Bull Nakano reportedly involved in US joshi wrestling promotion
A Joshi promotion in the United States is a major development for professional wrestling.
There is an all women’s Japanese wrestling promotion launching in the U.S. It is set to launch in September and will be compromised of women wrestling in other Japanese promotions.
According to PWInsider, there is a huge name in women’s wrestling involved in the promotion. The legendary Bull Nakano will reportedly be involved as an on-screen presence and behind the scenes. She is not expected to wrestle.
It is also being reported that the promotion has been in the works for several years and that some of the people involved were BUSHIROAD consultants. BUSHIROAD is the parent company of STARDOM and NJPW.
The unnamed promotion is slated to have its first show in New York City this September. Reportedly, several wrestlers signed contracts earlier this year.
Why a Joshi promotion in the US matters
Joshi wrestling has gotten more and more popular over the last few years, particularly in the West. Some of WWE and AEW’s most popular wrestlers are Joshi wrestlers such as Hikaru Shida, RIHO, Asuka, and IYO Sky.
Maki Itoh, Mei Suruga, and Utami Hayashishita are just a few names that have been booked in indie promotions like GCW, Deadlock Pro, and Prestige Wrestling. There is a market in the US for these women to be successful.
Many wrestlers and wrestling fans agree that Japan has the best women’s wrestling in the world. Mercedes Moné opting to go to Japan instead of signing with a U.S. promotion is further proof of this. “The CEO” wanted to test herself against the very best. She has faced KAIRI, AZM, and Hazuki and was the IWGP Women’s Champion. One of Japanese wrestling’s biggest stars, Mayu Iwatani, is the current champion.
NJPW STRONG has laid the foundation for an all-women’s Japanese promotion. During the pandemic, they were running shows with incredible talent. Beginning last year, they began booking women’s matches and created the STRONG Women’s Champion. While Moné was set to be the inaugural champion, she was injured during the match. Instead, Willow Nightingale was the first champion. She lost the title last week to Giulia, another joshi star.
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An all-women’s joshi promotion is a huge way to boost women’s wrestling in the States. If American women are able to compete with the joshi talent, whether in the promotion or against them in other promotions, it will up their game. They will have the opportunity to wrestle with some of the best women in the world and will be forced to try to reach their level. Competition is good for everyone.
Women’s wrestling deserves to be treated a big deal. It should be presented as high-quality and showcased to rival the men. Having someone as iconic as Nakano involved shows that this promotion is serious about putting on top-tier shows and presenting women’s wrestling as important and not secondary. It’s a huge step for women’s wrestling in the U.S.