You’ve seen us release our top 100 list in 25 wrestler segments the last few weeks, but now it’s time for the most important of all because we’ll get to announce who we chose as the number one joshi wrestler of the year. It’s been great the last three weeks to introduce some wrestlers to fans around the world who they may not have already known about, and to sing their praises on why they’ve had a memorable year, but the top 25 on our list will probably be a lot of the biggest names on the scene that you may already know. That doesn’t take anything away of course. It instead just shows their consistency of being one of the best, year in and year out.

If you need a refresher on how we rate these wrestlers, we do so in three different categories: Skill, Influence and Competition.

Skill is determined by how good we thought that wrestler’s matches were for the year. I’m sure you personally could figure out who a few of the top performers were in that category.

Influence is a measurement of what they meant to not only their own promotion but also the joshi landscape as a whole. If the wrestler was a bigger name who was known to draw, have been in the business a long time, or held an office position in their promotion like head booker or owner along with their wrestling duties, then it meant they they’d receive a pretty high score.

Competition is a rating based on the competition of wrestlers they’d face during the year-long scoring period. Wrestlers that had big matches, especially for titles would get higher ratings than a wrestler who was normally lower on the card, facing rookies for instance.

On top of those three categories we also factored in a wrestler’s win rate, the amount of matches they wrestled, and their accomplishments which include not only titles won during our scoring period, but also any awards or tournaments that they won as well.

All in all, we did our best to try to put together a list that we could be proud of and stand behind. If you’re looking to see who took part in the rating of these wrestlers, that will be the names you see on the list at the bottom of this article. The last name is a fellow writer who wanted to simply pitch in to help write some of the wrestler-related paragraphs, which we definitely appreciate.

As always it’s important to know who appeared on our list before this point as we’ve already covered 75 of the best joshi pro wrestlers on the scene, and if you’re looking for an easy way to see where everyone has ranked thus far, here’s some links that will help you.

2026 RESURA Joshi Top 100 (#76-100)
2026 RESURA Joshi Top 100 (#51-75)
2026 RESURA Joshi Top 100 (#26-50)

With that taken care of, let’s not waste any more time, and get back to our list with who came in at number 25!

25. HIROYO MATSUMOTO – FREELANCER

Hiroyo Matsumoto is one of those wrestlers whose impact and influence doesn’t truly get appreciated and probably won’t until after she hangs up her boots. You just get used to her being damn good all the time. You get used to seeing her wrestle everywhere, elevating any card she’s on, coming on as a reliable vet. Be it with TJPW or SEAdLINNNG, Sendai Girls or Rose Girls. The 40-year-old pro’s pro wasn’t just making novelty appearances, either. Matsumoto is still performing at a high level. She had standout matches against MIRAI, Ayame Sasamura, and (alongside ZONES) Red Energy. The Lady Destroyer collected plenty of gold along the way: the OZ Academy Tag Team Championship, the OZ Academy Openweight Championship, the Beyond the Sea Championship. Personally, I was hoping for more defenses and a longer reign with that SEAdLINNNG title as Matsumoto was on an absolute tear in that role, but I’m grateful to see her on top of a promotion again, even briefly. She’s a blessing to the scene and a legend whose legacy is still being shaped right in front of us.

• Written By: Ryan Dilbert (X: RyanDilbert)

24. MAI SAKURAI – MARIGOLD

Mai Sakurai is slowly moving towards the ace of Marigold position. So far, Miku Aono has proven the unconquerable mountain for her, though. Marigold’s Ladyship amassed nine points in the Dream Star Grand Prix, but failed to qualify for the finals because of a draw against Miku. The Marigold world champion also proved too strong in a December championship challenge. Even though Sakurai dropped the United National title to Victoria Yuzuki in October, the former Donna Del Mundo member wasn’t without gold for too long. In February, she teamed with Natsumi Showzuki and Erina Yamanaka to become the inaugural 3D Trios champions, a title they held throughout the grading period. They had strong defenses against Mayu Iwatani, Komomo Minami, and Yuzuki as well as Shinno, Seri Yamaoka, and Yuuka Yamazaki. And even though Sakurai and Showzuki were unsuccessful in their TwinStar title match, The Ladyship really picked up momentum. With the Dream Star GP starting soon, Mai Sakurai is one of the favorites to win this year. Sakurai has grown stronger with each match this year and looks like she is ready for that final step to superstardom.

• Written By: DaveTCS (X: Dave_TCS4Life)

23. AZM – STARDOM

Stardom’s fastest high flyer started off the grading period by reaching the finals of the 2025 5Star Grand Prix. AZM amassed nine points in the tournament and subsequently put away Hanan and Rina to advance to the final, where she met one of her fiercest rivals in Momo Watanabe. Despite putting up a valiant effort, she was once again defeated by her former tag team partner. Some more unfortunate events followed as she and her fellow Neo Genesis members Starlight Kid and Miyu Amesaki dropped the Artist of Stardom titles to H.A.T.E. a month later. That same month she also lost the NJPW STRONG title to Saya Kamitani in a title for title match. It took a while for AZM to regain her winning ways. In February, she had a terrific match with Safire Reed at EVE’s Wrestle Queendom 8. In Stardom, her team with Amesaki picked up steam throughout the early months of 2026. Which led to them unseating H.A.T.E. as the Goddesses of Stardom champions. And with strong defenses over FWC and Hai High Mate, the duo has grown as strong champions. Whether in a tag team or on her own, the High Speed Bomb Girl is one of the best athletes on the Stardom roster.

• Written By: DaveTCS (X: Dave_TCS4Life)

22. AYAME SASAMURA – 2AW

It warms my heart that Ayame Sasamura made it this high on the list. The criminally underrated bruiser has long been a bedrock for the indie side of the scene. She’s  as sturdy as an oak and kicks like a mule. Put her in a slugfest, a mixed tag match, a big title match whatever; you’re going to get greatness night in and night out. During the grading period, she stockpiled accolades that helped launch into the top 25 despite the fact that she often works for the smaller promotions. Sasamura won both the SEAdLINNNG Beyond the Sea Championship and Beyond the Sea Tag Team Championship (alongside Itsuki Aoki), as well as emerged the winner of the Tenryu Project’s Mixed Tag Team 1 Day Tournament with Hikaru Sato. Plus, her 150-match total is among the very highest of anyone else in the JOSHI TOP 100. The workhorse showed up everywhere from GLEAT to Unagi Sayaka’s produce shows and bettered every show she was a part of.

• Written By: Ryan Dilbert (X: RyanDilbert)

21. SERI YAMAOKA – MARIGOLD

Seri Yamaoka is one of the best prospects in wrestling history. Plain and simple. It’s very rare that a rookie takes to wrestling as seemingly as Yamaoka did in her first year, and yet she not only took to wrestling, she displayed a level far above being just a rookie. Yamaoka won the WON Rookie of the Year Award in what felt like a stunner to some, but anyone watching her knows that this was a slam dunk choice. Yamaoka debuted in Marigold at First Dream 2025, and by First Dream 2026, anyone who called themselves a fan of Marigold and joshi wrestling as a whole was ready to see her win the Marigold World Championship. She’s been that special and even has more accolades than just the Rookie of the Year award to prove it. Yamaoka is also only one of two wrestlers in Marigold to have pinned Mayu Iwatani in a singles match thus far, only joined by WWE superstar IYO SKY. She added tournament wins to close out 2025, including the Marigold Rookie of the Year 2025 win over Shinno and the TwinStar Cup as well. But for anyone who may see Yamaoka placing this highly already, it’s not just the accolades that get her here, it’s what she’s already doing in the ring. What makes her so special is that she doesn’t close herself into one style — she’s instead a multi-talented wrestler who can’t be put into a box. It makes her unique. It makes her special. It makes here the future of this sport. She could have easily settled into one style with her amateur wrestling background, following the likes of Chihiro Hashimoto down that path. She’s shown it in matches with Hashimoto (and terrific ones at that). But instead, she takes from that natural skillset she has and mixes it with an explosiveness and athleticism reminiscent of a young Io Shirai. Those are big names to mention, but that’s where Yamaoka dreams to reach and both practices and studies to try and reach such levels. Her ability to do so much makes her not only special, but in some ways, it leaves her lapping the competition around her when it comes to where she is now plus where potential could take her fully. It’s why her rivalry with Senka Akatsuki is so perfect. And it’s why they’ll be carrying joshi forward for years to come. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to end this period on the right note due to an injury to her shoulder that she’s been dealing with for years. But if there’s a bright side, it is that for the first time in years, her shoulder will be 100 percent healthy when she returns. You won’t find a bigger fan than me when it comes to Yamaoka, but the reasons aren’t difficult to figure out: it’s because of how truly talented she is and the potential that stands ahead of her. There are few wrestlers, if any, in the world that have more potential than she has. And that’s what makes her placement at No. 21 so exciting at just 19 years old and less than two years into her career. Yamaoka is going to put Marigold on her back the moment she returns, and she is going to chase her dreams to truly be one of the greats in joshi. She has everything it takes.

• Written By: Scott Edwards (X: ScottEWrestling)

20. UTAMI HAYASHISHITA – STARDOM

Utami Hayashishita dropped out of the top 10, after making the 8th place last year. Much of that has to do with the fact that she started the year as Marigold world champion, but lost the title early in the grading period. After her last successful defense, a nearly full- hour draw against AAAW champion Takumi Iroha in which both titles were on the line, she dropped the belt to Miku Aono. Utami had enjoyed a 296 day reign as Marigold world champion, which also landed her in 37th place of the 2025 PWI Women’s 250. Most people fully expected her to reclaim Marigold’s version of the red belt. Instead Utami changed directions and returned to Stardom. The former leader of Queen’s Quest returned to a different Stardom as the one she left. Her old unit had disbanded, her former best friend is now a dastardly heel in HATE, and the World of Stardom title is currently in the grasp of Suzu Suzuki. Utami will have to seek new alliances, but that coveted red belt will ultimately be in her crosshairs and time will tell if she’s going to be able to reclaim it.

• Written By: DaveTCS (X: Dave_TCS4Life)

19. KONAMI – STARDOM

It’s amazing what one year can do for a wrestler considering the fact that Konami wasn’t even on our list last year and now finds herself within our top 25. Simply put, Konami had one of the best years of her career this past year, and I’m really happy to see her getting recognized for it. Sure, her Artist of Stardom title run wasn’t the most incredible thing, even if it did span 258 days with four successful defenses, but what really helped us realize that Konami could be one of the best heels in the business was her awesome Wonder of Stardom Championship run, beating the very strong champion Starlight Kid back in November of last year. She followed that by having some big-time strong title defenses against the likes of Saya Iida, Rina, Ami Sohrei, and Hina until she finally met her match on the biggest show of the year against the last of the judo trio in Hanan, someone who was basically destined to win that championship from Konami. Some people have their complaints when it comes to heels in pro wrestling, but I didn’t hear a lot of complaints when it came to the way that Konami would break down her opponents, showing them absolutely no mercy during her title reign. I will never forget seeing Hanan stand on the top of the stage after winning the Cinderella tournament, wearing a fancy dress, only to have the stage open and Konami standing there with the biggest grin possible on her face, ready to strike with her trusty spray paint to absolutely ruin Hanan’s moment. That’s the type of heel that Konami was, and it was very effective for getting the most out of her opponents each time they faced her. You could tell it truly meant something to her to be the Wonder of Stardom champion, and she showed that when you put your belief in her, she can truly turn back the clock and be the best version of herself.

• Written By: Justin Stein (X: BioHizzle)

18. IYO SKY – WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT

Iyo Sky started this period by losing the Women’s World Championship at Evolution, and after a poorly booked reign and two failed attempts to recapture it, she decided to focus on her partnership with Rhea Ripley, with whom she won the women’s tag team titles by defeating IYO’s former allies, The Kabuki Warriors, in January of this year. After losing them less than two months later, she was criminally left off the WrestleMania card, even though she, Asuka and Kairi Sane were in the middle of a storyline. After Kairi’s release from the company, Iyo and Asuka were all by themselves, and they faced off at Backlash in May, delivering an emotional and deeply personal performance, leading some to believe that would be Asuka’s last WWE match. Entering the Queen of the Ring tournament, she would go on to win it by defeating the reigning women’s world champion, Liv Morgan, this being the highlight of the period.

Also, she would make a rare appearance in Marigold to have a match with her best rival ever, Mayu Iwatani. Although she was presented by her WWE name, it really felt like we had Io Shirai back, at least for one night.

• Written By: Fernando Ibarra (X: Jferimsw)

17. MIO MOMONO – MARVELOUS

Mio Momono’s first match of this period was coincidentally her first match back from an injury that kept her on the shelf for five months. Since then, she has been unstoppable, going back and forth between Marvelous and Sendai Girls. It was in the latter where she would win the Sendai Girls Tag Team Championships with her Bob Bob Momo Banana partner, Yurika Oka, for the second time (fourth time overall for Mio), having a 107-day reign. She would also make appearances in NOAH and West Coast Pro, where she won the promotion’s women’s title during WrestleMania Weekend.

People need to watch and start talking more about this woman. She is an incredible performer, capable of giving anyone the best match of their career if given the chance.

• Written By: Fernando Ibarra (X: Jferimsw)

16. MEI SURUGA – CHOCO PRO

The gremlin continues to be great. Mei Suruga was again the heart and soul of ChocoPro, wrestling everyone on that mat in the Ichigaya Chocolate Square from the 12-year-old Kaho Hiromi to Evil Uno. She serves as the brand’s ambassador and chief defender when wrestlers like AZM and Rina Yamashita come around. She embodies the joyful, zany nature of the ChocoPro brand. She’s a beaming light that brightens the joshi scene. Bonus points for her work alongside Baliyan Akki. Best Bros remains one of the most entertaining teams in the joshi and joshi-adjacent scene. Impressively, Suruga boasts one of the highest winning percentage of anyone on this list at 77 percent. Had she had more defenses of the Deadlock Pro Wrestling Championship or a longer Super Asia Championship run, Suruga might have cracked the top 10.

• Written By: Ryan Dilbert (X: RyanDilbert)

15. RINA – STARDOM

How great can you be at 19 years old? Well, Rina has proven that you can simply be one of the very best in the world. While the accolades may have not piled up within this timeframe for Rina and that was more so right around the corner for her, the consistency in her performances and ability to show who she is at such a young age is what landed her this high. Rina has a hit rate like few wrestlers do, as showcased by her 2025 5STAR Grand Prix run that saw her as the odds-on favorite for MVP, while also landing herself in the semifinals. She kept the good vibes rolling into the Cinderella Tournament, where she managed to be a finalist for a second year in a row, just this time losing to her big sister Hanan. Like I said, the success may have not been there in the win column, but her landing at No. 15 shows that our voters saw all they needed from the young prodigy to push her this high on the list. At such a young age, Rina has not only become the future of STARDOM, but perhaps their next undeniable star to follow in the footsteps of her H.A.T.E. stablemate, Saya Kamitani. She will only keep climbing on this list for years to come.

• Written By: Scott Edwards (X: ScottEWrestling)

14. VICTORIA YUZUKI – MARIGOLD

Living up to the title of “Future Ace,” “Young Ace,” and anything with that much pressure could make almost anyone sink. That pressure, however, can also make diamonds — and that’s exactly what Victoria Yuzuki has become. The reigning United National champion has simply risen to the occasion as the future of Marigold, and she has done so in rapid fashion by not only winning the Pure White Belt at Grand Destiny but also having appeared in the finals of the 2025 DREAM STAR GP before falling victim to Miku Aono. To mention that championship win, her match with Mai Sakurai to secure that victory very well may be the best singles match of her career. Sakurai deserves plenty of credit, but to be still so new into her career celebrating her second anniversary with that type of performance — the sky remains the limit for the young Yuzuki. She also showed she could stand up to her idol Mayu Iwatani before even competing in the DREAM STAR GP Final later in the night, running to a draw with her in arguably the best match of that entire tournament. This was the year Marigold needed from her, and prior to an ACL injury that ended her tenure within this timeframe, Yuzuki was only ready to keep climbing up this Top 100 list. Still, landing at 14 shows her overall success is only the beginning, and she shouldn’t stop climbing in future years with her very clearly situated as the present and future of the golden fields. Yuzuki has everything it takes to keep getting better, too, which makes her potential all the more exciting as we’re far from the best version of her. “The Young Ace” lands at No. 14 on this year’s list, and she’s just getting started still in her career.

• Written By: Scott Edwards (X: ScottEWrestling)

13. SAYAKA KURARA – STARDOM

For so long, the question was simple: Who will be the one to defeat Saya Kamitani for the World of Stardom Championship? The answer ended up being Sayaka Kurara, and she did so by proving that very night she was ready for that moment. Kurara has been a rising star in STARDOM since her debut back in 2023, and it was this year that STARDOM went all in. Not only did she win the World of Stardom Championship from Kamitani, but she also added a long NEW BLOOD Tag Team Championship reign with Aya Sakura that has continued on through the period and paired that with a Goddesses of Stardom Tag League victory alongside Sakura, too. The accolades were there, and so did the quality as she wrestled a different match from anyone in STARDOM. Her big matches often shined, and her under-the-radar contest did as well. Kurara may not have had a long championship reign with the Red Belt, but it was the perfect big win and reign to propel her into the No. 13 spot this year. She’s earned it, and here’s to many more successful years in the future of the hope of Kouzen.

• Written By: Scott Edwards (X: ScottEWrestling)

12. MIRAI – MICHINOKU PRO

While it does show that MIRAI is a member of Michinoku Pro, she might as well be simply listed as a freelancer with the way that she makes her way around to so many companies now that she’s left the golden gardens. Any company who books MIRAI knows exactly what they are getting, a great wrestler who can have an awesome match with anyone they put inside of the ring with her, and someone who you can proudly make your top champion as long as you’re getting enough dates out of her for your company. There aren’t a ton of freelancers who can do that to the level that MIRAI can, and I think that has been noticed by a lot of fans over this past year. While her winning percentage was nothing crazy, she still put in great performances even while losing, but she was on the right side of the win column a few times this year since she ended up holding three titles during our scoring period. Right before the cutoff, she won the GHC Women’s Championship, which I think she can do a lot with if NOAH gives her the ability to defend it of course. She was also the JTO Girls champion up until right after our scoring period cutoff, but her reign was quite strong at 184 days, with 5 defenses against some of the best that JTO had to offer. Finally, the last of the three titles she held was the TJPW International Princess Championship, a reign that only lasted 84 days, but it was sort of therapeutic in a way to see her return to where her career started, only to be beaten by her former tag team partner for that very title she held. MIRAI has had a hell of a first 10 months away from Marigold, and I can see her working her way up into the top 10 on next year’s list if she keeps up this kind of output all around the joshi scene.

• Written By: Justin Stein (X: BioHizzle)

11. SUZUME – TOKYO JOSHI PRO WRESTLING

Suzume is about as interesting as they come in modern joshi wrestling. She’s got great gear, she’s a bee, she’s agile, and she always makes sure to do something memorable. Suzume is everything that people are beginning to crave in their pro wrestling. She’s a great seller,  she has a creative move-set that she finds new and great ways to use at every turn, she’s got heart and spirit, and her matches are just damn great. I’ve watched probably hundreds of hours of matches this year but one thing that still stands out was Suzume’s incredible transitions into the Ring A Bell in some of her biggest matches. While the Watanabe and MIRAI matches are the main highlights to many, I’ve also been impressed by her International Princess run that’s seen her become a proving ground for talents like Sakura Hattori and Haru while also being the steady ground that was trusted to have Mahiro Kiryu’s first title match ever. Suzume is everything great in joshi in 2026 and I hope as time goes on more and more wrestlers take inspiration from her and her approach to the sacred ring.

• Written By: Alex Richards (X: LWOSPWAlexR)

10. VENY – FREELANCER

VENY is my absolute favorite wrestler. If you’re reading this list, hopefully I don’t need to elaborate on why, and can instead focus on why she has cracked the top 10 of this list. She’s been around for a while as the Queen of the Scene, ruling the lands outside of STARDOM, Marigold and TJPW. She’s uncompromising, fabulous and one of one. But in 2026, VENY has continued pushing her case for ‘Best in the World’. VENY’s recent exploits were defined by her efforts to help SEAdLINNNG’s young talent flourish. During her five-month reign as the top champion, her primary feud was with Honori Hana, who was returning from a long absence due to COVID-19 complications. VENY immediately established Honori as a ‘psycho killer’, culminating in a title match where Honori delivered a shoot headbutt so violent it left VENY with a massive hematoma. That set up the current eligible period for this list, where she decided to take another SEAdLINNNG youngster under her wing and, for the first time, proclaim to have a ‘junior’ she can mentor in standout rookie Selene Misora, who also made our list at 85. Having specifically selected VENY as her senior, Selene was immediately elevated by their encounter on September 19, 2025, where she looked like a breakout talent under VENY’s tutelage. Selene has gone on to join VENY’s own unit, as VENY, still only 27, now looks to mentor the next generation of stars on the scene. Even in Senjo, the main promotion in her home prefecture, she has taken a liking to YUNA, with the two seen regularly sparring on the Senjo documentary. While leading the way for SEAdLINNNG’s resurgence and bolstering Senjo cards, she continued working on Sareee-ISM shows, building up to a big match against Bozilla at Yokohama Budokan, which was derailed due to injury (the build-up to that match even included a rare submission loss for VENY). Basically, if there’s a big show on the independent scene, expect VENY to be on it in a major way. VENY will look to capitalize on the name she has built by booking Korakuen Hall for the very first time to deliver her inaugural self-produced show on October 16, 2026. That may kickstart a landmark year for VENY and see her going up the rankings next year. VENY remains one of the true gems of the independent scene, and long may she reign as the Queen of the Scene.

Recommended Match: Selene Misora vs. VENY – SEAdLINNNG, 19th September 2025

• Written By: Eric (Joshi’ing Around Podcast)

9. STARLIGHT KID – STARDOM

Starlight Kid is well on her way to becoming the top babyface in Stardom. The leader of Neo Genesis started out the grading period as Wonder of Stardom champion. She turned away challenges from Saori Anou and Tomoka Inaba, further establishing herself as one of the strongest Wonder of Stardom title holders in recent memory. Then after 309 days, she shockingly dropped the championship to Konami in November. Starlight Kid frequently teamed with other Neo Genesis members following her Wonder of Stardom title loss, including pairing with Mei Seira in a gauntlet match at All Star Grand Queendom. Her success expanded internationally as well, teaming with Mei Seira in CMLL and coming within a hairlash of defeating alas Chicas Indomables for their World Women’s Tag Team Championship in March. And of course she also came very close to beating Thekla for the AEW Women’s Championship in June. And as one of the favorites to win the upcoming 5Star Grand Prix, look for Starlight Kid to turn a lot of heads in the upcoming years.

• Written By: DaveTCS (X: Dave_TCS4Life)

8. MIKU AONO – MARIGOLD

Dating back to her days with Actwres girl’Z, Miku Aono steps up when she’s called upon. Marigold put its faith in her as its world champion and she rose to the occasion, kicking ass in the ring and showing off the presence and grandeur of a top titleholder. When Victoria Yuzuki and Mayu Iwatani went down with injury, Aono found an even higher gear, becoming the bedrock the company needed. She has the aura and the accolades to net her a spot in the top 10. We’re talking a 2025 Dream Star Grand Prix win, a lengthy, must-see Marigold World Championship reign, the 2025 Marigold MVP Award, that beautiful match against Utami Hayashishita to win the Marigold world title. Her consistency, her charisma, that cold-blooded zone she goes to. It’s everything you want in an Ace.

• Written By: Ryan Dilbert (X: RyanDilbert)

7. SYURI – STARDOM

For another year, Syuri shows you can’t have a top joshi wrestlers list and not include her in a high spot. Syuri, throughout her career, has been one of the most reliable workers out there, and she has proven it once again. Coming back from an injury last year, she quickly bounced back, always being present at some show, whether it’s having her usual weekly matches in STARDOM as the God’s Eye unit leader, captivating international crowds in AEW and Pro-Wrestling: EVE, having bangers in Sareee-ISM, etc.

Right after coming back from her small break, she recaptured the IWGP Women’s Championship. Then, at Wrestle Kingdom 20, she defeated then then-unbeatable Saya Kamitani for the NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship, even though she lost in the very first defense against Alex Winsdor, at EVE’s Wrestle Queendom VIII, in an emotional rematch from last year.

Some people claim that a title’s worth is defined by its holder and the matches around it. Syuri has certainly done that for those two less popular belts that STARDOM recognizes. The two reigns of the two NJPW-shared championships have been nothing short of impressive, with Syuri defending her title in three continents (Asia, North America, and Europe) in matches that received widespread acclaim. No matter the stakes, Syuri always gives her all in such matches, like her life depends on them. Her expressions are also remarkable, making wins and losses look legitimate, based on how she reacts. Syuri crying after a loss can break one’s heart. Besides that, Syuri has additionally been one of the STARDOM’s flagbearers, representing the company in other promotions, such as JTO and Sendai, while also busy with theater acting, rounding up a very physical year. Certainly, one to never slow down and always deliver, expect to frequently see Syuri on your screen for another 365 days and also on the next top joshi wrestling list.

• Written By: Aris Emmanouloudis (X: ArgyEmm)

6. TAKUMI IROHA – MARVELOUS

The ace of Marvelous Takumi Iroha is one of those wrestlers that has major star written all over her. From the moment she left Stardom to continue her training under Chigusa Nagayo’s guidance, Iroha quickly made the transition to one of the best wrestlers on the planet. The former Regina di Wave, Beyond the Sea, and AAAW champion had a great year. Her outstanding team with Sareee as Spark Rush started out the grading period as AAAW tag team champions. When they ultimately lost the titles to Magenta, they continued to have fantastic matches against teams like Hazuki and Fuwa-chan, God’s Eye, and the returning duo of Mayu Iwatani and Victoria Yuzuki. Iroha also held the GHC women’s title during the first part of the grading period but dropped it to eternal rival Mayu Iwatani. She has also held the RCW women’s title for over 900 days now but only defended it once during the past year: a very good match against Amale, which marked the second time she defended the belt. The RCW belt is not the only gold Iroha has sported for a long while. She has held Marvelous’ AAAW Championship since August 2024. This past year, she defended the title against Marvelous super rookie Senka Akatsuki and her tag team partner Sareee. Takumi Iroha is reigning supreme atop the Marvelous mountain, and so far, it doesn’t seem that anyone has the ability to throw her off

• Written By: DaveTCS (X: Dave_TCS4Life)

5. MIU WATANABE – TOKYO JOSHI PRO WRESTLING

Miu Watanabe had the pretty difficult task of being the one to break the grip of the Miyu Yamashita/Yuka Sakazaki era of TJPW where the main pillars held strong at the top of the card and turned away any who weren’t good enough. As one of the first major breakthroughs of a newly homegrown talent, she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and some icons to live up to. To say she’s lived up to expectations would be quite the understatement, in a scene that has some all-time greats, runaway freight train of popularity like Saya Kamitani, and competition from the indies on up for fans attention spans, Miu Watanabe has stood apart as one of the best wrestlers in all of Japan. She has charisma and she has power, but what made her so enjoyable to watch was every title match and every main event felt distinctly hers, she had a methodology to how her matches were built and found something special in the simplicity. At a time when excess was gaining steam as the way to go, Watanabe focused her matches on the little things, the hammer chop, the Tear Drop. the Giant Swing, the damage to her body that gave her opponent an opening. Watanabe became the new center of the TJPW universe, the new champion waiting to separate contenders from pretenders and did so in her own way.

• Written By: Alex Richards (X: LWOSPWAlexR)

4. MAYU IWATANI – MARIGOLD

“The Icon” spent her first full year in Marigold over this period and decided to do what “The Icon” does. Shine. Mayu Iwatani has become the surefire bet of joshi wrestling over the last decade, which made this past year one of her most exciting over that period. She had a chance to wrestle new opponents, take on new challenges, and make new moments after wrestling the first 14 years of her career in STARDOM. Nothing stands out more in her last year than the opportunity for her to face her Thunder Rock, IYO SKY, at Grand Destiny 2025. It served not only as a match that felt impossible, but a beautiful final faceoff between two wrestlers ingrained in each other’s careers. But the best of Mayu’s year came in her matches with the up-and-coming talent of Marigold. She had one of her best matches against student Victoria Yuzuki on the final day of the DREAM STAR Grand Prix, then had a chance to face her other student in Komomo Minami for the Marigold Superfly Championship at the start of 2026, giving Minami the best match of her young career. She’s continued to have other fantastic matches defending gold against Hummingbird, CoCo, Seri Yamaoka, and Natsumi Showzuki. Oh, and she became the first woman in history to have held the IWGP Women’s Championship and GHC Women’s Championship when she defeated longtime foe Takumi Iroha at First Dream 2026. While it may not be the flashiest year of Iwatani’s career, it proved to be one of the freshest and most exciting. And as she celebrated her 15th anniversary, it was apparent to everyone that she’s far from building on her GOAT case and legendary career with so much more to accomplish in Marigold and beyond. “The Icon” remains one of wrestling’s best as she lands fourth on this year’s list.

• Written By: Scott Edwards (X: ScottEWrestling)

3. SAYA KAMITANI – STARDOM

In most years, the type of resume that Saya Kamitani put up would be more than good enough for first place on our list, but with the way that our team voted with their own top 25 lists, it ended up putting Saya Kamitani down at number three instead. Where do I even start when it comes to talking about the year that Saya Kamitani had? I could start with the awesome World of Stardom title reign that lasted for 299 days of our scoring period, and included six successful defenses during it. We can also add the fact that she had the NJPW Strong Women’s championship, and the Regina Di WAVE championship for a somewhat short time during the scoring period as well, though that doesn’t hold quite as much weight. What does hold some weight though, is the fact that she wrestled in a highlighted match on the Wrestle Kingdom 20 show against Syuri, which was a huge moment for the wrestlers of STARDOM because often their one match on the big show is kind of overshadowed by everything else on it. When you look at awards, she absolutely cleaned up on some of the biggest awards in both America and Japan. On the international side of things, The Wrestling Observer gave her both the Japan MVP and Women’s Wrestling MVP awards, while on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, in her home country of Japan, she received the Tokyo Sports MVP and the Women’s Wrestling MVP awards, making Saya Kamitani a history maker in the process. When you look at overall popularity in joshi, there was no bigger star period than Saya Kamitani as she made multiple appearances on popular television shows, and became the wrestler that normally got the biggest reaction in any building she found herself wrestling in. Saya Kamitani did exactly what we as fans would want her to do, not only did she wrestle in some really great matches, but she also grew the popularity of the wrestling we love in the process. There’s really not much more we can ask for. Now that she’s without the title, she’s been a little less active recently, but that doesn’t mean that she couldn’t put together another great resume this upcoming year to find herself right towards the top of our list once again, especially with the possibilities of big story driven matches against the likes of Utami Hayashishita and Momo Watanabe if STARDOM decides to pursue it. Plain and simple, Saya Kamitani had the kind of year that would normally get you into first place, but what our first-place winner did was undeniable.

• Written By: Justin Stein (X: BioHizzle)

2. SAREEE – FREELANCER

Last year’s No. 1 falls all the way to… No. 2. Sareee has reached the levels of greatness that the very best in their respective sport often do. To beat her, you simply have to go above and beyond. It’s what sets Sareee in a league of her own since returning to Japan, and when you watch the output, it’s hard to deny her placement in a list like this one. Settling for the No. 2 spot, “The Sun God” once again showcased how special of a talent she truly is by competing around the scene, headlined by her IWGP Women’s Championship reign that saw her defend the belt four different times, including her eventual loss back to Syuri. She appeared in STARDOM, TJPW, Marigold, Marvelous, Ring of Honor, Sendai Girls, and even NJPW during this period. And not just competing in those promotions, but also giving you memorable matches each and every step. Her singles matches with Syuri, Chihiro Hashimoto, and Takumi Iroha over this grading period especially stand out. She also proved to the world she’s not only one of the best in singles action, but also tag team action as her duo with Takumi Iroha, better known as SPARK RUSH, has become her main focus in 2026 — and they’re well on their way to being the tag team of the year. They’ve been that great, and even had part of their AAAW Tag Team Championship reign within this period to pad the stats. To think their best matches have come without gold further shines a light on their overall greatness. She’s also been among the best bookers in wrestling, continuously making Sareee-ISM events wrestling’s must-see shows, and doing so in major ways like her 15th Anniversary show. And when you look at any Match of the Year list in joshi wrestling, you’re guaranteed to see Sareee’s name more than just a few times. And it’s because of her overall work ethic, mentality, and belief in her vision of professional wrestling that sets her apart from everyone else in the scene year after year. Sareee has been the bar in joshi wrestling since her return to Japan, and she rightfully lands high on this year’s list due to impressive accolades, top-of-the-line match quality, and a continued vision unlike anyone else.

• Written By: Scott Edwards (X: ScottEWrestling)

1. CHIHIRO HASHIMOTO – SENDAI GIRLS

This year Chihiro Hashimoto is the best wrestler in the world, and if she keeps up what she’s been doing for another year, there’s a good chance she’ll be number one again on next year’s list. Chihiro Hashimoto was the ultimate wall that very few wrestlers were able to get through, which is shown by her incredible 77% win percentage, and the fact that she held the highest prize in her own home company of Sendai Girls for the entirety of the year. With big matches against the likes of Ryo Mizunami, Syuri, Sareee, Mika Iwata, Saya Iida, Hazuki, and Manami just to name a few, she’s put in a hell of an effort to not only be a strong “ace” for Sendai Girls by defeating these opponents, but also leveraging her own star power to help draw record numbers in attendance for Sendai Girls as the company continues to grow a rapid pace. When you add the fact that she’s also giving a lot of young wrestlers the best matches of their careers when they step into the ring with her, it’s no wonder why Chihiro Hashimoto finds herself up here in the number one spot of our yearly list. You also have to show love to ‘Big Hash’ for giving back to the joshi wrestling community as well as she has been holding open training sessions for other wrestlers to attend to get better at the chain wrestling side of things, something that basically no one can beat her at when they step inside of a ring with her to do so. There are veterans and young wrestlers both who have shown up to these sessions, and it’s something that will help the overall scene if it continues. In the end, there was no wrestler who deserves the honor of being number one on our list more than Chihiro Hashimoto and I hope that she can keep up what she’s been doing going forward, because it’s a privilege to get to witness it in real time as a fan.

• Written By: Justin Stein (X: BioHizzle)

Well there you have it! We’ve now revealed all 100 wrestlers on our list for the year, so feel free to let us know what you think about the list. We’re always happy to hear feedback from the fellow joshi pro wrestling fans from around the world. Obviously, this will be a yearly thing, so look out around the same time next year for the release of the RESURA 2027 Joshi Top 100 List. Also if you’re looking to compare this year’s list to any past year’s list, you can find all of that right HERE.

Plus, if you didn’t get enough of this list from reading all of our blurbs about the wrestlers and would rather see things in video, or hear them in audio form we have an exciting announcement for you! Not only did Justin and Ryan do a video with Scott E Wrestling to cover the entire list while giving some extra thoughts on it, but Justin also appeared on the Tokyo Joshi Pod with Andy Zike to talk about the list! If you’d like to check those out, the links are below. We appreciate them for being willing to have us on to talk about something we’re so passionate about!

Joshi Top 100 Review w/ Scott E Wrestling

Tokyo Joshi Pod w/ Andy Zike

Thank you to everyone who helped out with this project, please check out their X accounts and give them a follow if you haven’t already.

Justin Stein – Writer at resuramag.com

Ryan Dilbert – Owner & Writer at resuramag.com

Fernando Ibarra – Writer at resuramag.com

DaveTCS – Writer at resuramag.com

Scott Edwards – The voice of the 5-Star Joshi Show on YouTube & writer for various outlets including resuramag.com, and fightful.com

Eric – One voice of the Joshi’ing Around Podcast and contributor to the Social Suplex Newsletter.

Alex Richards – One voice of the Stardom Quest Podcast.

Aris Emmanouloudis – Writer at resuramag.com & member of the Professional Wrestling Studies Association. You can find his academic essays on pro wrestling from his X account.