Year of the Rabbit indeed.
Mizuki’s moment came on a huge stage, amid a swirling storm of emotions, at the tail end of a long journey. After four failed attempts to win the Princess of Princess Championship, Mizuki finally claimed Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling’s top prize at Grand Princess.
The Magical Sugar Rabbit’s story is one of a big heart and all-out effort getting her oh so close to the mountaintop, but never summiting.
She first challenged for the Princess of Princess title in 2017 – the musclebound Reika Saiki knocked her back. It was not yet Mizuki’s time.
Two years later, Mizuki fought Shoko Nakajima in a championship at an event, poetically enough, called TJPW The Mountain Top. Shoko won and celebrated with streamers while Mizuki rolled off into the shadows.
Mizuki beat Nakajima in the 2020 Princess Cup finals to earn another crack at the gold. That opportunity would come against her good friend and tag team partner Yuka Sakazaki. The conflicted challenger fought hard and well but could not win yet again.
Next came a title match to kick off 2022 against the ever-dominating Miyu Yamashita. A great match played in front of the fans at Korakuen Hall, but it produced the same result. A strong performance but disappointment for Mizuki.
On try five, Mizuki once more had a friendly face standing in her way. In order to become TJPW’s best, its flagbearer, she would have to outlast a warrior who is like a sister to her—Yuka.
She did it. The victory at Grand Princess was one of the most moving and gripping matches in company history. Mizuki stomped on the champion’s chest with those long legs of hers and at last had the Princess of Princess Championship to call her own.
Mizuki now stands at the top of TJPW in a boom period.
The company has grown in a massive way since its debut a decade ago. The crowds are bigger. The roster is deeper. The future is bright.
It’s exciting to think what a new face atop the promotion can do, to see what a championship reign from this energetic, graceful dynamo in white will look like.
Wrestle Inn had the chance to ask Mizuki about her title win, her athletic background and thoughts on TJPW moving forward. Here’s what Mizuki had to say:
Q: At Grand Princess 2023 you finally won the Princess of Princess Championship by defeating Yuka Sakazaki, more than five years after you first challenged for the title in 2017. How do you feel about your long journey to finally winning the title and reaching the top of TJPW?
Mizuki: I thought many times about giving up, but I couldn’t. There were times when my heart was in pain. There were many happy things, and the whole process made me stronger, so I treasure everything along the way.
Q: What were your feelings as you held up the Princess of Princess Championship for the first time?
Mizuki: I felt the weight of the history of Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling and many other things as well as the joy of finally reaching for the belt that had been out of reach.
Q: Yuka Sakazaki said before your title match that she didn’t want you to hate her, and there was some apprehension from her at the start of the match. What are your feelings toward Yuka now and what is the future for Magical Sugar Rabbits?
Mizuki: Thank you for responding to Mizuki’s feelings and turning on the switch. Thank you for fighting for me, I’ll do my best, and I feel like you should watch by my side! Mizuki will never leave Yukacchi, and Yukkachi will never leave Mizuki. I want to continue to see the world together, a world I have never seen before!
Q: Alongside Yuka Sakazaki as MagiRabi you have had huge success. How did your bond with Yuka Sakazaki first form and what helps you to work so well together as tag team partners?
Mizuki: She showed me many worlds I had never seen before and believed in Mizuki’s potential the most. I can freely flap my wings, and I believe in Yukacchi as well as Mizuki. Above all, I’m having a lot of fun at MagiRabi! I can only think of Yukacchi as my tag team partner.
Q: How have you changed as a wrestler since you first challenged for the Princess of Princess Championship against Reika Saiki in 2017?
Mizuki: My feelings for TJPW and my body, of course, have become stronger.
Q: You competed in the USA last year against your trainer Emi Sakura in Deadlock Pro and we’ve seen other TJPW wrestlers such as Miyu Yamashita and Maki Itoh even appearing on American TV as part of AEW Dynamite against many different types of opponents. Are there any foreign wrestlers you’d particularly like to compete against in the future?
Mizuki: There are a lot of them! I would like to play against them in MagiRabi. Is there anyone you would like to see me play against?
Q: Your whirling candy move is one of the most impressive and dazzling moves in wrestling today. How did you create such a unique move?
Mizuki: I took the cross body technique that I have cherished since my debut, and improved it over and over again by layering it with my own personality to create a technique that rotates in a circular motion.
Q: TJPW is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. How do you think the company will grow in the next 10 years?
Mizuki: The number of players has increased, and the unique members are working hard to bring excitement and thrill to the audience, always the best!
Q: TJPW has run shows in several unconventional places such as a swimming pool and a train station. What has been your favorite venue to wrestle in?
Mizuki: Wrestling on the street at the Tokyo Skytree was a strange experience! I never thought it was possible to go wild in the city like this! I was very excited!
Q: What sports did you play as a youngster? How did that experience shape you as a wrestler?
Mizuki: I played soft tennis in junior high school as a club member. I walked a lot as a child, played tag, and so on. I was running around outside a lot when I was a kid…!
Q: What is your favorite memory of TJPW so far?
Mizuki: All! But when I left the ring for the stage at the end of Grand Princess 23, I looked around and saw all the fans cheering me on, my friends from TJPW on the stage, and Yukacchi next to me. I felt so happy!
A big thank you to Sam (@nambasanreacts), host of the Tokyo Joshi Freedom Fighters podcast on the Wrestle Inn network, for helping with additional questions.
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