RESURA’s first article, The Three Punishments of CatMASK Calico, went live on April 2, 2024. And with that, a new outlet was born, one built to house a burning passion for joshi wrestling.

A year later, and RESURA has published over 100 articles. We’ve created series like the Joshi Wrestler Index and RESURA ROUNDUP. We’ve interviewed wrestlers like Sareee and Miu Watanabe. The team has grown from a pair of friends to a robust collection of talented creators. 

To celebrate the site’s first birthday, we decided to explore our journeys as joshi fans and to try to will some dream matches into existence. Read on for a look at our staff’s thoughts on heels, entrance themes, and more.

Writers:

Ryan Dilbert @ryandilbert 

Justin Stein @biohizzle

Fernando Ibarra @Jferimsw

Dave Coumans

Jeff Brown @jeffbrown1982

–What was the first joshi match you saw?

Ryan: The Survivor Series match in 1995 where Alundra Blayze led her squad (herself, Kyoko Inoue, Sakie Hasegawa, and Chaparita ASARI) against Aja Kong, Lioness Asuka, Tomoko Watanabe, and Bertha Faye. My teenage self didn’t know any of these women save for Blayze, but they made a lasting impression. I remember being floored by the flashes of greatness we saw in this short contest. This (and the wrestling mags I read on the regular) made me terribly curious about the kind of action that was happening way over in Japan.

Justin: I enjoyed watching the “divas” of WWE back in the day, but the first time I sought out an all women’s federation was back around 2008 when I purchased a few SHIMMER DVDs online. 

There wasn’t a large Japanese presence on it with the first few DVDs I bought, but eventually, on Volume 29 from April 10th, 2010, I was lucky enough to watch Ayumi Kurihara take on Tomoka Nakagawa. I had seen Ayako Hamada on a couple of the volumes prior, but this was the first time that I was seeing two joshi wrestlers face off head to head. I remember the match impressing me a lot with how much intensity the two held during the duration of the match, and Ayumi Kurihara was especially impressive with the moves that she used that I was not used to seeing in American wrestling. Tomoka was a charismatic heel who quickly got the crowd behind her because of how entertaining she was on top of her great wrestling skill. 

Eventually, Kana made the trip over for SHIMMER as well not too long after, and she became my favorite right then and there. It took me many years to seek out matches from Japan itself, but I can thank SHIMMER for introducing me to the joshi style through their shows.

Dave: My first experience with joshi wrestling was way before I knew what joshi wrestling really was. 

At Survivor Series 1987, one of the first major wrestling shows I can remember watching on TV, I was blown away by the Jumping Bomb Angels. That Survivor Series match was one of the first proper women’s wrestling matches I saw and I was mesmerized by the sheer speed and intensity these two Japanese women brought to the ring. 

Unfortunately, it would be the last women’s wrestling match broadcast in my country for years. And I wouldn’t see much more of the JBA until the invention of YouTube, decades later. And seriously, they still hold up. These women were incredibly ahead of their time.

My first proper joshi wrestling match from a joshi promotion was Io Shirai vs. Kairi Hojo at Stardom The Highest in 2017. I saw a highlights clip of that on YouTube and I desperately wanted to see the entire match. That’s when I subscribed to Stardom World and the rest is history. I used to be a huge WWE fan. But I definitely enjoy the world of joshi wrestling much, much more nowadays.

Fernando: We’ve had many joshi wrestlers over here in Mexico. Akira Hokuto wrestled for CMLL when she lived in Mexico for a couple of years after she married Mexican wrestler Máscara Mágica, but I wasn’t able to follow this run due to the fact that I was two years old. 

To answer the question, I will highlight two matches: Ayako Hamada vs Xóchitl Hamada in a Hair vs Hair match for the Queen of Arison Championship on December 24th, 2000; I watched this match on delay during a AAA show (Xóchitl was a full-time wrestler there at the time) and the daughters of Lucharesu legend Gran Hamada delivered big time, since they have always represented both Puroresu and Lucha Libre, especially Ayako. 

The other one is Kairi Hojo vs Meiko Satomura for the World of Stardom title at Stardom x Stardom 2015, the match that started my love for joshi puroresu and the reason I’m writing here right now.

Jeff: It was also the Jumping Bomb Angels in 1987, and to echo Dave, I too did not know what “joshi” was in 1987, as I was 5. I just knew they were fantastic and, in my young mind, very acrobatic, like a lot of the action stars I was watching on VHS. Seeing Shaw Brothers kung fu films and Cynthia Rothrock in the ‘80s, it never felt like a novelty; women had been a part of a lot of the tapes from video stores or stuff being shown on cable and in leading roles.

What show blew you away?

Justin: For me, STARDOM All-Star Grand Queendom from April 23rd, 2023 is the greatest joshi wrestling show I’ve ever watched. From top to bottom, the matches were great! Starting off with a Rumble is something I personally enjoy to get people on the card, and I remember it being quite fun with Momoe Nakanishi making a special appearance. The eight-person tag match that included four gaijins tagging together who were all a part of the roster at the time was also a lot of fun to watch, mostly because the Club Venus trio kept annoying Thekla. 

Then you got to see a tag team match with some of the greatest high-speed wrestling talent all-time with Mei Suruga and AZM taking on Starlight Kid and Mei Seira. A special tag match that included a Japanese internet celebrity in FUWA-Chan followed that, which was fun even if it wasn’t a wrestling classic by any means. 

After that, you had an emotionally charged final singles match in STARDOM for Himeka before she retired against her best buddy Maika, which really pulled on the heartstrings.

That was followed by probably the low point in the show unfortunately which was MIRAI and Ami Sourei picking up the Goddesses of Stardom championship from Nanae Takahashi and YUU by count-out. Luckily you didn’t have a lot of time to dwell on the match before, because that was followed up by a big Artist of Stardom Championship match where the team of KAIRI, Natsupoi, and Saori Anou was able to defeat the team of Hiragi Kurumi, Risa Sera and Suzu Suzuki in an awesome match. 

The hits kept on hitting with Mina Shirakawa defeating Saya Kamitani for the Wonder of Stardom championship which was the completion of a pretty long story between the two where Mina had been taken out for some time with injury due to Saya’s “Phoenix Splash.” It was a great moment whether you’re a fan of Mina’s or not and it was a great match. 

Then two of the hardest hitters in joshi stepped into the ring against one another as Syuri took on Chihiro Hashimoto in a KO or Submission Only match, and while I’m sure many of us believed that Syuri was the obvious winner, there were times during the match that made us believe that Big Hash was going to take it in the end. 

After that, it was finally time for the top two matches of the night with the first of the two being the IWGP championship match between Mercedes Mone and Mayu Iwatani. The two of them had built up to the match quite well as Mercedes was definitely feeling full of confidence after defeating the KAIRI for the title in the first place, before then turning away the challenges of both Hazuki and AZM in a triple threat match. Mayu had made it known that she really wanted the title because of what it stood for as an IWGP championship, and that brought the two superstars together for the big match. The match itself was really good, with a lot of good storytelling elements to it, but eventually, Mayu was able to put down the former WWE superstar and current AEW star for the win. 

Last but not least, we had the main event of the evening which was Tam Nakano defeating Giulia for the World of Stardom Championship in a big-time, hard-hitting emotional match that truly lived up to being the main event of such a big show. Anytime you had Tam and Giulia in a match together you knew it was going to be fireworks, but considering how good the card was before their match, you knew that they took it personally to try to outdo it all. This show is the first one I’d pull up to show any possible new fan of joshi wrestling because you honestly got so many great matches of all different styles throughout the card, and it gives a good example of what makes joshi pro wrestling so special to all of us.

Dave: I want to say All Star Dream Queendom 2023, as well. That show was one of the best I have ever seen. Also All Star Grand Queendom 2024 holds a special place in my heart, because it was the first Stardom show I ever attended live. But I am going to go for Stardom No People Gate. Even though it was during that horrible time when the world was going through a global health crisis and I was going through a personal crisis. Something truly entertaining and no-nonsense fun was something I desperately needed at the time. 

It started with the typical nonsense Battle Royal. But nonsense in a good way. Looking back, so many of Stardom’s current upper midcard and main event competitors competed in it: AZM, Starlight Kid, Tam Nakano, Rina, and Saya Kamitani. The match was so enjoyable because it never took itself too seriously. Natsuko Tora then quickly demolished the winner to cap off the opener. 

Next up, were two incredible tag matches, that both brought 15 minutes of fast-paced action that makes tag wrestling so much fun. The first match saw my favorite wrestler of all time, Hana Kimura team with her best friend Jungle Kyona to battle her biggest nemesis Giulia, who tagged with Maika in a fun match to keep the story of Hana’s feud with Giulia going while also putting over Jungle Kyona who was in line for an upcoming title shot. Unfortunately, it would be one of Hana’s last matches, which does make this show hard to revisit. The Goddesses of Stardom title match that followed saw the Top Gaijin team of Bea Priestley and Jamie Hayter defend their gold against QQ members Momo Watanabe and Utami Hayashshita in a hard-hitting battle.

But the one thing that set this show apart as one of my all- time favorites was the main event that saw Mayu Iwatani defend the World of Stardom Championship against former friend and tag team partner Saki Kashima in a Lumberjack match. The women made every part of wrestling in an empty arena work for them and put on an amazing battle, while Oedo Tai and Stars created havoc at ringside. Nearly 20 minutes of chaotic non-stop action to cap off one of the best storylines I had seen in years. 

Fernando: In 2020, the whole world stopped for reasons we already know, and the joshi wrestling scene wasn’t any different. At the time, I only followed Stardom and Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling, and even though I loved Stardom’s return show (it was held on my birthday, by the way) and their tribute to Hana Kimura, TJPW’s first Wrestle Princess event is one of the best wrestling shows I’ve ever seen.

The show felt like a big deal when it was announced because it was. TJPW, like every wrestling promotion in the world, had a rough year, but at the same time, all that free time wrestling fans had that year seemed to help increase joshi wrestling’s popularity, so DDT’s sister promotion had to capitalize on the trend with a major event.

The undercard was the typical solid outing one expects from TJPW, featuring the debut of Mei Suruga and the return of Yuna Manase and Marika Kobashi. The semi-finals of the tournament to crown a new International title were good, as well as the finals where Yuki Kamifuku won the championship. 

The middle of the card saw two special matches in Saki Akai vs Hyper Misao in a “Switching Random Rules” match, having different stipulations through the duration of the bout, even featuring cameos by Yukio Sakaguchi and Sanshiro Takagi; at the end, Saki picked up the win when the bout turned into a Last Woman Standing match. The other special attraction was a tag team match featuring Miyu Yamashita and Aja Kong facing Sareee and Maki Itoh, and all I know is that we NEED that singles match between the Pink Striker and the Sun God.

The final two matches were title matches, with the first being Miu Watanabe and Rika Tatsumi and their one-year reign with the Princess Tag Team championships going against the Bakuretsu Sisters; a rematch ten months in the making where Nodoka Tenma and Yuki Aino finally won the belts in one of the most feel-good moments of the year. 

The main event saw MagiRabi battling for the Princess of Princess, and I just want to say that tears were shed when Yuka Sakasaki and Mizuki delivered one of the best matches of the year, joshi or not.

Who’s your favorite villain?

Ryan: Right now? I’m loving what Rina is doing in STARDOM. She has big-time presence and a convincing heel aura. She’s a jerk. She’s a bully. She’s the best.  

Justin: This question is difficult because what constitutes a villain to one person might be different for someone else. When you’re looking at the face/heel spectrum, it’s hard to argue against Saya Kamitani at the moment because of how much of a draw she is, and how well she’s played her crazy little character.

Another good answer would be someone like Momoka Hanazono who is the personification of a little shit or a goblin on the joshi wrestling scene. She’s small, she smiles a lot, but she’ll do whatever she can to annoy you and get the best of her opponents with tricks rather than just in-ring skill. I can’t help but enjoy her matches for that reason though. 

All time, I’d say my favorite villain was actually Sakisama from TJPW. The way that she came off perfectly as a French aristocrat who was too good for anyone, but also showing vulnerability and care deep down for the people who served under her was something special to watch.

Dave: I love a really good heel. Rina is probably my favorite baddy in the business right now. I agree with everything Ryan said. A close second is Act Yasukawa in AWG. She is a super cool villain with the aura of a mega star, especially in a company dominated by youngsters. But unlike other veterans, Act gives back to the industry by making youngsters like Natsuki and Saihara shine. She might be a heel in the ring, but a lot of wrestlers have shared stories on how incredibly nice she is backstage.

Fernando: Of course it’s Sakisama. Who else is able to be so evil and beautiful at the same time? She is a multiple tag team champion and winner of the first Max Heart tournament, but most importantly, a kind soul who only wanted to make TJPW beautiful and did just that, putting over multiple people in the process. Maybe one day we will be worthy of her presence again, but if you’d like a little taste of her majesty, go watch the NEO Biishiki-gun entrance at Grand Princess ‘22.

What’s an entrance song you just jam out to?

Ryan: At the risk of losing cool points–Team 200kg’s entrance. It fills me with just unbridled joy. I get so hyped and happy every time the two powerhouses come down the aisle to Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.” It’s so random yet so right. I’m pumping my fists in the air right now thinking about it.  

Justin: There are so many great joshi pro wrestling themes that I’ve heard over the years. Some of my favorites include Hana Kimura’s “Internet Friends” remix, Saori Anou’s “Megitsune” remix by BabyMetal that she uses on the indies and of course “Barbie Girl” by Aqua for Chi Chi always makes me bob my head as she enters. When it comes to the more original themes made by the promotions themselves, I’ve always enjoyed Hazuki’s theme “HOLY SHiT” and “Manjushage” which is Syuri’s theme.

Dave: Giulia’s original Stardom theme “Gloria” is an absolute banger! I can’t BELIEVE  Stardom dropped that for a generic computer beat. “Gloria” starts with a classical tune that signs the arrival of a megastar, before going into a kickass metal beat that hypes you up for an incredible match to come. I also love Tam Nakano’s “Twilight Dream” and Koguma’s incredible tune “The Bear in the Woods”, which starts off as something that resembles a horror theme before hitting you with the happiest guitar theme I have ever heard. The song never fails in putting a smile on my face.

Jeff: So many entrances in joshi are just perfect. Random thoughts. Hyper Misao for sure. Mahiro, especially when the guitar solo comes ripping in. Tae Honma is special to me, it’s an emotional and epic piece of music. Miu Watanabe is just explosive. Misa’s old AWG theme was maybe the best. Mizushima’s theme is her personality set to music. 

Not really an entrance but the Color’s theme song just encapsulates the magic of that group and the good feelings they’ve been creating for years. Nao Kakuta may be retired but her entrance music is an all-timer. Yuna Manase. She controls a room the second her music hits. Naho Yamada singing to the ring in Marigold. Team 200kg is so over the top and it could only work in wrestling. Miku Aono’s current Marigold and old AWG themes are fantastic. Tam’s Twilight Dream. Ice Ribbon’s use of ぉめでとぉ! 毎日が記念Be→ by hy4_4yh. 

Aja Kong using Judas Priest. Syuri’s entrance theme is just main event time. Chikayo Nagashima’s Born to Win is high-energy ripping metallic awesomeness. Jaguar Yokota’s theme is timeless. The Love Riddle. Erase the whole paragraph and just put The Love Riddle.

Fernando: There is a correct answer to this and that is “Chocolate Love Me Do” performed by Miu Watanabe herself as it’s energetic and a perfect representation of her character. Now I only need to learn how to do the hand gestures. L-O-V-E! L-O-V-E! L-O-V-E!

Which wrestler do you want to win a major joshi championship?

Ryan: Momo Watanabe, forever and always. Red belt. AAAW Championship. Sendai Girls World Championship. I don’t care. I just want to see Momo on top of the world kicking people in the kidneys in the biggest of matches. 

Justin: I think I speak for many when I say that we need to see Hazuki finally pick up that white belt in STARDOM. 

Hazuki has continuously put on some of the greatest Wonder of Stardom championship matches of all time without actually winning the belt, and at this point, she definitely deserves to win it. While I do think Hazuki would also be a great World of Stardom champion since putting on great matches is her speciality. The fact that she can get the crowd into her matches, and make her fans truly feel something when she gets her title shots makes me feel like she’s a better fit for the Wonder of Stardom Championship. After all, that title is more about stories and emotion than just the moves. There are definitely times where I kind of wish she’d go freelance, just so I could see her wrestle so many other great talents from other companies while wearing a world title, but I guess I’m getting a little bit of what I want right now since her and Koguma have the OZ Academy Tag Team Championships which allows them to wrestle those same freelancers.

Dave: I am going to agree with Justin. Hazuki is one of the very best wrestlers in the business today and definitely deserves a run with a major championship. I will also name Unagi Sayaka and Maki Itoh. Both are incredible talents with so much charisma. Both have been fighting really hard to become better in the ring and connect really well with the fans. 

Fernando: I am not a fan of the “this wrestler should be champion because of their loyalty for the promotion”. However, my Ayano Irie bias is strong and I genuinely believe she is one of the biggest stars in ACTWres. After AWG has seen lots and lots of wrestlers come and go for almost 10 years (I’m looking at you, Rossy), the Snow Angel has remained loyal for seven years, being one of its most popular talents.

Jeff: Tae Honma having a singles title run in any company. In many ways, she feels like Nao Kakuta and that is fitting, in most settings they are just outside consideration for a reign, they are great challengers and incredibly important to a locker room. Like Kakuta, a wrestler the caliber of Tae never having singles gold makes everyone else’s wins feel special but Tae could carry a belt and be a great fighting champion.

Which joshi wrestler would you most like to meet?

Ryan: Big Hash, baby! Chihiro Hashimoto has long been one of my faves. I’m often wowed by her power and presence. I love her solo work, and I’m a huge fan of Team 200kg. It would be cool as hell to shake her hand and get my fingers crushed in her mitt.  

Justin: Before her unfortunate passing, Hana Kimura would have been the easy choice for me since she was my favorite and the reason I signed up for Stardom World in the first place. Her wonderful charisma and personality made her seem like a great person to interact with. 

My choice now would be Hazuki, and luckily for me I’ll get that chance during WrestleMania weekend since she’ll be in Vegas and SPARK Joshi is doing meet & greets in between shows. I’m sure STARDOM will also work with WrestleCon again for some signings since it went well last year. I can also speak from experience by saying that Mina Shirakawa is an absolute joy to meet. She has an infectious personality that will bring any person out of their shell.

Dave: The one person I would love to meet is the person I can never meet: my favorite wrestler of all time, the late Hana Kimura. I can’t really put into words how much of an impact she had on me. But I was a huge fan from the moment of the first match I saw of her.

Fernando: I just want to personally thank Kairi Hojo for everything.

Jeff: I have met a lot of wrestlers, and there are definitely some I would enjoy finally talking with someday. Instead, I want to say someone I’m glad I’ve gotten to know over the last few years and continue to speak with is Act Yasukawa. She has been through hell and is an inspiration. She isn’t perfect but is open about that, which makes her more of a beloved role model to younger wrestlers. On and off the record, the way current and former AWG talent speak of her and excitedly talk about “Akuto” is like a cherished family member and she considers them all her family too.

What joshi match holds a special place in your heart?

Ryan: Manami Toyota vs. Aja Kong at Big Egg (1994). This is the match that blew open my mind about what wrestling could be, the bout that kickstarted my love of joshi. I was deep in a YouTube rabbit hole and happened upon the two icons going at in the Tokyo Dome. The spectacle and storytelling hit me deeply, and I wanted more. More Toyota. More Kong. More All Japan Women’s and its rugged, poignant product. 

Justin: One match that will always be special to me is Hana Kimura vs. Hazuki from the 5-Star Grand Prix final night in 2019. From what I remember Hana needed to win the match to move onto the finals, and that’s exactly what she did. At the time, Hana and Hazuki were my two favorites in the promotion because they always brought so much intensity in their matches together. They also both worked an exciting, hard-hitting style. The two went back and forth, and the crowd was really into it, but after a top rope dropkick from Hana, followed by her Tiger Lily driver, she folded up Hazuki on the mat for the 1, 2, 3! 

It’s not an overly long epic match, but both wrestled with a sense of urgency that energizes me even today. This is a match I like to show people who haven’t watched joshi pro wrestling before because it truly shows that warrior spirit that these girls possess.

Dave: As said before, I’m a huge fan of Hana Kimura. So all of her matches hold a special place in my heart. The one that stands out for me is her win over TCS stable mate Konami in the 2019 5STAR Grand Prix final. Hana might have had better matches from a pure wrestling standpoint. Her classic battle with Kairi over the Wonder title in 2017 and her war with Kagetsu over the World belt in 2018 come to mind. But her 5STAR victory established her as a breakout star. And it had all of her talent on display: her incredible charisma, her great selling ability as Konami worked on her limbs, her growing skill set, and her amazing ability to tell an in-ring story. 

And of course… “Twinkle, twinkle little star.” That post-match celebration made her such a lovable babyface. It gets me every time. 

Fernando: It’s not the best, it’s not the most technically sound, it didn’t even take place in a ring, but Lulu Pencil vs Chris Brookes in an Iron Person match is one of the most emotional matches I’ve ever witnessed. A writer who wanted to be a wrestler, met one of the best trainers in Emi Sakura, debuted without being any good, lost her hat in a match against a 6’4” British bully, and was humiliated on an almost daily basis, finally stood up to him. 

A one-match, no-audience show at Ichigaya Square, they faced in a 30-minute bout where he scored three falls in the first 27 minutes, but then, with only 15 seconds left, Lulu was able to cradle Chris and get her first pinfall win of her career. As time ran out, literally nobody could believe what just happened, but at the end, Brookes comforted the enthusiastic writer by telling her what we already know, but she needed to hear: “You are a wrestler.”

What dream match would you like to see?

Ryan: We sort of got it last year, but an injury cut it short: Mayu Iwatani vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto. STARDOM’s G.O.A.T  vs. Ice Ribbon’s G.O.A.T. Two big-match performers with true star presence. We need to see the real deal between them before they both hang it up.

Justin: An interesting dream match that I’d like to see is actually Asuka from WWE or Kana as she was known in Japan taking on Mayu Iwatani. With this match, you’d have one person who paints their face like a zombie or clown, and the other person is an actual zombie. It would be a lot of fun to see both wrestlers collide inside of the ring because you’d get a match that I believe would tell an amazing story while also being incredibly hard-hitting since neither is shy about dishing out or taking punishment. 

While I’m not sure the match would be quite as good today since Asuka has lost a bit of a step due to age, I do think if we saw this match in 2018 or 2019 it would have been something truly special. Hell, even now, they might surprise us.

Fernando: The first match that comes to mind is now impossible since Saki Akai is retired, so it’s unlikely we get Saki Akai vs Sakisama. However, it IS possible for Suzume to face AZM. The Bee is the best high-speed wrestler in Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, bar none, so it is only logical she squares off with the High Speed Bomb Girl. 

Jeff: Not a dream match, but I want Hyper Misao to write and produce an Act Ring show. Hype! and ARG combined would be high art.

Dave: When it comes to dream matches, I would always go for the best of the past vs. the best of the present. So I’d pit former WWWA World champion Manami Toyota—in my opinion, the very best to ever lace up a pair of wrestling boots—against IYO SKY. Both are technical wizards, daredevil high flyers and capable of putting on a five-star classic. Give them 20 to 30 minutes and they would tear the house down. 

What are your answers? Take the Joshi Fan Survey to share your own favs.