Summer is truly joshi season!
In July, fans got to watch their favorites collide in two major tournaments: the 5STAR Grand Prix and the Tokyo Princess Cup. Plus, Miya Yotsuba defended the Super Asia Championship three times, TJPW delivered at Summer Sun Princess, and Sareee returned to Marigold. All this led to a fat stack of great matches.
If you’re having trouble figuring out what to watch from such a loaded month, we got your back. Fernando and Ryan have curated a set of bouts to prioritize. As a bonus, we included a list of match recs for the first leg of the 5STAR.
Read on for our picks from STARDOM, TJPW, Marigold, ChocoPro, and more.
Miya Yotsuba vs. SOY, ChocoPro #531 Make At Ikusa (Rel. Jul 3)
Just let the wrestlers wrestle. It’s not that hard.
The Super Asia champion had a new challenger for her title in the form of her tag team partner, SOY, and they made the most out of this opportunity. In true ChocoPro fashion, two wrestlers going at it was all it took to create an electric atmosphere at the TOKYOSQUARE.
With all Miya went through to win that belt, she would fight to the end it that meant she would still be champion another day. SOY knew her partner’s moves pretty well, but Miya finally hit her Miya Hammer to put an end to this bout and retain the championship.
Recommended by: Fernando
AZM & Miyu Amasaki vs. HANAKO & Maika, STARDOM – Stardom Nighter in Korakuen (July 8)
A fun, exciting Goddess of Stardom Championship match that just kept getting pumped with electricity.
A classic battle of power versus speed played out in Korakuen Hall with everyone getting a chance to shine. The highlights include a cool powerbomb/superplex combo spot and an incredible leap from the top rope from AZM.
The action is solid throughout, but it’s the closing moments that really make this something you need on your watchlist. 02Line and High Hai Mate turn up the jets as the bout nears its climax. Opponents get flung out of the ring. Teammates execute last-second saves. Desperation is everywhere and it’s beautiful.
Totally worth squeezing into your busy schedule.
Recommended by: Ryan
Azusa Inaba vs. Saya Kamitani, Just Tap Out – JTO 7th Anniversary (July 10)
The semi-main event had plenty of bite to it. From the brawl in the Korakuen Hall stands to the strike exchanges in the ring, there was a brashness to everything Inaba and Saya hit each other with. They felt like longtime rivals rather than stablemates.
Their styles gelled well. We got some smooth counters to go along with all the slugfest stuff. Lots of fun all around.
I would have liked to have seen this gone on a bit longer, but I suppose they were saving something for a future showdown.
Recommended by: Ryan
Miya Yotsuba vs. Mei Suruga, ChocoPro – It’s TIME (July 14)
A rematch one year in the making.
Mei Suruga getting a shot at the Super Asia title was going to happen sooner rather than later, so champion Miya Yotsuba (God, I love how that sounds) needed to bring her A Game to this epic encounter.
Now with their roles reversed, both women delivered big time. Mei’s mischievous antics threw the champion a little bit off, but after a scary bump on the ring apron wore out the Apple Girl, Miya found an opening to balance the odds. The first Miya Hammer wasn’t enough to put the challenger away, and a series of roll up attempts almost made the title change hands. However, once the champion hit a big powerslam and one final Miya Hammer, Miya got the win.
This was Miya’s biggest challenge since winning the championship and she stood tall at the end.
Recommended by: Fernando
Aja Kong vs. Arisu Endo, TJPW – Summer Sun Princess (July 18)
I keep coming back to this match, the electricity of that story still surging in my memory.
Kong and Endo played out a super familiar narrative: a powerful vet overwhelming a feisty rising star. Each wrestler thrived in their role. Kong was beastly and unrelenting; Endo, meanwhile, feisty and full of heart.
The result is tense match with a clear, emphatic story at its core. Yes, the tag title and Princess of Princess Championship matches from this show are excellent and deserve your attention, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice to miss out on this.
Arisu continues to provide evidence that she’s among TJPW’s best acts. A tremendous babyface poised to be the promotion’s main character.
Recommended by: Ryan
Yuki Arai vs. Miyu Yamashita, TJPW – Summer Sun Princess ‘26 (July 18)
I mean, Yuki Arai could totally hang out with the guys over at Big Japan Wrestling.
Another champion who faced her biggest challenge of her title reign, Yuki Arai faced former multiple champion Miyu Yamashita at TJPW big summer show, defending the Princess of Princess Championship, and one could easily predict the Pink Striker would turn this into a hard-hitting battle, but the champion was as vicious as her opponent. Miyu’s kicks were met by Yuki’s resilience and emotion, but also lots of kicks of her own. The former idol even survived a spinning kick and was able to stop the Crash Rabbit Heat, just to hit her Finally kick to pin Miyu and retain the title.
Ahead of the Princess Cup, Yuki Arai is looking to become the first reigning champion to win the tournament.
Recommended by: Fernando
Arisu Endo vs. Sakura Hattori, TJPW – Princess Cup ‘26 Night 1 (July 20)
I love when first round matches are this good.
The runner up from last year’s Princess Cup, Arisu Endo, faced Sakura Hattori in the first round of the tournament, and what a way to kick things off. Sakura’s new persona took time to find her place, and it seems that she only needed the right opponent at the right time, with Arisu taking her to her limit, while she herself gave the former Tag Team and International champion a hard time. Both women used every move in their arsenal, but it was Arisu’s Argentine spinning neck breaker that put an end to this match.
A match set to be one of the best of the tournament, and maybe the first step for Arisu Endo’s second chance at the Cup.
Recommended by: Fernando
Sareee & Chi Chi vs. Miku Aono & Komomo Minami, Marigold – Burning Desire (July 30)
You know this was going to be great when Komomo Minami shoved Chi Chi and Sareee at the press conference leading up to this. The bad blood was flowing by the time this came around.
Sareee is nasty here, hitting absolutely unforgiving strikes. She is straight up punishing Minami for her insolence. Komomo, meanwhile, is feisty and full of fight, a joy to watch.
Aono matches Sareee’s level of intensity, and their chemistry is excellent. More of them locking horns please.
Recommended by: Ryan
STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix Match Recs:
Aya Sakura vs. HANAKO (July 18)
Rina Yamashita vs. Mei Seira (July 18)
Rina Yamashita vs. Utami Hayashishita (7/19)
Maki Itoh vs. Saya Iida (July 25)
Mei Seira vs. Azusa Inaba (July 26)
Starlight Kid vs. Saya Kamitani (7/28)*
*Match of the tournament frontrunner*
RESURA 