Pure Violence: Arisa Nakajima’s Retirement

August 4, 2024

Among near uncountable incredibly talented favorites of mine, there’s perhaps no wrestler who better encapsulates my time as a joshi wrestling fan in Japan than Arisa Nakajima.

Arisa was already a huge star who’d been wrestling for nearly a decade when I traveled to Japan for the first time in late 2015. Though I hadn’t seen any of her matches I was well aware of her reputation. She was already a two-time JWP Openweight Champion (of four eventual total reigns), and her battles with the equally tough as nails Kana (now WWE’s Asuka) were legendary.

I was also familiar with, and a big fan of, her tag partner Tsukasa Fujimoto from Tsukka’s appearance in Shimmer in fall of 2014.

So of all the wrestlers I’d be lucky enough to see live for the first time during that trip, I was far and away most excited about Arisa. Needless to say, she certainly didn’t disappoint.

I saw her wrestle for the first time in the main event of my fifth show in Japan, JWP’s 12/23/15 event . She faced Kayoko Haruyama, and made an immediate and lasting impression against her more veteran, larger opponent.

Arisa exudes self confidence and determination every second she’s in the ring. They beat the hell out of each other in a tremendous battle that confirmed everything I’d heard about Arisa and made her an instant favorite of mine.

Speaking of instant favorites, the same show was also my first time seeing Dash Chisako & Sendai Sachiko (the Jumonji Sisters). They were fantastic and my anticipation levels for their tag title match against Arisa & Tsukka (Best Friends) a few days later at JWP’s Climax 12/27/15 shot through the roof. It was amazing, and remains one of my favorite matches of all time to this day.

All in all I saw 84 matches featuring 144 different wrestlers during that first trip. Arisa was in all 3 matches at the top of my list of favorites (more on the third of those matches to come).

The trend of top tier matches would continue, with Arisa’s intensity and skill making her appearances highlights of every trip.

As luck would have it my next opportunity to see Arisa would come relativity quickly. A few months later I attended her first and only Shimmer weekend. It was her US debut, and it was really cool to see her compete in a different atmosphere against a variety of opponents she’d be unlikely to face anywhere else.

She had four matches over the course of the weekend, and made an immediate splash defeating former Shimmer Champion Nicole Matthews in her first match with the company. She also faced solid Shimmer mainstays Shazza McKenzie and Rhea O’Reilly on later volumes.

The true centerpiece of her weekend though was a Shimmer title match against reigning champion Madison Eagles. It can’t be overstated how special it was at the time to see the reigning JWP Openweight Champion coming into a US promotion and facing their top tile holder. It was a dream match for me, and they absolutely tore the house down.

Arisa’s intensity is ever-present. Her hard hitting style evokes a visceral response that draws fans into her struggles and battles.

Whether she’s displaying her deep technical prowess, breaking out the occasional high flying spectacle, or simply wearing her opponent down with a never-ending onslaught of brutal strikes, Arisa’s always captivating to watch.

I alluded to another top match from my first trip above, and it had long lasting influence on me in a number of ways. At Ribbonmania 2015 I saw Best Friends defend Ice Ribbon’s International Tag Ribbon titles against Misaki Ohata & Ryo Mizunami (Avid Rival). Misaki was another favorite of mine from her time in Shimmer, and seeing this particular group of wrestlers face off was such a treat. They’re two of the greatest tag teams of all time, and the chemistry they had was incredible.

The match was so special to me and made such an impression that when the teams were slated to wrestle a special three match series a year and a half after their initial encounter I made a specific trip to Japan planned largely around seeing two of the shows they were fighting on. The Ribbonmania match plus the best of three series were the only four times they faced each other, and they are all excellent contests well worth seeking out.

In addition, Misaki was an extremely similar wrestler to Arisa in terms of tenacity, style, and mastery of the German Suplex as a signature move. The rivalry the two had was enthralling, throughout interactions in both tag and singles matches over numerous years.

It’d be impossible to go through every single match of Arisa’s I adored. Just the small sliver of her career I was lucky enough to witness live is a treasure trove of impactful pro wrestling masterclasses.

A few more that are particularly fond memories for me include a war against cocky upstart Mio Momono (SEAdLINNNG 4/18/18), Best Friends against Kyuri & Maika Ozaki (Gekokujo, Ice Ribbon 12/24/17), and an underrated match of unusual pairings where Arisa teamed with Karen DATE against Misaki & Asahi (Ice Ribbon 10/8/18).

I haven’t been able to return to Japan since prior to the pandemic, so while I didn’t know it at the time Arisa’s main event against Yoshiko of SEAdLINNNG’s 1/24/2020 show would be the last time I saw her wrestle live. As far as an in person memory of her career, a big singles match against another major star of her current company is a good note to finish on.

Arisa’s retirement road has been as intense as the rest of her career. Tsukka made a temporary return from hiatus to properly send her partner off, and has been involved in several of Arisa’s last matches.

Getting to see Arisa cross paths with Mio Momono, Dash Chisako, and others one last time has been a blast. Best Friends also wrestled a number of dream matches on Arisa’s way out, including against Chihiro Hashimoto & Yuu (Team 200kg) and opposite Stardom’s ace Mayu Iwatani.

Arisa Nakajima’s final show will be SEAdLINNNG’s 8/23/24 event. She will wrestle twice and her last match is the main event teaming with Tsukka against Hiroyo Matsumoto & Hanako Nakamori.

While I wish Arisa could continue wrestling forever, she’s maintained an incredibly physical style for a long, wondrous 18 year career and no doubt has a long list of accumulated injuries to deal with. Stopping on her own terms is wise.

I’m grateful for all she’s done to entertain us fans and wish her all the best in life after wrestling.