It ain’t hard to tell, I excel, then prevail.

-Nas

If Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling hosted a skills challenge like the ones the NBA, WNBA, and NFL do with their all-stars each year, Arisa Endo would be the frontrunner to win. Her speed and agility would be her ace in the hole. 

The former International Princess champ is arguably TJPW’s best overall athlete. We’re talking about a wrestler who darts around the ring, bounding across the mat like a hare. Her work is fluid, balletic, humming with energy. On top of that, she’s deceptively strong. She’s equal parts Sonic the Hedgehog and Goku.

If you’re new to TJPW and turn on one of their shows, there’s a good chance Endo will be one of the wrestlers who stand out. Miu Watanabe’s charm is sure to grab your attention. The same goes for Hyper Misao’s mischievous antics. Meanwhile, Endo’s electric physical ability will spark many folks’ interest.

She stands out even in a crowded multi-person tag—fast, fiery, creative.

In just about every match, Endo gives us glimpses of her giftedness fit for a highlight reel. It’s in these moments that we see just how special she is. A marvel amid the masses.

Take her singles match against rookie Shion Kanzaki at Shoko Quest IV on Feb. 11, for example. 

For so long and so often, Endo has had to play the underdog. Sometimes that’s because of size (she’s just under five feet tall) and sometimes that’s because of seniority. In this case, though, she had both the experience and physical advantage. And Endo looks mighty comfy in that role.

The scrappy star controlled the action. She hopped from move to move. Transitions flowing like river water. 

At one point, she nailed Kanzaki with a dropkick, rolled backward on the mat, and sprinted forward to fire off another dropkick. There was such an ease and grace to all of it. 

We saw a whole lot of proof of Endo’s impressive ability during her International Princess Championship match against MIRAI. The Jan. 4 clash didn’t end well for her in terms of the result, but boy did she put on a show before that final bell rang. 

Endo and MIRAI were a blur of bodies in the early part of the match as they fought for position. Their jockeying was urgent and crisp.

Later, the champion hit her trademark hop-up missile dropkick where she springs from the middle rope to the top rope before diving forward at her opponent. It’s pretty and potent, as usual.  

There’s a moment too when things were more intense and both wrestlers were weary when Endo yanked MIRAI’s wrist toward her to hit a gorgeous ripcord thrust kick. There was both emotion and aggression crammed into the move. 

The quality of this encounter is further proof that when paired with great talent, Endo steps up to the challenge. If you give her singles bouts against the likes of MIRAI, Miu Watanabe, or Miyu Yamashita, the colorfully haired warrior will up her game in response.   

Or alternatively, if you ask her to play the bully against one of TJPW’s newer talents, Endo comes through there, too.

Last November, Uta Takami challenged Endo for the International Princess Championship at All Rise. Takami took this opportunity to show off that she’s a name to be taken seriously while Endo flexed a different side of herself. 

As a solo act or as one half of Daisy Monkey alongside Suzume, Endo’s speed regularly gets all kinds of attention. Here against the smaller, younger Takami, it was the Aizu Girl’s power that took center stage.

Endo did some of her usual dynamic, acrobatic stuff, but she particularly impressed when she was just straight up flinging Uta around. She slammed her to the mat with extra oomph. She overwhelmed.

It may have snuck up on some of us, but Endo’s quietly been bulking up. Her arms have looked increasingly muscular, and that’s showing in her mat work as she more often emphasizes brawiness to go along with that cartoon speed. That’s by design.

In a 2024 interview with Scott Edwards on Fightful, Endo talked about trying to get stronger. “I wanted to be able to move quickly because of my small height! But looking at Yuka Sakazaki, I still want to have power so I am training to get bigger!” she said. 

It’s all coming together for Endo, her experience and athletic ability thrusting her forward. For the past two years, she’s been among the most improved wrestlers on TJPW’s roster. Seeing this unfold is like watching a raw basketball prospect start to everything click, to go from talent with potential to legit star.

Endo showed us that she’s well into that phase with her terrific run in the Princess Cup in 2025 to the finals where she thrived against Miu Watanabe. 

The conversation surrounding her used to be about what she could be, but now it has to be more about what she is. She is one of the best overall wrestlers in the whole company. She’s a marquee talent who has to be in line for a Princess of Princess title run. She’s a flagbearer for this rising new generation of stars.  

Does TJPW see that? It’s not clear. 

Endo isn’t in a championship match at Grand Princess. She’s never once fought for the Princess of Princess belt. Twice, she’s been in a no. 1 contender’s match for said strap but lost to Yuki Arai and Yuki Aino respectively.

This is a company that historically waits and waits to take a chance on the up-and-comers. It’s time, Teej. 

Look at what’s happening between the ropes, in the air and on the mat. Look at what Endo’s evolved into. Look at the undeniable talent that Endo wields night in and night out.