Adding Joshi Wrestlers Was The Right Call

Since AEW’s Double or Nothing Ticket Rally, the company has made it apparent that Joshi wrestling would be a big part of the women’s division with appearances from Yuka Sakazaki and Japanese legend, Aja Kong. In the months that followed, more Joshi practitioners became a part of their shows and they’ve already added so much to AEW.

These women immediately make the fledgling women’s division stand out in comparison to their competitors. This Japanese style of wrestling isn’t new to some niche fans, but it’s not as well known among the mainstream fans that AEW will be targeting.

Reintroducing Joshi wrestling to American pop culture gives them a way to differentiate themselves in a time when women’s wrestling has become more popular than ever.

In addition, the promotion’s core fans are already connecting with Sakazaki, Riho, and Hikaru Shida. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say Shida and Riho competed in the best women’s match they’ve presented so far at All Out.

It says a lot that Riho is one of the contenders who will wrestle in the first AEW Women’s World Championship match on Wednesday. This suggests that she has impressed in her appearances and Joshi puroresu will continue to be a part of the company’s success. We look forward to seeing how it will fit into their programming.