Get ready for one of the most pivotal eras in professional wrestling history, now finally available to watch on Netflix villain queen. First released in 2023, this Japanese semi-biographical drama centers on none other than Dump Matsumoto – the worst wrestler you’ve probably never heard of, but definitely should. She’s the ultimate foil for the beloved Crush Gals, the unstoppable idol-pop duo consisting of Liones Asuka and Chigusa Nagoya who combine healthy charisma with serious in-ring talent Combined with some pretty great Japanese pop.
These three idols, along with Matsumoto and his gang of misfits known as the Brutal League, helped bring All Japan Women’s Professional Wrestling into the major leagues and revolutionized the sport for both men and women. So, before villain queen Stateside, we’re giving you a crash course in the legends, rivalries and epic matches that took these women to the top in Japan.
What are AJW and Joshi Proresu?
For some contexts, villain queen Taking us back to the chaotic, high-stakes world of professional wrestling in the 1980s, focusing on Joshi Proresu – the Japanese term for women’s wrestling – that broke the gender divide in a way not found in WWE or All Elite Wrestling . Unlike Western wrestling, Josh Wrestling doesn’t treat women’s matches as an afterthought. Instead, it puts them front and center, demanding the same fast-paced, punchy and emotionally charged storytelling as male-dominated promotions like New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan. It’s a sporting event whose intensity rivals anything people do.
All Japan Women’s Professional Wrestling (AJW) was founded in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga. this The only venue for women’s wrestling in Japan, and for a long time. The company shocked the country in the mid-1980s when it chronicled the legendary showdown between Matsumoto and the Crush Gals. AJW first found success in the early ’80s thanks to stars like Jaguar Yokota and Devil Masami, but it was the Crush Gals’ unprecedented mainstream fame and their explosive rivalry with Matsumoto that really took things to the next level, even beyond television. The show’s ratings across Japan.
AJW dominated the Joshi scene until the 1990s, when the Crush Gals were forced to retire and began to slowly decline. A series of bad investments led to bankruptcy in 1997 and the company lost media deals before finally collapsing in 2005.
AJW was definitely a hotbed of innovation, and with the help of stars like Manami Toyota, Bull Nakano, and Kyoko Inoue, we got some of the most iconic moves in wrestling. Ever heard of jackhammers? Air raid accident? How about Vertebreaker or Death Valley Driver? Yes, these were created by Joshi women who have become a staple in the wrestling world. These pioneers not only redefined women’s wrestling, but wrestling as a whole, leaving a lasting mark on the sport’s DNA that can still be felt in the ring today.
It’s hard to find complete AJW matches on the internet, but if you’re curious about what the company does, you can find a match guide on Cagematch.
Who is the girl you have a crush on?
In the 1980s, The Crush Gals were this The face of Japanese pro wrestling, comparable to Hulk Hogan and Hulk Mania in the American cultural zeitgeist. Formed in 1983, Lionesses Asuka (Tomoko Kitamura) and Chigusa Nagoya captured the hearts of Japan with their youthful charm, ferocious in-ring skills and legions of teenage fans, not to mention their success as pop idols. Together they dominated the scene, winning the AJW Tag Team Championship four times.
But what truly cemented their legacy was their blood feud with Dump Matsumoto and her brutal alliance. In 1985, their rivalry achieved an eye-popping 12.0 rating on Fuji TV, meaning some 14 million people in Japan were glued to their screens every week. To put that into perspective, even during the Monday Night Wars of WWE and WCW in the 1990s, their highest ratings were 8.1 and 6.0 respectively. Crush Gals are huge – they’re a phenomenon.
Popular stories that can be mixed and matched
The Crush Gals’ rivalry with Dump Matsumoto reached a dramatic climax on August 28, 1985, in one of the most important matches in wrestling history – a brutal hair-on-hair showdown between Nagoya Chigusa and Matsumoto. This is a must-see for any serious wrestling fan. While the girls eventually defeated Matsumoto’s stable at the 1987 Tag Team Best Championship, by that time, Nagoya and Asuka had become singles stars.
So, what has AJW done with the duo that propelled the company to mainstream superstardom? Of course, forcing them to retire at 26. Yes, despite the popularity of Crush Gals, AJW has a strict rule that women must hang up their boots at this age. This rule was partly due to social expectations in Japan in the 1980s, when women were expected to settle down and embrace family life. Plus, given the physical intensity of Joshi’s wrestling, an early retirement might be a smart move – AJW puts on 250-300 matches a year, and professional wrestling’s premature mortality rate is already troubling.
Despite this, AJW never had the same success after Crush Gals retired, but the company still retained the policy.
After being forced to retire in 1989, both Nagoya and Asuka took a break from wrestling, but that didn’t last long. Nagoya briefly returned to AJW and JWP Joshi Puroresu in the ’90s, eventually founding his own promotion company GAEA Japan in 2000. The two reunited in GAEA and transformed Crush Gals into a semi-regular tournament until GAEA disbanded in 2005.
Nagoya will retire twice moreher most recent farewell game was with the West Coast Pro in San Francisco in 2024. As for Asuka, her career ended tragically in 2004 due to a neck injury, and her last match happened to be her final tag team match with Nagoya.
Beauty recommendation:
Who is Matsumoto Dump?
Get rid of Matsumoto in 2019
Image source: Etsuo Hara/Getty Images
Dump Matsumoto (real name Kaoru Matsumoto) was the living nightmare and ultimate villain of professional wrestling in the 1980s. With her vicious face paint, wild hair, and an array of weapons that would make even the most die-hard of wrestlers cringe, Matsumoto redefines what it means to be a badass in the ring. Without Matsumoto, we wouldn’t have The Road Warrior.
Her brutal, no-holds-barred fighting style contrasted with Crush Gals’ pop-idol appeal, cementing her status as the quintessential “monster” heel of the era.
Matsumoto and her band of misfits lead the “evil eponymous”, also known as the “Cruel League,” and they’re perfect as the nemesis of the fan-favorite bishoujos. They don’t just play villains—they yes The villains bring extreme violence and chaos wherever they go. Matsumoto’s use of chains, kendo sticks, and pure brutality pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in women’s wrestling at the time. Her game is not just fierce but fierce. They were groundbreaking, changing the face of the sport forever and redefining Josh Wrestling.
After a feud that cemented her status as one of wrestling’s most iconic villains, Dump Matsumoto tried her hand at the global stage. In 1986, she suddenly appeared in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), partnering with Bull Nakano, known as the “Japanese Devil”. Their time in the United States may have been brief, but it showcased Matsumoto’s heel talents to a whole new audience.
She didn’t leave AJW for long, returning in the late 1980s for various matches and storylines. But by 1988, she was officially retired—well, officially retired. Like most wrestling icons, Matsumoto isn’t done yet. She has returned to the ring multiple times over the years and to this day, she is still firmly established in the wrestling world.
Dump Matsumoto’s recommendations:
