Tagged: chikara

Wrestlers We Loved 2012

wwlove

And now, our favorite wrestlers from last year. Again we’re joined by our friends Thomas Holzerman from The Wrestling Blog, Jamie from Dramatic DDT, T.J. Hawke from Free Pro Wrestling,  Ciara Reid of Angry Marks, Jae of iheartDG, Alyssa, Alex, Benjamin, and Senor Lariato. By Leslie, Greg, Chris C., Chris J., Sonny, Aoikougei, Sarah (and her brother), Steph, and Martin.

Matches We Loved: Part I, Part II

ACH

ACW, AAW, SLA, ROH, DGUSA, CHIKARA, Resistance Pro

ach

Thomas: This man busted out of Austin in a big way this year. Dragon Gate USA only had the bright idea to book him at the end of the year. Ring of Honor had the chance to blow the doors off the arena in Chicago, but instead he was a sacrificial lamb for Kyle O’Reilly. I certainly didn’t love the treatment he got from promoters who apparently “know” wrestling, but this isn’t a gripe-fest. It’s a love-fest. What ACH was able to do this year was nothing short of revolutionize what wrestling was all about.

Whether as the standard bearer in ACW, a man who helped make Cleveland a destination for wrestling in AIW, or the forever-frustrated rival of Mark Angelosetti in Chikara, he did things only thought possible by dreamers who wrote matches for e-feds. Four-fifty splash from the second rope? Easy. Texas Cloverleaf big swing? Pfft, don’t trifle me with your doubts, son. He went 30 minutes with AR Fox, warred with Johnny Gargano, clashed with Willie Mack, and even helped put eyes on Kansas City through an excellent series with Jeremy Wyatt.

If ACH isn’t on your radar, you don’t watch enough wrestling, and if you watch enough wrestling and aren’t impressed by ACH, then good lord, man, you’re made of stone.

Photo Courtesy Joel Loeschman

Adam Cole

ROH, PWG

cole

Ciara: I can’t think of anyone else in Ring of Honor that has stood out for me in 2012 besides Adam Cole. Earlier last year, Future Shock disbanded with Kyle O’Reilly joining Davey Richards and Adam Cole aligning with Eddie Edwards. At ROH’s 10th Anniversary Show in March, Adam Cole scored an upset as he pinned then ROH World Champion Davey Richards with a Crossbody during a tag team match. Cole would go onto to defeat Kyle O’Reilly in a Hybrid Rules Match and defeat Roderick Strong for the ROH Television Championship in June. Cole has successfully retained his championship against Eddie Edwards and Mike Mondo and defeated Matt Hardy in a non-title match.

Adam continued his success over in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla as he won the 2012 Battle of Los Angeles Tournament to earn a shot at Kevin Steen’s PWG World Championship. In November, Cole defeated Caleb Konley for the Premiere Wrestling Xperience Heavyweight Championship. Adam has since won the PWG World Championship from Kevin Steen and formed the Dojo Brothers with Eddie Edwards and Roderick Strong. I was already aware of Adam Cole’s work in Combat Zone Wrestling, but this past year he has really stepped it up and became one of my favorites.

Ayako Hamada

SHIMMER, WAVE

ah

Leslie: Ayako Hamada is Wrestler of the Year, Every Year. It’s redundant to talk about how great she is at this point, you just need to watch her. Watch her in Mexico. Watch her in Japan. Watch her in in the states (especially her SHIMMER match against Kana). Watch her, year after year, effortlessly put on amazing matches. Ayako Hamada is an international treasure and the best of her generation.

Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi

BJW, AJPW 

bj

Lariato: In the first half of 2012 especially, Daisuke Sekimoto & Yuji Okabayashi marked themselves as one of the best tag teams on the planet with a series of amazing matches in AJPW and home promotion BJW. Both guys are freakishly strong and I never tire of watching them in matches against other heavy hitting teams like Get Wild of Manabu Soya & Takao Omori.

Click here to watch 5 hours of Sekimoto & Okabayashi matches.

Dash Chisako and Sendai Sachiko

Sendai Girls, JWP, CHIKARA

sendai

Sonny: The Kanari sisters slowly emerged from the humongous shadow of Meiko Satomura in 2012, showcasing their great tag team skills versus a wide variety of opponents.

In May they debuted in CHIKARA, and defeated The Bravado Brothers. On June 25, they defeated Manami Toyota and Kyoko Inoue. In September they teamed with Meiko Satomura in CHIKARA’s King of Trios to defeat Green Ant, Red Ant and AssailAnt. In round 2 they defeated Jigsaw, Manami Toyota and Mike Quackenbush. In round 3 they lost to the team of The Young Bucks and Mike Bennett in what may have been the best match of the entire weekend.

Drake Younger

PWG, BJW, CZW

drake

Alex: Drake Younger’s 2012 has been a powerful journey to be able to watch, one that made him one of the best wrestlers of the year. A resolution to clean himself up led to him getting in the best shape of his life. That then led to a renaissance for Younger as a wrestler. In 2012 he delivered some of his strongest matches, including wars with Sami Callihan, B-Boy, Rickey Shane Page, Roderick Strong, and MASADA, peaking with an awe inspiring Iron Man with Sami Callihan.

Moving out to Los Angeles and finding another home with PWG turned out to be a great move for him, allowing him to show new audiences what the Combat Zone faithful already knew: Drake Younger is one of the most well rounded wrestlers in the world, able to deliver with a wide variety of opponents. An inspiration, in ring and out, making him a clear choice for this write up.

Ben: Forget the broken glass and death matches, Drake Younger can do it all, and regularly does. To me, he is the definition of a hybrid wrestler, and I love the diversity this brings.

Having changed his life this year (in more ways than one), and moved to California, a whole new horizon has opened up for him, including PWG, where he continues to have increasingly fantastic matches to sit alongside 2012 classics such as 60-minute Iron Man vs Callihan.

As I type this, he is completing his 4th tour of Japan, and has already signed a contract for his 5th tour. Every time he returns to the States following one of these tours, he seems to have grown again. It’s a pleasure to watch someone so humble, positive and joyful about their chosen craft, and long may it continue.

Leslie: I didn’t see any Drake Younger matches this year, but I saw this photo in a issue of Weekly Pro Wres. He’s earned a mention. Continue reading →

Wrestlecon: SHIMMER and CHIKARA

SHIMCON

Lots of stuff happened at Wrestlecon, most of which you can buy on iPPV at WWNLive.com and you can already download the CHIKARA show here at Smartmarkvideo. Greg was on-hand for plenty of it. Here are his pics from SHIMMER and CHIKARA, featuring the returns of Serena Deeb, Madison Eagles, and Amazing Kong, Ayumi Kurihara’s final US match, and Cheerleader Melissa taking back what’s hers. Oh, and a bit of Jyushin “Thunder” Lyger.






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CHIKARA: King of Trios 2012 Gallery

DDS ace photographer Gregory Davis was on hand for this year’s edition of CHIKARA‘s annual, massive, King of Trios weekend. 2012′s KOT was all about the Queens though, as seven Joshi came to CHIKARA and demolished preconceptions, gender barriers and, most enjoyably, Matt Classic. Tsubasa Kuragaki told me she’s looking forward to returning to America again soon. Until then you can enjoy Greg’s shots of three days of wrestling excellence. You can also order the shows via SmartMarkVideo.com.












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Spotlight: Meiko Satomura

Co-Authored by Leslie. Photos by Nami.

Meiko Satomura is one of the world’s most dedicated and respected Professional Wrestlers. Her career has spanned 17 years, across which she has held multiple titles and constantly set the standard of excellence for in-ring competition. As both a wrestler and a trainer she has been one of the most influential forces in Joshi for more than a decade.

Born November 17, 1979, in Nishi-Ku, Niigata, Japan, Satomura was gifted at combat sports from a young age. She grew up studying Judo and was prefectural champion for three straight years in junior high school. One day her sister took her to a New Japan Pro Wrestling show, and it was there that Meiko fell in love with pro wrestling.

She dropped out of school early to apply for an audition with a new Joshi Puroresu company, GAEA Japan. She was trained by Chigusa Nagayo, and at the age of 15, made her debut on April 15, 1995 at GAEA’s inaugural show. She defeated Sonoko Kato 1 via submission with a juji gatame. Satomura showed fire rarely seen in young wrestlers, and unleashed vicious strikes and blood-curdling screams on her fellow rookie. Satomura was immediately labeled as a future ace. She was given the color red for her singlet, to symbolize her being heir apparent to Crush Gal and GAEA head, Chigusa Nagayo (Kato was given blue, the color of Lioness Asuka).

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  1. See Meiko’s debut match vs Sonoko Kato here. ↩

JoshiMania: Night Three – Joshi Forever

Each night of CHIKARA‘s JoshiMania raised the bar. As good as Philly was, Boston was that much better and as good as that was, New York easily ranks among the best wrestling shows in the US in the past several years. The wrestling, the crowd, the atmosphere all contributed to an unforgettable night in Manhattan.

The build for JoshiMania began with a promo by Aja Kong claiming that CHIKARA made a grave error in presenting Manami Toyota as the representative of Japanese women’s wrestling. Last Sunday the good friends and bitter rivals were given a chance to settle the issue in Manhattan. Likewise Sara Del Rey and Ayako Hamada were scheduled to face each other in a rematch of what many consider the greatest SHIMMER match of all time. Take that, then consider this was the last chance for all the visiting women to astonish US crowds and it’s no wonder JoshiMania ended with a standing ovation.

CHIKARA JoshiMania Night Three

December 4th, 2011
Highline Ballroom – New York City, NY

  1. Los Ice Creams defeated Dasher Hatfield & Saturyne
  2. GAMI defeated Portia Perez with a Fisherman Buster
  3. Brodie Lee defeated Ultramantis Black with a Lyger Bomb
  4. Toshie Uematsu & The Batiri [Obaryon, Kodama, Kobold] defeated Cherry & The Colony [Fire Ant, Soldier Ant, Green Ant] with a Top Rope Splash from Uematsu to Cherry
  5. Mayumi Ozaki defeated Kaori Yoneyama with an Running Enzuigiri in 10:22
  6. Aja Kong, Tsubasa Kuragaki, & Mio Shirai defeated Manami Toyota, Sawako Shimono & Hanako Nakamori with the Metal Wing by Tsubasa on Nakamori
  7. Sara Del Rey defeated Ayako Hamada with a Piledriver



The card was filled with legends and established stars, but began with the debut of someone brand new to Pro Wrestling. Saturyne. She took the took the place of the absent Sugar Dunkerton and teamed with Dasher Hatfield against Los Ice Creams in her CHIKARA debut. The rookie flipped circles around the soft serve goons with a level of athleticism rarely seen. Given more experience the US could have a masked high-flyer of the same caliber as Japan’s Ray. She was very, very impressive in the losing effort.

GAMI found a way to go 3-0 this weekend. Even without her noisemaker she bested Portia Perez with a Fisherman’s Buster. Portia was likely still reeling from the previous night’s match with Toyota (Portia told us it was the hardest she’s ever been hit in her life). Advantage GAMI!

Brodie Lee delivered what was, I’m sure, the hardest Powerbomb in the history of the CHIKARA ring (it sunk at least a foot on impact), when he soundly defeated Ultramantis Black. After the match Brodie signaled that he wanted a shot at the CHIKARA Grand Championship. Current Champ Eddie Kingston will need to continue to channel the spirit of Aja Kong if he wants to hold on to that belt. Lee looked unstoppable.



Toshie Uematsu, in her final US appearance, wore the face paint of The Dark Army. In her full her Demonic Empress form, she lead her minions to victory over The Colony and Cherry (who definitely should have been given a Pink Ant mask).

Mayumi Ozaki, founder of Oz Academy, took on former JWP Open-Weight Champion Kaori Yoneyama in a rather significant cross-promotion singles match. It meant all the more knowing that, like Uematsu, this would be Yoneyama’s final match in the United States before her retirement. Kaori looked as fantastic as she had at every JoshiMania night. America was fortunate to have her even for this short time. Ozaki won without using her signature chain. Ozaki really showed she still had more good years left in her illustrious career and didn’t have to relly on the usual entourage and weapons she has in Japan.

Then, Tsubasa Kuragaki destroyed New York.




The six woman tag match seemed like it would be about Toyota and Kong going at it one more time. Instead, it was about all six

putting on a 30 minute epic. Far too mucfaceh went on to capture accurately in detail. Everyone in the match gave their all. The young Hanoko Nakamori and younger Sawako Shimono had their best JoshiMania performances. There were no other options as Kong and Toyota battled like it was 1995, stage diving, piledriving, and avalanching each other as if they were back in the Tokyo Dome. Mio Shirai was as “Dangerous, Cheeky, and Foxy,” as her T-Shirt advertised. Again, a total star.

At the end, though, it was Tsubasa Kuragaki who stood alone on top the pile of broken bodies and smoldering ashes that used to be the Highline Ballroom. The crowd gave her a standing ovation and begged her to return to CHIKARA once again. If Tsubasa wasn’t an elite level Joshi when she came to America, she is now1. The woman is totally amazing, and it’s probably safe to expect her back in the US at some point.


The 6 Woman Tag was not the main event though. Any normal wrestlers would have had an impossible task in following it. No worries for Ayako Hamada and Sara Del Rey, with their combined 23 years of experience, most of which they’ve spent as the go to main-eventer in their respective countries. The two had another glorious and vicious fight that kept the crowd high on adrenaline. Each used nearly everything in their arsenal: Hama-chan cutters, Del Reyzors, Axe Kicks, AP Crosses, Royal Butterflies and more had to be deployed before this could end. Sara narrowly gained her second win over Hamada with a cringing Piledriver, propelling herself to 3-0 on JoshiMania weekend. The Queen Reigned Supreme.

After the match, fans rose and thanked Hamada for her efforts. She invited all the other women at ringside and in the back to join her as fans chanted, “Joshi! Joshi!,” and “Arigatou!” to the women who made this amazing event possible. That included former Jumping Bomb Angel Itsuki Yamazaki, whom Mike Quackenbush has credited for being the brains behind the JoshiMania. A tremendous moment to end a tremendous weekend for Professional Wrestling.


JoshiMania exceeded all expectations. It delivered shows that impressed neophytes and veteran followers of Japanese women’s wrestling alike. The New York audience especially had several audience members who weren’t regular wrestling fans at all, but came because they knew of the cultural importance of an event featuring the likes of Manami Toyota and Aja Kong.

That’s something special. Joshi Puroresu is something special. We talk about it a lot here on DDS because the athletes deserve it, for giving us decades of  fantastic, innovative, entertaining, and relevant wrestling to enjoy. Joshi is filled with some of the nicest, kindest, and most interesting people in the sport and we are happy to do our small part to support them.. We love Joshi Puroresu and couldn’t be happier that more and more people are starting to feel the same way. We give our thanks to the entire crew at CHIKARA, as well as Itsuki Yamazaki and our friends Shiori and Yama from M-Drop.com for helping to make this special event happen.

Now, all we need is JoshiMania II. Until next time order your JoshiMania DVDs. Peace!
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  1.  We’ll be in Korakuen Hall on December 23rd when she challenges Hailey Hatred for the JWP Open-Class Title. Hailey’s had a fantastic 2011, but it looks like 2012 will be Tsubasa’s year. ↩

JoshiMania: Night One – Death Queen Battle

CHIKARA’s three-day dream slam of Japanese Women’s Wrestling, JoshiMania, had its first show last Friday at the historic ECW Arena. The event delivered an authentic Joshi Puroresu experience to American fans, with the added bonus of bringing stars from several different Joshi promotions. CHIKARA advertised this event as being a “Once in a Lifetime” opportunity for fans to see this sort of action without having to fly to Japan first. CHIKARA didn’t lie. Here’s how the weekend started:

JoshiMania Night One

December 2nd, 2011
ECW Arena – Philadelphia, PA

  1. Kaori Yoneyama, Hanako Nakamori, and Tsubasa Kuragaki defeated Archibald Peck and Los Ice Creams via submission as Kuragaki putting both Peck and El Hijo del Ice Cream in a Torture
  2. GAMI defeated Sawako Shimono with Top Rope Elbow
  3. Tim Donst defeated Green Ant with From Dusk ’til Donst
  4. Ayako Hamada and Cherry defeated Mayumi Ozaki and Mio Shirai via AP Cross from Hamada on Mio
  5. Manami Toyota defeated Toshie Uematsu via Japanese Cyclone Suplex
  6. Campeonatos de Parejas Title Match: FIST (Johnny Gargano and Chuck Taylor) (c) defeated The Colony (Fire Ant and Soldier Ant) 2 falls to 1
  7. Sara Del Rey defeated Aja Kong


The first thing, and perhaps only thing, you need to know about JoshiMania Night One is this: Tsubasa Kuragaki put Archibald Peck and one of the Ice Creams in a torture rack at the same time. The same time. Having the laws of physics challenged by one of the lesser known Joshi stars in the opening match set the bar fairly high for the rest of the evening. Japanese female wrestlers are known for their pride and competitive nature. The JWP women made it known from the outset they hoped to dominate this weekend (too bad the brilliant team of Peck and the Ice Creams were in the middle of that).

Of course, as everyone who has read our articles on her over at Diva Dirt knows 1, Manami Toyota is not satisfied unless she has put on the very best match on the show. That probably went double this Friday as Toyota was presented with the Diva Dirt Legacy award before her match with Toshie Uematsu. Toyota showed not only that she deserved the award for her past achievements, but also for her continuing performance and growth as a wrestler. Toyota has said that she felt invigorated by her trips to CHIKARA over the past year, and the new maneuvers she flaunted during JoshiMania were an example. Toshie, on her final tour of the US before her retirement early next year, was amazing as well. She showed once again that her larger than life character never overshadows her pure wrestling ability. It was an excellent match, perhaps the best either had had in the US.



Hoping not to be outdone by their guests, CHIKARA’s FIST and The Colony put on an exciting title bout. The ants showed off some JB Angels-esque fire while FIST resorted to L.C.O.-esque dickery. Dick won out, FIST retained, and Stargano remains a top champion in two of the United States’ finest wrestling promotions.

And then there was the much anticipated battle between Aja Kong and Sara Del Rey. As the most terrifying forces on their respective continents, the two death queens had been on a collision course for years. Somehow, Philadelphia managed to survive the inevitable crash.

Kong showed a lack of respect for Sara early on, refusing to shake hands. Sara returned the favor by barreling head first at her idol when the bell rang. The match was dark and unyielding. Sara kicked Kong as hard as she’s kicked anyone. Kong delighted in leaving handprints on the Death Rey’s chest, her thudding chops shaking the Queen to the core. After several minutes, but before either pulled out their MDK-level moves, Sara was able to dodge a Uraken and score a surprise pin on Kong to take the huge victory. A hard-fought battle for both, but each faced even tougher ones as JoshiMania went on.



It was the tag team contest between the team of Ayako Hamada and Cherry against the team of Mio Shirai and Mayumi Ozaki that proved to be the best of the night. While all women were familiar with one another,they don’t share any extensive history2. Still The beautiful and devious team of Mio and Ozaki worked very, very well together. The veteran Ozaki brought out her top shelf stuff this weekend, not that Ayako Hamada gave her a choice in the matter. Ayako was excited, and a bit nervous, about her CHIKARA debut. Of course, she performed to her usual standard of excellence.

The match also contained a revelation: Mio Shirai is a fucking star. Her mix of personality, style, humor, and sadistic violence won over the crowd. She helped make this semi-random tag flow gracefully. Mio showed she could keep up with two all-time greats in Oz and Hamada, and here’s hoping her success in the US pays dividends for her when she returns to Japan.



And that was Night One. A fantastic night of wrestling, no doubt, but JoshiMania was just getting started. You can already purchase the DVDs for all three nights at Smart Mark Video. While you wait on those to ship, enjoy the rest of the photos below the cut.

But just one more thing! Dig, if you will, this picture of The Beautiful One, Veronica, as she lays into a fan that she felt was a bit too bold. Maybe she’s just too demanding? She’s never satisfied with those in attendance. I took the photo as I wondered, “Why do they scream at each other?”

Peace!
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  1. Take a look at Manami Toyota’s Historic Career here as well as her Greatest Matches here on Diva Dirt. ↩
  2. See a previous team-up of Ayako and Cherry as they take on Ayumi Kurihara and Michiko Ohmukai here. ↩

Sawako Shimono: The Dirty Dirty Sheets Interview

One of the less well-known companies featured on CHIKARA’s Joshimania this weekend will be Osaka Joshi Puroresu, or DAIJO. It’s top star and US representative will be Sawako Shimono. While most woman toil for years before any similar recognition, Sawako Shimono began her career by immediately debuting in a main event. That was less than two years ago and since then she’s had a number of highlights in her career, the most recent being winning the JWP Jr. and POP (Princess of Pro Wrestling) titles from Kagetsu. Joshimana presents Shimono an amazing opportunity to show her skills abroad this weekend, amongst all time greats like Manami Toyota and Aja Kong. We caught up with Osaka Joshi’s young ace for a brief interview as she prepares for her trip to America.

Photos by Mascara Amigos Flying Suihanki (@flying_suihanki) and Aoikougei.

Please tell us when you made your debut and against whom.

My first opponent was Kagetsu from Sendai Girls Pro Wrestling on March 21, 2010.

Prior to that, you were experienced in other sports, correct? Who trained you to become a pro wrestler?

I practiced judo for 12 years. I have a first degree black belt in it. I trained Puroresu at Osaka Pro Wrestling’s school.

Until my debut, Rie Nakamura [Bad Nurse Nakamura, formerly of FMW] trained me. Recently, I have studied under GAMI who is president of the Pro Wrestling WAVE, and also a forewoman of Osaka Joshi.

What made you decide to become a professional wrestler? Why have you chosen Osaka Joshi as your home as opposed to Pro Wrestling WAVE?

I was invited to join when I went to the Puroresu school. It was just in time, as I was wondering whether to quit the job and return to my hometown or start new work. I thought this life might be good, I decided.

I am referred to as a starting member of the Osaka Joshi. There was an absence of junior and senior wrestlers. I’m interested in the fact that we built it up from nothing.

What are your finishing moves.

Ebisu Otoshi, Raiden Drop, Nandeyanen!

Who are some of the wrestlers that you emulate and have inspired you? Your greatest rivals?

There is no wrestler I emulate.

The wrestler that inspired me is Tadasuke of Osaka Pro Wrestling. He is the wrestler who caused me to begin to look at professional wrestling. I think, my rivals are wrestlers from my same generation and Kagetsu.

One year and eight months after your debut, who is the most impressive wrestler you’ve faced? And what is your greatest match?

All of my the matches in my 10 Match Challenge series, that began in January 2011. Especially against Kaori Yoneyama that was my 1st anniversary match. And also, the final round of that series against Kagetsu. Also, my match against Aja Kong October 30, 2011.

You hold the JWP Jr. & POP title. How did it feel to become the champion? Moreover, are there any titles you aim to win next?

I was very glad and I can not express with words. At this time I am not challenging for other titles, as I feel a strong sense of responsibility as the JWP Jr. and POP champion.

You will be wrestling for CHIKARA in the U.S. soon. What do you think of this show? What do you hope to show American fans?

I’m very, very excited about the shows in the US! I have the least experience among the Japanese wrestlers, but I will do my best not hide among senior wrestlers.

What are your goals in your wrestling career?

My present goal is to continue to holding the JWP Jr. and POP titles and break the defense record.

Do you have any hobbies? And What is your favorite food?

My hobbies are cycling and visiting various cafeterias. My favorite food is white rice, strawberry jam and margarine bread.

Is there anything else you would like to say to your current and future fans?

Thank you for always giving me a lot of support. I will continue every day to face every challenge and then grow bigger as, “The face of Osaka Joshi Sawako Shimono.”

Thank you for replying to our interview today. We look forward to your future and wild rampage in the U.S.

Thank you very much!

Learn more about Sawako Shimono by following her on Twitter (@sawako_shimono) and her blog. Also check her complete match history, as organized by Flying Suihanki. Here is her JWP Jr. Title & POP Title defense against Nao Komatsu of OZ academy this past August at Korakuen Hall.

DDS: こんにちは。まずはあなたのキャリアをお聞かせください。 あなたがプロレスデビューした日はいつで、対戦相手は？

SS: こんにちは。デビュー戦は2010年3月21日、対戦相手はセンダイガールズプロレスリングの花月選手です。

DDS: デビューまでにやっていたスポーツは？　どこでプロレスのトレーニングをつみましたかか？　デビューまでの、そして今のあなたのコーチは？

SS: スポーツ歴は柔道を十二年間やっていました。初段です。大阪プロレスのプロレス教室で練習しました。
デビューまでは元FMWの中村理恵さん（バッドナース中村）に教わり、現在はプロレスリングWAVE、そしてOSAKA女子の現場監督でもあるGAMIさんに教わっています。

DDS: プロレスラーになろうと思ったきっかけは？ なぜ、WAVEではなく、OSAKA女子？

SS: プロレス教室に通っていたところを、声を掛けられて。声を掛けられた時期に丁度、今の職場を辞めて実家に帰るか・・・他の仕事を始めるか・・・迷っていた時期でもありました。そんな時に声を掛けられて、こんな人生もありかな？と決意しました。

OSAKA女子の旗揚げメンバーとして、声を掛けられて・・・、旗揚げ＝上も下も居ない、自分たちで一から団体を作り上げていくという所に興味を持ちました。

それに・・・単純ですけど、大阪が大好きだからですかね。大好きな街を、大好きなプロレスで少しでも盛り上げ行きたいと思いました。

DDS: 得意技は何ですか。

SS: 雷電ドロップ、えびす落とし、なんでやねん！です。

DDS: 目標とするレスラー、影響を受けたレスラーは誰ですか？　また、ライバルは？

SS: 目標とするレスラーは居ません。影響を受けたレスラーはタダスケ選手（大阪プロレス）です。プロレスを見始めるきっかけになった選手です。

ライバルは、同期の選手、花月選手（センダイガールズプロレスリング）です。

DDS: デビュー以来1年8ヶ月、今まで試合をした選手で印象に残っている選手、一番印象に残っている試合は？

SS: 2011年1月から始まった、十番勝負の全て（特に一周年の米山香織戦、最終戦の花月戦）と、2011年10月30日の対アジャ・コング戦です。

DDS: あなたはJWP認定ジュニア&POP王座を保持しています、奪取したときの感想は？　また、次に狙いたいタイトルはありますか？

SS: 言葉に表せられない嬉しい気持ちと同時に、挑戦者ではなくなり、王者としての強い責任感を感じました。

DDS: CHIKARA JOSHIMANIAにむけての意気込み、「下野佐和子のここを見てほしい」というところをおねがいします。

SS: とにかくアメリカでの試合が楽しみで楽しみで仕方ありません！　日本から行くメンバーの中ではキャリアも一番下ですが・・・大先輩たちの中に埋もれてしまうことの無いよう、精一杯頑張りたいと思います。

DDS: プロレスでの目標は？

SS:　今の目標はJWP認定Jｒ.とPOP選手権のタイトル保持、防衛記録の更新です。

DDS: 趣味と、好きな食べ物を教えて下さい。

SS: 趣味はサイクリング、カフェ巡りです。好きな食べ物は白いご飯、イチゴジャムマーガリンのパンです。

DDS: あなたのファン、そしてこれからファンになる人々に向けて特別なメッセージをお願いいたします。

SS: ファンの皆さん、いつも沢山の応援ありがとうございます。これからも日々何事にも「挑戦」し、OSAKA女子プロレスの下野佐和子として大きく成長していけるよう、頑張りますので応援宜しくお願い致します！

DDS: 今日はわれわれのインタビューにお答えいただき、ありがとうございます。今後のご活躍、アメリカでの大暴れに期待します。

SS: ありがとうございます！

Bonus video! Shimono’s appearance on Yomiuri TV in February 2011.

Chikarasaurus Rex

This past weekend CHIKARA put on its “Summer Blockbuster” double-header with two big shows filled with international talent and pivotal matches. Last year’s Chikarasaurus Rex was our first live CHIKARA event. It was highlighted by two Dragon Gate vs CHIKARA six man tags and the appearance of Tommy Dreamer, Amazing Kong, and Cheerleader Melissa. This year’s expanded production featured the 12 Large Summit, along with an Ice Ribbon, CMLL and British invasion. A lot has changed in the year for CHIKARA, as the company continues to expand and improve. Here’s how the bigger, badder, better sequel went down:

Night One: Reading, PA


1. 12 Large Summit – Fire Ant defeated Jigsaw by arm lock submission – Much is at stake in every match of the 12 Large Summit, a point-driven round robin tournament to crown CHIKARA’s first singles champion. If that wasn’t apparent during the highly technical opening moments of this bout, it certainly became clear when Fire Ant made his second suicide dive onto Jigsaw, propelling both into the last row of seats.

The match was filled with greatness from the two tournament dark horses. The performance from Jigsaw was particular gutsy as he was just making his return to the ring after a bicep injury. Clearly not 100%,  Jigsaw had to wrestle the latter half of the match with virtually one arm. A sick penalty kick and brainbuster combo almost gave him precious victory, but a few arm locks later and Jigsaw had no choice but to submit. Fantastic opener.

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CHIKARA: King of Trios 2011 Night Three

CHIKARA King of Trios is done. You can read the full play-by-play of Night Three here. You can even buy the shows sometime later today at SmartMarkVideo.com. You should probably do that, because you won’t easily find a better event in pro wrestling.

The Colony are your KOT 2010 Champions. Green Ant managed to secure the win over FIST with just one arm and one antenna. Despite being classless, cheating scumbags, I found myself strongly pulling for FIST. With the continued disintegration of BDK, CHIKARA’s heroes need new villains and FIST are the most dangerous group in the company; at least since they sent the chair using, Bon Jovi singing Great Sasuke of Team Michinoku Pro packing with a powder attack at the end of another amazing trios match.



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CHIKARA: King of Trios 2011 Night Two

Night two of CHIKARA King of Trios managed to top Night One in pretty much every way, which is saying a lot (you can read full results here). The night started with a fantastic match between Mr. Archibald Peck and Colt Cabana. Peck, who may or not be making waves in ROH as Barrister R.D. Evans and known as the King of ACW as Robert Evans, is the complete star pro wrestling star. Much like Cabana, he holds any audience in the palm of his hand, and the over-the-top band major gimmick only enhances it.

Match of the night probably belongs to Team FIST vs Osaka Pro. It was an incredible 20 minutes that managed to bring the entire crowd to their feet, and it was just the second match! Great work from all involved. FIST showed they could hang with some of the most innovative and athletic in Japan, while at the same time completely pissing the crowd off with their antics. It’s a fine line to walk, but few do it better.

The two four ways for the high-flyer mini-tournament were both great. Zack Sabre Jr. was very British, Pinkie Sanchez was very jerkish, and the 1-2-3 Kid was very 1990s-ish, in the good way.


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