Sendai Girls made every effort to have its Big Show live up to its name.
The promotion brought in marquee talent like Sareee and VENY. It had Saori Anou and Natsupoi join the fun. Even comedic maestro Sakura Hirota got an invite to the card.
But even with those names attached to the show and knowing Red Energy was in action, the top story of BIG SHOW in Sendai was the main event: Chihiro Hashimoto defending the Sendai Girls World Championship against Spike Nishimura.
Big Hash had fended off huge stars and heavy hitters to keep that title in her grasp. Could an upstart just a few years into her career be the one to finally oust her from the top? That was the top question heading into Sendai Sunplaza Hall this weekend.
Read on to see a breakdown of that title tilt and all the rest of the action Sendai Girls had to offer.
Match ratings are out of 10.
Sareee vs. Reina Takano
In my mind, one of the very best subgenres of wrestling is the vicious veteran versus the feisty rookie, and these two gave us a prime example of how great that can be.
Takano came charging in with dropkicks. She clubbed Sareee with strikes. She defiantly kicked out at one. She was fiery the whole time and The Sun God simply methodically took her apart. A familiar story, obviously, but one told expertly.
Reina is already so skilled at emoting and we saw plenty of that on display here.
Rating: 8.5
Kuroshio TOKYO Japan, Shin Sakura Hirota & Yura Suzuki vs. Saira, Senjo Daikannon & Unagi Sayaka
Largely ineffective comedy wrestling. It felt like a collection of bits for the most part—Hirota’s butt poking thing, Unagi’s rubber band, Kuroshi’s jacket stuff, all just strung together. It’s low brow shtick that didn’t land for me.
There are talented folks in the mix here. I usually dig Hirota’s work and Unagi can bring it. Their performances here, however, were underwhelming. It’s a good idea to break up all the serious wrestling with some shenanigans, but I was happy when this short match was over.
Rating: 3.5
Mio Momono vs. Chika
The Pro-Wrestling Evolution up-and-comer Chika took on the decorated vet Mio Momono in what turned out to be quite the fun ride.
This is a bout built on their size difference, a battle of power versus speed. It’s filled with bursts of aggression and Momono’s motor on high the whole time. And the two wrestlers pack quite a lot in under 10 minutes. The flash-pin ending is the cherry on top.
Chika’s had some solid appearances for Sendai Girls this year, but nothing quite as electric as this.
Rating: 7.5
Aja Kong & VENY & Lady Leigh vs. ZONES & Safire Reed & Anita Vaughan
Points for starting off with the matchup the most exciting combo available: ZONES against Aja Kong.
Then as the action unfolded, we got to see both bully Kong and playful, mocking Kong. Vaughn and VENY had an entertaining strike exchange. Quick tags and a fast-paced moved things along well.
Lady Leigh has left a big impression on me early and this was a continuation of that. She has big charisma and a great look to go with some nice athletic ability.
Solid midcard fare all around.
Rating: 6.75
Hiroyo Matsumoto & Ryo Mizunami vs. Manami & YUNA
Manami sure took her lumps in this one. First, Matsumoto about yanked her arm out of socket with some nasty wristlocks. Then, Mizunami blasted with chops until her whole sternum was fruit punch red.
The story of the match from that point on was Manami trying to enact her revenge. That led to some compelling action and a satisfying ending.
Overall, this was hard-hitting and entertaining while showcasing Manami’s heart.
Rating: 7
Saori Anou & Natsupoi vs. Mika Iwata & Miyuki Takase
Takase and Natsupoi started this thing off in electric fashion. For the most part, the teams managed to keep that momentum going.
Takase has been on a tear of late, looking like she’s having more fun than usual. That showed here with her bringing extra oomph and energy to her offense.
The Iwata-Anou parts of this, not surprisingly, featured some excellent kicks. The match as a whole had an engaging pace and everyone had strong chemistry with each other. This did feel, however, like a match that wrapped up just as it was about to go into its highest gear. Were this the main event and the wrestlers told to go a bit longer, it could have easily been something special.
Rating: 7.75
Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Spike Nishimura (Sendai Girls World Championship)
The latest challenger to Hashimoto’s throne put up one hell of a fight.
A championship match heavy on story began with mat wrestling that felt like a real struggle. The dominant Hashimoto was punishing, relentless, seemingly unstoppable. Then Nishimura fought back and gave the champ fits.
Past the halfway mark of the match, an element emerged that will drag the bout down for some and amplify the drama for others. Hashimoto looked injured at one point and the ref kept stopping the action to check on her. She couldn’t stay on her feet and it left me wondering if the champ had suffered a legit concussion.
In a way, that angle made Hashimoto’s final stretch more powerful, but it also interrupted the flow of the action. I’m in the middle on that one.
Regardless, the end result was a successful title defense for Hashimoto and another banger to add to her robust resume. Spike came out of this looking like a real threat. Hashimoto looked like even more of a beast.
Rating: 8.25
Final Thoughts
Sendai Girls remains such an impressively steady promotion. Openers and midcard tags are dependably good. The world title scene has delivered again and again.
Reina Takano was huge in her match with Sareee. She’s clearly going to be a big part of the future. We saw another glimpse of that.
For me, Vaughan stood out on the HyperActive team. A powerhouse to keep an eye on. I’m excited to see what else she does in during her time in Japan.
This is likely the last go-round Natsupoi will have with Sendai Girls as the STARDOM star is set to retire in January. Over the years, she’s had some standout appearances with the promotion including her clash with Hashimoto in 2023. Definitely hard to say, Bye, Poi.
The question coming out of this show is: Who will finally take down the Final Boss? Big Hash has been champ for over 570 days. She’s beaten everyone from Syuri to VENY, Mika Iwata to Sareee.
The ending I’m hoping to see to this story may be on the way. Manami challenged Hashimoto at the end of the show. If Senjo were to give Manami that moment, giving her not only her first world title reign but the massive victory of ending this historic run, it would be a game-changer.
Manami has the potential to be a marquee star. She’s as likeable as they come. Let’s see if Sendai Girls trusts in her.
