will name the finals of the Max Heart tournament between Hakuchumu and BAKURETSU Sisters as an all-timer.

The two teams entered the tournament as the only former tag champions (alongside Magical Sugar Rabbits) and it showed. Having feuded two years before over the titles, these four women knew exactly what they were capable of, and gave it all to win that trophy.

By the time Positive Chain happened, Nodoka already had announced she will be graduating in March 2022, so this was the perfect opportunity to have one last big moment, and what better way to do it than with your sister by your side.

Hakuchumu and BAKURETSU had won one match each, and this tie-breaker was undoubtedly their best. Their excellent chemistry was put on display during the 20-minute bout, with Miu’s strength and Rika’s intelligence blending with a Steiner-like offense by the sisters. Watanabe and Tatsumi got the win and secured a title shot after hitting a double move on Nodoka, but it certainly felt like both teams (and the crowd) won that night.