Welcome back to the next edition of the “Joshi Wrestler Index” where this time we are going to rate the woman that many say is the greatest joshi wrestler of all time: Mayu Iwatani! I could have started with Mayu when this project for began, but I wanted to set the stage with other great wrestlers so we could truly put her ratings into context compared to other peers in the industry.
Obviously, the first wrestler we covered, Sareee has continued to stay in the top spot since that very first edition of the article, but I think that many of us knew that Mayu Iwatani would be giving her a run for her money.
Mayu Iwatani started her career 14 years ago in 2011, being trained by two great wrestlers in Fuka and the just now recently retired Nanae Takahashi under the STARDOM banner. Her first match came in January of that year against fellow rookie Arisa Hoshiki, someone else that many claim is one of the best joshi wrestlers of all time. Mayu has always been on the skinny side when it comes to her physique, and I think many people probably thought that she’d be one of the ones who’d retire after five or so years, but instead Mayu has put on muscle little by little to enable her to withstand the wear and tear on a pro wrestler’s body.
It took Mayu until the end of the 2013 for her to finally capture her first championship which was the Artist of Stardom Championship with her partners Hiroyo Matsumoto and Miho Wakizawa. Before she even lost that title, she picked up her first singles title which was the Wonder of Stardom Championship in July of 2014. From that point on, Mayu went on to win every single title possible in STARDOM, making her one of the only people to do such a feat! She’s also won the 5 Star Grand Prix, the Goddesses of Stardom tag league, and the Cinderella tournament which is something else that not too many others can say for themselves.
Ultimately all of that success, and the constant ability to put on great matches with any opponent is what helped give Mayu Iwatani the name “The Stardom Icon.”
Last year, a movie about her life was released, giving even casual pro wrestling fans a chance at understanding Mayu’s upbringing and what has helped lead her to being one of the greatest of all time. While I can’t speak from experience from living in Japan on how big that movie was for not only her, but for STARDOM as a company, I’d like to imagine that there was a definite uptick in interest in joshi puroesu after the movie released. She also held the IWGP Women’s championship for longer than any other IWGP champion male or female in history at 735 days, which is a hell of an accomplishment even if many would say that STARDOM and NJPW didn’t care about that title as much as they probably should have.
After spending her entire career in STARDOM she finally made the decision after dropping the IWGP Women’s Championship to move on to more “golden” pastures by following the man who was basically her father, Rossy Ogawa to his current promotion Marigold, and she’s already proving to be a hell of a draw for them. You could tell that a lot of the STARDOM roster was sad to see her go, but you could tell from Mayu’s face the first time she stepped into Korakuen Hall as a member of Marigold that she’s exactly where she wants to be in a more comfortable setting than she was in before with things being more corporate in STARDOM.
I feel like I can speak for most joshi puroesu fans when saying we’re happy that Mayu is happy, and we all know that now that she’s even more motivated, she’s going to put on some of the greatest wrestling matches we’ll ever see.
With all of that said, let’s check out what others and I rated Mayu Iwatani’s wrestling skills in the various categories we cover…
A wrestler’s ability to use power related moves and how well they are known for using their power inside of the ring.
My Rating: 7
If you look at Mayu Iwatani, you’d probably think that she isn’t all that powerful. She has a relatively thin build, and seems like she’s more built for speed than anything, but then, to your surprise, she tosses someone with her signature “Two-Step Dragon Suplex” who is almost double her size. Mayu has uncanny power for her size, but when you compare her to a lot of her contemporary’s I would just say her strength is above average overall which is what gets her the rating of 7 from me.
Matt Turner’s Rating: 8
“Mayu has excellent core strength that helps her not only withstand punishment but also helps with her variety of suplexes.“
@ MattTurnerOF on X
DaveTCS’ Rating: 7.5
“Probably Mayu’s weakest point. But she makes executing power moves like suplexes and slams look effortless nonetheless.“
@ Dave_TCS4Life on X
FAR5222’s Rating: 8
“Mayu’s got some dog in her to bust out some powerful stuff.“
@ FAR5222 on X
OVERALL POWER RATING: 7.76
Based On: 8 Creators & 14 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s ability to do throws and suplexes as well as their ability to do their moves cleanly without messing up.
My Rating: 9.5
Mayu Iwatani has a plethora of great suplexes that she has in her arsenal with none better being her “Two-Step Dragon Suplex.” Mayu is also one of the best when it comes to doing her moves and not messing them up. Sure, she has some slip ups every now and then, but most of the time it’s later on in a match where you could simply say that she was “tired” in kayfabe to cover it up. There aren’t a lot of wrestlers better when it comes to technical skill that Mayu, but since there are a few better, I decided to give her point five less than perfect.
Matt Turner’s Rating: 9
“Mayu is not only a great technical wrestler but a great technical striker. This helps chain her moves together at a rapid pace.”
@ MattTurnerOF on X
FAR5222’s Rating: 10
“The best all around pro wrestler in the world. The things she can do with any style sets her above all her peers.“
@ FAR5222 on X
Fernando Ibarra’s Rating: 8.5
“No comment given.”
@ Jferimsw on X
OVERALL TECHNICAL RATING: 9.44
Based On: 8 Creators & 14 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s ability to perform at a high speed as well as their ability to perform high flying moves.
My Rating: 10
There are few joshi pro wrestlers who are better in a high speed setting than Mayu Iwatani. She probably would have been a 10-plus time high speed champion by now if she wasn’t above that title in for most of her STARDOM career. Anytime she was in there against other high speed wrestlers, she was always willing to go all out to not only make her opponents look good, but herself as well. Not only that, but she uses quite a few springboard and top rope moves that sets her high flying apart from many in the industry. Mayu is truly special when it comes to the agility category.
Pep’s Rating: 10
“No comment given.”
@ Peps_Wrestling on X
Ryan Dilbert’s Rating: 8
“No comment given.“
@ ryandilbert on X
DaveTCS’ Rating: 10
“Mayu moves around the ring like no one else. Her speed and leaping ability are out of this world.“
@ Dave_TCS4Life on X
OVERALL AGILITY RATING: 9.37
Based On: 8 Creators & 14 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s ability to use submissions and chain wrestling as realistic looking offense.
My Rating: 9
When it comes to submission, I don’t really think of Mayu Iwatani as a submission magician by any means, but she has a pretty strong submission game when you look at a lot of her matches over her career. It’s not strong enough to give her the full ten, but it’s still quite strong, especially that “Dragon Sleeper” that she can do to a few people like AZM where she’s literally holding her in the air while doing it. Mayu is also a hell of a chain wrestler who can start off a match chaining one move to another very easily against the best of them!
Fernando Ibarra’s Rating: 8
“No comment given.”
@ Jferimsw on X
DaveTCS’ Rating: 10
“Watch her battles with Sareee or her recent one with Syuri. All-Round excellent athlete with perfect execution.”
@ Dave_TCS4Life on X
Matt Turner’s Rating: 8
“Mayu is a very good and underrated grappler. Her hanging dragon sleeper is her go to submission finisher. She also can wear down her opponents with her arm and knee bar work.“
@ MattTurnerOF on X
OVERALL GRAPPLING RATING: 8.89
Based On: 8 Creators & 14 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s ability to use strikes effectively as a realistic part of their offense.
My Rating: 9
Whether it’s a superkick or a dropkick, Mayu can send you flying when you find yourself on the end of her boot. Even though Mayu doesn’t look super powerful, her striking is very strong with her hitting most wrestlers just as hard, if not harder than they hit her. While I wouldn’t say she’s the in the top five for striking per say, she’s definitely one of the better ones in all of joshi. She become especially dangerous in striking exchanges when she goes into “zombie Mayu” mode.
Scott Edwards’ Rating: 10
“The most underrated strike game in all of pro wrestling. The best superkick pro wrestling has ever seen, mixed with a kick game that is unmatched by everyone besides the best kickers in the sport.”
@ ScottEWrestling on X
Ryan Dilbert’s Rating: 9
“The best superkick in joshi.“
@ ryandilbert on X
Matt Turner’s Rating: 9.5
“Mayu has arguably the best superkick in all of wrestling. Not only as an offensive move but a defensive move as well. She uses it wisely to turn the tide in big matches. Her forearm smashes and buzzsaw kicks are nothing to play with as well.“
@ MattTurnerOF on X
OVERALL STRIKING RATING: 9.38
Based On: 8 Creators & 14 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s ability to use good psychology in their matches to make them make sense and tell a story.
My Rating: 10
When it comes to telling a great story in the ring that can truly be defined as “strong style,” there are very few who are in Mayu’s league. If you need a five-star banger that is full of big moves, hard-hitting strikes, and amazing selling, Mayu Iwatani is the person you need to book, because she can put on an absolute show with anyone. If you put her in there with some of the other best wrestlers in the world, Mayu simply makes magic!
Matt Turner’s Rating: 9.5
“Mayu’s game is clear. She doesn’t mind taking punishment to dish more out. She can flip a switch and go into zombie Mayu mode to get into fourth gear which helps her win big matches.“
@ MattTurnerOF on X
Scott Edwards’ Rating: 10
“The Greatest of All Time. Her psychology is second to none.“
@ ScottEWrestling on X
FAR5222’s Rating: 10
“Mayu is able to tell a story in the ring. Her selling is on point and holds throughout most of the match, leaving you convinced that she is hurting. The eb and flow of her matches are amazing. One of the best a structuring the big match feel that she always nails.”
@ FAR5222 on X
OVERALL PSYCHOLOGY RATING: 9.83
Based On: 8 Creators & 14 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s looks when it comes to marketability. This includes both their physical look as well as their wrestling attire.
My Rating: 9.5
Mayu does have the look of a superstar, but maybe not quite to the level of someone like Utami who truly looks the part of an “Ace.” The tail that always seems to fly off of Mayu’s gear is a cute touch, and the fact that she incorporates so many different colors is also a trademark for her. Mayu facially has that girl-next-door look, which is part of what makes her endearing to fans, and it also goes along with her clumsiness that we all enjoy laughing at from time to time. All in all, while Mayu does have “the look”, it’s not quite enough for me to give her the full 10 rating.
Matt Turner’s Rating: 9
“The robe, the mask, the gear. Mayu always changes her look up when the time is right. The one thing they doesn’t change is her ability to capture a crowd’s attention before she enters a ring.”
@ MattTurnerOF on X
DaveTCS’s Rating: 10
“A true superstar with a lovable, charismatic, slightly goofy nature. Mayu is like no-one else in the sport today.”
@ Dave_TCS4Life on X
FAR5222’s Rating: 10
“The colors, the big match mask, the big match robe, and the TAIL. Perfect.“
@ FAR5222 on X
OVERALL LOOKS RATING: 9.35
Based On: 8 Creators & 14 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s natural star power when it comes to marketability. It also includes their ability to talk on the mic and charisma shown.
My Rating: 10
When it comes to star power, there are very few in Japan who are more well known, especially in joshi wrestling than Mayu Iwatani. She was the icon of the biggest joshi company in the world, and now she’s not only taking the mantle as the icon of Marigold, but the icon of joshi wrestling in general! Mayu simply has that special something that makes people want to watch after seeing her for the first time, and that’s not something you can simply look past. Wherever she goes, people will follow!
Scott Edwards’ Rating: 10
“The Savior of Marigold. Feeling the difference every second that she’s there.”
@ ScottEWrestling on X
Matt Turner’s Rating: 10
“Mayu is arguably the greatest women’s wrestler of all time. She’s wrestled and headline some famous arenas and even has a movie about her. She truly is the Icon !!”
@ MattTurnerOF on X
Fernando Ibarra’s Rating: 10
“Hello! The ICON of Stardom“
@ Jferimsw on X
FAR5222’s Rating: 10
“As we saw within the past year, Mayu can move tickets. Marigold hit Korakuen numbers they haven’t seen since almost 8 months ago, with 1,201 people in the building in the main event against Nanae Takahashi. Ice Ribbon last summer, at the June Korakuen had a huge bump from “The Icon” defending her IWGP Women’s Championship against Tsukasa Fujimoto seeing an attendance number of 1,088.”
@ FAR5222 on X
OVERALL STAR POWER RATING: 9.96
Based On: 8 Creators & 14 “Crowd” Entries
A lot of very strong overall numbers for Mayu Iwatani which means she’s probably going to have a very good score, though that’s still left to be seen down below. I was pretty happy with the turnout that we got this time with eight content creators including myself, along with 14 members of the community who made their voices heard as well. I honestly did think that we’d have more people chime in, but this was still good enough.
Only two members of the community decided to write anything into the short answer box at the end of the Google Form, and both kept it pretty short. The first person said: “Mayu’s natural personality and the goofiness of that kinda helps her in that star power rating. So endearing.” I can’t disagree with their statement at all, and the other person had this to say: “All-time great and cornerstone of the modern era.” As you can see, both people see Mayu in a very similar way to the way I do, and honestly with how the numbers turned out, I think most people see her that way.
With all of the kind words said about Mayu, and the number presented to you above, it’s time to see those finalized ratings with the wonderful image to make it official!
The overall rating of 9.25 is by far the highest we’ve had in this series, and it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to people who watch her regularly. Mayu Iwatani’s skill set is one of the most complete in all of joshi, and not only is she talented physically, but also mentally where she has some of the best psychology in the business. As you can also see, that Star Power was almost a perfect 10, but there were a few who decided to give it a slightly lower score.
If you’re interested in a breakdown of where Mayu sits in each category, here you go: Third in Power, First in Technical, First in Agility, First in Grappling, Third in Striking, First in Psychology, Third in Looks, and First in Star Power. That means she was first place out of the eight wrestlers we’ve rated thus far in five out of eight total categories, which is pretty crazy in all honesty! An absolute dominant performance!
JOSHI WRESTLER INDEX OVERALL RANKINGS
- Mayu Iwatani – Marigold: 9.25
- Sareee – Freelancer: 8.79
- Utami Hayashishita – Marigold: 8.57
- Tam Nakano – Retired: 8.43
- Momo Watanabe – STARDOM: 8.29
- DASH Chisako – Sendai Girls: 8.05
- Ryo Mizunami – Freelancer: 8.03
- Suzume – TJPW: 7.33
As always I’d like to thank you all for taking time to read this, and hopefully you enjoyed seeing what others and I have to say about “The Icon of Joshi Puroesu.” I always appreciate people giving me their input on these wrestlers, so please feel free to fill out more of these forms in the future when we cover other wrestlers. I will always use the same form for each one, so if you want to simply bookmark it, feel free to. If you’d also be so kind, I’d appreciate if you check out our friends down below and give them a follow on X for great joshi content!
Ryan Dilbert – Peps_Wrestling – Fernando Ibarra – DaveTCS – Matt Turner – FAR5222 – Scott Edwards – Myself
Normally, this is the place where I’d put the next wrestler we’re going to cover, but instead this is where I will explain that we’re going to take a little break. Last year my first big project with RESURA was helping put together the “Joshi Top 100 List” which is quite an undertaking. The end of the scoring period for that is the end of June, and there’s a lot of preparation that needs to be done before that so that we can get that list revealed by August hopefully. So, the plan is to take June off when it comes to doing the “Joshi Wrestler Index” and then pick it back up in July sometime. If there’s certain wrestlers you’d like to see us rate, feel free to let us know and we’ll try to add them to the list for the future. Thank you as always for your support, and look for the “Joshi Wrestler Index” to return in July!
RESURA 