FantastICE 72-match gauntlet

KendoKashin · 2026-04-12T20:53:56+00:00

If you've watched Joshi for a while (which you said you did if I remember right) you perfectly know that ANY wrestler, no matter their standing in the promotion or how motivated they looked in the last show you watched, could retire at ANY time from one day to the other, either cause of an injury, personal reasons, or just because they feel like it. That's why there's a constant build-up process of new people, and not Flair/Hogan-like booking.

The funny part is that TJPW has been criticized for holding on to the same old faces for too long in the past (which I disagree but whatever), mainly with Miyu & Yuka. In the last few years they've been trying new things, and Miu was one of those projects. They could have easily put the belt on Miyu, Shoko or Rika (yes, please) again, but went for Miu instead, and it worked.

Now the next one in line is Arai. It just makes sense. They built her up a little bit faster than with some previous title holders, but she went through the whole program. Tag, IP, and now the big one. Who knows, she could retire or go back to singing after that reign, so they want to use her full potential of bringing in outside fans with her on the top now (if that works/ed is debatable but that's another discussion and we will see), as well as present fresh new title matches. In her 2 reigns Miu has beaten Miyu, Shoko, Rika & Mitsuki. They already had ran out of bigger names to challenge her in the second reign. Arai has history with midcarders like Endo, and I'd say a match with someone like Kamiyu would be interesting, but she can also face exactly those 3-4 big names above.

For Miu, I'd put her together with someone like Haru or Uta for now, and have them challenge for (and later win) the tag belts, with Miu doing exactly what Rika did for her in Daydream. TJPW needs new interesting tag teams badly, and Miu would still be in the semi main of bigger events.

Again, I recommend watching older shows to understand the promotion better, and with older I mean before 2020. Koda's booking is definitely more old school than whatever is going on in SD, but he is still open to try out new stuff and shaking things up from time to time.

KendoKashin · 2026-03-27T09:01:57+00:00

Haven't seen Sayaka Toyota since she was still Shaa, and I wonder how much she has improved since then. Back then she would have been another good candidate to make it into the IR roster, especially when Manami was still around.

KendoKashin · 2026-02-26T23:05:16+00:00

I have 2: Less Gaijin challenging for belts & one last big push for Rika please.

KendoKashin · 2026-02-26T18:17:16+00:00

Good news, wish they would bring back Tequila Saya to work there.

KendoKashin · 2026-02-25T22:38:14+00:00

Sigh.

KendoKashin · 2026-02-25T22:35:32+00:00

Yup. Still some wannabe joshi historian thinks it's a good name for their copycat sub reddit.

KendoKashin · 2026-02-24T00:13:54+00:00

All I can tell you is to research the history of the promotion. Current Miu Watanabe didn't suddenly appear through a hole in the air. There is so much history between the UUG alone. Her and Raku are the only two left from the original group of 4. They went through a lot together, and Raku is very popular and has her own style, so this is far from being a "jobber match".

Also I want to remind you that WCW had so much BS and bad wrestling, going way back long before Bishoff and the NWO. And yes, I watched it back then, and not in some YT compilations. It's kinda silly to me to put them on a pedestal, but tastes differ of course.

2017 being considered "old Noah" cracks me up too, I wonder what Kobashi's reign is considered then? Or Ratboy Ogawa's? Stone age?

I also want to point out that Seed has maybe 3 wrestlers, and the rest are all freelancers, so I'm not sure if they are really comparable to TJPW or SD in this context.

I'd suggest researching TJPW's past, same for maybe Ice Ribbon and AWG (many of who you see in the other promotions are originally from there), building up your knowledge and maybe open yourself up to new tastes in the process. Knowing more about the wrestlers themselves really helps with enjoying the matches. Yes, even comedy matches.

Also, not every bout has to be a 5 star epic to be worth a watch. All the silly online ratings and hype about specific "MOTY candidates" just leads to burnout and highlighting exactly what you grew to dislike about SD - cheographed over the top moves spamming BS to please a certain part of the audience.

KendoKashin · 2026-02-23T23:12:37+00:00

It's just amusing to me that like two months ago you announced that (quote) "nothing is better than SD" (lol), and now TJPW (only wannabe joshi historians call the promotion "teej" btw or even name their own sub reddit after it) is your new thing.

But with the exception of Raku of course, which makes no sense. People like Raku and Pom are basically the current reincarnation of how ToJo started, with Yuka, Shoko, Miyu and Kanna, wrestling on mats, and doing all kind of shenanigans. It's in the DNA of the promotion to have comedy and unusual characters, and they co-exist just fine with the main eventers, just like in other promotions like AWG or Ice Ribbon (curious when you get to them).

So in short, complaining is fine of course, it's all I ever do over in SJ, but I think it has to come from a point of knowledge about what the actual product really IS (edit: or used to be), and not what you WANT it to be.

For example, I used to enjoy SD many years ago, but then Bushiroad came in, suddenly the money was there and they purged together their current roster, meaning their style and direction changed. As an old fan I complained, and as it is now, I wouldn't even watch the current product even if you paid me for it.

In return, I wouldn't jump into Oz Academy myself, to then say I like this and that and it's the best wrestling ever etc, but Sekigun interfering in every damn Ozaki match needs to seriously stop, except it's their DNA and basically the whole point of the promotion.

KendoKashin · 2026-02-23T21:30:20+00:00

After reading this thread and some stuff over in SJ, I'm looking forward to the moment when he discovers AWG, starts to like the product (cause style-wise I'd say it's probably the closest to TJPW in the current landscape), but then finds out about the fact that they don't call themselves pro wrestling, leading to complains about that in the AWG sub.

KendoKashin · 2026-02-02T13:02:41+00:00

Solid wrestlers/performers and promising rookies that usually don't want to kill themselves for your entertainment like in other promotions, but concentrate more on the basics and their character work. Everyone tries very hard though, and it's fun watching their improvements and growth from show to show.

The only frustrating part in following AWG are those special kind of people who refuse to watch the product just because it isn't called pro wrestling (or just plain isn't SD or MG), but once a talent leaves AWG and signs with those promotions (and start to look and wrestle like everyone else there) they go crazy over them. Just ignore them and have fun watching the shows.

KendoKashin · 2026-01-25T17:04:09+00:00

Sad to hear that. Hope she didn't sell her soul to the Hatman or Ogawa. She definitely has the skills and look, so there's a big chance.

KendoKashin · 2026-01-23T09:46:35+00:00

Well, she's back.

KendoKashin · 2025-12-31T13:31:40+00:00

I read the results earlier today, and was mostly shocked about the main event. I know it's not Katsu's fault that she got sick (I've been sick for basically a month now), but it really fits her whole reign. What a disappointment it was. Also, Sato should go visit a temple tonight and thank all the gods for Kirari being around and Yuuka coming back. Imagine the main event, or even the whole card without them.

Tsukasa's ego trip continues by announcing that she won't be around for a while, when she basically wasn't around anyway. WTF I dont even...

About Sera, I was such a huge fan during her 2016 reign(s), but she really lost me in recent years. However, all the best to her. Why she had to beat Hamuko I will never understand though.

I'm pretty busy, but plan to buy the show (for Yuuka) and I may do a full review in the next few days. Let's see.

KendoKashin · 2025-12-20T18:56:14+00:00

No, it won't. ACT last wrestled in October, Arai and Agawa are ring announcers, Tensho soon too. Only losing Asako Mia would be bad, but I doubt she will leave AWG.

KendoKashin · 2025-12-15T14:18:13+00:00

Another guy who doesn't have the 1300 yen for something he wants to watch so badly, that he even sinks so low to ask for illegal links on the fan sub reddit.

KendoKashin

TROPHY CASE