September 3, 2026
Double the Happiness with Music and Pro Wrestling!
Hello, everyone! Once again, I’m YUNA from Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling! I’m happy to announce that I’ll be continuing as your Thursday columnist! It’s all thanks to so many of you reading my work! Thank you so much!
This marks the start of “Chapter 2” for me, but nothing is really changing—I’m just going to keep rambling on about my favorite things again this season!
We recently had our show at Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium! Thank you so much to everyone who came out. Seeing the packed crowd when I made my entrance was truly a sight to behold, and it got my blood pumping.
My singles match against Aya Sakura ended in a 10-minute time-limit draw. Through fighting her, I really felt that neither of us had spent the past year just sitting around doing nothing. Leading up to the match, some of her comments on social media made me think, “Don’t you go getting weak on me now!” But there are a lot of struggles that come with being a champion, and plenty of personal things that only you can truly understand. What you post on social media isn’t everything. That’s exactly why I wanted this match to be an explosion of all my built-up frustration, and why I wanted to win. But when she grabbed hold of me after the match, she had a look in her eyes that didn’t show a single ounce of weakness. It made me realize that she is absolutely an opponent I want to keep going head-to-head and having hard-hitting matches with in the future.
Also, we didn’t do our usual pre-show huddle at Yoyogi. Honestly, when Spike Nishimura stepped up to challenge Hashimoto-san, my true feeling was pure frustration. It was a harsh wake-up call showing just how wide a gap can form between peers from the same rookie class. I realized all over again that no matter how hard you work in your daily life, or how considerate you are behind the scenes, leaving results and making things happen in the ring is everything. More than ever, it hit me that I can’t stay the way I am. I want to hold onto this frustration, never forget it, and pour it into my matches and my training. You can’t survive in this business just by playing nice and being best friends.
Our next big show is at Sendai Sunplaza Hall on October 10th! It feels like this might be our last major event of the year, so we’re really looking forward to seeing you there!
On a completely different note… The other day, I went to an event called “The Jantonio,” which basically brought my ultimate dream to life: hosting a live concert inside a pro-wrestling ring. It was an incredible three-band bill featuring See You Smile, May Forth, and THE FOREVER YOUNG… I desperately wanted to go to the first one but couldn’t make it. So this time, I was determined to go no matter what. I finished up my dentist appointment, hopped on the Shinkansen, and rushed to the venue right under the wire. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to produce an event that combines pro wrestling and music—you could honestly say it’s my single grandest dream. So, seeing this event and similar projects brought to life by other people has always amazed me. I just went as a regular fan, but Punch-san was there, and there were so many people I usually work with mixed in with friends from the band scene. It made for a really fascinating atmosphere for me personally. Normally, I keep my work life and my hobbies strictly separated, but being able to enjoy them both in the exact same space doubled my happiness. As those of you who read this column probably know, Kuni-san from my favorite band, THE FOREVER YOUNG, is a huge pro wrestling fan and even came to watch our Fukuoka show before. Apparently, this event was a dream of his as well, so being there to witness my favorite band’s dream come true made me incredibly happy too.
Having massive dreams like this is exactly what keeps me going!! I’ll keep at it until the day I make it happen!! I declare that right here and now!
This week is our Osaka show! Tickets are completely sold out! We’re looking forward to seeing you there!
And please look forward to next week’s column, too! See ya!
Translator’s Notes:
- Chapter 2 (第2章): YUNA refers to “Chapter 2” because magazine columns for Weekly Pro Wrestling operate on rotational seasons. Her column was successful enough to be renewed for another term.
- Aya Sakura & “Being a Champion”: At the time of this publication, Aya Sakura holds the Stardom New Blood Tag Team Championship.
- Bachi-bachi (バチバチ): Translated contextually as “hard-hitting matches,” this is Japanese wrestling slang for a stiff, strike-heavy style of wrestling.
- Pre-show Huddle (円陣 – Enjin): The Sendai Girls roster traditionally forms a circle to psych themselves up before the curtain rises on their events.
- Hashimoto-san: Refers to Sendai Girls’ ace Chihiro Hashimoto. The honorific (-san) is retained to highlight the deferential respect YUNA holds for her senior.
- Peers / Rookie Class (同期 – Dōki): YUNA is expressing professional jealousy toward Spike Nishimura, who debuted in the same era as her but successfully maneuvered into a major title program with the company’s top star.
- The Jantonio (ザ・ジャントニオ): This is a clever cultural nod. “Jantonio” is a portmanteau of the two biggest icons in Japanese wrestling history: Giant Baba and Antonio Inoki. It serves as the perfect name for a grassroots event blending pro wrestling with live music.
- Three-band bill (スリーマン – Three-man): Localized for natural English flow. A “three-man live” is standard Japanese live-house terminology for a gig featuring three musical acts.
- Punch-san (パンチさん): This refers to Punch Tahara, a veteran Japanese ring announcer and highly recognizable backstage figure in the joshi puroresu scene. YUNA pointing him out highlights the fun, unexpected overlap between her wrestling work life and her personal music hobbies.