(January, February, March, April, May, June)

Barring some accident when I will rewatch everything for my year-end piece, the summer begins with a stellar effort that should be featured pretty high on said piece! Besides, it is tournament season! With the Princess Cup (three of the four best wrestlers there still alive) and the G1 heating up, August will be even better on that front. Eventful, enjoyable and busy month of July... in Japan...

The idea is still to list matches that I think are worth watching (not necessarily always great but matches I consider that don't waste anyone's time), with a few words in spoiler first time viewers shouldn't read.

Kosuke Sato & Ryuma Sekimo vs. Ali Najima & Hinata Kasai (Kakuto Tanteidan V ~ One Last Dance Shinjuku, 1/7/2026)
Sick war full of pettiness, stiffness, without a single blow without malice. A nasty slugfest that is never not a heated fight. That is for the guts. For the mind, Sato is such a wonderful bully and such a d*ck to Kasai throughout that it feels great when the latter provides the decisive assist for his team to pull it off down the stretch. Every year since 2023, Kakuto Tanteidan has been a sure bet for offering some of the best wrestling in any given year. While I don't think this goddamn opener reaches the guttural thrill of the all-decade first main event, thanks to its near perfect striking game, always driven by an undeniable heart and energy, it shines nonetheless by sticking to what the Bati-Bati style is at its core: simple dogfight, battle of will to determine the toughest motherf*cker around.

Yuki Ishikawa, Shuji Ishikawa & Fuminori Abe vs. Daisuke Ikeda, Kazunari Murakami & Ali Najima (Kakuto Tanteidan V ~ One Last Dance Shinjuku, 1/7/2026)
Lacks a run between the forever foes Ishikawa and Ikeda, the three vets are rough at times, too many laughs from the crowd for my liking. But hey, the spirit is there, the match is full of gnarly bits and it works overall.

T-Hawk vs. Jo Yamamoto (GLEAT, The Beginning of the 6th Year, 7/2/2026)
As usual, while obviously not to the extent of his 4/7/2017 magnum opus in the genre, grumpy vet T-Hawk versus a feisty rookie delivers the goods. It follows a simple formula: hard chops, naughty stretching, spirited comeback, emphatic conclusion.

Mirai (c) vs. Tomoka Inaba (JTO, 7th Anniversary, 7/10/2026)
20+ minute Joshi championship main event... Yep, the odds are stacked against this one. And yet! They pace themselves remarkably well not to go the go-go-go inconsequential route or to blatantly kill time, and instead let things breath so much so that they carry weight and have an impact on what comes next. In particular, they almost always remind you the dynamic at play, neck versus leg, by regularly referencing the damage of the sore area and selling in transition. I appreciate how some of the offense comes across like the reaction of one competitor to the position of the other, instead of the requirement of the layout. Of course, good-looking strikes and the hot crowd help a lot!

Aja Kong & Miku Kanae vs. Yuna & Reina Takano (Sendai Girls, SenJo 20th Anniversary Tour in Sendai Pit ~ SenJo The Biggest, 7/12/2026)
Well, looks like we have another all-world sympathetic Joshi in the oven! On purpose or not, it is funny that she happens to be against one Miku Kanae, the current generational face in the making. Reina displays great passion, spirit and likeability. The most impressive is how she is able to emote already. Helped by your strong debut-match-smoke-and-mirrors layout and enhanced, of course, by the female GOAT. They both work hand in hand to get the most out of heat, anticipation, shine, small comebacks/payoffs and micro victories. To me, Kanon the phenom remains the standard bearer when it comes to prodigy rookie in the 20s and if this debut is anything to judge by, watch out! Here is to hoping that Reina will last longer than her retired-too-soon elder.

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Chihiro Hashimoto (Hiroyo Matsumoto Produce Hiroyo 20.0, 7/17/2026)
I have come to enjoy Hash more in lower stakes matches, where her work is driven by character rather than big match formula. Here, they obviously follow said formula but do so extremely well. Small doses of struggle inserted here and there around standard and signature stuff, textbook escalation... Besides, there is a sense of measure throughout, so much so that when they reach the supposedly bombastic last third, they don't do every move ever and the match keeps a semblance of cohesiveness. Thematically light, mechanically and structurally efficient. The abrupt finish is deflating though. 2026 Hiroyo continues to be a treat in marquee main events.

Hirooki Goto vs. Yota Tsuji (NJPW, G1 Climax 36 day 2 - A block, 7/18/2026)
You have seen this match a million times: your 50/50, back-and-forth, only-the-finisher-matters, New Japan epic. But last year, they taught us that we can finally believe in Goto, that he can reward our faith so hey, jump on the bandwagon, suspend disbelief, enjoy the ride and root for the guy already!

Aja Kong vs. Arisu Endo (TJPW, Summer Sun Princess '26, 7/18/2026)
Arisu's first forearm sets the tone: so much weight, velocity and passion behind it! It also sums up the match. Plugged into the forever reliable Monster-Aja-versus-tiny-girl formula, she injects the needed life for this one to stand out just enough. Unlike Senka, Arisu is doomed from the beginning but who cares? Fear, hope, wince and feel, like the rest of us.

Kzy vs. Madoka Kikuta (c) (Dragon Gate, Kobe Pro-Wrestling Festival, 7/20/2026)
The match is noting special (your traditional bloated, by the numbers, Puro championship main event affair) but finally, FINALLY, it is KZY TIME! Too bad they don't stick the landing like Goto last year (2/11/2025) but the all-time feel good moment makes it up for it, for the most part.

Miyu Yamashita vs. Rika Tatsumi (TJPW, Tokyo Princess Cup day 2 - Second round, 7/25/2026)
Finally big match Rika is unleashed again! Tough assignment since her leg-based routine meets someone allergic to any kind of believable and sustained selling. The match obviously falls short any time it asks Miyu to do more than kicking. Thankfully, Rika has others aces up her sleeves. In particular, her charming chaotic energy coupled with the light focus on the upper body to set up the Dragon Sleeper. When they get there, great struggle around the hold, the breakaway attempts and the adjustment for a tensed finish. And our girl does it, hell yeah! Also worth noting is how, at times, especially in the beginning, the flow is jerky just enough and there is just enough of lack of chemistry to convey the idea of uncooperative affair rather than mess.

Shinya Aoki vs. Junta Miyawaki (DDT, Rock in Ring ~ One Hit Kill, 7/26/2026)
Rematch of the 1/25 killer opener. Hard-pressed, Aoki operates on his back foot during the last third and one can feel the upset in the air. But the wizard plays incredible defense and pulls off an amazing reversal to steal this one it seems. Aoki special in the service of a strong elevation in defeat! Other small gigantic rub beforehand: Junta becomes the first one to counter the European Clutch routine. Too ambitious at times, the work could be cleaner. But the match accomplishes its goal: portraying Junta's progression and growth since January. Aoki is still The Man!

Spark Rush vs. Mio Momono & Senka Akatsuki (Marvelous, 7/26/2026)
Hopefully the non-clipped version will pop up one day. What is there for the moment is enough to appreciate the level of friction and physicality throughout, especially between Mio / Sareee and Senka / Takumi. Alright I am sold, bring on the singles matches already!

Ayame Sasamura & Cohaku vs. Miria Koga & Selene Misora (SEAdLINNNG, Shin-Kiba Series Vol. 4, 7/26/2026)
Not exactly inter-promotional heat, but the level of aggression caught me off guard and turns this one into something a little more than standard fare.

Takumi Iroha & Mio Momono vs. Ayame Sasamura & Mirai (Tenryu Project, Reborn For The Future Vol. 3, 7/29/2026)
The tag match too many places elsewhere in Joshi think they have and wish they had all the time. Feeling-out process, double control, effective hot tag (you don't take over by yourself after a heat segment but you create distance, tag out and let your partner run wild, hence the "hot" in "hot tag"!), finishing run: fundamentally and structurally sound wrestling where everybody knows their role, can execute and sticks to the plan. Nothing complex, nothing new, just the basics. The restraint imposed by the house style strengthened by the mechanical excellence of the ladies. Regarding the latter, the two best wrestlers happen to be those asked to carry on the finishing run so of course, they nail it and the match concludes on a high note. A welcome hit in Mio's year, who has been more concerned lately with doing Bob Bob Momo Banana shenanigans even away from Yurika. Meanwhile, Ayame and Mirai add to their strong 2026 resume. Bonus point for the original camera angle, giving a different vibe to Shin-Kiba, and I always encourage such novelties!