 | |
| Acronym | JDStar |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1995 |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Style | Women's professional wrestling |
| Headquarters | Tokyo, Japan |
| Founder(s) | Jaguar Yokota |
| Owner(s) | Kiyu Uji |
| Successor | Pro Wrestling Wave |
JDStar (also spelt Jd'), was a women's professional wrestling promotion based in Tokyo, Japan. In the wake of the joshi puroresu boom of the early 1990s, several different groups opened with distinct approaches. The Jd'Star promotion, with its subtitle, "Beauty Athlete," summed up the company's approach.
Jaguar Yokota came out of retirement to announce the formation of her new promotion, JDStar, at a press conference in 1995. She was initially the focal point of their shows but left the promotion in 1998. After her departure, JDStar was bought by Kiyu Uji.
The company had a large roster but no rookies with the ability or personality to attract attention. In 2001, Hidenobu Ichimaru bought JDStar from Kiyu Uji and established a new gimmick to promote JDStar's talent: The "athtress" (athlete-actress), an aspiring actress/singer/model whose good looks would be used to market their athleticism in the wrestling ring and establish them as idols.
The first run of "athresses" had few skills and fanfare dropped slightly. This created more controversy than anything and the promotion's attempt to create an idol never caught on. Also dropping was the wrestlers' respect for Ichimaru, as several established veterans in joshi puroresu thought the "athtresses" didn't deserve to be in the same ring as them.
JDStar continued to flounder before ultimately folding in July 2007.
JD' moulded the careers of several new wrestlers with Uji in charge, including The Bloody, Fang Suzuki, and Sumie Sakai, who is also well known for wrestling for several independent promotions on the American east coast.
The second run of Athtresses was the most famous group, featuring Emi Tojo, Yumi Ohka, Kei Akiyama and Asami Kawasaki. JDStar also moved into its home building, Shin-Kiba 1st Ring, later that year,[ when? ] and sold it out on their first show. The biggest surprise came in May of that year when Jaguar Yokota came back to the promotion, teaming with Lioness Asuka against Yumi Ohka and Emi Tojo, and picking up the win over Ohka. The third run of the Athtress program was its last, and Fuka and Shuu Shibutani were the last two girls to run through the program. Both have seen much fanfare and success, with Shu becoming a popular wrestler through her training with Mariko Yoshida's Ibuki group, which showcases the best young talents that Japan has to offer. Early in 2007, another rookie, Misaki Ohata, debuted with the promotion. She was trained by Yoshida throughout 2006.
| Championship | Final champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Previous champion(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jd' Junior Championship | Maru | 2 | July 5, 2003 | Teruko Kagawa |
| Championship | Final champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Previous champion(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWF World Women's Championship | Jaguar Yokota | 1 | July 21, 2004 | Tanny Mouse |
| Championship | Final champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Previous champion(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TWF World Women's Championship | Yoshiko Tamura | 2 | June 19, 2005 | Vacant |
| TWF World Women's Tag Team Championship | Fang Suzuki and Gami | 1 (6, 3) | December 17, 2005 | Vacant |
| Championship | Final champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Previous champion(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BS Japan Queen Of The Ring Championship | Hanako Kanimiso | 1 | August 10, 2003 | Fang Suzuki |
| Princess of Pro-Wrestling Championship | Arisa Nakajima | 1 | June 17, 2007 | Vacant |
Puroresu (プロレス) is the predominant style of professional wrestling that has developed in Japan. The term comes from the Japanese pronunciation of "professional wrestling" (プロフェッショナル・レスリング), which is shortened to puroresu. The term became popular among English-speaking fans due to Hisaharu Tanabe's activities in the online Usenet community. Growing out of origins in the traditional US style of wrestling, it has become an entity in itself. Japanese pro wrestling is distinct in its psychology and presentation of the sport. It is treated closer to a legitimate competition, with fewer theatrics; the stories told in Japanese matches are about a fighter's spirit and perseverance. In strong style, the style most typically associated with puroresu, full contact strikes and submission holds are implemented. Pro wrestling in Japan led to the development of shoot wrestling and has been closely related to mixed martial arts (MMA) starting with Shooto and Pancrase, organizations which predate the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), along with influencing subsequent promotions such as RINGS and PRIDE. It is common for pro wrestlers and MMA fighters in Japan to cross over.
All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, nicknamed Zenjo was a joshi puroresu promotion established in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga and his brothers. The group held their first card on June 4 of that year. For close to 33 years it had a TV program on Fuji TV called Women's Professional Wrestling.
Mariko Morita, better known by the ring name Mariko Yoshida, is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her work with the ARSION professional wrestling promotion, where she was also head trainer.
Sumie Sakai is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist. She is best known for her extensive tenure in Ring of Honor, where she was the inaugural and longest reigning Women of Honor Champion.
Mika Akino, better known as Akino, is a female Japanese joshi wrestler, signed to Oz Academy. Billed from Honshū, she started late in the sport and didn't debut until the age of 24. Trained by Mariko Yoshida, she proved to have an innate ring presence and excelled at the sport.
Rimi Yokota is a Japanese professional wrestler and later wrestling trainer, who wrestled under the name Jaguar Yokota (ジャガー横田). She is currently signed to World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana, where she is the leader of the CRYSIS stable. Yokota is widely considered one of the greatest female wrestlers of all time, and during her heyday in the early 1980s, was considered one of the best wrestlers in the world, irrespective of gender.
Tomoko Kitamura is a Japanese retired professional wrestler better known by her ring name Lioness Asuka. She was one half of the Crush Gals, along with Chigusa Nagayo, who are known for their mainstream popularity in the 1980s, and for being one of the most successful women's tag teams of all time.
Pro Wrestling Wave, is a women's professional wrestling, or Joshi Puroresu, promotion created in 2007 after the dissolution and closure of JDStar. The company was formed by Mikiko Futagami, or Gami, former JDStar wrestler Yumi Ohka, and former JDStar booker Tatsuya Takeshi, who assumed the role of President for the new company. The company has had a very slow growth and grassroots rise, and is one of the few women's promotions in Japan to do shows on weekdays.
Misaki Oishi, better known by her maiden name Misaki Ohata, is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her work while signed to the Zabun production company and its two promotions; Pro Wrestling Wave and Osaka Joshi Pro Wrestling. She is a former one-time Wave Single Champion and a three-time Wave Tag Team Champion. She also works behind the scenes as Zabun's human resources director. She also made regular appearances for Michinoku Pro Wrestling, where she performed under a mask and the ring name Yapper Man #3. In the past, she has also made appearances for American promotion Shimmer Women Athletes, where she is a former Shimmer Tag Team Champion.
Yumiko Abe, better known by her ring name Yumi Ohka, is a Japanese professional wrestler. Originally trained by the now defunct JDStar promotion, Ohka now works for Oz Academy and Pro Wrestling Wave. She is a former two-time Wave Single Champion, while also being a former Oz Academy Tag Team Champion and Wave Tag Team Champion. She is the managing director of Zabun Co., Ltd., which owns Pro Wrestling Wave.
Fuka Kakimoto is a Japanese retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and model better known simply as Fuka. She was trained by JDStar as part of the promotion's "Athtress" program and made her debut in February 2004, quickly garnering a large fan following. From 2005 to 2006, Fuka also fought three mixed martial arts fights, finishing with a record of two wins and one loss. During her years in JDStar, Fuka became the inaugural Princess of Pro-Wrestling (POP) Champion and also held the Princess of Ketsudeka (POK) and TWF World Tag Team Championships. After the promotion folded in July 2007, Fuka became a freelancer, while also starting to promote her own series of independent wrestling events under the banner of Fuka Matsuri. As a freelancer, Fuka also made several trips to Mexico, working for local independent promotions. Fuka ended her in-ring career in March 2010 at the age of 25, after which she began training wrestlers for the newly founded World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion. When Stardom was officially announced the following September, Fuka was appointed the General Manager of the promotion, a role she has held since. As a model, Fuka is signed to the Platinum Production agency. Her older brother, Daichi, is also a professional wrestler, most notably working for Dramatic Dream Team (DDT) between 2003 and 2014, and her father Masahide and oldest brother Genki have also made appearances in wrestling matches involving her.
Moeka Haruhi is a Liechtenstein-born Japanese professional wrestler, gravure idol, voice actress and television and radio personality. Starting her career in the Gatokunyan promotion in 2005, Haruhi remained with the promotion for two years, before transferring over to Pro Wrestling Wave in 2008. While in the promotion, she has become a one-time holder of the Asia Pacific Women's, Garter Match and TLW World Young Women's Tag Team Championships and a three-time holder of the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship, a title owned by the DDT Pro-Wrestling promotion. None of the three other titles are major titles, often remaining inactive for months or even years. She also works for Wave's sister promotion Osaka Joshi Pro Wrestling as Shitennouji Moeko. "Moeka Haruhi" is not her real name, but rather a stage name highlighting her cutesy, cosplaying persona.
Kana Shibutani is a retired Japanese professional wrestler better known by the ring name Shuu Shibutani. Having started her career in the JDStar promotion in September 2004, Shibutani remained with the promotion until it folded in July 2007, after which she affiliated herself with Pro Wrestling Wave. After becoming a one-time Wave Tag Team Champion, she retired from professional wrestling in May 2015.
Irena Janjic, better known by her ring name Alex Lee, is a Bosnian professional wrestler best known for her tenure with the Japanese professional wrestling promotions Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling and Oz Academy. Irena the only foreign female professional wrestler to have wrestled full time as a freelancer in Japan for 10 years. During her career Irena has developed a style that is a combination of classic joshi puroresu and strong style. She is best known for an array of powerful kicks, strikes and suplexes. Due to her kickboxing background and long tenure on the Japanese women's wrestling scene she is known as "The Queen of Strong Style".
Mikiko Futagami better known by her ring name Gami is a Japanese retired professional wrestler best known for her tenure with the Japanese promotions Pro Wrestling Wave, Arsion and JWP Joshi Puroresu.
Tomoko Kuzumi better known by her ring name Azumi Hyuga is a Japanese retired professional wrestler best known for her tenure with various Japanese promotions such as All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling, JWP Joshi Puroresu and NEO Japan Ladies Pro-Wrestling.
Kaoru Ito is a Japanese professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist currently working as a freelancer and is best known for her tenure with the Japanese promotions All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling and JWP Joshi Puroresu.
Kazuko Fujiwara mononymously known by her ring name Kazuki is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working as a freelancer and is best known for her tenure with various Japanese promotions such as Pure-J, JWP Joshi Puroresu and JDStar.
Yukie Abe better known by her ring name Sachie Abe is a Japanese retired professional wrestler best known for her tenure with the Japanese promotions JWP Joshi Puroresu and JDStar.
Tomoko Watanabe is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to the Japanese promotion Marvelous That's Women Pro Wrestling. A veteran of the Japanese independent scene, Watanabe is known for her tenures with now-defunct promotions All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling and JWP Joshi Puroresu.
