Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling
Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling (Japanese: プロレスリング我闘雲舞, Hepburn: Puroresuringu Gatōmūbu, Thai: กาโตห์ มูฟ), often referred to simply as Gatoh Move, is a Japanese Joshi puroresu (women's professional wrestling) promotion established in 2012 by Emi Sakura.[1] The promotion is known for hosting shows in Tokyo at Ichigaya Chocolate Square, where there is no wrestling ring, but instead a small performing space in the shape of a square.[2]
| Acronym | Gatoh Move |
|---|---|
| Founded |
|
| Style | Joshi puroresu |
| Headquarters | |
| Founder(s) |
|
| Owner(s) | Emi Sakura |
| Formerly | Bangkok Girls Pro Wrestling (BKK Pro) |
| Website | gatohmove |
The promotion's Japanese language name "Gatōmūbu" (Gatōmūbu (我闘雲舞, "I, War, Cloud, Dance")), written as a yojijukugo, is derived from the Japanese expression "We want to dance above the clouds" (私たちは雲よりも高く舞いたい, Watashitachi wa kumo yori mo takaku maitai), while also evoking the French word "gâteau" (French for "cake") and the English word "move".[3]
History
Early history (2012–2019)
On January 7, 2012, Emi Sakura, founder of Ice Ribbon, departed the promotion and traveled to Thailand.[4][5] While in Thailand, Emi Sakura met Prachapoom “Pumi” Boonyatud, a long-time wrestling fan. By meeting Boonyatud, Sakura learned that there were many fans of professional wrestling in Thailand, which led to the two creating Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling (Gatoh Move) in February 2012.[1] Originally, the promotion was named Bangkok Girls Pro Wrestling (BKK Pro), but was re-branded as Gatoh Move in May 2012.[1]
In March 2016, Gatoh Move introduced their first non-IWA Japan branded championship, the Asia Dream Tag Team Championship, with Mizuki and Saki being crowned the inaugural champions on March 26.[1] There have been ten tag team champions since 2016, with Calamari Drunken Kings (Chris Brookes and Masahiro Takanashi) being the current titleholders.[6] On September 22, 2017, Gatoh Move crowned their first Super Asia Champion, when Riho defeated "Kotori" in the finals of a tournament to become the inaugural champion.[7][8] Riho left Gatoh Move in June 2019, while reigning as the inaugural Super Asia Champion.[9] This left the championship vacant until a new champion was crowned in 2021.[1]
In November 2019, Gatoh Move held its final show in Thailand, while still remaining active in Japan.[1]
Launch of ChocoPro (2020–present)
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in Japan, Gatoh Move began airing a YouTube exclusive show, ChocoPro, on March 29, 2020, with Minoru Suzuki wrestling against Baliyan Akki in the main event of the inaugural episode.[10][11]
In February 2021, Emi Sakura and Mei Suruga represented Gatoh Move in the AEW Women's World Championship Eliminator Tournament for All Elite Wrestling (AEW), however, neither managed to win the tournament.[12][13] On March 22, 2021, the Super Asia Championship was revived during the 99th episode of ChocoPro, where a championship match between Minoru Fujita and Baliyan Akki was announced for day 2 of the 100th Show Anniversary of ChocoPro on March 28.[14] At ChocoPro 100 day 2, Fujita won the title.[15]
Roster
Current wrestlers
| Ring name | Real name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Baliyan Akki[16] | Ankur Baliyan | Super Asia Champion |
| Chie Koishikawa[17] | Unknown | |
| Choun Shiryu | Unknown | Freelancer |
| Emi Sakura[18] | Emi Motokawa | Founder/owner of Gatoh Move |
| Lulu Pencil[19] | Syuka Yamada | |
| Mei Suruga[20] | Unknown | |
| Minoru Fujita | Unknown | |
| Sayaka[21] | Unknown | |
| Sayaka Obihiro[22] | Unknown | |
| Sayuri[23] | Unknown | |
| Tokiko Kirihara[24] | Unknown | |
| Yuna Mizumori[25] | Unknown |
Alumni
| Ring name | Real name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aoi Kizuki | Unknown | |
| Hanako Nakamori | Hanako Kobayashi | |
| Mitsuru Konno | Unknown | Left Gatoh Move on January 29, 2021[26] |
| Kotori | Unknown | |
| Mizuki | Unknown | |
| Riho | Unknown | Left Gatoh Move in June 2019[9] |
| Rin Rin | Unknown | Left Gatoh Move on July 20, 2021[27] |
| Saki | Saki Watanabe | |
| Waka Tsukiyama | Unknown | |
| Yako Fujigasaki | Yako Fujigasaki |
Championships
Current
| Championship | Current champion(s) | Reign | Date won | Days held | Defenses | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Asia Championship | Baliyan Akki | 1 | February 13, 2022 | 374+ | 6 | Tokyo, Japan | Interim champion Akki defeated lineal champion Minoru Fujita in a Last Man Standing match on ChocoPro episode 200. |
| Asia Dream Tag Team Championship | Calamari Drunken Kings (Chris Brookes and Masahiro Takanashi) | 1 (1, 1) | February 26, 2022 | 361+ | 6 | Tokyo, Japan | Defeated Best Bros (Baliyan Akki and Mei Suruga) on ChocoPro episode 204. |
Retired
| Championship | Last champion(s) | Reign | Date retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IWA Triple Crown Championship | Emi Sakura | 4 | August 5, 2017 | Deactivated when Sakura returned the championship to IWA Japan. |
Tournaments
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Sutter, Robbie (January 3, 2020). "Gatoh Move - A Brief History of". ProWrestlingPost.com.
- ^ Pratt, Emily (April 14, 2020). "'The Gatoh Move Experience' Showcases The World's Most Joyful Pro Wrestling". Pro Wrestling Uproxx.
- ^ バンコク女子プロレスニュース！正式名称が『我闘雲舞』に決定＆MBKファイトで試合披露 他 [Bangkok Women's Wrestling news! Official name "Gatoh Move" to be announced & matches to be showcased at MBK Fight, and more]. thaich.net (in Japanese). May 20, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
- ^ . Ice Ribbon (in Japanese). December 14, 2011. Archived from the original on May 1, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
- ^ . Ice Ribbon (in Japanese). Archived from the original on January 13, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
- ^ Sutter, Robbie (December 30, 2020). "#AndNEW: Best Bros Win the Asia Dream Tag Team Championship". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ 我闘雲舞5周年記念大会 〜みんなと一緒に6年目〜 2017年9月22日 新宿Face. Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling (in Japanese). September 23, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
- ^ {{cite web | url = http://battle-news.com/?p=33238 | script-title=ja:日本一可愛くて若いアイドルベテランレスラーが初代アジア王者へ！ | date=September 23, 2017 | access-date=September 23, 2017 | work=Battle News | language=ja}
- ^ a b Michael, Casey (March 13, 2019). "Riho To Leave Gatoh Move". Squared Circle Sirens. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
- ^ ChocoProLIve! #1 'Baliyan Akki VS Minoru Suzuki' [Part 1], retrieved 2021-11-05
- ^ Sutter, Robbie (2020-05-26). "Preview: Gatoh Move ChocoPro #17 (5/27/20)". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ Powell, Jason (February 15, 2021). "2/15 AEW Women's Championship Eliminator tournament results: Powell's live review of Yuka Sakazaki vs. Mei Suruga, Veny vs. Emi Sakura, Maki Itoh vs. Ryo Mizunami, and Aja Kong vs. Rin Kadokura in first round matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ Powell, Jason (February 22, 2021). "2/22 AEW Women's Championship Eliminator tournament results: Powell's live review of Yuka Sakazaki vs. Emi Sakura and Aja Kong vs. Ryo Mizunami in second-round Japan bracket matches, Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose and Britt Baker vs. Madi Wrenkowski in U.S. bracket first-round matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "Singles Match Set for Vacant Super Asia Championship!". Gatoh Move Twitter.
- ^ "New Champion Crowned on Day 2 of Chocopro #100!". TDE Wrestling Twitter.
- ^ Edwards, Scott (March 27, 2021). "ChocoPro Origins: An Exclusive Interview with Gatoh Move's Baliyan Akki". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ "小石川チエ". gatohmove.com (in Japanese).
- ^ "さくらえみ". gatohmove.com (in Japanese).
- ^ "ルルペンシル". gatohmove.com (in Japanese).
- ^ "駿河メイ". gatohmove.com (in Japanese).
- ^ "沙也加". gatohmove.com (in Japanese).
- ^ "帯広さやか". gatohmove.com (in Japanese).
- ^ "咲百合". gatohmove.com (in Japanese).
- ^ "桐原季子". gatohmove.com (in Japanese).
- ^ "水森由菜". gatohmove.com (in Japanese).
- ^ "ChocoProLIVE! #85 Mitsuru Graduation Ceremony". YouTube.
- ^ Sutter, Robbie (July 20, 2021). "Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling Announces Departure of Rin Rin". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ Sutter, Robbie (July 19, 2021). "Reflecting on ChocoPro's First One of a Kind Tag League". lastwordonsports.com. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
External links
- Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling Official website (in Japanese)
- Gatoh Move's channel on YouTube