September 9, 2026
At a press conference held on the 4th, the main event was announced for Shinobu Kandori’s 40th Anniversary show, taking place on November 2 at Canadevia Hall (formerly TDC Hall). The woman of the hour, Kandori, will team up with Chihiro Hashimoto to take on the duo of Sareee and MIRAI.
While reading the reports from this press conference, what caught my attention and made me go, “Oh?” was a specific question MIRAI directed at Kandori: “Can you really do this?”. Because this question sparked an exchange of open-handed slaps, I’m sure quite a few people were reminded of the infamous “Can you do it!?” (Yaren no ka!) confrontation between Antonio Inoki and Tatsumi Fujinami at the Okinawa Prefectural Onoyama Gymnasium on April 22, 1988.
However, while the “Can you do it!?” from 38 years ago was a question posed by the senior Inoki to his junior, Fujinami, this time, “Can you really do this?” was asked by the 26-year-old MIRAI to the 61-year-old Kandori. In other words, at first glance, the exchange looks similar, but if you don’t understand that the underlying meaning is entirely different, you’ll completely misread the true essence of the situation.
Until the year before she debuted as a professional wrestler, Kandori won the All-Japan Judo Championships in the 66kg weight class for three consecutive years and placed third in the World Championships, making her the greatest elite athlete in the history of women’s professional wrestling. Kandori herself humbly downplays it, saying, “It was an era when there were still very few female judo competitors,” but even so, three consecutive All-Japan titles is an incredible record.
Naturally, she is strong. This has been proven time and again by the numerous legends she has forged as a pro wrestler—starting with her infamous shoot match against Jackie Sato—as well as her mixed martial arts battles in “L-1.” A former Shooto fighter whose gym Kandori visited to train for L-1 definitively stated, “A lot of other female pro wrestlers came to train after that, but without a doubt, the strongest was Kandori-san.”
Nevertheless, even that same Kandori has now passed her sixtieth birthday (kanreki). Naturally, she couldn’t possibly possess the same stamina or athletic ability she had in her twenties and thirties, the era when she built those countless legends. In the matches I’ve covered in recent years, there have been quite a few times where I felt her movements had lost their sharpness. Yet, the technique she has cultivated, and the unique aura born from enduring countless do-or-die situations since her judo days, have not lost their power to make opponents shrink in intimidation before they even lock up.
In the world of martial arts, there are individuals referred to as “masters” (tatsujin)—figures like Masutatsu Oyama of Kyokushin Karate, Gozo Shioda of Yoshinkan Aikido, and Hideo Nakamura of Kendo-kai Karate. I believe that the current Shinobu Kandori is in the process of becoming the first true master in the history of women’s professional wrestling. However, regarding those aforementioned martial arts masters, a lingering question always remained in the minds of more than a few people: “Are they really still strong today?”
MIRAI’s question, “Can you really do this?”, was therefore a direct expression of that exact doubt directed at Kandori, who is currently encroaching on the realm of a master.
Her opponents, Sareee and MIRAI, are top-tier fighters in today’s joshi puroresu scene. They are unlikely to be intimidated by Kandori’s unique aura the way younger, less experienced wrestlers might be. Both of them surely accepted the offer for this match fully understanding that if they hold back and fight with kid gloves out of consideration for her age, it will only serve as a massive detriment to themselves. Naturally, they are going to come at her aggressively and without mercy.
For Kandori fighting against these two, Chihiro Hashimoto is the most reassuring partner she could possibly have. However, this also means that within the very same match, there will be fierce, top-of-the-mountain clashes taking place between Hashimoto, Sareee, and MIRAI. In other words, if Kandori doesn’t stand on the front lines and fight, she risks being completely upstaged and stripped of her leading role in her own anniversary match.
Kandori is often perceived as a hot-blooded, wear-her-heart-on-her-sleeve type of person, but on the other hand, she also possesses an extremely calm and objective way of thinking. Because of this, it’s highly likely that she fully understood all the risks mentioned above, decided on this match card anyway, and fired back at MIRAI with, “Of course I can do it!”. She must have a solid foundation of confidence to declare that so boldly.
However, the definitive answer to whether she can or cannot do it will only arrive when the main event on November 2 is over. Will Kandori demonstrate that her true abilities are still intact against Sareee and MIRAI?. Or will we be forced to witness an unpleasant reality?
I am the type of person who, while appreciative of a guaranteed good match, is much more strongly drawn to matches where you truly don’t know what’s going to happen until the opening bell actually rings. Therefore, while I am looking forward to the main event on November 2 with absolute excitement, I am also feeling a sense of dread at the possibility of being shown a merciless reality.
In any case, about two months from now, the master joshi pro-wrestler Shinobu Kandori will have her “present” measured by Sareee, MIRAI, and her partner, Hashimoto.
Translator’s Notes
- Yaren no ka! (Can you do it!?): A legendary moment in Japanese wrestling history. In 1988, Tatsumi Fujinami challenged Antonio Inoki’s status, asking him if he was going to step aside or step up. This led to Inoki famously shouting “Yaren no ka!?” (Can you do it!?) before slapping Fujinami, sparking a massive generational feud.
Shoot Match (喧嘩マッチ – Kenka Match): Literally translates to “brawl match” or “street fight,” but in the context of Joshi Puroresu history, it specifically refers to the infamous July 1987 match between Shinobu Kandori and Jackie Sato. The match devolved into a legitimate, brutal, unscripted fight (a “shoot”), cementing Kandori’s fearsome reputation. - Kanreki (還暦): Refers to a person’s 60th birthday in Japan. It is culturally significant as it represents completing a full 60-year calendar cycle and being “reborn.” Leaving it conceptually translated emphasizes the massive generational gap Suyama is discussing.
- Sontaku (忖度): A uniquely Japanese concept of acting on unspoken feelings or reading the room. Translated here idiomatically as “holding back and fighting with kid gloves out of consideration for her age” to seamlessly fit the fierce in-ring journalism tone.