I shouldn’t be this giddy watching two women try to choke each other out. But I can’t help it.

HIMAWARI and Wakana Uehara are already so damn good. The fact that they are just getting started, that we are set to see them truly blossom, that we are witnessing the arrival of Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling’s next wave of stars is exhilarating.

At the We Are TJPW 10th Anniversary Show on December 1, HIMAWARI and Wakana met in the finals of the Next Generation tournament. This show was a celebration of the company’s first decade and a sendoff for TJPW icon Yuka Sakazaki, but it was also an exciting peek at the future.

The yellow-clad sparkplug HIMAWARI wrenched her opponent’s leg in the nastiest of ways. The spritely Wakana savaged the other tourney finalist with crisp forearms in the corner. Their exchanges were aggressive, engrossing. The whole match buzzed.

The word that kept rising to the top of my brain was “promise.”

Both women have it in abundance. And they aren’t alone.

TJPW’s 2023 rookie class also features the hard-hitting Toga, Shino Suzuki of the UpUpGirls, and two talented teenagers in Runa Okubo and Haru Kazashiro. Suddenly, TJPW is like a loaded baseball team that already has aces on the mound and has big-time prospects waiting to come up from the Triple-A and Double-A levels.

A company long known for relying heavily on their original stars (Shoko Nakajima, Miyu Yamashita, Yuka Sakazaki) finds itself with oodles of options. Usually, TJPW fans are lucky if one newbie emerges a year. This time around, TJPW has a quartet of wrestlers who may be leading the future.

Toga
The 20-year-old powerhouse might have the highest ceiling of any in the 2023 class.

Toga’s rawness is obvious. She has a limited move set and is unpolished overall. But even with her meager bag of tools, it’s easy to see why so many fans are excited about her.

She’s strong and savage in the ring, a beastly presence. Toga’s strikes pop. She nails foes with forearms and elbows that make commentators howl.

With added experience (she’s only been wrestling since March), Toga’s sure to build on that eye-catching power. She’ll also stand out on a roster with so many smaller, slight wrestlers.

Her best bout in her rookie campaign was against Ryo Mizunami on September 16, a solid showcase of her ability to thrive in a slugfest, but don’t sleep on her match against Moka Miyamoto from TJPW’s June 25 show in Fukuoaka.

Shino Suzuki
The newest addition to the UpUpGirls hasn’t gotten nearly as much buzz as the likes of Wakana and Toga. Suzuki, though, looks like she could well be a valuable part of the roster moving forward.

For one, she fits the TJPW vibe. She’s cute and bubbly, athletic and can sing. Plus, she’s just plain likeable. So, go ahead and check all those boxes.

In the ring, she’s shown herself to be solid overall.

Her ring work is pretty crisp. She emotes well. Her speed is nice. There’s a quality foundation for her to build on.

Like Toga, she wasn’t around for the first few months of the year, so you’d expect her to grow significantly in the ring in 2024 and beyond.

What’s been impressive from Suzuki thus far is her skills relating to the dramatic side of wrestling. When she’s hurt, she writhes on the mat. Her fighting spirit during a comeback is convincing. It’s all going to help make her a strong storyteller between the ropes.

HIMAWARI
The 5’1” dynamo known as The Sugar Flower is the most experienced member of this class, having come from Actwres girl’Z before heading to TJPW. Her stint there was super brief, and she has just over 60 matches on her resume, but she does have a minor head start over her counterparts.

You can see that in how confident she is already.

The self-assured HIMAWARI sure stands out. You can’t help but notice her. She’s got super bright gear and an equally bright personality. She just exudes vibrancy.

That’s perfect for TJPW.

She’s speedy and her offense flows well. She’s equal parts bouncy and aggressive. There is a fun vibe to all of it.

As a bonus, she uses her long, braided hair as a weapon a la Bianca Belair. That’s a gimmick that shouldn’t be overused, but is a fun addition to the total HIMAWARI package.

On the We Are TJPW show, commentator Baliyan Akki called her a “natural entertainer” and “a natural at the performing part of professional wrestling.” He’s spot on. HIMAWARI has hopped into wrestling with ease, looking like she’s been around for longer than she has.

Wakana Uehara
If you’re going to place bets on who will be the biggest star of all these TJPW newcomers, the safest money is on Wakana.

She’s shown herself to be a quick learner, already solid in the ring, already entertaining.

A bit like Yuki Arai, Wakana looks very comfortable out there despite her lack of experience. She does well with the technical side of wrestling, with the best submission and chain wrestling skills of any of the 2023 rookie class. She’s got good athleticism too as seen in her handspring back elbow.

Wakana has plenty of presence to go with those traits, too. She’s likeable and magnetic with real star potential.

There’s a reason TJPW has put her in the spotlight so much already.

She’s the wrestler they chose to crown the winner of the New Generation tournament. She’s already had singles matches against Shoko Nakajima, Rika Tatsumi and Yuki Kamifuku. And if you want a clear indication of what the company thinks of her, look at her record against the other rookies.

She’s 2-0 against both HIMAWARI and Toga.

TJPW is an enviable spot right now. If just one of these four women turn out to be a big deal, they will have another option to plug into the main event scene. Chances are, though, it won’t just be one.

Toga, Suzuki, Wakana and HIMAWARI all look like talent that could take off.

At the very least, these women deepen TJPW’s roster. The company’s long had excellent wrestlers on the top of the card but the undercard is often far from robust. This foursome (and eventually the two teens) will make the fight for attention in the TJPW world more competitive.

It’s a fight that’s going to be hell of a lot of fun to watch.