Introduction + Faves
Hi, my name is DQ. Much like every other wrestling fan on the internet, I have a lot of unsolicited opinions I'm dying to share!
I exaggerate, but it does seem like a major part of the internet wrestling community involves sharing your thoughts on the promotions you watch. A lot of discussion around wrestling is reviews, specifically star ratings. I've tried it in the past, to make a spreadsheet and rate every match I'd seen that year. That lasted all of 15 days. Just like when I tried to keep an active Rate Your Music profile a number of years ago, I got so caught up in choosing a rating that I wouldn't even be able to put my glowing review to paper.
After a six month break from wrestling, I've returned with a new philosophy: why spend time harping on things I don't enjoy? There's so much I love about wrestling that I want to share. I don't need to justify my love of it, nor do I need to slog through things I have no interest in to seem like an authority.
I am creating this blog with the goal of creating features on the aspects of this sport that I love. There's two types of posts I have planned for this blog. One is the aforementioned features. I'll be diving deep on a wrestler, storyline, show, or general topic that I find interesting. These will come out whenever I have the time. The second type of post I want to keep a secret for now. Just know that it's a monthly column about a specific topic (really three topics unified under the same theme).
If you've come from twitter, hi! One of my many frustrations with microblogging is that it's, well... micro. As you will very soon see, I can kind of get carried away when talking about wrestling, so its nice to have an unrestricted space to do so.
This introduction post is kind of bare, so I thought I'd provide a list of my top 5 wrestler in each promotion I'm actively watching, staring with...
TJPW!
Shoko Nakajima - One of the most underrated wrestlers in the world that is finally getting the recognition she deserves. She's one of the most selfless wrestlers in the business. I think you have to be actively trying to have a bad match against her. She truly brings out the best in everybody.
The best way I can describe Shoko's style is if you took the DNA of all the Super J-Cup 1994 participants and created a Cell-like perfect being. She's slippery and agile due to her small frame, yet she's pound for pound the strongest wrestler I've seen. She can do all of the lucharesu flips and dives while also being a wizard on the mat. She's an amazing underdog babyface that you want to see win. She can also be a mega asshole that you want to see stomped into the ground (see the Toribami feud from earlier this year). I can gush about Shoko forever, but I'll stop here.
Haru Kazashiro - I'll actually keep this one short because I'm planning to write about her in greater detail later. The first TJPW show I ever watched was the same show Haru debuted on. It's been absolutely amazing to watch that shy, unathletic girl grow into a confident young woman that's already wrestling circles around others in her generation. Haru possesses everything necessary to become the next ace of TJPW. Every match she tries something new. She oozes passion for the craft. I can't help but smile every time I see her in the ring because I know the future of TJPW is in good hands.
Kaya Toribami - Hey, speak of the TORIDEVIL! Toribami is the most unique wrestler in TJPW. I will never skip a cassowary singles match. Her style is obviously influenced by her experience as a stuntwoman, but I can't help but think of her as a 2000s tribute act. Random flips into hard strikes? Sure. Reverse shining wizard? Hell yeah. Hard bump on a move that never actually lands? Of course. Toripi is such a refreshing watch in an increasingly homogenized industry.
Mizuki - The dichotomy of Mizuki is hilarious. At first she lol'd, then she serious'ed. Most of the time, she's a glorified comedy wrestler. She fully embraces the fun side of wrestling, from using a hammer to give a panda CTE to holding Misao hostage at water-gunpoint. It's all fun and games until the belt is on the line. Mizuki switches from being a woman without a care in the world to a woman with nothing to lose. She will punish her opponent and herself alike if it means the PoP title is by her side. I am genuinely scared of big match Mizupyon. I can only hope Koda provides good insurance.
Miu Watanabe - What hasn't been said about Miu? An absolute beast in-ring, utilizes emotional storytelling perfectly, always gives 200%, etc. etc. Before her PoP title reign, I was actually quite mild on Miu. Nothing really stood out all too much. That was until the monster began to show its teeth. Much like Mizuki, there's a switch that activates inside Miu. Unlike Mizuki, however, I don't think this is a wholly different side. It's more like the mask has slipped. The idol is a facade. Its the cage that the monster lives in waiting until the the bell rings. I went from being indifferent to Miu's reign to wanting it to never end.
Next up is...
STARDOM!
AZM - Azumi is Stardom. Since 2020, she has proved time and time again that you can throw her in any situation and she will exceed expectations. Tagging as MomoAZ, creating buzz as the High Speed champion, even bringing prestige to a STRONG championship that was one step away from the graveyard. She's made herself the queen of the undercard. Many (including myself) are a bit disappointed that she has yet to win a major belt. The truth is that Zoomer's time will definitely come, and when it does it will reach the heights of Mayu, Io, and Utami.
Hanan - Much like Haru, this one's personal. The first Stardom show I ever watched was Dream Queendom 2021. The second match on the card saw Hanan retain her Future title against Ruaka. I was hooked. It was so cool to see someone the same age as me not only peruse their dreams but be so accomplished in such a short time. I've seen her physically grow into a powerhouse and mentally grow into a leader. Not to mention the bangers she's been putting on with Iida. If the Lioness has no fans, I'm dead.
Mei Seira - Showing my Neo Genesis bias, Meisei very quickly became one of my favorites shortly after her re-debut in 2023. She's the most unintentionally funny wrestler I've ever seen. She's so unaware of everything outside of the ring. It's like those Ronaldo memes, she's really only programmed for wrestling. And because of it, she never misses. One of the most athletic and technically gifted in joshi, I always go out of my way to watch a Mei match.
Ami Sohrei - One of these things is not like the other. Unlike a lot of the other wrestlers here, Ami is not universally loved. I've been an Ami fan in spite of it. She has one of my favorite looks in all of wrestling. She's simultaneously intimidating and stunning, perfect for the era we're in. I'll admit that she's show herself to be limited in the ring. However, the sheer love she's shown for wrestling has made me believe that improvement is sure to come. You don't train every single day while on the shelf for an entire year if you have no passion. Something tells me she'll develop into a true powerhouse/BAMF, perhaps the Shingo Takagi of Stardom.
Saya Kamitani - The Phenex Queen is a tragic character. She's gotten everything she ever wanted, but at what cost? I'll definitely dig deeper into this at a later date, but the story of Saya Kamitani is the story of an ugly breakup. One where the instability of their new situation leads them down a dark path. Saya used to be considered one of the most boring acts in the company and she masterfully reinvented herself into the most important figure in Stardom today.
Ok since I'm mainly going to be writing about Joshi (and because this post is getting VERY long) I'm gonna be as brief as I can in the remaining promotions, starting with...
NJPW!
Yota Tsuji - Tsuji has been that fucking guy ever since his return from excursion. While others were trying to be the next Tanahashi, ol' gene blast was trying to be the first Yota Tsuji. He's confident beyond his years. He wrestles like the ghost of Marlowe is going to kill him if he doesn't get at least 4 stars. This is the guy you build the company around.
Shingo Takagi - Hey, my former LIJ bias is showing. Takagi fucking rules man. He Goes into every match with the mindset of "One of us is going to die." Even in his 40s, his intensity is cranked up to 11. With almost all of the big names from the start of the decade gone, it seems like world champ Takagi is still in the picture.
El Desperado - Despe is one of the top 5 coolest wrestlers going. His look is outstanding. He has the best non-lucha mask since Hayabusa. Desperado punishes the more flippy juniors' carelessness by grounding them with limb work and twisting submissions, while also being able to best many other technical wrestlers. He also earns my respect by being insanely careless himself by adding deathmatches on top of his already grueling NJPW schedule.
Taichi - The Holy Emperor rules and I will hear no other arguments. The deliciously cringe entrance, 2000s AJPW moveset, and ability to roll with the punches no matter what storyline he's placed in will always have me in love with this man.
Kosei Fujita - If the heavyweight division needs to be built around Tsuji, the Junior division needs to be built around Fujita. He can do everything. Striking, grappling, submissions, springboards, he's a swiss army knife of offense that's going to win the Jr. belt sooner rather than later.
Next is...
CMLL!
Hechicero - The international export for a reason. A top 2 technical wrestler in the world, and he ain't 2. Whether he's putting on mat classics with old ass Blue Panther or grounding zoomer Mascara Dorada, you can be sure a limb is going to go where it's never gone before. And that's only one part of his game. He's shockingly agile. If you need him to work a more flippy lucha style, he is more than capable.
Mascara Dorada - Sometimes you just need that flippy shit in your life. Mascara Dorada 2.0 has been an absolutely insane watch. He does things that my brain thinks shouldn't be humanly possible. No man could possibly be that agile, and yet he blows my mind on a consistent basis.
Zandokan Jr. YARRRR!! First, the absolute best mask in wrestling today. He's cool as hell and he knows it. Second, damn that's a big boy. Zandokan Jr. combines raw power with great agility to make an insanely scary wrestler. His chops are deafening. His power moves make me wince. And you can't even catch a break outside the ring, because all that weight will come down on you from a tope.
Soberano Jr. Fuck this guy. I hate him. I hate him so much. You think you're sooooo cool with your abs? And your clean as fuck offense that makes you look like a video game? "Ooo look at me, my heel turn gave me access to the infinite aura supply" fuck you. Stupid sexy Soberano.
Kira - Can you tell I'm a fan of young female wrestlers with a lot of upside? Kira is my favorite Amazona. I'm genuinely shocked that she has less than 200 matches under her belt. Her high flying is so polished that I thought she had been wrestling a full schedule for ten years. While she's still putting everything together, her technical work has improved tremendously this past year. I'm so excited to see what the future holds for Kira.
And finally...
AEW!
Konosuke Takeshita - My favorite wrestler as of right now. His strikes and suplexes are second to none. What really makes Take amazing is his ability to keep the crowd in the palm of his hand. He can pace a match better than anybody. He knows when to hit the gas, and he knows when to slow things down to get heat. Like 99% of people, I wish he wasn't associated with Don Callis, but Take seems to left to his own devices most of the time. At only 30 years old, the sky is the limit for Takeshita.
Willow Nightingale - Maybe the perfect women's wrestler. Good in-ring, top 3 babyface in the world, good promo, and first choice to represent AEW's women in other promotions. I knew from the second I saw her on TV back in 2022 that she would be a star, and it seems like that's becoming a reality.
Hangman Page - The main character of AEW. The story of the bright-eyed kid going down a wicked path after losing his friends only to redeem himself in the face of a greater evil was such a great story to see play out. And all along the way, we got to see great performances from one of the best American wrestlers of today. He may not be from Texas like Hansen or the Funks, but there's always room for a cowboy in the main event.
Mercedes Mone - At heart, I'll always be an NXT black and gold kid. Sasha vs Bayley was the match that made my dumb 11 year old brain go "huh, maybe women are good at this wrestling thing." Ten years later, it's amazing to see Mercedes in an environment where she can do whatever she wants. While yes, she's booked strong, it always leads to her opponent shining though in their performance. I can't wait to see what's next in her AEW run.
Kyle Fletcher - Where my fletchlights at?? No seriously, if you told me 3 years ago that Kyle Fletcher, the less interesting guy in Aussie Open, was going to be one of the best acts in AEW, I would laugh you out the room. Fletcher has done a complete 180. He's gone from Ospreay wannabe #38 to a flamboyant heel with one of the nastiest movesets in AEW. That TNT title is coming home soon.
If you actually read this far, thank you! I'm aiming to get the first post of that secret project out by Sunday, it'll probably be my pinned tweet.