Yoneyama is the #1 Challenger/So is Aja

JWP had their #1 Contender's Tournament and Kaori Yoneyama won, getting a shot at Kayoko Haruyama's title once Haruyama's ribs heal from that stupid bump a few weeks ago. Yoneyama beat KAZUKI, Makoto (she got a first round bye, lol), Tsubasa Kuragaki in under a minute, and WAVE's Yumi Ohka in the final. A big upset was Toshie Uematsu beating Azumi Hyuga in the quarters by countering the Michinoku Driver II. Tojuki Leon beat Megumi Yabushita in the first round, but the quarterfinal she lost to Kuragaki in added time.

In the land of OZ, the "Rating of the Strength" tournament concluded and a contender for Dynamite Kansai and the OZ Openweight Championship was determined. First, Carlos Amano defeated Hiren, earning 3 points and getting to 8 points. The next match was a tag match involving the other 3 contenders, as Aja Kong, Hiroyo Matsumoto, and Manami Toyota all had 6 points. In a tag, scoring the pinfall earns 2 points and being on the winning side without making the pin earns 1 points. Aja & Hiroyo are a team, but each had to be the one making the pin to advance. Toyota had to as well, but her partner Takako Inoue was not in the tournament and thus would probably allow Manami the pin. Aja ended up winning with an Uraken on Takako, then did the same to Carlos in a tiebreaker match.

Chikayo Nagashima & Sonoko Kato had risked their hair in an OZ Tag Team Championship match against titleholders Mayumi Ozaki & KAORU. Chikayo regained the titles, using Ozaki's Tequila Sunrise against her (like Amano did last year), and thus no haircutting took place. Tomoka Nakagawa turned on Ayumi Kurihara and the OZ Regular Army and will have a match against Ayumi-a Tomoka win earns her a spot in Jungle Jack 21.

OZ has sent up the Plum Mariko Memorial Show card for August 16th at Korakuen Hall. I think Plum would be happy, as pretty much all of the old school JWP & LLPW talent still in the business will be there, as LLPW will be running their own show the same day. Rumi Kazama is making a one-off return, as she will work the main with Shinobu Kandori, Harley Saito, Ozaki, Kansai, and Bolshoi (teams TBA), with Eagle Sawai & Cutie Suzuki as seconds.

OZ has two memorial matches. First is a memorial to Chairman Matsunaga with an all Zenjo tag, as Toyota & Takako take on Yumiko Hotta & Kaoru Ito. Then the Plum match will be Ozaki, Shinobu Kandori, & Harley Saito vs Command Bolshoi, Azumi Hyuga, and Carlos Amano. Both titles are defended, with Chikayo & Sonoko defending the tag titles against AKINO & Ran Yu-Yu, while Dynamite Kansai faces Aja Kong in the main event for the singles crown.

Apparently both NEO and JWP have a few trainees that could be debuting in the near future.

Ice Ribbon is having a show at KORAKUEN HALL. Hey, if DDT can run Sumo Hall, go for it! The main event is Emi Sakura vs Nanae Takahashi, and we also have Riho vs Chairman Ramu-chan (each with a tag partner) in a match to see who rules the pre-teen scene. Also, Mika Nagano from the world of MMA is joining Ice Ribbon and is debuting at this show.

NEO is starting to set up their end of August show in Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2. The main event is a final blowoff between the LCO and RA, as Etsuko Mita & Mima Shimoda will face Kyoko Kimura & Atsuko Emoto in a cage deathmatch. It appears the tag and High Speed titles will be defended. Kana & Ayumi Kurihara challenge Kyoko Inoue & Hiroyo Matsumoto, while Fuuka challenges Natsuki*Taiyo.

Ryo Mizunami's knee injury does not require surgery and she'll work through it with a knee brace and will appear against Kurihara at the WAVE show. I hope she doesn't work too long on bad wheels like Sonoko Kato did. Pinkie Mayuka is making a similar quick return from knee trouble.

It seems that Sendai Girls is on hiatus and the healthy girls have picked up some bookings elsewhere-Miz in WAVE, Yukari Ishino in NEO/Ice Ribbon, and Hiren & DASH Chisako in OZ Academy.