The second to last Fightful Joshi Journal of the year looks at the incredible singles match between Tomoka Inaba and Suzu Suzuki from the final TakaTaichiMania event.
The future of Joshi pro wrestling is brighter than maybe any part of wrestling in the world. The mixture of veterans, superstars, and young talent is unmatchable as they all intertwine after a while. And the future was on display more than ever this past Monday at TakaTaichiMania as Tomoka Inaba went one-on-one with Suzu Suzuki.
What the final two TakaTaichiManias gave us was special on the Joshi side. Last time out, it was the match of TAKA Michinoku's trainees as Inaba teamed with Aoi against Maika and MIRAI. We wrote at the time about how that match was special and this singles match followed it up to perfection.
Many fans this year have become familiar with Inaba and Suzuki through STARDOM as Inaba joined God's Eye and Suzuki was a key part of the promotion all year long, including taking part in the 5STAR Grand Prix and coming down to the final night against Giulia in one of the most emotional matches of 2022. So getting to see them face off here was a win. They made a name for themselves outside of STARDOM, earned themselves a number of fans through STARDOM this year, and now got to kill it against one another. Getting to see it with cheering allowed made it all the better.
Suzuki, a former ICExInfinity Champion, felt like the favorite going into this one. Inaba, the reigning Queen of JTO Champion, certainly had a shot but Suzuki has become one of the real forces on the scene. She's no easy person to take down. So it was an uphill battle for the JTO ace and she was ready for the fight. The back and forth between these two teams was nothing short of breathtaking. They were testing each other in the early going before the action picked up and when it did, you couldn't take your eyes off of the match between these two super 20-year-olds.
Suzuki's signature onslaught was vicious and left Inaba back on her heels. The match was reaching a point where she'd need to pull something out of nowhere to get back into it but if you know Inaba, that something was going to be her devastating strikes.
Those devastating strikes included two incredibly nasty kicks to the head. One to the back of Suzuki's head after she had thought she avoided Inaba and the final kick being the match closer. Suzuki had kicked out of Inaba's signature Penalty Kick so the final blow needed to be a knockout. That it was. Inaba hit a picture-perfect Head Kick to Suzuki, knocking her down and out to allow the Queen of JTO to pick up the victory.
Not only was this the best match of Inaba's career, but it looks to be the signature win that'll set her up for an incredibly special 2023 and beyond.
These two are going to have a number of special and memorable matches for years to come. Make sure you check this one out because it'll be one you remember when they are at the top of the Joshi world for the next decade. A signature match between two generational talents.
Matches Worth Checking Out (12/21/22)
- STARDOM
- Hanan, Mayu Iwatani & Hazuki vs. Hina, Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita vs. Rina, Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid
- GLEAT
- Michiko Miyagi vs. Yurika Oka
- JUST TAP OUT
- Tomoka Inaba vs. Suzu Suzuki
Notable results from the week:
TJPW Angel And Rabbit Results (12/15/22)
- Shoko Nakajima def. Juria Nagano
- Haruna Neko, Mahiro Kiryu & Yuki Kamifuku def. Raku, Hikari Noa & Kaya Toribami
- Yuki Aino def. Hyper Misao, Miu Watanabe, Miyu Yamashita, Pom Harajuku, and Suzume in a Full of Mizuki Battle Royal
- Maki Itoh & Rhio def. Yuki Arai & Moka Miyamoto
- Mizuki & Rika Tatsumi def. Yuka Sakazaki & Nao Kakuta
Check out our latest Joshi interviews with Giulia and Unagi Sayaka.
