TJPW SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23 is right around the corner and it promises to deliver a great spectacle. So, for this article, Tomas will be explaining those he considers are the most important points and facts leading up to the event.
TJPW has definitely had a great year so far, with many interesting shows and more intense battles taking place throught the entire year so far. And, if this alone wasn’t enough, the company has also brought numerous foreign talents from all over the globe and even managed to host their first show in America.
Even though it wasn’t too long ago since I got hooked to TJPW and its product in general, I can definitely say that the future has never looked brighter for the promotion and that it will be very interesting to see how things play out from now on.
And speaking about future, I highly consider that the upcoming TJPW SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23 event in Ota-City is the main stage to make the first huge steps into this new process.
With a matchcard that promises to be one of the most solid ones of the year, we could say that there is a lot of things in stake for the event and that all of them could change the promotion’s landscape in certain ways.
For this article, I will be reviewing those who I consider are the top points of the event and why they have the potential to change the entire TJPW landscape, as well as sharing my predictions on some of the matches.
So, with nothing else to add, let’s begin our preview of TJPW SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23:
5) What Is Next For The Princess Tag Team Titles?
To start off this preview, I highly consider that one of the most interesting points leading up to the event is the uncertainty of not knowing exactly what is going to happen with the TJPW Princess Tag Team Titles.
Ever since TJPW announced that Yuka Sakazaki would be sidelined due to a neck injury and that she and Mizuki would have to relinquish the belts, I started to speculate about a whole new bunch of alternatives to crown the new champions. Since making another tag team tournament, hosting a bunch of qualifying matches, handpicking two teams to fight for the belts or even handing them to former champions Miyu Yamashita and Maki Itoh.
Even though there is not a clear landscape yet, I highly consider that there is no better place than TJPW’s second big match event of the year to finally give an answer to this question. Only time will say if my speculations turn out to be true or not, but the only thing sure is that there are a lot of interesting and talented teams in TJPW that could succeed in elevating the titles to new heights.
4) Will Hikari Noa Regain Singles Gold After Two Long Years?
Another interesting topic I wanted the cover in this article is the DEFY Women’s Championship Match between Hikari Noa and current champion VertVixen, since this will mark Hikari’s first big singles championship match in quite some.
I personally am a huge fan of Hikari Noa’s work and her potential as a true international star that could help bring more fans from all over the globe into watching TJPW shows. And winning the DEFY Women’s Championship could be a huge way of doing that, since it would allow her to travel to America and compete against a whole new bunch of interesting opponents, while also showcasing the title in both Japan and America.
Even though I think this would be a huge way of getting more eyeballs into both promotions, I also find it very hard for Hikari to win the title because of her idol commitments in Japan. However, the only fact that is undeniable here is that she has earned this opportunity because of all her hard work, and that it would be definitely great to see her holding singles gold one more time.
TOMAS’ PREDICTION: VertVixen defeats Hikari Noa to retain the DEFY Women’s Title.
3) Will Miu Watanabe Make Another Huge Statement Leading Up To The Tokyo Princess Cup 10?
In more than one ocassion, I have praised Miu Watanabe for her incredible in-ring talent and charisma, which I also consider will make her one of the future top stars in Joshi Wrestling and perhaps the next face of TJPW. Even though she dropped the title to her mentor and tag team partner Rika Tatsumi in TJPW GRAND PRINCESS ’23 earlier this year, Miu is still looking very strong in every single one of her matches and has quickly turned into one of the strongest candidates to win this year’s Tokyo Princess Cup.
However, she will have to overcome a major challenge in the likes of ‘The Native Beast’ Nyla Rose before turning her sights on the tournament. Rose was initially set to face Yuka Sakazaki, but the Magical Girls’ recent neck injury forced TJPW management to find a replacement.
There is no doubt that this will be one of the toughest matches of Miu’s career so far. But, if she manages to beat the former AEW Women’s World Champion, Miu Watanabe will definitely be the main competitor to watch during the 10th edition of the Tokyo Princess Cup.
TOMAS’ PREDICTION: Miu Watanabe defeats Nyla Rose.
2) Is Rika Tatsumi Facing The Toughest Challenge Of Her Title Reign So Far?
We couldn’t make a preview of TJPW SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23 without mentioning the co-main event of the show, which will feature Rika Tatsumi putting the TJPW International Princess Title on the line against Yuki Aino.
Rika has been on a hell of a ride recently, defending the International Princess Title three times and defeating oponents such as Billie Starkz, VertVixen and Suzume. However, Yuki Aino has demonstrated in more than one ocassion that she is now more determined than ever to win the big match and conquer her first singles title in TJPW.
I am personally a huge fan of both women’s work, but I think this is perhaps the match that I’m most intrigued to see, since I don’t have a clear winner in mind yet. However, all I can be sure of is that this incredibly strong and determined version of Yuki Aino could very well be one of the toughest challenges that ‘The White Dragon’ has faced in quite some time.
TOMAS’ PREDICTION: Yuki Aino defeats Rika Tatsumi to become the new International Princess Champion.
1) Will Maki Itoh Finally Finish The Story And Become Princess Of Princess Champion?
It has been some months now since Mizuki defeated her best friend and tag team partner Yuka Sakazaki to win the TJPW Princess of Princess Championship for the first time in her career, while also becoming the best version of herself and bringing new air to the company’s main championship. At the same time, Maki Itoh has undoubtedly been going through the best year of her career so far and became one of the most solid candidates to jeopardize Mizuki’s title reign.
Even though the match has already earned the main event spot because the Princess of Princess Title is on the line, the fact that the match will feature two talented competitors who share a lot of history together adds a huge emotional background that perhaps turns it into the most important and elaborated story of TJPW’s year so far.
There is no doubt that this will be the match to watch, and the one that will probably steal the show. Especially since Maki herself has declared in more than one ocassion that she is fully committed and determined to win the most important match of her career and put an end to her rivalry with Mizuki once and for all.
TOMAS’ PREDICTION: Maki Itoh defeats Mizuki to become the new Princess of Princess Champion.
Where Can You Watch TJPW SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23?
Fans will be able to watch TJPW SUMMER SUN PRINCESS ’23 live and on-demand, as well as every other TJPW event, on the promotion’s official streaming platform, WRESTLE UNIVERSE.
In addition to TJPW, fans will be able to watch the best content from Pro Wrestling NOAH, DDT Pro Wrestling and Ganbare Pro Wrestling.
Thank you for reading this article and please make sure to stay tuned to Wrestling Republic for more contents like this. Additionally, you can follow us on our official Instagram and Twitter accounts to be updated with everything that happens in the pro wrestling world.
Featured Image Credit – Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (TJPW)/WRESTLE UNIVERSE
