Greetings fans of joshi puroresu! This time on Jessica’s Joshi Jaunts, allow me to introduce you to Yoshiko, sometimes stylized as YoIVko (Which might be short for “Yo, Where is the 4 Loko?”, but I’m not entirely certain). Yoshiko is yet another World Wonder Ring Stardom stand outs, as you can tell by the banner picture. That’s the World of Stardom Championship, sometimes referred to as the Red Belt, and is World Wonder Ring Stardom’s top title. That’s pretty cool for someone who’s only 21.
What do I find so special about Yoshiko? She’s a lady-hoss! Look at her truck the dog mess outta Mayu Iwatani. I love that there’s someone with a change of pace from the “typical” WWRS joshi with their kick-heavy, MMA-style offense.
In fact, the face wash is pretty much the only time I’ve seen Yoshiko use her legs directly on offense. The style goes beyond not just throwing leg and body kicks, though. She’s got a very impressive Don’t Give a Single F*ck attitude that I quite enjoy. She flips double birds when walking to the ring, while squatting in her corner, waiting for her opponent(s), and during her introduction. She refuses to shake hands and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen her roll her eyes while walking back to her corner.
Basically, Yoshiko is an angry, sullen teenager that is more than capable of destroying you and that’s the best thing ever. Plus, there’s something that makes me think of Mr. Touchdown and his running splashes whenever Yoshiko starts spamming sentons, and wrestling needs more things that remind me of Mr. Touchdown.
Matches to watch:
Yoshiko & Kagetsu vs Meiko Satomura & Aja Kong
This match is pretty fantastic, partly because the team opposite Yoshiko is really good. Plus, I like that it takes someone as imposing as Aja Kong to out-hoss Yoshiko. Of course, that doesn’t mean Yoshiko gets completely destroyed. She and Kagetsu put up a solid fight, with Yoshiko going toe-to-toe with Aja Kong a few times, and even coming out on top once or twice.
Yoshiko vs Mayu Iwatani
If you want to see Yoshiko just run all over a tiny opponent, this is a perfect match to check out. Iwatani tries her best, but she’s not match for Yoshiko’s middle fingers and sentons.
Yoshiko & Natsuki Taiyo vs Sendai Girls (Dash Chisako & Sendai Sachiko)
Yeah, this is another tag match, but come on, it features the Sendai Girls, and they’re a With Spandex favorite! I enjoy watching Yoshiko take on opponents half her size, and between Kagetsu and Taiyo as her partners, I kind of prefer Natsuki. This is a rad match even though Yoshiko winds up on the losing side of things.
