Tokyo Joshi-Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year arrived in style. Grand Princess had a wild guest list, wacky moments galore, and some damn good wrestling to take in.
Miu Watanabe defended the Princess of Princess Championship against Yuki Arai. Mizuki sought revenge against a giant panda. Spark Rush invaded TJPW. The IInspiration sought to take down the long-reigning tag champs.
How did it all shake out? What matches flopped and which ones flourished? Read on for a full look at the highs and lows of Grand Princess 2026.
Uta Takami vs. Shion Kanzaki
A short opener that didn’t shift out of first or second gear.
You can tell there’s a bigger, more energetic match possible between these two waiting to happen. This just felt like a warmup to that.
The early struggle for control on the mat was entertaining. Then Takami evoked some captivating goblin energy as she cranked on Kanzaki’s ankle. We also got a few glimpses of Uta being effortlessly athletic.
Not much to savor beyond that.
Rating: 5.5/10
Ironman Heavy Metalweight Championship Time Staggered Entrance Battle Royal
The Battle Royal was an inanity meal deal packed with shtick. Multiple title changes. Kooky characters. A sword and a fork brandished with bad intentions.
Antonio Honda was supposed to enter as champ, but Raku laid a trap for him backstage in the form of a comfy looking pillow on the floor. His quick nap cost him the title, but he’d have a shot at reclaiming it after all kinds of nuttiness went down.
Raku, a cartoon character called Minimo-chan, idol Momo Sato, some dark alter-ego version of Rika Tatsumi, Matcha from Thailand, and voice actress Sumire Uesaka all starred in the battle royal. This face-painted version of Rika was intriguing, her leaning into her sadistic side. We got to see more of Sakura Hattori presented as powerful.
The chapter of the story where Honda was the lead slowed things down. His routine has never clicked with me, and that was doubly true here. The fun energy that was building to that point dampened during his storytime.
If you don’t like comedy wrestling, this will not win you over. If you go with it, you’re likely to have a decent time with at least parts of this.
Rating: 6/10
HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki vs. Toga & Ren Konatsu
I’m rooting for Bumping gRitters to gain some momentum and be a force in the TJPW tag division, and they did to a point here. HIMAWARI and Suzuki looked cohesive and capable as they controlled the majority of the action.
HIMAWARI choked and whipped Konatsu with her hair. Suzuki fought off Toga. Together, they claimed another victory as a duo. There was solid chemistry throughout with sprinkles of intensity and emotion.
We’ve yet to see Bumping gRitters catch fire, but the potential is there to do just that.
Rating: 6/10
Shoko Nakajima & Yuki Aino & Haru Kazashiro vs. VENY & Aja Kong & Pom Harajuku
Power Ranges-style heroes accompanied Shoko, Aino, and Kazashiro to the ring while villains of the same ilk escorted the other team. As a bonus, we got a quick battle between those folks before the actual match.
VENY (a late replacement for Max the Impaler), Kong, and Pom then proceeded to kick some ass in and out of the ring. Aino showed guts in facing both VENY and Aja, but took some serious punishment in the process. Shoko’s fire provided much of the match’s heart.
We didn’t see nearly enough VENY for my taste. This turned out to be a solidly entertaining midcard offering, but not something you’ll remember after this.
Rating: 6.5/10
Mizuki vs. Andreza Giant Panda
This was exactly what I’d hoped it would be. A silly, engaging display. Mizuki out there tearing it up against a man in an inflatable costume.
Mizuki viciously twisting the poor creature’s wrist and footstomping its head in are standout images in a match full of them. This kind of bout is a photographer’s dream with so many wild, striking visuals.
It didn’t overstay its welcome, either. Eight minutes was plenty to tell this kind of story.
Rating: 7.5/10
Miyu Yamashita & Arisu Endo vs. Sareee & Takumi Iroha
TNA’s Lei Ying Lee was supposed to battle alongside Sareee here, but a change of plans instead had Spark Rush joining forces against Miyu and Endo. A clear case of “card subject to change” turning out for the best.
The intensity throughout this thing was potent with all kinds of death stares thrown each way. Sareee and Takumi made Endo the Ricky Morton of this match, dismissively beating her down and forcing her to prove herself through pure guts.
Yamashita and Iroha’s kick battle, Endo roaring as she pulls herself up in the corner, Miyu last-second save: man, there’s so much to soak up.
Great match. When are doing it again at Sareee-ISM?
Rating: 9/10
Yuka Sakazaki & Konsuke Takeshita vs. Hyper Misao & Super Sasadango Machine
Misao and Sasadango teamed up to deliver a PowerPoint before the action began. They injected a lot of passion into it, but boy did it go on too long.
The men started fighting on the entrance ramp over Takeshita’s camera that his opponent threatened to step on. Misao, meanwhile, led an army of look-alikes against The Magical Girl.
Things picked up in the middle with Yuka and Takeshita flying around and later Misao bowling over her foes with her bike. There were some highlights that stood out like Takeshita accidentally booting his wife and tag partner in the face, but this never truly got going. A lot of talking between the wrestling with too stop-and-start pacing.
Points to Misao for her ever-creative efforts, but not all swings can make contact.
Rating: 3/10
MIRAI vs. Suzume (International Princess Championship)
Suzume reigns again!
Smooth, quick action comprised this battle of power versus speed. Suzume’s acrobatics paired nicely with MIRAI’s high-impact offense. We got to see some toughness from Suzume, too, as the champ really tested her physically. That Half Nelson buster on the ring apron, for one, was nasty!
There’s an such artistry to what Suzume is doing right now. She’s creative and dynamic, and needs to be showcased. Being international champ again is a good spot.
Rating: 7.75/10
Yuki Kamifuki & Wakana Uehara vs. Kathy Lee & Jesse McKay (Princess Tag Team Championship)
The former WWE duo brought some namepower to this battle. Even if I wasn’t thrilled to see Lee and McKay chosen as the Princess Tag Team Championship challengers, I can see what TJPW was thinking. Some added buzz for its biggest show.
As for the action they brought, it was fine. The Aussies were playful showboats who heeled it up all match. The IInspiration and Ober Eats clicked pretty well.
The match never hit any real highs (although the double Fameasser was nice). It just sort of chugged along until the gaijin got the win.
Rating: 5/10
Miu Watanabe vs. Yuki Arai (Princess of Princess Championship)
A big-match feel permeated the Ryogoku Kokugikan as these two entered. This is the match TJPW has been building up. The stakes felt high, and not just because of the title. Arai had something huge to prove here, that she’s worthy of the top spot, that she could lead the company.
Once the bell rang, a straightforward story started to unfold. Arai worked over the champ’s leg; Watanabe focused on the Yuki’s back. An aggressive, ferocious version of Arai ran into the wall that is the powerhouse Watanabe. The bout turned into a true battle of wills, each woman fighting like hell to gain control.
An avalanche power slam. A running kick to Miu’s back. Watanabe’s tortured face when locked into the Sharpshooter for far too long. Yeah, this rocked.
Arai sure looked like a main eventer as she snatched the title from Miu, and now her next test awaits: thriving as champ. She will have her fair share of haters, as she’s always had, but she will get a huge chance here in the coming months to silence them.
Rating: 8.75/10
Final Thoughts
Grand Princess felt big and special. It bursted with pageantry. The card had all kinds of star power.
There were some meh matches on the card and even a downright painful one in Takeshita/Yuka vs. Misao/Sasadango, but the top stuff delivered. Endo looked like a star. Suzume continues to shine. And Arai, as much Americans fans tend to push back on her rise, showed she deserved the spotlight she’s been getting.
Whether she can be as good reigning as POP champ as she was in pursuit of it will be interesting to see play out. That’s the no. 1 story to watch for the rest of the year. Heavy lies the crown and all.
RESURA 