An All-Female Japanese Wrestling Circuit is Ready to Take on North Texas

North Texas is a firmly planted staple in professional wrestling history, so it comes as little surprise when wrestlers come here to find a rowdy and willing audience. This Sunday, princess power moves, 8-bit-inspired anthems and high-flying aerial maneuvers will show us the best that “the walking rainbow” of the Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling promotion (TJPW) has to offer.

The superstars of Japanese women’s wrestling are bringing a cultural explosion of costumes, theater, sheer athleticism and a make-or-break attitude, determined to win over crowds in their Dallas debut for their highest-attended event stateside.

“We want to make this the biggest-ever Japanese all-female pro wrestling show ever in the United States,” says TJPW spokesperson Nicholas Ton.

The word “Joshi” literally translates to "young woman" in Japanese and is also used in the international wrestling community as shorthand for Japanese female pro-wrestling, a type of sports entertainment similar to American-style pro wrestling.

"[TJPW] has been expanding its fanbase at home and around the world by mixing pro-wrestling with idol culture and storytelling into a new form of entertainment," says Akira Takahashi, the senior executive officer of TJPW.

Think Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling and the teen idol movement of the 1980s, meets 21st-century J-Pop aesthetics rooted in Japanese work ethic and tradition.

Sunday’s card takes place at The OC in Forney presented by NextShark and Queri, and will feature seven matches with 20 different wrestlers touting their own styles, storylines and signature moves.

Shoko Nakajima, two-time winner of TJPW’s Princess Championship, is influenced by her love of old-school video games and has an 8-bit Nintendo-style theme song to prove it. Nakajima is slated to take on Miu Watanabe, who is not only a wrestler but also a singer in the idol trio UpUp Girls, who will be performing their song “Upper Kick!” live from inside the ring.

“Wrestling in the United States was a major opportunity for me,” says Watanabe. “And competing [here] made me realize how much I carry Japanese culture with me… if international fans come to see how unique and exciting our culture is, I would be genuinely happy.”

The vibrant culture of Japanese wrestling certainly translates visually. Look no further than Arisu Endo, decked out in rainbow raveware with hair to match, firing off an aerial clothesline. Or Shino Suzuki’s neon green-clad flying dropkick. Maki Itoh, who TJPW says was fired from an idol band for being too headstrong, now quite literally uses her head in forceful strikes as her signature move.

Part of Joshi wrestling’s recent success in the U.S. stems from cross-promotional matches, also known as invader matches. These occur when a wrestler from one organization “invades” another, sparking all sorts of drama while also exposing both sides to new fans.

In recent years, American and Japanese wrestling promotions have sponsored wrestlers in iconic matchups. TJPW will continue the tradition by featuring five wrestlers outside of the organization, three of whom are independent wrestlers from Texas: Vert Vixen, Maya World, and Dallas’ own Alejandra Quintanilla. The other two "invaders" will include a dynamic homecoming performance from former TJPW star Yuka Sakazaki, who is now performing with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Sakazaki will be part of a tag team with American professional wrestler Billie Starkz (AEW).

“It’s truly encouraging to see Japanese women’s pro-wrestling being appreciated abroad,” says Miyu Yamashita, who is set to rival the AEW invaders. “When I see Japanese wrestlers performing in AEW and other promotions, I can sense both the expectations and responsibility that come with it.”

You, too, can see it for yourself this Sunday, July 13. And here's an insider tip from your friends at the Dallas Observer: use the code “DO-TJPW10” for a discount.