From: eccd552@emx.cc.utexas.edu (Katsuhiko Kawai)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling
Subject: Re: Women's Wrestling
Date: 12 Jan 1993 08:27:28 -0600
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
NNTP-Posting-Host: emx.cc.utexas.edu

In article <mike_steiner-110193171935@192.35.50.131> mike_steiner@qm.claris.com (Mike Steiner) writes:
>In article <6042.137.uupcb@ssr.com>, dave.scherer%acc1bbs@ssr.com (Dave
>Scherer) wrote:
>> 
>> MA>I think a women's wrestling federation along the lines of the
>>   >Japanese feds could be successful in this country.  But it would
>>   >require an imaginative promoter willing to take a big risk.
>> 
>> Also, keep in mind that only now is Women's wrestling in Japan getting
>> respect from the hardcore fans.  Years ago, when they were successful,
>> it was because of teenage girls.  Now, their are hardcores too.
>
>Womens wrestling in Japan came into its own in about 1976 or 77.  Up until
>then, it was pretty much a cartoon, like it is today. 

The first femal match in Japan took place in 1954 for the U.S army 
stationed in Japan. Mildred Burge(sp?) is among the American female 
wrestler that came to Japan for the event. Sadako Ikari was the Japanese 
top face. They even had three consecutive big events at the Sumo Hall 
like the New Japan did last year. In 1968, then NWA women's champion, 
Fabulas Mula came to Japan and lost the title to Yukiko Tomoe, Japanese 
women's heavy weight champion, in Osaka. In the same year, AJW was 
established by Takashi Matznaga. 
 
BTW, Trust me. AJW has drastically changed since you left Japan. Seeing is 
believing: AJW is the most stiff promotion on the earth right now. 
 
I think it is around '90 that the hardcore male fans has begun to pay much 
attention to the women's wrestling. The first appearance of incredible 
workers such as Manami Toyoda, Baison Kimura, at a male promotion, 
the Universal wrestling, quite impressed the male fans.  

>The champion, whose
>name I can't recall offhand, was an overweight woman who won her matches
>with the same butt-splash that Earthburp uses now.  When she retired, a new
>crew of wrestlers came into their own.  Then the "Beauty Pair" teamed up (I
>can't recall their names either, but one of them was Junko something) and
>became an instant sensation;  they were good looking, could sing passably,
>and included their theme song ("Beauty, Beauty") in each program--they even
>recorded an LP.  All the other teams after them (including the heel teams)
>followed their pattern.  Although there were a lot of teenage girls in the
>audience, there were also a lot of older women and men (very few teenage
>boys, though).  Their broadcasts usually had higher ratings than any of the
>three men's shows.
>
The overweighted lady you mentioned is Jumbo Miyamoto, a cousin of T. 
Matznaga. IMHO,  she could wrestle as many of sumo wrestlers or heavy 
wrestlers such as Damp Matsumoto. 
 
You should not forget Mach Fumiake, the 16th WWWA world champion -
the most prestigious female belt - beating J. Miyamoto in 1975. She got 
the title at the age of 16 and was the first wrestler that sold the million hit 
song "Hana wo Sakasou". She retired the next year, and then, here came 
the Beauty Pair, Jackey Sato & Maki Ueda, who faced the Black Pair, 
Yumi Ikeshita & Sinobu Aso. (  I hear that M. Fumiake is/was studying 
physical science in the U.S. Please send me a E-mail if you, Ms. 
Fumiake, see this message. :-)  )  
 
I doubt that the female wrestling was most popular in those days. As far 
as I remember, they had a 30 min spot on the TV every week only in the 
Kanto area, Tokyo, Yokohama, etc. because an Osaka area network hated 
female wrestling. I personally enjoyed the show a lot, though. The most 
popular promotion back then was, I beleive, New Japan with Inoki, 
Sakaguchi, and a rising star, WWWF junior heavy weight champion, 
Tatsumi Fujinami.    
 
Short Recent History of Japanese Women's Wrestling: 
 
1983 2/15. Jaguar Yokota(Emi Yokota) became the WWWA champion 
beating J. Sato. Mimi Hagiwara got the All Pacific title from Y. Ikeshita --
the new era of AJW began.  
 
1983 8/27. Clash Gals, Lionel Asuka & Chigusa Nagayo, was teamed for 
the first time, and they challenged Dynamite Gals, Jumbo Hori & Yukari 
Ohmori.  
 
1985 2/25. Damp Matsumoto & Clane Yu won the title from CG. JB-
Angeles, Itzuki Yamazaki & Noriyo Tateno was formed. Devil Masami was 
then the top heel.   
 
1986 4/5. The legend matches at the Sumo Hall, Devil vs. Asuka and 
Chigusa vs. Damp took place.  
 
1988 3/20. Bull made the Gokumon-To.  
 
1989 5/6. Chigsa's last fight. 
 
1989 7/9.  Asuka retired. 
 
1990 9/1. Manami Toyoda won the Japan GP for the first time beating 
Yumiko Hotta.   
 
1992 9/19. The first big inter-promotional match between AJW and FMW 
woman, B. Nakano & Akira Hokuto vs. Combat Toyoda & Megumi Kudo, 
took place at the FMW Yokohama stadium show. This match got the 
biggest pop in the show, and Bull made a historical mic appeal " Come to 
AJW show if you wanna see us." in front of the FMW fans.     
  
There are three female promotions in Japan(JWP, LLPW, AJW), right now. 
They all together is planning on a big inter-promotional event right now. 
We, the Japanese female wrestling fans, may want to keep eye on it.   
 
Katz.  
>
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