At Ice Ribbon’s August 15 show at Itabashi Green Hall, Tsukasa Fujimoto made her full-fledged return to the ring after taking a hiatus to give birth to her second child. I say “full-fledged” because she technically made a prior appearance on July 17, entering as “X” (a surprise entrant) in a delayed-entry battle royal at Hiroyo Matsumoto’s self-produced show.
In her first proper return match in roughly two years, Fujimoto teamed with Yuuka to face off against the duo of Makoto and Kaho Matsushita. At one point in the match, Fujimoto found herself on the receiving end as the “station” of an “Ice Train” involving every competitor in the bout. However, from the midway point onward, she engaged in a fierce, back-and-forth war against Makoto and Matsushita. After a grueling battle that surpassed the 20-minute mark, she ultimately fell to Makoto’s Seien no Uneri (a Michinoku Driver II from an electric chair position). Despite the loss, she showcased an intense fighting spirit that made it hard to believe she had been away for two years and was just three months postpartum.
Taking the microphone post-match, Fujimoto first expressed her joy at finally being able to wrestle again. She went on to praise the growth of her younger roster mates, Yuuka and Matsushita, and expressed her gratitude to Makoto. It was then that a phrase of immense significance to this writer slipped from her lips.
“Makoto-san, 20 years in this business is incredible. I’m two years away from my 20th anniversary, so I want to keep doing my best to reach that milestone.”
The moment I heard the words “two years,” a wave of relief washed over me, and the tension completely left my shoulders. To be entirely honest, I had believed there was a greater than 50% chance that Fujimoto was going to announce her impending retirement in the near future.
Two years ago, before she went on her most recent hiatus, Fujimoto mentioned her desire to have a second child. At that time, I figured her next time stepping into the ring would be a return solely to put a period on her professional wrestling career. Moreover, children are a gift from above, and not knowing when that might happen made me brace for the very real possibility that she might never return as an active competitor at all.
Yet, here was Fujimoto, making a remarkably swift return just three months after giving birth. Looking ahead, Ice Ribbon already has a Korakuen Hall show booked for New Year’s Eve, just three and a half months away. And before anyone realized it, she had turned 43. Raising two young children must make every single day a chaotic struggle. The more I pondered her situation, the more I became convinced that she would use this return match to announce her retirement.
It seems I wasn’t the only one expecting the worst. While manning her merchandise booth after the show, Fujimoto was reportedly told by several fans, “I was on the edge of my seat, terrified you were going to announce your retirement.” Regardless, her comment about “two years” provided a massive sigh of relief for many, myself included.
As for her immediate future, Fujimoto declared that she will compete in all of Ice Ribbon’s August events, including dojo matches. From September onward, she stated her intent to wrestle as much as possible—including making appearances for other promotions—provided there are no scheduling conflicts with the preschool events of her three-year-old eldest daughter.
Looking back on her career, one is reminded that Tsukasa Fujimoto was undeniably one of the true leading figures of the Joshi Puroresu scene in the 2010s.
She is a seven-time ICE×∞ (ICE Cross Infinity) Champion. Competitors like Risa Sera, Maya Yukihi, and Suzu Suzuki all evolved into main eventers by battling her for that very belt. Over the past decade, she remains the only wrestler to win Tokyo Sports’ Joshi Puroresu Grand Prize without having ever crossed paths with Stardom during her award-winning year.
That is precisely why the road leading to her 20th anniversary is so unpredictable. As a pro wrestler, she has essentially achieved everything one could possibly desire. Furthermore, with two young children at home, wrestling is no longer the absolute top priority it once was. Does that mean she’ll take a step back from the front lines? Given Ice Ribbon’s current, arguably fragile roster, and the undeniable skill she displayed in her return match, one gets the feeling they can’t afford to let her do that just yet.
Because I had so many questions, I sat down to interview Fujimoto two days after her return match (the interview was requested prior to the event). My endless list of inquiries resulted in a massive conversation that stretched to an hour and 45 minutes.
At the very end of this mammoth interview, I decided to take a shot in the dark and ask about her one-minute exhibition match against Giulia—her final bout before going on hiatus two years ago. Giulia had passionately called out for Fujimoto to participate in her final domestic appearance: a 25-woman gauntlet match at Shin-Kiba. Fujimoto answered the call.
Considering the circumstances under which Giulia originally left Ice Ribbon, and the fact that Fujimoto’s own “final match” before her hiatus was at Ice Ribbon’s Korakuen Hall show just the day prior, I thought her participation was all but impossible. Nevertheless, Fujimoto stepped into the Marigold ring, wrestled Giulia for one minute, and left the venue without making a single comment.
Now, for the first time, Fujimoto has opened up about that seemingly incomprehensible match with Giulia. While personal affection for Giulia played a part in her deciding to make this impossible appearance, it was the presence of a certain wrestler—or rather, a former wrestler—that ultimately gave her the final push.