This month’s list of match recommendations is a celebration of joshi’s smaller promotions. No STARDOM necessary.
Ryan and Fernando looked far and wide across the joshi scene and found some absolute bangers. They spotlighted action from Actwres girl’Z and SEAdLINNNG, as well as from the latest TAKAYAMANIA event and the ever-reliable Sareee-ISM brand.
And as usual, we have something from ChocoPro. Miya Yotsuba has had an excellent year and that’s reflected by how often we include her on these lists. The Super Asia champ has become a ROUNDUP regular, appearing on this thing for three months straight now.
Read on for a look at our curated collection of slugfest and tag team excellence. Enjoy!
Hiroyo Matsumoto & Miyu Yamashita vs. Chihiro Hashimoto & Ryo Mizunami, Freelance – TAKAYAMANIA EMPIRE V (Sept. 7)
Yamashita and Hashimoto in the same ring; what a beautiful sight. The times they collided here made me even more desperately want a singles match between them.
What we got instead was a damn good slugfest.
Four hard-hitting veterans worked really well with each other. It started a bit slow, but they all brought it as the match progressed. The lariat battle between Matsumoto and Hashimoto in particular was delightfully intense.
Now, we wait and pine for Big Hash vs. Yamashita one on one.
Recommended by: Ryan
Miya Yotsuba vs Makoto, ChocoPro #543 (Sept. 9)
You can’t win all the time. Isn’t that right, Miya?
Against all odds, Miya Yotsuba captured the Super Asia Championship from her bitter rival Rina Yamashita; after that, she has had seven successful defenses. However, in this non-title match, she faced Makoto, an opponent that Miya’s never beaten, aside from that time she and SOY took the Asia Dream Tag Team titles from Bellflowers, and even then, it was Sayaka who got pinned.
All the confidence and resilience her title reign gave her was put to the test during the 15-minute bout, but Makoto was too formidable and the match ended in a time-limit draw, and I think I speak for a lot of people when I say it was frustrating to see how someone who has fought as hard as Miya to get where she is, still struggles to beat someone.
Recommended by: Fernando
Ayame Sasamura & Chanyota vs. Selene Misora & VENY, SEAdLINNNG – Yokohama Flash (Sept. 12)
Damn did they pack some venom into this compact main event.
VENY starts off this tag bout by throwing a chair into Sasamura’s face. Then the bout devolves immediately into wild, unhinged territory. The slaps. The slams. The lariats. Everything is doled out with such an emphatic “fuck-you” vibe.
Absolutely my cup of tea.
VENY is ass-kicking mode is so fun to see. Selene Misora is increasingly becoming can’t-miss entertainment. Sasamura remains one of the cornerstones of the indie scene, and you get a taste of why here. Plus, Chanyota seems extra motivated surrounded by this women, putting in one of her better performances.
The year of SEAdLINNNG being the smaller promotion to watch continues.
Recommended by: Ryan
Miyu Yamashita, Sakura Hattori & Yuki Arai vs Arisu Endo, Suzume & Kira Summer, TJPW – Fall Tour 2026 ~ Ray Of Hope In Shin-Kiba ~ (Sept. 12)
It’s amazing how many things can be accomplished in one match.
If there’s one thing TJPW does well is building a big event’s main matches, and this was no exception.
Princess of Princess champion Yuki Arai and K!SS Kick Slash (Miyu Yamashita and Sakura Hattori) joined forces to face Daisy Monkey and Kira Summer, and even if Yuki and Suzume have a hundred matches, they would still made us want to see more; plus, you can feel the tension between Miyu and Arisu ahead of their Eve Championship match. Everyone shined and everyone proved their worth, but only one team stood tall at the end, and it was Miyu Yamashita who pinned Kira to get the victory.
Wrestle Princess, are we there yet?
Recommended by: Fernando
Mika Iwata vs. Spike Nishimura, Sendai Girls – SENJO 20th Anniversary In Sendai PIT (Sept. 18)
It was either this or the Miyuki Takase/Yurika Oka match.
Red Energy members Miyuki Takase and Mika Iwata had a singles match each at this show. In the semifinal match, The Osaka Phoenix faced the dynamic Yurika Oka in a very fun match where Takase got the victory. In the main event, Iwata went against Sendai Girls junior champion Spike Nishimura, and unlike the previous match, this was full of nasty hits and kicks from both women. Mika’s experience complemented Spike’s hunger for glory, and it was this hunger that led her to shockingly beat the Sendai Girls tag team champion in decisive fashion.
A great upset win for the rookie over the veteran.
Recommended by: Fernando
Sakura Mizushima vs Anri, AWG – ACTwrestling in Yokohama (Sept. 21)
It’s been a while.
After months of not catching up with Actwres girl’Z, this main event between Sakura Mizushima and Anri reminded me why I love this promotion.
In the first round of the Victoria tournament, both girls fight like there’s no tomorrow (well, actually there isn’t, since it’s a single elimination tournament). With Sakura’s recent loss of the King of Ring Entertainment Championship, she clearly has her sights on the promotion’s top title, but she had Anri’s fighting spirit in front of her, so it wasn’t an easy test for any of them. In the end, Sakura was able to top the rookie and advance in the tournament.
Anri has had AWG Championship matches before, so this isn’t the end of the road for her.
Recommended by: Fernando
Sareee & Takumi Iroha vs. Hazuki & VENY, Freelance – Sareee-ISM Chapter XII (Sept. 26)
Absolute carnage and chaos. It starts off wild and then just keeps charging forward. The way these four wrestlers went at each other you would think this was the culmination of some years-long bloodfeud.
Really, it’s a showcase of four stars in a combination we’ve never seen before. And it’s beautiful. Sareee-ISM truly seems to bring out the best in people.
Among the best matches of the year. Period.
Recommended by: Ryan
