Exploring the history of the All-Japan Women's Professional Wrestling

Exploring the History of All-Japan Women's Professional Wrestling

Wrestling has long been one of the most popular sports in Japan, and the All-Japan Women's Professional Wrestling (AJW) is one of the major organizations in the country. It was founded in 1952 as the pre-dominant female wrestling promotion in Japan as an alternative to the male-dominated Japanese Professional Wrestling Alliance (JWA). But what does AJW look like today? How has it changed since its inception? What is the significance of its history?

AJW has been around for nearly 70 years now and has grown from a small promotion in the 1950s to a hugely successful organization that has produced some of the greatest female wrestlers of all time. The promotion has grown in popularity thanks to its hard-hitting style and exciting matches, with some of the biggest stars in professional wrestling, such as Bull Nakano, Manami Toyota, and Ayako Hamada, making their name in the AJW.

The mission of the AJW has always been to promote women's wrestling and provide a platform for female wrestlers to show their skills and make a name for themselves. Over the years, the promotion has evolved to include many different styles, including submission wrestling, Lucha Libre, cage matches, and even mixed martial arts-style events. It is well known for its inter gender matches, where male opponents enter the ring to take on female wrestlers. This type of match is seen as challenged the traditional idea that male and female wrestlers should be kept apart.

The origin of the AJW can be traced back to the creator of the Japanese Wrestling Alliance, Rikidozan. He wanted to create a place for female wrestlers to come and show their skills, and the AJW was an effort to expand the wrestling world to include female wrestlers. Through the years, the AJW has produced some of the greatest Japanese wrestlers of all time, including the legendary Bull Nakano.
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The AJW has also been at the forefront of several groundbreaking storylines and was responsible for the introduction of "events" to the world of professional wrestling. One such significant story was the introduction of the "Baisho-Ryu" rivalry between Bull Nakano and Manami Toyota. In the year 2000, Bull Nakano was the heel while Manami Toyota was the face, and the story was a thrilling one that ultimately ended with Toyota winning the AJW Heavyweight Championship at their first major event, the Grand Prix tournament.

Another significant storyline was the introduction of a new wrestling style, the "Tiger Mask" style, which was adopted by the AJW in 1995. For the first time, wrestlers would don full body outfits, called tiger masks, and challenge each other to a variety of high-impact moves and maneuvers. This helped inject some much-needed excitement into the promotion and introduced a new style of wrestling to Japan.
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The AJW has long been a major part of the Japanese professional wrestling scene, and its influence on wrestling in the country is undeniable. The promotion has produced some of the greatest female wrestlers of all time, provided opportunities for them to grow and succeed, and pushed the boundaries of professional wrestling with its groundbreaking storylines. With its rich and fascinating history, the AJW has helped shape professional wrestling in Japan and the rest of the world.