Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling

Not to be confused with All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling.
Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling
AcronymJWP
Founded1986[1]
Defunct1992[2]
StyleJoshi puroresu
HeadquartersJapan
Successor

Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling; (In Japanese: ジャパン女子プロレス, also known as Original JWP) was a joshi puroresu (women's professional wrestling) promotion established in 1988. The first event took place on August 17, 1986.[1]

History

All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling was the only women's professional wrestling promotion prior to 1986. All Japan Women's was experiencing a boom period due to the Crush Gals of Lioness Asuka and Chigusa Nagayo as was Onyanko Club, a Japanese idol music group. Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling was imagined to be a wrestling version of Onyanko Club.[3]

All Japan Women's had strict rules, including what became known as "the three no's" of no drinking, no smoking and no boys, along with a rule that all wrestlers must retire once reaching the age of 25 years old. Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling countered this by having no such rules and due to this were able to recruit Jackie Sato, who was a top All Japan Women's star that was forced to retire at the age of 25.

The promotion also was able to recruit Shinobu Kandori, a judoka who had captured the bronze medal at the 1984 World Judo Championships and Nancy Kumi, a former All Japan Women's wrestler. Gran Hamada and Atsushi Onita also joined as coaches.

Japan Women's Wrestling had their first show on August 17, 1986. Antonio Inoki and Minako Honda, a famous Japanese idol appeared.[3] This show was notable for featuring the debut of future stars such as Mayumi Ozaki, Dynamite Kansai, Cutie Suzuki and Rumi Kazama along with the main event being Jackie Sato's return from retirement as she faced Shinobu Kandori.[3] Suzuki and Kazama became idol's through music and television, with Kazama appearing in Japan's version of Penthouse.[4][5]

The promotion started to fracture on July 6, 1987, when Sato hit the injured eye of Kandori. The two exchanged words and on July 18, 1987, a match between the two turned into a shoot, which became an infamous incident.[6] In October 1987, Kandori, who had become a free agent due to the incident, appeared at an All Japan Women's show to challenge Yukari Omori. She attempted to join All Japan Women's, but was prevented from doing so due to contractual disputes and eventually returned to Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling.[6] Jackie Sato retired on March 20, 1988.

The promotion officially closed on January 26, 1992 and split into two groups: Ladies Legend Pro-Wrestling which featured Shinobu Kandori, Rumi Kazama, Harley Saito and others while JWP formed with Mayumi Ozaki, Dynamite Kansai, Cutie Suzuki and others.[2][7][8]

Titles

Championship Final champion(s) Date won
UWA World Women's Championship Miss Janeth 2002
UWA Women's International Title Harley Saito February 11, 1991
Pacific Coast Tag Team Championship Miss A and Harley Saito October 10, 1990
UWA & JWP Women's Junior Title Cutie Suzuki October 10, 1991

Alumni

References

  1. ^ a b "1980s". puroresu.com. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "1990's". puroresu.com. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "神取忍、試合では大ケガなしもバラエティー番組で骨折". JPrime (in Japanese). JPrime. March 8, 2015. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  4. ^ "女子プロレスラー「風間ルミ」コーチング1級でセミナー講師も". Livedoor (in Japanese). Livedoor. December 1, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  5. ^ "８０年代のアイドル女子プロレスラー歴伝 「ミミ萩原」「キューティー鈴木」「風間ルミ」「尾崎魔弓」のリングにかけた青春を振り返る". Middle-Edge (in Japanese). Middle-Edge. November 25, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  6. ^ a b "神取忍 野生的な動き、技のキレ..." Middle-Edge (in Japanese). Middle-Edge. November 25, 2015. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  7. ^ "Japan Woman Pro-Wrestling". wrestling-titles.com. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  8. ^ Meltzer, Dave (January 27, 1992). "Jan 27 1992 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Flair wins Royal Rumble, more awards, WCW courts Bret (back issue)". Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Campbell, California. p. 15. ISSN 1083-9593. JWP finishing up its final tour before it goes out of business drew 1,132 on 1/18 in Hiroshima as Pink Cadillac & Cutie Suzuki beat three girls in a handicap match and Harley Saito & Devil Masami beat Eagle Sawai & Dynamite Kansai.

See also